Thinking Blogger Award!

My stars and garters...I've been nominated for a Thinking Blogger Award by not one but two fellow bloggers, Sara at Pagan Godspell and Inanna of At the End of Desire.  Such wonderful (and thoughtful) company to be in!

Now it's my turn to nominate five blogs that make me think.  I don't want to make this purely incestuous and repeat the same folks who've been tagged all over the Pagan blogosphere, but the above two blogs definitely qualify for this list, as do many of the others they themselves tagged.  I tried to think of five that hadn't already been named over and over again.

1 - Breathless Noon by Amber Simmons - My friend and former teaching partner writes eloquently about philosophy, religion, design, and writing.  I love that I never know what topic she'll be discussing, but it's always engrossing and thought-provoking.

2 - Deus Ex Malcontent - At first glance, Chez's writing comes off as brilliant (and hilarious) but overwhelmingly cynical; the more you read, however, the more you realize there's a good heart beneath the snark, and a spark of hope that even working for network television hasn't killed.  Even when I violently disagree with his opinions, they always make me think.

3 - The House Next Door - A group blog dedicated to film and television.  You wouldn't think an entertainment site could be labeled as "thoughtful," but the reviewers are devoted to their subjects, and reading their thoughts on everything from Star Wars to Lost has led me to relate to even popular cinema as an art form.  I've come to appreciate television in a new way, too--although Joss Whedon was the one who got me to think of TV from an artistic perspective after I watched the director's commentary on Buffy and Firefly episodes. (If Joss had a blog of his own, I'd be on it like a tight shirt on a sweaty farmhand.)

4 - Food for Thought by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau - Musings on animals, vegetarianism, nonviolence, and health.  Colleen is one of the few genuinely compassionate, kind, and completely un-self-righteous vegans out there, and her example inspires me to be a better person.

5 - I Blame the Patriarchy - fellow Austinite Twisty's radical feminist blog is not for the faint of heart, but if you're looking for a devastatingly intelligent critique of patriarchal society, it's the place to be.  I tend to only read IBTP sporadically, because there's only so outraged I can get before my brain explodes, but every time I go back to it I'm blown away by the way Twisty calls into question the most basic assumptions of our culture.  (Not to mention she takes great photographs of local insects and public restrooms.)

If you’ve been tagged, here’s how you play:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think;

2. Link to this post at The Thinking Blog so that people can find the exact origin of the meme;

3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’.

Comments

[Angela-Eloise]

Dianne, I tagged you too, but I wasn't sure about the protocol for letting my nominees know. So, consider yourself thrice-chosen!

[Lisa Danton]

Dianne, I've become a recent fan of your blog: you have a such a strong voice!

But to the point Joss Whedon does have a blog and you'll find it here:

http://whedonesque.com/comments/13271

[Sylvan]

Lisa,

Welcome aboard. :)

I read Whedonesque every day, but I should point out that it isn't Joss's blog; it's a fan blog where people submit stories related to his work. Periodically he contributes to it, but as he says in the linked post, "This is not my blog. I don't have a blog." What I would like to see is an entire blog written by Joss himself--he's an outstanding writer on top of everything else.

[Lisa Danton]

I realize now its not his personal blog, but a venue he chose for his commentary that really makes me think. Anyway I thought I'd share. Thanks