Cold Spaghetti

I don’t know what it was like for y’all, but February?  Did it really happen?  I’m having a hard time remembering.

We had the playoffs and then everything sort of goes blurry. I remember that I voted. And there was that event that drew in more viewers than any other event in U.S. television history.

I do have memories of Lombardi Gras née Mardi Gras.  I remember parades and parties and costumes and friends and all that comes with the season, but it doesn’t seem possible that so many things happened in short, stunted little February with it’s 28 days.  I guess February showed us who was boss?

In the meantime, we did read and collect Just Post goodness.  The Best of 2009 is SO CLOSE, we promise.  Just a few more wrinkles in the polling methods to iron out. (Note: Vote in post below!  It’s clear now that it works, but the ice cream flavors are cracking me up, so please chime in if you hadn’t and I’ll present the results.)

I’m hoping for more wonderful in March and have all fingers crossed that you’ll pass on the marvels you read.  Light-up toys and shiny beads could hang in the balance?

—-

• Heather of finding atman with We can do better
• Emily at Wheels on the Bus with You Gotta Fight for the Right to Plie
• Tiffany Sellers of PR Musings of a Clemson Student with The Line Between Charity and Justice
• Eric at It’s the Question that Drives Us with Helping Haiti or Hurting Haiti
• girlgriot at If You Want Kin, You Must Plant Kin with Common Ground
• Country Girl at Country Girl/City Girl with That Slacker Blogger Thing
• Absence of Alternatives and Velva of Tomatoes on the Vine with The Price of Tomatoes
• Morganna of Lizbeth’s Garden with bombs
• Communication for Change with Todays’ Bad Word: Working Poor
• Oh the Joys with Enormity of Need
• Cecilieaux at Antipode with Piling on Muslims
• Barbara of An American in Lima with How to Prepare for an Earthquake in a Third World Country
• Flying Tomato Farm with Sounds Corny to Me and Stockholm Syndrome for Farmers
• Claudia at The Bottom of Heaven with Testing the Ice
• Ilina at Dirt and Noise with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Initiative

• Alejna
• Denguy
• Holly

Be sure to send some love to Alejna, too!

Did you notice Alejna’s post about how we’re announcing that the finalists for the Best Just Posts of 2009 will be up and ready for your voting by the end of January?  I know, exciting!  Let me tell you on no uncertain terms: Alejna?  She gets stuff DONE.

Oh, wait, except that *I* am involved.  Seeing as how I’ve been writing that dissertation for… can we just say a long time and leave it at that?… getting stuff done is not really my best strength.  I think having lots of unfinished projects makes me feel secure or something.

Back to the JPs.  Okay, so it’s a few days past the end of January.  But we’re on it.  We got a little behind because we had to read 300 posts.  But then we wanted more than our collective four cents weighing in.  And because we’re academics who have done way too many conference paper reviews, we decided it was important that all 300 were read by at least 2 different people that weren’t us.  Which meant… 600 separate reviews.

600.  Whoa.

There were a lot of emails.  There were a lot of numbers.  And now, there are a lot of thank-yous.

Thank you thank you and thank you, friends and Just Post supporters, who read and evaluated batches of posts.  You rock stars made our days.  Each evaluation was like a big internet hug, followed by a Saints first down.

For their time and care, we send out sincere thanks and grateful hugs to the following beautiful people: Amanda, Anne-Marie, antropologa, Barbara, blc, bon, bshep, Catherine, Charlotte, Chrissie, Christine, Christine, De, dee, defiantmuse, denguy, Donna, Elizabeth B, Eli, Emily, Erica, Erika , Heather, Janet, Jean, jen, Julie, KC, Kitty, laloca, Leslie, Lin, Mad, Magpie, Mary G., Meagan, Mme. Meow, Painted, Robin, Sarah, Shokufeh, Stacie, submom, Susanne, Tabba, and wreke.

And extra big fat sloppy kisses go to De, denguy, Donna, Erika , Heather, Kitty, Leslie, Mad, Mary G., Sarah and Tabba for going above and beyond the call of duty, and coming back to help with more.  Or, in the case of Heather, came back and back and back again.  Heather, would a kidney do?

And to all of you above: each time you said, ‘wow, I’m so glad to have found this new blog,’ or ‘thanks for giving me the opportunity to read these,’ or ‘I learn so much from the Just Posts,’ it was like the internet opened up, handed us hand-made chocolates served on paper doilies, then cleaned our houses and did the laundry.  I mean it.

Y’all got a round of free drinks waitin’ for you in NOLA, baby.

We also appreciate those of you who, while you were not able to actively participate in the project through reading and reviewing posts, expressed your interest and support in the endeavor.  (Also, I feel like I need to thank John, who let me keep Alejna up chatting online and by phone waaaay past her bedtime.)

In the meantime, would you like to see our list of semi-finalists?  These posts are those which at least one of two reviewers asserted should make our finalist list.  We’re categorizing these and the top scores in each category will be our final-finalist list.

Then, we really hope that you and your friends and your family and your co-workers and neighbors and school teachers and dentists and all those other people you interact with each day will ALL VOTE.  Because we’ve got PRIZES.  OH YES, wonderful and beautiful and fantastic hand-made prizes.  Stay tuned.  Because we have a new deadline!  March 1st.  That’s, like, next Friday, right??

Semi-finalists!  Below!

• 250 Children Dead of Cold in Andes: Death Toll Keeps Climbing by Barbara Drake at An American in Lima
• A Day with Fibromyalgia by Amy at Je Ne Regrette Rien
• A House Made of Asbestos by Mary at Them’s My Sentiments
• A mini home makeover by Quadelle at Quadelle
• A Voice from the Back of the Queue by Mary G. at Them’s My Sentiments
• Academic Freedom: Anti-gay Opinions vs. Anti-gay Untruths by Zack Ford at Zack Ford Blogs
• American Me by jen at one plus two
• And if I’m gay, what’s your point? by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• And so we wait. by Erika at Be gay about it.
• Antifeminist Spam by Meloukhia at This Ain’t Livin’
• Archbishop of Cusco to Evict More Local Restaurants by Barbara Drake at An American in Lima
• Are you “Man Enough” for the Middle Border? by Rebecca at Flying Tomato Farms
• Attention White Folks by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• B is for Backpack by Laura at Our Feet are the Same
• Bea and Eve by Emily at Wheels on the Bus
• Bird by Bird by jen at one plus two (at Blogher)
• Blog for choice: Priorities for the new administration by Melissa at MOMocrats
• bob marley has definitely left the building by jen at one plus two
• Can we talk? by Country Girl at Country Girl/City Girl
• Celebrating 5+ Years of Marriage in Massachusetts by alejna at collecting tokens
• Charity vs. Democracy by Magpie at Magpie Musing
• Chipped by Holly at Cold Spaghetti
• Civil rights, but just for me by Tami at What Tami Said
• Connecting the dots. by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• Cows for Christmas by XUP at Ex-Urban Pedestrian
• Creative Freedoms and the Not Now Book by Claudia at The Bottom of Heaven
• Culture Clash by jen at one plus two
• East Coast Cats and Christopher Street Boys by Jay at Ill Doctrine
• Education dollars at work by Emily at Wheels on the Bus
• Everybody hurts., by Erika at Be gay about it.
• Everyday Piscasso by jen at one plus two
• Faces of Poverty by Ashley at The Dhaka Diaries
• Faculty Responsible for Campus Climate, Too! (NYU School of Law) by Zack Ford at Zack Ford Blogs
• finding a way to volunteer with my hands full by alejna at collecting tokens
• forgiveness by Christine at by flutter
• Free speech, free range by almostidealist at One Year to Change the World
• Frozen by Meagan at A Certain Lack of Focus
• Get It? Got It? Good. by Holly at Cold Spaghetti
• Glamorous by Emily at Wheels on the Bus
• Good on ya, Greenpeace! by Rebecca at Flying Tomato Farms
• Government extends State of Emergency; more children to die by Barbara at An American in Lima
• Guilty Pleasure Monday: Goodnight Saigon Billy Joel by wreke at wrekehavoc
• guilty pleasure monday: millworker (james taylor) by wreke at wrekehavoc
• How dare you take your vagina out in public! by Angela at The Many Hats
• How’s that Gentrification Going? by Phoebe at Rectory Entrance
• Humanity I Love You by Catherine at Her Bad Mother
• In Health there is Freedom, Health is the First of all Liberities by thordora at Spin Me I Pulsate
• Inverted Reality by Fatboyfat at Make Lard History
• Iowa: a proposal. by Erika at Be gay about it.
• Just Posts for a Just World by Holly at Cold Spaghetti
• Laying Down Arms by Thailand Chani at Finding My Way Home
• Ma: Little Bigot On the Prairie by Mary at The Eleventh
• Maine. by Erika at Be gay about it.
• Marriott is a Disgrace by Ilina at Dirt and Noise
• Merry Christmas to all by Erika at Be gay about it.
• Missing the Point by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• More by Bon at cribchronicles
• My best friend’s wedding… by BipolarLawyerCook at BipolarLawyerCook
• My child, every child by Kyla at The Journey
• My Once A Year Jewish Rant. by Neil at Citizen of the Month
• My Uterus Sent Me Flowers by Erika at Be gay about it.
• My, what a gayngled web we weave. by Erika at Be gay about it.
• Necessary Rant by Thailand Chani at Finding My Way Home
• No More Hall Passes by Emily at Wheels on the Bus
• Oh I See, Profiling is Colorblind by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• Oh Oh, She’s Back on Her Soapbox Again by Chris at Formerly Fun
• Oh, HELL no by City Girl at Country Girl/City Girl
• On Social Justice and Education by Brigitte Knudson at A Liberal Education
• by Jennifer at Conversion Diary
• by Jennifer at Conversion Diary
• One couple’s journey to adopting HIV-positive children part 1, part 2, and part 3 by Jennifer at Conversion Diary
• Opening doors, come what may. by Erika at Be gay about it.
• Oprah and the secret lives of moms by antiracist parent at antiracist parent
• peace train by wreke at wrekehavoc
• Pensioneering by Thordora at Spin Me I Pulsate
• Please tell me by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• Pondering Fate by Holly at Cold Spaghetti
• President Obama Fierce Advocate of Rousing Speeches and the Status Quo by Erika at Be gay about it.
• Quote of the Day by Adrianne at The Bodhi Tree
• Race Matters; or, the Judge, the Professor, and the Doctor by Emily at Wheels on the Bus
• Rejecting Yertle by Emily at Wheels on the Bus
• Remember by Painted Maypole at Painted Maypole
• Remember that wishbone I was choking on? by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• Sacred Life Sunday: No Slime Zone! by Thailand Chani at Finding My Way Home
• Safety and Self Worth: $175 by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• Samaritans in a Subaru by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• school daze by jen at one plus two
• Shine your light, share your story …AND WIN A CONTEST!! by Erika at Be gay about it.
• some random thoughts on giving by Em at Social Justice Soapbox
• Some Thoughts on the Princess and the Frog by Claudia at The Bottom of Heaven
• Stay or go by Jarret at Creature of the shade
• Stigma//Taboo by Magpie at Magpie Musing
• stuck in the freudian anal phase by bon at cribchronicles
• Stuff black folks don’t do: Creating our own oppression by Tami at What Tami Said
• Susan Boyle by Thailand Chani at Finding My Way Home
• Tales of Health Insurance by Neil at Citizen of the Month
• Tall and Tan, Young and Lovely by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• Ten by Painted Maypole at Painted Maypole
• The Afghanis by Antropologa at Antropologa
• The cost of a winter tomato by Rebecca at Flying Tomato Farms
• The Freegans by XUP at Ex-Urban Pedestrian
• the great american melting pot (?) by Hispanic Fanatic at Hispanic Fanatic
• The Holy Land by Emily at Wheels on the Bus
• The Invisible Boy by Catherine at Her Bad Mother
• The radical act of being ourselves by Mouse at The Mouse’s Nest
• The Speech, Remix Edition by Kyla at The Journey
• the un-holiest marriage by Rebecca at Flying Tomato Farms
• The Unbearable Tenderness of Boys by Hedgie at Princess Hedgehog Chronicles guestposting at Talkin’ the Teenie
• This (Black) American Life by Claudia at The Bottom of Heaven
• This is what a leader looks like by Emily at Wheels on the Bus
• Today is World Water Day by prof susurro at like a whisper
• Uncensored II by Megan at Missing in Iraq
• untitled post by Christine at by flutter
• Venting by Em at Social Justice Soapbox
• War Ends, Schools Begin by Shahrazaad at Shahrazaad
• War on Women by Chani at Finding my way back home
• Whadaya Know Georgia. by Tash at Awful but Functioning
• What kids need by Emily (from Wheels on the Bus) at LA Mom’s Blog
• What’s Good for the Goose by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• When allies fail – Part One and Part Two by Tami at What Tami Said
• When is zero not really zero? When it describes your food. by Kimberly at The Gav Menagerie
• Why does New Orleans have different moral rules of conduct? by Holly at Cold Spaghetti
• Why the Prop 8 Decision Inhibits Equality by Zack Ford at Zack Ford Blogs
• You don’t want to meet the new boy in town by Holly at Cold Spaghetti
• You Think E Coli Spinach is Scary? by Rebecca at Flying Tomato Farms
• You want to know how much a colonoscopy costs? by Magpie at Magpie Musing

Here’s my small effort to spread happiness into your world.

And here’s our monthly round-up for January!

The January Just Posts

• Amber of Making the Moments Count with Teen Pregnancy, Is Education Helping?
• Andrea of Andrea’s Buzzing About with I can haz civil liberties?
• Casey of Moosh in Indy with on giving depression a voice
• communicationsforchange of bad words blog with Today’s Bad Word: Gay Marriage
• dodgerdeliberation of A Dodger’s Deliberation with Sweat Pants and White Privilege
• Emily of Wheels on the Bus with Take my hand come along
• girlgriot of If you want kin, you must plant kin… with You can’t hear me …
• Holly of Cold Spaghetti with A Forgotten Hero for Modern Times
• Jane of Finding My America with Louisiana: A Story I Can’t Tell, An Unsolvable Mystery, and the Joy of Acceptance
• jen of one plus two with civic dreaming and toupatou
• Julie of Using My Words with When does the end justify the means?
• kgirl of The Kids Are Alright with Miami
• litlove of Tales from the Reading Room with Books, Ebooks and the Environment
• Mary G. of Them’s My Sentiments with Headlines. And a Mission
• Mary Lee of Merrilymarylee’s Weblog with reading by moonlight
• meloukhia of this ain’t livin’ with The Next Phase
• Meredith of PR Unfriendly with Tribute to MLK
• pgoodness of Life as I Live It with The (Monetary) Costs of Melanoma
• slouchy of Slouching Past 40 with On Haiti, The Baggage We Carry and Their Bodies, Themselves
• submom of The Absence of Alternatives with We are all in this
• Susan of Toddler Planet with In the name of awareness
• thordora of Spin Me I Pulsate with The scars of others should teach us caution.
• Tiffany Sellers of PR Musings of a Clemson Student with Sometimes the voiceless have brilliant things to say

This month’s posts were nominated by:

Send some love to Alejna, who is leading the Just Post charge here while I drown in Lombardi Gras goodness.

HAPPY MARDI GRAS, Y’ALL!!!!

—-

A note about giving to Haiti…

Many have asked my thoughts on donating to Haiti in the aftermath of yesterday’s terrible earthquake.  My preference is to give to smaller organizations.  In particular, I like to have contacts at the organization whom I trust.  In the Haiti example, we donated to Hôpital Albert Schweitzer.  Deschapelles is located north of Port-au-Prince and is currently treating patients from the suburbs of the capital.  As now homeless residents of Port-au-Prince travel for medical care and shelter, I imagine that this community will grow in size and in medical need, beyond the injured they are currently treating.  I do have a professional relationship with the managing director, and have heard compelling stories of the programs and projects they undertake at this center.  The medical staff at the Hôpital is Haitian.  When you give, you give directly to this center, to this community, to these people, within this country.  For those reasons, I feel, based on my experience, that my donation will go the furthest.  It is my recommendation for giving.

—

December 2009 Just Posts:

• Claudia at The Bottom of Heaven with:Some Thoughts on the Princess and the Frog
• Country Girl of Country Girl/City Girl with Can we talk?
• Emily of Wheels on the Bus with A letter to the peeps in Copenhagen
• Erika of Be gay about it. with Everybody hurts., Merry Christmas to all. and Shine your light, share your story …AND WIN A CONTEST!!
• Ginny at Praying to Darwin with: A Tree Grows in the Psych Ward
• girlgriot at If you want kin… with: I’m asking again: How long? again-how-long/
• h.e.g. of Faith and Aids with Speaking out against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009
• Kitty at The Show Must Go On with: See Ya in Your Nightmares
• Magpie of Magpie Musing with Charity vs. Democracy
• Meloukhia at This Ain’t Livin’ with: Glee: Sectionals and Antifeminist Spam
• submom of The Absence of Alternatives with” All things on cable TV considered, I wish my hotel had porn…
• Thailand Chani of Finding My Way Home with Sacred Life Sunday: No Slime Zone!
• wrekehavoc with world aids day 2009

Thank you for reading, nominating, and thinking about Just Posts!

***** BIRTHDAY

Did you catch that thing in the last post about the Epiphany celebrations in Ireland?  Where they honor today as “Women’s Christmas” and all the women party all day while the good gents take over all duties of home and family?  I completely and totally subscribe to that tradition as my Official Birthday Tradition from now on.  Paul willingly and thoughtful fulfilled all that he could to free me up today, but unfortunately work was not quite so forgiving.  Next year I’ll plan ahead.

***** PRESENTS

Alejna and I are introducing THE BEST OF JUST POSTS 2009 — we (with other readers, hopefully you, too!) are looking for THE BEST Just Posts from last year.  Nominations for the year’s best posts are currently being accepted.  In roughly two weeks (stay tuned!) we will open up a space for online voting and give awards (presents! whee!) to the winner in each category.  (You’re perfectly welcome to start practicing your fabulous acceptance speech; you’ll find no judgment here.)

You can view all the Just Posts from last year by going here and read more about the Just Posts here.

Just Post entries are encouraged from anyone at anytime!

***** AND ANOTHER YEAR…

I participated in Holidailies again this year and enjoyed the challenge.  My humble thanks go out to the two who host the event.  The community they create is warm and friendly; I’ve found other interesting and kind bloggers through the site.  They also chose a ‘best of’ that is selective enough to be manageable to read, which is a great way to find other interesting blogs (and thank you, mystery readers for my own additions to this list!)

*****

Alejna (Collecting Tokens) and I happily offer up Just Posts for a Just World for November 2009.

If you work with an organization that is looking for help in a certain area, feel free to post some ideas in the comments for places we can do some just work.  In the spirit of the season, if you give to a group, help with the homeless, cook in a kitchen, contribute some cash… write about it and consider sending it on for December’s list.

The November Just Posts:

• Ali of callapipper tree with Up on my horse, it’s not really high, it’s more of a mid-size horse
• Amanda Mueller from Amanda Mueller Blog with Mohammad Othman’s Administrative Detention Upheld
• Claudia of The Bottom of Heaven with This (Black) American Life
• Em of Social Justice Soapbox with Take Action #6- 5 things you can do without leaving the comfort of your computer chair
• Erika of Be gay about it. with Maine., Opening doors, come what may. , and This post is not about health care reform.
• girlgriot of If you want kin, you must plant kin… with Disappointment, Anger, Impatience, Remember that wishbone I was choking on?, Maybe seeing will be believing …, Connecting the dots. and And if I’m gay, what’s your point?
• Jay of Ill Doctrine with East Coast Cats and Christopher Street Boys
• Kimberly of The Gav Menagerie with Women’s Work
• Kitty from The Show Must Go On with Movember
• laloca of baggage carousel 4 with Bart Stupak doesn’t understand what “quality, affordable health care” means
• Magpie of Magpie Musing with Stigma//Taboo
• Mary G. of Them’s My Sentiments with A Voice from the Back of the Queue
• Mary of The Eleventh with The High Cost of Saving Money
• Mouse of The Mouse’s Nest with In a fishbowl
• Shokufeh from Shokufeh is… home with Ahem
• Tami of What Tami Said with Stuff black folks don’t do: Creating our own oppression, Civil rights, but just for me, When allies fail – Part One and When allies fail – Part Two
• Thailand Chani of Finding My Way Home with Okay. What in the world was I carrying on about?
• XUP of XUP (Ex-Urban Pedestrian) with Cows for Christmas

This month’s posts were submitted by:

Mary G.
Stacie
Holly
Alejna

Welcome to the October Just Posts!  This monthly roundtable features blog posts written on personal blogs on issues of social justice.  Alejna and I are host to the JPs and encourage anyone to participate by writing and nominating posts.  All participants are encouraged to use the Just Posts button on their own websites.

Thank you to all this month’s participants!

• Alejna, at Collecting Tokens, with: Celebrating 5+ Years of Marriage in Massachusetts
• Em, at Social Justice Soapbox, with: Venting
• Emily, at Wheels on the Bus, with: Glamorous
• Erika, at Be Gay About It, with: Stuffings or No Stuffings, We’re Getting Some Kids and President Obama Fierce Advocate of Rousing Speeches and the Status Quo
• Fatboyfat, at Make Lard History, with: Inverted Reality
• flutter, at by flutter, with: forgiveness
• GirlGriot, at If You Want Kin You Must Plant Kin, with: Tall and Tan, Young and Lovely and Attention White Folks
• Hedgie, at Princess Hedgehog Chronicles, guestposting at Talkin’ with the Teenie, with: The Unbearable Tenderness of Boys
• Holly, at Cold Spaghetti, with: October Awareness and Get It? Got It? Good.
• Kitty, at The Show Must Go On, with: Working the Cracks
• Kristina, at Everyday Public Relations, with: Does Sensationalism Help or Hurt Conservation?
• Magpie, at Magpie Musings, with: Meat
• Mary, at the Eleventh, with: Ma: Little Bigot On the Prairie
• Mary Beth, at Cats…Books…Life is Good, with: Are We Losing Our Humanity?
• Meagan, at Hades Arrow, with Frozen
• Megan, at Missing in Iraq, with: Uncensored II
• thordora, at Spin Me I Pulsate, with: In Health there is Freedom, Health is the First of all Liberities

Nominators:

• Alejna
• Emily
• Holly
• Meagan

Be sure to send love to Alejna, who has a great history of making music in her JPs!

Welcome to the lastest Just Posts roundtable, the monthly list of blogger writing on topics of social justice and activism compiled and hosted by Alejna and me.

It’s taken me 5 days to get this post up.  Does that say enough about life in Cold Spaghetti land?

Some of the delay in posting is due to a conference presentation I gave over the weekend about health and infrastructure in New Orleans.  Using a lot of maps, charts, and pictures, I gave the context for Louisiana, one of the poorest, least developed, States in our United States.  (Enter joke.  Our State motto: “Thank goodness for Mississippi,” lest we be last on ALL measures.)  The level of vulnerability among those in the Gret Stet is extreme by any measure and when further defined by race, becomes unthinkable.  But as far as we are down the hierarchy of outcomes, we are not so different than the rest of the country and indeed, not so different than the rest of the world.  The images of inequality and despair burned into our minds after Katrina are not indicative of New Orleans.  Those memories do not define or create a distinction for the rest of the country to use to separate themselves from our reality.  Every place is just waiting for that moment when it all falls apart, when our inequalities, vulnerabilities, and differences can no longer be invisible.

And now, the all important list: The September Just Posts.

• BipolarLawyerCook with My best friend’s wedding…
• dmariemart of Argot with Minds of Our Own
• Emily of Wheels on the Bus with No More Hall Passes
• Erika at Be gay about it. with and Iowa: a proposal. and Iowa: mawwiage, that dweam within a dweam.
• flying tomato of Flying Tomato Farms with Quit the Bullsh*t–Public Option Now!
• girlgriot of if you want kin… with Street walking and Danger, Will Robinson! Don’t Go “Down There”!
• jen at one plus two with bob marley has definitely left the building
• Jenn at breed ‘em and weep with Hi, I’m somebody
• laloca of baggage carousel 4 with the politics of counting and thinking about miscarriage
• Magpie of Magpie Musing with From the Rain Comes Hope
• Neil of Citizen of the Month with Tales of Health Insurance
• Painted of Painted Maypole with Why isn’t this a non-issue?
• Tami of What Tami Said with I’m saving my cheers over new, “authentic” black Barbie line
• wreke of wrekehavoc with guilty pleasure monday: millworker (james taylor)
• Zach Ford at Zach Ford blogs with Coming Out Might Be Easier, But It’s Still Hard

The posts of this month’s roundtable were submitted by:

Slouchy
girlgriot
Holly
alejna

Thanks so much for reading! We really appreciate your support. And not just appreciate it. We need your support to keep the Just Posts going. Please drop by Alejna’s to see what she has to say this month. If you have a post in the list above, or would just like to support the Just Posts, we invite you to display a button on your blog with a link back here, or to the Just Posts at Collecting Tokens. If you are unfamiliar with the Just Posts, please visit the information page.

I have a confession.

I used to be very angry.  And the more I learned, the more I found out about how sick and twisted and unfair and awful the world can be, the angrier I got.  It felt a little like Sophie, who gets so very angry that she explodes like a volcano and runs and runs and runs.  Eventually, I realized that all that anger and exploding and running wasn’t really doing me or anyone else any good.  That no matter how angry and active and upset, the world was still sick and twisted and unfair and awful.

Sophie cries to let it all out.  I become cynical and apathetic.

How can I find a middle-ground with someone who refuses to let the President of the United States, a position that should be respected regardless of your political stance, address their child in a pubic space?  Where I can start to educate an individual who enjoys their Medicare coverage on the fact that their insurance is a government plan?  And if those ridiculous conversations cannot be fixed by reason and rational thought, then what future do we have?

I’d get mad, but I don’t think it’s going to help anything.

Is it to cliche to say I’m glad to read regular folks who write about these issues (and more)?  So thank you for the reading, for bringing these posts to my attention, and for suggesting them for this space.  Thank you.

August 2009 Just Posts…

Girl Griot at If You Want Kin… with: Choking on a Wishbone; Oh I See, Profiling is Colorblind; and What’s Good for the Goose

Kitty at The Show Must Go On with: Fallen into a hospital and can’t get out

Barbara at An American in Lima with: Government extends State of Emergency; more children to die

Holly at Cold Spaghetti with: Superheros; Thoughts on Rising Tide 4; and Why does New Orleans have different moral rules of conduct?

Painted Maypole at The Painted Maypole with: What Jesus would do and 4-years ago today Katrina made landfall

Laura at Our Feet are the Same with: B is for Backpack

Julie at Using my Words with: Why Playing the Whore Card in reference to Mommybloggers is not so cool

Catherine at Their Bad Mother with: Baby Got Boob

Margaret at Mostly in the Afternoon with: Youth in Asia

Elizabeth at A Moon, as if it had been worn by a shell with: Thursday Rant

Ilina at Dirt and Noise with: Marriott is a Disgrace

Angela at The Many Hats with: How dare you take your vagina out in public!

Jen at One Plus Two with: Culture Clash

Magpie at Magpie Musings with: You want to know how much a colonoscopy costs?

Chani with Finding my way back home with: War on Women

Fireweaver at Laboratory Tested with: Foolishness is Free

Contributors to this month’s roundtable:
Alejna
Mad
Emily
Holly
Painted Maypole

(Note: please forgive formatting and font issues here… the latest WordPress upgrade destroyed something important and I haven’t had a chance to track it down.)