Governor Walker, the frogs, and the hot water

Do you know the one about the frog who escaped drowning? Two frogs accidentally hopping into a bucket full of cream. One gave up hope, sank, and drowned. The other kept kicking and kicking his legs, determined to escape and survive. Eventually his actions churned the cream into butter. The frog used the solid butter as a launching pad and hopped out of the bucket.

In another frog fable, two frogs fell into tubs of water. The first frog fell into hot water. She reacted immediately to the scalding water and jumped out. The other frog fell into comfortably warm water. She settled in, enjoying the temperature. Gradually, however, the water became hotter and hotter. The temperature went up slowly, though, degree by degree, so the frog didn't notice until it was too late: she was about to boil to death.

The second story was related in All the President's Men. Woodward and Bernstein, the journalists who investigated the Watergate scandals, said they'd felt like the second frog. With each story from each new source they peeled back one more layer, raised the heat one more degree. They actually became scared: what if this investigation reached the White House? What would that do to the country? But they were in too far to stop; the temperature kept rising.

Now there's Walkergate, the investigation into illegal campaigning while on company time. That "company" is, notably, both public and taxpayer funded: the Milwaukee County Executive's office under Scott Walker. In Watergate, the question became one of integrity: what did Nixon know and when did he know it? That question has already come up for now-Governor Walker.

Nixon had tapes, recorded conversations between himself and other high-ranking staffers. He or a staffer physically erased some of the more incriminating recording before the conversations could be made public.

Walker has an electronic trail as well, but one that is harder to erase. His emails, date stamped and word-for-word quotable, are grounds for discussion and investigation. These email conversations might, if the investigation continues to heat up, be grounds for dismissal - or even arrest.

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The Opposite of a Boycott

What's the opposite of a boycott? In the 1970s and 1980s, Ms. magazine might have called it a Girl-cott or a Woman-cott. The premise is simple; instead of boycotting, or refusing to buy from certain companies, make a commitment to spend money where it counts. Support the companies that support the causes that you support.

Confused? Here's an example.

Since our state legislature became fiercely divided along partisan lines, voices are emerging on the side of public workers. These voices are not necessary anti-Gov. Walker, but they sing the praises of those who earn their living by working in the public sector.

Penzey's Spices, a Milwaukee-based company, has been outspoken in their support of teachers. Bill Penzey said, "To be pro-business is to be pro-education." He understands that an educated workforce doesn't cost, it pays. With that in mind, he set out to recognize teachers in the state.

He began by dedicating a spice to the kindness and dedication that teachers show - a spice named for the Wisconsin State Motto, Forward. Then he created a gift box including a bottle of the new spice, a small bottle of cinnamon, a book of teacher-supplied recipes, a teacher pin and a bumper sticker stating, "Teachers Care." He gave a box to each and every teacher in the Milwaukee Public Schools.

This is more than a token appreciation gift. By donating a valuable product to a large number of public employees, he reminds the citizens and voters and yes, business owners, that public employees are not public enemies, but dedicated public servants.

Now - the opposite of a boycott. Whether this strategy has a name or not, the process is simple. Buy from companies like Penzey's Spices. Whenever you get a chance, let them know why you chose to buy from their company as opposed to others. Speak with your dollars and with your words.

ow if you'll excuse me, I need move forward and experiment with my new spice - right after I set out my red Teacher pin to wear to work tomorrow.

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The Twelve Days of Walker in Wisconsin

2011 has been difficult year for me and for Wisconsin teachers in general. Thanks to our soon-to-be former governor, Scott Walker, we have lost salary, benefits, and bargaining rights. But our state has lost much more. A colleague found this online, and I thought it was worth sharing. Credit goes to the Solidarity Singers for spreading the word; I don't know who wrote the lyrics.

On the first day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

An unarmed populace.

On the second day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

On the third day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

Safe drinking water, Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

On the fourth day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

Fair union contracts, Safe drinking water, Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

On the fifth day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

HIGH SPEED RAIL!! Fair union contracts, Safe drinking water, Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

On the sixth day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

Good public education, HIGH SPEED RAIL!! Fair union contracts, Safe drinking water, Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

On the seventh day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

Russ Decker's shining virtue, Good public education, HIGH SPEED RAIL!! Fair union contracts, Safe drinking water, Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

On the eighth day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

Health care for the poor, Decker's shining virtue, Good public education, HIGH SPEED RAIL!! Fair union contracts, Safe drinking water, Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

On the ninth day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

A United DNR, Health care for the poor, Decker's shining virtue, Good public education, HIGH SPEED RAIL!! Fair union contracts, Safe drinking water, Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

On the tenth day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

Lower than average unemployment, a United DNR, Health care for the poor, Decker's shining virtue, Good public education, HIGH SPEED RAIL!! Fair union contracts, Safe drinking water, Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

On the eleventh day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

The shrinking middle class, Lower unemployment, a United DNR, Health care for the poor, Decker's shining virtue, Good public education, HIGH SPEED RAIL!! Fair union contracts, Safe drinking water, Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

(Dramatic tempo change and a grand pause -- )

On the twelfth day of his term, Scott Walker took from us:

Domestic partner benefits, the Shrinking middle class, Lower unemployment, a United DNR, Health care for the poor, Decker's shining virtue, Good public education, HIGH SPEED RAIL!! Fair union contracts, Safe drinking water, Stem cell research, and an unarmed populace.

In response, we say to the Grinch a.k.a. Walker:

In the first twelve days of the recall we gathered over 500,000 signatures.

'Nuff said.

Enjoy your family and the holiday season, readers. Remember, your vote counts. When the time comes, please go to the polls to preserve the best gift of all: a democracy.

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Pizza? A vegetable?

Pizza: I love to pile on veggies and herbs. Spinach, basil, oregano. Peppers, onions, garlic. Tomatoes and tomato sauce.

But really, Congress and USDA, commercially made pizza in itself is not a vegetable.

My homemade pizzas are covered with at least two kinds of cheese - real Wisconsin cheese, of course. I don't call it a dairy product, even though it probably has a thick enough cheese layer to qualify.

Local restaurants make pizzas from scratch with zucchini and spinach and other fresh, delicious ingredients. They don't claim to meet the recommended daily allowance of vegetables. In all honesty, the local pizzas have enough toppings that they probably would meet the goal.

But seriously. A frozen pizza with a thin layer of sauce? Not, I repeat NOT, a vegetable. Require a minimum amount of real tomato in a required amount of sauce, and then maybe I'll believe it's nutritious. I know how I make pizza, and I've seen the pizza in school cafeterias. Folks, there's no contest.

Now consider that many children get the best meal of their day at school, and then think about that slice of pizza.

No, people, pizza is not a vegetable.

Would you like to tell Congress that pizza is not a vegetable? Click here to sign a petition and support true nutrition in school meals.

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State politics? Felonies? Say it isn't so, Wisconsin!

One Wisconsin Now felt compelled to raise money for the recall cause - but not to fund a candidate or circulate petitions. This progressive organization raised $10,000 to create a reward fund: a reward for information about recall petition destruction.

Wisconsin progressives noticed conservative leaders boasting about their plans to circulate bogus petitions or circulate real petitions and then destroy them. Some posted their boasts on Facebook, declaring their intentions to burn enough petitions to heat their homes for the winter.

Hyperbole aside, destroying recall petitions is a felony. Whether they really mean to interfere with the recall election process or just wanted to thump their three-piece-suited chests, Governor Walker's cronies are looking rather ridiculous right now. Publicly bragging about the possibility has attracted people who may have been neutral, and those people are donating money to organizations like One Wisconsin Now to fund the recall and offer rewards to those who report interference.

It's so sad, so disappointing, to see my state reach record lows that have nothing to do with winter temperatures. I applaud One Wisconsin Now for its creative PR efforts and its willingness to raise money for a reward fund that should be unnecessary.

When the disagreements interfere with the Democratic process, that's going too far.

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Complicated? That's Wisconsin.

A Twitter friend made this. Enjoy - if you can figure out who is really running!

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Open letters to the so-called Leaders of Wisconsin

Dear Governor Walker;

You claim that Wisconsin is Open for Business. Businesses require an educated workforce. Think it over, please.

Sincerely,

Daisy

Dear Senator Ellis;

The title President of the Senate looks good on your letterhead. Your abuses of power, however, look lousy. Stating, "We'll just pass all the bills without you if you're not here" was a snotty and rude manner of addressing your colleagues. I'm embarrassed to admit that you represent my district. Didn't your parents teach you that "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"?

With grave concern,

Daisy

Dear Representative Bernard-Schaber;

Thank goodness you're in the Wisconsin Assembly! I noticed that the new, re-introduced version of the union-busting bill exempts public transit. I'm sure the Gov won't give you credit for the original amendment, but I will. I know you brought it up in the beginning.

Thank you for maintaining your sanity in an insane atmosphere.

Your loyal constituent,

Daisy

Dear Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices;

I'm thoroughly disappointed in your decision that Wisconsin Act 10, a.k.a. the Union Busting Law, was passed constitutionally rather than in violation of the open meetings law. This decision tells our narrow-minded majority that as lawmakers, they are above the law. Is this really what you wanted to say?

Regretfully,

Daisy

Dear Benjamin Franklin,

What kind of government do we have? "A republic, if you can keep it." Sigh. We're trying. It's not easy.

Historically yours,

Daisy

Dear John Adams,

You once wrote to Thomas Jefferson "I cannot contemplate human affairs without laughing or crying. I choose to laugh." I wish I could laugh, but current political climate is so negative it scares me.

Thoughtfully,

Daisy

Dear Governor Walker,

I'm a mediator by nature and by training. The way I see it, consensus beats conflict any day of the week. In fact, I taught fifth and sixth graders to mediate conflicts. Would you like assistance in learning peer mediation? I noticed you don't have these skills - yet.

Cooperatively yours,

Daisy

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Walkerville vs. Hooverville

Walkerville is a symbolic movement currently going on in (of course! You guessed it) Madison, WI. Protesters have set up tents and small shelters around the Capitol grounds and scheduled events to call attention to the risks of the proposed state budget and the governor's extreme agenda. Walkerville, they say, represents the equivalent of a Depression-era Hooverville.

One argument of the makeshift community's: Gov. Walker's union busting is unconstitutional, unwise, and wrong. The law, if it makes its way through the State Supreme Court, will cause more economic harm than good. More than 100 days after its introduction, Wisconsin's citizens and legislators remain polarized and conflicted around Walker's philosophies in general and the so-called Budget Repair Law in particular. No disagreement there; the union busting attempt has a direct effect on me and on my colleagues in education.

In addition: access to the Capitol has been severely limited. Any groups potentially in opposition to Walker have been forced off the floor and onto the grounds.

But is Walkerville equivalent to a Hooverville? No, it's not. Organizers chose the name Walkerville to invoke the memories of Hoovervilles, the shanty towns of the depression. Major economic crisis: check. Job scarcity: check. Shanty towns: let's talk it over.

The best description of a Hooverville I've ever read was in Christopher Paul Curtis' Newbery winner Bud, Not Buddy. Bud, a 10-year-old orphan, is on his own and looking for shelter when a local man tells him to head toward the outskirts of town and find "Hooperville." Bud finds his way to the shanty town and finds out it's not Hooperville, but Hooverville, named after the president, who thought they were so special that every town ought to have one.

Bud asks, "How do I know I'm at the right Hooverville?"

"Answer these three questions. Are you hungry? Are you tired? Are you scared?"

"Yes. Yes. Yes."

"Then you're in the right Hooverville."

Hoovervilles were home to people who had no home. Many were riding the rails, sneaking into open boxcars to travel far away from home in search of work. These people were homeless, but not entirely hopeless. They banded together to feed each other (Bud eats muskrat stew cooked over an open fire and served in a square tin can), keep warm, and stay safe.

Walkerville isn't made up of shanties; people brought tents and sleeping bags. The comfort level is much, much different. Residents of Walkerville are temporary; one was quoted as saying he couldn't stay because he had final exams most of the week. They'll go back to their dorms or their homes when the time for protest is done. Residents of the real Hoovervilles had no place to go but another Hooverville.

Walkerville is a planned protest, complete with scheduled speakers and music and even documentary movies in support of the cause. Hoovervilles sprang up according to extreme need. The name works in a way, as this site describes it, reminding skeptics that "(n)aming a forced settlement after the person who made it necessary has historical significance in the labor movement."

The tent city in Madison is an attempt to direct attention to policies that will hurt the middle class. Walkerville and the movement as a whole have historical significance in the labor movement nationwide. This is a creative way to make a point and gain publicity.

But is it a Hooverville? No. Walkerville is named for a leader known for divisiveness and conflict, but he hasn't forced masses of citizens into homelessness yet.

Yet. If he continues along the same political road, Walkervilles may no longer be camp-outs. I hope this month's Walkerville tactics help make the point and change direction enough that we don't need the real thing.

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Five on Friday: Politically Speaking

I couldn't do it. I started to write about the control freaks we have in our state legislature right now, not to mention in the governor's office. I couldn't do it. My shoulders went up to my earlobes, the back of my neck tightened, and my stomach twisted in knots.

Instead of a standard political post, here's a list of Five for Friday.

Five Reasons to be Concerned about the Wisconsin legislature

5. Members of the Senate do not treat each other with respect. What happened to parliamentary procedure? What happened to the golden rule? The rudeness on the Senate floor is downright embarrassing.

4. Majorities in both houses treat the minorities like dirt under their feet. I understand the concept of "Majority Rules," but in our system, the minority still has the right to be heard.

3. Even Madison's annual Bratfest is becoming partisan because Johnsonville Brat CEO contributed to Scott Walker's campaign.

2. The governor still thinks everything goes better with Koch.

1. I like the name Wisconsin better than its Twitter alternative: Fitzwalkerstan.

So on we go, into the long weekend. When the politicians walk past during the parade on Monday, I'll do my best to be quiet. Maybe. Or maybe I'll just honk the horn on Amigo's bike to drown out the Republican slogans.

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Mrs. Lerner's Afterlife - a story worth rereading

Since the Rapture was (ahem) yesterday, I thought it was a good time to bring out this story once again.

Let's call her Mrs. Lerner, the teacher in this story. Mrs. Lerner passed away, and continued on her peaceful way toward the pearly gates. St. Peter met her with, "Welcome, Mrs. Lerner. Here in Heaven, we all make contributions. What would you like to do?" Mrs. Lerner responded, "I'm a teacher, so I'll teach."

Peter called over St. John-Baptiste de la Salle, the patron saint of teachers, and had him escort Mrs. Lerner to her new classroom. When she got there, she was was shocked to see the conditions. 40 desks. 35 textbooks, all outdated. Pencils, pens, and paper were sufficient to supply the class for perhaps one day, no computers existed, and a cracked chalkboard hung on the front wall.

"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed, "this is horrible!"

Boom! Suddenly, Mrs. Lerner was in an entirely different locale, escorted by a devilishly handsome young man. With a fiendish smile, he brought her to a very different classroom. 15 desks well-equipped with supplies, books of all reading levels and interests, an interactive whiteboard, and behind each student, supportive parents. On her desk lay a contract offering the opportunity to bargain for decent working conditions as long as she continued to teach.

"I don't understand," she murmured, shaking her head. "Why the advantages here, of all places?"

The devilishly handsome escort slyly reminded the dedicated educator, "Mrs. Lerner, when you asked the governor for this, where did he tell you to go?"

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The best Mug Shot ever

When we travel, my favorite souvenir is a coffee mug. I drink from my Amtrak mug and remember the trip on the Empire Builder. I sip from my lobster mug and remember Nova Scotia. Whenever I finish a major project, I like to pull out my "ducks in a row" mug to show that I do, indeed, have all my ducks in a row.

Now I found another mug, a historic mug, that I must have.

Last year, President Obama said, "I can't go around with my birth certificate plastered on my forehead." When he released the long version because his short version wasn't good enough for the conspiracy theorists, he told reporters that he didn't have time for this silliness. He had more important things to do. A few days later, he announced that Osama bin Laden had been found and killed. Ahem.

To thumb my nose at those who still don't understand that Hawaii is one of the United States, the Democrats have come up with the perfect mug.

Go ahead; go to this link and make a donation of $15 or more and get the Born in the USA mug. Stay active and stay caffeinated and get yourself a piece of history at the same time. I plan on it.

Disclaimer: I am active in progressive politics, including Organizing for America, but I was not paid or sponsored in any way for this post. This mug was too good to pass up.

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BP or not BP: Accountability, not apologies.

Republican Congressman Joe Barton personally apologized to BP in a congressional hearing this week.

Apologized. Told the huge international company, the one responsible for eleven deaths and an unprecedented environmental disaster, that he was sorry. He called the $20 billion victims' relief fund a "shakedown."


What the #%$%!^&*#!?!?

President Obama and many members of Congress are working hard to ensure that BP provides relief to the victims in the Gulf region -- and that the oil giant is held accountable for the damage it's done. This is not a shakedown. This is accountability. This is responsibility. This is Taking care of the world in which they do business.


On that note, here's my apology.

Dear Representative Barton and colleagues:

I'm sorry that you've been misled by your Grand Old Party. Successful business is good, and oil is important. But the cost in human lives, animal lives, and massive environmental damage, is not something to be taken lightly.

I'm sorry you think it's wrong to expect accountability. Paying for damages is not a shakedown; it's restitution. Putting up an escrow account for the future to rebuild and restore the beaches and marshes and fragile ecosystems; that's not a shakedown, either. It's called responsibility. Average citizens, the "small people" so condescendingly mentioned by BP executives, call it insurance. We pay premiums in case of disasters that we hope will never happen.

Most of all, Representative Barton and associates, I'm sorry that you have the power to make policy and write laws. If taking responsibility for our world, accepting accountability for mistakes that cost lives, and planning for the future are alien concepts, I don't want you in office. You certainly don't represent me.


Sincerely,

Daisy

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Closed minds

Seen on the way to a graduation ceremony:

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Dear Discovery Channel: Ms. Palin's Alaska is not eco-friendly.

Dear Discovery Channel Powers that be, including Mr. David Zaslav (President and CEO):

What on Earth were you thinking? Producing a show - an 8-part show! - called Sarah Palin's Alaska, when Sarah herself led the state backwards in environmental stewardship? Let's look at the background.

-Ms. Palin fought against protections for endangered whales.
-She worked counter to protecting the dwindling polar bear population.
-Instead, she pushed for oil and gas development, including dangerous drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge.
-Then-Governor Palin sponsored escalated aerial wolf-kills, including suggesting a $150 bounty for the foreleg of each wolf killed.
-All this was "accomplished" in only two and a half years as governor, before she quit to take to the talk show circuit.

This show (which will pay Ms. Palin a reported $1 million per episode) cannot be produced with integrity as long as the Sarah Palin name is on it. Any attention gained by her fame and notoriety will be negated by her actions while in office. Viewers may be able to see Russia from some of Sarah Palin's Alaska, but the show's content will not be credible.

Please, Mr. Zaslov, reconsider.

Dear Readers; if you would like to add your name to a petition protesting this outrageous program, go to Change.org to read more and sign up.

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Ah, coffee. Such a history!

I felt obligated. With Tea Parties making the headlines and calling themselves patriotic, I had to do the research. Tea? Nope. Coffee, of course.

According to legend, coffee was discovered by a goatherd who noticed his goats were energetic and happy after eating the berries of a certain bush. Later on, Arabs cultivated this fascinating plant, calling its berries "qahwa" -- literally, that which prevents sleep.
In the 16th century, coffee was so popular with Turks that Turkish law allowed a woman to divorce her husband if he did not provide her with a daily dose.
It's possible that Lloyd's of London began in the 17th Century as a coffeehouse called Edward Lloyd's, a place where merchants and insurance agents met.

The 18th Century was full of coffee history. Coffee spread to the Western Hemisphere, Brazil's coffee industry started as a result of a liaison between a Dutch mediator and the wife of French Guiana's governor. He left her after the conflict was resolved, but he left her with a bouquet in which he hid the seeds of a new crop and a whole new industry.
J.S. Bach composed his Kaffee Kantate (why didn't I learn this in my History of Baroque Music in college?) dedicated to while at the same time mocking women who dared sip the devastating brew thought to make them sterile. It contains an aria with the lyrics announcing, "Ah! How sweet coffee taste! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter far than muscatel wine! I must have my coffee." Ah, Johann, I couldn't have said it better myself.
Toward the end of the 18th century I found my favorite piece of coffee history:

1773: The Boston Tea Party makes drinking coffee a patriotic duty in America.

There you have it, folks. Forget the so-called Tea Parties. Ever since the Sons of Liberty trashed the merchant ships, the fact remains: True patriotism is grounded in coffee.
Pun intended.

I used several sources to find the facts for this post, but the most useful was this: A History of Coffee Timeline. Pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy.

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Elected officials, Health Care, and Bad Craziness

It was on our local news today and in the morning paper; members of Congress being threatened after voting to pass the health insurance reform bill Sunday night.

My congressional representative, a doctor, was victimized by a threat and one of the clinics that still carries his trademark had the word "kill" painted over his name. Another Wisconsin representative received death threats at his office in Washington.

Worst of all, the president was threatened through a Twitter exchange.

People, when will this end? Whatever happened to respecting the office, if not the officeholder? Whatever happened to respecting the dignity of the House?

Freedom of speech has its limits. Vandalism, threats of bodily harm or death, discussing assassination of the elected leader of the free world -- all are WRONG. Clearly and simply wrong. Spreading hatred, encouraging violence, pumping up the anger levels of an already-conflicted world: not only wrong, but also dangerous.

Someone, somewhere, somehow will take this too far. And then? Irony of ironies, that person will end up in prison - losing their right to vote, and gaining free health care sponsored by the taxpayers of the good old U.S.A.

Wait. Something's wrong with this picture.

But isn't that where we started?

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Advocacy in the Blogging World

It's a great world, the Blogosphere. People of all walks of life, conservative or liberal, rich or poor, can blog their concerns.

And the Powers That Be? They'd better listen.

Illinois legislators, listen up -- if you can. Deaf Mom tells you why hearing aids should be covered and why they're more important than (are you ready for this?) Viagra. I'll second her motion; without my hearing aids, I wouldn't be teaching. Thanks to my hearing aids, I'm earning a living, paying taxes, stimulating the economy, and staying politically active.

New York Times, you have officially alienated women who blog. Punditmom has one of the best responses to the article "Honey, don't bother Mommy; I'm too busy building my brand." I might have thought the article neutral had the author left out the condescending remarks. Describing a blog network presenter as having the "good-natured sass of a sorority social chairwoman" and suggesting that "... you, too, might get 28,549 views of your tutu-making tutorial!" Get real, NYT. I don't post tutu-making tutorials. Rain barrels, maybe. So - what's your point?

MOMocrats (Raising the next generation of blue) always have something valuable and current posted: Here's a post discussing the status of women and the way that status affects a country's peace, security, and prosperity.

Meanwhile, my inbox includes communication from Organizing for America (OFA) reminding me that it's time to make phone calls and send emails to remind our representatives to get rolling on health insurance reform. My OFA neighbor asks:

"Could you also let your readers know that they need to pick up the phone and call their member of congress to vote "yes" for reform? There are members of Congress whose votes are movable if they hear from enough of us. If callers leave a message, they need to leave their name and address, so the member of Congress can verify that the caller is a constituent. There could be a vote in the House of Representatives before the week is out."

Stick together, women and men of the blogging world. The mainstream media may disrespect us, but they'll come around. They'll have to.

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Put insurance reform on your to-do list; it's on mine.

To-do list for the weekend:

Visit La Petite, pick up bunnies for break while she travels: her March Madness.
Take Amigo to high school basketball game; his March Madness.
Prepare for parent-teacher conferences: my March Madness.
Support my local chapter of OFA (Organizing for America) in the fight for health care and insurance reform.
Scale the mountain we call Family Laundry.
Handle the weekly load of student papers and gradebook updates.

That's a long list. Why the inserts? Well, someone needs to take care of the bunnies while La Petite is gone. They need daily feeding. Amigo doesn't drive, so he needs to ride the fan bus or get a ride to the play-off game.

Oh. You meant the OFA insert. Well, dear blog readers, there is strength in numbers. I can accomplish more and make a bigger difference by joining with a group of people with like philosophies. Together, we can have an impact on our elected officials, and in turn make an impact on the laws that govern our land.

On that note, here are a few notes that the Tea Partiers tend to ignore.

-> 8 -- that's the number of people every minute who are denied coverage, charged a higher rate or otherwise discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition.
-> 8 is also the number of lobbyists hired by special interests to influence health reform for every member of Congress in 2009.
-> The status quo isn't working, and special interests are doing everything in their power to maintain that status quo.

For more information, go to Health Care by the Numbers, where they'll feature a new number and fact set each day.

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