Best of the 2009 Just Posts: The Semifinalists

I would like to announce that finalists for the Best Just Posts of 2009 will be posted and ready for your voting by the end of January.

However, seeing as I have not yet successfully managed to manipulate the passage of time to suit my desires, I will have to settle for announcing that the finalists will be ready by a date in the near future. Our goal is for Monday, March 1st.

It may not shock you to know that this project grew larger than either Holly or I had anticipated. For one thing, we quickly realized that due to the subjective nature of responding to posts, it would be much fairer to make sure that each post was evaluated independently by more than person. Seeing as we had about 300 posts to evaluate, this meant 600 separate reviews.

We could not have even contemplated this task without vast amounts of help from friends and Just Post supporters, who read and evaluated batches of posts. Their ratings and comments have been extremely helpful to us. 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. (For that matter, I’m pretty sure I owe Heather my firstborn child (or at least my firstborn child’s weight in chocolate) for all of the additional reading she took on for us.)

We also greatly 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. Thanks, friends!

In the meantime, our list of semifinalists may be of interest. These posts are those which at least one of two reviewers asserted should make our finalist list. Our final finalist list (I love writing that) will be selected from these semifinalists, based on reviews and comments and a few other considerations.

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

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