Twenty years ago, my first job out of graduate school was lobbying for an organization that promoted better mental health policy and treatment. (Note: Since we lobbied for a social cause versus a for-profit business, we referred to ourselves as advocates, not lobbyists. The only practical difference though was that advocates were paid peanuts while lobbyists ate peanuts as they flew around on corporate jets.)

It did not take me long to discern the truth behind the old adage “Laws are like sausages – it is better to not see them being made.”

With the onset of the Internet and consumer-directed marketing, I’m convinced that the sausage-like legislative process has taken a decided turn for the worse.

On my way home yesterday I heard a radio ad urging listeners to contact Congress and request that Boeing be awarded the contract to build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force. There’s a website – realamericantankers.com – that touts the benefits of Boeing-built tankers versus the other company that’s competing for the $37 billion contract.

So, let me get this straight: Boeing is asking us – Joe the Plumber and Elaine the Blogger – to weigh in on as to which company should be awarded this ginormous contract of great significance to our national security.

Hmmmm …  What sage advice or insight can I offer Congress and the U.S. Air Force as they consider the pros and cons of the competitive bids? Do my business and social work degrees give me ANY credibility to voice an opinion on aerial refueling tankers?

Uh, that’s a no. Actually, it’s a “Hell, no!”

I’m all for grassroots input, community organizing and transparency in government. But, Boeing’s campaign strikes me as the big bad business wolf masquerading in sheep’s clothing (aka the democratic process we hold so dear).

Anyone else hear this type of ad? Is it only a phenomenon in the DC area? All I know is that listening to Boeing’s manipulation of marketing to the American public irritated the hell out of me. And, that hot and bothered feeling was due to more than the 101 degree reading on my car thermometer.

From Guest Blogger Sonya:

Recently, a friend/co-worker told me about a challenge that he and his sister gave each other to grow and do things that have always been on their never-ending to-do lists, yet never seem to make the time for.  I’m sure this sounds familiar to many of us.  Life has a way of sucking up time in the most routine daily life matters.  I was intrigued by Brendan’s journey, particularly when he told me that this month his sister challenged him to put together a “flash mob.”  Flash mobs are events displayed in public places that appear to start and end in a totally random fashion yet are actually coordinated and organized.  You may recall seeing an event in Grand Central Station several years ago that made it’s way to YouTube.  Suddenly at a precise moment hundreds of people in Grand Central froze for a  minute and once the minute was over, resumed what they were doing and where they were headed.

This past week was Gay Pride week and to honor this, Brendan, who is also an accomplished dancer, organized his own flash mob in Union Square of NYC.  He choreographed a central dance for a group of friends and had several others randomly join in during the 5 minute event culminating in a large group effort.  Once the music ended, everyone moved through the square as if nothing had happened and people watching were left looking for more and wondering what had just happened.  Many people applauded the impromptu entertainment.   To orchestrate this event, Brendan provided many participants with training videos on line and rehearsals with his core group.  You can see his efforts in the link attached (Click here).

What out there is important to you that you are putting off until tomorrow?

Elaine and I were together this past weekend at our husbands’ 25^th College Reunion, a wonderful weekend of reconnecting with dear friends. I must say I walked away from the weekend being overwhelmingly impressed with the man who is now at the helm, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, 17^th President of Dartmouth College and just finishing his first year.

I didn’t know much about him before we were treated to an hour long presentation, where I was literally blown away by not only his credentials, but his passion, integrity and leadership that has this venerable institution primed for ongoing success over the next several years.

He has led a blessed life, and those he has touched are richer for it.  Noted as one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most Influential People in the World, and US News and World Report’s “America’s 25 Best Leaders,” he is a physician, an anthropologist, humanitarian and educator. He co-founded a global health organization, Partners in Health, which has been addressing global health concerns in developing nations for years.  Prior to accepting this post at Dartmouth he was the Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School; Chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and Director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health.  I must say I left his presentation not only feeling inspired, but also a bit inadequate.

The one thing that impressed me more than anything is the anthropological influence that is anchored in his approach to issues – and understanding that the core of being a good human being is at the heart of the matter.  To be a good person, a conscientious and concerned person, a person who will do their best to make a difference – is the type of student he wants to have a hand in shaping.

He shared a quote from a past Dartmouth President – John Sloane Dickey – which was as follows:

“The world’s troubles are your troubles … and there is nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix.”

As he came across this quote during the Presidential search process, he inquired of the search committee if this was the mission that they wanted him to tackle.  As he stated, he could think of no better calling then to help guide and influence young people to be at their best.

From just this hour long glimpse into his actions and his vision, I can tell his presence on campus produces a ripple effect of inspiration.  You want to be on his team.  He spreads himself across all important facets of college life, whether that is setting hard reaching academic challenges, inspiring the athletic teams to be their best or reminding the Greek system of their social responsibilities, while celebrating the enduring life long friendships that are being created every day.

What he has accomplished thus far, is an embodiment of a quote from another past Dartmouth President, William Jewett Tucker:

“You will not make a very strong impression on the world without the use of an equal amount of conscious and heart.”

That to me is a quote to live by.

This image haunts me.

When I first saw the disturbing photo on the front page of The Post, I gasped. The enormity of the oil spill in the Gulf finally hit home.  My heart still beats fast every time I see this soon-to-be iconic shot by AP photographer Charlie Riedel; it makes me want to DO something to help with the clean-up and deal with its catastrophic aftermath.

So yesterday, after hearing the various sound bites of politicians castigating BP execs on Capitol Hill (and what exactly did all that blustering accomplish anyway?!?), I was motivated to act. I looked up a few of the wildlife rescue organizations which are busily helping the situation versus playing the blame game. My intention was to donate to their worthy efforts.

I started with the the International Bird Rescue Research Center as I had seen their staff clean off oil-covered birds on CNN. What I discovered was that, while the IBRRC accepts donations, its web site specifically says that BP is expected to cover the cost of the Gulf clean-up, and money raised would go to IBRRC’s other operations.

I headed over to the National Wildlife Federation to check out NWF’s Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund. Donations to the Fund support:

• Development and deployment of the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf Surveillance Teams, a volunteer network that is being organized to monitor the coast for wildlife impacted by the oil spill.

• Restoration of vulnerable nesting and breeding grounds, as well as other delicate ecosystems found throughout the Gulf Coast for water birds, sea turtles and other animals.

• Public education about the oil spill and its impacts on wildlife, including informing the press and others about the impacts the oil spill is having on coastal communities and wildlife.

• Policy work at the national and state level to support restoration of habitat in the Gulf Coast and better protection of our waters and coastlines.

Sounds like what I was looking for. I clicked on the donation button. After I was done with the process, I circled back to IBRRC’s site and made a donation there, too. I rarely (OK, never) give to environmental causes, but this oil-covered duck really got to me.

I now feel slightly less powerless as I hear and watch the overwhelming news and images coming out of the Gulf. Only slightly less, but, hey, it helps.

How have you reacted to the Gulf oil spill?

Whenever I spend time around older Wise Women, I’m always struck by their wilingness to say it like it is. I may not LIKE what they’re saying, but I respect that their views are based upon the life experience they’ve gained from living many years on this earth. In fact, the ability to speak one’s mind uncensored is one of the true benefits of aging.

That is, of course, unless you live in the age of the worldwide Internet, there’s a video camera capturing your words, and you speak politically unpopular opinions.

That’s what happened to Helen Thomas, 89-year old veteran White House reporter, who just quit after the uproar over her remarks about Israel. Thomas, who is of Palestinian descent and was walking to a White House event celebrating Jewish heritage, stopped to talk to someone toting a videocamera and asking for her advice to young journalists. As you can see from the original clip on RabbiLive.com, she is then asked if she has any comments about Israel. Her response: “Tell them to get the hell out!” followed by a brief elaboration of her remark.

Helen Thomas is now person non gratis in Washington circles. The White House rebuked her. Her press corp colleagues quickly distanced themselves. A high school disinvited her from speaking at their graduation ceremony This will change, of course, as our country has an attention span of 60 seconds and an  even shorter “forgive and forget” rate. It also helped that Thomas issued an apology on her web site.

Certainly, the “rule” of being able to speak freely in one’s golden years was turned on its head with this incident. What’s your take on Helen Thomas’s remarks and the national reaction? Does watching the actual video clip of the exchange affect your opinion?

The following piece made its way into my inbox this weekend. While there are many Memorial Day tributes floating around the Internet, I particularly liked these simple words. They remind us that, at the foundation of the many gifts we enjoy in this country, are the commitment and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it? What would this country look like if we didn’t have people willing to protect these freedoms throughout our history?

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.

Let us join all the preachers, reporters, poets, campus organizers, lawyers, and politicians in giving thanks on this Memorial Day

Sally’s baaaaaack!

You remember “Sally”? Sally and her husband “Bob” are the neighbors with the massive, aging tree that threatened to demolish our house with the next strong wind … until they removed it this fall after some neighborly back-and-forth.

Two weeks ago, I received this email from Sally:

Are you at all interested in selling your swing set?  We would love to take it off your hands and move it to our house.

If not no worries.  Just let me know.

Thanks ~ Sally

Let me talk to Mike. We head out this morning for a road trip to look at colleges with Caitlin, so I’ll get back to you right after Easter. Enjoy spring break! ~ Elaine

To which she replied:

heart in stomach! Colleges? my did it go that fast? I keep thinking she is at XYZ Elementary School ; )

Ahhh, isn’t that nice … a little neighborly bonding over email. A few days after returning from our trip, I got back to Sally:

Sally ~ We did a family pow wow and every one’s on board with your moving the swing set to your yard. A couple of caveats/disclaimers …

(1) The swing set is due to be resanded and sealed. The wood’s getting a little brittle and splintery.
(2) There’s a wood panel missing from the rope ladder section.
(3) We had Creative Playthings (where we bought it) install it back in 2001. I’m not sure how you would move it over, but it is staked pretty deep into the ground to keep it stable. Something to consider in both your removing it and reinstalling it in your yard.
(4) Moving the swing set will probably leave holes in our yard. We’d just like you (or whoever moves it) to fill them in so the ground is flat and stable. We’ll throw grass seed on afterward.

If all of the above and the swing set’s “as is” condition is OK with you, have at it!  $100 sound fair? And, if you don’t want it after all, no worries.

College trip was fun and informative although it does feel like my kids should still be in elementary school! ~ Elaine

This last email was sent on Wednesday. On Friday we hear banging in the yard next door. A quick peek through the trees (No, that was not me craning my neck for a better look) revealed that Sally and Bob have gone out and bought their own swing set and are having someone assemble it.

Which is exactly what we would have done, if we were in their shoes!! The only sticky part is that Sally never got back to me to say “never mind.”  Now the exchange feels awkward and unfinished.

Is my reaction rooted in lingering bad karma from the tree incident? What’s your reaction? And, what (if anything) should be done to close the communication loop?

Do you find yourself wincing these days? The final stretch of the healthcare debate is full of perilous twists and turns. Let me highlight two that have the potential to force the healthcare movement off the road and into a ditch.

(1) The House’s use of the “self-executing rule” to pass the healthcare legislation. If House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) doesn’t think she has enough votes to pass the full healthcare bill, she can use a procedural move that allows House members to vote on a much smaller bill – a package of changes to the Senate bill – and “deem” the underlying Senate measure as passed. Republicans and some Democrats are howling in protest at this “manipulation of the process” and blatant attempt to avoid a straight up or down vote on the historic and controversial healthcare bill.

While this procedure has been used dozens of time by both parties over the years, I am howling, too, albeit with less righteous indignation. Really? THIS maneuver?!?!? At THIS time?!?!? The potential for a “deem and pass” vote seems sneaky and underhanded to me – and I’m someone who really, really wants healthcare to pass. Republicans argue that Democrats are “ignoring the will of the people” and “shoving healthcare down our throats.” If the House leadership ends up using this procedure, those cranky elephants may have a point.

(2) States lining up to sue the Federal government. As if pushing the weighty healthcare rock up hill isn’t hard enough, 37 state legislatures have passed bills ordering their state attorney generals to sue the federal government if healthcare passes. At this point, only Idaho’s governor has signed the bill, thus enacting it into law.

The states’ manevering is considered symbolic and unlikely to actually push healthcare back down the hill. However, the fact that fresh batches of critics are lining up to take more whacks at the healthcare pinata is disheartening, to say the least.

Wise Women, you may have weighed in on healthcare reform before, but your wise voice needs to be raised once more during this pivotal time. Contact your Representatives and let them know your views about healthcare reform. We can shut our eyes, wince, or do SOMETHING to influence the course of healthcare reform.

True confession: I could not bear to watch or read any of the media coverage of last week’s healthcare summit. The pre-meeting posturing and pandering left me anxious and a tad nauseous. I was worried that the actual event would hurl me into a black abyss of disillusionment (or cause me to hurl, one or the other). Perhaps I’m wearing both my political stripes AND my naivete on my sleeves when I say – If reasonable and even-tempered Obama can’t get the players to work together, who can?!?!?!

Fortunately, a recent article from The Washington Post pierced my despair, like the comforting whiff of freshly brewed coffee. Dan Zak’s Coffee Party Activists Say Their Civic Brew’s A Tastier Choice than Tea Party’s showcases the new Coffee Party movement. The mission of The Coffee Party USA is to:

The Coffee Party Movement gives voice to Americans who want to see cooperation in government. We recognize that the federal government is not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges that we face as Americans. As voters and grassroots volunteers, we will support leaders who work toward positive solutions, and hold accountable those who obstruct them.

Now, THIS is a political sentiment I can embrace (and hang on to tightly – for dear life). It’s a welcome alternative for a Wise Woman who enjoys chatting over coffee and is suspicious of anyone swinging around tea bags in protest.

The fledgling movement is gaining traction through virtual discussions and live meetings in various communities. It’s all a bit confusing and messy, yet invigorating. I’m not sure how much I want to jump into the fray (or even can in my Facebook-less life). But even the notion that this movement exists is enough to wake me out of my cynical slumber. Similarly-minded people are standing up to demand that public officials work toward solutions, not throw up politically-motivated roadblocks. How great is that?

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, and let’s talk about it.

Most of us are involved in our community in some way – whether it is a charitable organization, our local schools, or our church.  In addition to the time we commit, sometimes it would be nice to have a few extra dollars to get a new project off the ground or supplement current programs which are underfunded.

Over the next five months, Pepsi-Cola Company is giving away over 20 million dollars in grants ranging from $5,000 to $250,0000, as part of the Pepsi Refresh project.   Each month consumers can apply for a grant, and consumers vote on those projects which are deemed most worthy.   While it is a huge experiment in social marketing, what do we have to lose?  It might just be worth a shot – it’s rare to know that a sum of money that size is sitting there waiting to be awarded.  Check out the site by clicking on the Pepsi Refresh Project above, and then start collaborating in your community about how you just might put some of these funds to use.  It’s worth a try.