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The occasional niche blog list we have for you is usually full of entertainments and distractions. This list is a little different. All kinds of folks start personal blogs, as online journals of their everyday experiences, which for many include their professions. It's a way to vent, to educate others, and to share stories that need to be told. And we can learn a lot by reading the diaries of people we depend on, but who we might never get to know personally. I find all these blogs fascinating, but don't expect a lot of photographs because these professionals will not compromise the privacy of those they serve.
1. 911 This Better Be Good
An anonymous emergency dispatcher writes about the strange calls she gets at her job in the blog 911 This Better Be Good. Some calls are funny, some are baffling, and many of them make you weep for the future of mankind. What's really impressive is that she never, ever seems to be short on material to write about.
Note to all those who enjoy using real handcuffs: Don't lose the keys and be forced to go to the police station. Especially if you or your partner aren't able to get fully dressed again. We will all be laughing for the rest of our shift.
2. Trauma Queen
The response from 911 is to send the appropriate service, usually police, firefighters, or paramedics. Kal is a paramedic in Edinburgh, Scotland, who writes about his experiences on the blog Trauma Queen. He says he "practices a little emergency medicine, though most of the time he’s a glorified cabbie." Kal writes about topics other than his job, but the many stories about his work are fascinating, from the sick people who will touch your heart to the regulars who make you sad to the occasional nail-biting life-or-death trauma story.
3. ZDoggMD
ZDoggMD is a blog maintained by Dr. ZDogg and Dr. Harry, physicians and comedians who bring you medical advice that you can laugh at, or entertainment that might save your life. Whichever way you prefer to look at it, you'll find something to enjoy. My personal favorite of their many videos is this Michael Jackson parody song to remind men to check their testicles for lumps.
4. The Angry Pharmacist
What is The Angry Pharmacist so angry about? Drug addicts, difficult doctors, entitled customers, endless red tape, insurance companies, impatient patients, clueless clients, and assorted evils that accompany the pharmacy business that you may never have known about. After reading his cathartic rants, you'll be more aware of how much self-control your pharmacist shows on the job.
5. Motorcop
The blog
has the tagline "If you got stopped... You deserved it." The author is a police officer who patrols on a motorcycle in California, but that's all the identifying information you'll get. Motorcop has stories of traffic enforcement, but also posts on other police work, tips on staying legal and dealing with police, fictional stories, and some personal posts. There are even some entertainment posts and
with the paramedic blogger
.
6. Midwife with a Knife
Midwife with a Knife is written by a perinatologist, which is "An obstetrical subspecialist concerned with the care of the mother and fetus at higher-than-normal risk for complications." Right there you know she has some stories to tell. In addition to obstetrical stories, she tackles other medical subjects and her personal life. Yes, you'll also see more pictures of her young dog, Zoe.
7. Fosterhood in NYC
Foster parents step in for the neediest of all- children whose parents cannot provide the care and love they require. People step up and take in nieces, nephews, and grandchildren, but there are children who don't have any relatives they can turn to. Fosterhood in NYC is written by a woman who took in three children over time through New York's social services department. Fostering is way more than parenting, because in addition to normal childhood stuff, you have to deal with the damage a foster child has already sustained, parents who maintain contact (however troublesome), and the government bureaucracy that makes this kind of service so difficult. For example, this post on the simple act of getting clothing for the child will leave you shaking your head. And then there is the heartbreak of eventually saying goodbye to a child you love. Start here to follow the stories of individual children.
8. Emergiblog
Emergiblog is about the life of an emergency room nurse. Kim McAllister has been a nurse for 33 years, twenty of those in emergency. In addition to stories from the ER, she writes about the changing field of nursing, the politics of the profession, and medical stories from all over.
9. Midwife for the End of Life
There are some professions that most of us would be too squeamish to ever consider taking up, but when the need arises, we are glad someone did. Midwife for the End of Life is written by Melaina, a hospice nurse. She tackles the big subjects of end-of-life care, the physical process of death, dealing with death, dignity for the dying, medical ethics, insurance, funerals, mourning, and stories of people she has cared for. These are subjects we may want to avoid, but we will all confront sooner or later.
Most of these blogs have links to others in the same profession who also keep blogs. With a little looking, you may find someone you'll want to follow on a regular basis.
See more lists of strange and interesting niche blogs.