Submitted For Your Consideration...

It's awards time in AOL-J Land.  The Vivi Awards are organized and voted on by AOL Journalers to honor each other.  (AIM Journalers and AOLers who just read the journals can also vote.)  Details and a nominations ballot can be found at the following link:

VIVI Awards
http://journals.aol.com/pattboy92/VIVIAwards/

From there you can follow links to related journals and entries about the awards themselves.  A special shout out goes to Vivian, from whose journal about the Vivis I cribbed Brian's graphics below.

For my recommendations, I list all the categories, but skip most of the graphics.  If there's no comment by me (in brown), then I have no particular recommendation. I'm so busy that I don't see everything that's out there.  Who could?  There are thousands of these things.  If I haven't stumbled onto something that fits the category, a journal that impressed me enough to make my alerts list or my sidebar, I'm not going to list anything at all for the category.  No opinion is better than an uninformed one.  Ultimately, if you nominate anyone, it's going to be based on journals you know and like, not on my limited sampling. All I'm doing is pointing the way to some that I think deserve your consideration. I'm not consistent here in use of screen names, real names and journal names, but you should be aware that only the URL (http://...) counts on the nomination form.

Also, I'm going to be selfish, and mention this journal in connection with a few categories.  If you want to nominate it in others, great, and if you don't want to nominate it at all, that's fine, too. (*whimper*)

Onward!

BEST AIM JOURNAL
Specifically to feature journals created by AIM Users.

I'd love to recommend Sara's journal for this, but she doesn't update it very often.  I have to go with The Daily Snooze II, hewasolddog299's continuation of his previous AOL journal.

The Daily Snooze II
http://journals.aol.com/hewasolddog299/snoozeII/
 
BEST COLLEGIATE JOURNAL
Outstanding Journal written by a college student of any age.

BEST ENTERTAINMENT JOURNAL
Journal devoted primarily to the entertainment industry or to reviewing movies, music, books, etc.

Shelly does literary stuff, but mostly on her non-AOL blog.  Chuck does amusing reviews, but that's not the primary focus of his journal.  You're on your own.

BEST FAMILY JOURNAL
Journal devoted primarily to family issues, including journals about newlyweds, new children or journals written from a "child's" perspective.

I have to go with RYanagi's Where Life Takes You. Children are a painful subject for me, since I couldn't have any, but I love Becky's accounts of life with Tyler and her attempts to adopt a second child.  She's also written passionately and with sensitivity and intelligence about issues related to fertility, abortion and adoption.

Where Life Takes You
http://journals.aol.com/ryanagi/Wherelifetakesyou/

The other journal I'd like to name for this is Peachy's The Peach Pages. Her stories about her kids are always a great read, and often very funny.

The Peach Pages
http://journals.aol.com/jcgeorgiapeach/ThePeachPages/

BEST FICTION/POETRY JOURNAL
Journal consisting of original fiction or poetry that stands out among the rest.



Does my weekly serial count, if you add in the occasional bit of poetry and stuff like my introduction of Black Rose Katie Specks?  If you like my fiction efforts, then I'll be thrilled if you nominate me.  Otherwise...



If you want journals that stick to just fiction and poetry, then try these:

Microwavable Short Stories (fiction):
http://journals.aol.com/quicksoap/MicrowaveableShortStories/

To Grow Is to Be Anxious  (mostly poetry): 
http://journals.aol.com/deabvt/DeablerVT/

BEST INDIVIDUAL ENTRY OR SERIES OF ENTRIES
Award for a single entry or series of related entries on a particular topic.

BEST INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
Best Journal originating in countries other than U.S., U.K. and Canada

BEST KEPT SECRET JOURNAL
Most outstanding journal that is older than a year, but that readers feel hasn't received the attention it deserves.

I hope some great bloggers get more readers because of this category, and all of the categories, really. Maybe I'll be one of those readers.

BEST NEW JOURNAL
Most outstanding journal created since July 1, 2004.

A number of the journals in the Round Robin Challenges are new. I encourage you to check them out.  My personal favorite is Microwavable Short Stories.

Microwavable Short Stories
http://journals.aol.com/quicksoap/MicrowaveableShortStories/

BEST PET JOURNAL
Best journal devoted to pets, animal rights or presented as being written from a "pet's" perspective.

BEST POLITICAL JOURNAL
Journal devoted primarily to politics that you feel is deserving of praise, whether you necessarily agree with the politics expressed or not.

I got discouraged after the last election, and mostly avoid reading about politics now.  justcherie did great work in this area, but her journal hasn't been updated since June. Carly still does the occasional great political entry, though.  On the other side of the political fence, sort of, hewasolddog299 does great rants.

The Daily Snooze II
http://journals.aol.com/hewasolddog299/snoozeII/

BEST SPORTS JOURNAL
Journal devoted primarily to sports that you feel best covers athletics, professional or amateur.

The only teams I ever cared about broke my heart, not by losing games but by dumping everything I liked about them. I therefore don't read sports blogs.

BEST TEEN JOURNAL
Outstanding Journal written by people aged 15-18

I've seen some great ones via the Weekend Assignment, but I always lose track of them afterward.

BEST THEME-BASED JOURNAL
Journal that sticks primarily to one single topic or theme, from Sports to Travel to Politics to Career to Religion, and rarely deviates from that topic while still maintaining reader interest.

BEST TRAVEL JOURNAL
Journal devoted primarily to travel and visiting new places.

BEST USE OF ANIMATION
Journal with most effective/creative use of original animated graphics.

See my comment about the Best Use of Graphics category.

BEST USE OF ATTITUDE
Journal with creative and effective use of grandiose behavior.

I disapprove of this whole concept, but if I were to recommend someone, it would be the pseudonymous Mrs. Linklater.  She's developed a funny and fun persona with her third person references to herself as "Mrs. L."

Mrs. Linklater's Guide to the Universe
http://journals.aol.com/jevanslink/AskMrsLinklater/

BEST USE OF GRAPHICS
Journal with most effective/creative use of original non-animated graphics.

The most graphic-oriented bloggers I know do most of their work on LiveJournal and Blogger. This is largely because the AOL-J interface (the template for the blog as a whole) is less customizable than other services. I'm sure there are great AOL-Js out there with lots of original graphics. I just don't know about them, or haven't looked at them very often.

BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Journal with most effective/creative use of original photography.

Dare I even ask to be nominated in this category? Probably not, but I'm tempted. I've taken thousands of photos for this journal.  I haven't used them all, but I've taken them. I also co-founded the Round Robin Photo Challenge with Carly.  I think some of my pictures are swell.



This photo of Tuffy isn't my best work; I just happened to take it on Sunday at the Blessing of the Animals.



But: let me be the first to admit that there are better photographers in AOL-J Land.  Here are four of them:

Jersey Girl - Nettie is a truly outstanding photographer, who should turn pro as soon as possible.  She mostly photographs the sea and shore, but she does great portraits of people, too.

Jersey Girl
http://journals.aol.com/cneinhorn/WonderGirl/

OndineMonet - Carly does for the Bay Area what Nettie does for the Jersey shore.  Her lighthouses and pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge are fantastic.  She can also make a night-darkened shop window into something special.  She has two ancillary journals with more of her photography, but I prefer her main one, Ellipsis, which is updated every night.

Ellipsis
http://journals.aol.com/ondinemonet/Ellipsis/

Carly's hubby, Alan, posts a new picture almost every night, mostly nature photography.  He does great closeups of critters.

F-Stop
http://journals.aol.com/botdotdotdot/F-Stop/

Sepintx - Steven's (sometimes)photoblog is one of the earliest and best in this category.  He's there with his "peek' tures" every day, sometimes more than once!

(sometimes)photoblog
http://journals.aol.com/sepintx/sometimesphotoblog/

There are lots of others to consider, too.  Check out the participants in the Round Robin Challenges.  Mary and Becky and several others are very, very good.

BEST YOUNG PERSON'S JOURNAL
Outstanding Journal written by people aged 14 or younger.

DUCHESS OF THE BLOG
Best U.K. Female Journal

I don't have an informed opinion here, but I'll give you a link to the only one I personally read.  It's funny and more than a little outrageous:

Adventures of a desperately fat housewife
http://journals.aol.co.uk/tillysweetchops/Adventuresofadesperatelyfathouse/entries/392

DUKE OF THE BLOG
Best U.K. Male Journal

JOURNAL OF THE YEAR
The top honor:  a journal that stands out above all others in 2005.

You're on your own for this, but I know which one I'm nominating.

LADY OF THE BLOG
Best U.S. Female Journal

I'm going to abstain on this one also, at least in public.  I feel a little odd about this category, anyway.  The name kind of freaks me out.

LORD OF THE BLOG
Best U.S. Male Journal

My favorite male journal writer is Chuck.  His journal is both interesting and funny as he writes about life in the "old folks home" and gives his take on pretty much everything he sees and hears.

Dribble by Chuck Ferris
http://journals.aol.com/chasferris/DribblebyChuckFerris/

Michael's good, too.  He writes about his own sometimes funny, sometimes difficult life, presents information on ADHD and other subjects, writes wonderful slice of life pieces about upper Michigan, and even has a weekly game.

Confessions of a Madman: Insights into Living and Coping With ADHD
http://journals.aol.com/madmanadhd/ConfessionsofaMadmanInsightsinto/

MARQUIS/MARQUISE OF THE BLOG
Best Canadian Journal

Paul, of course.  He's controversial, but he writes intelligently and well, and he does a lot for this community.

Aurora Walking Vacation
http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/

MOST CREATIVE/ORIGINAL JOURNAL
Outstanding journal that creates a unique experience for readers.  It need not be necessarily the best journal in all of J-land, but it is the one journal with such a distinct voice that a reader could identify by reading a single entry.  It is different from the "Journal of the Year" category in that it may not be the biggest standout of the year overall, but it is regularly such a special place to visit that you want to come back always.



I think this is the category that is closest to what I do here.  Somebody please nominate me!

Musings from Mâvarin
http://journals.aol.com/mavarin/MusingsfromMavarin/



The other journals that fit this category well, in my opinion,are ones I also mention elsewhere.

Ellipsis
http://journals.aol.com/ondinemonet/Ellipsis/

Dribble by Chuck Ferris
http://journals.aol.com/chasferris/DribblebyChuckFerris/

Confessions of a Madman: Insights into Living and Coping With ADHD
http://journals.aol.com/madmanadhd/ConfessionsofaMadmanInsightsinto/

Where Life Takes You
http://journals.aol.com/ryanagi/Wherelifetakesyou/

MOST EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL
Who says you can't learn something from J-land!  The journal full of household tips, recipes, decorating ideas, anything that has helped you pick up a little knowledge you might not have had before you started reading.

ADHD, Education, Origins:
Confessions of a Madman: Insights into Living and Coping With ADHD
http://journals.aol.com/madmanadhd/ConfessionsofaMadmanInsightsinto/

California, Current Events, History (not everyday, but often):
Ellipsis
http://journals.aol.com/ondinemonet/Ellipsis/

MOST EMOTIONAL JOURNAL
Journal producing the most distinct emotional response among readers, happy or sad.  This is the journal that gives readers a real sense that they're reading something straight from the writer's heart.

MOST HUMOROUS JOURNAL
Journal producing the most laughs among readers.

I named 'em before, and I'll name 'em once more. (Who says I don't write poetry?)
 
Mrs. Linklater's Guide to the Universe
http://journals.aol.com/jevanslink/AskMrsLinklater/

Ellipsis
http://journals.aol.com/ondinemonet/Ellipsis/

Microwavable Short Stories
http://journals.aol.com/quicksoap/MicrowaveableShortStories/

MOST INSPIRATIONAL JOURNAL
This journal might be the one that lifts your spirits through its religious overtones.  It might be the journal written by someone who has overcome great obstacles.  In some way, this is the journal that inspires you most.
 
MOST MISSED JOURNAL
A journal you miss the most:  one that still exists but has not been updated in any way in at least three months that readers wish would be regularly updated again.  Consider it the "Best Abandoned Journal."  Maybe this award will change that!



Mumsy used to have about five journals, of which my favorite was Interactive Haiku.  Suddenly there were no more updates - except one, last December.

Interactive Haiku
http://journals.aol.com/haikulike/IllustratedHaikus/

MOST OUTSPOKEN JOURNAL
Journal with powerful entries that tackle tough issues head-on.  It's not about "masked vulgarities" or anything else that might make the TOS people raise an eyebrow:  it's more about writing honestly without any fears of telling it like it is.

MOST THOUGHT-PROVOKING JOURNAL
Journal written in a way to inspire dialog and/or raise awareness about issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.

ADHD, Education:
Confessions of a Madman: Insights into Living and Coping With ADHD
http://journals.aol.com/madmanadhd/ConfessionsofaMadmanInsightsinto/

Adoption and related issues:
Where Life Takes You
http://journals.aol.com/ryanagi/Wherelifetakesyou/


MOST WELL-WRITTEN JOURNAL
Best use of grammar.


This description floors me a little, as does the suggestion that one can research this category by doing a search on the word "grammar."  There's a lot more to good writing than good grammar, even if you throw in correct spelling and proper punctuation.  I know my way around a sentence, and I spend hours every night editing and revising entries, eradicating typos and whatnot.  Nevertheless, I like to think that when someone comments that Musings is "well-written," it's not just because of subject and verb agreement.  I've seen well-written journal entries with the occasional grammar gaffe, a misspelled word or two, and "it's" where the correct word is "its."  (Remember, gang, "it's" means "it is." "Its" means "belonging to it." Got it?) Still, I think this category should reflect a journal with the whole package - good spelling and punctuation, good sentence structure, and good organization of genuinely interesting material into paragraphs and essays.  Will you think the less of me if I only offer myself for this one?

Musings from Mâvarin
http://journals.aol.com/mavarin/MusingsfromMavarin/

Listen, some of you--perhaps most of you--get around the Land much more than I do.  Maybe you know some journals that you feel qualify for these awards much better than the ones I've listed above.  That's all to the good.  But before you turn in your nomination ballot, I recommend that you take a look at these blogs, if you haven't already, and see what you think.

Karen