On the new design and an award

Good morning (though frankly, it's afternoon here...) and good Monday, good people!

I’m celebrating my 150th post with a brand new design. I’ve been meaning to update the look of this blog for a while, but due to time restraints and technical inabilities I kept putting it off. With Blogger’s new (and magic) “design” button, however, it suddenly seemed fairly easy. With the new design I hope to increase the readability of the blog, both because I finally have a template with white background for posts, which allows black text (I’ve been craving that for ages, but I was not willing to sacrifice the pretty green side panels. Now I’ve got the best of both worlds!), and because I’ve added some tabs that hopefully will be helpful for new readers (older readers are welcome to have a looksie too, of course).

Secondly I’d like to take this opportunity to pass on an award I received a while back, from Rayna over at Coffee Rings Everywhere. Rayna and I go back several years, and although we have never met in person I consider her a great friend. She always offers a (to me) exotic perspective on Indian life and culture, among other things. If you are not already following her blog, it is high time you do!

The Sugar Doll Award may have some specific requirements tied to it that I don’t know about, but I am going to interpret it like Rayna did – I want to pass it on to people who brighten my day, “Sugar Dolls”, so to speak. Unlike Rayna I will not try to keep up with who has or has not yet received it, though, because I am new to the whole awards system, and trying to keep up with them would only make me dizzy…

The first one I’d like to send this to is Jan Morrison. She administers not one but two wonderful blogs, one devoted to her writing, and one to the complex task of living a simple life. Both are great reads, and Jan is a wonderful lady who I’ve come to look up to a great deal. Her comments always encourage me greatly.

Secondly, I’d like Marjorie to have this award. She is another old buddy I have never actually met in person. Our friendship is a prime example of one thing I hope world leaders one day will learn: you don’t have to agree politically to be friends. Marjorie is also the Burrow’s very first guest contributor for a drabble feature. Her drabbles are displayed along with ours on The Burrow's website, a new one popping up each day until the end of June.

Third, I’d like to send this to Tami, without whom I probably would not be a blogger at all. Tami must surely have received this award before, but there can never be enough sugar in a tart, right? ;)

Finally, I’d like to make an exception. The name "Sugar Doll Award" implies that it should be forwarded to women. However, I believe gender equality ought to go both ways, and discrimination against men is as bad as discrimination against women. Thus I’d like to send this pink-fluffy thing to Mark at Quiddity of Delusions. I don’t care if he chooses to pretend he didn't notice I wanted him to have this, or if he (who is well in touch with his feminine side) embraces it in all its fluffiness and proudly displays it on his site. Bottom line is that Mark writes a great blog, and you should go visit it.

There are many, many, many more that deserve this award (I cleaned out my Google Reader while fixing things on the blog, and even though I deleted a few, I’m still following some 200 blogs. Weeeee), but these are the ones that came to mind today.

I should wrap things up and get back to my thesis. Nothing like a couple of wars to cheer you up on a Monday morning (still afternoon). Have a great first day of week, everyone!