AND MY CAT DRAGGED ME HOME……
I have signed up to walk in the Buddy Walk, a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital’s Trisomy 21 Center. This is a great center that helps so many children with Down Syndrome. They do research into causes and cures, therapy to help these kids be healthy and happy and reach their full potential. The Center was started in 2002 and is growing. I want it keep growing and help every child that needs it.
So I am walking.
Well obviously, just the mere doing of walking is not supporting this Center. I have to get people to donate money to me walking. They have to pay me to walk. Or pay for me to walk. Whichever it is, I am of the mind that no one really is too impressed that I can, or will, walk. Maybe I haven’t astounded anyone with the lengths that I am willing to walk. If you are wondering, it’s a two mile walk. Don’t ask me how many kilometers that is. I don’t know.
So only three people have sponsored me so far. I am one of them. I am very impressed that I plan to walk two miles. I know from personal experience that I am not accustomed to that long a walk. It will be a challenge for me, and I know that. So I ponyed up some cash (well, some plastic) and sponsored me. My friend Jennifer also sponsored me. Jennifer was recently run over by a truck (no, I am not kidding) and is at home recovering. I guess to someone who has just had multiple surgeries and has been out of commission for a couple of months, two miles seems like a lot of walking. She obviously is impressed by my dedication and wants to support this worthy cause. My cat, Lucy, is my third sponsor.
I believe that my DH helped Lucy make this donation. It was made online and Lucy does not have opposable thumbs with which to use the keyboard. Or, maybe Lucy hypnotized me into doing her online bidding. This would certainly explain the hundreds of cat toys scattered throughout our house. Lucy does love children, so I can see why she would spare some of the cat toy cash she normally filters off the top of my account and put it towards the kids. Possibly, she just wants me out of the house for the day so she can throw a wild cat party. I’m sure she would invite Ricky. They are best friends. I think she would invite Bandit, too. He is a dog, not a cat, and I think annoys her sometimes. But I don’t think she would want to hurt his feelings. I don’t think she would invite Katie Cat. In fact, Lucy would probably want the party to be really loud so that Katie Cat would know Lucy Cat was having a party and Katie Cat was not invited. They can be so cattie that way.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Potential Vice Presidents
I stumbled across a blog that I just love. It is lvpoliblog.blogspot.com! This blog is written by a seemingly moderate democrat, a very smart Mom who lives close to my neck of the woods. The lv stands for Lehigh Valley, which encompasses the area's just north of the Philly-five-county area known as the Delaware Valley. Lehigh Valley includes Allentown. Anyway, this blogger has been doing a nice job of profiling potential female VP's on both the democrat and republican side. Her coverage is fair and impressive. What's more, she has been researching these women with her daughters! (they are certainly lucky girls)
For someone like me who may be switching parties for the big vote in November, finding some good, well researched and fair information on potential VP candidates is very welcoming. Again, check out http://lvpoliblog.blogspot.com
Thinking about politics, women as leaders, and some points made by my new favorite blogger, I have a Monday Morning Quarterbacking thought about Hillary's campaign: Would Hillary have secured the democratic nomination had she been a member of a NPH sorority? Consider these points:
* 17 Presidents since 1877 (basically when fraternities came into being) were members of fraternities.
* 40% of the Senate are greek affiliates.
* 30% of the Congress are greek affiliates.
* 40% of the Supreme Court are greek affiliates.
* 25% of Fortune 500 CEO's are greek affiliates. (I guess I could just say fraternity members, as I suspect that all of these CEO's are men.)
These numbers are all the more impressive when you consider that less than 9% of American's are members of greek letter organizations.
I noted the Fortune 500 CEO's because of their importance in funding campaigns.
When Elizabeth Dole ran for the republican nomination in the '80's, she surprised a lot of pundits with her very strong third place finish. But she did well in the early primaries and caucuses, particularly Iowa, when her fellow Tri Delt Alums rallied support for her amongst their own and other sorority women. They networked as if First Prize in the Homecoming Parade were at stake. It worked. Elizabeth, not known for her support of women's issues, handily got the women's vote.
Hillary Clinton is a strong supporter of women's issues and her largest block of support did come from women. But it was from older, more blue collar women. (Editors note: I am a Hillary Supporter. I am a woman. I admit to being on the older curve. Today I am wearing a white collar, but tomorrow it may be lime green) Obama got the younger democratic women's support. And he got more of the men. But most importantly, he got more of the southern states.
Now let me explain why I think Hillary may have won the nomination if she had been a KKG, or a Pi Phi, or a Chi O or another sorority member. SHE WOULD HAVE WON MORE SOUTHERN STATES!
Greek letter organizations thrive in the south. It is a way of life. It is all important. 'The Machine' that runs everything on the Univesity of Alabama's campus from who will be elected Student Body President to who will win Homecoming Queen purportedly also dictates who will be elected to Alabama state and national government. You cannot win the presidency, or the party nomination, without winning at least 4 southern states. If Hillary had the backing of the greek's - both sorority and fraternity members and alumnae - she would have pulled more younger women and she would have got more male votes. She would have had the support necessary for her to win states like Georgia.
On the Pledge Delegate count, Obama is ahead of Clinton by only 123 delegates. He had 41 more delegates from Georgia, 27 more from North Carolina, 25 more from South Carolina and 30 more from Virginia. If Hillary had been able to tap into the strong, southern, greek letter organization support in these majorly greek states we might well be nominating her as the democratic party candidate. If Hillary could have turned those tables on Obama in Georgia and any one of the other three above, she would be the nominee.
For someone like me who may be switching parties for the big vote in November, finding some good, well researched and fair information on potential VP candidates is very welcoming. Again, check out http://lvpoliblog.blogspot.com
Thinking about politics, women as leaders, and some points made by my new favorite blogger, I have a Monday Morning Quarterbacking thought about Hillary's campaign: Would Hillary have secured the democratic nomination had she been a member of a NPH sorority? Consider these points:
* 17 Presidents since 1877 (basically when fraternities came into being) were members of fraternities.
* 40% of the Senate are greek affiliates.
* 30% of the Congress are greek affiliates.
* 40% of the Supreme Court are greek affiliates.
* 25% of Fortune 500 CEO's are greek affiliates. (I guess I could just say fraternity members, as I suspect that all of these CEO's are men.)
These numbers are all the more impressive when you consider that less than 9% of American's are members of greek letter organizations.
I noted the Fortune 500 CEO's because of their importance in funding campaigns.
When Elizabeth Dole ran for the republican nomination in the '80's, she surprised a lot of pundits with her very strong third place finish. But she did well in the early primaries and caucuses, particularly Iowa, when her fellow Tri Delt Alums rallied support for her amongst their own and other sorority women. They networked as if First Prize in the Homecoming Parade were at stake. It worked. Elizabeth, not known for her support of women's issues, handily got the women's vote.
Hillary Clinton is a strong supporter of women's issues and her largest block of support did come from women. But it was from older, more blue collar women. (Editors note: I am a Hillary Supporter. I am a woman. I admit to being on the older curve. Today I am wearing a white collar, but tomorrow it may be lime green) Obama got the younger democratic women's support. And he got more of the men. But most importantly, he got more of the southern states.
Now let me explain why I think Hillary may have won the nomination if she had been a KKG, or a Pi Phi, or a Chi O or another sorority member. SHE WOULD HAVE WON MORE SOUTHERN STATES!
Greek letter organizations thrive in the south. It is a way of life. It is all important. 'The Machine' that runs everything on the Univesity of Alabama's campus from who will be elected Student Body President to who will win Homecoming Queen purportedly also dictates who will be elected to Alabama state and national government. You cannot win the presidency, or the party nomination, without winning at least 4 southern states. If Hillary had the backing of the greek's - both sorority and fraternity members and alumnae - she would have pulled more younger women and she would have got more male votes. She would have had the support necessary for her to win states like Georgia.
On the Pledge Delegate count, Obama is ahead of Clinton by only 123 delegates. He had 41 more delegates from Georgia, 27 more from North Carolina, 25 more from South Carolina and 30 more from Virginia. If Hillary had been able to tap into the strong, southern, greek letter organization support in these majorly greek states we might well be nominating her as the democratic party candidate. If Hillary could have turned those tables on Obama in Georgia and any one of the other three above, she would be the nominee.
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