2nd Annual Piper Awards & Link Fest
2007-01-27 @ 2:46 p.m.

There's no real criteria and it's all in good fun. Idon't take it seriously so I hope no one else does either. My reviews are sincere but don't think I'm so self-absorbed that I'd think anyone would really give a damn about winning a Piper. I mean, I am self-absorbed, I just don't want you thinking I'm self-absorbed. The statue, by the way, can be redeemed for credit at all participating stores.

The categories are pretty vague. No locked diaries (2 that would be repeat winners are locked, Reanimations & On the Prowl) are eligible because that would defeat the purpose. Also, excuse the analogies but sometimes they help describe the mood or style of a blog.

Finally, let me add that I highly recommend each blog/diary I've linked to over on the right. Their presence there is an implicit endorsement. Here, although I have included some I already link to, I wanted to primarily highlight some new blogs that do not yet appear on my links (but will shortly). There will be a reception at my home following the ceremony.

So, here goes nothing....

Feminine/Erotic

Perhaps my favorite blog that combines eroticism with a distinct feminine sensibility is Nina's Lazy Geisha. Nina writes about her relationships, her family, her fantasies and more, all with a soft, feminine charm that lingers on the palette like a fine Romanee-Conti. Okay, that last part was intentional hyperbole. If you'll pardon an analogy, Nina's style reminds me of Duke Ellington at his best: charm, grace and dignity.

Nina brings a woman's perspective to topics as varied as sex, the arts and even Japanese gardens. Nina's biggest gift as a writer is an instinctual ability to mine the essence of complex topics and communicate her discoveries to her audience.

Nina and her husband are in a loving relationship with an interesting past. Nina also has a relationship with another woman that seems equally loving. She and her husband seem to have found a nice, trusting balance in this unorthodox relationship. It's a balance I wish I could obtain and cling to for more than a week. Perhaps the imbalance in my life stems from being involved with two men. Could the secret be two-parts feminine to one part masculine?

The writing is good: thoughtful, insightful and seemingly effortless. Nina talks to you, not at you. Although the words are paramount to me, the template is soft and pretty, matching the personality of the writing.

Women seek, find and create beauty for themselves and their loved ones. Lazy Geisha is just one more example.

Added Bonus: If you're into toys, LG reviews some of the latest items.

Hot Wife

A friend of my father, a quaint, dignified gentleman of Boston Brahmin extraction, once violated my expectations by observing that "Duke Ellington is for dancing but Count Basie is for banging."

Hot Wife Blog is a misnomer in this case. The "Hot Wife" phenomenon might be at it's zenith these days and a number of bloggers write about their wife's adventures. Many men fantasize about their wife being with other men. Some men turn that fantasy into a reality. Sharing Dee transcends the typical "fuck my wife" genre.

Where Sharing Dee parts company with many blogs is the overall focus of the writing. It's hard to put into words but in many blogs that share this topic, the woman is the object of the writing. Here, Joe has made Dee his subject. There's a difference, even if clarifying that difference is beyond my skills.

Joe exhibits a sincere pleasure in his wife's sexual contentment. Their adventures are numerous and fascinating to read.

Sharing Dee may not be for everyone (what blog is?). It's raw in it's clarity. Refreshingly so. Look elsewhere for flowery metaphors and banal similies. At Sharing Dee, a pussy is just a pussy and a cock is only a cock....nothing more is required.

Added Bonus: Photographs of Dee in action.

Honorable mention: Hotwife Experiences is also worth a try. The couple is slowly dipping their toes into the hotwife pool. Unfortunately, they do not update often.

Fem/Dom

Why do we enjoy reading about things that aren't "our kink?" No idea. I know that I tend to read about things I'm not particularly interested in experiencing. The Fem/Dom genre is one of those areas. I simply cannot conceive of being dominate nor of Steve being submissive, not to this extent. In fact, I'd be distinctly uncomfortable with the idea. The closest I've come to dominating Steve was the night I refused to relinquish the television remote.

Fem/Dom looks like the up-and-coming sex blog genre. I asked Steve about the attraction. He thought about it for a few minutes. It was his opinion that the men that engage in this behavior are probably well-educated and in positions of authority. Steve, who now supervises a team of people, will often declare on weekends that he "does not want to make any decisions" for the next few days. He makes decisions and tells people what to do all week. He doesn't want to do it seven days a week. It was his thought that Fem/Dom might very well be an outgrowth of that desire: Let someone else take charge.

Saratoga is where I go for my Fem/Dom fix. It's written by a male with a mistress. The writing is good and the updates are frequent. He also had a fun series of Cat Woman entries. If the topic interests you, Saratoga may be your cup o' tea.

Male/Married/Monogamous (MMM)

How many sex blogs celebrate a third birthday? Not many. All too often they start with a flash and quickly fizzle. Not so with Wanton Maleness. He's been going strong for three years. There might be a two week lag in posts occasionally, but never fear. He always returns.

If dressing up and going out for haute cuisine is your thing, WM isn't for you. No pretensions here. Visiting Wanton Maleness is like hanging at your friendly, neighborhood pub, where the food is good, the staff friendly and the beer always cold. Haute cuisine is a refreshing treat but we always return to that neighborhood pub...for a reason.

WM writes about sex with the wife. There's also tantalizing hints at an unfulfilled (as yet) homoerotic fantasy. Visit Wanton Maleness. No reservations required.

Writer

Erotic writers are blogging. If that's your thing, or you have pretensions to publishing, stop by Sasha White. Sasha earns a living writing erotica so I think she may have some good advice for the would-be erotictitian

You can browse through her books or just enjoy her blog. She seems like a happy, fun-loving woman that enjoys life. If you do have erotic writing ambitions, there's plenty of useful links for professional writers and would-be writers.

Happily Ever After...

"When I came to prepare breakfast this morning, I noticed that Emm had carved the words, "I love you," in the butter. No doubt cynics are already reaching for the sickbag, but frankly, my dear, I don't give-a-damn. Such playfulness on Emm's part has helped keep us together when too many of our friends have split up."

That's one of the reasons I enjoy Alfie Loves Emma. And it's not just cynics who reached for the sickbag. Who cares, though? Alfie doesn't. Nor does Emma. Alfie loves Emma and he doesn't care who knows it! There's also more than a grain of truth in Alfie's observation: playfulness, especially the sappy, teenage variety, must help keep a relationship fun and fresh.

Alfie Loves Emma is one of an emerging genre of sex (or relationship) blogs: I like to call it the Happily Ever After genre. Alfie and Emma are married, happy and Alfie's inspired to write about his wonderful life with Emma.

I haven't followed this blog for long but it almost always makes me smile.

Gay

It was difficult naming this category. Labels only take you so far and labels that place us in neat, little boxes based on who we fuck are the least useful. On the other hand, since this diary is written by a male that likes cock.....

Pocket Pool offers us a glimpse into the life of a Seth, a forty-something gay man. I confess that I almost always have an ulterior motive when I read blogs written by gay men. Men pull the same crap with other men that they do with women. So, how does a guy handle the crap we sometimes have to handle? You'd think they'd have something of an inside edge, wouldn't you? After all, they're are the same team. They have a perpetual homefield advantage. Now, I'm not so sure. Maybe it doesn't work that way. Perhaps people are too complex.

Seth has an off-again, on-again relationship which is often the subject of his posts. His writing captures the full emotional range of any relationship, love, joy, sadness, frustration, confusion... Timeless topics and I wish the less tolerant in society would realize that every person experiences love, in all it's sweet, bitter glory. That Seth experiences these emotions with other men? Isn't that incidental? When will some stop seeing homosexuality as a kink and see it for what it is: Part of humanity.

Also, it's a well-known fact that the photos of men posted on a gay man's blog are always much hotter than those on a straight girl's blog.

Group/Professional

I'm not spending a lot of time here. Just go see for yourself. Viviane's Sex Carnival tops my list for a group blog. It's fun and informative.

Violet Blue was, is and will remain, a classic.

Fun

What's a gal like me read for fun. Well, as usual, there's always Dawn, over at Tiny Voices. She took a Piper home with her last year and hates blog awards. I do not want to get on her bad side. I do want to go drinking with her, though.

Recently, I find myself reading Ken and Ariel. If you haven't stopped by their place, try it. Their posts are very funny, with a sharp wit guaranteed to produce a smile or a laugh.

Ken & Ariel often dole out advice on relationships. Those posts are the most hilarious. Why? Because their advice is usually spot on. K & A's humor falls squarely into the "it's funny because it's true" category of humor. For those of you with relationship questions, the truth is out there.

Misc.

Finally, I'd like to thank Nate, Semi-Celibate, Lou and Pluff for allowing me to visit and explore the fascinating, complex and often bewildering frontier that is the mind of the modern male. Thanks, guys.