Better And Better

If you don't draw yours, I won't draw mine. A police officer, working in the small town that he lives in, focusing on family and shooting and coffee, and occasionally putting some people in jail.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

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.

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9 Comments:

At Saturday, May 31, 2008 9:53:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Actually, Matt, I thought about these issues as I was reading everyone's entries, and - foregone conclusions aside, I thought that what was showcased nicely here was the variety of writing styles.

I read all of you daily, not just because you have interesting things to say, but because I enjoy good writing.

It's been said before, but blogs are the new domain of the essayist, a form of writing I've enjoyed going all the way back to Lewis Thomas (Lives of a Cell, Medusa and the Snail - fabulous stuff, even if you're not biologically inclined...).

Pick any topic you like.
Write, and I'll read.
And thank you all, by the way.

Cheers,
Rick

 
At Saturday, May 31, 2008 11:38:00 PM, Blogger Rogue Medic said...

Maybe AD's astrologer told him he shouldn't post that day. It just wasn't in the stars. :-)

I enjoyed the variety. It wasn't as if you would find a critical thinker who would defend astrology, just a matter of how you point out the ways some people deceive themselves into believing all sorts of things.

 
At Sunday, June 01, 2008 8:55:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Heh, I think you (and the others) did a very insightful exploration of astrology. In my younger days I read it daily, until I began to notice the "cycle" of advice. Next was the very obvious "hazy" guidance offered. They may as well said "be careful when you cross the street."

Oh, and yes Matt, I read you almost daily, play catchup when I can't. You and your co conspiriters are on my daily todo list.

 
At Sunday, June 01, 2008 12:16:00 PM, Blogger Matt G said...

Thanks, friends. :)

 
At Sunday, June 01, 2008 12:50:00 PM, Blogger LawDog said...

Huh? What? Me?

Hmm. Let me get back to you on that.

 
At Sunday, June 01, 2008 2:12:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Probably for the best. Thanks to Marko, I can't think of a damn thing other than "pie".

 
At Monday, June 02, 2008 9:18:00 AM, Blogger Jay G said...

Now that I see the subject matter, it makes me feel a little bit better that I didn't take part...

'Cuz my entry would have read: "Astrology. WTF? That is all."

:)

Seriously, you guys did a great job. And stop gigging AD before he goes all Britney Emo-Kid on us...

 
At Monday, June 02, 2008 2:37:00 PM, Blogger Tam said...

I like pie. That's not controversial at all.

I also like jury nullification, the right of secession, open borders, not borrowing money for depreciating assets, the right to die, and English as a national language, so it's not like I'm afraid of controversial topics, either. :)

 
At Monday, June 02, 2008 9:11:00 PM, Blogger Matt G said...

I'm with you on all of the above, Tams, but with stipulations made for Right Of Sessession.

 

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