I had a great post that I lost. Hate hate hate when that happens. But did I press “save.” No.
Google announced a new search engine for blogs. Found an ad for that on the Gmail sidebar when I was reading a comment.
I have mixed feelings about that as I have about blogging in general today. I don’t enjoy the uncouthness that comes with political blogging. I have never met such sleazes as some people on the right. They go way beyond political arguing; they examine your psyche and try to hit you where it hurts.
The thing is it doesn’t hurt; it’s more like stepping into mud and not being able to wipe it off very easily.
Its been raining for seven straight days. My broken toe is throbing, I’m having oral surgery on Monday, and can’t take Advil or drink strong ginger tea without sweetner; I’m convinced that they cure everything. My allergy to mold comes out with the rain; sometimes I feel that I should hire myself out as a human mold detector. I have a minor lung condition that dampness seems to excabarate. And at 3:15 AM this Friday morning four years ago my mom fell, and died fifteen minutes later.
My mom had perfect timing in life, and truly lousy timing in dying; 33 days after the Trade Center. Honestly, I can laugh about it now, at times. Bloggers have been an incredible support, and have played an important role in my becoming me again.
My dad had the perfect, for the family, death. He had a massive stroke, never regained conciousness, and died five days later. It was just enough time to come to peace with it. And I got to tell jokes for a standing room only crowd at his funeral. He would have loved it. Often I find a Google search on “funny funerals” in my stats.
People on the right say that I’m whiny. Nu. I’m a New York Jew who is half Irish Catholic by birth. The Fisher siblings on Six Feet Under were. I rest my case. They say I ask too many questions and don’t supply answers. The day I stop asking quesions is the day I die. I know some people read my blog for amno to use against me.
Savannah, Toto and I have thought about this. We want to be true to ourselves.
And we just lost the second half of my post. Damn I had this whole thing about not knowing if I can trust, another big problem of mine, Google’s search engine had Courting at two out of 144,000 sometime this summer on a “James Spader, William Shatner,” search. I thought maybe nobody except us loved them; every week at ten on Tuesdays I realize how foolish that was. Boston Legal is the one show I watch live; or while it’s being DVR’d. Would never chance missing it.
I’m really not a competitive person; I’m a stat person. I even love getting grades and performance evaluations because they show how I measure, where I excell, where I need to improve. I’m not suggesting that commenters do this unless I know and love you. You know who you are.
I don’t want to be competitive and am planning on being a totally laid back blogger. But Google page ranks, just for bloggers. Think about the implications. People outside blog land will know what you’re talking about. It could be a great or horrible thing. Read the article; they actually explain their ranking system for relevant posts. They didn’t mention page ranks, but…Google already shows me that people go to Google to go to BE to go to Courting. I have the new book on Google and haven’t read it yet; a little scared to know more.
Oh right I had a whole thing about David Brooks, the NY Times house conservative bashing Harriet Miers it’s called In her own words. Talk about a woman who can’t use words!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Know many people think David Brooks must be secretly liberal working for The Times and all. He’s not. Read the article and see the accompanying video.
Posted the entire article on Bring it on! Didn’t include the video, darn. Have been told, never asked but was told, that I will never have a Google page ranking because I have too many outgoing links, but I love to link things. It’s one of the things that make blogging so great. Just can’t imagine doing a research paper with all hyperlinks for references. Well, actually I can and would love to–so if anybody would like to give me a fellowship and living expenses for a PHD in sociology I would be in heaven. Why sociology? Combines many of my interests and is a proactive field that I could combine with my under grad degree in Urban Studies; my Masters in Social Work; and my many careers. But all I really care about is writing, and uh, oh yes, changing America back to its former greatness.
“More and more, the intractable problems in our society have one answer: broad-based intolerance of unacceptable conditions and a commitment by many to fix problems.”
“We have to understand and appreciate that achieving justice for all is in jeopardy before a call to arms to assist in obtaining support for the justice system will be effective. Achieving the necessary understanding and appreciation of why the challenge is so important, we can then turn to the task of providing the much needed support.”
I think you write well. That is a rating comment from a commenter that I hope you won’t mind. But you were kind when you said that you thought I could be a nice guy. Thank you.
Miers is an unfortunate choice, not because of her beliefs, but because she seems so pedestrian. Too bad there weren’t any more John Robertses. Couldn’t read that article as I am not a subscriber.
But as to what you posted, social justice seems like such a vague topic. I’m not really clear on what he was talking about. Which problems is he speaking of? Social inequities, health care, racism? I would be interested to read this article.
I’d just like to say, I have been reading your blog for a few days now, and I do have to say, I enjoy every bit of it.
I have mixed feelings about Google too. My blog has always had an element of “p*ss*ng in the wind” (does that idiom exist in the US?) – and suddenly theres a good chance that Google will pick up my periodic rants – the times I vented my real thoughts about things I couldn’t tell people I know about.
“I’m not suggesting that commenters do this unless I know and love you” cracked me up. Good post, as always, and thanks for the opportunity to orate. Sociology is statistics heaven, too.
sometimes when i read your stuff, i feel inspired to be a better person. i feel hopeful that just because i am not a republican doesnt mean that i am not a good american. in these troubled times, its a good feeling. so thank you.
The best thing we can do is question without specific answers (can you tell my under and graduate degrees are in History?). It allows us to examine without a prior idea of where we’re going, making our destination more sound.
The google thing, I think, will bring up many privacy questions in the blog world, forcing more bloggers to be more anonymous.
As for your writing, you have a very unique voice, wonderfully suited to saying what you want to get across. It’s like newscasters who have the right voice to read the news. I’m back everyday to hear your voice in these stories. That’s a pretty powerful tool I’d hate to see go unused.
ha ha
Use a word processor and save it from the beginning that way it will always ask you if you want to save something before you close it and you can just copy and past it to your blog.
I checked my ranking, which I just looked up btw and never knew about. I have two because I have a domain name and then the blogspot name. I am at a 2 and a 4. lol.
Does anyone really care?
Can’t imagine so. Look at Salon they really suck and their ranking is pretty high.
“…minor lung condition that dampness seems to excabarate. And at 3:15 AM this Friday morning four years ago my mom fell, and died fifteen minutes later.”
You nearly made me weep here as your words reminded me of my sweet mother.
This post is more of your romantic heart and the rhetoric of your soul for the wrongs in your American society.
Of course “Bring it On” and the “Bulldog Manifesto” are the most well defined political blogs on American politics on BE. And I track the Bulldog Manifesto even on “Daily Kos:State of the Nation”. I just read and I don’t even bother about the profiles of the writers.
Well done Pia.
first of all i HATE it when I lose posts! it is the most annoying thing in the world. Secondly, I can’t believe your toe is still causing you that much pain, can’t you take something to at least ease the pain a little???
I’d be interested in what you would be doing if you *were* to do a PhD in Sociology. it’s a tough subject. But gives you a great foundation for talking about pretty much anything. guess which degree david’s done.. sigh…
btw – i am LOVING my PhD so far and would THOROUGHLY recommend doing one!!
I hate the coments off thing so I’m posting here for the above no comment post.
Rain? What rain? 😉
The only problem with rent a blog is that none of the blogs available are any good as yet and I wouldn’t want some scummy right wing hate person beibg able to rent my blog not would it pay to be in some sick silly blog. I’m sure people that don’t like mine would feel the same way.
get better