As I struggle to find the sample set (representative trauma blogs) for my dissertation, I have been able to separate the bloggers into three categories based on their rhetorical strategies for dealing with trauma. One set of trauma bloggers discuss the intimate details of their traumas, clearly focusing on the internal struggles of PTSD.  The other set of bloggers seem to externalize their trauma by focusing on the political aspects of post traumatic stress disorder without revealing a large amount of personal information.

This may come as a surprise to some,  but I like deflecting attention away from myself.  At least, I like deflecting attention away from certain aspects of my self.

The framework for understanding trauma that I am using in my dissertation defines trauma as the emotional/psychological impact to a person’s psyche as the result of an event, experience or set of experiences that overwhelm those individuals who experience it.

Well, the dissertation is going slowly.  For one thing, after my original idea was shot down and I had a seizure, things got a bit difficult. Now I am procrastinating by obsessing about the web presence of others.  This blog is supposed to be a useful tool, a place to vent and try out new ideas; but it is becoming my albatross.  Still, I'm not ready to give up and I believe in the power of weblogs.  There.  I said it; I'm a blogaphile.

Oh my. Well, I have a new topic for my blog. Or, rather, I have one old topic that's been sorely neglected and a new topic to introduce, my newest medical condition--seizure disorder, or as it is more commonly referred to, epilepsy. Up until I had a grand mal seizure two weeks ago I thought that my spasms and tics were just that. As it turns out, they are considered to be seizures, as are my frequent deja vu experiences, which I only recently learned were mini-seizures. So, now I'm on medications (Keppra to be specific) to control my seizures; and the side effects are kicking my ass. They're making me tired and confused, and I think they're giving me headaches.

The Pickering Institute in Missouri is pimping out its edu domain names. The Institute, which falls under my definition of a "questionable institution," is clearly not what we assume when we hear the .edu domain. Its home page consists of a standard blog template and two short front page entries, the oldest of which is from March 2008. PI's ethos is no better established by its two-paragraph long "About us" page. The second of its whopping two whole paragraphs describes in vague terms its educational role:

Score! Thanks to my friend Dr. B I now finally have an invite to play the online multi-player game that requires you to .... Oh, right; it requires you to do what you normally do--surf the web...and that's basically it. Yep. You heard it. I'm playing PMOG, or "Passively Multiplayer Online Game." If you've heard of MMPOGs, then you'll understand the humor in this one. Massively Multi-player Online Games are those like World of Warcraft (WOW) in which an enormous number of players can be logged in at one time and interacting within the virtual world of WOW. Unlike Second Life (which I've mentioned before), WOW is actually a game in that it has a goal that players seek to achieve. Perhaps more accurately, there are goals to achieve--points to earn, levels to reach--think D and D online with pixelated avatars. PMOG also has goals. You just don't have to really try to achieve them. (At least this is how I understand it.) You get points for visiting different websites and then you can buy things and create missions and set traps. Big fun.

So, here it is--my entrance into online gaming--slacker style. On a side note- I started another game recently that teaches hacking skills. I'm looking forward to committing acts of illegality. Kidding. It's just pretend hacking, but I feel cool anyway.

I have been informed by a recent subscriber to my rss feed that I'd "better post some good stuff" or I'd get demoted on his iGoogle page. (This is what I get for being a sweet maven.) So, as per his request/threat, I am posting. Good or not remains to be seen, but here I am.

First of all, it seems that I write lots of apology posts, mostly for my lack of posting. Part of this is the strain of posting for multiple blogs and maintaining several websites. Last time I checked there were still only twenty four hours in a day. I've submitted a grant request for an extra eight hours but have yet to hear back. So, unfortunately, my personal blog generally ends up getting the shaft.

For those who know me, it is no secret that I have organizational issues. (No, no, I don't have issues with NGOs or non-profits). Keeping my sh*t together is a bit of a challenge and, well, getting things done is a bit more like moving things around. So, I frequently read books and blogs on organization and productivity; I download software; and I sign up for web2.0 services, all in the service of getting it together. (Un)Fortunately, there are a myriad of resources available for organizing your life. Sadly, I am a terrible decision-maker and I spend entirely too much time reading and playing and not enough time doing. At the very least I figure that I can share my findings. There will be additional reviews to come. I'm currently trying out wikis, blogging apps, database apps, and notebook applications.

1. The Yankee-Devil Rays debacle. Here's hoping the Devil Rays get hit by a train made out of fire and MLB stops handing out fines and suspensions like candy. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can read about the hooplah that has resulted in suspensions for Melky Cabrera and Shelley Duncan as well as a nice fine for Joe Girardi (great way to start his tenure as manager. Thanks a lot, MLB) here at Yankees.com. Train-made-out-of-fire. Seriously.
2. I got glutened on my trip to Indy
3. Of course, I get sick no matter what I eat anymore and I don't know why, which means lots of GI discomfort with no idea how to prevent it. This also means that I am probably allergic or intolerant to some other food group and will be starting and elimination diet soon. Or I need to have my gall bladder removed. Good times.