I Got Tagged - Blogs THat Make You Think

I got tagged by Again, something I did not expect but am humbled by. I will state for the record, however, that my passion does have its limits, but at least I put on a good show ;) It's an honor to be thought of in such a way, and I hope I can pass along some blogs in turn that will continue the tradition.

The rules, created by The Thinking Blog, are thus:

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 (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

There are so many blogs out there. As posted by Again, there are many that deserve it just by the sheer volume of work and heart they put into it. Props go out to Crooks and Liars, Buzzflash, AmericaBlog, Rude Pundit, Smirking Chimp and many others. But they are already "household names" among the blogosphere, and I believe the point of this award is to help others discover new blogs. One problem I have is this, several of the blogs that *I* think should be honored doubly, trebly, are blogs that I can't tag.

One blog is Gorilla's Guides. It's the blog that makes me think more than any right now. But I can't tag them. They are in the middle of Iraq, trying to stay alive, while blogging about what's really happening there on the ground. Getting tagged for something like this, while it helps spread the word about a blog someone has taken the time to mention, seems paltry. They are picking up pieces of their friends, and I have the gall to say "Here! You get a little web award, now think of five that YOU like and pass it on!"? I can't reconcile it. Instead I will bequeath them with an honorable mention, and hope simply that people will read the blog.

Riverbend of Baghdad Burning has no time for this as well, as she is trying to survive an escape route from Iraq. Her blogs will make you cry.

Another blog that deserves to be tagged but can't is Sans-culotte's blog. Sans-culotte was a passionate, rallying force who frequented many other blogs, leaving comments of support and enthusiasm. When he began his own blog, it was just like his comments, and drew large amounts of visitors. He deserves this tagging, but one day last summer he disappeared completely. No one has heard from him since. I even tried calling him personally and got nowhere. I miss him terribly, and the blogosphere is not the same without him.

With that in mind, I will pass along the blogs that I think deserve this award and hope that I haven't tagged them when they've already been tagged by someone else...

1. In the absence of Sans-culotte, several have taken what he started and moved to a new home to continue the work. Les Enrages now consists of talented writers whose posts are thought provoking. Give them a look.

2. Freeway Blogger - Scarlett P doesn't post much in the way of blogs online, but takes his message straight to the people. His dedication to reaching out to everyone who drives by is inspiring.

3. Bring It On! - The faces may have changed, but the message stays the same. As I was forced to step back from contributing, others stepped in, and stepped it up. They are a wonderful resource.

4. Bob Geiger - A bear of a man with a heart the size of New York. His words are witty and sharp, and his collection of Sunday political comics are always ready and waiting for you.

5. Educational Whisper - Who will never cease to tell you exactly that he's thinking.

There you have it. I wish I could name 100 blogs, but let's start with these and see where it goes.