I'm getting the birth story section started up in our features again. We used to have one & I don't know where those stories are. All you need to do if you want to contribute is post the story on your hipmama blog (or let me know the URL for the one you've already written in your hipmama blog) & I'll add it to the collection!

For now go ahead and respond to this thread, but once it falls off the front page, PM me. This is an opt in thing, you need to let me know you want it done.

Thanks!

I'm so sorry! I accidentally deleted your profile in the spam clean up (explanations in your thread now appearing as by "anonymous"). I need to let you know your new password & fix the email in your registration.

susan at hipmama dot com

Thanks!
--Susan

I took a pledge to write about a woman or women in technology for Ada Lovelace Day this year. My post can be found at Susan's Beeswax (it's due to self publish at midnight, so if it's not quite midnight yet & you want to read it, hang on just a little longer)... It's amazing what the early women in computer history did. Initially computer was their job title. As in, "a woman who computes" (complex math long-hand!), eventually transferring to the machine itself. Amazing, amazing women!

From the NYT:On blogs and social networking sites, teenagers are having an e-shouting match about this highly publicized episode — perhaps the first time their generation has been compelled to think aloud about dating violence.

And what may be surprising is the level of support for Mr. Brown. While thousands of teenagers have certainly turned on Mr. Brown, many others — regardless of race or gender — defend him, often at Rihanna’s expense...

Has anyone seen the presentations from the TED conference this year? I've had them on in the background at work & they've been really outstanding.

It's totally worth putting them on in the background & listening to them. I've really enjoyed the Wade Davis one, Mike Rowe talking about Dirty Jobs, Stuart Brown talking about the importance of play... there's one about designing games for girls &... holy crap, all kinds of really interesting stuff. LOVE! They seem to typically run around 20ish minutes...

Kerlin sez there's a HipMama Print Zine fiction contest.

See HipMama Print Zine for details.

HipMama.com group on Facebook --
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=62678219016

Mamaphonic group on Facebook --
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51589137029

HipMamaCom & Mamaphonic are now set up to tweet... not sure what'll be tweeped yet, but... we'll get there.

Mama Steps by Diana DukeI have the most beautiful writer’s loft. It has wide windows on two walls and cream carpet so thick that my toes sink into the pile as I walk. Because it’s so high in the house, the air is always warm with dusty shafts of golden light. Cardboard boxes line one side, contents marked by black Sharpie on the exposed ends. Galleys, manuscripts, rejections, acceptances. File cabinets on another, filled with collected bits and pieces waiting to turn into stories.

A cat wanders on to the stage during a weather forecast. I'm not sure why I thought this was so funny & endearing, but it was!

From the WSJ:The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it will allow trace amounts of melamine in infant formula. Earlier this week, the agency said it found the industrial chemical in at least one brand of formula sold in the U.S.

Ha. If the world could vote.

What's up with Macedonia?

Gotta go get pizza out of the oven, but I'll be back...

Things are looking pretty dire in the economy. It seems like women caught on to what this might mean for us earlier than men did (poll released by The National Women's Law Center and Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Inc.). As early as July of 2008, 59% of women were looking ahead to the next five years and saying they are more worried and concerned about being able to achieve their economic and financial goals than they are hopeful and confident, as compared to 46% of men. According to a report by the American Psychological Association cited by CNN, the poll released by the National Women's Law Center is backed up, with the APA report, "The declining state of the nation's economy is taking a physical and emotional toll on people nationwide, and it is women who are bearing the brunt of financial stress."

And not only is there a downturn in the stock market, behind the sputtering down ward spiral is the credit freeze. How the credit freeze affects us is explained by the Joint Economic Committee of the Senate. From the same people who also find that women are increasingly vulnerable to job loss during a recession.

Hey, just a quick thing. On the three most recent posts, we've enabled comments & likely will enable them going forward, so if you feel inspired to comment on them, go for it.

It's come up in a couple thread. ZOMG: There's a man in our midst! Instead of noting the same thing everywhere...

I started a hipmama knits (though could be crochets/knits/spins) group on ravelry, if anyone else is there yet... if not, look it up when you do get there!

Don't know what to title this... It forced me to have a title & I'm not feeling very witty this morning.

So, about a month ago, I put up a piece on the front page with regards to Che Guerava. I only got one response to it (out of over 600 times it was read) & without going into details (they were after all in a private message), I think it would be fair to say that someone was really shocked by the piece.

(Is it #44? I think I've lost count!) Hey, I thought y'all might be interested in these three publications from the National Sexuality Resource Center (NSRC):

• Sex Literacy -- it's on food this time around & who doesn't love *that* intersection? Previous "issues" include sex scares, plugged in & other themes.

Hi all, looks like the spammers have figured out a way to spam Drupal.

First, thanks to everyone for contacting me -- having the user name & the page they spammed on is really helpful to help me make sure I get them -- just one page is fine, once I delete the user all their posts will go away.

I know it's hard, but don't comment after them, they won't ever see it, they don't care & when I delete their sorry asses, I'd hate for the responses to get missed. Theoretically the responses to the deleted post should also be deleted, but I've seen it miss 'em before. It'll just help prevent weird & potentially awkward explanations...

She reminds you that this is a community service based on reciprocity and decency. Please be mindful of your words.

From
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=534&ncid=534&e=7&u=/ap/20031103/ap_on_he_me/no_ipecac
Parents should avoid the old standby poison remedy of ipecac syrup and instead call poison control centers when children ingest toxic substances, the American Academy of Pediatrics says, reversing a long-standing position.

More @ drkoop.com... <

Hey, now that we have a few more people around and I have been doing this longer -- more feedback on the news feeds anyone? Does anyone look at them? Anyone have feeds to recommend? Anyone have recommendations for news topics that aren't included, a way to break 'em up so they're more reflective of what news y'all want to see here?

Here is the basic situation -- I have to hand code 'em into the topics category. Right now there are fourteen, I could probably break it up as far as twenty and still find it manageable. Most of our news right now is coming from alternet & indymedia which means it's heavy on the politics. I'd like to see topics (and news), that are more in line with our broader interests (and maybe that don't necessarily publish quite the same volume so we don't have two sources hogging the space, but if everyone likes 'em, you know, I'm fine with that too.

Ok. I'm not going to do a song of the day. I *will* however admit that I have Abba Gold (greatest hits) on the CD-drive. At work. I'm torturing everyone in the office.

Hahahaha.

Gimme gimme gimme...

Snerk.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2961118658&category=4...

That was... interesting.