Monday, March 19, 2007

Blinking Thoggers....

I have been tagged by the consistently brilliant Not Saussure, a very sexy Tyger and the divine Charlotte with this 'Thinking Blogger' meme, started by Ilker Yolkas (I think that is his name. It might just be his favourite tipple.) Apparently I now have to tag 5 blogs that 'make me think', and they receive a 'Thinking Blogger' award too. Hooray! Hooray! Except I am too incompetent to work out how to get the award into my side bar, or even how to reproduce it here. Clearly I am not worthy of the 'Thinking Blogger' award so if you would like to withdraw it, Mr Yoldas, I would completely understand. Perhaps you could replace it with a 'Tries Hard, Bless Her' award, or even a 'Could Do Better' sticker? Or how about a hundred lines: I will take these things more seriously in future?

I know there are some dull and poorly written blogs around. But you know, if you don't like them you really don't have to read them. For that same reason I have never read the Da Vinci Code or anything by Marian Keyes. I also avoid soaps, crap sitcoms and the red tops. But I don't deny anyone else their right to indulge. For that reason I shall simply nominate the blogs that I enjoy the most. They do make me think, and they also make me laugh and feel totally OK about saying inane things in their comments box.

Top of my list would have been That's So Pants, but Not Saussure got there first. She has also just given birth to Eraserhead and is feeling poorly-sicky so may not appreciate the tag. Get well soon, lovely Ms Pants. Tyger also got in first with the slightly scary Political Umpire and the delightful YellowDuck, with whom I will be eloping as soon as The Husband gives me the nod. I would have nominated The Periodic Englishman, but he appears to have forsaken me. I am bereft. Pony Boy, please come back.....

So I nominate the lovely Caroline, at In Search Of Adam, for being so willing to share the complexities of her internal world with us all and letting us have a peak at the freakiness that is induced by having your first novel published. I heart you lots, Caroline.

Nmj at Velo-Gubbed Legs is a constant delight, not just for her remarkable capacity to manage illness without self-pity but for her wonderful writing and her ability to swear with the utmost of dignity. Keep that bastard plane in the air, nmj.

Ms Signs, at Reading The Signs for her beautiful words, her poetry and her constant reminders that there is more to this life than mere consumer capitalism.

The wonderful BoBo at BoBo Hits Back for his challenging interpretations of psychotherapy theory. This man is still a trainee, don't you know?

The beautiful Dandelion (pronounced Dand-ee-lyon) at Lonesome Ocean for her frank and honest account of her personal experiences.

And finally, Ms Stray at Daily Straying because I have just discovered her blog and I am loving it. She also makes a very good cup of tea and will milk the local goat if you ask her nicely.

That appears to be six blogs. Have I ever mentioned that I am a compulsive rule-breaker?

Here are the rules, for those of you who like that kind of thing:

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 so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

PS Can I also add Daniel at In Wild Heaven, because he is an exceptionally clever finance officer who knows more about mental health than any of his CMHT colleagues? And that, I do believe, makes seven.



24 comments:

Caroline said...

Ms M - I think that I must object to being within this tag! I must, but I won't.
I don't really make people think ... but it makes for a nice post tomorrow. Ta x

xxx

Ms Melancholy said...

You make me think. You are courageous in your posts, and that makes for very stimulating reading. I am not sure at all what The Thinking Blogger stuff is about, but it seemed churlish not to respond when I had been tagged by three people. And my head is still in a tapas bar in Jaen. I think I may have to emigrate.

Caroline said...

nooooooooooooooooooo.
You can't leave me ever again ;-)

(not that I'm needy!)
xx

Ms Melancholy said...

I promise I will get wi-fi installed if I emigrate. (And there is the small problem of having children with other parents to consider.) I just can't bear all this rushing around that we do. I want to eat tapas and drink beer and watch the sun go down over the olive groves. *Big sigh*

Stray said...

Ms M, I am thrilled, and slightly nervous. I'm a compulsive over achiever and now I shall have to post exclusively doctorate-level material instead of inane musings about my dog.

I have been reading over at Caroline's and I agree that there is a lot of brain activity being stimulated, as well as a bit of general warm fuzziness (scuse me whilst I discuss you as if you're not here Caroline, I'm sure Ms M has some colouring pencils for this sort of situation).

And yey for tags!

Sx

Ms Melancholy said...

I have colouring pencils, glove puppets and a collection of freaky dolls for just that purpose. Please do not feel compelled to over achieve, Ms Stray, or you will put us all to shame. I love the Tourette's post, by the way. Will pop back and comment soon....

Stray said...

I am scared of your freaky dolls. *shudders* They may give me nightmares.

I will do my homework now whilst coming down off my finger-of-fudge from Badger, and I'll try not to exceed expectations if you promise to give me a sticker even if it's rubbish? And maybe a pat on the head. I quite like those.

What did Caroline draw?

Sx

Caroline said...

http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/thinking-blogger-award/ I can't do links inside comments.

xx

Anonymous said...

Waiting for your husband's nod?

You are a woman in chains. It's as if feminism never happened.

I'm not hurt. Anyway.

I'm running out of blogs to mention now.

Rather amused by the thought I make people think, though. A pisstake surely?

Anonymous said...

".....there is the small problem of having children with other parents" - careful with comments like this Ms M, they may be taken out of context!

I agree with you about the curse of going away to somewhere nice - when you get back, its such an unceremonious thud back down to earth. When I have time off work - for going away or just for not working, it brings "me" back and that carries with it all sorts of permissions on how to conduct myself, if you know what I mean.

Ducky, you make ME think. I'm not telling you precisely WHAT though :)

Stray said...

Caroline, he's a meanie, don't listen.

Ms M wouldn't have prescribed this homework if it wasn't therapeutic. That we may inadvertently make a complete stranger a bit rich is of no concern to me.

Actually - I suspect that this 'Thinking Blogger' dude is actually Ms M in disguise, and she is the one making vast sums of cash from it. Which I don't object to at all. Maybe next time she goes on holiday she will be able to afford your toblerone.

City Slicker said...

But who reads blogs to think?

Maybe that is why I am always left off of these greatest blogger hit lists.

The rejection does hurt though

Anonymous said...

I like your blog, cityslicker.

And it makes me think, too.

It makes me realise how uncool and unhip I actually am ;)

(No, I actually have no hangups about this, no need for therapy, I am fine. Really. Have to be careful with making comments like these with all those therapists around nowadays.)

ilker said...

Yeap.. that is my name! And Yoldas is my surname =)

Reading the Signs said...

Dear Ms M - I accept in the same spirit as it's given, so thank you for this and the warm words.

I'm going to have to do a bit of thinking myself now. And for this I need cigarettes. You did bring them, didn't you?

XXYXX said...

Thank you for the stroke Ms M. I am purring with pleasure. I could say I'm not really worthy, but we both know that's just rubbish (hey, Caroline - accept your fate, you're worthy of it too).

It would be nice to think that our latent genius will become more apparent to the great unwashed. But then Blogging is a pleasure in itself, and commenting a giggle too.

But really Ms M - I really think you ought to wear your thinking blog badge with pride. You did after all spend a fast personal fortune on acquiring a yellow ribbon, which I bet you haven't worn much. At least get some mileage out of this one.

Caroline said...

"I have colouring pencils, glove puppets and a collection of freaky dolls for just that purpose."

Now really I should be pissed off. But you understand me too well. I love colouring pencils. I am using them tonight as I have to draw an illustration for ISoA - this is where you ask me if I can draw!?!

Freaky dolls perhaps not as freaky as the prince charming on my desk. Littlie has pulled his legs off ...

xx

Ms Melancholy said...

Clever Caroline, thanks for the link. So Mr Yolgas is very cleverly making money out of all this? I have been duped. This man has no shame.

Hey Lovely Ducky, check out the link Caroline has left and you'll find that you have suddenly lost the urge to participate anyway. I may even delete this post.

Hi again Trousers - spot on. I think coming back to hail and snow hasn't helped much. Spain was so spring-like.

Hi Stray - please, do not do your homework! Or at least, not the links part. Mr Yolgas' cynicism should not be rewarded, in my view. (By all means give us some links to decent blogs, though...)

Hey CS - good to see you again - you've not been around here for a while. Yours is a very fine blog. And I know you are teasing us...:)

Hey Mr Yolgas, didn't see you hiding there. I have just accused you of blatant and shameless cynicism. Please feel free to defend yourself if you wish. (But don't imagine that entrepreneurialism is a defence.)

Hey Lovely Signs - virtual cigarettes are all yours. I am removing my links to Mr Yolgar's post, but give us your blogs anyway.

Hey BoBo - read the link that Caroline left and then see what you think......although the amount of money I spent getting that bloody ribbon I might just have to resort to bizarre money making schemes. Keep purring, BoBo. You are one sexy cat.

Monozygote said...

Well. Who would have thought it? Little Me? Getting an Actual Award?

Um... I mean YAY! WOO! YAY! WOO-HOO! YAY ME! YAY YOU! WOO!

Stray said...

But Ms M! Ms M! I have already done it! Do I still get credit for the assignment even though it's been withdrawn?

I am impressed by your lefty anti-capitalist stance. Morrissey would be proud.

Sx

nmj said...

hey ms m, thanks for saying such lovely things, glad that i swear with dignity! having spent the day with nephews, i am done in & can't truly absorb the task in hand, i will try soon x

ilker said...

Hmmm.. I don't understand how I'm "the one making vast sums of cash" from getting links. If I should be making money of it, then let me know because it means there is lots of stuff left on the table!

The reason why I decided to include the rule for people to link back to the original post is so that I could track them and read the "thinking" bloggers' blogs. Without your link, I probably would have never ended up here and start reading what's on your blog.

I also don't understand why some are being upset about this. A meme is just a meme that people should not feel obliged to participate. The only reason I started this one is because I was sick of all the memes that didn't actually promote quality content.

As for whether I should be awarded or not.. It may not seem like so but I spent 3 hours creating those little buttons. Getting the precious metal effect was not easy from a graphic designer's point of view.

In any case, I'm not going to cry if you delete this post or don't want to link to my blog. It's your blog, your rulez!

Take care,
"Mr. Yoldas"

Aaron Murin-Heath said...

"Sexy tyger"

Well, it is a very sexy world.

Political Umpire said...

You're very sweet .... but I'm intrigued as to how you find me "slightly scary ..." ???