Examining the Theme project.

Well, I thought it went pretty well. Everyone came through, with one exception. ;)

But SaladMan, in my comments, was correct: there wasn't a whole lot of diversity of thought. We mostly picked apart astrology (a topic well worth tearing apart), with little variation. (I tried to think of a couple of stories on the topic that I knew, and relate them with something like a narrative style, but I only succeeded in a middlin' fashion, IMHO.) Well, that would be my fault, in the choice of topic. I picked this little confederacy of bloggers because I like the way they think. They are critical thinkers, and they are at least a little bit proud of it. Don't mistake that for arrogance; if you're not proud of the way you think, then why should anyone listen to what you have to say?

Well?

Well, what about feelings?

I can hear the groans in the audience, right now. "Oh, good Gawd. Matt G's going to get all touchy-feelie on us, now. What's next? Hopey-changey? A Barrack Obama sticker on the bumper of his squad car?"

No, but feelings influence us. We don't just like this or that because it's logical to do so. Otherwise, I've got friends (very smart ones) who would have: Married the rich girl, Entered the lucrative career, Bought the ugly house, Abstained from moving to be with the one they loved, Never "wasted" all that money on art. How much money, for example, have you spent just on the appreciation of music in your lifetime? (Include concerts, media, media players, speakers, opportunity costs, support costs, and promotional costs.) I am surprised to find that, even with my spartan lifestyle, it comes to several thousands of dollars for me alone. Not something a "critical thinker" would spend money on, is it? Well, yes it is, for most of us.

My point is (I know I had one around here, somewhere.... oh, there it is.) that we're all moved by our emotions on at least some level, and I think, in my excitement to pick a topic that I knew our little group could write on, I picked one that could generate little more than disdain.

Well, seven six people writing critical pieces with disdain can be technically well done, but could possibly get tedious for the reader, neh? Some variety is in order.

It so happens that two of the writers to whom I aimed my collaborative theme-writing plea are very, very good at emoting in their prose. Hell, one even showed up. :) (AD, I'll stop the digs, when you turn in your late assignment. Heh.) The other one wrote an amusing "history" of our topic, with pseudo-characters, even.

Imagine what they could do with a more open topic, without a stigma.... I'm thinking something along the lines of "first kiss," and "lumber," and "marijuana," and "hunting," and "firm buttocks," and "meat," and "necessity of killing," and "the relative merits of sex in humans," and "retaliation," and such. See? Critical thinkers can get emotional about more than just "Ford vs. Chevy," and "Glock vs. 1911."

I promised not to pick the next topic. I leave that to..... LawDog.

Tell us what's next, 'Dog.