Tuesday, April 28, 2009

With Nobs On

With the BAFTAs out of the way we can at last move onto the REAL award ceremony. The Noblesse Oblige Awards.

(And sadly Jonathon Ross hasn’t won one of these either.)

I was nominated a couple of weeks ago by the superlative EmmaK who’s blog, Mommy Has A Headache, has tickled my fancy almost as many times as its tickled my funny bone. It was a tremendous honour to receive this award though I disappointingly noted that there was no 5 course meal, cabaret or excuse to hire a tux involved. Just the glamour and kudos of acquiring the award. However, in these days of austerity and recession I wouldn’t have been able to afford the coke or the after party hookers anyway so who’s to say it wasn’t a win-win situation after all?

The award works like this:

The recipient of this award is recognised for the following:

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.

The Blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following steps:

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 at the Post.
3) Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved – preferably citing one or more older post to support.
4) The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions.
5) Blogger must display the Award at any location at the Blog.


I’m not going to follow the directions to the letter (it’s just the kind of cavalier guy I am – I’m an extreme blogger after all, dudes) but I am, with great delight, going to pass on the Noblesse Oblige award to showcase the talents of a select few of my favourite bloggers. It’s a tough choice because I love all the blogs that are listed in my sidebar but, to follow EmmaK’s example (and because I’m lazy) I’m only going to pick out and honour 5. Please don’t hold it against me if you are not picked – it is just that my love for your particular blog is beyond all description and defies expression in every language.

And so the winners are:


1) Diary Of An Old Cheeser: He’s been gone for a while but now he’s back. Hopefully for good. School teacher, self-confessed Whovian and cheesy TV aficionado the Old Cheeser is a reading must for those of you who like your TV served up hot, spicy and... well, cheesy. OC has a delightfully humorous touch and a penchant for saucy commentary that would make Graham Norton blush. This blog is guaranteed to brighten anybody’s day. In fact even Gordon Brown has been known to crack one off to OC’s blog. A smile that is.

2) The Reluctant Blogger: What can I say? RB’s blog has long been a safe and comfortable online haven for me, Articulate, sensitive, expressive, thought provoking and always, always warmly humane. RB has a writing style that is welcoming and all inclusive. It’s impossible to visit merely once. You will simply have to keep going back for more. And more.

3) Magic Lantern Show: I only discovered this blog a week or two ago though I think it was more of a case that this blogger stumbled onto me and was good enough to bestow a few intriguing comments my way. My curiosity was piqued and I followed them back to the source. I’m glad I did. I’m still sussing out the blog world of Magic Lantern Show but already I’ve been dazzled by wonderful photography, incredible writing, exciting travelogues and a brilliantly eclectic selection of posts. Go check it out.

4) A Write Blog: another recent addition to my blogging canon. AWB writes posts and leaves comments that are superbly crafted and challenging and push the reader to think a little deeper. No mean feat in this age of instant electronic gratification. AWB engages the reader on so many levels... if you’ve not dropped by before now I suggest you make an appointment in your diary to head over there as soon as possible.

5) Through A Glass, Darkly: one of those blogs that makes you cry out, “where have you been all of my life?” Brother Tobias has trodden the blogging boards for a while now and it is truly an honour to have him stop by and leave a carefully considered comment or three. The man has everything: style, panache and a humble and unpretentious sense of honour and dignity. Brother T’s posts balance gracefully between worldly wise and wide eyed wonder and are never sourly cynical or dismissive. To visit this blog is to breathe the free air. I can’t recommend it highly enough.


Congratulations my friends. ‘Tis an honour to pass this award onto you all. Do with it as you will.

And so, in my closing speech, it only remains for me to say that I only wish I had time and energy enough to showcase all of the blogs on my reading list. For you are all wonderful and deserving of praise and riches and I thank you all for your dedication to the blogging cause.

And now I shall virtually retire and virtually polish my virtual award, stare at my mantelpiece and think how much more attractive it is than one of those awfully kitsch BAFTAs.

And far easier to dust.

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I'm taking my bat and ball home;)
You picked well Sir, I regularly read all those you featured.
I particularly enjoy The Reluctant Blogger .

Anonymous said...

Awww Steve you are so kind. You are, as I have said many times before, the nicest person I've never met.

I had no idea Old Cheeser was back. I shall have to go and visit.

Steve said...

Missbehaving: I genuinely wish I could have featured everyone! Your bat and ball are always very welcome around here! This type of meme occurs very frequently and I've done a number over the years - I always try and shift the focus around each time and pick different people. I am now having a huge guilt trip about all the people I didn't feature this time - especially your blog! Noblesse Oblige indeed!

Gina, the pleasure is all mine and please don't feel you have to respond to this meme in any shape or fashion - I know you're not feeling very meme-minded at the moment. As for OC - hopefully he'll be pleased that I've given people a heads-up to his return. Please pass the word on - I'm sure he'd appreciate it massively. :-)

Anonymous said...

Oh missbehaving. I am so flattered. I am beginning to feel a bit tearful here - I guess that happens at these award type things.
It may be a while till I get round to doing it, Steve, but I won't be stressed that you'll take offence cos I know you won't.
I went straight over to Old Cheeser's after visiting here.
Hope Keeley was good last night?

Steve said...

Gina: Keeley was amazing - a very strong episode last night. Her new hairstyle and hair colour really suit her and as for those tight trousers... well. I hope you're able to catch up on the episodes you've missed. Definetely worth returning home for! ;-)

MommyHeadache said...

You tickle my fancy too lad and I will send you my stray stockings if I ever locate them.

Steve said...

Emma: please send them special delivery. I suspect our postman nicks our mail.

The Joined up Cook said...

My Acceptance Speech;

'It is truly an honour - sob - to recieve such an accolade -sob sob - I cannot tell you how much this means to me - boo hoo sob sob - oh bugger my tears have made all the ink run.'

Seriously, I am touched. A nice combination of a compliment and fun.

Rather nicely done and a neat way to encourage people.

Thankyou.

Steve said...

AWB: it was a great pleasure. As for your acceptance speech - Kate Winslet could learn a thing or two...! ;-)

The Sagittarian said...

and now for my non-acceptance speech. Thank good ness, I have nothing to wear anyway.
Well picked Steve-O, like our postman's nose! I'm delighted the OC is back too.

Steve said...

Amanda, you need no awards to know that you are always at the top of my blog reading list. As for having nothing to wear... well, when has that stopped celebs these days?

The Sagittarian said...

Steve, am having a mjor hassle getting your blog onto my blog list. The stupid techno-gods keep sending things to a different address even when I copy and paste! Any ideas, bud? I was so pleased with myself for finally having the time to tart up my blog and now I can't get you onto it! Wah!!!

Steve said...

Hi Amanda, do you mean your blog reading list that you access from the blogger dashboard or an actual link / widget on the blog itself? The widgets won't work with my blog - :-( - as I publish it to my own domain name rather than the blogger site. I'll try and dig out some code and link to it here for you to try which might work - check back later, matey!

Steve said...

Amanda: found it. Download this Code.doc and copy and paste the code into your blog template at the place that you want it. Fingers crossed!

The Sagittarian said...

Steve, thanks for trying but it now tells me it contains illegal characters! Sweaty armpits, Batman, this is annoying!! you're one of my fave bloggers and it is not fair that I can't add you...

Steve said...

Hmm. Illegal characters, eh? Amanda, try copying and pasting it into your template again but this time delete the quotation marks ( " ) and then type them in again (there will be 6 in total). Sometimes Word uses a version of the " that is not recognized in html. Typing them again directly into the template should solve the problem. Let me know how you get on!

Old Cheeser said...

What can I say, Steve, except that I am very, very honoured!! Even more so due to the fact that I haven't written any blog posts for several months on end, so I actually feel in some ways it would have been more appropriate for you to pick someone else! Still I'm very flattered that you chose me above some of the other (equally deserving) blogs - thank you. To tell the truth, it's going to be a few weeks before I get my blog fired up and going properly again, but once I do I will respond to this...

Cheers again
OC x

Steve said...

My pleasure OC. I saw this meme more as an opportunity to spread the word of your return - hopefully the news has now gone global and your audience is awaiting with baited breath!

Old Cheeser said...

Aaaah bless ya! Yes I forgot to say, thanks for letting the hordes know about my return. Goodness Stevenage, what WOULD I do without you?!

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Steve said...

Anonymous: don't be shy; admit it - you're Dr Samuel Johnson, aren't you?

Anonymous said...

Aw, this was a really quality post. In theory I’d like to write like this also – taking time and real effort to make a good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and never seem to get anything done… Regards…

Steve said...

Anonymous: well thank you - it is genuinely very kind of you to say so. As for procrastination, it's true what they say: it is the thief of time. Don't let it steal anymore from you - start writing right now!

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Steve said...

Anonymous: oh I did. So much fun it was probably sinful.

Anonymous said...

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Steve said...

Anonymous: days and days.

Do keep commenting. It is my ambition to reach a total of 100 comments on this post so your contributions are very helpful. At the same time I'd hate to think you were missing out on your life.

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Steve said...

Anonymous: as were your grammars.

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Steve said...

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Steve said...

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Steve said...

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Steve said...

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