I just watched an incredible documentary on the Independent Film Channel about the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Wow. What an awesome legacy Mr. and Mrs. Hershey left for their community.
An introduction on their website is below. www.mhs-pa.org .
"At Milton Hershey School®, we believe that all students can" [...]
Cedar Rapids residents who live in Iowa House District 33 have an opportunity today to vote in a special election. Candidates are: 
Teen library patrons in Ames will continue to have the opportunity to access accurate sex education materials thanks to a vote Thursday night by the local library's board of trustees. To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
Some Iowa households received an automated [...]
Women who begin to use the Internet -- especially women of older generations -- are often shocked to find how much sexism truly exists on what everyone says is a great equalizer or the last true egalitarian culture. Once the connection is made, it is easy to point out [...]
Roxanne Conlin was the first woman in Iowa history to serve as a U.S. Attorney, and now she is poised to give Iowa woman another first. Conlin wants [...]
Late Wednesday night, following a special nominating convention, Linn County committee persons in Cedar Rapids precincts 1 through 11 chose Kirsten Running-Marquardt as their candidate in the special Iowa House District 33 race that is scheduled for Nov. 24. I'm down with the flu this week, so posting will be sparse, if at all. Still, if you haven't seen the "Target Women" series by Sarah Haskins of Current TV, it's well worth a look. (Well, at least it made me -- a woman feeling near death, mind you [...]
WomenCount, a nonprofit political organization that works to give women a voice in the political process, interviewed Cedar Rapids resident, flood victim and (only female) City Council candidate Kathy Potts. The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday night approved an amendment providing tens of millions of dollars to fund abstinence education programs for teens.
The proposal, offered by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), [...]
Here's your Sunday earworm: Iowa's own Leslie Hall & LY's, "How We Go Out, Version 2"
The glittery treasure from Ames was also recently featured on CNN and in Salon.
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A piece' [...]
The head of the Catholic League has sent a letter to city officials in Rockford, Illinois concerning signs and pictures that hang (or have hung) in the windows of the Northern Illinois Women's Center, a physician-owned freestanding outpatient family planning clinic that provides a multitude of services including abortion. [...]
I wish I had the full video from the live stream of this event, but I've only been able to locate a small segment. The Iowa Democratic Party has taken issue with an advertisement being circulated by the Draft Terry Branstad Committee, and have released the following point-by-point critique:
Draft Branstad Original Ad Copy
Democratic Party Re-Write
With soaring budget deficits, more spending and higher taxes, [...]
Two of the best known (as well as most well preserved) examples of Southern American quilting were created by Harriet Powers, an African American woman who was born in October 1837 and lived a portion of her life as a Georgia slave.
Dr. Norman Borlaug, a son of immigrants who fled to the U.S. when faced with famine in Norway and a man who taught people throughout the world how to increase crop production, died late Saturday night in Texas from complications of cancer. The Iowa native, who [...] 
Dolores Huerta, president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation and lifetime champion for social justice, will speak Monday, Sept. 14, in Des Moines at Trinity United Methodist Church. The event is free and open to the public. "Mr." [...]
Michael Duvall, a conservative, "family-values" Republican who serves in the California legislature, didn't have enough sense to stop talking about his sexual exploits when he was sitting in chambers in front of a live microphone.
An added bonus prize to beleaguered California taxpapers? The two women he is discussing are' [...]
One of my favorite political cartoonists is R.J. Matson, and here's his gem about the Obama school speech controversy: Why oh why oh why do I stay a member of the Republican Party? I must be losing my mind!
The survey sent out by Michael Steele is an insult to anyone with a brain, even half a brain, or as Rush says with half my brain tied behind my [...]
I have to agree with 64-year-old Raymond Denny who described this question on a Republican National Committee survey as being "beyond the pale." The following proclamation was signed by Pres. Barack Obama today in honor of Women's Equality Day:
Today, our country renews its commitment to freedom and justice for all our citizens. As we prepare to celebrate this women's day of equality, we reflect on the sacrifices once made to allow women [...]
Today I discovered an absolutely fascinating article that focuses on the intersection of two of my personal interests: Rural living and women's rights. The article focuses on the Convention of the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adopted by the United Nations in 1979. As [...]
For anyone who has ever had the misfortune of attempting the I-80/I-380 interchange, this is good news:
The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) will hold a location design public hearing Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, in Iowa City to discuss the proposed improvement of the Interstate 80/Interstate 380/U.S. [...]
Public awareness of outrage over any given topic can be best gauged by spoofs. That's right, when Jon Stewart or, say, The Onion picks up on the fact that a significant group of people are feeling slighted (and that the public is sufficiently tuned in as to understand humor [...]
I have written previously about my brother, Jimmy Lee Campbell, who was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War and died of wounds he received in battle there. 
Judge Sonia Sotomayor has been confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court by the U.S. Senate in a 68 to 31 vote. She will be the third woman and the first Latina to serve in this capacity.
Harkin's statement:
"Mr. President, I am proud to support the confirmation'" [...]
Last night KCRG did a live broadcast from a Johnson County Wildlife Area. It's probably best if you just watch it yourself:
I agree that the Iowa Department of Resources or the local sheriff's office should be more vigilant [...]
One of my Canadian friends (Lisa) found this video from a Minnesota wedding. It made me smile, and I knew I had to share it with all of you.
Congratulations to Jill and Kevin. We should all take a little more time to celebrate life.
[...]
Here's a great opportunity for those who live in or near Des Moines to hear directly from the current director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. 
I had the unique opportunity this weekend to witness some friends' marriage renewal ceremony. I left the small eastern Iowa church with the feeling that such a ceremony, performed in front of friends and family, could only serve to strengthen a marriage.
"There is in every woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity." -- Washington Irving, 1783-1859
An Iowa sisterhood formed out of shared grief, has [...]
The sexy new discussion in policy [...]
I've debated for more than a week on whether or not to post this. After all, it's one thing and I wasn't convinced if it was fair or appropriate to use this one thing as a measure against an entire state. But I had some time [...] Last night I attended the Republican Party of Iowa's Rising Star event. On a scale of one to four stars (like a hotel), I would give the event one star.
The Sherman Hoyt Place is a spectacular place to hold an event. The elegance of the theater and the beautiful [...]
The following prepared statement from the office of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley regarding the July 13 start day for Judiciary Committee Hearings on SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor just hit my inbox. No time to edit, and I've not yet read it to provide commentary. Here's the release:
Earlier today, Chairman' [...]
A funny thing happened when I opened my notebook today...
While lunches may never be free, Democratic and progressive women in Iowa do have an opportunity to grab some free technology training in the coming weeks. 
You might think that between health care reform, banking regulation reform, possible cap-and-trade legislation and 
The Iowa Women's Foundation has selected three finalists in three categories for this year's 50% Solution Awards. 
A former female member of the Iowa House has launched a movement to "draft" former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad into the upcoming Republican gubernatorial primary. 