Transition Culture

9 Sep 2009

Kreativ Blogger Award

Sally Lever just nominated Transition Culture for the Kreativ Blogger award. I am honoured to accept.  This is a kind of ‘chain letter’ award, where people who are nominated then nominate 7 other blogs they admire. Having received it, I am now obliged to do 4 very specific things:

1. List 7 things that I love

• Freshly picked sweetcorn with melted butter
• Time with my family
• ‘Metal Box’ by Public Image Ltd, (not just the record but the actual metal box too)
• Good compost
• The first days of autumn
• Transition local currency launches
• Myrtus ugni berries

2. Link back to the blog that awarded it to me, which I’ve done above.

3. Choose 7 blogs to award as ‘Kreativ Bloggers’ (I am assuming that by ‘blog’ we mean one person’s thing, so I have not included Energy Bulletin and Oil Drum, although they are among the finest out there).  So here, in no particular order, are 7 of the many blogs that I admire.  Apologies to those I have failed to include.

• Aaron Newton’s excellent Powering Down site.  One man’s thoughtful and insightful attempts to prepare his family for peak oil and transition.  The world’s model next door neighbour.
• Where would the world be without Sharon Astyk?  I think if the world were able to bottle whatever keeps Sharon going, our energy crisis would fade into distant memory.  Homeschooling mum (sorry, mom), farmer, prolific blogger, author, etc, etc, and now, the voice of a generation.
• Funky16Corners is a blog by a soul and funk DJ in the US, discussing shows he has done, records he has found, his set lists, and often, MP3s of rare funk gems he has unearthed and passionate pieces about why it is the funkiest record ever.  Fascinating to read, and recently included not one, but two versions of the sublime ‘Check Your Bucket‘!
• Noel Longhurst is doing a PhD about why it is that Totnes, a small Devon market town, has become such a centre of alternative culture.  Through interviews and research he has started to build up a fascinating picture of how it came to be.  His final study will be done sometime next year, but he has been blogging, at Alternative Totnes, his findings as he goes along, and it is fascinating.
• James Samuel’s Yesterday’s Future blog is a fascinating look at Transition in New Zealand, and his thoughts and inspirations.  Seeks out some fascinating clips and references.
• Keith Johnson’s permaculture blog.  Includes, among other stuff, a wonderful archive film of the mulching legend that was Ruth Stout.
• Finally, a great ‘his and hers’ nomination.  The Transition Housewife and her husband both blog about their attempts to put Transition into practice in their home, he blogging as The Transition House, and she as the Transition Housewife.  Very entertaining, latest posts discuss a trip to Chris Dixon’s farm in Wales and falling in love with comfrey.

4. Comment at each blog to let them know they’ve been chosen. I will get round to that later today, promise….