I'm Going to Pass Out...
Friday, March 14, 2008 
... an award. A very cool one given to me by Andrea at Mommy’s Martini, an extremely diggable blog. Her life is hectic. I don’t blame her for naming her blog after a stiff drink. But she keeps it fun. Fun like your third martini. Who else would invite her dog to guest post? Well, I probably would. But that’s why I like her.
Oh, and how can I not love this:
"Jim of The Busy Dad Blog. It's true: I love a blog by a dad. Especially one who will spend untold days building his son a gorgeous sandbox and then blog about it with good-humor when his son moves right on past all that effort to play in the loose dirt in the backyard. And who will write an entire Iron Chef episode starring photos of his son. Seriously."
But this award comes with a catch. I have to share some practical writing tips with my fellow bloggers. Me? I’m just a newb. I'm too green to take the podium to “advise” people who have probably been doing this far longer than I have. So, I’ve borrowed a page from Geico’s playbook and enlisted the help of some celebrities to share my tips with you.
“The Blogging Scene is Peeeooople!”
The “blogosphere” or even the internet in general ain’t nothin but a bunch of people when you boil it down (and make green wafers out of it). There’s no blogging rulebook (and if there is--oops, I threw it away with my pre-approved BlogHer credit card offer). Maybe I’m just lazy, but basically it comes down to this: act like you would in real life because the consequences are the same. If you act like an ass, you will get treated like one. If you are thoughtful and considerate, people will respond in kind. I had this cheesy poster of two beagles in my room when I was a kid that read, “If you want a friend, be a friend.” It doesn’t get much easier than that, my friends.
“If you had... one entry, or one opportunity, one meme... Would you post it, or just let it slip, yo...”
View each post as if it were your only one. Would you be happy with it if everyone who visited your site would just see that one post? Would you trust that post to represent your blog and, by extension, you? If not, then re-work it. Or scrap it. You should see my posting junkyard. It’s pretty immense. Because if you don’t love it, what’s the point really?
"You know, I have no professional training of posting and commenting."
Bend it like Hung, man. Don’t be overly critical of yourself. Don’t stress if you can’t spell, suck at grammar, can’t make clever sentence transitions or can’t end a post with a bang. If you love what you do, that’s all that matters. Dream big (look for the “Life with BusyDad” reality show on VH1 next fall) and flash a big goofy smile every step of the way.
Now for the fun part. Because it's the end of the day Friday and I really want to get a post up to take advantage of Blog Hopper traffic (call me a stats whore!), I am choosing only one female and one male blogger. I am actually very happy that these two bloggers were previously overlooked because I seriously envy their writing ability and would love nothing more than to tell them that right now.
Mr. Lady at Whiskey In My Sippy Cup: I seriously used to sit there for a good twenty minutes writing and rewriting my comments when I first discovered her blog. Nothing I wrote seemed to add anything of worth to her posts, and I sure as hell didn't want to seem like a dork to her. She is the queen of subtle badassedness. BUT, she is one of the nicest and funniest bloggers anywhere once you gather the courage to say hi.
Xbox4NappyRash: Xbox is a riot. Sarcasm and dry wit at its best. I don't comment as much as I should on his blog because, again, I often can't add anything to his post besides "hahaha!" His mini tangential rants within his posts are killer. As much as I would love to write like that, I know I can't. It's a gift.
I'm having a lot of trouble ending this blog post with something punchy, so I'll revert to 4th grade composition 101. In conclusion, I am honored to have received this award and I hope you visit the blogs I nominated.
Reader Comments (19)
“The Blogging Scene is Peeeooople!”
ok, I just about wet myself reading that. Maybe I should stop drinking? naaaaahhh!
congrats on the award. You may be a newb but you're damn good at what you do. :)
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[BusyDad] :) Thank you CableG! And in my expert opinion, no, you should not stop.
I thought I was maybe the only one who had a blogging graveyard. Sometimes I go gravedigging when I lack for content and spruce it up. So when my posts say, 'the other night' I could mean, about 3 months ago...
Sometimes I just hit "delete for good - this ain't gonna work."
KEEP BELIEVING
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[BusyDad] Ha - I pick through the junk too in order to use bits and pieces. But if I use pics, it's totally obvious because of Fury's hair length.
Can I ask you a totally unrelated question?.....Ok, I'm asking it anyway.
How did you come to decide to choose squarespace as your website host? I'm trying to choose one and there are just so many ****** hosts out there! Help! :)
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[BusyDad] Wow, one award and now I am the authoritay! haha. Check your email...
I think you're good at what you do. I've only been reading your blog for a few days (I did however go back and read quite a few posts) but I think you're witty. Me, not so witty. I'm kinda plain, kinda boring, and did I mention I lack whit? I need more whit. Anyhoo- keep up the good work and congrats on the award!
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[BusyDad] Thank you Brittany :) but really, if you're having fun, you can't go wrong. Or if you blog with after a couple shots ;) Try it.
Very sage advice. And now I'm off to check out these blogs that you recommend so highly!
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[BusyDad] Thank you :) I think my sagest advice was to send people to those two excellent blogs!
I, too, cannot stop laughing over the Peeeeeoooople! line. That's why you're better at this thing than me. Don't fool yourself....your blog is SO much better than mine.
And that's why I'm totally blushing over here that you'd pass this one along to me. * SQUEE *
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[BusyDad] See? You are too nice to me. But I like it :)
Yay for the Eminem's pic in your blog, he is my other other boyfriend you know...
Loved your tips, BusyD styles! A for dreaming big, oh yes, I'm just waiting for someone to call out my name in the street and ask for an autograph :D
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[BusyDad] Let's trade autographs and set a date to ebay them! Aim high!
BD - firstly I think this award is more powerful than we realise... I had just started to type this comment and my PC exploded.Literally. Pop, whoosh, fizzle.
Anyway, secondly I have to grovel as I had just previously called you a whore over on my blog.
I profusely apologise. (hey, what ya know, there's that sarcasm you mentioned)
;-)
Thirdly, you are too cool. I read a LOT of Dad blogs, they are all different and great in their own way, but you are 'cool' and 'slick'. You write excellently, you entertain, and personally I love the way you respond to every single comment. Most of all you are a real Dad to Fury and have a visibly cool friendship together. That my man, I respect hugely, and I'm ashamed to say, I envy in equal amounts.
Keep up the good work, it's great fun seeing what you come up with next
My humble thanks to you.
(I'm sounding more and more like that Bono twat every day...)
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[BusyDad] Hey, thank you man! And it's an honor to be called a whore by Xbox. Because that's how I know you really care.
Bend it like Hung, man.
I need that on a T-shirt!
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[BusyDad] I'd buy it!
Pearls of wisdom, my friend, pearls of wisdom. Also, you've been blogging longer than I have, so if you're willing to accept the award from me, then you definitely have the mad authorship skills necessary to toss out some tips. WIMSC is already one of my addictions, but now I can't wait to check out XBox. Thanks, too, for saying such nice things about MartiniLand. :)
And you totally deserve this.
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[BusyDad] Thank you MT! It means a hell of a whole lot to me. Seriously.
Congrats, Jim, and good to see your take on this!
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[BusyDad] Thank you and my pleasure! It was a lot of fun going Geico on you all.
You totally deserve this. Also? My blogging graveyard is embarrassingly large and filled with half-written crap I can't find a way to work with. I'm so damn glad to hear I'm not the only one.
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[BusyDad] Thank you Jenny! Means a lot :) And I'm thinking maybe we can put together a blog scraps rummage sale sometime. Kid funnies - 4 for a dollar!
I'm totally with you on #1! We bloggers put up with a lot of flak for "hiding" behind our computers. To me, we use it to connect to people, seek people out...Thanks for saying that.
Congrats on the award!
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[BusyDad] Thanks April! Ironically, I think that you actually get to know people better through the internet sometimes than in real life.
"Bend it like Hung, man." LOVE that!
Great tips, and you nominated 2 awesome blogs. I dig them both. :-)
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[BusyDad] :D She bangs! She Bangs! They are indeed two banging blogs.
You are so deserving of this award. I love Mr. Lady, she totally rocks! "...can’t spell, suck at grammar, can’t make clever sentence transitions or can’t end a post with a bang."- Yup, that's me! Thanks for saying it out loud so I know it's okay ;-)
Is Life With Busy Dad replacing Celebrity Rehab next season? If it is, can you make sure Dr. Drew is on it,...I puffy heart him :)
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[BusyDad] Thanks Sandy! Ha - I wrote that one because I hate ending posts. Now I have carte blanche to just end them lamely (is that a word?). I'll call Dr. Drew's people and see what I can do because, you know. I'll be like totally famous by then.
I actually gave you this exact award, too.. LOL
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[BusyDad] oops. I feel like a bloggy dunce. Added an addendum to my post :)
Xbox is indeed a god among bloggers
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[BusyDad] He's a true talent. And one hell of a nice guy. Even if he does call you a whore sometimes.
Congrats on the award! I love the reference to Hung. Definitely dream big too!
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[BusyDad] Thank you! Hey, if that kid can get a record deal, I can get a VH1 show.
Hung didn't bend it, he broke it.
Oh, and a VH1 reality show would be good. A VH1 Behind the Blogger show - notsomuch. 'Cause they only do those after you've messed up big time.
Keep on doing what you do. You're good at it. Just don't go gettin' all Sally Field about it. LOL! :-)
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[BusyDad] haha - yes, compound fractured it. And thanks for the props. I promise never to get sappy on you or anyone else. That would betray my niche.