An Award

Yes, I got an award - "Thinking Blogger." I get to put a sticker on my blog (if I can figure out how to do it) and everything. Well, not everything, that's pretty much it.

Someone got the idea of creating "[t]he Thinking Blogger Award [as] an effort to build a network of blogs linked together outside of the usual search engines." Fermicat, the author of Cosmic Cat elected me and four others as her "Thinking Bloggers.''

Having looked through the other blogs she lists, and a few listed by the blogger that elected Fermi, the main criterion for selection appears to be writing posts that aren't about the relative merits of Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead as fathers for what's her name's daughter, Snoop Dogg (unless you use him to make a point in a serious treatise about society, and you mention Imus in it) or everyday events in your boring life, unless you can make them poignant or funny. Another common trait is their insistence on using correct punctuation, syntax and other fast disappearing conventions. They write in paragraphs, people. Imagine it.

Fermi's review of my blog included the words "interesting," insightful," "humor," "very high quality" and "thoughtful." OK, the last two were descriptions of the people that leave comments, not about me. I guess I need to thank the little people that got me to where I am today.

Thanks Fermi. But now the hard part, I'm supposed to elect five thinking bloggers. You'd think in the Blogosphere, that would be an easy task. How many thinking bloggers could there be? Six? Well, if you look at my "Recommended" sidebar, you'll see that there are lots of choices.

I don't think it's cheating to name them in the anointed five, so I'm going to give them a

1. Collective Best. See Recommended Sidebar. I read all of these people all the time. For the most part, they are the "very high quality, "thoughtful" people whose coat tails I grabbed to get this honor. If you haven't read them, or haven't read them lately, do so. Now. They include some left-leaners (I don't think anyone that skews way right reads me. Ryan, other than your unfortunate gun habit, you don't qualify as right-wing.), libertarians, futurists, downright funny people, a hasbian,some contemplative, gentle people and one scientist and cat person.

Now, in no order of ranking, some people I've started to read recently and who would have soon been placed in the Recommended Sidebar:

2. Letters I Wish I'd Sent written by Bob Johnson. Bob is a Canadian living in Calgary. For the past month or so he's been running for President of the United States. Bob is smart, funny and a really good writer. He vowed yesterday to write better, but less, so you'll have to live with just his quality, if he keeps his vow which I've got a buck against as he had a post this morning.

3. Second Effort by Curmudgeon who writes from "an undisclosed location" in Chicago. Curmudgeon is a lawyer. I didn't want to include him in this list as he's gotten several other awards lately; but, you can't ignore talent. He often says he's not political or controversial; but, when he takes on a subject that is, he tends to write a post that is a mini-tour de force. He's funny too. One fatal flaw, he's a Cubs fan so he obviously has some deep seated self-loathing problem.

4. This Woman's Journey by Monica. I've just very recently started reading Monica and have been struck by her passion and the, not poetic (though she writes some poetry), but flowing nature of her posts. Cadence, not in the Sousa sense of the word, but read her and tell me if you agree.

5. Dooce by Dooce. Actually her name is Heather Armstrong. She makes a living writing her "mommy blog" about her husband and their daughter and dog. Not my typical fare; but, she is very, very good at writing. Whatever she is telling you about, she puts you there with her. Funny stuff.

Those of you elected, on the large assumption for some of you, that you actually read this, you're supposed to elect five and only five thinking bloggers of your own, with a link back to this post (continuity of network and stuff like that).

Once again Fermi, thanks, this time for telling me how to add the links in the body of the post. Now I have to figure out how to add the cool sticker.