Thursday, November 03, 2011

pulling on the versatility chain


Bernie Madoff must have come up with one final scheme before being trundled off to white collar confinement.


The Versatility Blogger Award.


Here is how it works.  A blogger will nominate a fellow blogger for the award.  More on the number nominated in a moment.  But the criteria for nomination seem to be a bit vague.


It is an award, so we can assume that the nominator finds something interesting in the nominated blogs. 


And there is reference to versatility, so we can also assume the blogs should show some form of flexibility.  Unless, it is an inside joke and the adjective modifies the second noun, rather than the first.  Sardonic irony in a postmodern world.


Well, I am a nominee.  My pal blogger, Kelly, over at A Canuck in Cancun, saw fit to nominate me for the award.  I thank her.  I think.


A couple of years ago, fellow blogger Felipe tried a little experiment.  He wrote about the obviously false statistic that there are one million Americans (or foreigners or left-handed dwarfs -- take your pick) living in Mexico.  He then made up an equally false number and posted it on his blog to see if it gained currency on the internet.  It did.


In that spirit, I accept this award.


The rules are simple.  If nominated, the nominee must tell seven things that readers may not know about the blogger.  And, having then bared his soul, the nominee must nominate 15 other blogs for the great honor of the playing confession on the web.


We once called these things chain letters.  But this is the age of full frontal social networks.  So, here goes.


Because we are discussing secrets, I thought I would open my old FBI file, and pass on some of that information.  Of course, if you have read this blog for very long, you will know how to complete the sentences.


Subject:


1.  Has been married
X times.  When asked by his then-girlfriend, X  XX: "When the leaders of your planet sent you here, did they tell you people had feelings?," his answer was: "XX."


2.  Was assigned as an
XXXXX of the XXXXXXXXXXX XX XXX XXX XXXXX between 1973 and 1974 while living in Greece.


3.  Became a member of the
XXXXXXXXXX Party in 1967.


4.  Was placed on an IRA watch list by MI5 in 1976.  The accusation was
XXXXX.


5.  Will not eat any foods beginning with the letter
X – unless he does.


6.  Would like to write with the
XXX of P.J. O’Rourke, but ends up sounding like the XXXXX XXXXXX of Andrea Dworkin.


7.  Owns a favorite t-shirt with the slogan: “I make stuff up.”


So, there are the secrets.


And now, for my nominees for the Versatility Blogger Award.  Kelly chose less than 15.  Because there are no criteria for nomination, I am simply going to make stuff up as I go along.  (You may have already caught that.)


I was simply going to nominate all of the blogs in my roll on the right.  And there would have been nothing wrong with that.  After all, they are there for a reason.


But I will stick with two:


honduras gumbo -- When Mexico gets me down, I realize I could be living in Honduras.  Laurie’s faith always makes it better.


the unseen moon -- Felipe writes ten times better than most of us.  And I know he will not allow himself to get sucked into this.


Please note, we are all “nominees.”  Not “winners.”


I suspect it is a bit like everyone getting a little trophy in Third Grade soccer.

18 comments:

LeslieLimon said...

Congratulations on your award!  You're a winner in my book. :)  

I can fill in the answers to some of your points, but not all.  I am very curious about #1.  And I don't think I'll ever forget #5.  In fact, every time I come across a food that starts with that letter, I wonder if it's something you would eat.  

ANM said...

I''m really surprised you didn't mention your short medical career in Australia when you were experimenting with the possibility of sharing intra-subjective experience between subjects through the implantation of small radio transmitters into the pineal glands of volunteers, for which you received no Nobel Prize for research in medicine, but, rather, a stern warning from authorities to not let the Australian sun set on your back.

ANM

NWexican said...

"When the leaders of your planet sent you here, did they tell you people had feelings?,"   I love that, she was good...
It reminds me of, "Uhhh, is there a second choice?" when asked, "Do you AAAA  take BBBB to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Steve Cotton said...

She was one of my favorites.

Steve Cotton said...

You must have the unredacted version of the file.  I see you neglected to mention my Legion of Honor award.

Debi said...

Congrats on your Nomination!  I got several, but missed a few of your stats!

Don't knock little trophies - Tom and I just recently won a 2nd place trophy for dancing at a Halloween Bash.  Not because we are great dancers, but because we dance with great abandon;   Watch out, oops, my bad, pardon me, you ok?, move it mister, ......

Debi

Steve Cotton said...

I really am going to miss being at the conference this year.  It would have been great to pick up where we left off in Puerto Vallarta.

tancho said...

Where and where is the Amway meeting?

Steve Cotton said...

I can almost hear the originator of this exercise chuckling in the background. At least, no miracles were promised. Not even a heavenly award.

Felipe Zapata said...

What on earth are you smoking today?

Thanks for the kind words, but really! Only ten times better than the rest of you?

You are right. I will not get sucked into this. Seinfeld is about to start.

Felipe Zapata said...

And I am honored that you have placed me in the company of Ms. Matherne.  She is a talent.

Steve Cotton said...

And just good folk.

Steve Cotton said...

It took this to make you wonder where my mind wanders?

Don Cuevas said...

I received a glowing compliment about my blog, but the comment was posted on Michoacan_Net, not on the blog. I can't seem to get the M_N folks to leave comments on the blog itself, for some unknown reason. But I was pleased to get the praise.

Saludos,Don Cuevas 

Steve Cotton said...

I saw the comment.  It was well deserved.

I have the same issue when I post links to my blog on Facebook.  People will comment on Facebook rather than leaving a comment on the blog.  Habit, I guess.

Laurie Matherne said...

Felipe is always right. 

Laurie Matherne said...

Hmmmm. Nominated for versatility. Or is it just an inability to focus. But I am not worthy to share space with Zapata. 

Steve Cotton said...

No humility required.