A Very Special Award

As most of you know, I've been tagged for awards several times over the past few months but, this one really took me by surprise. Believe it or not, my 3 year old grandson received an award for his blog recently and he decided to share the love with his Pop-Pop (and a few others) by passing it on to me. So, many thanks to my little man, The Booga Wooga, over at The Booga Wooga: Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, & Tigger Too! for naming me (my blog) as one of his recipients for the Nemo's Award!

Criteria for the award:

* To be passed on to those who love to blog and encourage friendships through blogging.

* To seek the reasons why we all love blogging!

Rules for the award:

* Put the award in a post when you receive it.

* Name and link to the blogger who gave you the award in the post.

* Write the reason why you love to blog.

* Pass the award on to other bloggers that you know.

* Name and link to your recipients in the post.

* Let your recipients know that the award was passed on to them.

The reason I love to blog:

Because I get to entertain both myself and others.

I would like to pass this award on to:

1. A Free Spirit Butterfly (self-titled)

2. 12 Kyle (The 12th Planet)

3. Veronica Wright (The Ups & Downs Of Being Wright)

4. LadyLee (LadyLee... The Original OldGirl)

5. The F$%K It List (self-titled)

6. ShellyShell (A Work In Progress...)

7. Regina (Regina's Family Seasons)

8. Brothers' Blog (self-titled)

9. CareyCarey (Carry Me Home)

10. Dreamy (The Dreamy One)

Have fun y'all!

Splash Award

Well, I was "splashed" (tagged) a few weeks ago and, this time, I would like to send out a "thank you" and much appreciation to Regina over at Regina's Family Seasons for naming me (my blog) as one of her recipients for the Splash Award. It is my understanding that this award originates from the Electronic Village, one of the most influential sites for African American bloggers in the blogosphere.

The Rules:

1. Put the award on your blog post.

2. Nominate up to 9 bloggers (blogs) which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress, or inspire you.

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.

5. Remember to link to the person from whom your received your Splash award.

My Nominees:

1. Blu Jewel (Is It Just Me?)

2. Beautifully.Conjured.Up (Conjured Perceptions)

3. Jillian (Sometimes I Feel Like A Blog...)

4. A Free Spirit Butterfly (self-titled)

5. Qucifer (It's Q's World You Just Live In It)

6. Karrie B (Get Karried Away)

7. Eb The Celeb (Renaissance Black Woman)

8. Angel (A Taste Of Angel Cake)

9. Stacye (Standing Able)

Honorable Mention:

* Shorty (Securityville)

Have fun y'all!

Noblesse Oblige Award

Well, it seems that I'm "it" (tagged) again and this time, I would like to send out a "thank you" and appreciation to CareyCarey over at Carry Me Home for naming me (my blog) as one of his recipients of the Noblesse Oblige Award.

Award Criteria:

1. The blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervades amongst different cultures and beliefs.

2. The blog contents inspire; strives to encourage and offers solutions.

3. There is a clear purpose at the blog; one that fosters a better understanding on social, political, economic, the arts, culture and Sciences, and beliefs.

4. The blog is refreshing and creative.

5. The blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

Instructions:

1. Create a post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award.

2. The award conditions must be displayed in the post.

3. Write a short article about what the blog has achieved - preferably, citing one or more older posts as support.

4. The blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the award conditions.

5. The blogger must display the award at any location on the blog.

My Blog Achievements:

I didn't set out to be a crusader or an activist of any sort, but I was most proud of some of the posts I wrote near the election of President Obama...I was most proud that this blog has opened people's minds and made people think about important issues. I have even angered a few people, which is okay, because that means that at least they have been made to think. If I brightened someone's day or made them think in a way that they might not have thought before, then my job was done.

My Recipients:

I only have three recipients for this award and they are as follows:

1. Rippa (The Intersection Of Madness And Reality)

Honestly, this is one of the funniest and thought provoking blogs out there. Whenever I'm taking myself too seriously or feeling down in the dumps, I need do no more than go over to Big Rippa's blog for a good rib-hurting and belly-aching laugh and some thought provoking insight. I love this brother and his blog. Check out Big Rippa.

2. Clnmike (The Happy Go Lucky Bachelor)

The title of this blog first got my attention... then, the contents just blew me away. Funky rock music and just like Rippa, thought provoking and often humorous commentary. If you haven't checked out it's author Clnmike (and you must have because he comments on just about errbody's blog) then by all means, do so.

3. Keith (Escapades)

Yeah, I know it's my other blog but it is, in my humble opinion, the most original and one-of-a-kind blog out there. I don't know of any other that is a combination of so many creative idioms. When I started it, it was envisioned as a poetry blog but soon after, I added short stories and continuing long-form fiction. I also added art by (mostly) African American artists and erotica... thus, this blog became something else altogether. I really enjoy writing it and I wish that more people in addition to my loyal friends (who don't have blogs) would read it.

Have fun!

Proximidade Award

I'm tagged again! This time, I would like to say "thank you" to Jillian over at Sometimes I Feel Like A Blog... for giving me the Proximidade Award. After I read the criteria, I felt honored that she named me (my blog) as one of her recipients. Now, it's my turn to pass it on so, let's get to it...

Criteria: This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time, and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. Check up on these writers!

Rules: This blog award should be given to 8 of your favorite bloggers and they, in turn, should pass it on to 8 of their favorite bloggers.

My 8 Favorite Bloggers (Blogs) are:

1. Eb The Celeb (Renaissance Black Woman)

2. 12Kyle (The 12th Planet)

3. Beautifully.Conjured.Up (Conjured Perceptions)

4. Thoughts Of A Southern Gal (One Good Reason...)

5. Mizrepresent (Miz's Write for Life)

6. The F%$k It List (The F$%k It List)

7. ShellyShell (A Work In Progress)

8. Jillian (Sometimes I Feel Like A Blog)

Honorable Mention:

1. Blu Jewel (Is It Just Me?)

2. Opinionated Diva (Divalicious Opinions)

3. Moanerplicity (Moaningmoanerplicities )

4. Zack (Go Zack)

5. The Original Glamazon (The Glamazon Chronicles)

6. SLC (Perspective)

7. Strongblkwoman (Tammy's Thoughts)

8. Qucifer (It's Q's World You Just Live In It!)

If you haven't been to any of these blogs, you should. Of course, there are many more that I could name but, these are not just the sites that I lounge on the most... these bloggers have become somewhat personal friends of mine too. They're all great sites!

Have fun!

25 Writers Who Influenced Me

It's been a while but, I've been tagged again. It seems that Regina over at Regina's Family Seasons is under the impression that I like to read and she is absolutely right! I have been asked to name 25 writers who have influenced me and tag 25 people to do the same. (I don't know about tagging 25 people but, I'll do my best to name a few-lololol!)

Since I can remember, I have always loved to read. My grandfather used to read the newspaper to me and by the time I entered kindergarten, I could read a little bit. Books became my friends and by the list of writers below, you'll see that my tastes are quite eclectic.

25 writers who have influenced me are (in no particular order):

1. Chester Himes
2. James Baldwin
3. Richard Wright
4. Walter Mosley
5. Maya Angelou
6. Zora Neal Hurston
7. Terri McMillan
8. Diane McKinney-Whetstone
9. Omar Tyree
10. Juan Williams
11. Valerie Wilson Wesley
12. Zane
13. Bebe Moore Campbell
14. George L. Jackson
15. Eldridge Cleaver
16. Frantz Fanon
17. Jean Genet'
18. Tananarive Due
19. Eric Jerome Dickey
20. Nikki Giovanni
21. Donald Goines
22. William Shakespeare
23. Langston Hughes
24. Edgar Allan Poe
25. Alex Haley

My tag list for this endeavor is three bloggers... Enjoy!

1. Mizrepresent (Miz's Write For Life)

2. A.J. Brown (A.J. Brown)

3. Moanerplicity (Moaningmoanerplicities)

Honest Scrap Award

Well, I'm tagged again! This time, many "thanks" go out to CurvyGurl over at The CurvyGurl Chronicles for honoring me with the Honest Scrap Award. We have been fans of each other's blogs for a while now. So, without further delay, let's get to it...

Honest Scrap Award Rules:

1. List 10 honest and interesting things about yourself.
2. Honor 7 other bloggers with the award.

10 Honest & Interesting Things About Me:

1. I have never blogged about it but, I'm a huge boxing fan.

2. The smell of fish can actually make me nauseous.

3. I've never been to California (I've been everywhere else though).

4. My mother and I shared the same astrological sign (Aries.)

5. My grandson (January) and I (March) were both born on the 24th day of the month.

6. I was about 5'9" until I turned 15 years old... then, I shot up past 6' and haven't looked back (or down) ever since.

7. I ran the fastest recorded quarter-mile in my high school's history in 1976. My cousin Lamont broke my record in 1984. This proves that getting old is truly not fun sometimes.

8. My mother named me after an actor. My first name was his last name. Do you wanna take a guess as to who it was? The answer is Brian Keith (now deceased star of the old TV series "Family Affair"). Naming me after an actor is kinda fitting... I've often had a flair for the dramatic, or so I've been told.

9. High Noon was one of my favorite movies.I must have watched it six times. I always identified with Gary Cooper, who had to face the bad guys all by himself because everybody else ran away. I've often had that alone against the world feeling.

10. I have always marched to the beat of my own drum. I guess after reading this blog, most of you have come to realize that about me.

My Honors List:

1. A Go Bytch (Go Bytch)
She's becoming more sophisticated and astute as a blogger with every single post.

2. Rainahavock (To Rain Of Havock)
Mature beyond her 18 years.

3. Reggie (Purple Rain)
With a total of six blogs, he's the "Beast" of the blogging world.

4. SLC (Perspective)
The "Prime Minister" of the blogging world.

5. Plez (PlezWorld)
My frat brother and the blogger who keeps it the realist.

6. Dreamy (The Dreamy One)
My buddy who's been going through something... Keep your head up!

7. A.J. Brown (A.J. Brown)
My Chi-Town buddy and a great blogger in her own right.


Enjoy and have fun everybody!

The Emblem Of The Helping Hand

I have been tagged again and this time, I'm saying "thank you" to Mizrepresent over at Miz's Write For Life for naming me (my blog) as a "Helping Hand". In turn, I need to name five bloggers (blogs) who are my "Helping Hand" and they are:

1. Thoughts of a Southern Gal (One Good Reason...)

2. Rich Fitzgerald (The Rich House)

3. Opinionated Diva (Divalicious Opinions)

4. 12Kyle (The 12th Planet)

5. CurvyGurl (The CurvyGurl Chronicles)

You guys have supported my blog on a continuous basis and in return, have introduced me to people I wouldn't have otherwise met. I can't thank you enough and I'm so glad to have cyber met you all.

Next, I need to extend a "Helping Hand" in support and encouragement to five more bloggers (blogs) and they are:

6. Beautifully.Conjured.Up (Conjured Perceptions)

7. Qucifer (It's Q's World You Just Live In It)

8. Strongblkwoman (Tammy's Thoughts)

9. Truth (The Enclave)

10. Kofi Bofah (Onyx Investments)

You guys have great blogs and I hope that the exposure here brings you an even larger audience because you deserve it.

And finally, I added my name (blog link) to "The Helping Hand Meme" and a comment was left there as a permanent record.

Enjoy and have fun everybody!!!

Rules for The Emblem of the Helping Hand:

1. Select 10 bloggers: First, pick 5 bloggers that you consider your blogging "Helping Hand". Second, pay it forward by extending your "Helping Hand" to 5 additional bloggers in support and encouragement for their efforts.

2. In passing on the emblem, each recipient must provide the name of the blog and/or blog author with a link for others to visit. Each recipient must show the emblem and put the name and link to the blog that has given it to her/him.

3. Link the emblem to this post, "Helping Hand: Much Obliged and Paying it Forward", so that others will know its origin and impetus.

4. If you have not already done so, show your recipients some love by adding them to your blogroll, Technorati Favorites list, or in some other way to further let them know that their blog voice is important to you and being heard.

5. Add your name to "The Helping Hand Meme" and don't forget to leave a comment as a permanent record of all "Helping Hand" recipients.

6. Display the rules in your post.

Blog Interrogation

Kin'Shar (Kin'Shar's World)

On a lighter note, I've been tagged again... this time, by Kin'Shar over at Kin'Shar's World. She has chosen me as one of her 7 people to participate in a "Blog Interrogation" and the rules are as follows:

* Answer the questions below with only one word.

* Then, pass this along to 7 people so they can do the same.

Questions & (My) Answers:

1. Where is your cell phone? - Nightstand
2. Where is your significant other? - Here
3. What's your hair color? - Black
4. Your mother? - Heaven
5. Your father? - Heaven
6. Your favorite thing? - Driving
7. Your dream last night? - Swimming
8. Your goal? - Happiness
9. The room you're in? - Study
10. Your hobby? - Reading
11. Your fear? - God
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? - Published
13. Where were you last night? - Home
14. What you're not? - Shallow
15. One of your wish list items? - Laptop
16. Where you grew up? - Philadelphia PA
17. The last thing you did? - Sleep
18. What are you wearing? - Pajamas
19. Your TV? - On
20. Your pet? - None
21. Your computer? - Dell
22. Your mood? - Happy
23. Missing someone? - Parents
24. Your car? - Old
25. Something you're not wearing? - Shoes
26. Favorite store? - IKEA
27. Your summer? - Hot
28. Love someone? - Yes
29. Your favorite color? Aqua
30. When is the last time you laughed? - Today
31. Last time you cried? - ?
32. Are you a b*tch? - No
33. Favorite position? - Missionary
34. Favorite past time? - Blogging
35. Are you a hater or a lover? - Lover
36. Are you genuine or fake? - Genuine
37. Any vices? - Many
38. Pro-life or wire hanger? - N/A
39. McCain or Obama? - Obama
40. Pro-plastic or natural? - Natural
41. Dream job? - Google

Playing it forward:

In turn, I have chosen the following 7 bloggers (blogs) for interrogation:

1. The F%$k it List (The F%$k It List)

2. Thoughts Of A Southern Gal (One Good Reason For Doing The Right Thing Today Is Tomorrow)

3. Blu Jewel (Is It Just Me?)

4. Rich (The Rich House)

5. Shorty (Securityville)

6. Damn She Pretty (1) (Run Tell Dat! The Bi-Polar Chronicles Of Ms. D.S.P.)

7. Dione (My Evolution)

Have fun y'all!

Fav Five Scribblers

Well, it seems that I've been tagged again-lol! This time, I would like to say "thank you" to another fellow blogger known as OG, The Original Glamazon over at The Glamazon Chronicles for naming me as one of her fav five scribblers and passing this award on to me.

Playing it forward:

In turn, I would like to name my fav five scribblers (along with a couple of honorable mentions) and pass this award on to them so that they can keep the love flowing.

1. Moanerplicity (Moaningmoanerplicities)
Simply one of the most fabulous writers in the game.

2. Don (Minus the Bars)
The writer who makes me want to step my game up. I hope he gets back in the game soon.

3. Mizrepresent (Wildflower II)
She gave me the inspiration to take blogging into a whole 'nother direction.

4. The Karrie B (The Karrie B)
She's such a hair flippin' chick who says all the things I can't say in a raw, imaginative, and fresh way.

5. OG, The Original Glamazon (The Glamazon Chronicles)
She is another blogger who inspires me to go to another level.

Honorable mentions:

* Dr. Torrance "All-Mi-Ti" Stephens (Raw Dawg Buffalo)
All day, everyday (24/7)... if you have to ask, you obviously haven't read his blog.

* The Field Negro (The Field Negro)
For always stayin' in the field and keepin' it politically real.

Congratulations, enjoy, and have fun!

"UBER!" (Synonymn For "SUPER!")

I would like to take this opportunity to say "thank you" to a fellow blogger known as Shorty over at Securityville for nominating Keith's Space as one of her 5 recipients for the Uber Amazing Blog Award.

The award is given to sites that:

* inspire you
* make you smile and laugh
* give amazing information
* are a great read
* have an amazing design
* and/or any other reason that makes them Uber Amazing!

Playing it forward:

It's always nice to know that your blog is being read and recognized so, I humbly accept this award. But, it is also important to read and recognize others so, with that thought in mind, I would like to nominate the following 5 blogs (bloggers) as my recipients of the Uber Amazing Blog Award:

1. The Glamazon Chronicles (OG, The Original Glamazon)

2. Go Zack (Zack)

3. Miz's Write For Life (Mizrepresent)

4. 12th Planet (12Kyle)

5. Renaissance Black Woman (Eb The Celeb)


All of the above criteria (and so much more) would describe your blogs and the contributions that each of you make to the blogosphere through your writing. It is my hope that all of you will receive this award in the spirit in which it is given and "play it forward" to other bloggers as well, so we can share as much love and support for one another as possible (maybe y'all can hit some of the others that I missed).

The rules for the award are as follows:

1. Put the logo (award image) on your blog or in a post.

2. Nominate at least 5 blogs that you feel are Uber Amazing!

3. Let them know that they have received the Uber Amazing Blog Award by commenting on their blog.

4. Share the love by linking to this post and the person you received the award from.

Congratulations, enjoy, and have fun!