no autographs, please. and paparazzi to the rear.

Recently I was bestowed recognition by two bloggers, the inimitable Utah Savage and Ask Allison .... AA proferred her Arte y Pico a while back when I was internet underprivileged and I've not responded ... When U.S. included me in her Kick Ass Blogger award roll, I figured I better get myself in gear.

Okay, I'm going to cheat a bit. Because both awards demand passing it on to five bloggers, I'm going to combine the effort. I know, I know; I'm a lazy so'n'so ... but instead of making excuses I'll just agree with you and move on.

I've explained all the rules for Arte y Pico here, so for you control freaks who want to make sure I'm staying in line, check it out.

The Kick Ass Blogger award seems to have a few more vagaries in its origins. I do know it was started by blogger Mamma Dawg. Rule #1. Select five bloggers who "kick ass". Rule #2. Blurt out why you think they are deserving of this award--must have some kick ass in the description. Rule #3. Link them all together in some slightly sexual way. (HUNH?????) Rule #4. Acknowledge the originator of this award and also the lovely, generous, beautiful kick ass woman who is sending it your way. Rule # 5. Make this one up as you go along.

Well hmmm.

My first Kick Ass cum Arte y Pico Award goes to the very interesting, recently discovered Riana, who writes a blog entitledThese Days In French Life". First off, I selected Riana because she recently actually DID kick a little ass, so just remember she can folks, don't piss her off. Secondly, it is interesting to watch this young woman's own adventure combining life with a French husband and their little girl as they fulfill a commitment to spend a "slow year". That is a year without shopping. I recently went back and read some of the archives on this site, pre-slow year-pledge and its fascinating to watch the changes in this woman's life and writing. In fact, you'll see links for blogs written by many people like her. Apparently its a movement. It reminds me of the centuries-old aesthetes (monks and the like) who took vows to God and progressed to vows of poverty ... chastity ... silence. You'll see varying degrees of aescetism on the part of these bloggers and it really is an interesting experiment. In fact, I have a whole separate post percolating around in my Kimba pot at the moment.

My second Kick Ass cum Arte y Pico Award goes to my favorite woman in red, La Belette Rouge. As I recently wrote her, LBR she-weaselled her way into my heart almost from her very first comment. As a writer, she is mistress of her domain and can range from heartfelt memoirs, insightful commentary on politics & culture to girl talk of fashion, maquillage and the like. She is well-read, well-versed, and well-dressed. Having had the honor of meeting her in person, I can also verify that the real-life belette more than lives up to the online belette. When she kicks ass, you can count on it being with a well shod foot.

My third Kick Ass cum Arte y Pico Award goes to none other than L'ennui Mélodieux, currently my favorite online political satirist and general master of high-jinx extraordinaire. Now the primary reason I'm proferring this to Randall Graves is for the intelligence and wit exhibited in his writing. Hell, more often than not one has to actually THINK about what he's going on about in order to understand all of the many subtleties and multi-entendres. Why, I even am willing to overlook the more than occasional forays into the hidden world of sports. But a secondary benefit of bestowing RG this award is I think it will piss him off. Man, that's just gravy! Because half the time he doesn't respond to awards, instead he just whines complains sulks and harumphs. And all of that is kind of cute.

My fourth Kick Ass cum Arte y Pico Award goes to my good, good friend and blogger Geekgirl Unveiled. Stacey is solely responsible for introducing me to the world of blogging. Yep that's right, six short months ago I had never read a blog. Well okay I had read Huffington Post but I didn't know it was a blog. I thought it was an online news zine. (hey wait come to think of it, I STILL don't get the difference on that one. hmmmm....) but I digress. Not only did Stacey introduce me to blogging, she taught me how to link and in the early days helped me shed some of my blogs more embarrassing features. Like how when you opened it you heard music. *blush*.

So all of that is well and good, but let me also tell you that Stacey is a wonderful writer and an especially talented photographer. When you read her blog, you'll see the background on how it has evolved to less writing and more graphic and visual displays. And how she is okay with that. How she has owned her own little space on the blogosphere and uses it to share her extremely interesting life with us all. Check her out.

My final Kick Ass cum Arte y Pico Award goes to one of our favorites who has JUST returned to blogland. I'm speaking of Function of Time. FOT is one of the first bloggers I found who was contemplating a French life, and one of the first commenters on my blog who I didn't know in real life. She always has a pithy insight to share, she has walked in my shoes a little, she has decided to return to her writing and I think we should all welcome her back with a champagne toast. *clink*

Okay, so those are the writers on my designated hit list. You figure out the sexual thing. Its there. well kind of.

And as far as number 5 goes, let's just say that I picked writers that not only Kick Ass, but aren't afraid to pull out a can of Whup Ass when warranted, which I can respect and appreciate. No namby pamby's here my friends. Not a one in the bunch.