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
Painted Maypole | 27-Feb-10 at 9:14 pm | Permalink
you’re welcome. and THANK YOU. Ye gads. just looking at the list of links makes my head spin.
and a free round of drinks? you know I could take you up on that pretty easily. 😉 Where shall we meet?
Neil | 27-Feb-10 at 9:59 pm | Permalink
To have a post included on the same page with all these authentically socially-conscious writers who take changing the world seriously is quite an honor.
susurro | 28-Feb-10 at 12:21 am | Permalink
thank you so much for including me in the semi-finalists; it’s an honor. 🙂
Lucy | 28-Feb-10 at 4:45 am | Permalink
Wow, what a list and I can’t wait to read it. I have a suggestion for this year. You should monthly ask your readers to give you their top 3 then declare a Monthly winner. Or if you like the list long, have a First, second and third place every month and then Next January those would be your Semi-Finalist.
Just a thought and trying to help you from reading 300 posts again!
almostidealist | 28-Feb-10 at 6:41 am | Permalink
As Neil said, to be on this list is quite an honour. And I’m looking forward to an uplifting and motivating few hours reading the rest of the semifinalists! Keep up the good work guys.
Heather.engel@gmail. | 28-Feb-10 at 3:42 pm | Permalink
No kidney required! I will take you up on that drink though…am excited to read the ones I haven’t yet!
magpie | 03-Mar-10 at 10:17 am | Permalink
Yo – you people are awesome. And thank you for including me.
kitty | 04-Mar-10 at 1:22 am | Permalink
600 reviews. Wow.
Such an excellent list.
Barb | 05-Mar-10 at 1:48 pm | Permalink
Thanks for including my posts on the list.
I absolutely loved reading through the blog entries you guys asked me to look at. I am rooting for my favorites in that group!
Keep up the excellent work of paying attention to bloggers who pay attention to what really matters.
Donna | 06-Mar-10 at 6:30 pm | Permalink
It was my pleasure to help.I hate that I didn’t get here in time to vote. I will be sure to read all of the posts though. I know I’ll like them all. Thanks for taking the time and effort to show off good work!
Glen Cotsis | 22-Sep-11 at 4:04 pm | Permalink
“Life is the flower for which love is the honey.” ~ ” Victor Hugo