A post of actual value

I've been meaning to stretch my wings and find some new blogs. I got a little stuck in expecting Technorati to prompt me to go read my favorites, complete with convenient links and notices. But then Technorati let me down. I discovered it wasn't telling me when a large number of my faves had updated. So I was missing out! Sometimes by several posts! The horror! The drama!

Also---and this is no reflection on my favorites---I started getting a little interested in what else, and who else, is out there.

So I've begun clicking links and wowsa there's some good stuff. And I've noticed some familiar names commenting on these blogs so I see you've all been holding out on me in some way...like not taking me by the ear and guiding me around the blogosphere I guess. LOL

Okay so on my completely random link-following bloghunt/Webhunt today I've found:

1. Work at Home Mom Revolution---this blog is the answer to Her Bad Mother and Gingajoy's questioning comments at BlogRhet

She turned me on to MIT's OpenCourseWare. I love free stuff, esecially free Ivy League education in the comfort of my own PJs at home. This is

a free and open educational resource (OER) for educators, students, and self-learners around the world.

MIT OCW:

* Is a publication of MIT course materials
* Does not require any registration
* Is not a degree-granting or certificate-granting activity
* Does not provide access to MIT faculty

Now, although my heart yearns in the direction of women's studies, anthropology and the oh-so-very intriguing Writing and Humanistic Studies (doesn't it just swell like music when you say it aloud?), I am instead perusing things such as "Competitive Decision Making and Negotiating" at the Sloan School of Management. Maybe I can treat myself with "Humanistic Perspectives on Medicine: From Ancient Greece to Modern America" like a dessert each time I make it through a meaty course.

2. Problogger tells me my recent change of having my comments open in a new window is annoying. What do you think? Should I switch it back? Do you guys multi-task with tons of open windows of stuff?

3. Avitable started a fund for NYCWatchDog, who recently lost his 5 year old son in a swimming accident.

4. Pink is not just for breasts any more. Now it also stands for peace.

5. Pew Charitable Trusts put out their State of the Blogosphere (or, more accurately, "Society and the Internet--- Bloggers: A Portrait of the Internet's New Storytellers") a year ago. I wonder how things have changed---or not---in the last year.

You know, BlogRhet friends, they grant grants for research in this area. Maybe that's the second answer to the GingaJoy and Her Bad Mother questions.

copyright 2007 Julie Pippert

Cancer's Calling Card

Foreword: I'm not a medical person, or any kind of expert. This post shouldn't be taken as God's word carved in stone by Moses. In other words, don't consider it to be any kind of authority or use it to treat, diagnose, or select medications. Do your own research and talk to your doctor, an actual expert, who, you know, went to medical school and stuff. This post is merely my best understanding of cancer and cancer treatment and prevention, as related to our situation, based on what I've learned from reading and talking to doctors. Author's Note: If you aren't interested in the cancer discussion and the things I learned, and only want to know the outcome of our appointment with the oncologist yesterday, skip to the end. I've divvied this up by sections, so go to the last section. What would you do if one day a postcard arrived in the mail to warn you that sometime in the next three years you would be diagnosed with cancer? Would you believe it? Change an

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum

After being confronted with written evidence, Julie admits that she is a total attention whore. In some things, in some ways, sometimes I look outward for validation of my worth and existence. I admit it. It's my weak spot, my vanity spot . If you say I am clever, comment on a post, offer me an award, mention me on your blog, reply to a comment I left on your blog, or in any way flatter me as a writer...I am hopelessly, slavishly devoted to you. I will probably even add you to my blogroll just so everyone can see the list of all the cool kids who actually like me . The girl, she knows she is vain in this regard , but after much vanity discussion and navel-gazing , she has decided to love herself anyway, as she is (ironically) and will keep searching for (1) internal validation and (2) her first person . Until I reach a better point of self-actualization, though, may I just say that this week you people have been better than prozac and chocolate (together, with a side of white choc

In defense of vanity...I think

Do you have one of those issues where you argue with yourself? Where you just aren't sure what you actually think because there are so many messages and opinions on the topic around you? I have more than one like this. However, there is one topic that has been struggling to the top of my mind recently: vanity and perceived vanity. Can vanity be a good thing? Vanity has historically been truly reviled. Vanity is number seven of the Seven Deadly Sins. It's the doppleganger of number seven on the Seven Holy Virtues list: humility. There are many moralistic tales of how vanity makes you evil and brings about a spectacular downfall. Consider the lady who bathed in the blood of virgins to maintain her youth. Google Borgia+vanity and find plenty. The Brothers Grimm and Disney got in on the act too. The Disney message seems to be: the truly beautiful don't need to be vain. They are just naturally eye-catchingly gorgeous. And they are all gorgeous. Show me the Reubenesque Princess.

Julie Pippert: Using My Words

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