When I started this blog, I had several specific ideas about what I would be posting on a regular basis. In my first few posts I wrote that I would write about famous women in history, women I admired, and I also promised I would do a whole bunch of other things on a regular basis.

I FAILED!

But I really don’t care. A majority of my blog posts are feminist-centric, so I’m staying true to who I am. I’ve also been posting a lot about media and pop culture, two subjects I’m very interested in studying on the graduate level. I’ve also opened up personally talking about my travels. One area I would like to improve is incorporating more discussions of history. I’m not sure how I’m going to do this yet, but I know one way that can help is by writing about books I am reading. Most of the books I do read our historical analyses and memoir. What I’m going to start doing is listing all the books I have read in the beginning of every month and then write a review on one or two of the books from the prior month. Who knows I could end up writing more reviews and I won’t limit myself to posting about books just in the beginning of the month.

One thing I have loved blogging about and something I didn’t think I’d write about at all is blogging and internet culture, blogging etiquette and Wikipedia! So I will definitely continue doing this.

I’ll also continue with what I named “hottlinx,” a list of newspaper articles I find relevant to women and/or just plain funny and bizarre. I need to figure out how to make this more of a regular pattern. I like the double T spelling of “hott” because I think its funny and that it is putting a new spin on the word hot, just like the women over at the REAL hot 100 are doing…bless them.

Another organizational issue: my categories. I have a ton of posts lumped in “about ms. Rose” “pop culture” etc. I may reorganize posts a little so they are attached to more specific tags. All for now.

Excuse the absence but work has become all consuming and I’m taking two evening classes. Yes, I’m crazy.

But I found some news stories today that are even crazier.

(1) Doll Web Sites Drive Girls to Stay Home and Play
The article claims these virtual sites are a step below myspace and facebook, but some of the web site heads don’t like this comparison.

Millions of children and adolescents are spending hours on these sites, which offer virtual versions of traditional play activities and cute animated worlds that encourage self-expression and safe communication. They are, in effect, like Facebook or MySpace with training wheels, aimed at an audience that may be getting its first exposure to the Web.

Lane Merrifield, chief executive of Club Penguin….Mr. Merrifield also bristles at any comparison to MySpace, which he said is a wide-open environment and one that poses all kinds of possible threats to young people.

You should go look just for the creepy picture of the girl staring at the computer.

(2) Meanwhile, over at USAToday, Karen Thomas wonders what is happening to Hollywood’s young “talent” like Hilton, Lohan and Spears in this article. I personally liked the comparison to Shannon Doherty and other 90210 cast members not making nearly as much trouble as the hot twentysomething stars today. At least my generations starlets aren’t f*ckups.

And on this subject the LATimes ran an article comparing the Hilton hotel in Paris to Ms. Hilton’s new accomodations.

Rooms at the Hilton Paris have minibars, hairdryers in their bathrooms, electronic door locks with keycards and remote control TVs with cable. About half have balconies. Pets are allowed.

The Paris Hilton cell has two bunks, a table, a sink, a toilet and a small window. Its occupant can leave for about an hour a day to watch TV in a day room, talk on the telephone, exercise outside or shower. No pets.

You get the point. Our major daily papers can both ponder why we’re so obsessed with these young stars and their bad, bad behavior AND can report on it too adding to the obsession.

I love how the media works.

(3) And…. As they gathered Tuesday for a national strategy session, antiabortion activists faced an unexpected revolt in their own ranks.

woah!

PS I should really discuss the primary debates but that deserves its own close analysis/ post.

Happy Birthday Pill!

Totally learned this from feministing.