Memes the Word

While I was away, I was twice tagged: for a Thinking Blogger Award, and for the "tell us 8 random things about yourself" meme. Some people have a low tolerance for this sort of "you're it" blog phenomenon, but I see it as a way of community building. You are tagged/and tag people whose blog you read, and who read you. It's a way of illuminating and strengthening the dialogue between the people who run individual blogs.


Tom Watson tagged me for a Thinking Blogger Award.

It was started back on February 11,2007, by Ilker Yoldas on his Thinking Blog site—he started a meme called ‘5 Blogs That Make Me Think’--and I see that it’s been picking up some fresh steam recently.

Here are Ilker’s participation rules:
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,

So Tom put me in his pentagram, and I am passing it along to:

Think Denk—Jeremy Denk’s “the glamorous life and thoughts of a concert pianist.” I read Jeremy and think, why can’t I write like that?

Diary of a Crossword Fiend—Ms. Orange makes my head spin with her solving times, but I love her thoughts and knowledge on the daily puzzles

Cultural Snow—Tim Footman’s blog was one of the first I found. He is an interesting cultural writer and a serious thinker about the blogging revolution

Andrew Sullivan—The Daily Dish was the second blog I started reading. We don’t share politics, but he’s one of the sites I read every day

The House Next Store—Matt Zoller Seitz evolved his solo blog of fascinating, compelling writing to a group blog of fascinating, compelling writing. I can’t imagine the blog landscape without it.

8 Random Things

Ross Ruediger of the Rued Morgue tagged me for the “tell us 8 random things about yourself” meme.

I never pass along chain e-mails, etc.,etc., but Ross entitled his post about his participation as “Auntie Meme,” and that’s why I’m playing. “The Girl from Auntie” is one of the all-time classic Avenger episodes, and so that was a sign.

Here are the rules of participation:

1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Random Facts about M.A. Peel

1. I am not a brunette.

2. As a child, I thought Alaska was an island near Hawaii, because of the school maps.

3. I was walking through Times Square with The Talented Mr. Ripley (the scary ex) and Cadfael (my Benedictine traveling companion) in 2001 when the zipper flashed that Pauline Kael had died. The deep drama of the moment was lost on those two.

4. I wallpaper very well.

5. My father suddenly decided to plant a formal rose garden when he turned 50. He tended it for 7 years, until he died.

6. I was having a tiny fling with a married sea captain in Bimini when we came across the vice president of the Florida chapter of NOW, and she gave me Lauren Bacall's autobiograhy By Myself and talked me out of it.

7. I am a huge Buffy fan, but when all is said and done, I think Angel was the finer show.

8. I collect the artwork of David Barton, an extraordinary painter from Westport, CT.


Now over to:

Mr. Peel’s Sardine Liqueur--apparently the air ace found alive in the Amazon jungle is a Cassavetes fan, but we need to know more

Dennis Perrin

Neddie Jingo

Lynnequist at Separated by a Common Language

Lance Mannion—there’s always more to learn about Lance

Claire at L’Esprit de l’escalier—if her summer hours permit

 Mapeel     7/11/2007     blogs