I want to be like Hazel (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY79KbCptTo/)!

I can always count on my friend Trish Emig of Stillwater to lift my spirits. She did it again today by sending me this wonderful video on YouTube about the mayor of Mississauga, Ontario in Canada. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY79KbCptTo

You can read about the mayor here: http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/cityhall/mayorsoffice

Please note that, counting the mayor, there are 12 members of the city council and 9 of them (NINE!) are women. No wonder the city is debt free and has $700 million in reserves! Go, Hazel.

(Thanks, Trish!)

High School Students: Sign Up for OU's Engineering Summer Camp

The University of Oklahoma and Beyond Petroleum are teaming up to offer BP DEVAS (Discovering Engineering Via Adventures in Science) Summer Camp. This is a week-long residential (on-campus) program that includes all housing, meals, seminars, tours, entertainment, and engineering project supplies for only $250 per student. Young women that apply should exhibit an interest in engineering, mathematics, science, and/or technology, a curiosity of how things work, or want to help solve big problems in the world. Figuring out what you want to do in life is a tough decision. Knowing what interests you is a start though, and if have an interest in making a difference in the world and enjoy engineering, mathematics, science, and/or technology, then engineering may be your perfect career option! This camp will help you discover the fun and exciting possibilities engineering offers!

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

· Exploring OU's campus and learning about the various engineering disciplines

· Meeting other young women with your same interests

· Discovering engineering through the creation of imaginative and fun team projects

· Interacting with female engineering professionals and learn from their experiences

· Enjoying exciting, hands-on workshops while working with OU's top professors and students

· Diving into the real world of engineering on an adventure to a local engineering facility

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

1.) Must be a young woman of any ethnic background.
African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Alaskan Native/Pacific Islander, American Indian or First Generation students

2.) High school student in their sophomore, junior, or senior grade level in the Fall 2009 semester.

3.) Must be a U.S. citizen.

4.) Available for one week (June 21-27) in Summer 2009.

Applications are also available on the website. http://www.coe.ou.edu/wssc/page/bpdevas/

***We have financial assistance available to those who qualify, please call our office for details at (405) 325-4096.

Oklahoma Ranks #3 at Executing People

Oklahoma ranks #3 in the nation when it comes to executions. Since the death penalty was reinstated nationally in 1976, we have executed 89 people. Among the 50 states, only Texas (435 people) and Virginia (103 people) have executed more people.

Hillary Clinton & Kay Bailey Hutchison on Merits of Single-Sex Education

Below is a link to a transcript of an event at the Women's Museum in Dallas, TX (been there; very cool!) in which Clinton and Hutchison tell why they sponsored successful legislation at the national level to allow single-sex public schools.

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/03/120969.htm

Read the transcript and then leave a comment of what YOU think. Is single-sex classes and even schools (especially for middle school kids) a good idea for 2009 or bad?

Swamped? Use a Concierge Service Like "Grant U Time" or "Wise Women 4 Hire"

Let's face it - we can't do it all. Some of "it" we don't event WANT to do! So suck it up and ask for help. Sheryl Steepe of Mustang recently started a concierge service. She'll pick up your dry cleaning, plan a party for you, etc. Her firm is Grant U Time. There is a similar service in Norman - Wise Women 4 Hire. Do you know of other women running concierge services? If so, leave that information in a comment here and we'll give them a plug, too.

And, ladies, you should be advertising your services on Twitter. Logons for "WiseWomen4Hire" and "GrantUTime" are still available. Sign up now at https://twitter.com/signup/.

Communications Director for City of Tulsa

I have heard from a number of my Tulsa readers about my recent post on the position of Communications Director for the City of Tulsa. Mayor Taylor has had several excellent people in that post but the Tulsa World made it sound like they "don't stay long" (wink, wink).

Well, it turns out that's a compliment to the Mayor and her administration.

It sounds to me like the Mayor has attracted exceptionally talented people -- some of whom agreed to fill the slot for a short period and planned to leave -- while the others ended up getting offered really great job opportunities (the kind you don't say no to).

Sheryl Lovelady initially helped the Mayor get elected and, after the election, took the communications position for awhile with the full expectation she'd go back to doing what she loves doing (pr, campaigns and elections). Jim McCarthy helped the Taylor administration for the first three months as a volunteer. He had a full time position in a private company and never planned to stay. Ryan Bowling was offered a chance to return to OU and work on an exciting international program (a great career move). John Durkee, likewise, got an opportunity to head up a new radio news organization - a position ideally suited for him. Kim Macleod has been at the city of Tulsa over 15 years and continues in the role of managing the department.

Bottom line: If you are talented and ambitious, apply for the Communications Director position with the City of tulsa.

(a) Kathy Taylor is a strong, dynamic leader and a great person to work for.
(b) You will be surrounded by other talented, engaged city staff.
(c) With any luck, you'll soon be offered your dream job in the private sector.

That sounds pretty good to me! :-)

Suicides in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner reports there were 539 suicides in Oklahoma in 2007; of those, 22 were individuals 19 years of age or younger. Let's pray those figures don't go up in coming months as more Oklahomans find themselves out of work. Hopefully the federal stimulus funds will help Oklahomans make it through this rough patch. Speaking of which, chek out the Oklahoma Recovery & Reinvestment Web site!

Author Jody Raphael Discusses Oklahoma's Incarceration of Women

A NewsOn6.com story reported that Jody Raphael, author of several books including Saving Bernice: Battered Women, Welfare and Poverty and, more recently, Freeing Tammy: Women, Drugs, and Incarceration, recently spoke at an event hosted by Resonance Center in Tulsa. The article said:

Author Jody Raphael says for many women offenders they're self-worth has been systematically stripped away.

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections reports most women in prison are non-violent offenders. And, 71% of them were victims of domestic violence; two out of three were physically or sexually abused as children.

"I think 80% of women who are incarcerated should not be there. They have issues. They need to deal with issues, but those are best dealt with in a therapeutic setting within their community," said author Jody Raphael.

Read more...

Staking Her Claim: Women Homesteading the West

Mike Nobles wrote a book review for The Oklahoma Observer on a book entitled Staking Her Claim: Women Homesteading the West by Marcia Meredith Hensley. Nobles, who cofounded A Gathering of Writers and lives in Tulsa, notes that Hensley is from Oklahoma. The book tells of of 24 single women homesteaders at the turn of the century who settled in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Utah, North Dakota and South Dakota. I haven't read it but plan to and I thank Mike for bringing it to my attention.

It sounds a little like a favorite book of mine, Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier by Joanna Stratton. Only here is the difference: Stratton's book (it was initially her doctoral dissertation) worked from autobiographical accounts written by hundreds of pioneer women while Hensley, unable to use diaries, drew instead from old magazine articles, out-of-print books, local histories, etc. Stratton's women mostly came west as (or soon became) wives while Hensley's women came on their own. What they have in common: These books chronicle the lives of truly remarkable women! Imagine the uncertainly, the bleak loneliness of farm and ranch life (no phones, paved roads, Twitter!). I recommend both of these excellent books by two extraordinary women writers.

Save the date: May 15, OK - Go Red For Women Luncheon

May 15, 2009- Save the Date! Oklahoma City - Go Red For Women Luncheon and Educational Sessions, Cox Convention Center

Thank you to Coppermark Bank and Midwest Regional Medical Center, Signature Sponsors
Our Hearts, Our Choice. Beat Heart Disease at GoRedForWomen.org.

Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor's 5th Communications Director in 3 Years Leaving

How come Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor has so much trouble hanging on to a Communications Director? See http://tinyurl.com/cot9pb/.

Break the cycle of teen dating violence

I found the following on the KXII-TV station's website (Texoma area):

Teen dating violence is becoming a big problem across the U.S. Nearly half of the states fail when it comes to grading them on protecting victims. In this Safe Family report, how you can take action against teen violence.

Victims of teen dating abuse often face overwhelming obstacles when getting help due to their age. Many states require that a teen looking for help have a parent or legal guardian get involved. In fact only one state, New Hampshire, allows a minor of any age to apply for a protection order by themselves. In Missouri, minors are not permitted to apply for domestic violence protection orders at all.

In Texas, one in every two teens reports personally experiencing dating related abuse.

"Getting a protective order if you can is very important. I know that sometimes it is difficult if it is not a family violence situation, and I know that a lot of times people are afraid to go to the police and get a protective order whether they're teenagers or whether they are adults, but it's very important," Ashley Earls of the Grayson County Crisis Center says.

If you need help with abuse visit http://www.breakthecycle.org. They are the leading non-profit organization on teen dating violence prevention.

Source. http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/41937557.html

You Have to Watch Sony's Video "What Does It Mean?"

Sony played this mind-blowing video at their executive conference this year. It is a MUST watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY

(Thank you, brother Pete, for passing this on to me!)

Caroly Whitener Inducted Into Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame

Thirty-seven years ago, three individuals in Stillwater, Oklahoma, challenged a state law that allowed females aged 18–20 to purchase beer of 3.2 % alcohol while males could not purchase beer until age 21. The law was challenged by two underage men, Mark Walker and Curtis Craig, who were joined by a female beer vendor, Carolyn Whitener. By the time the case was argued before the US Supreme Court, both men had turned 21 so only Carolyn Whitener was ruled to have standing.

Whitener and the two male students sued the Oklahoma Attorney General, the Oklahoma Legislature and the Oklahoma Governor for enforcing a law that, they argued, discriminated based on gender. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Whitener by ruling unconstitutional all laws advantaging one sex. A new equal protection standard had been established - gender. Craig v. Boren has been cited routinely in constitutional sex discrimination cases ever since. To read more, click HERE and HERE. Also see http://static.newsok.biz/sites/nie/educational_programs/women_lesson4.pdf/.

Susan Savage Inducted Into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame

M. Susan Savage was appointed Oklahoma Secretary of State by Governor Brad Henry on January 13, 2003. In that capacity, she serves as a member of the Governor’s cabinet with broad policy duties and as a Constitutional officer with responsibility for international relations, maintenance of the state’s registry of official records and policy oversight for several state agencies. Prior to that she served as mayor of Tulsa from 1992 to 2002. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Municipal League Hall of fame for City and town Officials in 2005. was the 2002 national Conference of community and justice honoree for leadership. She received an honorary degree of laws in 2000 from Aradia University and is a past recipient of the Oklahoma Human Rights Award.

Read more HERE and HERE.

Lamar Looney Inducted Into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame

Marabeau Lamar Looney was born in 1871 in Talladega, Alabama. She and her husband D.T. "Doc" Looney moved to Oklahoma Territory (now Greer County). In 1900, her husband of 12 years died suddenly leaving her with five children under the age of ten. She moved to Hollis and worked as a music teacher, a postmistress and was elected in 1912 registrar of deeds for Harmon County. She went on to be elected county treasurer, county clerk and, in 1920, the first woman elected to the Oklahoma Senate. At age 52, she was admitted to the Oklahoma bar. After serving 3 terms in the State Senate, in 1926 Mrs. Looney considered running for Lieutenant Governor but abandoned the idea because the Oklahoma constitution barred women from holding the office. Instead, she ran for the U.S. Senate, lost that race but won her fourth and final term in the Oklahoma Senate in 1927. As a Senator, Looney pushed for legislation that would allow women to serve in all state offices but didn't live to see that come about. She was worked actively for women's right to vote. She died September 3, 1935. To read more click HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE. Looney dies in 1935 and was inducted posthumously into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame on March 26, 2009.

First Lady Kim Henry Inducted Into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame

Oklahoma’s current First Lady Kim Blaine Henry was born in Norman Oklahoma. Her family moved to Shawnee when she was 5 years old. She was a classroom teacher for 10 years at her alma mater, Shawnee High School, where she taught Oklahoma History, Economics, Government, and Advanced Placement American History. In 1999-2000 she was awarded the Close-Up Foundation's Linda Myers Chozen Award for Teaching Excellence in Civic Education. Only five other educators across the nation received the honor that year. As first lady, she has championed children, early childhood education, literacy and many other worthy causes.

For more on Kim Henry, click HERE and HERE.

Businesswoman Edna Hennessee Inducted into Oklahoma Women's Hall of fame

Edna Hennessee was born in Ryan, Oklahoma and raised on an Oklahoma cattle ranch during the Depression. She graduated from Union Valley High School in 1936 as valedictorian. After receiving a scholarship from Central State University in Edmond and finding a place to work for room and board, she still decided to go directly into the work force in Oklahoma City as the family would have to sell the cattle to buy her textbooks. While living in Oklahoma City, she received a gift that changed her life - Merle norman Cosmetics. Hennessee washed clothes at night and worked as a department store clerk during the day to pay the gift back. What began as a dream from a small gift of cosmetics grew into Cosmetic Specialty Labs, a family-owned and operated company serving more than 10,000 customers in all 50 states and 23 foreign countries. Read more HERE.

Suzanne Edmondson Inducted into Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame

Suzanne Edmondson began a new career in 1996 as a corrections volunteer focusing ion issues affecting incarcerated women. She became a literacy tutor and began working weekly at Eddie Warrior Correctional Center, a minimum security facility housing about 650 women in Taft, OK. She founded the Friends of Eddie Warrior Foundation and through the foundation created a program called "Tales for the Rising Moon" in which inmates tape bedtime stories for their children at home. She also started a foundation to provide college scholarships to the women inmates at Eddie Warrior Correctional Center.

Rita Aragon Inducted into Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame

LaRita A. Aragon was born in Dale, Oklahoma and became the first woman to hold the rank of brigadier general in the Oklahoma Air National Guard and the first female commander of the Air National Guard. After a distinguished career, Gen. Aragon retired and returned to her first career, in education where she serves as Director of Advanced Programs at the University of Oklahoma College of Continuing Education. Of Choctaw descent, er spirit exemplifies her service to her family and her country. Aragon serves on a number of boards and has been recognized many times for her contributions to her community, state and nation. She was named The Journal Record Oklahoma Woman of the Year in 2008.

Event, April 3: 9 Oklahoma Journalists To Be Inducted in Hall of Fame

Congratulations to the nine Oklahoma journalists who will be inducted this spring into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame. They are Sharon Dowell, Lewis Ferguson, Sue Brewster Hinton, Debbie Jackson, Russell Perry, Dick Pryor, Ray Soldan, Gloria Trotter and Wayne Trotter. Read about them by clicking HERE.

The 39th annual induction ceremony will be at 11:30 a.m. on April 3 in the Ballroom of UCO’s Nigh University Center. The Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame was founded in 1971. Honorees are selected by a panel of members of the working press, and the Society of Professional Journalists and Hall of Fame. Tickets to the event can be purchased before March 30 by calling (405) 974-5121.

Now would be a good time to pause and say a prayer of thanks that we live in a country with a FREE PRESS. While you are at it, thrown in a special thank you for Oklahoma's excellent public television station!

Who Are the 100 Most Important Women in History?

Here is what Jone Johnson Lewis with About.com has to say about the "100 Most Important Women in World History":

Though it's been more difficult for women through the ages to gain visible positions of influence, through all ages, some women have played important roles in history. Who would you include on a list of "100 Most Important Women in World History"? Take a look at the list I've developed of some of those I'd include, and add your own suggestions to the list.

Source. http://womenshistory.about.com/od/biographies/a/top_100_world.htm?nl=1

American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Education Funds

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) into law on February 17, 2009, advancing an ambitious plan to revitalize the nation’s economy. This $787 billion package seeks to stimulate economic growth through federal spending on such programs as education, energy, health care, housing, and transportation. Here is some information on the $53.6 billion in the Fiscal Stabilization Fund set aside for education:

GRANTS

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides funds, awarded by the U.S. Secretary of Education (ED), for grants to states based on their relative population, for elementary, secondary, and higher education, public safety, and other govern-ment services.

●States must dedicate 81.8% of these funds to elementary, secondary, and higher education.
●States may use the remaining 18.2% to support any public safety or other government service.
●Funds not committed within two years must be returned to ED.
●If states choose to dedicate a portion of their grants to institutions of higher education, states cannot consider the mission or type of institution in making awards.
●Each governor must apply for the state’s allotment of funds. Applications must describe how the funds will be used and make five required assurances: maintain fiscal support at least at 2006 levels; im-prove teacher effectiveness and equity in teacher distribution; establish a longitu-dinal data system; enhance academic stan-dards and assessments; and support struggling schools.

INCENTIVE GRANTS

ED has discretion to award grants to states that make significant progress in fulfilling and improving upon the ARRA goals in con-nection with the state’s application for its allocation of funds under this program. State applications must show how such grants will help the state further meet the goals.

●ED can evaluate applications under criteria such as a state’s financial need.
●States that receive incentive grants must give at least 50% of the grants to local educational agencies.

INNOVATION FUND

ED has discretion to award innovation grants to local education agencies or partnerships.

●To be eligible for an award, an entity must: have made significant gains in closing the achievement gap; have exceeded the state’s annual objectives for two consecutive years; have made significant im-provement demonstrated by data in other areas; and demonstrate partnerships with private sector which agree to match the innovation grant funds.
●If a local educational agency cannot meet the above criteria for eligibility, the agency can partner with an eligible philanthropic organization.

OUTLYING AREAS

●ED will also award grants to outlying areas for educational purposes. Grants will be award based on each area’s respective needs.
●ED may determine the time, manner, and information required for applications. The governor shall submit all applications on behalf of a state. Each state receiving funds must file annual reports including the uses of funds, distribution of funds, estimated job creation, estimated tax increase averted, and state progress in specified education initiatives.
●No funds can be used for financial assistance (vouchers) for students to attend private elementary or secondary schools.
●If necessary to relieve fiscal burdens on states and local agencies, ED may waive or modify any requirement relating to maintenance of fiscal effort.
●Uses that mitigate the need to raise tuition and fees for in-state students and modernization, renovation, or repair of public school facilities—including projects consistent with recognized green building rating system—is allowed.
●Increases to an institution’s endowment; maintenance of systems, equipment, or facilities, and modernization, renovation, or repair of sports or religious facilities is prohibited.

OTHER EDUCATIONAL FUNDS

●$15.64 billion—Pell Grants
●$13 billion—Education for the Disadvantaged
●$12.2 billion—Special Education
●$2.5 billion—Technology and Science Research.
●$720 million—School Improvement Pro-grams
●$360 million—Technology Research Facilities.
●$250 million—Institute of Education Sciences
●$200 million—Innovation and Improve-ment
●$200 million—Student Financial Assis-tance
●$100 million—Impact Aid
●$100 million—Higher Education”

Source. The above was directly quoted, abstracted and/or condensed from the Council on State Government (CSG) publication “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: A Guide for State and Local Governments” prepared for CSG by Latham and Watkins LLP http://www.staterecovery.org/Websites/staterecovery/Images/CSG%20Complete.pdf and distributed by Tom Clapper, Oklahoma State Senate Staff for Federal Relations.

Oklahoma's Mental Health Grade = B

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recently issued a report entitled "Grading the States 2009". The US as a whole got a D. Oklahoma was one of only six states that received a B. (The others were Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York.) No states received an A. That's great!!! Wondering why we did well? The report card was based on 65 criteria, including access to medication, housing, family education and support to National Guard members. According to NAMI, it was a "major shift in Oklahoma’s philosophy of care" that earned the state our B. I give credit to Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Terri White, who has been in that position now for just 2 years. Read article in The Oklahoman by clicking HERE. View the full NAMI report HERE and the Oklahoma Report Card HERE.

Alert re Dana Tiger's hacked email address

Dang. Oklahoma artist Dana Tiger's email account got hijacked and she has asked me to help spread the word. Note: She is not stranded in Engand. Don't send her money. (One woman already sent $2,500 to the "fake Dana" in London. Thankfully, they got it back late last night.)

Do go to your address book and mark Danatiger@hotmail as "blocked" (junk mail, do not allow). Then add as her new, current, correct, safe email address danatigerart@gmail.com. Please tell others you think might need to know -- and let's all thank our lucky stars this hasn't happened to us!

Event, April 1-2: UCO Hosts "The Press In Crisis - Reinventing America's News Business"

Wondering what is to become of our media industry? Then you should attend the University of Central Oklahoma's 2-day conference on "The Press in Crisis — Reinventing America’s News Business,” April 1-2. Featured speaker is Amy Mitchell, deputy director of the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. The conference is free; lunch is $15. For more information, call Mark Hanebutt at 974-5576.

Source. Adrienne Nobles' article in The Oklahoma entitled "Change is UCO Media Forum's Focus"

International Celebration of Women (OKC Style)

Will I see you at the International Celebration of Women Luncheon at the Skirvin in downtown Oklahoma City March 24?

The event benefits World Neighbors which is headquartered here in Oklahoma City.

Co-chairs for the event are Oklahoma City Councilwoman Meg Salyer and Marnie Taylor.

Dr. Susan Chambers will be honored for her contributions to World Neighbors.

(Click on image to enlarge)

Senator Constance Johnson Tackles Dating Violence With SR14

Kudos to Oklahoma Senator Constance Johnson (D-OKC) who wants Oklahoma students to learn how to recognize and avoid relational aggression so they won't grow up to be victims or abusers. She got the Oklahoma Senate to pass Senate Resolution 14 (short title: Endorsing curriculum and policy on teen dating violence and abuse). The target audience is 16 to 24 year olds.

This is a good start at breaking the generational cycle of child abuse, dating violence and, ultimately, domestic violence in Oklahoma. Now the ball is in Superintendent of Public Instruction Sandy Garrett's lap. We don't need a law to get some courses going in our middle schools and high schools on appropriate behavior.

By the way, did anyone else see the excellent domestic violence segment on Bill Moyers' Journal last night?

Will Our Legislature Clean Up Oklahoma's Adoption Process This Session?

Am I the only one who has heard for years that the adoption process in Oklahoma sucks? Evidently not since there are several bills in the Oklahoma Legislature this year that seek to improve that process or just hold it accountable.

One bill would require the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) to track failed adoptions. Another would require DHS to keep statistics on children who get adopted but then are returned to DHS custody. One would stop attorneys from "judge shopping" (they want one who won't question excessive adoption fees). And one would actually require that adoption fees to be spelled out in a written agreement - now there's a wild idea! But don't hold your breath; they'll probably just study it some more.

Mike McNutt with The Oklahoman has an article in the Tulsa World on a recent meeting of the Adoption Review Task Force (which is charged with coming up with possible changes to Oklahoma's adoption laws by the end of this year). You can read Mike's full article here.

Watch "Standing Up for Women's Rights in Oklahoma" on Cox Communications TV Show The Verdict Monday-Wednesday

I am the guest this week on "The Verdict," a public affairs half-hour television program on Cox Communications Channel 7 in OKC and Channel 3 in Tulsa. The co-hosts are Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and attorney Kent Meyers. They titled my program "Standing Up for Women's Rights" and it focuses on the Oklahoma Women's Coalition.

The show airs this Monday, March 23, at 9:30 am and on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 24-25, at 10 am. I hope you can watch it to learn how the Coalition hopes to improve the status of women in Oklahoma.

US Supreme Court Decisions, Women's Rights & Oklahoma's Role

While writing blog posts about the seven women who will be inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame next Thursday, I ran across the website "The Supreme Court and Women's Rights."

I am, of course, researching the Supreme Court ruling on Craig v. Boren, 429 U.S. 190 (1976) - which established the constitutional test for laws that discriminate on account of gender - because I am writing about Carolyn Whitener. The caption under this photo from the web page on Craig v. Boren (that would be then-Governor David L. Boren) reads:


The winning team behind Craig v. Boren posed for a photo on the occasion of that landmark decision’s twentieth anniversary in 1996: Fred Gilbert, the Tulsa criminal defense attorney who argued the case against the state of Oklahoma before the Supreme Court; coplaintiff Carolyn Whitener, then a convenience store proprietor and now the owner of a computer equipment business; Ruth Bader Ginsburg, then a litigator for the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union and now a Supreme Court justice; and plaintiff Curtis Craig, then a college student and now general counsel of the Explorer Pipeline Company.

Oklahoma Ranks 47th in Health (In Top 10 for Obesity)

According to a study by the United Health Foundation, Oklahoma ranked 47th nationally in health in 2007. We made improvements from 2000 in some areas (we are doing a better job of immunizing children) but overall we dropped in many areas. For instance, 29% of Oklahomans in 2007 were obese (up from 21% in 2000). That puts us ninth highest in the nation for obesity. We are worst in the nation for cardiovascular deaths and the number of primary care physicians per 100,000 population! Read report here.

Anyone Got a thought Re AngiesList and Craiglist?

Today I thought I'd go see what AngiesList.com had to say about a new doctor I'm seeing next week. I don't know why but the $20 annual fee put me off. Will I use it enought to get my $20 worth? Anyone got a thought?

Curious, I went to see if Craigslist.com also charges. As far as I got it didn't't seem to; am I wrong?

Have you had experience with either of these Internet services? Were you happy with the outcome? Is AngiesList worth the $20 annual fee?

Teach me...

Event, March 26, OKC: Seven To Be Inducted into Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame

Seven Oklahoma women have been chosen for induction into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, according to the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women. Inductees are Maj. Gen. LaRita A. Aragon, Suzanne Edmondson, Edna Hennessee, first lady Kim Henry, Secretary of State Susan Savage and Carolyn Whitener. Marabeau Looney will be inducted posthumously. The ceremony is scheduled for 3 p.m. March 26 in the State Capitol fourth-floor rotunda. A reception will follow. This event is open to the public and really fun. Y'all come. Read more HERE.

Is Life Imprisonment for Shoplifting an Excessive Sentence?

The woman is a drug addict; she "pays" for her habit by shoplifting. No one died. No one got maimed. Insurance probably covered some of the stores' losses. Yet a Tulsa (elected) judge is sending this woman to prison for LIFE. Seems excessive to me. Isn't this what drug courts are all about? For the same $$$ couldn't we put an ankle bracelet on her, confine her to a community sentencing program with daily check in and let her work, pay taxes, etc.? What do you think? Read the Tulsa World article entitled "Shoplifting gets life sentence for OKC woman - Court judge calls an Oklahoma City woman a 'One-person crime wave'".

This story will end up on CNN confirming that Oklahoma's judges are "tough on crime." And we wonder why Oklahoma incarcerates more women per capita than any developed nation in the world.

Homeless Children in Oklahoma

Guess how many children are homeless in Oklahoma. In a report issued in early March of 2009 entitled America's Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness, the National Center on Family Homelessness estimated there were 5,952 homeless children based on 2005-2006 data. Dan Straughn with the Oklahoma City Homeless Alliance figures the number is much higher (he estimates 1,800 homeless kids in Oklahoma City alone - and he ought to know because the Alliance does an actual count every year! With more folks getting laid off lately, the number is surely rising. Read more here.

Some Ways Federal Stimulus $$ May Benefit Women

After reading an article on Women's eNews by Katie White, Executive Director of the Chicago Foundation for Women, Katie Powalski had an good post March 18 on the Orlando Sentinal website entitled "How Trillions Could Help Single moms, All Women."
Both articles make good reading; here is a portion of Powalski's post:

Access to Child Care: Working mothers spend an estimated 45 percent of their income on child care. The stimulus package included $4.1 billion for Head Start, Early Head Start and block grant child-care programs and the 2010 budget includes continuation of these initiatives. The $800 "Making Work Pay" tax credit and the stimulus-created child tax credit would be made permanent in 2010 and would help working mothers with child care bills.

Federal Guarantee for Sick Leave:
Many working moms have no employer-paid sick leave and are just one paycheck away from being overwhelmed by bills. While Obama has not included federal sick leave in his 2010 budget proposal as of yet, White believes he will get behind the initiative, citing the savings employers would incur by reducing turnover and minimizing absenteeism.

Emphasizing education, specifically reducing high school drop-out rates: White points out that many drop-outs are young mothers who are often tardy, or just do not feel encouraged continuing their education in a traditional setting. The Department of Education's budget includes improvements to student achievement, which White believes has the potential to benefit young women most.

Increasing Pay, Retirement Money and Women in the Workplace: The National Women's Law Center reports that unemployment for women who are heads of households is up 54 percent just in the last year, and has increased rapidly since September when service industries began taking a bigger hit. An increase in funding to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Labor in 2010 will help promote women in the workplace and be more vigilant in equal pay. Obama’s call for an automatic pension plan would require employers to create direct-deposit IRA accounts, which would help women in low- and middle-paying jobs to save more for retirement.

"Oklahoma Care" Names Rep. Kris Steele Child Advocate of the Year

Steele Recognized for Dedication to Oklahoma Children

Pro Tempore Kris Steele has been honored with the Terry Hyman Child Advocate of the Year Award for pushing legislation that helps protect and care for Oklahoma children.

“I am humbled and honored to be selected for this award,” Steele, R-Shawnee, said. “If there is one set of issues that should always be at the forefront of any Oklahoma legislator’s mind, it should be the protection and well being of our children. The children in our state deserve our attention and best efforts in looking out for them.”

Steele received the award from Oklahoma Care, a child advocacy group composed of public and private Oklahoma agencies working to ensure quality care for children who require placement outside their home. According to Board of Directors member Jerry Fry, the group has begun a tradition of giving out the award to a legislator annually recognizing his or her support of children’s issues.

Source. Oklahoma House of Representatives Media Division

Wanda Jackson Day Is March 24 IN OKC

On Twitter: cityofokc@mickcornett to proclaim March 24 Wanda Jackson Day. (FYI, I'm jeanwarner on Twitter)

Why the U.S. Needs a White House Council on Women and Girls

Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker has taken issue with the need for a White House Council on Women and Girls. Check out the response by Rose O’Malley, Program Assistant with the National Women’s Law Center, entitled "Do We Need a White House Council on Women and Girls? Yes, Dear, We Do."

Women Incarcerated & Tulsa's Resonance Project

I am a big fan of Penny Painter and Resonance in Tulsa. That program works with women coming out of prison. Check out this story by Kim Jackson with News Channel 8 about the program: http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0309/605013.html?ref=tw

Event, March 31, OKC: Respect Diversity Exhibit

I LOVE this annual event. You will not believe what kids create - just truly amazing art. This event is totally worth the time and effort; try to take this in!

You are cordially invited to attend the eighth annual Respect Diversity Symbol Exhibit Gala at the Science Museum Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.

Enjoy colorful collaborations by thousands of students throughout the state of Oklahoma who are exploring diversity through the arts.

“A Seat for Rosa,” was created by students from Geary School. The students brainstormed words, symbols and images about diversity and acceptance and painted them as a mosaic on a park bench.

"This work of art is in honor of Rosa Park’s refusal to give up her seat which began the movement for equality of all minorities.

This art piece and all entries for the state wide Respect Diversity Art and Poetry Contest will be displayed at the exhibit.

A special presentation of the Respect Diversity Humanitarian Award will be made in honor of the 50^th anniversary of the Sit-In Movement. Presentations will also be made by State Superintendent Sandy Garrett for winning entries in the state wide Respect Diversity Art and Poetry Contest.

Teachers who register early will receive Multicultural Professional Development Points.
Science Museum Oklahoma
2100 N.E. 52^nd Street, Oklahoma City,OK
Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Program: 5:00 p.m. in the Eleanor Maurer Theatre.
Exhibit will follow. Desserts by Starbucks.

Sponsored in part by Science Museum OK, Oklahoma Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, MetroFamily Magazine, Oklahoma Natural Gas, The Grateful Bean, Christian-Mohamed-Goldberg Associates, Wal-Mart Stores, the Jewish Foundation, and ICelebrateDiversity.com.

To be placed on the guest list and to be admitted free of charge:
R.S.V.P. 359-0369 or rdfrdf@cox.net


To learn about projects of the Respect Diversity Foundation visit: www.respectdiversity.org; write to: rdfrdf@cox.net or call: 405/359-0369.

Book - The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages

The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages is now available online and in bookstores. From the nation's leaders in women's health, the Guide covers a broad range of health topics affecting women of all ages.

This book empowers women to:

Recognize signs of heart attack and stroke as well as understand risk factors
Learn the risks for type 2 diabetes and how to manage it
Deal with the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease
Understand the impact of chronic pain
Care for their mental health
Prepare their body for pregnancy and delivery
Request a second opinion when they feel it's necessary

Other Highlights Include:

Compelling foreword by CNN international journalist Jill Dougherty
Touching personal stories women can relate to
Full color charts and diagrams to help readers understand their health
The latest recommendations for screenings, exams, and immunizations

You can order your copy by clicking here.

House Bill 2174 Addresses Adoption reform

Legislation increasing financial transparency during the adoption process to prevent the extortion of adoptive families gained the approval of the Oklahoma House of Representatives this week.

House Bill 2174, by state Rep. Jason Nelson, would require public reporting of adoption expenses to increase transparency. The bill also requires that only one prospective adoptive family at a time may be billed for a birth mother’s expenses and that all adoptions must be conducted in one of four locations: the home county of the birth mother, the home county of the adoptive parents, or in Oklahoma or Tulsa Counties.

“The adoption process should be a happy event, but it has become an emotional nightmare for too many adoptive families because of the greed of a few unscrupulous attorneys,” said Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. “My legislation will help protect adoptive families from financial and emotional abuse, preventing fraud and extortion.”

Although the Department of Human Services has a code that adoption agencies must follow, there is no oversight of the attorneys involved in adoptions. As a result of that lax regulation, some attorneys have allegedly bilked adoptive parents out of substantial sums of money.

A May 2006 multicounty grand jury report found that families can face dramatically different expenses when going through the adoption process. In fact, the grand jury found that adoptive parents have been forced to pay for automobiles, car parts, traffic tickets, court costs in unrelated criminal cases, driver’s license reinstatement fees, television sets and utility bills – all masked as adoption costs.
According to the grand jury report, the haphazard regulation of “adoption expenses” has actually created an atmosphere where some women and their attorneys effectively sold children.

House Bill 2174 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on a 97-0 vote. It now proceeds to the state Senate.

Source. Oklahoma House of representatives Media Division

More on the White House Council on Women and Girls

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2009

President Obama Announces White House Council on Women and Girls

President Obama today signed an Executive Order creating the White House Council on Women and Girls. The mission of the Council will be to provide a coordinated federal response to the challenges confronted by women and girls and to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and families. The Council will be chaired by Valerie Jarrett, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor, and will include as members cabinet-level federal agencies. The Executive Director of the Council will be Tina Tchen, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Liaison at the White House.

"The purpose of this Council is to ensure that American women and girls are treated fairly in all matters of public policy," said President Obama. "My Administration has already made important progress toward that goal. I am proud that the first bill I signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act. But I want to be clear that issues like equal pay, family leave, child care and others are not just women’s issues, they are family issues and economic issues. Our progress in these areas is an important measure of whether we are truly fulfilling the promise of our democracy for all our people. I am confident that Valerie Jarrett and Tina Tchen will guide the Council wisely as its members address these important issues."

The White House Council on Women and Girls will ensure that agencies across the federal government, not just a few offices, take into account the particular needs and concerns of women and girls. The Council will begin its work by asking each agency to analyze their current status and ensure that they are focused internally and externally on women.

In particular, the Council will work to enhance, support and coordinate the efforts of existing programs for women and girls. The Council will also work as a resource for each agency and the White House so that there is a comprehensive approach to the federal government's policy on women and girls. The priorities will be carried out by working closely with the President’s Cabinet Secretaries and relevant agency offices that focus on women and families.

During its first year, the Council will also focus on the following areas:

Improving women’s economic security by ensuring that each of the agencies is working to directly improve the economic status of women.

Working with each agency to ensure that the administration evaluates and develops policies that establish a balance between work and family.

Working hand-in-hand with the Vice President, the Justice Department’s Office of Violence Against Women and other government officials to find new ways to prevent violence against women, at home and abroad.

Finally, the critical work of the Council will be to help build healthy families and improve women’s health care.

The White House Council on Women and Girls will meet regularly, and will serve as a forum for all involved agencies to focus on women.

Initial members of the Council include:
The Secretary of State;
The Secretary of the Treasury;
The Secretary of Defense;
The Attorney General;
The Secretary of Interior;
The Secretary of Agriculture;
The Secretary of Commerce;
The Secretary of Labor;
The Secretary of Health and Human Services;
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
The Secretary of Transportation;
The Secretary of Energy;
The Secretary of Education;
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
The Secretary of Homeland Security;
The United States Ambassador to the United Nations;
The United States Trade Representative;
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
The Administrator of the Small Business Administration;
The Director of the Office of Personnel Management;
The Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors;
The Director of the National Economic Council; and
The Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

In addition to the initial list of members, the President may designate additional heads of other Executive Branch departments, agencies, and offices.

HB1053 Would Redefine How Military Pensions Are Handled

Hey, Networkers - You might want to visit with your State Senator about House Bill 1053. It has passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives and is headed for the Senate.

Here is the deal NOW, as I understand it:

In the event of a divorce, a military pension is divided by the years of service and the years of marriage. When the military member retires, the retiree and his/her ex-spouse both start receiving the benefit and it continues for the rest of their lives as divided by the divorce court.

Here is how HB1053 would change that:

HB1053 adds to existing law several facts that courts must consider in divorce hearings when determining the equitable division of military retirement pay. These include:

• The length of service and pay grade at the time of divorce;
• The education and experience the former spouse received during the marriage;
• The former spouse’s criminal activity, abuse, or nonconformance to the military lifestyle;
• The military member’s combat service and
• The military member’s disability status.

HB1053 also adds language requiring a court to terminate any payments of disposable pay to the former spouse should that former spouse remarry or voluntarily cohabitate with a member of the opposite sex. (Ahh, it is back - what the men of the Legislature like to call the "shack up" clause!)

I am told that passage of HB1053 could lead to the following scenario:

Husband is military - wife is not. Both have 25 years vested in pensions but his is more than hers. The court divides both pensions. If she remarries, she loses her portion of the military pension but he would not lose his portion of the civilian pension if he remarries. It treats military pensions different than any other type of pension, whether it be governmental or private. All of the years in which she worked with him through the marriage will not be taken into account if he receives a raise in pay due to promotion after the divorce. And what is "non-conformance to military lifestyle" anyway?

NOTE: I am calling this legislation to your attention as a private citizen only. (The Oklahoma Women's Coalition is not taking a position on any legislation in 2009.) A number of my blog readers have asked me to bring HB1053 to your attention because they worry that it's passage could lead to some very bad legal results for Oklahoma women in the future. Maybe I have it wrong; ask your State Senator to explain it to you!

Oklahoma House of Representatives: Female Genital Mutilation Not a Laughing Matter

House Bill 1834 by Rep. Rebecca Hamilton (D-Oklahoma City) and Sen. Debbe Leftwich (D-Oklahoma City) would make the practice of female genital mutilation unlawful in the State of Oklahoma.

If passed, the bill would make it a felony for knowingly circumcising, excising or infibulating the labia majora, labia minora or clitoris of another, punishable by life incarceration with the Department of Corrections. It states that consent by a minor or his/her parent is not a defense to such violations. And the bill provides exceptions for certain surgical procedures.

Approximately 2 million girls are mutilated this way every year. Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, and the Sudan account for 75 per cent of all cases. In Djibouti and Somalia, 98 per cent of girls are mutilated. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 168,000 women and girls in the United States had either undergone female genital circumcision (or cutting) or were at risk for FGC in 1990. Of these, 48,000 were girls younger than 18 years old

The good news is that HB 1834 passed in the Oklahoma House of Representatives 96 to 0 today. The bad news is - rumor has it - there was laughter on the floor of the House of Representatives during the debate. Please tell me it isn't so.

See if you can find anything humorous about FMG at Wikipedia , the World Health Organization (WHO), USHealth.gov of the United Nations Population Fund.

FGM Quick facts:

Female genital mutilation (FGM) includes procedures that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

An estimated 100 to 140 million girls and women worldwide are currently living with the consequences of FGM.

In Africa, about three million girls are at risk for FGM annually.

The procedure has no health benefits for girls and women.

Procedures can cause severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later, potential childbirth complications and newborn deaths.

It is mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15 years.

FGM is internationally recognized as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

Photo: The image is of a T-shirt I saw in Meru, Kenya while on my first mission trip to Kenya.

Obama Creates White House Council on Women and Girls

THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG
THE WHITE HOUSE

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 at 4:31 pm

“Opportunities their mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers never dreamed of”

A little while ago the President signed an Executive Order to ensure there is always an eye kept on how every government agency is addressing the challenges confronted by women of all ages. The White House Council on Women and Girls will be chaired by Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, with Director of Public Liaison Tina Tchen serving as Executive Director, and will made up of Cabinet Secretaries and other top White House staff. It will begin its work immediately by asking each agency to analyze their current status and ensure that they are focused internally and externally on women.

During its first year, the Council will also focus on formulating comprehensive, coordinated policies in the following areas:

~ Improving women’s economic security by ensuring that each of the agencies is working to directly improve the economic status of women.

~ Working with each agency to ensure that the administration evaluates and develops policies that establish a balance between work and family.

~ Working hand-in-hand with the Vice President, the Justice Department’s Office of Violence Against Women and other government officials to find new ways to prevent violence against women, at home and abroad.

~ Finally, the critical work of the Council will be to help build healthy families and improve women’s health care.

President Obama opened his remarks speaking about the women in his life, before signing the Executive Order to put it all in motion:

I sign this order not just as a President, but as a son, a grandson, a husband, and a father, because growing up, I saw my mother put herself through school and follow her passion for helping others. But I also saw how she struggled to raise me and my sister on her own, worrying about how she'd pay the bills and educate herself and provide for us.

I saw my grandmother work her way up to become one of the first women bank vice presidents in the state of Hawaii, but I also saw how she hit a glass ceiling -- how men no more qualified than she was kept moving up the corporate ladder ahead of her.

I've seen Michelle, the rock of the Obama family -- (laughter) -- juggling work and
parenting with more skill and grace than anybody that I know. But I also saw how it tore at her at times, how sometimes when she was with the girls she was worrying about work, and when she was at work she was worrying about the girls. It's a feeling that I share every day.

And he closed his remarks on the same note:

So now it's up to us to carry that work forward, to ensure that our daughters and granddaughters have no limits on their dreams, no obstacles to their achievements -- and that they have opportunities their mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers never dreamed of. That's the purpose of this Council. Those are the priorities of my presidency. And I look forward to working with all of you to fulfill them in the months and years to come.

All right, so I'm going to go sign this thing. Thank you very much.

Read more, including the full list of initial members, in the official release.

Event March 31, Cox Center, OKC: Choosing Health...Wellness, Weight Loss and Keeping Fit

From 8 am to 4 pm on March 31^st, 2009, the University of Oklahoma Outreach will be presenting a day-long conference titled “Choosing Health…Wellness, Weight Loss and Keeping Fit” at the Cox Convention Center.

Featured speakers include Mr. Bob Greene, who is most widely known as Oprah’s personal trainer and bestselling author of the Best Life Diet brand, and Dr. Michelle May, physician and award winning author. Other speakers include Dr. Daryl Tonemah, OU Head Football Coach Bob Stoops, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and Chesapeake Energy’s Tom Price.

Through this line up of exceptional speakers, attendees will gain invaluable insights about healthy lifestyles and how to commit to those lifestyles by focusing on wellness and fitness, overcoming obesity, effective exercise regimens, and nutritional practices for everyday living.

Please help spread the word. Registration postmarked by March 18, 2009 is $49; after March 18, 2009 it is $69. The event web site is www.choosinghealthok.edu.

News From the YWCA of Oklahoma City

Every 2 minutes a woman is sexually assaulted. To kick off Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the YWCA of Oklahoma City is holding the First Annual 2 Minute 5K walk/run. Join the YWCA on March 28 at Lake Hefner's Stars & Stripes Pavilion to raise awareness and to raise money for programs that help victims. Early bird registration is $25 and ends March 9 - and online registrants get their own web page to solicit donations! >Learn more and register online today!

In addition, the YWCA is seeking nominations for the Embrace Award, an honor given each year to an exceptional Oklahoman who embraces the mission of the YWCA: Eliminating Racism, Empowering Women. This year's winner will be selected by the 2009 Selection Panel, composed of leaders from across Oklahoma City, including Mary Mélon, Dave Lopez and Polly Nichols, among others. The Embrace Award is given to anThe Embrace Award will be presented at the YWCA’s Purple Sash Gala on June 27 at the Cox Convention Center Ballroom. >Submit your nominations online today!

Finally, have you shopped at their resale shop -- Our Sisters' Closet? Their March Sales brings sweet deals to Our Sisters' Closet which is located at 6012 S. Western in Oklahoma City.
$1 Clothing Sale: 3/3-3/7
Brown Bag Sale: 3/9-3/14
Spring Fashions Arrive: 3/17
>Get more info or sign up for special offers!

A Blog for Oklahoma Artists

Carolina Elizabeth has a blog for women artists who long to connect with other creative minds who will collectively encourage, inform, and inspire one another on your unique roads to a successful life with art. Her blog celebrates various forms of the art, has resources and links, tells about special events in Oklahoma, showcases art work and shows off what some of the artists in Oklahoma are up to. Check it out at http://carolinaelizabeth-art.blogspot.com/.

Hillary Clinton's International Women's Day speech

To read Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech on International Women's Day t6hat she delivered on March 8, 2009, click HERE.

Man kills pregnant girlfriend for Oklahoma's 21st domestic violence homicide of 2009

Source: NewsOK.com via Marcia Smith, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault --

Investigators will ask prosecutors to seek two murder charges against an Oklahoma City man accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend, police said. Police have jailed Miguel Monarrez, 24, on a complaint of killing his girlfriend, Magaly Estrada, 25, last week. A medical examiner then determined Estrada was pregnant, police said.

Police arrested Monarrez in connection with Estrada's death after officers found her dead Friday at a residence in the 2400 block of SW 22. Police Master Sgt. Gary Knight said this morning the medical examiner told police Estrada was in the early stages of her pregnancy when she was killed.

Authorities have not yet released Estrada’s cause of death, but police said she had trauma to her body. Click here to read full story at NewsOK.com

A Prayer Request for a Remarkable Women

My dear "sister" - the amazing and wonderful Florence Mubichi - underwent surgery yesterday. She is stable and in ICU and I'm camped out at hospital with Florence's daughter, Fridah. We are handling the emails and phone calls from literally hundreds of well wishers across the globe who are sending their love and prayers to Florence. Because I believe in the power of prayer, I welcome your prayers for Florence's recovery. She has been the power and inspiration for the mission work of people all across the US that is taking place in Eastern Kenya - especially. (For a small example, see http://kenya2007.blogspot.com/.)

Here is a website we set up to follow Florence's progress: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/florencemubichi/. You have to login the first time but it is quick and painless. :-)

March 8 Is International Women's Day

March 8th is International Women's Day (IWD)- a time intended to spread the word and awareness on women's issues across the globe.

This day has been observed since the early 1900's and is an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzebekistan, and Vietnam.

Traditionally in these places men honor their mothers, wives, and girlfriends etc. with flowers and small gifts. In some places it is the equivalent of Mother's Day. In the U.S., Women's History Month was chosen to be in March to coincide with IWD.

While there is no one overall theme for IWD, each year organizations, governments, and women's groups choose different themes to reflect global and local gender issues. This year the United Nation theme is: Women and men unite to end violence against women and girls.
For a list of IWD events, click HERE.

What women's issues do you think are most important? What do you do to celebrate IWD?

Source. http://blog.usa.gov/roller/govgab/entry/international_women_s_day

Website Launched About Women in Oklahoma Legislature

OSU's "Women of the Oklahoma Legislature Oral History Project
Website" Launches

February 26, 2009

STILLWATER -Throughout Oklahoma's history 77 women have been elected to the state's legislature. The Women of the Oklahoma Legislature Oral History Project at the OSU Library presents first-hand accounts of these leaders' stories.

The project captures and records information about women who have served or are currently serving in the Oklahoma Legislature in their own voices. It includes 47 interviews and is freely available at www.library.okstate.edu/oralhistory/wotol/.

"Unfortunately, we can’t include every single female legislator. There are some we have not located, a few are unavailable to participate, and a number have already passed away," said Tanya Finchum, primary researcher for the project. "As more women are elected, we hope to add their oral histories to the collection."

This collection is one of many projects conducted by the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program (OOHRP) at the OSU Library. To learn more about the OOHRP and ways to participate or support the program, contact Dr. Jennifer Paustenbaugh at 405-744-9778 or jennifer.paustenbaugh@okstate.edu.

Twitter on Capitol Hill

Twitter reports that

"A website, tweetcongress.org, keeps track of the representatives and senators who have taken to sending out the messages of 140 characters or less and ranks them in terms of their number of followers and messages sent."

Are you on Twitter yet? If so, let me know. (I Twitter as jeanwarner.)

Wear a black ribbon in memory of Carol Lee--domestic violence homicide victim

From Marcia Smith, Executive Director, Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault:

The plague of domestic violence deaths continues unfettered in Oklahoma. To our best count. this is the 17th domestic violence homicide and 4th domestic violence suicide in the first 57 days of 2009. That is the equivalent of 1 domestic violence homicide every 3.35 days. Including suicides, it is a domestic violence death every 2.72 days.

Something must be done! Oklahoma must become a ZERO TOLERANCE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE State!

Please speak out and speak up on behalf of victims and survivors of domestic violence. Let’s not allow Carol Lee’s death to be in vain. Let her memory be the impetus for action against future domestic violence deaths in Oklahoma.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Love County couple's murder-suicide investigated by OSBI
BY JOHNNY JOHNSON
Published: February 27, 2009

BURNEYVILLE — With new information from the state medical examiner’s office, authorities now know that the married couple found dead at their home Thursday died in an apparent murder/suicide.

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jessica Brown says a relative found the bodies of 54-year-old Carol Lee and 71-year-old James Lee at their Burneyville residence on Thursday.

Carol Lee was a homicide victim who died from gunshot wounds to head, according to the medical examiner’s office. James Lee’s death was ruled a suicide, with a single shot to his head.
Investigators responded and recovered at least one firearm from the Burney Street house, Brown said.

Sheriff Joe Russell says the last time anyone had seen the Lees was Tuesday.

Kansas Gov Kathleen Sedelius to Head US Dept of Health & Human Services

President Obama has added another woman to his cabinet - Kathleen Sebelius. Read more here.

OSU First Lady Ann Hargis on Payne County Youth Services' Advisory Board

The Stillwater NewsPress reports that OSU First Lady Ann Hargis has been "appointed the first member of the Payne County Youth Services’ Advisory Board for Sustainability and Public Awareness." Good move. Read the story here.

Wendy Murphy: Truth hurts, but not more than violence

Click here to read a good editorial in the News-Star (Shawnee) paper today on Rihanna, her boyfriend, Chris Brown, and domestic violence. This part wraps it up:

“It’s embarrassing to Rihanna,” one said. “And such a violation of her privacy.”
Actually, it is NOT embarrassing for Rihanna. It is, however, shameful for the perpetrator. And it isn’t a violation of anyone’s privacy, because crime is not a private matter.

Way to go, Wendy!

Oklahoman Donna Tapley Named 2008 Catoosa Sertoman of the Year

The Catoosa, Oklahoma Sertoma Club honored member Donna Tapley recently by naming her 2008 Sertoman of the Year. Read more here.

Performance Audit of OK Dept of Human Services Unveils Deeply Troubling Issues

When can we stop talking about Oklahoma's broken foster care program and start doing something to fix it!?

As Buddy Faye says in this Tulsa World article, "This is not a new problem." I served on an Oklahoma United Methodist Circle of Care for Children and Youth committee trying to help raise awareness of their Child Share program with Buddy Faye. She knows what she's talking about -- been there, seen that!

She tells in the Tulsa World article about one child she was assigned as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer. "One girl taken into DHS custody at the age of 3 was placed in 42 different locations before aging out of the system including psychiatric placements although she had no diagnosed mental illness, just defiant behavior, Faye said."

This just makes me want to pull my hair out. The Oklahoma Legislature will offer their "solution" in the form of bills tomorrow. We are all eagerly listening...

HUD to Allocate $120 Million to Oklahoma ($1.413 to OKC)

The Tulsa World has a good article today on how the US Housing and Urban Development funds in the the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will impact Oklahoma. Read it here.

I'm hoping some of the weatherization money goes into the home of my invalid neighbor living on $20,000 a year. Her insurance company dropped her homeowner's policy because her house is falling down around her. She's running space heaters when it gets cold and I worry about a fire getting started. She's not homeless but she is one fire or one lightening strike away!

Dillard's and Wacoal's "Fi(gh)t for the Cure" Tackle Breast Cancer

Okay, boys and men; go to the next post. This is girl talk.

I want to tell you about Wacoal's "FI(gh)T for the Cure" program to knock out breast cancer.

Two days this coming week, Dillard's and Wacoal have teamed up to give us a double benefit. Go to Dillard's and get a professional fitting from one of their lingerie fit experts. Just for getting the fitting, Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for breast cancer research and outreach programs. Buy a Wacoal bra and they'll donate another $2.

AND you'll get a free pink Wacoal Sport Water Bottle while supply lasts. In OKC, Thursday March 5 at Quail Springs Mall (call for apt 405-755-5220); Friday March 6 at Penn Square Mall (call for apt 405-840-8495). Both=10am-4pm. And, yes, they carry "our sizes," too.

:-)

Why 5 States May Elect to Reject Stimulus Spending

Am I reading this right? Is The Oklahoman explaining this correctly? Because, as I read The Oklahoman's lead editorial today, the 5 states that are threatening to not take federal stimulus funding for unemployment benefits are doing so because there are strings attached.

Those 'strings' would require that -- only while they are taking the stimulus funds -- they'd have to expand the eligibility pool of who could get unemployment assistance to the same standards as most of the other 45 states in the US already follow. For instance, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee would have to allow a person to receive unemployment benefits if - God forbid - she left her job because she was fleeing domestic violence (which, incidentally, Oklahoma ALREADY DOES).

Surely that isn't what this is all about. I must be reading this editorial wrong.

Oklahoman Janet Fender is Chief Scientist of Air Combat Command, US Air Force

Janet Fender graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1974 with a degree in physics and astronomy. She credits an OU program at the time entitled "New Avenues for Women" that was funded by the National Science Foundation. Professor Betty Pollock led that program and taught a small group of women who were majors in the natural sciences. The teamwork skills she learned there Fender says helped her greatly in her career. (Would that be considered one of those "liberal affirmative action programs" Republicans want to abolish?)

Fender went on to earned a masters and doctorate degrees and today works as Chief Scientist with the Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base in northern Virginia. She is also a member of the United Nations Space Surveillance Expert Group.

The University of Oklahoma's College of Arts & Sciences honored her recently as a Distinguished Alumni award winner. While she was in Oklahoma for the award ceremonies, The Oklahoman interviewed here. You can read the article and hear her speak by clicking here.

Oklahoma Congresswoman Mary Fallin Confirms Plans to Run for Governor

It is official. Republican US Congresswoman Mary Fallin will run in 2010 for Governor of Oklahoma. Read the details here.

D.J. Thompson in new Asst Dir of OK Council on Economic Education

Yeah. The Oklahoma Council on Economic Education (OCEE) has hired D.J. Thompson as assistant director. She is a UCO graduate wi14 years of nonprofit experience. The director of OCEE, Dr. Sue Lynn Sasser, has been a force behind getting financial literacy courses in our public schools. Read more on D.J. Thompson by clicking here.

On Domestic Violence

A recent article by Ginnie Graham with the Tulsa World reports on a national study that finds success at domestic violence shelters. The study included 271 Oklahomans at 22 Oklahoma domestic violence shelters. It noted that 75% of the Oklahoma women surveyed had at least one child under 18; more that 2 out of 3 said they were concerned about the safety of their children. Oklahoma ranks #1 in the nation in child abuse. With a proven connection between child abuse and domestic violence, it makes sense to try to break the cycle by getting to young people.

So last week Carol Stoops and other Mary Kay consultants were at the Oklahoma State Capitol urging legislators to support anti-domestic violence training programs in Oklahoma's middle schools and high schools. Other partners in the day's activities were Breaking the Cycle and the Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. So far the message is falling on deaf ears.

What DO we teach our teenagers about violence? How many movies can you name that depict domestic violence? Look here to get started. What movies got left out? What movies have been released since 2004 that should go on a list of domestic violence movies?

I'm Baaaaack

Whoa! I got really snowed under preparing for and executing the Oklahoma Women's Coalition "Advocacy Day at the Capitol" But I'm back to blogging now.

Hi, everyone.

:-)