Facebook and Elections

I've seen a lot of stuff lately that says,

And while that may be true for the big national elections, at least two of my votes were directly influenced by information that I learned on Ye Ol' Facebook.

#1 - I voted for Glenda Ritz for Grand Poobah of Public Instruction because every single teacher I know on FB in Indiana told me to.  And I figure if all my rocket scientist friends were telling me to vote for Dr. Soandso for head of NASA (not that that's an elected position, but stay with me), they know what they're talking about better than I do, and I should listen to them.  Same with teachers and public school policy.  So that's what I did.  And she won.  And I'll bet my vote was not the only one influenced by Facebook in this case, because the teachers of Indiana were all over Facebook in the days leading up to the election saying, "For real, y'all, vote for Glenda Ritz."

#2 - I voted not to retain some judge with two first names (Steven David) because he is the guy that legislated from the bench that the police can basically come in your house whenever they want without a warrant or probable cause.  (Thankful for Wikipedia - "A majority opinion in 'Barnes vs. Indiana', justice David is infamous for writing the controversial majority opinion stating: 'We hold that there is no right to reasonably resist unlawful entry by police officers.'")  And while I cheerfully invite police officers into my home all the time and have nothing to hide, I don't think that the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution ("The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.") is something that we should just go mucking around with.

So while Facebook posts may not have enough sway with most of us to change our political party, in some more local elections where word of mouth is critical, and where we may not be getting as much info from the traditional media as we may like, I think Facebook can be very influential.  And those local elections results often have more of an impact on our day to day lives than who is sitting in the White House a thousand miles away.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Furnace Woes

It's funny how things always break on the weekend, isn't it?  When we returned home from Chicago our furnace wouldn't light.  The blower comes on, but it doesn't go "foomph!" and the air coming out of the vents is cold.  BJ changed the filter and punched it like the Fonz, but it stubbornly refuses to light.

We have a small, wall-mounted heater and a fireplace, and it never got below 60 in here, so we decided to avoid the weekend rate and wait until this morning to call the repair service (they'll be here in an hour).  The kids and the dog have enjoyed sitting directly in front of the wall heater.  And if they get too warm, they can go outside and sit in front of the electric meter, which is spinning like crazy with the liberal and inefficient use of the heater, creating a strong breeze.  The neighbors behind us probably won't have to rake their leaves.  They'll all just blow away from the spinning of our electric meter.

Anyway, being without heat for a couple of days makes me worried for the folks in the path of Sandy.  I checked out some of the coverage and predictions this morning and it looks pretty scary.  If you're reading from the east coast, I hope you have lots of food and booze, and that it isn't as bad as they're all saying it will be.  In fact, I hope you get a couple of bonus days off from work and school and a nice, gentle rain.  Be sure to remember to check on elderly and infirm neighbors if you're able.

It's worth noting, with just over a week until the election, that Governor Romney would like to eliminate FEMA and make disaster management a state - or better yet private! - responsibility.  He also would like to remind you that if your house is destroyed by Sandy, you can always live in one of your other houses.  Because he thinks the middle class makes about $500,000 a year, don't you know.


But even if Mr. Romney gets elected, don't panic.  Like most of his positions, all you have to do is wait 15 minutes and he'll change his mind.

(This post has been brought to you by the Committee to Annoy My Aunts and Uncles)

Sexual Politics

Yesterday I pointed out absurdity of a bunch of non-uterus-havers making decisions about women's reproductive health and freedom (in 2012, for Susan B. Anthony's sake!) and Ann had this to say:

I enjoy reading your blog and stories about your family, but I couldn't let this one go. It is called religious beliefs and values. You would not ask the Amish or Quakers or any other religion to do anything that is fundamentally against their beliefs why is it ok to demand and force Catholics to abandon one of their core teachings. It is not a male/female issue. It is a religious belief issue. Would it make you feel better if it was a table full of catholic women holding their babies sitting at that table? 

Leaving aside the irony of an institution which has sheltered and enabled sexual predators for generations throwing any stones when it comes to sexual politics of any kind... Here's what's going on:

The Catholics don't want to cover birth control for their employees.  So, for example, if you're an agnostic or Buddhist or whatever secretary who happens to work at a Catholic university or hospital, or even a private company owned by a Catholic, they have the right, under the law, to not cover birth control pills under your insurance plan.  This actually happened to me in my early 20s.  Irony of irony, I was taking BC for raging PMS, and not for the sake of contraception, but it didn't matter because the family owned company I worked for at the time was owned by an Italian-Catholic family, and they refused to cover BC.  It kind of pissed me off.  Guess where I went for my pills instead?  (Planned Parenthood)  Guess what organization the religious right would love to see wiped off the face of the earth??  (Planned Parenthood)  ARGH!

Fine, whatever.  Religious freedom, blah blah blah.  So Obama said, "Whatever, jerks.  We're going to require the non-religious insurance company to extend birth control coverage to your employees for free, so that your non-Catholic or Catholic-light employees who choose to use the pill are able to, without having to go get it for a discounted price at Planned Parenthood and have eggs thrown at them by protestors."  Obviously I'm paraphrasing.

Egg Throwing Protestors

And apparently that wasn't good enough.  Because it's not just that Catholic companies and institutions saying, "We don't want our money going to pay for something we disagree with."  That's not it at all.  They don't want you or I to have access to birth control of any kind, period, regardless of what church you belong to or what you believe or whose money you use to pay for it.  (Incidentally, insurance companies are cool, because it's a lot cheaper to give away birth control pills than it is to cover pregnancies and to insure children until age 26.)

This also isn't about Catholics' closely held religious beliefs - because according to recent polls, 98% of Catholics have used birth control themselves (that link contains a very good description of what's going on, by the way, if my little lecture hasn't been enough for you).  This is about a very small group of (celibate) men trying to dictate the terms of what goes on in your relationship, your marriage, your bedroom, and your body.

If that doesn't piss you off, well, I don't know what will.

Reproductive freedom is a basic human right.  The World Health Organization says:

Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. They also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free discrimination, coercion, and violence.

If it's true that "every sperm is sacred" for you, fine.  Good for you.  I hope you have a great job because I don't know how we're going to put our three pretty babies through college.  Assuming that you get married at age 25, like I did, and that you hit menopause at age 50, you've got 25 years of fertility there - and let's assume you have a kid every 18 months - we're talking 16 or 17 kids.  You must either come from money or plan on winning the lottery, or maybe you have different goals for your kids.  I don't know.  But it doesn't matter.  When YOUR religious beliefs start infringing on MY right to determine the size of my family, we have a serious, serious problem.

And furthermore, this planet just passed 7 billion people.  We can't all be Duggars.  Where are we supposed to put all these people?  Who is going to pay for them?  Two cats, if left to their own devices, can have over 80 million kittens in just 10 years.  Now, can you imagine how many people 7 billion people can have in the same time period?  Who is going to take care of all of them?  A bunch of celibate Catholic priests?  HARDLY.  (On the other hand, we may need all those people to take care of all the cats).

And what about the people, like my good friend Julie, who would dearly love to have more children but who can't because a pregnancy would literally kill her?  She has a heart condition.  She's a non-Catholic Christian.  Should she have to risk a pregnancy, and risk leaving her husband a widower and her children motherless because some celibate man thinks that his God is going to be pissed with her if she doesn't?  Should she and her husband have to endure a sexless marriage because of someone else's religious beliefs?  Why does the religious freedom of the Catholics trump her reproductive rights?  (Hint: it doesn't).

(And we haven't even touched on the whole abortion thing.  I do not have it in me to go there today.  Migraine.  Ugh.)

Even if it had been a table full of Catholic mothers, Ann, it wouldn't matter.  It would have been marginally less offensive, but frankly I get offended when any person of any religion tries to impose any of their religious values on anyone to whom they haven't personally given DNA.  And honestly, if you have a functioning uterus, I think you should too.  Because they aren't going to stop at not allowing their own employees access to birth control.  This is just one step in a systematic plan to strip all women everywhere of their basic right to determine the course of their own lives.

Why?  I wish I knew.  Maybe someone can explain it to me.  I welcome open discussion in the comments.

(And since they haven't thought of this, maybe the Catholics ought to start their own insurance company - Lord knows they have enough money - so that all the Catholic churches, universities, and companies can be insured by a Catholic insurance company which would therefore be religiously exempt from providing birth control.  But until they smarten up and do that, they're just going to have to STFU.)

Oh crap, one more thing.  Amish and Quaker people pay taxes, right?  And those taxes go to fund all kinds of things like war and electricity, that Amish and Quaker people don't believe in.  That's called "being a part of a society."  Sometimes your money gets used for things you don't personally approve of, but unless you're also willing to give up roads and police departments and fire departments and national security, you just have to freaking deal.  Personally, I choose to believe that all of the money we pay in taxes is the same exact money that comes back to us in research grants and contracts, which makes paying taxes a lot less painful.  I suggest that you adopt a similar belief.  If you're a really big fan of NASA, imagine that all your money goes directly to them.  If you hate NASA but love farmers, imagine your money being redistributed in the form of subsidies.  See how easy it is?

When I Become Queen

I got involved in a conversation about politics, specifically about the national debt, yesterday.  It's kind of sad that I was able to come up with a bunch of ideas just standing in the lunchroom at the office, but the people in congress who get paid to solve problems can't figure this out.

#1 - Social Security is 6.2% of your gross income up to $106,800.  If it was 6.2% of everything, instead, how much of the problem would that solve?  Would I be able to count on Social Security being there when I retire if they removed the limit?

from Wikimedia Commons

#2 - It's my understanding that Bush paid for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan outside of the federal budget (I don't know how the hell that works, but that's what he did).  Here's what I want to know - whatever happened to war bonds?  In World War 2, if you supported the war and the troops you could go out and buy a bond to support them, which would mature in a set number of years.  Why aren't we selling Iraq and Afghanistan and now Libya bonds?  Let the people who think these actions are a good idea pay for them!

#3 - Congresspeople should not get sweet retirement deals.  They should get social security like everyone else.

#4 - When this country was founded, all the politicians had real jobs.  I think the only career politician should be the president - and everyone else should be a volunteer.  No, I'm not kidding.  Ok, fine, pay them a small stipend (minimum wage x the number of hours they work!) for their time.  But that's it.  And they're not allowed to vote themselves pay increases anymore.  Who came up with that idea? 

#5 - What if we all decided that in 2012 we would let the government keep our tax refunds, for the good of the country, and apply them toward the national debt?  What if we kept doing this until there wasn't one anymore?  Heck, what if we just did it in even numbered years?  Could we solve the problem that way?  How long would it take?

#6 - Various entities that get their funding from the government always spend as much of it as they possibly can - otherwise it will be removed from the budget next year.  How about coming up with non-financial incentives for entities that return unspent money at the end of the fiscal year?  For example, if the National Archives (just to pick on someone) manages to spend 97% of their budget, but they write the government a check for the other 3% at the end of the year, how about we give everyone who works for the National Archives an extra day off or something?  Government employees need some kind of incentive to NOT spend money.  Also, let's not take that money out of their budget right away, because things change from year to year.  Give them 5 years of being 3% under (and getting an extra day off or something) before that 3% is permanently cut, so they don't feel like they have to "spend out" their money each year.

#7 - Here's another idea from the past - the WPA.  We've got thousands and thousands of people collecting welfare and unemployment in this country, and meanwhile our roads, bridges, etc. are falling apart.  Let's put some of these folks to work 4 days a week fixing stuff!  The other day a week they can continue to look for a job in their original field.  "But Amy!" you say, "A lot of the people collecting welfare are taking care of children!"  OK, fine, start a WPA daycare in each town - employ a couple of (qualified) caregivers to look after the kids of the rest of the people who are at work.  Duh.  I know that our town has laid off teachers lately.  They're more than qualified to do daycare, right?  Wouldn't they rather be working?

#8 - This is kind of unrelated, but why don't we combine the retirement homes and the daycares into one facility?  So the older people could be around little kids, which would be good for them and keep them young and active, and the little kids could have one on one attention from loving older people, which would be good for them, too.  Also, it would be one less building.  There would have to be caregivers, too, for both the elderly and the kids (because the elderly would get tired, and the kids would need diapers changed and stuff) but from a purely social point of view, I think it would be good.  It's certainly more natural than dividing people up by age the way we do in this country.

#9 - This one is my dad's.  He says that every member of Congress should have to do their personal income taxes with a pencil and paper, and if they can't they need to simplify the laws.  I think that's BRILLIANT.

#10 - Twelve year term limits for every single elected official in the country.

There.  I fixed it.  Will you vote for me?

Thank You Planned Parenthood

I went to Planned Parenthood for reproductive care from the time I was 17 until I obtained health insurance when I was 28.

During that time, I obtained birth control, STD tests, yearly pap smears and breast exams, all the standard "woman stuff" that most of the folks who are so anti-PP don't have to worry about because they don't have pesky things like vaginas, breasts, uterusses, and ovaries.

Every time I went there, they asked me if I felt safe in my current relationships (in other words, was I being abused). They counseled me about safer sex, AIDS, and other STDs. They asked me if I was addicted to drugs or alcohol. They had dozens of pamphlets on the walls about a range of women's health and women's safety issues. Everything from where to go for WIC to how to deal with menopause.

They never gave me an abortion. They never needed to, because they gave me safer sex education and birth control pills instead.

And the care they gave me throughout more than a decade as their patient in four different cities was consistently affordable, compassionate, professional, safe, and reliable.

When I was 23 or 24 I found a lump. I was terrified. I called Planned Parenthood in a tizzy and they got me in immediately. Thankfully it was normal. They educated me about the difference between normal and abnormal lumps.

At Planned Parenthood, 97% of the services provided have nothing to do with abortion and everything to do with education, STD care and prevention, cancer care and prevention, contraception. And 0% of the abortions are paid for with federal funds. ZERO. It's already law.

I don't know why the republicans have women and children in their crosshairs. I don't understand how they can justify spending squajillions of dollars to kill people in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, but not a $300 million on Planned Parenthood.

It doesn't make any sense, because the Planned Parenthood issue is a red herring. They are fighting over something that they know people have passionate feelings about to DISTRACT us from the real issues and to get people too stirred up to pay attention to what's really going on.

It's government theater, and it's shameful.

If the government shuts down, they'll have failed us all, and Congress should NOT receive pay or benefits (health insurance, etc.) as long as they continue with the shutdown.

The whether-or-not-to-pay-the-military thing was probably a red herring, too. They probably intended to pay them all along, but they were able to waste time writing a bill, getting it through, debating it, and then passing it at the last minute to look like heroes even as they're failing us.

When are people going to start paying attention?

An Open Letter to the Tea Party

Dear Tea Party,

First of all, your name is stupid.

Secondly, your grandstanding and inability to compromise is directly impeding my ability to get shit done.  I've had a meeting scheduled for Monday for over a week, and the person I'm meeting with had to call and cancel today because he can't put in travel requests due to the possibility of a shut down.  We're going to have to reschedule (again!), which is going to delay our getting under contract with the Air Force. 

Kindly STFU so those of us who actually do useful work in this country can get back to it.  

This stunt is going to end up costing this country money in the long run, and it REALLY pisses me off that our troops might not get paid this week.  That's some serious bullshit. 

Seriously, enough already.  I speak for basically everyone in this country who isn't a politician when I say, "The rest of us have work to do - get out of the way."

Love and kisses,
Amy

(PS - I know this isn't the usual tone or topic of this blog, but I'm too ticked off to keep quiet about this one.)

An Open Letter to the President

Dear Mr. President,

When Sasha, and Malia have to have nude pictures taken of their bodies, and when they are groped in their bathing suit areas by strangers, I will allow it to happen to my daughters.  Until then, I think you are the worst kind of hypocrite - expecting American parents to do to their children what you would never allow to be done to your own.

I voted for you.  The way things are going right now, I don't plan to do so again.  Heaven help me if I have to choose between you and Sarah Palin.  I think if that happens I'll move to Canada (I can drive there, eh?).

Sincerely,
Amy Prettybaby

There are some things up with which I will not put

The Transportation Security Administration, in its infinite wisdom, has apparently mandated that new Whole Body Imagery "security" machine - the one that takes pictures of your body through your clothes.  And if you refuse to allow representatives of the federal government to take nude photos of your body, you get to be manually patted down by a TSA representative.  And they will feel your crotch and your posterior and your breasts, if you have them.  Because they want the "pat down" experience to be so uncomfortable that people opt to use the machine, instead.  It's faster.

There might be a circumstance under which I might decide that the indignities of the pre-flight screening are worth the trip, but there is no way that I am going to allow my children to be photographed (essentially) nude or patted down (more like "felt up") by strangers.  And they WILL be patted down.  It says so right here.  So, as a mother, I get to choose to allow nude photos to be taken of my children, or to subject them to a deliberately-designed-to-be-uncomfortable pat-down.  What the hell kind of a choice is that?

Dear Pedophiles - go get jobs with TSA!  You can assault children all day long and get paid!  It's like a dream come true!!!

It's clear that this is a Fourth Amendment violation, not to mention a violation of every child porn law in every state in the U.S.  But the people in charge don't give a shit about your privacy or your children's privacy.  Apparently they don't give a shit about the law or the Constitution, either. 

What we need is a cop (maybe one with a passion for protecting kids from sexual abuse...  One I've known for 20 years...  You know who you are!) to take her kids through security, put them through the machine, and then immediately arrest the TSA agents for possession of child porn.  That would get people talking!  I'll buy your tickets!

I do have a third choice.  I am voting with my wallet.  I am not flying commercially, nor are my children flying, until the Whole Body Imaging machine goes away.  The metal detectors have worked just fine for years, and I've taken off my shoes and emptied my pockets and walked through them like a good little sheep.  I've even thanked the TSA agents for doing their jobs, in spite of the hassle and the delay.  But now they've gone too far.

What do you think?  Are you going to continue to fly?  Are you going to fly with your children?  If you are, will you opt for the kiddie porn or the molestation? 

(Interestingly, B.J. disagrees with me, so I'm looking forward to his remarks in the comments...  Be sure to come back and check on how that develops.  It's always fun when he and I argue, we were both on the high school debate team...)

Haiti

I haven't said anything about the disastrous earthquake in Haiti here because it's outside the scope of this blog, (and because I can't bear to watch the news coverage of the situation, honestly).  However, I came across a blog post (posted on Facebook by a friend of mine) that gave excellent perspective on the situation.

In the past couple of days I have read a lot of backlash (on Facebook) against the money that was raised for Haiti during the telethon last week.  People are saying, "We should help our own!  Why should we send money to Haiti when people here don't have health insurance, or people here are hungry?"

This is why, folks.  This is why.

There's a big difference between being poor in one of the richest countries in the world, and being poor in a country where everyone you know is poor, and everyone they know is poor, and there is no escape from the crushing poverty that surrounds you. 

That's all I have to say about it right now. 

I Used To Like People

I used to like people. I really did. I loved sitting down with people and talking about ideas and philosophies - I was on the goddamn debate team in high school (and if you haven't already noticed, this one is NOT going in the baby book!). I made a point of casting a wide net, and making friends who were different from me, because I thought they were interesting. How boring would life be if we all agreed on everything, if we were all the same?

I don't like people anymore. No, seriously, I am sick to fucking death of people and their politics. And people can't seem to talk about anything BUT politics these days, and I have had it. Had. It.

This morning, a friend's Facebook status got BJ and I going, to the point that we were scaring Claire because we were debating so vehemently. And this evening when I got downstairs from putting the kids to bed, a completely different person was baiting me via chat.

I can't talk to half my family anymore without getting into it (and no, D.C.M. you weren't the straw that broke the camel's back this time, and you were most pleasant and non-political the last time I saw you, so stand down!). I can't talk to 49% of my friends anymore without hearing Glenn Beck's talking points. I can't get on Facebook without seeing someone's Flickr stream from their latest Teabagging (and for the record, eeew! I don't think that means what you think it means). I can't even talk to my own husband about anything that may be relevant on a national scale without risking someone sleeping on the couch.

It has got to stop.

I don't know everything. I can't solve the economic crisis, fix the national debt, improve our relations with Iran and North Korea, get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan safely and without lasting consequences, and in my spare time fix education, the infrastructure, the space program, and every other thing that's wrong with this country and this planet. I wouldn't even know where to start, which is why I choose to be a fucking BOOKKEEPER instead of a politician.

I know that I believe that we can do better. We can do better for our children by improving the schools, we can do better for the weakest and sickest and poorest among us through national health care, and that maybe if we sit down and talk to people we can figure out some of the answers to some of the really hard questions that face us, as a society.

I voted for the person who, I thought, agreed with me. And he was elected. And I truly believe that he is doing the best he can in the face of unprecedented cynicism and obstruction.

I am not prepared to debate you, or you or you or you, and especially not you on every nuance of the president's latest speech, on every one of the four dozen things Rush Limbaugh is pissed off about today, and on every Fox News article you've read. I am not going to engage with you anymore on matters of opinion or politics. I am no longer going to get angry when I see signs that say things like "What's the difference between the zoo and the White House? The zoo has an African Lion and the White House has a Lyin' African." Because if the president can rise above that kind of trash, then so can I. He doesn't let it get to him, and I won't let it get to me, either.

But I will say this, before I go to full radio silence on the subject of politics for the next 3 to 7 years - we are not going to accomplish anything by name calling. We are not going to solve any problems by calling our leader every name from Anarchist to Zoroastrian (particularly when you don't understand what the names you're calling actually mean!). We are not going to serve anyone's best interests by yelling "You Lie!" in the middle of an address to Congress.

You may not have voted for him, you may not even like him, but show some respect.

And be careful of the company you keep - because if you align yourself with the haters and the racists and those who would rather shout about problems than try to fix them, you are at great risk of becoming one of them.

That is all.

I am finished.

Otherwise, I may find myself without friends, family, and a husband before this is all said and done, and no one wants that.

If you try to discuss matters of politics with me, in the future, I am going to simply reply, "I don't talk about politics." Instead of constantly bitching and moaning and fighting about things, I'm going to do something, and I would encourage you to do the same. And by do something, I don't mean pout like a baby and hold signs about how awful the president is - I mean get off your computer and fucking do fucking something - volunteer, read to a class (preferably not anything published by Fox News), organize a fundraiser for a disease that needs curing, be on the school board, go to a local government meeting, organize a neighborhood watch... Do SOMETHING.

Because it's very easy, and very cowardly, to sit at a keyboard, from the safety of the blue glow of your monitor, and pick on people whose views might differ from your own. It's easy to change your Facebook status to reflect that you support x or y cause. It's easy to blog about what's wrong. But it is NOT easy to be part of the solution.

We have enough problems.

I have enough problems.

Thankfully, debating with my friends and family is no longer one of them.

I don't talk about politics.

Science Experiments

I tried sprinkling the contents of the acidophillus tablets on Claire's rash, and I wasn't getting very good results. I decided, while she was down for nap, to try mixing the contents of the tablets (18 of them, to be specific) with a couple of tablespoons of Vaseline in a ziplock bag, then smushing it all together and cutting the corner of the bag to apply it to Claire's bum. Bonus - the dryer has been on all day, so setting it on top of the dryer (in the baggie, of course), where we do diaper changes, made it nice and warm. I just tried it for the first time, and haven't had a chance to visualize the results, yet, but I'll keep you posted. I could invent a new diaper rash solution and make millions!

If I don't do that, I'm going to make millions translating Governmentese to American English for concerned citizens who are reading bills and trying to make sense of them. In the last week, I've gotten alarmed e-mails/Facebook notifications about two different bills* which really weren't alarming if you know how to read Government. Somebody help me think of a way to market this skill.

It annoys me that my most marketable skills are 1) can understand gibberish written by politicians, and 2) is not afraid to do chemistry on childrens' rear ends. *sigh*

Oh well, at least the ability to translate Governmentese comes in handy at work.



* HR 1388 - the GIVE Act, which alarmed Christians thought might prohibit their children from going to church (it won't). and HB 875 - the Food Safety Modernization Act, which concerned foodies thought might subject backyard farmers to Government Inspections (it won't, any more than hosting a dinner party makes you subject to inspections by your local Board of Health). But the people who were concerned, in both cases, are intelligent, reasonable people. It's just that the wording on these things is so dense and so impossible to read, that their concerns made sense... unless you speak Government, like I do. Maybe I should run for office.

Things I Can Get Fired Up About: Postpartum Edition

A link dropped out of the sky this evening so that I'd have something to write about.

You might remember that I had a wee little case of postpartum depression after Mary Grace was born... if by "wee little" you mean "vaguely the same size and shape as Hurricane Katrina." Hey, it was 2005. You couldn't talk about anything after August without mentioning Katrina.

Anyway, I guess there's legislation right now that would fund postpartum research and screening. Here's the text from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance's form letter I could've e-mailed to you if I didn't have a blog:

Many women have mood swings after birth. While they may have looked forward to the birth of their child, they can be happy one minute and extremely sad the next.

Almost 80 percent of women who have recently given birth experience symptoms of postpartum blues.

Postpartum depression, which is more serious can often lead to suicide.

Legislation has been introduced in the both the House and the Senate that will educate the public about postpartum depression. This legislation will ensure that new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms, and provided with essential services.

Won't you join me in writing a letter to your legislators about this important legislation?

It is quick and easy and will only take a few minutes of your time. Thank you for your consideration.

As long as we're throwing money that we don't have to throw around at every darn thing on the planet, we might as well throw some at something that matters to me, and thousands of other mothers and babies every year.

So, if you care too, please click here to send a note to your own representative. It only takes a minute.

Thanks.

The Credit Crisis for Dummies

This is a brilliant 11 minute video explaining how the current economic situation came to pass. I highly recommend taking the time to watch...


The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Now, if only this smart guy would make another video with instructions on how to FIX what happened, in easy to understand language with visual aids!!

Carmel, IN - WTF???

I just found an infuriating website - Stimulus Watch. You can search through the projects submitted against the economic stimulus package by state, city, keyword, etc.

So, I started scrolling through Indiana, and couldn't help but notice that a HUGE amount of projects were for Carmel, Indiana.

The total cost of projects submitted for Indiana is $2,598,965,295.

The total cost of projects submitted for Carmel, Indiana is $428,450,000, or about 16.5%.

Now I understand that all of these projects are for road improvements, and I understand, being from 'round here, that the traffic in Carmel is a right mess. There's no sense in trying to drive anywhere on the north/northeast side of Indy between 7 and 10 am, and between 4 and 6 pm. You won't get anywhere fast. I get it.

But why is a relatively small (of 68,677 according to a special 2007 census), rich (the median income is approximately double the average median income of the rest of the state) city requesting such a gigantic percentage of Indiana's share of the stimulus package?

Surely Carmel, where the average home value is $254,458 (over double the Indiana average), has the tax base to fund its own stinking road projects.

This is the local equivalent of Beverly Hills asking for 16.5% of the money to help California. Carmel is one of the nicest cities in the state.

I thought this money was supposed to help people who need help. The more I learn about the nuts and bolts of the stimulus package, the more incensed I become. I understand that these projects are proposed, and not yet funded, but I still find this grossly irresponsible on the part of the Mayor of Carmel's office. Wouldn't this money be better spent in more needy areas of the state? How about Elkhart, where the unemployment rate is 17%? Or Marion, IN, where the unemployment rate was a staggering 11.3% as of December '08? Carmel's unemployment is 4.4%. I think they're ok. Selfish jerks.

When we get home later, I'm going to write a letter. I'll cc the Mayor of Carmel... Who should I send it to, though? The governor? The president? ACK!

I know this is a Mommyblog, and this is clearly not about the babies, but if we're going to saddle my children with an unpayable amount of debt, I would at least like to see that money go to worthy causes - to helping people in true need. It makes me insane that the rich are going to get richer, again, as always, and the poor are going to get screwed. As always. After all, Elkhart isn't on the list of Indiana cities requesting funds. Nor is South Bend. Maybe all the projects for that region are in Mishawaka? I don't know, but it's maddening. Mishawaka only (only!) requseted $38 million, or 1.4%. My head is going to explode.

Am I reading this wrong, or is it really this nauseating???

First Grade is a Dictatorship, not a Democracy

Mimi writes:

I talked to my class today about Barack Obama and why today was such an important day in America. One little girl, with a huffy breath, said he is the bad President. I told her that as you treat your parents and your teachers with respect, you will treat your new president as well.

Some people in this household think that I am inhibiting her freedom of speech. What do you think?

I think respect is a virtue that is undervalued by our culture, and I wish more first grade teachers, like you, and parents would try to instill it in their students.

It is one thing to disagree with someone's politics, it is another to call him a bad person, or a bad president (before he's even had a chance to do the job!).

If you had duct taped her mouth shut (don't laugh, it has happened in schools, yikes!), or if you had given her a detention for disagreeing with you, that would be inhibiting her freedom of speech. She can give her opinion, as is her right, but it is well within your rights as the teacher, and your responsibilities as a leader, to require that she do so respectfully.

Kids are in bed, Mimi, call me if you want...

Inauguration

I feel like I should say something profound, but I really can't come up with the words. Instead, I'll just give you my random thoughts, as usual...

I had a really good time watching the twitter feed (which you can find here) this morning before the inauguration. I heard about the person who got hit by a train on the red line of the metro and the disturbance at the purple gate before the media reported either. All of this technology has truly changed our world, and it's interesting to have a president who blogs, twitters, and uses social media... like me.

It is also interesting to have a First Dad, a parent of two girls... like me.

I thought that the invocation was well done, in spite of the uproar from the gay community about the choice of minister. Aretha has sounded better, but it's hard to sing when it's 20 degrees. Loved her hat. I loved the benediction. I didn't love the poem. I loved the music - especially Perlman and Ma, talk about an orchestral dream team! I loved that Mr. and Mrs. Obama walked much of the parade route. I would've loved to have been there, to have seen it in person.

On NPR I heard someone mention all the different hats that Hillary Clinton was wearing today... She was there as a former First Lady, as a former candidate, as a former Senator, and as the incoming Secretary of State. Wow. That's a lot of hats. I thought she and Bill looked good.

What do you think John McCain did today? I'll bet he's relieved, honestly, that the burdens of the economy and the war on terror and all of the other problems facing our country aren't his to bear. I can't imagine why anyone would want to be the president. It sounds like a big load of stress, to me. I can barely handle the pressure of my little bookkeeping job. Yikes.

At one point, I had CNN on the TV, another CNN feed on the computer, Twitter and Facebook up all at once. I really need to dial back my inner tech geek.

Mainly, I am impressed by many of my republican friends, and my independent husband, who say, "I may not have voted for him, but I will pray for him and support him. He's our president, now."

I hope that he is as beloved on his last day of office as he is today. I hope that he can do what he promises. I hope that this is the dawn of a new era for all of us.

And I hope that tomorrow, when the parties are over, that he gets to work. He's going to need every hour of the next four years to do half of what he says he'll do. Good luck, Mr. President.

We interrupt this baking...

We interrupt bakefest 2008 to bring you an important bulletin...

A petition is being prepared for President-Elect Obama to establish more breastfeeding-friendly policies from the federal government (including paid maternity leave - something that other countries have months, if not a year, of, while we have 6 weeks, and you're lucky if they're paid). Please take a moment to go here and sign it.

Thanks! We now return you to your regularly scheduled sugar high...

What My Friends Around the World Are Saying To Americans Today

From South Africa - Well done America! I am so proud of you. The world just breathed a huge sigh of relief. Welcome back to the village.

From Canada - Hurrah for going forward! Congratulations to my American friends (the rest of us thank you from the bottom of our hearts).

From Canada - (I) woke up this morning feeling like it was Christmas. Still can't get over the amazing news. Thank you, American voters.

From New Zealand - (I) was skeptical (I'd) actually see it happen in (my) lifetime, but glad that (I) did.

From Canada, before it was called for Obama - You gonna pull this off, America? I sure hope so, because like I said, I can't take you all in if you all suddenly decide to move to Canada.

We're still waiting to hear from Germany, France, and Britain. I'm guessing they're still sleeping it off. :)

Battleground Yard...

Schitzophrenic Comments

Well, well, well!

Hi. This is the "Bill" you wrote about. I will help alleviate your anguish a little. I have no intention of killing Obama. I meant it as a term similar to Obamacide. There is a sketch with Tim Kazurinsky on SNL early in the 80's where he used "-cide" for various things. If you drank too much beer it would be "brewicide". Get it...a joke. I was not attempting to get people to come to my side. If a letter to the editor sways your vote you should not be voting.

Tim Kazurinsky - wasn't he the unibomber? I didn't know he got is start on SNL. Well, regardless, perhaps it would have been clearer, Bill, if you'd picked a "joke" that wasn't 30 years old. (I'm KIDDING, it was Ted Kaczynski... It's a JOKE.)

Letters to the Editor don't sway my vote. They do, however, make me think about moving.

I voted for Kerry last time and Nader (God I wish I could take that one back) the time before.

Who'd you vote for when Roosevelt ran? Who was on Saturday Night Live back then?

You rant and whine like a child. I was surprised to see you are 32.

Oh wait a minute - I rant and whine? I used citations and quotes and facts in my post. I quoted the Bible (which the other letter writer was arguing from) without stating whether or not I believe in it, and argued him into the ground with his own evidence!

You used... sarcasm.

I guess if I rant and whine like a child, you rant and whine like a 14 year old girl. One with PMS.

PS - Insulting people? Again, not a good way to bring people to your side... I'm just sayin'. (And I'm not trying to bring you to my side, because regardless of what you do with your vote, we're all going to be playing Hail to the Chief for my guy on Wednesday, so I can just have fun and poke you with a stick... Just to be clear...)

You give liberals a bad rap like that wacko who thinks Obama is the anti-Christ gives Republicans a bad name.

I still can't figure out which you are.

I called him ObaMessiah because so many people think he will magically fix things.
You never mentioned my one real point and my other joke. The joke was that all the celebrities who cannot run their own life support him as if politics is the one place where they make sensible decisions.

I try really hard to only mention jokes that are funny.

My one true point, and if you don't have kids or work with them you may not understand it...

Um, Bill - click around a bit. I have two kids and I went to school to be a teacher. During school I worked with special needs kids at a school for kids with behavioral disorders and mental retardation. I have LOTS of experience with kids, and the most difficult populations of kids to work with, at that.

was that for him to sit and listen to a religious man make outrageous claims against America and whites is bad. To be a "leader" in the community and appear to endorse it (or maybe he was pandering for the church member's votes) is even worse. To do all of the above and subject your children's minds to that kind of nonsense is the worst thing a parent can do.

What church do you go to, Bill? After all, we're practically neighbors. I haven't found one, in 32 years, where I can agree with every last word that comes out of the leaders' mouths. If a church so agreeable exists here, where nothing is ever said that you disagree with, well I'd like to give it a try. I'll bet the minister farts rainbows...

PS - I've worked with abused kids, neglected kids, kids who were sold into prostitution at age 7, 8, and 9 years old to support their parents' drug habits (I only wish I were exaggerating). Taking the kids to church is "the worst thing a parent can do"?? I wish I lived in a world where that were true, I really do.

You don't mention it because everything I said is true and if you deny that you only fool yourself and the only way to make yourself feel better about that is for you to hang out with people like yourself who also think the king is wearing clothes and ignore me pointing out that he does not.

After reading this run-on sentence three times to try to figure out what the heck you're talking about, I can only conclude that you think anyone who disagrees with you is fooling herself and therefore doesn't hang out with people who disagree...

Have you met my husband? He likes McCain so much that he's voted for him in elections where he wasn't even running. Fully half of my extended family is pro-McCain, and I haven't disowned them (yet). And the damn election is tomorrow, so chances are good that we'll all survive it with the family in one piece (or at least the same number of pieces it was in when this whole thing started...).

You sure make a lot of assumptions about people... I can only assume, myself, that you're doing the same about Obama - hanging your vote on one relatively minor issue (the issue of his church affiliation) rather than looking at the big picture. Maybe if you embiggened your mind, and tried to see the big picture (which is what National Politics is all about, really, it's a big picture game...) you would see things differently.

There are several reasons I am not voting for Obama. I think he screwed Hillary over. I would have voted for her more than him. His economic plan is horrible and it changes with the constituents he talking to at the moment. He has NO experience. I could handle him being VP for awhile. Lastly, I think he is a bad parent and a lost person who has no real identity and we are trying to get rid of one of those guys now.

Bill you have the right to vote for or not vote for whoever you want. You even have the right to send ridiculous letters to the J&C if you feel that's necessary. But along with that right, you have the responsibility to be made fun of by people like myself. It's part of the social contract.

I'm curious as to whether or not you voted in the primary - after all, Obama didn't "screw Hillary over" - he won. And just like every American Democrat, you had the opportunity to make your preference known. Staying bitter about the fact that he beat her 6 months later, well, why don't you just go have a good pout? Because seriously, the rest of us have moved on...

Last thing, you take this whole thing too serious. That is sad because you aren't even enjoying an election where your candidate is setting history and mopping the floor with his opponent. Relax and enjoy what we have waited 8 years for...telling the Republicans goodbye.

Hip hip hooray! See? We're like 10 pages in, and I still have no idea who you support. I guess it's none of my business, except you kind of made it a point of discussion with your letter and then by showing up here... But whatever. It doesn't matter. IT'S ALMOST OVER, and that's all that matters, today. That's a good enough reason to dance a jig.

Hey, Bill, it's been fun. Thanks for being a good sport... And don't worry, my husband and my uncles are going to leap to your defense, here, momentarily.