Tag Archives: Yes we can

>Red hats or pink ribbons? Komen or PP?

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>Political or financial? Policy or personal? Planned or —

Folks, Komen et al knew what they were getting into when they made their poor decision. They didn’t realize that women of all ages and all incomes and all faiths would jump straight to their computers and blog it, sing it to the world, and then donate money to Planned Parenthood.
Two bloggers named Margaret and Helen posted about pink razors, Planned Parenthood, and politics. Please take a look at what they have to say. These two are done having babies, but they’re not done taking care of women in the U.S. Here it is: Pink Razors.

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>Pocket Change or a Living Wage

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>Living Wage: a salary or wages sufficient for paying basic expenses such as rent or mortgage, food, utilities, transportation, and the like.

Pocket change: small amounts of money brought in to supplement a wage; not enough to be a living or a second job, but enough to help buy extras.
Second job: supplements a main job in an attempt to bring total income up into the range of a living wage.
Dear So-called Governor Walker;
When you consider job-related legislation, please keep in mind the differences between the three defined above. In order to keep citizens in Wisconsin and discourage them from moving away, people need to earn a living, not just work. It seems you’ve grown out of touch with the people who actually pay bills regularly. Maybe those speaking engagements (out of state, raising big bucks from PACs and wealthy donors) are giving you the wrong impression: the impression that anyone and everyone has bucks to spare. To tell you the truth, most of us everyday citizens are grasping tightly every cent.
So Gov. Walker, next time your entourage passes a yard sale, remember that the people there may really need the money to buy groceries. When you see a second-hand bookstore, consider that a struggling worker may have sold a stack of books to put a few gallons of gas in the car. Do you see the family cleaning closets and preparing clothing for a consignment store? They may be doing more than de-cluttering; they might be bringing in the cash to buy a workplace wardrobe for someone who hasn’t yet received a paycheck. And if that paycheck isn’t a living wage, well, can you really take credit for job creation in our state? No, I don’t think so.
My ramblings could move yet to the need for an educated workforce, but I know you don’t understand that, either. Maybe if you’d taken the time to actually graduate from college, finish that degree, you could better understand the dedication and motivation it takes to accomplish a goal. A positive goal, that is: a goal that betters the individual and all those around him.
In closing, Governor, if you really want Wisconsin to remain a great state, think outside the box — your isolated, security-protected box. Make yourself aware that the living wage is an essential part of living, and a quality education is essential to get there.
Sincerely,
Daisy
Did you notice I made my points without blowing my cover as a public school teacher? Clever, eh?

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>Governor Walker, the frogs, and the hot water

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>

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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Letters to our "Leaders"

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Dear President Lincoln,

You told us that “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I know you meant the nation’s splitting into two, Union and Confederate, fighting brother against brother. Unfortunately, your statement would be apt today in my home state – Wisconsin.
Dear State Senator Ellis,
Do you remember your offhand, spontaneous, condescending statement from last Monday night? No, not the one making all the media where you called a local high school a “sewer”. I’m talking about when you told my friend and professional colleague that if she didn’t like teaching, she should get another job. She informed you in no uncertain terms that we, the dozens of teachers in attendance, love teaching. We hate what you’ve done to teachers.
Dear Soon-to-be-Former Governor Walker,
We love our jobs; we hate how you treat our profession. We used to be public employees, dedicating to educating today’s children, tomorrow’s workforce. Under your rule (reign? You seem to feel all-powerful and kingly), we’ve been changed from public servants to public enemies.
Dear voters;
Bring photo ID to the polls, and be prepared for long lines. Your vote counts! Let’s get this state back to its progressive tradition. Let’s elect leaders who lead by example, not by force.
Let’s elect legislators who lead not by dividing, but by uniting.

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>Random Thoughts and Lobbying

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>The roads were still slick, so I had to drive carefully.

The van near the old bus depot had a logo on the side. It was the shuttle for the Warming Center, an overnight shelter. One thought: I’m glad there is a safe and warm place to go. Second thought: it’s sad that people are in such dire straits that this service is a necessity.
Pulling up to a parking space, I dropped in enough change for an hour and a half. If I got a parking ticket, that would probably be a sign that I should give up on politics. Right? Nah.
The event had, as always, a good buffet of munchies and a cash bar. We nibbled, we caught up with friends who were there, and then started pointing out the important people, those we were there to meet.
Meet, greet, work the room. Teachers really don’t train for situations like this. Business people do, and politicians excel in the atmosphere. We’re learning. More teachers are getting active than ever before. We must. There is no option.
Soon-to-be-former Gov. Walker didn’t show. He didn’t send a staff member, either. At least my congressman sent a staffer – someone who turned out to be familiar to me because his child was in my class a few years ago. Ah, my chance! I can do this; make small talk (I was sincerely interested in hearing about his son’s progress), and ease the way for the more direct of my colleagues who would bring up the legislation that mattered to us.
I met and talked to or listened to my state assembly rep, another state assembly member from a nearby district (great guy – why have I not met him before?), & our county executive. I waved a greeting to my state senator (he doesn’t know me, but I keep writing him letters) and signed all the attendance sheets for those elected officials who didn’t see this event as necessary.
Now the real work begins. I’ve said it before, and you’ll hear me say it again. Those with whom I spoke tonight won’t remember me, my profession, or my concerns. Now it’s time to write follow up letters.
Dear Lawmaker;
Thank you for attending/ sending a staff member/ ignoring the Meet Your Legislators event in downtown Happy Valley. I attended as part of WEAC- FV…. that’ll scare the Governor; maybe I shouldn’t mention my sponsor. At least I didn’t introduce myself as a Recall Volunteer. Okay, start over.
Dear Lawmaker;
Thank you for attending/ sending a staffer/ ignoring the Meet Your Legislators event in downtown Happy Valley. I’m glad I had the chance to talk with you/ meet you/ wave to you/ leave my name on your calling card. I am deeply concerned about the negative politcal climate in our fair state.
The divisiveness, the bullying, the battles. The poorly written legislation, rough drafted in a hurry to be pushed through as quickly as possible while the Powers That Be are still in Power. As slick as a winter street…. oh, no, that’s not even relevant. Revise, edit, slice, dice, and rewrite.
This kind of lawmaking creates problems, not solutions. Please take the time to consider and think of those who are affected by your decisions. We are real people, with real families, real jobs (yes! we work! hard!), and real challenges. These politically charged knee-jerk reactions to non-existent issues…. oh, here I go again. This needs to be redone, too.
Well, at least I have a rough draft. I will now pretend I’m a role model for those who read the letters, and I will take the time to read, reread, revise, and edit. After all, I am a leader in the community – a public school teacher, a public employee: a public school teacher.
How should I sign off? Suggestions, readers?
Sincerely
Not-so-sincerely
Respectfully (or not)
I know one thing – I’m sure not signing it “Love.”

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>BBQ Beans and Salsa

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>Simple, meatless, inexpensive, and delicious – I made this with cans, but I think it might be even better with dried beans soaked overnight and cooked in the crock pot. The original, on Dr. Oz’ website, was lacking a few details such as amount of barbecue sauce. I was generous with mine. The original recipe also called for enchilada sauce or salsa. I stuck with the BBQ theme in my flavors. It worked.

1/2 lb. pasta – I used spaghetti.
1 can yellow corn – of course, I used frozen corn from last summer’s Farmers’ Market.
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
BBQ sauce to taste
Cook pasta. Add beans and corn. Stir in BBQ Sauce of your choice. Serve warm.
Now the fun part:
You know me. I’m not going to let a simple recipe stay simple. I added peppers in three colors, all from the freezer. A little onion, diced, made it tastier still. Then there’s garlic – or did I add garlic? I was playing by ear by this time. Maybe I left the garlic out and stuck to the barbecue theme.
This was delicious. I had some left over for lunch the next day, too. I love a recipe that leaves room to improvise, and this one qualifies.

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>Recall! Recall! Now the real work begins.

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>More than one million signatures on recall petitions.

Petitions weighing over 3,000 lbs.
Soon-to-be-former Governor Walker was booed and hissed at MLK Jr. Day event.
It’s a beautiful day in the Progressive Voters’ Neighborhood. If that’s not the name of an organization yet, it should be.
Now: the real work begins. It’s time to educate the public. It’s time to let the voters know about the damage Scott Walker has done and continues to do to our state. It’s time to inform voters that the slick, highly produced ads contain inaccuracies and skirt the issues. It’s time to expose Walker’s puppeteers, show where his campaign money originates, and why that’s bad for the average Wisconsinite.
One step at a time. I helped collect signatures, and now I’ll help educate the public. It’s who I am. It’s what I do.

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>I dreamed a dream

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>In recognition of Dr. King’s Dream, below is a re-post.

I dream that differences will be valued, not disdained.
Eye color, hair color, body shapes, and skin shades will be appreciated for their beauty and variety.
Cultural traditions will not disappear, but will thrive and grow together into a rich and fascinating sharing of knowledge and beliefs.

I dream that blindness will be merely a different way of seeing, and deafness impair only the quantity, not the quality of the language ‘heard’.

Children will matter because they own the future. Their education, academic and social, will become and remain of utmost importance.

Questions will come from curiosity, not ignorance, and the answers will breed respect.

Knowing each other, knowing ourselves, will lead to recognizing that fights and conflicts, wars of all kinds, have little value.


The mediators and the peacemakers will be recognized as the strongest leaders.
Together, cooperation will lead, and collaboration will be the norm.
Together, we’ll dream the dream into reality. Together.

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>Politics; out of the mouths of youngsters

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>Fifth graders, that is. Eleven year-olds. They’ve been learning about the Articles of Confederation and the events and debates and compromises leading up to the writing and ratification of the United States Constitution. I’ve been correcting their tests lately, and the essay questions and their thoughtful or not-so-much answers have kept me thinking.

I can’t post the specific question, but I’ll just tell you that they were discussing the creation of the Constitution and interpreting George Washington’s warning against the destructive nature of political parties.

Actual student answers:
-“To watch out for political parties.”
This kid has a point.

-“I think Washington wanted people to be happy and to work as a team.”
Can this student run for office some day? Please?

-“They would disagree on things because they would have different opinions and they would argue a lot.”
Run-on sentence aside, she was predicting the future with amazing accuracy. Maybe her family has been following the presidential primaries.

-“It creates tensions and the good that could be done is lost in the arguments of each party’s plans.”
Another candidate for office someday – governor, perhaps.

“Washington knew that if the country split into political parties, then the country would be more split up and there would be too many disagreements.”
Politicians, stand warned. This student and others like him will be voting before you know it.

It’s time, it’s well past time, to start cooperating. Bipartisan collaboration would be a good start, but in all honesty, nonpartisan cooperation would be even better.
I’m sure George would agree.

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>The Year in Review: the firsts

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>What a year it’s been! More than that, what a difference a year makes. 2011 saw me at my lowest and then climbing slowly, slowly out of the pit of despair called Depression. Every day there are small victories, victories that have eventually added up to the sum I might call a recovery.

Outside of my own little insular world, the Badgers lost the Rose Bowl, the Packers won the Super Bowl, and the Brewers made it into the playoffs but not the World Series. Wisconsin sports fans had a big, big year.
Meanwhile, back in my own little world, Compost Happens chronicled the ups and downs of 2011. Here you go, readers: the year in firsts – the first post of each month.
January — In which we look back: the annual New Year’s Day post, a retrospective
February –In which we cook Super Burgers for the Super Bowl! Oh, the memories.
March — Potluck with the Geeks! In which Chuck creates the perfect dishes for his train club
April — In which we look back on not just any Monday – a Monday with history
May — In which La Petite’s shoe collection decorates the fireplace mantel
June –In which we sample a Product review for Sargento Cheese – delicious
July — In which I provide a heartfelt guest post on Women on the Fence
August — In which I get my hands dirty with Signs of a True Gardener
September — In which I get my hands on my new workspace
October — In which I struggle with wardrobe and team loyalty
November — In which Chuck and Amigo cook Racing Sausage Kabobs
December — In which the family helps me taste and review a Hickory Farms Gift Basket
2012 promises to be an active and eventful year politically, if not more. Follow along as I live it! Compost Happens will continue to bring you real life as it happens from Daisy, your groundskeeper, taking care of home, garden, family, and coffee.

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