I Was Just Thinking...

It seems that while I was chasing the euphoria that is Disney, a pretty interesting meme was being passed around.


The Thinking Blogger Awards.


The team at The West Virginia Hot Dog Blog--Stanton, Chris James and Kevin Smith--were included as blogs-that-make-you-think by our friends at Hillbilly Savants who were, earlier, included on the list as well.

(See, that's what a meme does. It replicates. On, and on and on. And on.)

How did I get involved, you ask? According to the rules, when a blog is placed on The Thinking Blogger Awards list--as all bloggers will eventually, as the meme plays out--the blogger is obligated to create his or her own list of blogs that make him think. And it seems my friends the weenie wonks think I belong on their list.

I'm humbled, and honored.

I'm obligated now to create my own list. Here are the rules, as I understand them, from The Thinking Blog:

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


• Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.


• Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

Choosing only five blogs for this list was a difficult chore. Most of the blogs I read daily challenge me to think. Some bloggers make me re-think a political positions, others cause me to consider alternative religious, legal or cultural perspectives. A few that I read help confirm my personal opinions and views about the world, and about the state in which we live.

Here are the 5 Blogs That Make Me Think. I've limited the list to blogs written by West Virginians.

Donutbuzz: Simply, Donutbuzz is written by the most thoughtful and sincere person I've ever known. Whether Hoyt is writing about a day at work, his family, attorney elevator etiquette or his favorite TV show Lost, I wanna be along for the ride. He has an preternatural ability to find humanity in the smallest moment, and the writing talent to make a point with metaphor and analogy.

Don't Print This: I wish I was Bill Lynch. Really. I'm envious of his ability to write about life with honesty and artistry while maintaining a sense of integrity. His take on the unusual--he's currently contemplating a decision to donate his body to science--is refreshing, and his writing about the mundane is simply brilliant.

Don't believe me?

Go back and read how the guy blogs about a typical day at work.

The West Virginia Hot Dog Blog: Stanton, Chris James and Kevin Smith like to pretend they are writing about hot dogs. But I know better; they're writing about memories and mountain culture. The dog at the local hot dog joint tasted much better when you were ten years old, and your grandfather took you there for a special occasion. And the hot dog is a terrific analogy for the differences in cultural practices that occur between the mountain regions of our state.

I mean: can you believe they don't eat slaw on a hot dog in Fairmont? [shudder]

Saved By The Torso: Jackie Lantern likes to say his blog is about "the most ridiculous things." Read post by post, it might look that way. But on the whole, Torso is filled with sublte references to social and political thought. Jackie and I would likely disagree on many of the hot-button political debates of the day--I'm a near commie lefty, after all--but his writing often makes me think and re-think my positions. Jackie can say more about his mood and what's going on around him by posting a video from youtube than I can by writing a long paragraph.

DC Comictician on Star Trekiology: The best new blog in West Virginia, in my opinion. This blog takes on the important issues of the day with humor, sarcasm and intelligence. DC Comictician can't easily be described; check it out, though, and I guarantee you'll become a regular reader. You might disagree with author Elvis Drinkmo's conclusions, but you'll think. And think hard.