Thinking so you don't have to

Well, well, well. I'm a winner! Kwan Yin just tagged me with a thinking blogger award!



So the rules, as I understand them, is to pass this along to 5 bloggers who make me think. Let me just say that it's sort of a shame that Kwan Yin nominated me because I would have nominated her, for sure. As a non-pagan reader, she still manages to make her faith and spirituality accessible, interesting, and thought provoking. I may not have any single denomination that I subscribe to, but she makes me want to continue my search. Anyway, moving on. My five nominees are:

And Shee Was. I adore Renee. She's super smart, sweet, adorable, mini, and brilliant writer. Whether she's writing about her day-to-day, music and pop culture, ranting about boys, or just grooving out, she's a fun read. I also, really, really admire her writing abilities. Oh, and seven years later, I'm still trying to figure out why she's friends with a goober like me.

Schuyler's Monster. I found this blog when it was still under the name of Darn Tootin' and Schuyler was just getting her Big Box of Words. I was hooked instantly and spent days pouring over the archives. To bring you up to speed: The blog is written by Rob, father of the spunky, sprightly Schuyler, who was born with a rare neurological disorder that left her unable to speak. Wait, wait. Before you turn away all, "God, that's depressing," it's really not. Rob manages to write in a way that leaves you inspired and hopeful without being all saccharin sweet glurge. Yeah, life's tough. They deal with it. Reading his blog and watching Schuyler fiercely battle her monster every day (...and win) is just the underlying story. The real story? A dad and super cool daughter, one who wears Chuck Taylors, T-shirts that say "You talk too much," and loves King Kong. Rob has written a book that will be coming out this winter. Needless to say, even though I already know the story, I can't wait to read it. Rob is also a talented and gifted photographer.

Softly, Softly, Catchy Monkey. Stephanie is so, so rad, I don't even know where to begin. Read her blog for quick funny anecdotes, silly stories, and just general awesomeness.

What's Alan Watching? I'm a bit of a TV junkie, Ok? Alan gives thoughtful and insightful reviews of the best shows and what makes him better than any other TV critic is that his writing makes it crystal clear that he loves television. Great fun, even when he reviews the shows I don't watch.

On My Desk. Fascinating looks at what talented creative folks keep on the desks and in their workspaces. From film makers and animators to graphic designers and artists, these glimpses at what these creatives keep around them as they toil never fail to inspire me.

And that's it, friends. Pass it along.