Changing the world, spreading the love

Over at the new and improved Climate of Our Future (COOF) blog, my co-author Deborah and I have started a new award meme that is meant to recognize blogs we think are making a difference. It's called Bloggers for Positive Global Change, and it's intentionally a pretty broad description of what we and those around us are trying to do in our little corner of the blogosphere.

The COOF post is pretty focused on fellow authors of environmental sites, so I wanted to use this Caught In The Stream blog to single out some folks who are working for change in a little different way. Blogs that create positive change can come in many different forms, and they pop up in some unexpected places — like flowers pushing up through the cracks of drab city sidewalks.

These difference-making blogs may simply offer a sharing of knowledge that empowers readers to contribute to this little Web 2.0 experiment of ours. They may be a more personal sharing of a perspective or an experience that gives readers a view to the world they didn't have before. Most basically, the award is about acknowledging those who have touched us in some way to make our lives a little richer.

Below are 5 of my favorite blogs to visit, in alphabetical order. I hope they will likewise tag 5 of their faves and this meme will perpetuate through the blogosphere in a positive rippling.

---

• Binding Ink — Jeane, nom de plume the Poetress, is a writer who treats us to poems and stories that blend fiction and reality. She gives us an interesting and enlightening perspective on life and its lessons. Here's how she describes her site:
  
  

  Creative Writings for the Soul! Covering all the Humanities from poetry, literature, philosophy, even humor!

• Goodness Graciousness — I was first introduced to Jennifer's site through her Hold the Vision meme where she challenged her readers to write about the world they wanted to create. She has a wonderfully postiive outlook on life. Here's how she describers herself:
  

  I'm in awe of the wonders of the universe, curious about pretty much everything, and passionate about life, relationships, and creativity. In my non-cyber life I play many roles including a ... mental health therapist, yoga instructor, and musician.

• It's a Woman's World — Deborah pointed me to Lynda's site, so I could get a much needed alternative perspective. Here is the author's description of this well-written blog that delves into the complexities of being a woman:
  

  Women are the backbone of the world! We carry the weight of the world on our perfectly sculpted shoulders, we carry the waters of birth, we carry on the family tradition, plus, we are gorgeous, sexy, sassy, and may be domesticated, or NOT!!!! Many men have reminded me that it IS a man's world, and, that is fine... I was not being literal when I named this blog, when I designed this blog, I was thinking that within this blog, lies a woman's world...

• Odlum Online — This is a great site for all web geek wannabes. Andrew has a real knack for explaining web design very simply and clearly. His goal is to give readers the tools to contribute to the online world, and that's a very powerful gift. Here's how he describes his site:
  

  Odlum Online is devoted to exploring the internet and explaining all of the elements of web page design in an easy to understand way. Come learn along with me as I try to make web page design accessible to everyone.

• The Thinking Blog — If you're a member of the Social blogging network MyBloglog, than I'm sure you've encountered Ilker Yoldas' site. It is just as its name indicates, a blog meant to provoke its readers to think, and critical thinking is an attribute that we all neeed to develop more if we're going to change the world for the better. The wide ranging topics certainly capture the diversity of subject matter that I personally favor. I also proudly display the Thinking Blogger Award conceived by Ilker. Here's the author's apt description of the site:
  

  The Thinking Blog is more than just a frequently-updated source of amusing facts and interesting information. It is a stream of consciousness intended to be succinct and thought provoking. A cornucopia of eclectic topics aiming to examine a range of exciting ideas, inspirational technologies and cultural curiosities. There is something for everyone; from serious to humorous, for deep and light-hearted thinkers alike.

---

Meme Rules

It's easy to participate in this meme. At minimum, you can proudly display the BPGC badge (it's available in two varieties: Transparent GIF and JPEG with white background) on your blog and bask in the glow of our collective good will. If you are sharing the kudos, however, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are tagging.

The participation rules are simple:

1. When you get tagged, write a post with links to up to 5 blogs that you think are trying to change the world in a positive way.
2. In your post, make sure you link back to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Leave a comment or message for the bloggers you're tagging, so they know they're now part of the meme.
4. Optional: Proudly display the "Bloggers For Positive Global Change" award badge with a link to the post that you write up.