Kelley Bell's FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

Morel Mushroom Season

2009-04-30T09:17:00.006-04:00

It's Morel season. Here in Ohio Morel mushrooms pop up in the woods during the months of April and May. Old Shroomers look forward to it every year. They all have their "secret spots" where they know Morels are likely to grow, and most would endure waterboarding before revealing their location.

Morels are a very tasty spring time treat. One of the few things left in this world that are still seasonal, rare, and special. Some great recipes can be found here.

Hunting for Morels is an art. It's like searching for treasure. They grow in the woods and only in very moist soil. Look for May Apples in bloom growing near rotted wood on the forest floor. Apple, Elm and Poplar trees are favorite clues for trained shroom hunters.

Julie Zickefoose hunts morels on her 80-acre nature preserve near Whipple Ohio. She writes about her priate like passion on NPR's website:

The morel organism is a huge underground system called a mycelium, which is made up of connected fungal strands and clods that can cover acres. It can live for decades, but it doesn't put forth fruit every year. What we see aboveground — those hollow, rubbery, wrinkled manifestations — are just the fruiting bodies of the ancient, secret creature living deep beneath the ground.

We pick ours into a mesh onion bag, and we swing it like a censer as we walk, hoping that we're spreading precious spores as we go. Back home, we rinse them briefly, then sprinkle the holy wash water back where we found them, completing a ritual of thanks to the fungus that feeds us.

Picking morels feels like stealing treasure from the rich soil; cutting their firm, shapely forms into little wheels is a sensual pleasure. A rich, peaty smell rises up from them. When butter begins to bubble in the pan, you drop the mushrooms in, and the liquid pours out of them. They're tender in moments, and you must remove them while you reduce the sauce. A dash of white wine, a tiny dollop of mustard, green onions and a whomp of sour cream; salt to taste, and you return the little wheels to their sauce, drizzling them over rice, pasta or meat.
Morels fairly explode with complex flavor, with woodsy, earthy, mysterious notes.

They taste like nothing else on Earth; they're in a class with truffles and caviar. And best of all, they're free.

If you decide to give Morel hunting a try, do a little research first, or go with an experienced shroomer, because the "false morel" is a similar looking mushroom that grows in the same conditions and while some people tolerate it well, it ha been known to make others very sick.

Strolling Alone in a Thunderstorm

2009-04-14T14:51:00.003-04:00

On a recent trip to New York I had some time to kill before my meeting, so I took in a lunch seminar at the Tribecca YMCA in Manhattan. A fella named Mark Stevens was doing a little promo for his book Your Marketing Sucks. Mark was entertaining and informative, and the salad buffet was pretty good too.

Below is Marks latest blog post. The writing is surprisingly good. I love the construction of the opening line, and the way it all ties back into a reinforcement of the theme at the end.

Standing Alone in a Thunderstorm

By Mark Stevens

When I was a teenager, the rolling, rumbling drumbeat of an oncoming thunderstorm was a clarion call for me to run outside into the slashing water and the electric bolts and take in the random beauty of nature gone wild.

I did not believe lighting could strike me. I had not an iota of concern about a tree crashing down on my body. I felt exhilerated to be alone in God’s fireworks and to learn from them.
What did I learn? Well, before I get directly to that, many years later I was walking by the ocean on a December day in the salty freeze of a Maine beach. All around me, the remains of a thouands storms were strewn by the waterfront, tree trunks laced with weeds and fishermens’ boots, all topped by sand and sea foam.

The storms and the sea shared a common element: both were shaped by the unpredictable. The random they were driven by a dynamic I could never understand or comprehend.
But that I could learn so much from. So what did the teen storms and the Maine beach and similar bouts with the wild teach me?

*That there is little value in the linear. It is the way traditional teaching is conducted and it is why the traditional rarely leads to breakthroughs.

*Putting yourself in the danger zone, out of your comfort zone, forces you to think in ways that are catalysts for change.

In business, every time I have had to deal with a threat, I have grown. Not immediately or directly. There were moments of fear and indecision and concern. And then, in the midst of the dilemma, I would see through the lightning and the foam and the pieces would assemble into an arrow that would lead me to a new direction. Often to personal growth. Always to passion and exhileration.

Just this week, I spoke to a friend who is frozen in the locks of a life that is not working. No joy at work. No discovery at rest. Just the perpetual motion machine of going through the motions of an existence that can be changed if the fear of the unknown is challenged and overcome. It is not easy but nor is anything worthwhile.

The only way to move through the ziggeraut of a life of achievement is to roll the dice now and then, risk the unknown, stroll in an electric storm. In business, it means expanding into unknown markets, investing in untested advertising, funneling dollars into R&D when the only certain outcome is an expense, trusting managers who have never yet to prove themselves.

There are a zillion reasons to do none of this. Played against the grand scheme of things, of the drive for success, none of these reasons are valid. They are why civil servants delight in safety. They are why risk takers roll the dice, absorb the speed bumps, detest safety nets, and invest in their companies, their team members, and in themselves, time and again.

The next time I want to make a step or a leap forward, I will not attend a Harvard seminar.

That will be me you see strolling in a hurricane.

Mark Stevens

CEO of MSCO

and Author of The Unconventional Thinking Blog

Twitter, Blogging, Linked-in: A Soical Networking Review

2009-04-08T08:18:00.004-04:00

O.K., I am going to admit it: Twitter bores me. When I started writing and blogging back in the Bronze Age, I was excited about social media. I wanted to get my fingers on the pulse of the collective. I wanted to be informed, involved and Connected with a capital C.

Blogging was great for a while. I worked hard to seek out interesting voices and dynamic communities. I built my link list, I read other peoples work, commented on their sites, and followed best practice protocols. (Which basically means find a niche topic, blog every day, link to related sites, join communities, comment often, don't spam, and never feed the trolls.)

It was exciting, (especially during the elections) and in retrospect, I did learn a lot from the experience. But after a while, it all started to sound like white noise.

Then twitter came along. (That's twitter with a lower case t, as I'm told the creators prefer.) The buzz proclaimed it's wonderment. So I hooked in. I followed and was followed back. I tweeted and re-tweeted, and downloaded twirl and tweetdeck. I checked it often and clicked the little linkies. I tried hard to be a good little bird in the big bad flock. But it bored me.

Sure, I read stories from others who explained the practical value of twitter, and how it can be used as an effective tool for the on-the-go networker. I get it, it's has its uses. But in my personal experience, I have yet to tell one story of how twitter has provided me with a single snippet of information that has improved my life in any way shape or form.

I also got going of Facebook, because all the buzzers proclaimed it was the platform place to be. That experience has actually offered some mild amusement, as I have hooked in and chatted with some old school chums from long...(LOOONNNGGG) ago. But from a productivity standpoint, I put in in the category of my crossword puzzle: an amusing time waster that takes up about six minutes of my day.

After that, I built a self hosted blog on wordpress.org, because all the social networking gurus swear it's the only way to blog. The jury is still out on that one, as I need to give it a full six months to analyze the results; but for now, I am skeptical. The blogger platform has great community connectivity, and, uh, it's FREE. But we shall see, what we shall see as the experiment continues. I'll let you know.

Over all, the one platform other than blogger that I have found useful is Linked -In. Linked-In is referred to as an On-Line Resume tool, but it is so much more than that. People on Linked-In upload their professional resume, then join community user groups related to their fields of expertise, then write articles and join discussions. Everyone is careful to present a professional image, because its a job networking site. So, there is little troll behavior, no goofy gossip, no sexually explicit behavior, and almost all of the articles are well polished. Linked-In has led me to many real life networking events, seminars, classes, and work opportunities.

So all in all, I will continue to check facebook to connect with old friends, I will keep blogging when the muse strikes, and I will absolutely spend more time writing articles for Linked-In, but twitter bores me. I won't give up on it yet, as I want to carry the experiment through a full cycle, but for now, it earns a three yawn review.

AIG Bailout Security Memo

2009-03-20T08:11:00.003-04:00

Gawker.com released a leaked security memo from AIG today, warning employees of the beleaguered financial company to use caution in the face of public rage regarding the use of taxpayer bailout monies for million dollar executive bonuses. During congressional hearings yesterday, AIG CEO Edward Liddy expressed concern for the safety of AIG employees and entered into the record a threat letter that said “All of the executives and their families should be executed with piano wire around their necks."

Comedian Stephen Cobert personified public sentiment by wielding a pitchfork and calling on the mobs to storm the gates. The security memo advised employees to avoid wearing AIG apparel, travel in pairs, and dodge conversations with the media. Some additional words of caution might include:

*Avoid piano repairmen, and cancel any symphony engagements involving a strings section.

*Carry your golden parachute with you at all times.

*Refrain from lighting cigars with hundred dollar bills, especially in public.

*Bulletproof your limo.

*Keep your “Get Out Of Jail Free” card on hand at all times.

Or, they could just , yanno, GIVE THE MONEY BACK!

Pitbull Problem

2009-03-19T12:38:00.008-04:00

I just got one of those viral "Warning" e-mails about Pitbulls. It said:

PLEASE READ!!!
If you are an owner of a dog that belongs to a 'dangerous
breed category
and you also have a small child please take this as a
warning. Don't leave your
dog with the child unattended under any
circumstances. Only a little moment was
enough for the following to
happen.

******************************************

Then I was directed to open the photo:

I've gotta tell you, it totally made may day. I once rescued a dog, a boxer mix, who was labeled as a Pitbull under Ohio law. Petey was the coolest, most laid back, gentle giant you could ever meet. He had the heart of a real softie, just like the dog in the photo above.

Now I don't want to lead people to believe they should not be cautious around these dogs. One thing I learned when working with wildlife is ALL ANIMALS CAN BITE. Caution is warranted. Especially when working with large animals that have the power and potential to do real bodily harm.

I almost lost my leg from an unfortunate incident with a horse many years ago, and still carry the scars. That horse was a sweetheart -- never meant me a lick of harm -- but she was a very large animal. She reared up when a tractor drove by and honked it's horn. We were riding on loose gravel. She lost her footing and fell over backwards. I was on top of her, and then underneath her. The saddle horn crushed my chest under her weight. My foot got caught in the stirrup. When she got up, she drug me about a hundred yards down the road. It nearly tore my leg off.

Big animals are dangerous. But that does not mean I no longer ride. And it does not mean large dog breeds should be eradicated as companion animals. It means proper training (for both animal and human handler) are in order. It means following good care and safety protocols. It means treating the animal in a loving responsible manner, and remembering risk exists in just about anything we do.

But as for me, well, I'll take those risks, because the wonder and joy of sharing my life with these animals is part of what makes life worth living.

My son with our ol' pal Petey.

(We miss ya buddy boy.)

Peter, Please Answer

2009-03-13T09:21:00.000-04:00

This site is a riot! Go to Peter, Please Answer and ask a question. If you do it right, Peter will know the answer.

It works like this:

You need a typer, and a person to ask a question.

the typer is in on the trick.

The typer says "ask any question, and Peter will know the answer."

So the skeptical person will ask something like "What's my dogs name?"

The typer types the question into the computer, and WOW! Peter Knows!
"Sparky-Boo-Boo-Doggy" appears on the computer screen in big bold letters.

The person is amazed and asks several more questions.

How does it work?

Peter takes over the keyboard. When the typer is supposedly typing the question, he or she is actually typing the answer.

Try it. Its a blast!

Ask and ye shall recieve

2009-03-05T10:14:00.005-05:00

I'm laughing under my breath this morning in pure amazement at the universe.

I am thankful for my friend Maggie, my "spiritual eye-doctor" who always helps me see The Divine with 20/20 vision.

Maggie is a spiritual teacher who says we can receive whatever we need from the Universe.

All we need do is ask.

She meditates and prays for the energies she needs in her life. She visualizes what she wants, and when she can see clearly, in her minds eye, a picture of her desired future, she often finishes her meditation by exclaiming: "Thank You Very Much! I'll Have Some of That!"

I always smile when I hear that expression, especially when she is working with women's groups. I see their eyes light up with surprise.

She demonstrates the prayerful optimism of a woman who feels deserving of the gifts of the divine.

I think a lot of people are pleasantly surprised by this, because deep down they feel unworthy to ask, and unworthy to receive. (Yanno, the old born sinful and filled with guilt thing.) But not my Maggie. In her world, we are all beautiful, perfect, and deserving of the Divine. Which is a pretty cool way to approach life if you ask me.

I love that concept, and I love Maggie for spreading that energy around.

So why am I laughing? Because in yesterdays blog post, I was writing about folks who blog, and our need to feel appreciated once in a while.

*Ask and the Universe will answer. *

Yep. It sure will. Guaranteed.

"So you need a little shot in the arm KelBell?" The Universe asked. "No problem, You can Have Some of That. Step right up and receive your gifts."

(The Universe answered my blog post via e-mail.)

That's right folks, The Divine uses the Internet. Go figure.

Apparently my other blog, Applesassy.com won an excellence in Blogging Award yesterday, which is strange, because I didn't even know I was in the contest and even stranger because the timing is so very "Twilight Zone".

(Cue the theme music: doo-doo,doo- doo...doo-doo,doo-doo)

Here is what the e-mail said:

Dear Kelley,

I wanted to let you know that your blog made it to the semi-finalist round of the Blogger Appreciation Awards. Our judges looked over thousands of nominations and yours was only one of 200 (less than 10% of the submissions) that has been recognized for blogging excellence. While you did not make the final round of voting, you should feel proud of this accomplishment, knowing that we determined your blog to be in the top 10% of all submissions.

We encourage you to let your readers know about your accomplishment by featuring this badge on your blog:

Ha!

So the Universe knows I'm trying, and knows I was feeling a little discouraged. I was asking myself if it's worth it to keep writing, and the Universe answered my question by sending me some bogus little blogger award.

She sends me a boost. Not a boost big enough to blow my head up, not a "HEY YOU WON THE BEST BLOGGER IN THE WORLD AWARD", but just a little "Keep on Truckin" message to give me the hope and fuel I need to keep on typing and try even harder tomorrow.

Pretty Cool.

But even cooler, is my gift from Maggie, who sees The Divine at work in every little thing we do, every single day.

Ya gotta Love that.

Blogging communities

2009-03-03T11:24:00.003-05:00

Blogging is about community. We set up our sites, connect to other sites, read each others posts, make comments, and make friends. We learn from each other. We experience the world through a wider lens. We are inspired by those amazing little insights we happen upon, and hope to inspire others in return.

We make each other laugh, and empathise with the struggles of people we have never even met.

But blogging is sometimes frustrating. When we write and hit the publish button, we are making a formal request to be heard.

Hello?

Anybody out there?

Usually not.

Then comes the negative self talk. Nobody cares. Maybe my ideas are not valid. Maybe i don't have anything worthy to add to the conversation. Or a Stewart Smally of SNL might put it:

"I'm not good enough, I'm not smart enough, and nobody likes me."

Sometimes we go to blogs that get ten thousand comments for a post that consists of nothing but drivel. We look at an essay we wrote, or one of our on line friends wrote that clearly has heart and style and relevance, but garners nothing but a big fat goose egg on the stats page.

Hey if nobody is reading, whats the point?

Do you ever feel this way when you blog? If so, what makes you keep typing?

I have my reasons, which might be different than yours, but it is a subject I am exploring, and would like to learn more about. Ultimately, I believe this new world of Social Networking has the power to change the world, and I want to be a part of that. I believe when we empower individuals to speak their truth, and connect to one another, we all have the opportunity to grow as individuals, and improve our lives and the lives of those around us.

I see bloggers out there making a difference in the world of politics, by keeping the professional players honest, and by uniting large groups to pressure the establishment to do a better job.

I see artists and writers inspiring each other through their creative works.

I see self help groups banding together to help people work through their problems.

and beyond that, I feel so privileged to have had the chance to meet people out there who use their blogs to shine their own little lights, and just make my day a little brighter by sharing their souls with the world.

If you are out there, and I have seen your posts, Thank you. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have smiled, or laughed, or had pause for thought because of the things you have shared.

Collectively, you have all made a difference. You have all inspired. You are all a part of this journey. And i for one, am better for it.

I thank you, one and all.

Kelley Bell

Great Tip for Dealing with Cold Winter Weather

2009-02-21T09:51:00.003-05:00

I hate cold weather. REALLY hate it. I am one of those people whose toes turn to ice when the temp dips under 72 degrees.

But this morning, this lovely morning, when I awoke, I learned a new trick to make the cold months more bearable.

Last night I left my sweater hanging on the kitchen chair just above the heater vent.

When I put it on, oh my, what a delight! It felt as if it has just tumbled out of a hot dryer. I tell ya, it changed my mood for the entire day.

Old man winter, bring it on baby! I've got my defense now.

Feminist Fumes when Insight Cable Co. Pulls a “Deloris Clayborn” Stunt

2009-02-19T19:44:00.002-05:00

Insight Communications has implemented a "new security policy" that some (or at least one) feminist finds offensive.

After nearly twenty years of being the person in our family who calls Insight to make changes/upgrades to our service, today I was told “Your husband will need to call us and give permission for you to make any future changes to this account.”

I felt like Kathy Bates in the bank scene from the movie Dolores Claiborne.

“I’ve been the person handling this account for almost twenty years.” I said.
“It’s a new security policy. The account is in his name.”

“Yes, I know that. He started the service before we were married, but every time I call, ----and I am always the one to call-- you just ask me for our account number to verify my authorization.”

“Just have your husband contact us and provide his permission for you to handle the account. Then we will be happy to help you.”

Say What??????

Now maybe they DID institute a “new security policy”, or maybe, the difference is that today I was making a request to downgrade our service instead of upgrading. Maybe they added this policy in anticipation that a lot of wives would be calling in to cut back during these tight economic times, so they figured they might be able to “secure” some of their precious revenue if they added a few extra hoops for us to jump through.

I suspect that might be the case, because when I called, the rep asked for my account number as always, and was ready and willing to help me... that is until I mentioned I was mulling a scale back in our services. THEN all of a sudden, that "new policy" went into effect.

What Insight might well remember is that this ain’t the 1950’s and even the mere idea of a policy that invokes memories of the gender inequities of the past, is something they would be wise to avoid. Otherwise, their financial security might really be at risk, especially when they realize that 70% of the consumer spending in this country is controlled by women.

*********************************

If you have any questions or concerns about your Insight service, they have a toll free number for your convience: 1-800–686–2200

Free Valentines Day Poetry

2009-02-11T09:10:00.005-05:00

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is offering a free download of her Cherished Pulse poetry as a Valentine's gift.

Isn't that sweet? Her offer embodies the free sharing of information that makes the webbernet so wonderful. (Her idea is also pretty handy for spendthrift Romeos trying to survive in our current economy.)

Click here to learn more about Cherished Pulse and how to do it.

Print out a poem on some fancy paper. Spray it with perfume. Glue on a flower or two, and present it to the one you love with a nice chunk of Ghirardelli Chocolate.

http://www.ghirardelli.com/

Yumm...

Happy V Day!

Do you want more readers for your blog?

2009-02-09T13:56:00.002-05:00

Hey gang,

Do you want more readers for your blog? If so, I have a helpful tip to share. I have been off researching all the hottest websites, trying to learn what exactly they are doing right. Well, One of the things they do is apply to the Open Web Directory at DMOZ.

It is apparently a rather coveted thing to be accepted by DMOZ. Some folks wait several years before being accepted, and others never get accepted at all. The good news is, if you have a great site with good content, and stick to a subject matter that is not already over saturated, you might just find yourself accepted overnight.

It only takes a few minutes to apply, and is well worth it. Once your site is listed, it gets pumped out to all the major search engines on a regular basis and will drive tons of new traffic your way.

So give it a shot...we could all use a few thousand new friends.

Get Sassy!

2009-01-31T19:21:00.005-05:00

Click here to visit my new writing and social media site: http://www.Applesassy.com

For The Record: Blogging, History, and The Legacy We Leave

2009-01-28T06:32:00.005-05:00

Every morning I start my day by connecting to the thoughts of others. I go on-line and read a series of news feeds on the ol 'puter. We still get the local paper too, (mainly for the crossword puzzle, and the authoritative feel of snapping the pages), but aside from the portability of taking it with me to the, uh..."reading room", I tend to rely more and more on electronic content.

The print papers just aren't as relevant anymore. The paper today is just a rehash of what I read on line last night. It's old news before the ink even dries on the page. In addition, my on-line content is tailored to my interests. It's more personal, more real, and often more honest because of the freedoms of personal publishing.

One favorite site of mine is a daily digest from History.com.

This mornings entry tells how on this date in 1917 the U.S. ended its search for Pancho Villa. That little gem is of personal interest as my Great Grandfather W.A. Sands was one of the men sent into Mexico to hunt down the famed revolutionary under the command of General Black Jack Pershing. I can look at that history and write about it. I can link to it and add a new and more personal piece to the puzzle of the past.

I have grandpa's diary's. They are filled with day by day accounts of that mission, with a whole lotta talk of the Mexican"working girls" who entertained at their camps each night.

My father says W.A. and his wife did not speak directly to each other for the last forty years of their lives, even though they never divorced, and lived in the same house on Bryden Road until their deaths. In order to communicate, they would direct their comments to one or more of their seven children, -or occasionally the dog.

I have often wonder if that diary might have played a part in their long running marital feud. His diaries don't say. There is not one cross word about his wife or children in those pages. He talks extensively of his missions with Pershing, both to Mexico, and later into WWI France. He talks of his work as the leader of the 42nd Rainbow Division military band, and later of The Great Depression and his work as a business man in Columbus Ohio, but there is not a single sentence in those volumes discussing his personal feelings about his family.

His wife, Tose Sands, kept a diligent daily record too. She logged the weather, who came to visit, what the meals were, who was born and who died, but she too wrote nary a word about their personal lives. Even on holidays like Christmas, the accounts fail to mention feelings about family or gifts, or the joy of celebration.

I think there is a lesson in those musty old books for the bloggers of the future. While a meteorologist or a war historian might find gold in those pages, regular readers are looking for something more...a personal history, with feelings and personal philosophies on life. Entries like that not only teach us who these people were, but it keeps their memories alive, and provides us with a way to connect to our collective past, and relate their struggles to our future.

When I look at the photos in the old family trunk, I often wonder what those ghosts of the past were like. I wish we had more diaries, more personal glimpses into history, and I hope the age of the Internet will make that dream come alive for the children of tomorrow.

When I look into the eyes of those old photos, I want to know who those people were. Don't you?

Times Square, where dreams come true

2009-01-23T17:27:00.002-05:00

Just got back from The big Apple. -Had a ball.

Here's a fake tourist photo I purchased for 10 bucks in times Square.

A place where anyting can happen, and everything does!

3...2...1...LAUNCH!

2009-01-17T00:34:00.002-05:00

I just launched a new blog. It's called Applesassy.com. I spent the past three weeks learning css, html and php codes so that I could do some fun customizations and put a few advertisements on it.

The focus of the blog is writing and social networking. Anything outside that realm (Mostly family funnies and slice of life) will still appear here, unless its a political post. All politics will appear only on The Huffington Post from now on.

If you have a chance to drop over to either site and make a comment, you would surely make me smile.

Thanks Everybody.

3...2...1...LAUNCH!

Geese Grumpy over Airstrike Coverage

2009-01-16T08:21:00.004-05:00

The United Geese Federation is upset with coverage regarding the Miracle on the Hudson. Spokes-gander Loosey Goosey claims an unfair anti-avian media bias regarding the recent plane crash in New York.

"All the news coverage is claiming a goose hit the plane. Our position is the plane hit the goose. They keep quacking about the damage our goose did to the engine, but did you see the damage that engine did to the goose?!"

Geese all over the country are flocking together in protest of the coverage, flying in the classic V formation as a symbol of solidarity.

Right Wing Opponents say "They can honk all they want, but the fact is, they don't have a case. Geese are not considered credible in court."

The Power of Words

2009-01-14T11:24:00.006-05:00

I just received a nice e-mail from Gloria Feldt. Gloria is one of my "SHE-RO's". She is a writer, activist, and public speaker with a long history of involvement in the Women's Movement.

She sent me a review copy of her book The War on Choice for an article I am working on for The Huffington Post.

After putting the bones of the piece together, I sent her a draft to fact check.

The first line of her reply to me was:

Kelley,
I am greatly honored that you are citing my book. You
have created a beautiful framework to remind Americans what is at stake on this
Roe anniversary.

Wow. What a perfect thing to say to a budding writer. "You have created a beautiful framework...:

That is after all, what we all dream of doing when we write; Create beautiful frameworks.

I don't know about you, but I often find that a difficult thing to do. I have so many ideas floating around in my head, and they ALL have connections. More often than not, I tend to connect too many different dots in my essays, which basically turns the framework into a pile of mangled steel.

Beautiful frameworks require structure, and simplicity. It is a melding of art and form. It can be linear, or circular, or spiral, in style and point, as long as the framework is sound.

But simplicity is complicated.

Because I admire Gloria and her achievements, I will hold her kind words most dear. And hopefully, I will build better frameworks this year as a result.

Twitter

2009-01-12T07:29:00.003-05:00

Are ya'all using Twitter yet?

I kept reading how hot it is, so I decided to give it a try. I admit it confused me at first. The idea is you sign up for a free account, start "following" other people, and they in turn "follow" you.

To "tweet" on Twitter, you go to the Twitter dashboard and answer the question: "What are you doing?"

You have only 140 characters (letters & numbers) in which to answer.

When you hit send, everyone who is following you receives your Tweet.

Some folks say things like "Going to bed now." or "Spilled my coffee."

Others report news headlines, or provide updates to their latest writings.

When you insert a url into a Tweet, twitter automatically converts the link to something called a Tiny url. Basically all this does is make your link smaller so that it uses less characters.

When I first began using Twitter, it did not make a lot of sense to me. In order to see followers Tweets, I had to go to the Twitter site and scroll through all the Tweets. Most of them meant nothing to me, so it thought "Hmm...Twitter huh?...meh."

But then I discovered an add on for Twitter called Twhirl. Twhirl is a little piece of Twitter software you download on to your desktop that sends those Tweets in real time. Now I get my news faster than anyone on the planet.

I "follow" good news sources, and those tweets let me know whats going on around the globe as it's happening. I also know what my friends are up to, and who just posted a new article.

Chris Brogan just wrote a cool twitter story. He was in Las Vegas for a convention. His gang wanted to get permission to have a promotional photo taken while on board a pirate ship. They sent out a few Twitters to see if anyone at the convention knew who to contact to get permission to board the ship. Within minutes, they had their answer, got permission, and now have a hot photo of the three entrepreneurs standing as swashbucklers aboard the famous ship.

Another fella used Twitter to hook up with his friends after a football game. He tweeted his location and they all met up at the same pub after the game.
Lara Kretler shares a story on her blog of how she needed some quick information. She posted her question to Twitter, and got the answer she needed right away. On her post she said it was better to get answers from real people she networked with rather than depend on the Google bot. I think she is right about that.

So in conclusion, Here's a Thumbs up for Twitter. I think it's sings.

You can follow me on Twitter by clicking here. I promise to follow you back.

New York City!

2009-01-08T11:34:00.004-05:00

Oh how exciting! I am about to embark on my first ever trip to NYC!

Next week Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post, will moderate a discussion on "The Year Ahead" in politics and culture with HuffPost bloggers: Nora Ephron, author and screenwriter; Erica Jong, author; Barbara Ehrenreich, author; Trey Ellis, author and screenwriter; and Paul Rieckhoff, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) executive director.

As a contributing writer for Huffpo, I will be driving to The Big Apple to attend. It's about an eight hour trip, and I am a little nervous about actually driving in the city and finding my way around, but only with great risk comes great reward, right?

In addition, the trip will offer an opportunity to get some face time with my cyber-friends.

I can't wait to post all about it and share the goings on of the event with you all.

P.S.
(I will also have a big article coming out on Huffpo that week...so stay tuned folks.)

Sponsor a Poor Wall Street Pauper Today!

2009-01-07T11:09:00.004-05:00

This is great. I love her Safari outfit, and the way the "poor exec." plays up the puppy eyes. Tooo Funny!

Holiday Movie Reviews

2008-12-30T08:32:00.004-05:00

In my annual quest for Oscar picks, I have seen three movies over the holiday break.

The first was Marley and Me. It’s a great little film; Heartwarming and very funny. I recommend you buy the ticket, but walk out ¾ of the way through the show. The ending is a real tear jerker. Quite frankly, it was too much for this dog lover to bear.

Then there is The Curious Case of Benjamen Button. I held high hopes for this piece, fully expecting it to be my favorite film of the season, but instead found it filled with distractions. The technical effects were indeed Oscar worthy, and I watched with anticipation as Brad Pitts face grew ever younger from scene to scene. My sheer interest in seeing Pitt de-age pulled me right out of the story. The plot dragged in the middle, and the big emotional moments of the movie failed to ring my heartstrings. I stayed through to the end, but did so reluctantly. Maybe it had something to do with the foul smell I endured as the woman sitting next to me removed her shoes, crossed her legs, and propped the offending appendage just inches from my popcorn. That distraction had me ready to beat feet for the door.

Last night I went to see Doubt with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep. We have a winner with this one. It was the best picture I’ve seen so far. Streep was at her very finest. I actually recall being startled during a particularly intense scene when I heard a little something in her voice that jolted me to remember it was her. I was so engrossed in the character she created, I actually forgot I was watching Meryl Streep! (Which is exactly the opposite of what it was like to watch the Brad Pitt film.)

I have no Doubt Streep will win Best Actress this year. But I say that not yet having seen the Nicole Kidman film, Australia, which is next on my Oscar Quest list, but really, I simply can not imagine Nicole could be lucky enough to have all the stars in Holly-world align to allow her to find the right vehicle, the right direction, the right script, and the depth of passion required to compete with Streep on this level.

So far, my money is on Doubt to sweep the Academy Awards.

Of Course I still have a few more films to go see before making those fun final picks. The list include:

Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Dark Knight
The Wrestler
Revolutionary Road
The Reader
Defiance

Christmas Cash

2008-12-25T08:50:00.003-05:00

Every year we take the children to visit their grandparents on Christmas Eve. After the hugs and greetings the children run to the Christmas tree where they search like squirrels. Hidden in the branches they each find an envelope with a crisp new twenty dollar bill.

No wonder they don't believe me when I tell them money doesn't grow on trees!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The Puppy Mill Problem

2008-12-22T08:00:00.004-05:00

All across the country, people were protesting in front of Petland stores this weekend. It happens every year during the Holiday season as, The Humane Society of the United States, a private not for profit advocacy group, works to raise awareness about deplorable conditions in puppy mills. Complaints include charges that animals are kept in unsanitary cages, are unsocialized, poorly bred, have numerous health problems, and breeding bitches are kept in cages and impregnated every time they come into heat until they are not longer viable, and then are killed.

I came across one of the protest groups as I was doing my holiday shopping in Lewis Center, OH. A group of people gathered in front of the mall braving frigid temperatures for the sake of abused pups. A spokeswoman for the group, Mary O’Connor-Shaver of Columbus Top Dogs provided a press release which states:

“The goal of this event is to raise awareness of Petland and its relationship to puppy mill breeders and to solicit support from the community asking that Petland stop selling puppies while Central Ohio homeless dogs and puppies wait to be adopted.”

She wants the public to understand “There is a difference between reputable breeders and commercial breeders…Pet stores should be more regulated. We are finding these [pet store] dogs are very sick.”

She said “Lisa Wahoff, director of the Franklin County Animal Shelter pulled data in 2006 showing that as many as 7 out of every ten dogs coming into the shelter each day could be traced back to Petland sales.”

After speaking to the protesters, I took the time to talk with the folks at the Lewis center Petland store. Danny, the manager, brought out the Petland mascot Safari Sam to greet me and pose for pictures. He said Safari Sam was on his way out to the roadside to wave at the cars, and had been out earlier that morning standing side by side with the protest group. “The protesters show up every year during the holidays, but as you can see, it does not affect businesses at all.” He said with a wave of his hand, indicating the packed crowd of customers in the store. He was very good natured about the protest and adamantly stated that “all Petland puppies come from U.S.D.A. approved breeders.”

A report from the website bestfriends.org provides a comprehensive .pdf report outlining the definition of a puppy mill. One point of note in the reports states:

• Puppy mills are often USDA-licensed so they can sell puppies to pet stores. A USDA license is a red flag that breeders are in the business to make money.

The Petland manager went on to say “Petland does not approve of inhumane animal conditions.” “We think of Petland like a pre-school. We sanitize several times a day, and have customers use anti bacterial hand cleaner in between every pup they handle. Sanitation is a number one priority.”

In addition, the Petland website provides a comprehensive and scathing retort to the HSUS charges claiming this organization falsified video footage, fools the public, and uses a large percentage of donated monies for salaries and operating costs instead of the intended purpose of saving dogs.

I looked at the puppies and the condition of the cages and could only describe the Petland environment as impeccable. The puppies were handled by many customers who would go into a designated play area and get down on the floor with the pups while a staff member supervised. The staff was very attentive and helpful as they explained various breed traits. Clearly the workers were well informed, and dedicated to matching the right breeds with the families needs. Issues of size, temperament allergies and shedding were all topics I overheard during my visit. If these puppies came from disreputable puppy mills where poor kennel conditions and lack of socialization are a problem, the pups certainly do not live under those conditions once they are in Petland’s hands.

The Petland manager also talked about Petland’s Adopt-A-Pet program, which connects families who have a litter of puppies or kittens to families looking to adopt. He said “When someone finds a box of abandoned kittens and brings them in to us, we take them in, get them vaccinated, feed them, and provide them with good homes.” He want on to add, “Every Petland animal finds a home.” Implying Petland does not ever euthanize unwanted animals.

O’Connor-Shaver scoffed at that claim saying “no rescue organization in town has ever been contacted by Petland in regard to developing a partnership for their Adopt-A-Pet program.”

I asked Petland what they do when a puppy is growing and no one is buying. “We mark down the price, several times if we have to. Eventually they all find a home.”

While that may be true, one anti puppy mill website has posted an interview with a former Petland manager who tells of dogs being brought to the stores by the truckload, and those that do not pass muster are returned to the breeder. What happens to those puppies is unknown.

Petland claims the animal advocacy groups tie their annual protests to year end fundraising drives and prey on the sympathies of consumers to increase donations. The flip side of that argument is the protesters say this is the third year in a row the Ohio legislature has allowed the Puppy Mill bill to die in committee. They claim the commercial pet industry has ‘a strong lobby at the statehouse”, and “several powerful members of the committee make sure the bill never reaches the floor.”

For additional background information regarding the legal battles on this issue visit The Dog Service Network LLC blog and The Columbus Dog Connection.

These sites list the names of Ohio legislators involved in the committee hearings on The Puppy Mill Bill, but do not provide details on which legislators have received campaign donations from related lobby groups.

Such information would be most helpful to voters wanting a common sense solution to this issue.

For more information, the on line magazine Dog Owners Guide provides a balanced review of Puppy Mills, respectable breeders, and rescue organizations.

"Shoeicide" Bomber Makes a Stink

2008-12-15T13:17:00.004-05:00

The White House issued a red level footwear alert today, after a shoe throwing incident during the Presidents press conference in Iraq.

Bush has appointed 18 year old Airport security guard Buster Brown head of the countries new DC footwear anti terrorism team. Brown will be sworn in as Shoe Czar in the Oval office tomorrow.

President Bush joked about the incident saying “the shoe was a size 10.” However, Dick Cheney soon after enlisted Colon Powell to “toe the line” and release a Pentagon report claiming the shoes were actually sized 9-11. He then called for an international coalition of nations to invade Birkenstockistan. Cheney was later quoted as saying “This time we are gonna Sock it to em!”

Some conspiracy theorists are floating rumors of a “second Shoe-man” and claiming the attack was an inside job, as the video clearly shows no reaction or response from security or the Iraqi Prime Minister.

*Witnesses report having heard the plop of a third shoe hitting the wall behind the president. A commission is being set up, headed by the CEO of Hush Puppies, to scrutinze all 8mm videotapes made of the event.

One official from the Olympic javelin throwing committee scored the shoe bomber as a 5.5, because even though he missed his mark, he scored high on style points. The NCAA is rumored to be lobbying for a special Heisman Trophy for the throwers fancy footwork, calling him “a shoe in” for the next NFL draft. However, the secret service ranked embarrassingly low scores, as they were out on a coffee break, and missed the entire event. Apparently Special Secret Service Agent In Charge- Douglas Chesnick was replaced by a new crop of agents the White House recently outsourced through Wal-Mart.

Bush did his best to calm fears telling reporters he felt no threat, and all members of the White House Press Corps were in agreement on the prowess of the Presidents “Ducking skills.” Loyal Republicans met the Presidents plane with fanfare, playing the blues brothers song “Sole Man” as Bush exited the tarmac. Protesters responded by dressing up as Buster Brown and sporting signs that said “Heck of a job Brownie!” and “Sock and Awe!”

Stock in the shoe market jumped by 54% worldwide as a result.

_______________

*Thanks to Stephen Parrish for adding to the fun.
http://stephenparrish.blogspot.com/

Silly Sunday

2008-12-14T15:07:00.004-05:00

Today is my 46th birthday. So I am spending it with the family, just relaxing and having some fun. We were all cracking up over these parodies of the "INSPIRE" posters we found on the net.

I do love laughter, especially the contagious type. So here's a few of our favorites that might just split your sides too:

Great Gift Idea

2008-12-14T10:12:00.000-05:00

I have this old bathrobe. Green and purple paisley printed silk on the outside, lined with a rich purple terrycloth on the inside; its comfy classy, and silky soft.

This old dressing gown has been with me through it all. I threw it on when that late night phone call came. I wore it when my dog was sick, when we huddled in the basement during the tornado warnings, and when I had to talk to the police after the neighbor kids’ toilet papered the house across the street. I literally lived in this thing after my surgery, and when the doctor sentenced me to a month of bed rest during my second pregnancy. (Ugh, that was rough!)

This is what I greeted family in at the hospital after both of my children were born. It’s what I wore when I woke up every three hours of the night to feed them. It’s what their little heads pressed up against when they were sick, as I paced the floor singing lullabies. This robe was what I worried in the night my husbands’ plane got caught in bad weather, and he did not arrive home till 4 am. And I am pretty sure this is the outfit I will have on when my daughter sneaks in the door on the night of her senior prom.

Tonight, I am wearing it because I couldn’t sleep, and decided to write. Often my robe is curled around me when I am writing, or reading one of those books’ that is just so damn good that you just HAVE to finish it, even though your eyes are watering up with tears of tiredness. The paisley print on the cuff is what I find myself staring at when I wonder if “tiredness” is really a word.

My robe is sixteen years old. I remember the day I got her. My husband purchased her for me as a Christmas gift two years into our marriage. I opened the Victoria's" Secret box with such surprise. I had not expected a robe. And purple paisley? Well I guess it was pretty, but not what I would have picked for myself. This dressing gown was a stranger to me; Just a thing. It wasn’t one of those gifts that make a big sensation in the frenzied moments around the Christmas tree, but just a simple gift, offered with love.

I wore it off and on at first, just treating it like any other garment. But over time, this old robe has become a part of who I am. This robe has been around. It seems like it has been wrapped around me during almost every major moment of my life, (not to mention it’s what I am always wearing after, um, well, --you know.)

The funny thing is, I look at this robe and have to admire my husbands sense of style and quality. Even after all these years, this old robe is still in top notch shape. He did not buy a cheap robe. He shopped for the best. I may not be the pretty young woman he bought it for those many years ago, but I still feel like the girl he loves when I put it on. After all the baby spit up, all the dog hair, all the spilled coffee, and everything else in my messy old life, it still looks more than nice enough to make me feel beautiful when I wear it, and it’s certainly still good enough to answer the doorbell in at two am.

When my husband bought me this gift, I’m pretty sure he was not thinking sixteen years down the road. He was just looking for something nice to give his wife.

How could he ever imagine that little gift would come to symbolize a lifetime of living?

If there is anyone out there reading this tonight, and looking for that perfect gift, I suggest a nice silk dressing gown, with quality terry cloth lining. It just might be a wonderful way to wrap someone you love in comfort and style their whole life long.

Leggo’s and Coffee

2008-12-10T08:34:00.006-05:00

My ten year old son awoke early this morning, and much to my amusement, announced he would like a cup of coffee. Hubby and I shared a secret smile.

“Do you take it black, like me, or with cream and sugar like your mom?”

“Black.”

He then proceeded to go to the kitchen and pour a cup. Dad and I pretended to bury our heads in the paper nonchalantly.

“Would you like to read the comics?” My husband asked, handing the boy a section of the paper.

“I like to do the SODUKU.” He replied.

“I like to read the op-eds, your Dad likes to do the crossword, and now the SODUKU can be your section of the morning paper.”

With that, we three sat in quiet silence, drinking our coffee and reading the news for about 33 and a half seconds.

“I’m going to go play with my leggo’s now.”

“O.K. Honey. I’ll call you when it’s time to get ready for school.”

Breaking News: Harris and Kilroy WIN OHIO Seats!

2008-12-07T23:26:00.002-05:00

Breaking political news from the heart of Ohio:

This just in -- Mary Jo Kilroy (D) won her U.S. Congressional race by a margin of 2,311 votes, and Marian Harris (D) won her bid for The Ohio House of Representatives by a nail biting 735 votes!

I am thrilled for both of these outstanding campaigners. Way to go Girls!

Now I have only met Mary Jo on a few occasions, and can not say much beyond what most people already know, especially in regard to the truly nasty nature of what this woman had to endure in her last two campaigns. But I can tell you a little bit about Marian.

When I was approached and asked to run for political office two years ago, the mere idea was a shock to my system. Marian was one of the first candidates I met along the way, so I asked for her advice. Even though I was a total stranger, Marian invited me into her home. She served a delightful blend of Chinese flowering tea, and indulged my constant questioning for an entire afternoon. At the end of the day, she sent me on my way with a stack full of books and reports to read.

“Keep them as long as you like dear, but make sure I get them back. I’ll need them if I decide to run again.” She said as she waved goodbye from her brightly colored front porch. I was a total stranger, and she entrusted me with hundreds of dollars worth of valuable campaign material!

After reading through everything she gave me, I eventually decided to run, and Marian was there for me when I did. She introduced me to the people who helped launch my campaign. She gave me tips on building support, dealing with the press, and fundraising. I called her all the time with questions, and she was always there for me, willing to share her time and insights. During those conversations, I often thought about her grandchildren and how lucky they are to have her. Marian could move in with The Walton’s and feel right at home. She is genuine, real, open and honest. Not the typical politician type at all.

I am so glad Marian won her race. She is far and away one of the most honest and forthright people I have ever had the pleasure to know. Really. One thing I have learned about the world of politics is that most, if not all of the players are snakes. These people will pretend to be your best friend just to see what they can get out of you. They will tell you lie’s with crocodile smiles, hoping you will spread their rumors to knock someone out of the game. Everything is a set up as a double blind maneuver. It’s sickening. They will try so hard to get close to you, to gain your trust, and to set themselves up as your “inside advisors” when all they really plan on doing is cutting your throat when the game is done. It’s a nightmare; like waking up as a character on Paris Hiltons “Who wants to be my BFF” show. The only twist is these people play the game with godliness instead of New York jet Set Cool. The game is to see which snake can act more pious than the Pope in order to fool the press and the public.

But not Marian.

After all I have seen in the past two years, after all the back stabbing bull; Marian’s win restores my faith in the system.

Sometimes the good guys (and gals) really do win after all.

What are you reading now?

2008-12-07T12:43:00.003-05:00

What are you reading now, online, in print, and for daily news?

Currently I am enjoying an old copy of The Complete essays of Mark Twain that I found in the back room of a local antique store a few days ago. One essay in the book I found particularly enjoyable is titled That day in Eden. It is narrated lovingly by a wise and sympathetic Satan, telling the story of the moment when Adam and Eve lost their child like innocence by eating the apple.

For online reading, I am hitting The Huffington Post, (mainly to keep abreast on Depak Chopra's current struggle to find harmony with his personal Zen in the face of meany editorial attacks) and I'm hooking into Chris Brogans site, and a site called Alltop . ALLtop is great because you can pick a subject you like, (such as news, writing, animals, art, or blogging) and then quickly scan the first paragraph of what everyone is currently posting on that subject. I found Alltop through my new buddy Chris Brogan, whose web site is just chock full of information on how to better your blog.

Hopefully, this site will improve and become more fun for you readers as I try out a few of Chris's techniques.

Three suggestions he shared that I am using in this post include, asking a question of your readers, embedding links to sites that are useful to your readers, and the use of photos to entertain your readers.

(Whadda ya think Chris, do I pass blogging 101?)

Getting "Back" to it

2008-12-01T21:27:00.007-05:00

Oh my aching back...

I was doing fine, just going about my business, cleaning the house and moving the furniture after our big turkey day soiree, when, BANG!

You know how it works-you do all sorts of heavy lifting and then something S-N-A-P-S when you do a tiny little twist while bending over to pick up a feather.

Sigh.

If the writing rambles a bit tonight, -my apologies. It just means the pain killers are kicking in.

The good news is, I am laid up in style. I am blessed with TBDFITL (That's Ohio State Buckeye speak for a really great family.)

I'm sitting up in bed with my heating pad, a big glass of ice water, and my brand new HP G60 125NR Notebook computer that my hubby and kids bought me for an early Christmas/Birthday present.

I adore this computer, and will be happy to provide a review if anyone out there is interested. For that matter I could review quite a few little tech toys as I am a total gadget geek.

I know the idea is a bit off topic for this blog, but with the holidays on the way, it seems like a helpful use of my blogging energy to share the pros and cons of a few possible gift ideas with my friends out there in bloggerville.

What say ye dear readers, would you like this blog to go there?

Or maybe I should just narrow the focus of this space to the topics of writing, publishing, and use of social media. Or I could stick with politics...but I suspect we are all a bit worn out on that topic for a while. (If you're not, then I'm not the only one who needs a chill pill.)

It is time for a topic change. Thats for sure. So you all tell me... What would you like for Christmas from this site?

I would surely appreciate your ideas.

-But before I get "back" to it, I think its best I log off for the night.

Either this computer has the magic ability to split itself into twin screens, or the percoset is kicking in.

Nightie Night Wabbbbiiiiitttttssssssssss.................

Splitting Hares - Limited Edition Cel - 2001
Bugs Bunny GossamerMad Scientist Released 2001
Hand Signed By Chuck Jones
Unframed Price: $1350
Available at:
Alexander Ross fine Art Gallery

Holiday Gift Ideas

2008-11-29T15:13:00.008-05:00

I came across this amusing little link over at Shakesville, and thought it would be nice to assist my fellow bloggers with their holiday shopping. So for those of you who missed Black Friday (or managed to survive it), heres a few ideas to get yer shop-hop in gear:

We begin with the
Darth Vader Toaster -a must for all creative cooks of the future, and it runs off the optional light saber battery pack too!

How about an upside down X-Mas tree to make the Yoga enthusiast of the family feel right at home.

There's the Star Trek Bottle Opener sure to beam up smiles from the sci-fi fans in the family, that is, if you can coax them to come up out of the basement.

Or how about some big bear feet. A great gift for the practical joker in the family who wants us all to believe BigFoot lives in the back yard.

(You never know...with a few well placed footprints in the snow, and a video upload to Youtube, you might just have the next big thing with this gift.)

And if all else fails, you could always get the family some gift certificates from Rocco's Tattoo Emporium.

_________

Note to Self:

*-Call Grandmas doctor and have her medication changed

Happy Holydaze to all.

WKRP Turkey Drop

2008-11-27T08:29:00.002-05:00

"As God as my witness, I thought Turkeys could fly!"
-Mr. Carlson, WKRP in Cincinatti

Write Right

2008-11-19T07:44:00.005-05:00

Image via Wikipedia
Writers update:

It's been a busy week for my keyboard. Clackity-clack.

I submitted one article to Redbook and the Ladies Home Journal, of which I have not yet received a response. It usually takes about six weeks with the top tier rags, so no worries there mate...just anticipation.

I wrote another that was accepted to a magazine called Journeys, and two more for a newspaper called The Liberty Voice.

I am also making good progress on my novel, which feels great, because as writers well know, "The Novel" always seems to take the back burner to everything else in life.

This is the sixth book for me, well I should say the sixth attempt. The first was just something I put together as a supplement for classes I taught.

The second was a privately published collaboration for an organization I belong to.

The third was a disaster! I made the neophyte mistake of trying to put everything into it, including the kitchen sink. (It was going to be The Great American Novel, yanno.) Good Gatsby that thing reads like scattered pages bound up after a library bombing!

The fourth book is a work of historical fiction based on an Ohio family at the turn of the century. I made a DVD documentary to go along with it that is currently available at several libraries and the Ohio Historical Society. The book never got finished, but the documentary did, so I guess that's a partial success. One of these days, I'll get back to it, but not now.

The fifth attempt was a book I co-authored with a wonderful writer about women in politics. We self published to get it out there quickly for this years election, and even had a University Press lined up for wider distribution, but that one is now a dead horse. Pity. It was actually a respectable little piece of prose.

And now, I'm on number six.

This one is fun. I look forward to spending time with my characters and creating the world they live in. I am hopeful this one just might make it out of the nest and fly. It feels different than the others. It has an excitement and a comical edge to it that none of the others did. It also has a very pointed focus, which helps a lot.

I've learned so much about the craft of writing from this process, and all those lessons are showing up in the pages of this new work. -And really, that's the key...Mamma always said "Practice makes perfect!"

With that sentiment in mind, here's a great little story my fellow scribes might enjoy:

An esteemed Harvard professor and published author offered an advanced writing class all the students were clamoring to attend. On the first day, the lecture hall was packed. The instructor walked in, looked around the room and told the students to take out a pad of paper and a pen. Then he said, "So you all want to become writers heh? Well then WRITE!"

And with that, he left the room.

Monkey Balls

2008-11-12T09:40:00.002-05:00

I've got monkey balls in my basement. Also known as hedge apples or horse apples, these lumpy fruits of the Osage Orange tree are known by many for their use as a spider repellent.

My tweenkin daughter just moved into the basement, for some much sought after teen privacy and "space" so we went a walking to find her some monkey balls.

A few days later, my husband spotted a spider by the fireplace. As he was about to evict the little sucker, a thought occurred to me, and I stopped him dead in his tracks.

"DO NOT TOUCH THAT SPIDER!" I cried.

"Let's do an experiment. I want to see if those monkey balls really work."

So the family gathered round the hearth, with green ball and flashlight in hand, watching the reaction of our little eight legged intruder, as "Deal or No Deal" blared on in the background, ignored.

Nothing.

Ol' spidy did not mind the monkey ball one bit.

So we cut it in half to see if that would do the trick.

Still no reaction.

"I wonder what kind of spider he is?"

"I don't know, but I'll bet he comes from Washington D.C."

"Why?"

"Because he sure is slow to react."

With that, the family consensus was to head off to bead, and resume our research in the morning.

Of course, our little guest was still there the next day, happily spinning his home a mere six inches away from the horrid hedge apple.

Our conclusion: either monkey ball magic is a myth, or we have a spider with the soul of Martin Luther King, for he has surely overcome.

Honoring Veterans day

2008-11-11T10:56:00.002-05:00

My Grandmother: A real Rosie the Riveter!

Her dad: Leader of the 42nd Rainbow Division band under General Black Jack Pershing.

Grandmas twin brother: "Uncle Inky" a WWI Doughboy, who went off to war with his father at the tender age of 14.

How Lame

2008-11-09T17:54:00.004-05:00

In honor of Thanksgiving, and the soon to be upon us LAME DUCK
Season, I offer some amusing visuals to give you something to quack about.

"But I thought you didn't LIKE that bill..."

(I have several good captions for this one, but none I am willing to post on the web. So good readers, chime in and create your own.)

Did I mention I'm cooking for 14 people this Thanksgiving? Yeah, just pass me an apron and call me Dolly Domestic.

I can smell that turkey cookin already!

Sharing and Caring

2008-11-08T10:08:00.005-05:00

The Dream Come True

2008-11-05T10:58:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T17:40:00.006-04:00

We had a great grand Halloween celebration with lots of kids and costumes. The neighbors all dropped by for "goul-osh, cider, and bunches of other pot luck treats. One gal did up a veggie tray with carrots sticking out of the dill dip. She put little radish slices on the tips to make it look like fingers. Creepy crunchy goodness. Yum.

My neighbors down the street put out a sign saying "HELP! We are surrounded by scary McCain Voters!" (Their house has an Obama sign, and their neighbors on both sides and across from them all have McCain signs.)

It was pretty funny.

For my part, I carved a political pumpkin. Late that night after the festivities were over, my kids and I snuck down to the Obama house, put our punkin on their porch, rang the doorbell and hid. The owners came out to find our gift. They took the pumpkin and put it on a pedestal as the feature of their display. The kids and I were grinning from ear to ear as we watched. We wanted them to know they were not alone, and that they have neighbors who really do care.

I thought it was very symbolic of the CHANGE we are all looking for in this election. Instead of arguing with the opposition, we did something to make our neighbors feel a little HOPE.

It was a SWEET TREAT for all.

Of course, some McCain supporters have other ideas. (Click here to see the video of a woman who would not give Halloween candy to children unless they support McCain.)

Glowbama Pumpkin Carving Contest

2008-10-24T20:03:00.005-04:00

Win a free ipod and Change the World!
That's right folks, it's time for the first annual Barack Obama Pumpkin Carving Contest!

Anyone can enter. Just carve your Punkin, take a snap shot and send it in. Winners will be announced the night before the big election. (One rule: No attack Punkins allowed, cause yanno, it's a fun family kind of thing.)

Check out the contenders:

-Pretty creative... but come on bloggerites, I know you can win this thing! Pull out those kitchen knives and show us what you've got.

(It's by far a much healthier outlet than what a certain misguided McCain supporter did. )

Have some fun and Change the World!

The Family Friendly Workplace

2008-10-21T16:24:00.006-04:00

Image via Wikipedia Joe asks to take off work early on Friday to play a round of golf with the boys. No problem (He’s networking.) Jill asks to take of work early on Friday to volunteer in her child’s classroom, and eyebrows are raised and suggestions made that maybe Jill does not really care about her job. Jill gets the message that if her family is her first priority, maybe she should just leave the workforce and stay at home…where “good” mothers belong.

But the reality is most families need duel incomes to survive. Jill must work. For that matter, Jill WANTS to work. She wants to take care of her family too.

This old “between a rock and a hard place” scenario is the basis of The MOMMY WARS. One side says women are traditional caregivers, and should fulfill that role in the home. The other side says women who want careers should have ample opportunity to compete with men on a level playing field. They want all day every day kindergarten, and state funded daycare, and passage of The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Now, I am all for the Ledbetter Act, and Early Childhood Development, but it seems to me there is a middle ground we are missing in this debate:

Women have worked along side their men since the beginning of time. Go back to the Hunter Gatherer societies, and you will see, women providing the majority of the food.
Seventy percent of the food consumed by prehistoric peoples consisted of plant material, and only thirty percent came from the hunt.

Some scientists believe the tendency for right handedness -- which is passed on the maternal side -- comes from these gathering gals. They say women would hold their babies with their left arm because the children were comforted by the sound of the heartbeat, while working with the right arm. In other words, the girls were doing twice as much “providing” as their male counterparts, with one hand tied behind their back!

I wonder why we never see anything about that in those cave man documentaries on The History Channel.

In agricultural societies, women also worked along side their men. Women milked cows, gathered eggs, fed livestock, and harvested food. The difference between then and now is simply that children are no longer allowed in the workplace, because the workplace is no longer part of the home or community. The industrial revolution changed everything.

So we have a new standard of work ethics in the modern world; 9 to 5 Monday thru Friday, with a little overtime thrown in for good measure. This is a problem for primary caregivers. They simply can not compete for promotions and raises under the current system. I have always said I can put in a sixty hour week, and still be a good mom; I just need control of my schedule to do it. As the primary caregiver for my family, my schedule must fluctuate with the needs of my children, my husband, my pets, and sometimes my aging parents. I am in charge of doctors’ appointments, dentist appointments, visits from Joe the plumber, and Jill the electrician. It is my responsibility to make sure the kids get on the bus at 8:30, and are home safe at 3:30. I am the one in charge on snow days, teacher work days, late start days and holidays. I attend the PTO meetings and go to school events and conferences. I bring food for classroom parties, and chaperone for field trips. It’s expected, and I don’t mind doing it one bit. I just need the ability to do some of my other work early in the morning or late at night to manage it all.

Have you ever taken a good look at a school calendar? Almost every third week of the year includes either a late start day or a non school day. How many employers will put up with that?

To paraphrase the famous line from the Paul Newman movie “Cool Hand Luke” What we have here is a lack of communication.

I believe we need a new model in the work place. With today’s technology there is no reason why flex time, telecommuting, and job sharing programs can not become the norm. The industrial age is over. This is the information age, and yet we still can not seem to come to grips with the basic advantages of the technology we have harnessed.

Flex time works. There are plenty of studies to prove it. Employee satisfaction goes up when people are in charge of their own schedules. Employee turn-over goes down. Companies who use these family friendly models attract the best and the brightest. A better worker pool means higher production and bigger profits.

Families with duel incomes and low daycare costs have higher net worth and more disposable income. That extra money fuels spending and boosts the economy.

Flex time and work from home also decreases rush hour traffic, and reduces our carbon footprint. It’s good for the environment.

Kids who have a parent at home, acting as a responsible hard working role model engage in lower rates of vandalism and get better grades in school.

If we really value the family as the core of society, why is Joe rewarded for golfing while Jill is considered “below par” for volunteering in the schools? I don’t get it.

I suggest we could jump start our economy and solve a great many social problems by creating tax incentives for eco friendly, family friendly businesses, willing to employ some of these proven strategies in the workplace.

The bottom line is; IT WORKS!

The Welfare Queens of Wall Street

2008-10-14T20:58:00.004-04:00

Image via Wikipedia Here's my latest column for The Huffington Post, titled: The Welfare Queens of Wall Street.

Enjoy!

Gather round kiddies, its story time:

Once upon a time, Ronald Reagan rallied Republicans with his tale of the big bad “welfare queen” who cruised around the kingdom in her pumpkin colored Cadillac stealing all the peoples gold. His story was a fabrication of course, but did much to solidify the convictions of the “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” crowd. Now we have welfare queens on Wall Street begging for a bail out while spending all our money at the spa. Oh how the tables do turn.

The plight of these poor little rich men started when the wicked witch of Deregulation came to town. George Bush was a believer in the fairy tale of the “ownership society.” The premise; capitalism is king, free markets are the Holy Grail, and the big bad monster of government must be completely crushed like a little bug under the cowboy boot of consumerism. Wealth and prosperity will trickle down to those who deserve it, and away from those who don’t. (Excuse me for saying so, but I am not overly fond of being “trickled on” by a bunch of Monopoly men.)

What we are talking about here is supply side economics. (I know, I know, economics is a tough subject, and not much fun, but bear with me, and I shall try to provide a little stimulus in the package.)

Here’s a quick background: Regan believed spending creates wealth. So the idea is, spend more than you have, and riches will abound. It’s kind of like saying instead of saving your money in the bank, just max out your credit cards to say, a trillion dollars or so while waving your magic wand saying “there’s no place like home.”

But to put it in folksy Sarah Palin slang, “By-golly, that sure didn’t work worth a diddly now did it.” (Wink)

Bill Clinton did not believe in such magic, and refused to drink the kool-aid, so when he took office, he created a plan called “Pay as You Go.” Bill balanced his budget, and left us with a nice fat national savings account. (Thanks Bill!) But George Bush did not like Bill. He liked Ron’s idea better. So George and his pals in the GOP decided to spend every last dime in that ol’ savings account, and then spend more and more and more!

The problem is, George and his buddies did not read the entire memo on Keynesian economics, which basically says deficit spending is O.K. in the short term. In other words; be fiscally responsible, but if your car breaks down, go ahead and use the credit card to fix it, cause keeping the ol’ engine running in order to get to work is better than losing your job. They just sort of skipped over that “in the short term” part, and just ran with the shop till you drop plan like Brittany Spears on a bender.

The politicians of the GOP were living high on the hog in this fairy tale world and bringing home the bacon big time. Yes sir’ee Jim Bob, it was a grand old party. They could campaign to the home crowd on the ever popular “no new taxes” mantra while lining their districts with endless payouts of pork pulled from your pockets. (Just ask The Welfare Queen of Wasilla: Alaska got the biggest helping of all.) But even that was not enough. These supply-siders, or “voo-doo economists” as Bush Senior once called them, wanted to deregulate everything. No Rules! No oversight! No government! Let the free market take care of itself! Which is exactly what they did. The busy little beavers of the GOP worked their noses to the ground making new laws to unmake old laws, and set the wild markets free.

Once the markets were deregulated, lots and lots of bad (subprime) loans were made, with No Bank Left behind. It pretty much burst everybody’s bubble.

Now, the GOP will tell you the poor are to blame, (because everybody knows they don’t know how to handle money.) They will say these “irresponsible” borrowers messed up their whole plan and caused the housing bubble to burst. (“Bad poor people!”, “Bad!”)

It’s convenient for the GOP to blame the poor, because this is the one group that is least able to fight back, and the group least likely to vote for them anyway. But the numbers don’t lie folks. While the poor did in fact get caught in this web, and did default on a number of loans, the total percentage of those loans is nowhere near big enough to cause a world market collapse. Look around. This mortgage crisis is not restricted to urban low income neighborhoods here at home. (If this was just a problem in the projects, I guarantee it would never have made the front page.) No, we are talking about world market collapse. We are talking about the foreclosure of McMansions, ocean front estates, and banking failures on a global scale. (As if the poor could pull that off.) This crisis did not occur because the poor abused the free market principle of deregulation to rip off Wall Street, this crisis occurred because the greedy ghost of Gordon Gecko is the acting grand wizard behind the curtain of deregulation policies.

The time has come where conservatives can no longer laugh at progressives with snide remarks of seething fiscal and moral superiority. Their “guy” was wrong. Their plan did not work, and their addiction to the fear mongering politics of imperialistic saber rattling for oil has torn their precious little family values plank into a million little pieces.

There is a price to pay for this folly, of that you can be sure. Judgment is coming, and it commeth right soon. We are facing job losses, business failures, a freeze up in the financial markets, and a very long, severe recession. Change is on the way my friends. Ya, you betcha.

No matter what Congress does now, it’s too late to stop that. The best they can do is minimize the damage, and I would not put too much hope on that because as anyone in Washington will tell you, if you ask two economists their opinion, you will get six different answers. The good news is, in this case, for the first time in world history, all the economists are in agreement on one thing: we are in some really deep doo-doo.

Here is what the American people need to understand, and what they are never, ever going to hear from a politician: You are going to have to pay for this mess, and it is going to cost each and every one of us dearly. We are in a very, very deep debt. We have two wars going on that we can no longer pay for. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Our jobs are going overseas, and our addiction to oil is killing us. It is time to tighten our belts and circle the wagons. As Nancy Pelosi said in a press conference yesterday, “We have a huge budget deficit which we could get relief from if we end the war in Iraq. We have a huge trade deficit which has an impact on the fiscal budget health of our country which would be greatly relieved if we reduced our dependence on foreign oil and did so soon.”

Pelosi took the stage, surrounded by a dozen economists including Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stieglitz, who added, we need a “comprehensive plan, not just based on trickle down economics, not just going to financial markets, but at least some of the money going directly to households and to meet infrastructure needs.” He also focused on the development of green technologies as a major component of the solution.

So climb aboard the magic school bus kiddies. We are about to embark on a wild ride, and learn a whole new way of living in the grand ol’ U.S. of A.

I know The American People are strong enough to overcome this crisis. But I worry the voters will not be smart enough to remember how it all began. I fear, as we experience the hard hitting blows of inflation, voters will retaliate against whoever is in power at the time, which means that even if we vote for Democrats this year, and bring in a fresh new group of leaders, ready and willing to turn this mess around, the Republicans will have a sweeping victory in 2012. They will approach hungry, hurting voters with that tempting poison apple of trickle down policy, dressed up in the costume of tax relief, and rule the kingdom once again.

Remembering Billy Jack

2008-10-09T13:35:00.002-04:00

Does anyone remember the 1970's counter culture film Billy Jack?

Last night I took my kids to visit my old high school, an alternative learning environment much like The Freedom School depicted in the movie. We called it The A.P. (short for Worthington High School Alternative Program) but most of the people around town just called it "The Zoo."

My munchkins were flipping out. A school where kids make the rules? Where you can paint on the walls or break out into song on the stage of "The Big Room" whenever you like? Where you call the teachers by their first names? Where every teacher and every student each have an equal say and equal vote on how the school is run? Where nobody locks their lockers, (as that would be an insult to the integrity of your fellow students.) Where kids can teach their own classes, or write up a contract with a teacher, to go anywhere in the world to learn anything they would like?

Yeah babies, that is where mommy went to high school: in a totally non-institutionalized institution, where peace, learning, responsibility and respect all went hand in hand.

Does anyone else still value that?

With politics as it is right now, I drew a number of parallels during my visit to the old stomping grounds. The A.P. is a great example of thinking outside of the box, to create something new and different, and infinitely better.

People fear change, just like the people in town who called us "zooies." way back then. But the old school is still going strong, and has produced some amazing citizens, who have done some pretty cool things over the years.

I don't know about you, but I don't fear change at all. I'm actually really looking forward to it.

You Tube would not allow permission to embed the video from the film here, but if you remember the movie, you will get a real blast of nostalgia by clicking this link. It will take you to the Billy Jack trailer and theme song "One Tin Soldier by Coven. Excellent tune, and a great old independent film with a message that still resonates today.

...Comin' Round the Mountain

2008-10-08T14:39:00.003-04:00

Tina Fey is on Fire!

2008-10-02T08:24:00.001-04:00

Tina Fey is a dead ringer for Sarah Palin. Ya gotta love her!

The Ohio Hurricane

2008-09-22T11:13:00.009-04:00

Image by SideLong via Flickr

"Columbus is a town in which almost anything is likely to happen, and in which almost everything has.”
-James Thurber

We all remember the funny James Thurber story, The Day The Dam Broke, about a panicked mob running east down Broad Street at the mere mention of the 1913 flood that devistated the capitol city of Columbus, OH. One can only imagine what Thurber would do with the tale of The Ohio Hurricane as Ike left over a million midwest residents without utilities for over a week.

Maybe the story would go a little something like this:

There are few alarms more terrifying than “The Hurricane’s about to hit!” yet that is exactly what Ohioans are up against, at least until the November elections are over. Right now, over one million Ohioans are frustrated by lack of power. We call them Democrats.

As the storm approached rumors flew up and down High Street with warnings from weathermen on the impending tropical depression sure to cause damage during the post convention period of September, 2008. People braced for the worst; the entire state abuzz with the hum of placid pundits; arguing, computing, wheedling, offering, refusing, and yet never, ever compromising or running for cover. Fears of long lines in supermarkets, gas stations and polling places prevailed.

As winds howled, lights went out and freezers thawed, people mobbed the stores for generators and Ice. (Without cable T.V for the Browns game, these items were mostly used to rig various contraptions of self electrocution.)

Those unable to find such necessities gathered on the streets and fired up their grills, cooking every rotting thing in their ice box, including Nutty Aunt Norma’s Fruit Cake from Christmas 1973. Instead of hunkering down inside the safety of their homes, Ohioans came outdoors for wild and windy tailgate parties with neighbors, strangers, and even strange neighbors. They came together as a team in community solidarity, with offerings of freezer burnt meat. Thus is the nature of the Buckeye, always honoring tradition; fighting for every three yards in a cloud of dust, armed with bad bratwurst and day old bread. Brave souls held their ground during the disaster, following in the footsteps of dear old Marc Dann who once told the Governor, in the language of Julius Caesar, they might as well try to move the Northern star as to move him. (Alas, the poor Danster was unaware he was heading south at the time.)

Other politicians were also busy braving the weather, and wondering what in the world to do in a statewide emergency, with no phone banks or robocall robots on line. They soon determined, in an unprecedented act of bipartisanship, the best course of action in such a crisis would be to harness wind energy and litter the city with a flurry of printed campaign debris.

As gusts reached up to 75 mph, siding ripped from houses, trees fell, stock prices plummeted, and some people began to run. (Actually everyone ran, except the conservatives, who thought it best to lay low in bad weather.) It may be they suddenly remembered, all of a moment, that women voters DO count, and this might just be the source of the seething storm. Whatever it was, the people began to stir. They ran up Broad St, clamoring for the Statehouse steps. Soon others joined in. News boys (and girls) were in high spirits. Portly old gents of public affairs broke into a trot, and inside of ten minutes, everybody on High street was running with the herd. “The Hurricane’s coming! Ohio is in the eye of the storm!” Reported CNN and FOX. Soon thousands upon thousands were running like wild. GO LEFT! GO RIGHT! GO GREEN! They cried.

Some unknown official grabbed a megaphone, giving official endorsement to the panicky rush. “Change! Change!” came the calls from both halls, as winds whipped down established lines of power as ground beef went bad. At first this tended only to add to the confusion and increase the panic, for many stampeders thought they heard soldiers bellowing “Man the Swiftboats!” -Thus increasing the calamity all the more.

Black streams of people braved the storm, flowing into campaigns and registering to vote in numbers like never before. Fickle housewives fed the political PMS of both parties with their shouts and screams from the HILL(ary) Top.

One visitor in an airplane, (a Presidential politician perhaps,) was hard put to divine a reason for the panic of the straggling, agitated masses below. No Ohio Hurricane could ever match the winds of the battered gulf cost, and yet the winds raged beyond any ever seen by any Buckeye alive, blowing down street signs, ripping up trees, and tearing approval ratings to minuscule shreds.

Meanwhile on the ground, Nutty Aunt Norma was in a real pickle. First she ran to the left, but then ran to the right, confused by the ever shifting winds. The beating gusts blew her right out of a gathered group of girls and into the middle of the road, lost and confused. We found her eventually on the porch of an OSU frat house, perched atop a wayward Inniswood Gardens statue, with a note from a Unicorn attached to her dress. She was as frazzled as a plucked chicken in a fox den, poor thing. The authorities arrested her of course, as statue abductions are a serious problem in the capitol city.

The people ran and ran as trees turned to toothpicks and vinyl siding took flight. I drew up alongside a woman as I fled with the others. “What in the world is going on?” I puffed.

“Don’t ask me, ask GOD!” she cried, invoking her new found Palin power.

“Holy Baked Alaska, our Moose is Cooked! ” came the reeling response. For a moment, I felt sure they were right and fell into a slump, waiting for the winds of un-change to overtake us all with a thundering WMD (whirlwind of mass destruction.)

Then, in a moment of calm, I noticed everyone was running on foot. Nobody fled the storm in their SUV’s or Hummers. Apparently they could not afford the gas. No matter which way the wind blows, that is one thing we can all agree on.

It will be four years or more before we know the extent of the damage from The Famous Ohio Hurricane, and I can only hope, by then the mess will finally be cleaned up, and we will all be able to look back through the windows of our solar paneled homes, and laugh.

Hot, Flat, and Crowded

2008-09-11T08:50:00.005-04:00

Hot, Flat, and Crowded
Why We Need a Green Revolution - And How it Can Renew America
By Thomas L. Friedman

Friedman's book proposes a national strategy of "Geo-Greenism" to "make America healthier, richer, more innovative, more productive, and more secure."

He shows how 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the flattening of the world by the Internet have combined to bring climate and energy issues to Main Street, as the grandchildren of the Greatest Generation, step up to lead as "the Greenest Generation."

He calls for Americans to redefine ourselves and lead the charge of energy technologies, with great hope for the future.

National DO NOT CALL list

2008-09-10T13:51:00.002-04:00

Image by bennylin0724 via Flickr
REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies tomorrow and you will start to receive sale calls.

Yes, you WILL be charged for these calls! Not counting waisting you minutes too! To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222 or go to the website below.

It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number from solicitors. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked or sign up through the web site. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS.. It takes about 20 seconds. Go to http://www.donotcall.gov/ to register or get more information.

My Huffington Post Debut

2008-09-08T15:51:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

I'm excited to share the news, an essay I wrote just got picked up by The Huffington Post! This is a big break for any writer, so I hope you will all help me out and "Buzz it up" a bit by posting comments over at Huff Post, and tagging it as a favorite.

Many thanks to all for your friendship and support,

Here is the link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelley-bellwenzlaff/sex-sells-in-the-gop_b_124847.html

Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick

2008-09-08T09:47:00.002-04:00

Tonight is the parent meeting for sixth grade band students, and my son is contemplating study of the flute. To help him out, I pulled up a YOU TUBE video of my favorite flute player, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.

Ahhh, the memories I have of that band….

Years ago, I worked security for a large outdoor amphitheater. The night Tull came to town, I was assigned the coveted backstage dressing room position. Normally, this involved checking passes and placating groupies, but that night was different.

Andrew Giddings, the Keyboard player pulled me aside moments before the show and said “Come with me.” He walked me out to the right wing of the stage, just behind the curtain and handed me a pack of Marlboro’s and a gold plated Zippo lighter. “Stand here. Keep a cigarette lit at all times. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Good girl. On with the show!” He cried in his classic high Brit accent.

The band paraded past me as I dutifully lit up. Ian Anderson was in a horrible state that night. He just had knee surgery, was wearing a brace, and complaining his prescription pain meds “weren’t at all working.” The man belonged in bed, and the entire crew knew it. But this was show business. With a sold out crowd of twenty thousand, a star just can’t call in sick. The show had to go on, and the grimacing Anderson hit the stage dancing about like an elf on fire.

All through the night, Giddings would lean back and puff on my stock of cigarettes. At times, Andy would have one hand on the keyboard, while reaching out to me with the other. My older brother was out in the audience with his friends. They were in the sixth row. I could see him, but he had no idea I was watching behind the wings.

The show was incredible. When it was over, I rolled out a cart with beer and beverages for the band. Andy looked at me while cracking open a Heineken and asked me to join the band for dinner.

Dinner? Oh baby! Dinner with Jethro Tull?!!!!!!

Dress me up in The Union Jack, and GOD Save The Queen!

It about killed me…but I turned him down. I knew the invitation was an offer for more than a meal.

I had a husband and kids waiting at home. I was not about to wake my honey up on a work night to tell him I was going out to party with the band. Andy understood. He touched my chin with his fingers, looked over at Ian Anderson and said with deep English flair, “Pity Ian, she’s a loyally married security lady.”
I flashed my wedding ring to Anderson, and he managed a smile through the throbbing pain in his leg.

My knees turned to rubber. But I kept my cool, bid the band good night, and headed home.

Everyone I know says I should have gone out with the band that night, but I’ve been around theater long enough to know, the magic is on the stage. Hanging out with a bunch of drunks at Denny’s would never compare to the spectacle of that show. It would just tarnish the memory. (Hey, even rock stars are just people when the spotlight goes out.)

The next day, I teased my husband, telling him I turned down a date with Jethro Tull to come home to him. I told him a one night stand with even the coolest rock star in the world could never compete with MY One True Love… Not ever.

Anyone who says otherwise is Thick---Thick as a Brick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toHlMD50eYY

The achievement of dreams

2008-08-30T11:25:00.000-04:00

I once had a teacher who was a very talented commercial artist. He always said, “All my students will surpass me.” We would say “NO! NO! You have so much talent-much more than any of us!”
But ol’ Butch knew what he was talking about. All his students did go on to great success, while he remained behind.

I went to visit him years later and found him living in an old trailer behind a junk yard. I just landed a huge contract which required me to put together a team of about ten artists. I offered him a leadership position on the gig and more money than he earned that entire year.

He was a no show his first day on the job.

We met later to talk about it. I had seen him sabotage himself like this many times before.
After a long talk, we finally got to the root of the problem. Butch was scared of success. He knew how to get by. He knew how to live on the streets, and how to survive, but he did not know the first thing about complex tax returns, 1099 forms or corporate culture. He was out of his comfort zone in that world, and it frightened him. I understood, and bid him goodbye with a small gift of 100 dollars to pay his rent.

It’s been many years since that last visit with my street wise instructor, and I have met many other travelers along the road of life who remind me of him. Women who remain in abusive relationships, because that life is all they know, or think they deserve. Children from broken homes who grow up engaging in a merry go round of dysfunctional dating relationships and reliving their past; People who have dreams of building a better life, but never take action, or quit half way into a job.

It’s a strange phenomenon in human psychology how people will gravitate to the familiar, even when they know the alley they walk is nothing but a dark and painful dead end.

In a recent television biography of horror writer Stephen King, the author recounted the story of his success. He said his father was a writer too, but never rose above mediocrity, even though his work was very good. King’s mother told the boy his father lacked “stick-to-it-ivness.” He would become so discouraged by rejection, he would just drop completed projects after one rejection and move on to something else. King made a promise to himself he would not make the same mistake. After a series of over 100 rejections, his perseverance paid off. The title of the book: Carrie. A work King himself says he “didn’t think was very good.”

We all know what happened after that.

I suppose we all fall into that trap of giving up from time to time, but as for me, I am taking my cues from King. I “will not go softly into that good night” because the achievement of dreams is too much of a miracle to miss.

Whats What with the Clintonistas?

2008-08-27T12:15:00.007-04:00

Image via Wikipedia I had great fun last night, appearing on the What's What with Mike Cole Show on WVKO 1580 AM radio. The hour long program began with call in guests Dan Stewart, Rich Cordray, and John O'Grady, who were all reporting live from the Democratic Convention in Denver.

(Maybe that's why I was invited on the show...I'm the only Ohio Democrat not in Denver today!)

It was a great interview. We discussed women's role in politics, specifically Hillary Clinton's race, her speech last night, and the mood of Clinton supporters.

We took a look at the silly John McCain commercial with the "former Hillary supporter" encouraging women to cross over to the GOP. HA! Any woman who would fall for that has no clue of the party platforms.

Women interested in the economy, equal pay for equal work, in women's rights, health care, the environment, quality public education for their kids, affordable college tuition, and the all important concept of not needing to send our children off to war, MUST vote the Obama/Biden ticket.

But don't take my word for it, Hillary said it much better:

My friends, it is time to take back the country we love.

Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines.

This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win.

I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family, and fighting for women's rights at home and around the world ... to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.

And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.

No way. No how. No McCain.

Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president.

For more information about her speech, check out these fine links:

Obama Biden

2008-08-24T11:42:00.005-04:00

Well, we have a ticket:

Obama/Biden.

Nothin against Joe, but...

Barak Obama picked a WOWI (WhiteOldWashingtonInsider) to be the face of CHANGE.

Suprise Surpise.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I wonder how he looks in a skirt?

Zemanta

2008-08-22T21:33:00.003-04:00

I just found a new blogging tool called

Zemanta. I found it while surfing the exhibitors for the upcoming
Blogworld Expo in Vegas Sept. 20-21.

This post is just a test to see how it works. If you notice any difference in the blog, please let me know.

Thanks.

Homework Hurdles

2008-08-22T09:53:00.007-04:00

"With good people, and this goes all the way back to my grandmother...she didn't tell my dad, "Now you go to the study table." No, no. She said, "I'll meet you at the study table." And that's where your good parents and you're good teachers are."

-OSU football coach Woody Hayes

Its homework time kiddies! Break out the book bags and get yer gray matter in gear.

My daughter is off to a fine start. She wrote a “letter of introduction” to her English teacher last night, (the classic “about me” and “what I did this summer” piece.) It was good. She typed it up on the computer, and brought it down for me to edit three times before printing off the final. I felt like the father in the movie "A River Runs Through it," marking up her work with my red pen, and handing it back saying "Again, and half as long."

During this exercise my son was engaged in twenty minutes of required reading. He picked a book called Halo, based on the ever popular X-Box video game. Momma is none to happy about this. The war game culture of the little boys in our neighborhood disturbs me. Sometimes I feel as if our sons are being marketed to by a secret Spartan military culture.

With his reading completed, his next task was to write a summary paragraph. Unfortunately, this did not work out so well. I asked several questions about what happened in the story, and got some pretty vague answers. So, mom got the fun duty of reading the first chapter of Halo. Holy snooze fest Batman! How in the world did this thing ever manage to get published?!!!! The entire first page is about the character SLEEPING!

Sleeping mind you! Some sort of waking up from cyber ice sleep bullishness. Roll me over and shove a pillow down my throat. No wonder my munchkin could not tell me what happened in the story.

I’m no great writer, (even though I would love to play one on T.V.) but I do know when you write a book, the first rule is to drop the reader into the action on the very first page.

Example:

Commander Kel on a mission:

Commander Kel went ballistic over the book, and immediately marched to her personal library to pull a few good examples for Private Munchkin to review.

“Here baby, read the first paragraph of this book, it’s a war story too, but written a lot better.”

(I know, War again, but ya gotta meet em where they're at, right?)

Thus my boy and I read the first page of Homer’s Iliad together. It’s more than a little above his grade level, but I think he saw my point about writing style in the example.

Then Commander Kel goes on a hunt around the house for age appropriate books he might like. I pulled six from the shelves, and he settled on Everlost by Neal Shusterman. Shusterman is a great writer. I highly recommend him.

For those of you looking for "just right books" to foster a love of reading in your child, you might want to visit The Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature (DAWC). Reference librarian Lisa Bartle put together this wonderful site with a customized search engine. You can plug in your child's age, interests, language, and even search using specific key words like "rock climbing", or "bugs," whatever your little tyke likes. Thanks to her site I now have a whole years worth of non war like ideas for age approriate books my son is sure to enjoy.

Till next time, This is Commander Kel saying "Over and Out."

McCain Fumbles Pizza Purchase

2008-08-06T15:25:00.010-04:00

The lead story in todays Columbus Dispatch newspaper slices the hard breaking news story that Republican presidential candidate John McCain does not know how to purchase pizza.

The article states: "McCain stopped yesterday for a 20-minute photo op and tour of the main fire station, carrying two large pizzas. As he glad-handed his way down a line of 24 firefighters, he told an aide, "I don't think I brought enough pizza for everybody. We'll have to send out for some more."

Clearly this is an issue of great concern for all den mothers and little league dads who routinely purchase pizzas. These parents know full well that two large pies will not even begin to satisfy the feeding frenzy of even a small group of half a dozen pint sized pipsqueaks, let alone 24 full grown macho men.

*The ratio of pies to people is a half a pie per person for thin crust and a quarter pie for thick if the eaters are male and over the age of 12. The ratio can be cut by a third for women, picky eaters, and parties involving ice cream and cake. Every parent knows this.

As a result of this story, voters across the nation are rethinking their position on a McCain presidency. Can a man who has never ordered pizza for his family or football team really lead the free world? What will happen when he invites heads of state to the White House and they run out of food in the middle of tense negotiations? The results could be catastrophic, even if he does remember to hold the anchovies.

In conclusion, I must commend the main stream media for it's in depth coverage on this event, as clearly this is the type of hard hitting analysis the American People look for when casting their votes. The Dispatch led the charge admirably with this piece, keeping the focus on important issues and avoiding any complexities that might bore the average reader or make peoples brains explode while enjoying their morning coffee.

After all, who wants to bother looking at McCain's record as a "maverick" who fought for campaign finance reform, wrote the legislation, got it passed into law, and then does everything in his power to use every legal loophole in the books to bypass the spirit and intent of his own law!

We don't want to know about that. We don't want to hear about the $50,000 donors in Dublin he is hanging out with...who they are, or what they expect in return for their money. NO. We want to see him in a firehouse, with his sleeves rolled up, ready to have pizza and beer with regular hard workin' folks like ourselves who never donate to campaigns.

Why in the world would readers want to think about something so complex and boring as
ETHICS or campaign finance reform when deciding who will be the next leader of the free world?

Not me man. Pass the pizza.

Totally Hot

2008-08-06T14:29:00.001-04:00

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Adfunny videosFunnyOrDie.com

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Jib Jab

2008-08-06T14:23:00.001-04:00

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Letter to The Editor

2008-08-04T15:06:00.002-04:00

Tiberi and Taxes

I just got a nice little postcard in the mail from my congressman.
The tag line reads ''Congressman Pat Tiberi: easing the strain on your wallet.”

Then of course, I look at the 'paid for by' campaign disclaimer and see the words “Official business- This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense.”

Wow. It sure looked like an election year campaign piece to me. With close to one million dollars in his campaign account and even more in his PAC account, it's so nice to know Pat is “easing the strain on my wallet” by letting the taxpayers foot the bill for this timely little pre- election “informational” postcard.

Assuming it costs approximately $1.00 to print and mail each post card to the 630,730 people in the 12th district; we are looking at a whopping huge sum of money! (I know what The Mid Ohio Food Bank could accomplish with that kind of cash, and I’ll bet the readers of this letter could offer the congressman hundreds of suggestions on how those funds actually COULD be used to “Ease the Strain on our Wallets” here in Ohio.)

This type of moral ambiguity is the reason people don’t trust politicians. The American people don’t ask much from our elected officials; only that they be honest, and strive to do the right thing. Spending our hard earned tax dollars to print and mail this flyer is NOT the right thing to do in a time of economic crisis. It is not "easing the strain on our wallets" at all. It’s simply helping Pat Tiberi exploit the system and get himself re-elected at tax payer expense.

The Republican Party is going to have to raise the “fiscal responsibility” bar quite a bit higher than this if they want to be believed.

As for me, I’m voting for David Robinson. It’s time for a change.

A vintage clip from Joe Cocker from Woodstock. Translated for the clear of mind....this is great!

2008-07-29T08:33:00.000-04:00

">Link

Yeah, that's what I thought he said...

LMAF!

Bill is such a Pill

2008-07-25T17:00:00.003-04:00

">Link

I can not even comprehend this man's mind. Does he not know, from his Omnipotent anchor seat of world wide wisdom that a woman's ability to control her own fertility is THE NUMBER ONE ECONOMIC INDICATOR for her ability to be self sufficient? Or that suppilying leterious old men with unnatural virility will eventually jump up and bite him in his "don't raise my taxes" wallet?

It seems to me the anti social program- anti welfare- anti abortion crowd would be
all for PREVENTIVE MEDICAL HEALTH CARE for women...

Somebody PLEASE chime in and help me get a grip on this. I am literally drowning in astonishment.

Check out PolitickerOH.com

2008-07-23T11:34:00.004-04:00

PolitickerOH published an interview with U.S. congressional candidate David Robinson this week. Robinson is running against Republican incumbent Pat Tiberi in the Ohio 12th district.

The site claims to be "virtual water cooler for the state’s political elite,[creating] a unique model to cover local and state politics, complimented with a national news organization."

You can sign up for their newsletter here:

www.politickeroh.com/wake-up-call

NOT COOL

2008-07-12T19:58:00.001-04:00

This woman might just become the next Rosa Parks. If McCain is going to run on a "Mavrick" image, someone might want to tell him to quit imitating the Bush administration.

Pay attention People:

2008-07-12T07:22:00.001-04:00

Amy has a few things to say about citizen involvement in the media and Democracy.
Pay attention People: She is talking to YOU.

2008 DOO DAH Parade Photos!

2008-07-04T15:58:00.012-04:00

It was a rainy DOO-DAH, DOO-DAH Day!
(Which is perfect, because DooDah is all about DOOing things different.)

Education reform

2008-07-03T11:37:00.003-04:00

The Strickland Administration has set up 12 regional PBS broadcasts/web casts with a live audience of invited guests to discuss education reform. In concert with these broadcasts, there will be “watch parties”. Anyone can host a watch party by registering on the website www.conversationoneducation.org.

It is obvious that education reform and school funding reform are issues that must be considered together; hence, it would be prudent for school district leaders to organize a watch party in each school building or at least in each school district. The Governor’s office indicates, “all feedback will be considered equally, whether from the live broadcast or the watch parties.” This is an opportunity to be heard!

In 1913, Governor James Cox proclaimed November 14 as “School Survey Day” and urged parents, teachers, pupils and patrons to hold a meeting in every school building in the state in the afternoon or evening. His proclamation also called for an “Educational Congress” to be held in Columbus on December 5 and 6, 1913. The closing words of his proclamation said, “Let it be a day of genuine awakening. The necessity and opportunity of the hour call for it.”

The 1913 “grassroots” involvement in the School Survey Day and Educational Congress resulted in monumental school reform legislation in 1914.

In 1997 the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the state to give the school funding system a complete systematic overhaul. The “overhaul” might just emerge from the current effort.

Dates, times and places of the Governor’s meetings may be found on the website.
www.conversationoneducation.org

Family Pops! Dance! Dance! Dance!

2008-07-03T11:28:00.001-04:00

Presented by The Musicians of the Columbus Symphony:
Family Pops! Dance! Dance! Dance!

Friday, July 11th 7:30 pm
www.MCSConcerts.org

John Deliman, Conductor
Place: Coffman Amphitheater at the
Dublin Community Recreation Center
5600 Post Rd. Dublin OH 43017
Tickets at the gate: $10 (Adults) $5 (12 and under)
Bring Family and Friends!

Orchestral Spectacular!
Summer music – Pops for your pleasure!
Saturday, July 12th 7:30 pm
www.MCSConcerts.org

Jaime Morales-Matos, Conductor
Place: Franklin County Veterans Memorial Auditorium
300 West Broad St. Columbus, OH 43215
General Seating Tickets:
$22 online at www.MCSConcerts.org $20 at the door
For more information on upcoming concerts, visit www.
www.MCSConcerts.org

Of good deeds and wishes

2008-07-02T09:45:00.004-04:00

Here's an interesting web site for good deed doers and well wishers: The Hunger Site is a cool portal where you can send free e-cards, buy some great products, or simply click through the site to help feed the poor. Yup, it's that easy, just click a button and the ad sponsors donate money to feed starving children. No catch, no strings, no B.S.

Ya can't find an excuse not to help when it's THAT easy.

And while you're there, you might find a really nice pair of fair trade sandals, or a fabulously cool necklace like this:

(HINT: if any of my cyber friends out there really love me...this is what I want for Christmas.)

Ladies Gallery Dedication at The Statehouse

2008-06-18T13:34:00.011-04:00

Yesterday the women of Ohio gathered in front of "The Peoples House," (The Ohio Statehouse) to re-enact the 1914 photo of women suffragettes rallying for the right to vote.

In 1922 six women were elected to the Ohio legislature, two years after demanding the right to vote. 89 years later, Ohio ranks a pathetic 41st among the states for women's representation in Government, with only 17% of our statewide elected officials being women. The national average hovers precariously at 22%, a number that dropped from a mere 24% in recent years.

In honor of the brave Ohio Suffragettes who risked jail and ridicule for the right to vote and run for elected office, The Capital Square Review and Advisory board raised $264,000 to dedicate The Ladies Gallery as a permanent exhibition in The Ohio Statehouse. The ceremony featured comments by Jo Ann Davidson, the first female speaker of the Ohio House, as well as a re-creation of a famous July 30, 1914, photo taken when more than 5,000 suffragettes rallied at the Statehouse for the right to vote.

Ohio ratified the 19th Amendment on June 16, 1919, 12 days after Congress sent the proposal to the states. Final ratification took another year nationally, however, and women got the right to vote in 1920. It took two years for them to reach state government.

Gregg Dodd, spokesman for the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, said "The enduring goal is to inform and inspire all who visit -- especially young women and girls -- to take an active role in democracy."

The display includes an interactive kiosk, artifacts, photos, banners and other items that tell the story of the first women legislators and the history of the suffrage movement in Ohio.
For more information visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

It was a great-grand day. Enjoy the photos!

Many great women leaders from both parties were there, standing united. Ahhh, a refreshing sight indeed.

But the little woman who stole the show was clearly Miss Tristen Davis, a child of only tender years, who got up on a box in order to be tall enough to reach the microphone and read the 19th amendment. She was adorable.

The girls from OHIO GO RUN political training camp were there in force sporting their White House Project GO RUN LEAD t-shirts. Over 100 Ohio women participated in the camp last month, with the goal of electing more women to public office. Currently the Central Ohio chapter of the group is focused on the November election of Julie Houston for Delaware County Recorder. http://www.julierhouston.com/

For some additional light reading entertainment on the important subject of women's representation, click this link for an essay by Marie Wilson:

http://blog.thewhitehouseproject.org/2008/06/16/giving-the-daughter-test-to-mainstream-media/

Carpe Diem Ladies!

Add Women, Change Everything

2008-06-13T10:04:00.013-04:00

Over at The Chief Source blog, Anne wrote a post titled A Remarkable Moment in Time about an event I attended last weekend. Over 100 women gathered from all across the state of Ohio for GO RUN LEAD training camp. Our goal: to train and prepare women to run for elected office. During the event, we gathered together an watched Hillary Rodham Clinton's concession speech on CNN with White House Project founder and women's rights icon Marie Wilson.

The Kleenex corporation should have sponsored the event because by the time it was over there was not a dry eye in the house.

Wilson also wrote about the event on The Huffington Post and Nicholas Kristoff wrote a fine commentary piece on the subject for The New York Times. I recomend you read them both.

As I sat there in that room across from Wilson during that historic moment, I wondered what she was thinking. I scanned the gathering of women, knowing they were all here with dreams of someday being elected and having a voice in our communities.

(Pictured above: political bloggers Jill Zimon of WRITE LIKE SHE TALKS and Annie of The Chief Source.)

I listened to Senator Clinton's heartfelt words, and did not cry...until the camera panned to her daughter.

It struck a deep personal chord.

When I lost my election in April, my daughter looked at me with those same eyes: a mixture of sadness, compassion, admiration and hope.

I knew then, my daughter would grow up strong and proud because of the example I provided. I knew for her it would be a perfectly normal idea to have a woman president, a congress filled diversity, and a corporate world with moms in the boardroom.

Later that evening, Marie summed it all up perfectly during her keynote address. The graduates of OHIO GO RUN political training jumped to their feet at cheered when she claimed:

"People are asking what will happen next, now that Hillary is no longer in the race. Well I think we have the answer right here in this room."

THE WHITE HOUSE PROJECT: Add Women, Change Everything.

Healthcare costs in America

2008-05-29T10:12:00.000-04:00

How about a nice little dose of common sense.

Really.

When I went for my annual physical, I wrote down a list of every person involved, from the secretary to the nurse, to the Doc, to the techs at the hospital who did my PAP and mammogram and the folks who read the results. Thirty Two people.

That's Thirty two people!

It took Thirty Two people for my doctor to tell me I am perfectly healthy.

It's no wonder health care costs more in the United States than anywhere else in the world!

If that's not bad enough, I went back to the Doc last week to have a cyst removed from my eyelid. It was just a little zit... a whitehead. I could have popped myself with a sewing needle and my fingernails. Well, I could have if it were on any other part of my aging sagging body other than my eyelid.

Yanno, I'm good at first aid, but I'm not worth much as a blind surgeon.

Well, my Doctor sent me to an eye specialist, because I suppose zit popping was one of the classes she missed in medical school. (I hear its a growing speciality just oozing with opportunity.)

But I digress. I go to the eye doc and say "Hey doc, could you pop this little zit on my eyelid?"

"Sure thing." He says, as he sticks a needle in my eye.

I leave, and all is well until I open my mail a week later and see a bill for $ 783.00!!!!!

My eyes popped right out of my head; A condition not covered by insurance.

You DIRTY RAT!

2008-05-28T14:38:00.004-04:00

This is a true story.

A wildlife volunteer took two owls and two hawks on a five day trip. She was giving a series of educational presentations on wildlife conservation.

Hawks and owls eat rats, so she packed a big ol’ Coleman cooler full of frozen lab rats and put em on ice.

While she and the birds were giving one of their presentations, someone stole her mini van!

When asked about her misfortune she said “Yeah it was a bad day, but I felt much better about it when I pictured those guys opening up my cooler to find it full of dead rats! There is a certain amount of revenge in that.”

Sometimes dirty rats get exactly what they deserve.

2008-05-20T08:24:00.004-04:00

My sweet little Sandy barfed up a huge puddle of blood this morning. Scared me witless.
I rushed her to the vet, with what the tech referred to as "a lovely sample."

Something tells me I may have changed that young womans breakfast plans.

My Dandy-Sandy has a fever, but her vitals are stable and her gums are pink, which means she is probably not bleeding internally.

They wanted to keep her in a cage until the doctor arrives, but I told them she would be much calmer and more comfortable waiting with me. The tech got the sample and I took my dog. The vets office is only a short jaunt from the house, so if need be, I can get her back over there within three minutes.

I should know more in about an hour.

UPDATE:

Further examination showed blood in her stool as well, so the vet gave her some medication and a special diet. She will also be taking Pepsid AC before meals, just like my husband.

I'm beginning to wonder if I have the effect of making people nauseous. LOL

The White House Project

2008-05-06T12:58:00.001-04:00

Find more videos like this on The White House Project

White House Project
GO RUN LEAD Training Program
Columbus Ohio
June 6 - 8, 2008

“If it takes a village to raise a child, the likelihood is slim that a woman would be governing that village in Central Ohio.”

That statement is the conclusion of recent research conducted by Laralyn & Associates on Women’s Political Presence. For decades Ohio has received failing marks on women’s rights and representation and currently we are losing ground on the precious little territory we do occupy.

• Ohio ranks a dismal 43rd among the 50 states for the number of women in state legislature
• Only 12 of 59 judges on the bench in the 7 county Central Ohio area are women
• Women represent 51% of the population and only 28% of key elected and appointed positions

The Whitehouse Project is working to change that. The organizations founder, Marie Wilson, who also started Take Your Child to Work Day, is coming to Columbus June 6-8, offering a three day GO RUN LEAD training program for women.
This is a unique opportunity for Ohio women to learn the skills involved to influence politics and create a better future for us all.

This training session is for those who are running for office, for those who want to run for office, for those who want to run a campaign and especially for those community advocates who desire to be more effective.

The event is called OHIO GO RUN and is open to any woman in Ohio interested in influencing the world of politics. Politics effects everything in our daily lives, from the cost of gas, to the cost of food, to the quality of our childrens education. Our model of government is built on citizen participation. Unfortunatly women have precious few seats at the table.

Go Run is a weekend-long training to inspire, equip, and inform women from all walks of life to lead
more effectively in your work, community, and politics. The training will focus on communications,
fundraising, organizing and other leadership skills.
This national training program engages local experts, public officials, current and former
elected officials, and speakers to help train and share their experience and stories of success.
We make this training affordable for women from all income levels. Scholarships are available.

Participants represent a wide diversity in race, age, geogrpahy and political affiliation. 66 applicants are currently enrolled in the program that will include sessions on the media, the economy, and public speaking.

Presenters include Jenette Bradley, Jennifer Brunner, Jane Campbell, Laketa Cole, Nan Whaley, Barbara Ferris, and Roxanne Qualls, and Delaware County resident Kelley Wenzlaff will provide the introduction for Keynote Speaker, and White House Project Founder, Marie Wilson. The event will be documented by a professional film crew for use in future GO RUN trainings across the country.

For more information:
mmendoza@TheWhiteHouseProject.org
Monica Mendoza @ 303-871-6845

OHIO GO RUN
Women’s Political Leadership Training
www.TheWhiteHouseProject.org
June 6 - 8, 2008
Columbus, Ohio

Pangea Day

2008-05-02T08:26:00.003-04:00

In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it's easy to lose sight of what we all have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that — to help people see themselves in others — through the power of film.

In 2006, filmmaker Jehane Noujaim won the TED Prize, an annual award granted at the TED Conference. She was granted $100,000, and more important, a wish to change the world. Her wish was to create a day in which the world came together through film. Pangea Day grew out of that wish.

People inspired by Pangea Day will have the opportunity to participate in community-building activities around the world. Through the live program, the Pangea Day web site, and self-organized local events, everyday people will be connected with extraordinary activists and organizations.

Date: May 10, 2008
Time: 18:00-22:00 GMT Check local times.
Language: Full program subtitled in Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Portuguese, and Spanish.
How to watch: In person, online, on TV, on your mobile phone

The 4-hour Pangea Day program will include visionary speakers and live music in addition to the featured films. Queen Noor of Jordan, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, musician/activist Bob Geldof and Iranian rock phenom Hypernova are among the presenters taking part.

24 short films have been selected from an international competition that generated more than 2,500 submissions from 100+ countries. They were chosen based on their ability to inspire, transform, and help us see the world through another person's eyes.

Pangea Day taps the power of film to strengthen tolerance and compassion while uniting millions of people to build a better future.

On May 10, 2008 — Pangea Day — sites in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro will be linked live to produce a program of powerful films, visionary speakers, and uplifting music.

The program will be broadcast live to the world through the Internet, television, digital cinemas, and mobile phones.

Of course, movies alone can't change the world. But the people who watch them can. So following May 10, 2008, Pangea Day organizers will facilitate community-building activities around the world by connecting inspired viewers with numerous organizations that are already doing groundbreaking work.

The Last Lecture

2008-04-11T09:51:00.004-04:00

Randy Pausch is dying of cancer, and if you are not one of the six million people who have seen his "last lecture," I am honored to use this space to provide it for you now.

"So today’s talk was about my childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and some lessons learned. But did you figure out the head fake? [dramatic pause] It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. It’s about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.

Have you figured out the second head fake? The talk’s not for you, it’s for my kids. Thank you all, good night."
-Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch's home page

American Healthcare Standards

2008-04-11T09:32:00.002-04:00

A Japanese doctor said, "Medicine in my country is so advanced that we can take a kidney out of one man, put it in another, and have him looking for work in six weeks."

A German doctor said, "That's nothing, we can take a lung out of one person , put it in another, and have him looking for work in four weeks."

A British doctor said, "In my country, medicine is so advanced that we can take half of a heart out of one person, put it in another, and have them both looking for work in two weeks."

A Texan doctor, not to be outdone said, "You guys are way behind. We took an asshole out of Texas , put him in the White House and now half the country is looking for work."

This joke Courtesy of Brewstersmythe

An Idea Worth Spreading

2008-03-19T13:09:00.002-04:00

Click the image to view an amazing video.

Together, we really can make a difference.

2008-03-19T10:10:00.008-04:00

Marie Wilson of The White House Project is asking the question "Can You Be in Politics and Keep Your Integrity?" She is calling on women to consider this question and write about on their blogs.

Wilson’s mission in life involves training and inspiring women to enter the pipeline of politics. She believes by adding women to the recipe of politics, we will change the system for the better. She writes; “It is about my wish, on behalf of young women and men alike, that at some point things will be different…that politics, can be a fair and upright foray into changing the world for the better.”

Wilson believes the integrity of our system of government comes from the people, and that its up to us to stand tall and make a difference. She inspired me that’s for sure. My entire world turned up side down this past year, because I took her advice and actually RAN FOR OFFICE. I believed her when she said “If you truly love your country, then each and every woman in this room should get up and run for office right now, or support another woman who is running!”

I put my heart and soul into those words last year, and alas I lost my race. (They say you have to run three times to build a big enough base to win.)

But every cloud has a silver lining, and this one, (while a storm cloud of stupendous proportion) has a lining made of pure gold. This year has empowered me, expanded my mind, opened an entire world of new opportunities, tested my armor, stretched my abilities, and brought me many new and wonderful friends.

One such friend is a woman I want you all to meet. She is a gift to this world and everyone in it. She is the reason I am writing this essay. She has the strength of an army, the determination of a hurricane, the compassion of The Buddha, and insight beyond the wisdom of a Shakespearian oracle. Her name is Maura and she blogs as The Fat Lady Sings.

Although we have never met in person, during this past year she has become one of my most trusted and treasured friends. When Maura learned of my intention to run for office, she stepped up to help.

SHE STEPPED UP.

She ran this campaign. She defined the image, developed the message, planned the strategy, covered the issues, handled the media, and kept me sane and grounded through it all...and she did it all from over six hundred miles away. Together we wrote a book too! (I’ll tell you all about that in another post.) But the point is we did it. Together.

Two regular middle class, Middle American women from different parts of the country came together with a plan to change the world, and in spite of the bumps and bruises along the way, WE REALLY DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

You see, that’s the beauty of this country. Our foundation is built by the will of The People. We are not subject to a dictator or king, WE DECIDE. We choose our leaders and determine what direction they will go. Regular folks like you and me are the driving force behind the greatest country in the world. Yes, it is true there are politicians who are corrupt; who trade their integrity in a desperate attempt to hold on to power, but our system has checks and balances to weed those people out. That check is YOU, the voter. Our system only fails when WE THE PEOPLE fail in our duty to pay attention. The buck stops with US.

Maura and I grasped that concept, and made the choice to get involved. It was hard. We sacrificed time away from our families, we worked long hours with no reward or pay, we endured attacks and criticism, we faced pressures and stresses from all sides, but we did our duty as citizens, and that my friends is something to be truly proud of.

We spoke out on issues important to us both, we motivated people, we educated people, we kept our integrity in the process, and I am proud to say, that for the first time in over sixty years, my “Strongly Republican” district of Delaware County Ohio voted Democratic. We exposed some of the corruption and mishandling in our local government and got some new honest citizens elected along the way. We joined up with people from all over this country, paving the way for for change, and hope for the future.

Maura and I played a part in that change, and change my friends is what the future is all about.

Please visit her website and thank her. She not only did it for me, she did it for you. And quite frankly, I expect we shall all be more than amazed by what this woman will do next.

Together, we really can make a difference.

I'm BAACK!!!!!

2008-03-15T09:16:00.009-04:00

Hey gang,

I'm back. YesssireeeJim-Bob, After a long year of extreme focus, and sincere effort, I am finally free to blog again!

I had to put the old bloggeroo into hybernation during my lil ol run for The Ohio House of Representatives. But that is behind me now and I am glad to say...

I'M BAAACK!!!!!

It was an amazing experience, in which I learned a great deal and made many interesting new friends. (I promise to tell you all about it in weeks to come.)

To kick things off, let me share the telly commercial I ran during the campaign. Gawd, I can not begin to tell you how wierd it was to be eatin my wheaties with the munchkins and have this pop up on the boob tube.

The worst part is, every time I look at the spot all I can think of is what a "Bad hair day" I was having. Not to be vain but really, It looks like I pulled Shirley Jones' Partridge Family stylist out of rehab for this gig.

Geesh.

Click here for the Video Link to Kel Bell's Television Commercial with Ed Begley Jr.

For some added fun, here is a little link to an Ann Richards tribute poking fun at political hair.

Pet Peeve

2007-07-09T07:49:00.001-04:00

We all have reasons to be disturbed about the Iraq war, and this point may seem petty, but it's one of those nit picky things that drives me as crazy as a teenager inserting the word "like" before every verb in a sentence.

The first rule of war is to know thine enemy.

Iraq is not pronounced "I-RACK" as in; "Wow, I RACK up a lot of bills when the price of gas is so high."

The word is pronounced more like "EAR-ROCK" as in "If we use our EARs to listen, we might understand why these people are throwing ROCKs."

The exact pronunciation involves guttural breaks foreign to the English language, and is covered extensively in the comment thread over at Ezra Klein's blog, for those of you who like to delve deep into such articulation.

For the rest of us, all we need to do is listen to Christiane Amanpour.

CNN’s chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour explained the proper pronunciation on national television when The United States led the attack on Iraq in 2003, and yet four years later, our drawling Texan leader still can not, or will not, say the name of this country correctly.

As a result, we have congressional leaders, television talk show hosts and regular folks sitting in coffee shops all over this country making the same glaring error over and over again.

It may be a petty thing to someone whose son or daughter died in this war, but it just seems to me, if we intend to tell these people how to run their own country, they might have a little tiny tad more respect for our guidance if we would pronounce the name of their country correctly.

In order to get beyond the fighting, we must begin by talking. In order to do that, we need to say the word right, before we can even begin to say the right words.

A TEST FOR PROFESSIONALS

2007-06-20T08:28:00.001-04:00

The following short quiz consists of four questions and will tell you
whether you are qualified to be a professional. The questions are NOT
difficult.

_____________________

1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and
close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple
things in an overly complicated way.

_____________________

2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the
refrigerator? Wrong Answer.

Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in
the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think
through the repercussions of your previous actions.

_____________________

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All of the animals
attended except one. Which animal did not attend the conference?

Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator.
Remember, you just put him in there. This tests your memory. Okay, even
if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still
have one more chance to show your true abilities.

_____________________

4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and
you do not have a boat. How do you manage it?

Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across it. Have you
not been listening to anything I've said? All of the crocodiles are
attending the animal conference called by the Lion King. This tests
whether you learn quickly from your previous mistakes.

____________________

According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide, around ninety (90%)
percent of all professionals tested got all of the questions wrong, but
many of the preschoolers tested got several correct answers. Anderson
Consulting says this conclusively disproves the theory that most
professionals have the brains of a four-year-old.

The Redistricting Game

2007-06-16T10:43:00.000-04:00

Now here is a fun way to waste a few minutes of your life on the internet. Its called The Redistricting Game. Its an amusing cartoony version of how our political process works. Go ahead and try it. Its almost as fun as computer solitare, but you actually learn something in the process!

The Redistricting Game

That's My Boy!

2007-06-06T21:05:00.000-04:00

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."
Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.
Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.
Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,--
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.
Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,--
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.
Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.
A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.
It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.
It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.
It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.
You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,---
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.
So through the night rode Paul Revere;=
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,---
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807-1882
Written April 19, 1860; first published in 1863 as part of "Tales of a Wayside Inn"

The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering

2007-05-09T10:07:00.000-04:00

Inspired by the book, The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering, a group of women from Ohio State University have organized a world wide gathering, which will take place on Mothers day, this Sunday at 1pm, (your local time.)

They are asking people to gather in parks, or gardens, or quiet areas of contemplation, and simply stand in silence for five short minutes of Prayer or Meditation.

I will serve as hostess for the gathering at Highbanks Metro Park, in Delaware County, Ohio. You are invited, and welcome to bring your friends. This event is open to all.

The idea is threefold:

1) To inspire people to believe they can actually help shape their world.

2) To meet others and begin taking action.

(Remember my old adage: Action Plus Intent Equals Miracles...AIM!)

3) To tell those who make public Policy that they should stop seeing themselves as politicians and instead act as guardians for our children, our grandchildren, and the seven generations beyond.

Here is the press Release from the organizers at StandingWomen.org:

Women Take Stand for Better World
Group Urges Women to Rise in Global Silence at 1 p.m., May 13

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and as we prepare to celebrate the mothers in our lives we often neglect to recognize the most important mother of all: Mother Earth. On Sunday, May 13 at 1 p.m., thousands of people around the globe will stand together in silence for five minutes in local parks, schools, churches and other gathering places to promote a better world for future generations. The result will be a 24-hour wave of standing to motivate and invigorate others to realize the dream of a better world for all.

The event was conceived by a group of women associated with The Ohio State University. Through their individual travels, they learned that many women have similar concerns about the direction the world is moving in. Inspired by a story written by Sharon Mehdi of Ashland, Oregon, The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering, collectively they decided that it was time to take a stand to make a difference. “We will be standing for the world’s children, grandchildren, and the seven generations beyond them,” says Deb Ballam, one of the event’s originators. “We dream of a better future for all of the world’s children.”

Mehdi, who will be standing with her townsfolk in Ashland, said “It was the women of Ashland who made sure the Grandmother Story got out to the world, and it is the women of Ohio who are bringing it to life. I am filled with gratitude, hope, and awe.”

Jean Shinoda Bolen, a best-selling author shared the Grandmother Story with the Ohio women during a visit to Columbus last fall, and will be standing in the San Francisco Bay area. “Standing in silence with others with the intention of making a difference,” says Bolen, “creates a feeling of peace inside that silently ripples out.”

The event is not limited only to women, however, and many men have expressed excitement in participating. For the last three weeks, Julian Koss of Sarasota, Florida has actively promoted the event in his state. “We’re all obligated to leave for our children and the ‘seven generations to follow’ a better world,” says Koss.

By standing for a moment of silence, participants will recognize the importance for all of the children of the world of issues such as safe drinking water, clean air, food for all to eat, access to basic education, adequate health care and safety from violence.

While the event originated in Ohio, it has become international in scope. The event’s website and promotional materials have been translated into 20 languages to attract participation in this global event. To further promote international participation, thousand of postcards promoting the event were recently distributed at the United Nations’ annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Standing sites in all 50 U.S. states and around the globe are listed on the website and range from large-scale groups of a thousand or more to individual standings. Participants have the option of attending one of the gatherings listed or starting their own. More information on the event including standing sites, promotional materials and registration can be found at http://www.standingwomen.org/index.html

Why the Dogs Got Steaks for Dinner:

2007-04-20T21:13:00.000-04:00

6am
Up and at 'em
Pet care
Read Op-Eds
Check headlines
Get kids up and off to school

9-12
Calling for dollars:
(The one activity that makes all candidates feel like a dog being dragged into the vet for a rectal exam.)
"Hi remember me (from some obscure somewhere about twenty years ago?) Why am I calling? Well, funny you would ask...Could you write me a check for $500.00? Oh, I see. Well, how about twenty?"

1pm
My third trip to the doc this month. The tubes in my ears have collapsed. Prognosis: meds aren't working. The magic eight ball says surgery is in my future. ugggh.

2pm
Grocery. Found two nice juicy steaks for the grill. Yummmmm.

3pm
Babysit the after school crowd while writing thank you notes to donors and working on campaign.

5pm
Door to door campaigning.

6:30
Daughter in crisis: yesterdays sore throat has turned into full blown flu, and tweenkin is locked in the bathroom at the school dance, blowing chunks and writhing with embarrassment while all her school mates gossip and watch.
Super mom to the rescue!

7pm
Third grade son is having slumber party. Two overnight guests are planned, but ten neighborhood boys are in our back woods wearing full military gear,doing "night maneuvers" with their pop guns. One falls into a barbed wire fence on the neighbors property and slices open his chest from collar bone to belly button.

7:15
Urgent Care

7:30
Rambo comes home, and digs on the purple heart status among his peers.
(I have to brag here a little bit: The urgent care did not charge for the visit because my first aid work was so good, they did not have to do anything.) Everybody is good at something, and this is one of my talents. Trust me on this; if you ever fall off a cliff in the wilderness, I'm the girl you want on the other end of that rope.

8pm
I finally start to cook those steaks... and. the. grill. runs. out. of. gas.

8:10
Off to the propane store, but first, all three boys reveal multiple day old boo-boos and want band aids. Then of course my daughter wakes up and starts puking on cue.

9pm
Dinner is served, but no one is hungry, so the dogs lucked out and got steak.

A big day at the Statehouse

2007-04-19T17:00:00.000-04:00

This energetic group trained all morning and, armed with the facts, lobbied for the Ohio Prevention First Act.

All this happened right after the Statehouse was evacuated because of a small fire. People were all over the place. It was bizzare. While we were waiting for everything to return to normal, I sat on the statehouse steps just a few feet behind the podium shown in this picture.

I was just a chit chattin away with my home girl about who knows what, when some stranger came up to me all bug eyed and informed me the microphone was on, and our conversation was broadcasting all over the Statehouse lawn.

EEE-GADS! Now the world knows all my secrets! LOL

Anyway, when the fireworks ended, we rallied with Senator Sue Morano, Rep. John Peterson, and Rep. Tyrone Yates who have all worked very hard on the Prevention First bill.

This bill will improve access to family-planning services and honest, comprehensive sex education, so that Ohioans have the resources and knowledge they need to prevent unintended pregnancies.

(When it comes to "Family Values", it just seems to me that education and prevention make a whole lot more sense than criminalization and social ridicule.)

______________________________________
Note to those of you who like to play Where's Waldo:
I'm in the second row on the right, next to the lady in red.

Here's a question for your health insurance company:

2007-04-18T07:59:00.000-04:00

How come Viagra is covered under most health insurance plans, but women's contraceptives are not?

On Imus I must say...

2007-04-12T08:53:00.000-04:00

Sure, we need to protect free speech in America, but that does not mean Lenny Bruce was ever entitled to a prime time network sit-com. His act belonged in the smokey side street clubs, and Imus belongs there too.

We have different levels of decorum for different venues, and I for one am very glad to see the American people finally stand up and demand an end to shock jock shout show dramatics.

Our airways are infested with a whole stable of professional hatemongers (mostly from the right) who are making millions of dollars, poking sticks at every little bee's nest they can find.

Our nightly news has degraded into a sound-byte city of snarky wordsmiths who have no regard for the true art of debate.

Our talk shows have devolved from places of public discourse and reason, to a name calling, big time wrestling exposition of closed minded bullies. The more outrageous you are, the more press you get.

If the trend continues, pretty soon our networks will be anchored by the street corner schizophrenics. (Oh well, I guess that's one way to help the homeless, but it definitely would not be my solution of choice.)

I feel bad for the fall of poor old Imus, but he will land on his feet. He wont make as much money now, or wield as much power, but he still has an audience, and he will find a another station willing to put a few thousand watts behind his rusty barbed wire tongue; of that you can be sure. Shock Jocks are like car accidents. They sadden and disgust us, but we just can't seem to look away.

My hope is that free market capitalism will solve the problem through public pressure. If people refuse to listen, refuse to watch, speak out for justice and use their buying power to influence advertisers, it will regulate the hate mongers to a smaller market share, and in doing so, reward the voices of reason with prime time shows and premium pay.

I am not about to advocate taking away any ones right to free speech. I just hope we are smart enough to prevent these people from getting rich while doing it.

Women in the workforce

2007-04-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

Women do not need anything else to feel guilty about. Guilt is a driving force for most women. Mothers feel guilty when they stay at home with their kids, because they are not earning an income. They feel guilty when they depend on their husbands for support. They feel guilty when the take that full time job because they end up too tired to put their full energy into their kids, their husbands, and their homes.

Women worry all the time about looking their best, not so much for themselves, but for others. They want to be gourmet chefs, choosing healthy fresh organic foods to put on the table in style, but generally, then find themselves heating up some frozen concoction they found on sale in the grocery store. Either that or they grab a McMeal to eat in the car while playing the role of soccer-mom-taxi-driver.

Women feel guilt more times per day than adolescent boys think about sex, and folks, that’s a lot!

So it is not surprising that Leslie Bennett’s new book “The Feminine Mistake” is creating a roar of controversy with devoted stay at home moms. But before they dismiss her as the devils advocate, they would be wise to take a relaxing Calgon bath, and curl up with this remarkable eye opening book.

Bennett’s point is not to condemn the stay at home mom for her choice to nurture her children. Rather, it is a book of research and facts on the economics of motherhood which lets these women know exactly what they are in for.

The research compiled for The Feminine Mistake makes it clear that women who opt out of the workforce to stay at home with their children are making a definitive and quantifiable economic choice with long term ramifications.

A press release from Hyperion publishing states:

THE FEMINIST MISTAKE explains how when women give up careers, the loss in income has a cascading impact on medical benefits, retirement funds and other long-time financial needs. And sadly, Bennetts exposes how the much-vaunted concept of the on-ramp -- the track for talented women to rejoin the workforce following some years at home-- does not exist. Women are finding out too late that motherhood and community service too often still does not translate in HR departments as viable skills.

There is a solution to this problem that will make women stand up and cheer; One that has been sitting right under our noses for over two decades.

Twenty five years ago, colleges and universities around the country predicted new trends of work from home, job sharing, flex time and telecommuting would be the wave of the future as personal computers and technology integrated into our lives.

Sadly, that shift has not occurred. In order to be competitive in the workplace and secure opportunities for advancement, dedicated employees are expected to work forty to sixty hours per week, and make personal sacrifices for the good of the company. This puts women with children at a severe disadvantage in the workplace.

In the United States, we think of our nation as a family. We say our children are our future, yet again and again, we undervalue this concept, in every economic and social policy we create. Our schools are under funded, our teachers underpaid, our daycare facilities for working mothers are abysmal, and the very structure of our work model handicaps families and limits their ability to put the devotion they desire into the very areas we claim to cherish.

Since the beginning of time, women have worked along side their husbands while simultaneously caring for their children. From the Hunter gathering period of pre history thru the agricultural age, women provided food, wove baskets, made pottery, created clothing, tended livestock, built homes, and reaped the harvest, right along side their spouses.

The modern industrial ages represents a short blip in the long timeline of history. And this is the core of our modern dilemma. Women can no longer contribute to the workforce as they always have when the modern structure of society separates work from home.

What is needed is a reintegration. Technology makes this possible. Women know this instinctively. They realize modern corporate structure is damaging to their families, because in spite of statistics, they KNOW as mothers and wives, the love and caring they provide for their families is in fact important. So, they leave the corporate world and either opt out to stay home, or become entrepreneurs. They become freelance consultants, small business owners, part time employees, or seek jobs in the school system that will allow them to share schedules in sync with their children.

While you can tell a woman this is an economic mistake, it will do no good to poke a stick at a mother bear willing to sacrifice her very life to protect the cubs in her den. Forcing a bear to abandon her cubs to join the circus with the promise of free food and treats is no solution. We must find a better way.

Women represent half of our national workforce. If our country is to remain vibrant and strong we must address the issues of working mothers and create opportunities for women to be competitive without sacrificing their role as the primary caregiver of their families.

A few simple and long overdue changes will dramatically improve the net worth of American families, and have a positive effect on our nation’s children.

If we provide incentives for corporations to implement family friendly models including work from home, telecommuting, flex time, job sharing, and on site daycare services, we will provide working parents opportunities to remain in thriving careers commensurate with their abilities, while devoting larger portions of time to the needs of their families. We can also use the legislature to encourage policies which reward parents for community service and mentorship in the public schools.

If we create small business incubators through local government programs to increase the success rate of entrepreneur ventures, this too will provide opportunities for devoted hard working parents, who agonize over the choice between career and family and look for opportunities for flex time scheduling.

If these new models become widely available to both men and women, the balance between work and home will not fall exclusively to women, but will become a partnership of childrearing within the marriage, (and provide significant advantages for single parents too.)

When parents can remain viable and active in the workforce, in career positions commensurate with their skill levels and abilities, offering higher wages and better health coverage, the overall economic outlook for our country will see the positive effects of the increased spending power of the middle class. Children will recieve the attention they need, communities will thrive socially as well as economically, and corporations will reap the benefits of a thriving growing economy.

Please, Show your Support!

2007-03-19T16:16:00.000-04:00

Hey Gang,

Please show your support and follow this Link to a grassroots Internet group for my campaign.

No commitment or anything, just add your name to the list as an act of support for this effort to encourage women to run for office.

As the list grows, it will increase my credibility, and sway large donor groups to fund the campaign.

Please sign up, and get your friends to sign up too!

I can't do it alone, but together, we can ensure progressive women's voices are heard in our government!

Thanks,

Kelbell

3...2...1...LAUNCH!

2007-03-12T12:37:00.000-04:00

Ya-all know me as Kelley Bell. People have called me that since I was a baby. Especially my brother, who adopted the more elaborate Smelly Kelley with Jelly in her Belly.

But that's not my legal married name.

In certain careers, an alias is acceptable, even common, but for the endeavor I embark upon today, that is not the case.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce myself, (and expose myself) formally, with The Launch of my Political Campaign!!!!

After you check it out, I hope you will all join up and pitch in as I work with my dear friend and co-patriot The Fat Lady Sings to use the blog world as a means to encourage women from all over this great country of ours to find the inner strength and confidence to run for office.

What happens in The House has a direct effect on what happens in our homes. Therefore, we need womens voices on the floor of every house of government across this nation, from the school boards, to the local zoning commissions, to the state house, and beyond.

If you believe, then give a holler and donate a dollar, or better yet, sign up to volunteer. We have lots of things for bloggers to do, and honey, it's gonna be one H*ll of a Ride!

Six, Five, Four...

2007-03-10T22:55:00.000-05:00

Almost ready for the big reveal...

In the mean time, Here is a Link to a Great Gathering of Women who will be holding space, and saving the world, on May 13th in a park near you.

I hope you will join us and be the change you wish for in the world!

Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven...

2007-03-08T04:53:00.000-05:00

The countdown to my announcement draws nigh dear ones. One more day, or two at most.

But in the mean time, here is a link I love. Planned Parenthood has created The Pill Patrol, a way for women to ensure emergency contraception is available at their local pharmacy.

Double Bubble Toil and Trouble

2007-02-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

Somethings a brewing
Can't say what it is

But soon it will POP
Like a giant Gin Fizz

(Stay tuned. Ya-All are just not gonna believe this one...)

The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering

2007-02-09T21:36:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

A book review on video.

Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D

2007-02-03T08:45:00.000-05:00

An excerpt from an article by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D

When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no
doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.

My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have
heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered.
They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world right now …
the fact is that we were made for these times. Yes.

For years, we have been learning practicing, been in training for and
just waiting to meet on this exact plain of engagement.

I grew up on the Great Lakes and recognize a seaworthy vessel when I
see one. Regarding awakened souls, there have never been more able
vessels in the waters than there are right now across the world. And
they are fully provisioned and able to signal one another as never
before in the history of humankind... Didn't you say you were a
believer? Didn't you say you pledged to listen to a voice greater?
Didn't you ask for grace? Don't you remember that to be in grace means
to submit to the voice greater?

Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of
stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.
Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to
assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely.
It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the
critical mass to tip toward an enduring good. What is needed for
dramatic change is an accumulation of acts, adding, adding to, adding
more, continuing.

One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene
in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck
shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks,
can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to
catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these
— to be fierce and to show mercy toward others, both, are acts of
immense bravery and greatest necessity. Struggling souls catch light
from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you
would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you
can do.

There will always be times when you feel discouraged. I too have felt
despair many times in my life, but I do not keep a chair for it; I
will not entertain it. It is not allowed to eat from my plate.

The reason is this: In my uttermost bones I know something, as do you.
It is that there can be no despair when you remember why you came to
Earth, who you serve, and who sent you here.

The good words we say and the good deeds we do are not ours: They are
the words and deeds of the One who brought us here. In that spirit, I
hope you will write this on your wall:

When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no
doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.

This comes with much love and a prayer that you remember who you came
from, and why you came to this beautiful, needful Earth.

-Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D

Good Golly Miss Molly

2007-02-01T10:25:00.000-05:00

Witty wonderful humorist and Political world shaker Molly Ivans has left the building folks. Ivins' was a Texas writer who used the power of her pen to stab jolting satire at people in positions of power.

"The trouble with blaming powerless people is that although it's not nearly as scary as blaming the powerful, it does miss the point."

In a 2006 speech Bill Clinton described Ivins as "good when she praised me, and painfully good when she criticized me."

Ivins called the Texas Legislature "The best free entertainment in Austin."

In a 2002 column she wrote: "Naturally, when it comes to voting, we in Texas are accustomed to discerning that fine hair's-breadth worth of difference that makes one hopeless dipstick slightly less awful than the other. But it does raise the question: Why bother?"

This story links to a video of Ivans as she points out the "phallacy" of the Texas "penial" code. The video covers the legislatures debate on dildo's, so be warned: While it is humorous, and makes a powerful point regarding prejudice, bias, and the ridiculous sense of priorities demonstrated in government, it is not suitable viewing for children or evangelicals.

Life Beyond Code

2007-01-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

Check out my featured Link at Life Beyond Code.

-To participate in this project is a humble honor indeed.