Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Assorted pictures / shameless attempt at bribery

Admittedly, I hadn't heard of the Mouse & Trowel awards before a week or two ago, and I don't ordinarily care about popularity contest-type things. Being part of Blotanical (which I have been for like two weeks and change now) has actually done weird things to my psyche: I've found a number of interesting blogs I wouldn't otherwise have run across, and that's good, but the site is set up with a lot of popularity-measuring devices (how many people like you personally but not necessarily your blog, how many people like your blog but not necessarily you personally, how many hits your site gets, how many people like each individual post you do, how many messages you get, how many you send, and so on and so forth. Numbers, numbers, numbers.), which is maybe less good.

Popularity-measuring devices are like catnip to me: really, anything with numbers that can be tracked over time. And I check constantly to see if things got favorited, or if I did, or where the blog is in popularity, and etc. The trouble with this is, then I start thinking about stuff like, why did that lady from Australia favorite my blog and then take it back right away? Is it my language? Sexual orientation? Does she just not like indoor gardening, or Georgia O'Keefe references? What does it mean? What did I do wrong? Should I ask her? But what would I say?

Which then slides easily into thinking like, Well, so then, should I tone down the language a little? Is it actually all that terrible? and Do I need more pictures of flowers and puppies and rainbows and heart-shaped objects and angels?

That this is even something I'm considering is sort of mortifying.

So I feel a little odd asking people to go to Mouse & Trowel and nominate Plants are the Strangest People for anything. This can only make the obsessiveness worse, I think. And yet -- wouldn't it be cool to have a little badge I can stick in the sidebar? Ooo! Shiny!

So here we are, bowing to the inevitable. The nomination form is located here, and I think PATSP would be appropriate in the following categories: Best Writing, Best North American Blog, Best New Blog. While I'm here, I'd also recommend Water When Dry for Best Photography and Blogger You'd Most Like as a Neighbor, and if I must compete on the Best Writing front, then let it be against Zanthan Gardens. I am almost certainly forgetting other worthwhile nominees: I find blogs much faster than I can add them to the blogroll or to my favorites list on my browser.

One need not belong to Blotanical to vote.

Or . . . not. Like who you like. I'm just going to be nakedly partisan about this, because for whatever reason, God help me, I want it. (And yes, I do recognize that trying to claim that I'm the best of this particular crop is, at the very minimum, probably inaccurate. But you may tell me so anyway, if you like.)

In order to make it worth your time, I have pictures! Many pretty, brightly-colored, pictures of flowers! And I'll rent some puppies and force them to frolic adorably, too, if that's what it's going to take. (I will, sadly, have to draw the line at angels.) So behold the bribery goodness:

Guzmania hybrids.


Anthurium andraeanum hybrid at home, which I suspect is probably Twyford International's 'Patriot,' though there are so many that it's hard to be sure, and the plant wasn't labeled when I got it.


An orange, doubled Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. I'd never seen a doubled one before. All bribery joking aside, this is a really interesting plant, and was, I believe, purchased right away, not by me.


Viola hybrid. I think the particular variety is 'Yellow Sorbet' or something like that, but I have the nagging feeling that I'm forgetting or misremembering some part of the name.Viola 'Yellow Delight.'


Nemesia x 'Sunsatia Banana.'


Impatiens 'Fusion Glow.' No really. It's an Impatiens.


Streptocarpus 'Falling Stars.'


Torenia 'Summer Wave Blue?' The ID is a little uncertain.



So that's the Mouse & Trowel Awards, then. Go nominate. Think of the puppies.


11 comments:

Sarah Sedwick Studio said...

The double-flowered Kalanchoe is called "Calandiva," just FYI, and re: the nominations, consider it done! I read your blog every day and I love it.

Anonymous said...
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Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

I'll cast a vote for you, no problem; I read your blog regularly - and love it! With or without puppies...:)

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, well as a good shameless politician, you could try wooing us -- your dear constituency -- w/ with free exotic plants, wonderful overpriced dinners at a rally. ;D

You could also rent some kittens and have them peeking adorable through some foliage...

:)

Colleen Vanderlinden said...

Bribery, Mr. Subjunctive? I'm appalled! ;-)

Glad to hear that more people are discovering the Mouse & Trowels, and even happier to hear about people having fun with them!

Good luck!

Colleen
mouseandtrowel.org

mr_subjunctive said...

Paul:

Well, the kittens really would be easier. I'll see what I can do.

Aiyana said...

I'll vote for you--I love your blog and writing style. Probably for all the reasons you worry about why others may have unfaved you. Don't change anything at all--especially not to get another "fave".
Blotanical is kind of fun--but only for finding new blogs, which I promptly put on my own computer "favorites"--a faster and easier way for me to read them. I'm not very interested in all the point and networking stuff--if I want to help others make money and get famous, then I'll start a venture capital firm or become an agent! Maybe I'm slow, but it seems to me that to sign in, go through the current posts, do picks, write endless messages, visit new blogs, etc., takes hours. I have too many weeds to deal with to spend that much time on the computer to generate points.
BTW, thanks for the mention in your post! I appreciate the compliment!
Aiyana

Anonymous said...

I'm rather stunned (and tremendously flattered) by the compliment. Thank you. How easy it is to get sucked into the world of competitive blogging that is Blotanical. But I must plead with you, Mr. Subjunctive, resist. Do not pander. Do not fall prey to the flattery and the faving. Do not check your "plot" 100 times a day for messages. That way lies madness.

Remain the voice of discipline and reason and wry humor. Your beacon already shines brightly. Merit will win the day. (Well pictures of cute cats will probably win the day--and pink, lots of pink--but do not be discouraged.) Write on (as they used to say in the 70s, although they spelled it differently).

Your ardent admirer.

M--

Anonymous said...

I'll vote for your blog, but I must say that the whole thing sounds an awful lot like those Valentine's Day card contests at school back when I was a kid. This was in the dark ages (circa 1970), before self-esteem was celebrated above all else, before you HAD to give one to every kid. There were prizes for who got the most cards, who had the best decorated card mailbox, and a whole bunch of other stuff I can't remember. I always found the whole thing rather unpleasant, since I was assuredly never going to win any popularity contest.

I will vote for you, even though I only read two blogs, and the other one belongs to my best friend, so I feel rather obligated, plus it's the best way to keep up with her busy and amusing life. Shameless promotion alert - her blog is at http://petrini1.livejournal.com/

I'll vote for you, even though I agree with Paul that free exotic plants would be a great inducement.

I'll vote for you, but only if you PROMISE not to pander. Then your blog wouldn't be as much fun, or as much YOU.

I'll go vote now.

Anonymous said...

This is the first time I've read your blog and it's funny, has some bad words that aren't nice, and is very informative. I don't usually like blogs with offensive language but I have a boss who uses them all the time and she is the funniest person I know. She is so sweet too. It's like you don't expect that kind of language to come out of her at times. I think you should be yourself. I suppose I'll look over the bad stuff and read a lot of what you have to say. Thanks for faving me. I can only be bribed with good chocolate and haven't voted for anyone yet. I have been too busy building a house and selling a house and starting a job!!!! You do have a very clever way of writing. Don't worry about those who come and go. I don't use any strong language and folks have fav'd and unfav'd me too. Good luck with you blog and your business.

Anonymous said...

Glad to vote, as I always enjoy your writing.

Elsie