For The Special Bloggers I Count Amongst My Friends

What to get a blogger for Christmas?
How do you say Merry Christmas to people who you have never shared a drink with, but talk to everyday?
How do you give them a gesture of appreciation for months of kind words, considered comments, generally showing themselves to be people of worth, friends in the true sense of the word?

And I think, in some sense, these are very special friendships. They are platonic in the true sense of the word. Real Life friendships are based, at least in part, on some form of chemistry. Our friendships here are based purely on a meeting of minds, on some level.

I think what we already have here on the bloggosphere is an amazing thing, truly amazing. We can emote to eachother and share our thoughts and feelings in a completely new way.
At one level, it's like Hyde Park Corner in distant ages, everyone of us can set up their soap box and shout with gusto.
It really is the best place to come, to hear new ideas, to be challenged, to be made to think.
And so many people seem ready to show a willingness to do it right here, the way we often DON'T do it in real life.

Here at last, the great human direct democratic debating forum, where ALL can be heard. Here, as avatars, the formalities and social conventions, the BOUNDARIES that exist between Real Life people, are something that can be dispensed with between us as avatars. Here, people do not exist in boxes.

To me, it is a shining example of how human society SHOULD be, and I hope one day, WILL be. The day that there are no boundaries between people. When ALL people are in one big relationship with eachother, all treating eachother with equal respect, when no one carries enmity towards another, when people treat every connection they have, with every human being as valuable and not something they would lose.

I think everyone here, merely by HAVING a blog, undermines INGSOC, undermines thought control and reaches out to their fellow human beings.

So I made a little present for those of you who have, in your own ways, become part of my life.
This is my own little award, and I'm giving it to those who to me, make me remember why it is I blog, make me realise just how important it is.
These are people who come, not always everyday, but as often as they themselves post, always leave comments to show they have read the post, taken it in, maybe violently disagreed with it, but at least they've thought about it and they share their thoughts on it, just as I shared mine in the first place.

They are courteous, fair and open minded.
They have always treated my blog, and it's author with respect. There are some who have shared thoughts with me via e-mail, and they have kept that to themselves and treated any such discussions, with respect. They understand that these ARE boundaries that must be observed.

They have always been courteous and fair when I have commented on their blogs, and in all cases have blogs worth reading. Not all are anything like my blog. But I don't just want to read blogs like mine.

In short, they are people I believe have Inner Monkey. They have Love, Curiosity, Playfulness and Humanity. They are bloggers who enrich my world, by being everything bloggers should be.



I'd like to say a bit about each of them.

Welshcakes. Obviously the top of my list. Welshcakes is I'm sure, the most loyal visitor this blog has. And that's the point. That's blogging. You might compare blogs, and think of Chalk and Cheese, but this is the beauty of the medium. Forget Christmas spirits. Welshcakes IS the blogging spirit.

Phish. Phish is just a nice person, pure and simple. She is someone with a good heart. She is one of those friends I see as a sister. She has an uncanny amount of no nonsense common sense. On one very important occasion in my life, it was Phish opened my eyes. Life is treating her a lot better now, than it has been. Phish doesn't write about big issues. She writes about her, her every day life, her thoughts. But isn't that, after all, a big issue?

Electro-Kevin. Again, we go back a long way. And you might not expect us to agree. Kev is an ex-policeman and old fashioned Tory. My stance is very different. We set up our blogs at similar times and over the last year, have amicably disagreed (and often agreed, in fact) on many things. A night out together would almost certainly be very drunken, but very fun. He IS a thinker, more perhaps, than he knows.

Mutley. Again, the spirit of blogging. If anyone wants to see how to do a comedy blog, visit Mutley. If anyone wants to see the blogging spirit, visit Mutley. Radioactive Howler Monkeys, Strange Sexual Indiscretions, Purple Haired women abound. It's a place also, where bloggers find other bloggers. Go see. You'll find more than you expected.

Alexys Fairfield. Hardened cynics need to get a bit of 'feel good factor' as part of their daily diet. Alexys always delivers. She's a good friend to have. If this isn't a blog on your regular visiting list, it should be. Alexys is all about spreading Love. And we need that.

Eve. Eve is a sporadic poster these days. She ALMOST gave up blogging, but was persuaded to carry on by her admirers (and who COULDN'T be an admirer of Eve). I love her comments. It's great to have that level of understanding with someone from a culture that is still different in many ways to ours. And so much of Eve comes across in her posts. I also find her VERY SEXY indeed.

jmb. I find it hard sometimes to remember that there IS a generation gap between myself and jmb. Some of what I write, you'd think, would be shocking to jmb. If it is, she handles it well. Her comments are polite, well thought out and often thought provoking. Again, proof that different worlds can meet here, in a way they don't so often in Real Life. Open minded, that's jmb.

Crashie. Crashie is a very busy person in Real Life right now, I think, so blogging is kind of on the back burner. But she still comes. She's a nice person, as well. More importantly, I often wonder how hard it must be writing such well thought out posts in a language not one's native tongue.

Helen. Helen posts twice a week and visits as often as she posts. Helen is a good writer, a good poster, and a good commenter. Helen's comments are worthy of being posts in their own right. Helen exemplifies the best in blogging, by a willingness to discuss. She is also exceptionally well read. Hers is definitely a blog that needs more limelight. It's good. What more can I say?

Princess Pointful. The Princess runs posts which combine a bit of life analysis and other issues. She is a thinker, that is certain. I can tell from the comments she leaves, that she reads my posts very carefully. Her responses are well thought out and considered. Exemplary blogger on all count. She gives the impression of being wiser than her years. I'm certain that's true.

Gingatao. Paul S comes as and when. He is a bit like the Dungeonmaster in Dungeons and Dragons. He appears at unexpected times with something wise to say. I was surprised to find that there is an age gap between us to the degree there is, because this man is still a questioner. Paul never ossified into a comfortable world of middle aged acceptance, where social attitudes freeze as they were when he was twenty. In his heart, Paul belongs to the new generation, I think. His comments are gold dust, when he visits.

Oestrebunny. Again, bloggers don't have to write similar blogs to become blogging friends. Oestrebunny is a blogging friend, again, like Phish, a kind of younger sister. She has her head screwed on and describes the world as it is to her. Which is what a blog should do. The person that she is, comes through on her blog. And she has been a good friend to this blog. It means a lot to me that she read my recent post on Marx and commented on it. Opening up worlds, that's blogging. Breaking out of boxes.

Eric. Eric is a new friend, but Eric is a good guy. He's straight up. I've not known him long, but I like him. He's a good guy. He writes poetry and he finds the stars amazing. What more can I say? He's a kindred spirit and he's looking at the world the same way I am.



There are three other bloggers who I would have included, were they not on a hiatus. Ian Appleby, David Anthony and Heart of Darkness, all of whom were good friends to this blog. Raffi, there is one for you too, if your inner battle over whether or not to stay blogging, is won by the stormtrooper!

So. To all of you, I have made this little present. If you want to pass it on, feel free. Do whatever you want with it. If you do choose to continue it as a meme, then the rules should be; whatever number you see fit of your fairest, most courteous, most interactive readers. Those who make blogging a pleasure for YOU.

Thanks again, all of you, for being such great guys.