Here is the announcement of this year's winners of the 3 QD Politics & Social Science Prize. All three are excellent posts worth reading.
Accidental Blogger had the privilege of being among the nine finalists and that to me personally, is hugely encouraging. We can get distracted by the cacophony on the web, hopping around between headlines on news sites and the social media, thinking fleetingly about issues that catch our attention and are forgotten soon thereafter. Blogs have lost much of their early allure but they remain convenient venues for sharing our thoughts with others by means of cogent and thoughtful writing. Nothing focuses one's mind better than putting one's opinions and ideas together by means of well chosen words. I intend to utilize more of my time in the new year in gathering my thoughts and writing them down, just as I did in the early years of the blog. I probably will no longer be as prolific but "real" blogging on a smaller scale may still prove to be an enjoyable endeavor. I urge my co-bloggers to consider writing a few substantive posts of their own on any topic that interests them during the coming year, as and when time and inclination permit.
(NOTE: We are not the "winner" but the logo is irresistible to me because I have seen the original source of the picture)
@ Ruchira:
Certainly, you are not strange. But, if you or anyone else at AB were to be labeled a Strange Quark, that would be a good thing.
Posted by: Norman Costa | December 19, 2011 at 03:51 PM
Is that Abbas' cat Freddie that I spy in the Strange Quark? No wonder you like it!
It was good that your post made it to the finalists, even if it didn't win. Maybe the next time will be the charm.
Posted by: Sujatha | December 19, 2011 at 04:01 PM
@ Sujatha:
"...charm." As in Charmed Quark?
Posted by: Norman Costa | December 19, 2011 at 04:12 PM
3QD's unofficial contest theme song, courtesy of Hawkwind...
Posted by: Dean C. Rowan | December 19, 2011 at 04:22 PM
@ Dean:
Cool!
Posted by: Norman Costa | December 19, 2011 at 06:33 PM
Yes Sujatha, that is an actual photo of Freddy peering over the computer at Abbas.
Maybe the next time will be the charm.
The third prize is called the Charm Quark.
Norm, I hope I am not strange. But as I get older, I am becoming less and less afraid of coming across as strange. That is scary :-)
Posted by: Ruchira | December 19, 2011 at 09:14 PM
Hi Ruchira,
I thought of you when I made that logo and knew you'd like it!
Congratulations anyway for making it to the finals and being read by Professor Walt. And he did say he thought ALL the posts were very good and it was hard for him to make the decision.
And thanks for so graciously announcing the winners here.
Yrs,
Abbas
Posted by: Abbas Raza | December 22, 2011 at 04:57 AM
Thanks for the post to the finalists. I think that will be a kind of charm for the next time! Awesome!
Posted by: Tara Nostra | February 15, 2012 at 06:18 AM