5 More Blogs That Make Me Think

It hasn't been a full three months yet since my first blog post. It is wonderful to have an outlet such as this to share insights and thoughts on the issues of the day. My hope is that the Electronic Village becomes a daily destination for others in cyberspace interested in talking about Black culture, family, information technology, science fiction, small business development or any number of other topics. I ask that you imagine yourself sitting in the shade under our baobob tree ... enjoying libations and good company of other villagers ... sharing your comments, insights and thoughts.

We are pleased that our imagery appeals to a growing number of visiting villagers. One of the first people to visit with us was Jim Walton (Black in Business). Jim named the Electronic Village as one of the five blogs that make him think. Not Fearing Change did the same thing last month. It is humbling that both of these experienced bloggers feel we deserve The Thinking Blogger Award. My responsibility is to return the favor. I must abide by the rules of this award and name five blogs that make me think.

The first 5 blogs that make me think are still going strong.

Here are 5 more:

1. African American ~Black~ Opinion - This is actually a repeat from last time. However, I am even more intriqued by the direction that Bro. Rock is taking his blog. He is providing a portal for other bloggers in the Afrosphere to make their voices heard. This blog is one that I read daily. You may want to check 'em out regularly as well.
2. the field negro - I absolutely love the House Negro of the Day and Movie of the Day features that field announces every day. He recently shared his thoughts on 'patio negros' that caused some introspection on my part. I'm probably a 'patio negro' at this stage of my life. Come correct to the field negro ... or don't come at all. However, if your self-esteem is high, then I recommend the field negro blog to anyone interested in candor about race relations issues in our country.
3. Fort Wayne African American Independent Woman - credo is the creative genius behind this blog focused on local, regional, and national politics, race relations, community affairs, economic development for small businesses. She is generous in her comments here on the Electronic Village. She was the first to introduce me to the concept of the Afro-Spear. Her blog consistently gives me reasons to sit back and ponder the state of things.
4. The 'D' Spot - Keith is one of the best writers that I've seen in the blogosphere. He uses words to paint a picture. He takes the time to look at issues from a variety of perspectives in a humorous manner. The 'D' Spot focuses on issues related to Detroit, however, anyone that lives in any big city in America will find posts on this blog that resonate with them.
5. Paula Mooney - Paula has a self-titled blog that moves from topic to topic. Quite a few of her posts are about entertainment issues. However, I come back to her blog most of the time to pick up tips on how to monetize my blog. She has been very candid about the money she's earned from blogging. I find her tips easier to understand than many of the other power bloggers out there. Anyhow, I do recommend Paula's blog for any of us newbie bloggers that think we want to get some nickels and dimes back from our online efforts.

These are five more blogs that make me think. Obviously, there are dozens of other blogs and bloggers out there that we enjoy here in da Village. Many of the ones that we enjoy are included in our Afrosphere, Cool and Nubian blogrolls over in the left-hand navigation bar. However, the rules of this meme limit me to handing out the award to only five blogs. It is now the responsibility of these five villagers to write a post with links to 5 blogs that make them think.

Have you visited any of the five blogs listed above? Do you have any comments on them that you would like to share?

5 Blogs That Make Me Think

The evolution of the Electronic Village over the past couple of months has been a joy to experience. I started this blog with an idea that it would become an online oasis where elders from other parts of cyberspace would be willing to sit by our baobob tree in the center of the Village and share their wisdom with us. The stories we would tell around the fire would vary -- Alkebulan, Black culture, economic inclusion, family, information technology industry, science fiction, sports, youth education and other ecletic commentary would be shared in the Village.

It appears that our efforts are appreciated. A 30-something sister with an aptly-named blog, Not Fearing Change, nominated us for a Thinking Blogger Award. She wrote, "The Villager writes about social controversial topics. Items such as race; environment; social conditions. I have only been recently introduced to the blog. But I am slowly but surely becoming a common visitor. As well the Villager was oh so kind to sign me up for a new blog movement – I will let the Villager explain…"

My responsibility is to share the Thinking Blogger Award with five (5) blogs that make me think. There are many blogs and bloggers that I have come to read and respect. However, the five that I tag with this award are:

1. Cincinnati Black Blog - I came across this blog over two years ago. It was the first and only blog that I read for most of those two years. It is run by Nathaniel Livingston. I respect Bro. Livingston for his persistence and consistency in sharing his controversial view of life for Black folks in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2. Black Threads - My sister, Kyra Hicks, is a world-reknowned expert in the field of African American quilters. She published two books, a website and a blog on the topic. She is the one that explained to me that I could create a blog at no cost. I'm not a quilter, but, I admire the concentrated focus that Kyra puts into her blog.
3. African American Opinion - I seek out bloggers of color. I seek out blogs that have information uplifting for people of African descent. Bro. Rock is the blogger that brings together more information for African Americans than I have seen in any four other blogs combined. It truly is a remarkable effort and I highly recommend this blog to anyone with an interest in nubian thought.
4. The Federation - I don't publicize it much ... but, I'm a science fiction fan. I've read most books written by Isaac Asimov, Octavia Butler, Robert Heinlein, Frank Herbert and Larry Niven. I saw most episodes of ST:DS9 and ST:Voyager. So, it may not be surprising that the next blog that makes me think is based on a diary of a harassed Starfleet Officer in the 24th Century on the Star Trek of Life. I enjoy the photos, posts and the overall theme of this blog. The blog author goes by the moniker, 'Jean Luc Picard'. His blog makes you think and smile at the same time.
5. Modern Musings - My favorite blogger is Danielle. Her random thoughts (musings) on a wide variety of issues always makes me think. She demonstrates a willingness to share her thoughts on some of the tough social issues of the day. Many of the design elements of the Electronic Village came as a result of my wandering in her blog. Hey, let me know if you figure out her profile photo ... is she laying down or what?

Anyhow, these are the five blogs that make me think. I encourage you to visit each of them and share your comments as you feel the spirit to do so.