Thursday, February 28, 2002

Eat me Eaton Web

Okay, so maybe that's harsh. But for crying out loud--The blog's 24 hours old. If you don't think making Daypop's Top Ten day one is news, then indeed, go away.

Alas, for those "short-attention-span-theater" bloggers who may enjoy throwing stones at our first day popularity, HERE are snipits of some posts -- all posted by women bloggers in the last day -- which ought to demonstrate what our point is:

Again, I summarize for those who don't like reading. (For those who enjoy hyperlinking across the net, find the blogger's name in the sister roll and check out their blogs too):

From Emily: "I find the subject of gender to be endlessly fascinating, and I look forward to blogging with such delightful women! I should warn you, though, I've just returned from a week-long trip to London and am still suffering the negative effects of jet-lag, which seem to be manifesting themselves not in my physical well-being but in my mood. The remedy is clearly to consume chocolate chip cookies."

From Higgy: "It seems that, in some cut-throat corporations, executives can fire their secretaries on a childish whim.... so here I am, home with the family, collecting unemployment, and actually sleeping-in on some mornings (sleeping-in = 7:00am in this house!). I suppose this evil boss-woman did me a favor, in a way..... that work environment was terribly unhealthy and hostile (99.9% women). I'm terribly nice - almost to a fault - and I don't make waves, but I still did not survive the politics brewing there, under the surface, like hot, molten, poisonous lava."

From Jeneane: "This is where corporations will be their worst enemy. Bloggers are their biggest asset--and they don't even know it. We can be their foot soldiers. We can proudly show our ties to our companies. And when they act like asses, we can even rat them out. But no matter what we say in a public forum--a free speech forum--and no matter how counter-corporation what we say is, why would they be so stupid as to kick us out of the fold?"

From Helen "Heavens. (Meta-patriarchal, gyno positive heavens, natch.) A girl can barely break WIND in the common interval without, apparently, exceeding some implausible NDA clause. My unfetterered congrats and general swoonage, Mme Dooce, for unpicking the seams of corporate malarkey."

From Andrea: "I am weird. I grew up on a sailboat and have traveled 2/3 of the United States, visited Russia, UK, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. I like poetry by e e cummings and learning programming languages. I like retail therapy and crochet, and I like playing softball and video games. I grew up in a family where gender roles were rather loosely defined. My dad, who was raised by his grandmother, mother, and older sister, makes a much better housewife than my mom, the one with the college education and the Master's degree. Growing up, I was taught that nothing (except maybe the bathroom) should be denied me because of my gender."

From Denise: "You can't be fired because of your race, gender, national origin, disability, religion, age or pregnancy status, and you can't be fired for complaining about harassment or discrimination you may have experienced or witnessed. But, as an at-will employee you can be fired for just about anything else. There is an exception that might apply here, though. Specifically, there is a gray area that enables someone to sue for wrongful termination if they were let go for reasons that are against public policy. Terminating an employee for exercising a constitutional right - like First-Amendment protected speech - might expose an employer to this kind of liability."

From Elaine
I asked my mother to give me roots.
She smiled and left the cord uncut,
its far end snaking through
a lineage of cords untouched.
I clawed against its tether,
searching desperately for swords.

AND

"I wasn't the greatest of mothers all of the time. I spent the late 1970s through the 80s (after my divorce) experimenting with who I wanted to be, professionally, socially, politically, sexually. My kids, I think, suffered in the short run from my self-indulgences. My now-pregnant-for-the-first-time 39-year-old married daughter and I have been having conversations about mothering -- mine and hers. In the long run, it seems that I managed to empower my own kids in ways my mother never empowered hers."

From Jeneane (jumping in): "So I struggle. To understand my mother, whom I love dearly, and the person she has become--the person she used to warn me about: "If I ever get to be like that you'd better tell me! And I mean it!" And the irony is stunning: I can't tell her because she's not who she was. She's that person. With 40 just around the corner for me, and 70 just around the corner for my mother, we struggle to find our new places, not wanting to hurt but not bearing to share, care, or be as we were. I'm sickened by it, but right now there is no answer."

WE are the point. Get it?

If you don't, I'm sure Mr. Dvorak could use some help on his next article. Wander over to the exciting online playground better known as PC Magazine.

Did I mention I have PMS just now?

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