Many posts in one

Or, What I read today while having my alone time (read: on the toilet). Not in order of importance, nor by any means a comprehensive list:

• I didn’t get to go to #Blogher09, though following Twitter all weekend I almost felt like I had. Well, not really, as I was alone for most of it with the babies, which is definitely not much like Blogher, plus, there was much less SWAG involved, and less elbowing of babies in the face over said SWAG. Anyway, this post was really just great, especially as I’m definitely planning to attend next year when Blogher hits Manhattan:
  BlogHer ’09: The Top 10 Things I Learned as a First Time Attendee by Lee at Moms without Blogs. I especially loved #1, but I don’t want to put any spoilers out here. Let me just say it’s something I really needed to hear today in re: myself and this blog here. Thanks so much for sharing the insights.

• This article at NPR, Moms debate ethics of “blog-ola” has me head scratching a little. Like, wow, what would it be like for people to send me free shit or pay for trips and conferences and etc? Would that be a really horrible thing that would destroy my blogging soul? Dear prospective marketing departments of big brands: I AM TOTALLY WILLING TO FIND OUT.

• I love bullet points. No link, just heaven in text.

• This review of Booyah, an MMORPG for iPhone, by Wagner James Au. I would have totally tried it out but couldn’t download it for my iPod Touch because I need a microphone, which my first generation iPod Touch doesn’t have. That’s the thanks I get for being an early adopter. So Apple, please send me a new iPod Touch with the mircrophone and the camera so all 4 of my readers can hear me rave about it. I will totally pimp my shit out for Apple gear, I don’t care what it is, no lie (see above bullet point on selling my soul). And yeah, I so totally need another thing on the internet to steal what little time I have for sleeping.

• On a far, far heavier note, today I also read this post on prayer and intercession by Catherine Connors (aka @herbadmother). This I read in response to the tremendous outpouring of love and well wishing for @MckMama and her very sick child, Stellan. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve cried this weekend following this story. How many times I’ve picked up Bing or Doot and just held them to my chest, breathing them in, weeping into their warm bodies. I think Catherine Connors felt a little bad for twittering about this post today, which talks about why she doesn’t pray for intercession, though she does pray for others’ well-being, and I understand her anxiety. Many praying folks do pray for their version of God to do something on behalf of someone. She was simply talking about why that doesn’t help her, and I for one found clarity reading her words today. Because praying for intercession, which is something I also do, does not actually jive with my view of the way things probably are. So I’m often conflicted in my prayer, and believe it or not, prayer is something I do a lot given how anti-religion I am.  I found myself praying a lot for Stellan today, the little boy with the racing heart whom I’d not even heard of before Friday. And I also found myself just praying for God, whatever that means, to be with Stellan and his family in such a way that they really feel it. Because that’s all I can do.

• Because I couldn’t end on too heavy a note tonight, I want to shout out to one of my best blogging pals Tatiana 1. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY and 2. No shit!

Speaking of shit, my alone time is coming to an end for the evening and I bid you all fond farewell. Until we tweet again.