The 2006 Bloggies

If you have some spare time TODAY, January 10, you should nominate your favorite blog(s) for the sixth annual Bloggie awards. Today is the only day you can nominate blogs, so if you want to, go there now! Here's the link:

http://2006.bloggies.com/

I've really immersed myself in the weblog world this year (for obvious reasons) and learned that there are a lot of really talented people out there! If you haven't visited the "Blogs I'm Reading" links in my right-hand sidebar, I encourage you to do so.

In particular, I really believe that Operation Eden should win the Best American (US) Blog and/or the Best Photography Blog award. If you have yet to visit this site, you really should. It is written by a photographer who grew up poor in New Orleans, and is trying to help his mother rebuild the pieces of her existence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The photos are stunning, and while his commentary is often very sad and angry, you can certainly understand why he is complaining so much. If you can spare some cash, give him a donation, too. Goodness knows he needs it more than I do!

Also, I think that JPTH International is worthy of a humor award, as well as a group blog that this author participates in, Useless Advice from Useless Men. Just my two cents, of course.

I've recently added another link to the "Blogs I'm Reading" list, Nuda v Brně? This one is written by a fellow graduate student in Colin's program, Jesse, who is doing research in the Czech Republic this year.

In other news, I read The Da Vinci Code yesterday. Yes, the entire book in one day. I couldn't put it down, so I stayed up until 1 am! I think Dan Brown must have written it with a blockbuster movie plot in mine -- it really strikes me as a screenplay in a lot of ways. Not that this is bad, mind you. After all, they are making a movie out of his book, so "Way to go, Dan!" I hear Tom Hanks is playing Robert Langdon.

Despite the fact that I miss having friends in town, I must say that it's nice to be back to my quiet routine of sleeping late, running laundry, and doing whatever the heck I want. Plus, the soldes start tomorrow! (The twice annual sales in Paris - ladies, we're talking DEEP discounts everywhere.) There are already signs up all over the place. From what I understand, I should envision two weeks where every day is just like the day after Thanksgiving in the US. Specifically, Isabelle warned me not to shop tomorrow, and to most definitely not shop this Saturday. (I believe she used the expression Quelle horreur! or something equally dramatic.)

Who knows? Maybe you'll see footage of me, punching out some woman for trying to take a cheap scarf away from me. Stay tuned...