September 2008 Archives

I had opportunity last week to meet with a group of fiction writers. I wasn't sure of the topic before I arrived, but was pleased to find out that the discussion would center around fictional character development.

I must admit up front that I prefer to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of writer. That is, I like to get an idea and just start writing. Unfortunately, this isn't always the best way to go about things, and more than once I've been several hours into a story when I suddenly discover that I've written my hero or heroine into a corner that would require a complete personality convergence before escape. Some of those stories have gone on to see the light of day, but most end up in the file of things best left unattended.

Several years ago, I went looking for ways to make myself more productive and efficient. I looked at different software packages for writers, books, magazine articles and, of course, information available on the internet. While I was fascinated with the writing software offerings at first, I soon figured out that I didn't really like them at all. In so many ways, I felt like the software was zapping all of my creative juices. Still, I understood from listening to other successful writers that I need to devise a strategy that would both allow me to hit the ground running and would force me to create a map of the journey.

One of the tools that I use -- really the only major tool that I use -- is an in-depth character chart. In total it's 11 pages of character information and background, although I rarely fill it all out in one sitting. It does become a working document, however, that I can refer back to as I'm writing. After seeing my chart at the meeting, the other writers asked if I'd be willing to post a downloadable blank for others to use or enhance for their own needs. Here is your free copy of Lynda's Character Chart.

Within the past two years, I've taken my character chart one step further and moved it into a personal wiki format. This has both advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage -- outside of saving ink and paper -- is that I can electronically file each character by project. And, while they are all nice and neat in their electronic folders, I also have the option of searching them all with a few keywords. For instance, if I'm starting a new project and I want an elderly woman with curly hair, I can search just for those traits to see if I already have a character under development.

It also allows me to develop characters without any particular project in mind. We know that from time to time we meet certain individuals and think, "Wow... that personality/those traits would go great in a book!" Well, now you can write up their character sheets (loosely based on the actual person, of course) and save them for when you have a project or need a character with a bit more color/flavor to liven up a storyline.

The biggest disadvantage is that I can't easily carry it with me without dragging along the laptop. So, if I'm traveling and get a character idea, I still use the paper chart and then have to later move that information into the computer file.

Although I can't link to my wiki as an example because I keep it on the computer locally -- and I'm not really sure that I would link to it even if I could -- I can tell you that I've found the wiki to be what the writing programs were not -- fun, easy and intuitive. There are several free wiki software programs available. So, if you're interested, head over to the Wiki Matrix where you can browse the various options or search and compare individual packages based on price, platform and a whole bunch of other options.

Happy writing!

Congressman Tom Latham, a Republican who represents Iowa's 4th District, released the following statement about today's failed (205-228) bailout vote in the U.S. House of Representatives:

"I voted against the Wall Street bailout package because it rewards the reckless executives who got us into this mess in the first place. Congress has more work to do, and we must continue working together--both Republicans and Democrats--on this crisis to find a comprehensive, long-term solution to that does not saddle taxpayers with having to pay for the excesses and greed of Wall Street. Iowans deserve no less."

Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat representing Iowa's 1st District, issued this statement after voting against the proposed legislation:

"I have no doubt that action must be taken to stabilize our financial markets, protect American taxpayers, and rebuild our economy. As I carefully considered the plan before the House today, I made my decision with the best interest of Iowa families in mind. I cannot support a multi-billion dollar handout to Wall Street that fails to adequately protect the interests of Iowa taxpayers, and short-changes Iowa families.

"Wall Street greed and lack of oversight by the Bush Administration caused the current problems in our financial markets. Now Iowa taxpayers are being asked to save these companies from their irresponsible choices. Working families should not be forced to foot the bill for Wall Street's mistakes, without stronger language to protect their interests. While putting taxpayers on the hook for nearly a trillion dollars, the bill provides insufficient protection against abuses by the Secretary, fails to guarantee a return on taxpayer dollars, and provides no direct help for middle class families. This is the wrong approach.

"For far too long, this Administration has ignored the needs on Iowa's Main Streets, while preaching the gospel of "wealth-at-any-cost" on Wall Street. Many families in Iowa were being squeezed by rising costs and natural disasters before this economic crisis, yet this bailout does little to help Iowa families make ends meet.

"To help our economy grow, we should also be investing in the future of our country by rebuilding America's crumbling infrastructure and creating jobs that can't be outsourced overseas, like the 15,000 employees AIG has in China. We should increase our investment in renewable energy, to create jobs at home and move our country away from foreign oil. Devoting hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out Wall Street will limit our ability to make these critical investments.

"While I agree that we must take action on our economy, today's plan benefits Wall Street CEOs while leaving working families to fend for themselves. This plan doesn't go far enough to help Iowans at risk of losing their homes, jobs or savings, nor does it provide the resources necessary to invest in the future. Iowa's working families and taxpayers deserve better."

Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat who represents Iowa's 2nd District, released the following statement after voting in favor of the proposed legislation:

"Our economy is in crisis, and hardworking families are struggling just to make ends meets. Iowans are finding it more difficult than ever to afford basic necessities, while others are seeing their savings, for college, a new home, and retirement, slip away.

"Now we are seeing failures in our financial markets, failures that could have devastating effects on our families, small businesses, and local community banks. Sadly, much of this is a result the failed Bush Administration economic policies, and because of lack of regulation, discipline, and supervision on the part of the Administration.

"After finally admitting that federal action must be taken, President Bush and Secretary Paulson came to Congress asking for $700 billion so they could attempt to solve the problems their own failed policies helped to create. They were asking Congress to provide a blank check, devoid of safeguards and necessary oversight. This proposal was simply unacceptable; it failed to prove taxpayer protections, and did nothing to help families and small businesses suffering under the administration's failed economic policies.

"After long hours and great compromise, improvements were made to the rescue plan that we hoped would stabilize the markets, protect taxpayers, stave off the threat of a greater economic crisis, and encourage financial growth in our local economies. While this bill was not perfect, and we were certainly not operating under ideal circumstance, I cast a vote in support of this compromised package because I believed that members of Congress had a responsibility to act in the best interest of their constituents and country.

"I fear inaction will result in a widening of this economic crisis and ultimately threatens to cripple our local economies and cause long-term financial damage to hard working families and Main Street USA. We simply cannot let that happen. Members of the House and Senate - both Democrats and Republicans - must return to the negotiating table so we can prevent further economic crisis and begin to enact necessary oversight and safeguards to protect American taxpayers."

Please note that at the time of this posting, Congressman Leonard Boswell and Congressman Steve King had not yet made official statements regarding the vote. When/If they do, they will be included.

On Wednesday afternoon a small but mighty group gathered in Marion to begin statewide discussions on the plight of women, the challenges facing organizations that serve women and the legislative targets and goals that will soon be developed by the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women.

The meeting, organized and hosted by the state agency, marked the first time in roughly 30 years that public hearings were held outside of the state's centralized metro area. Next week the Commission will continue public hearings in the cities of Urbandale and Storm Lake.

What may come as a surprise to those who have not sat in on such meetings is that abortion -- that hot-button issue that seems to emerge during each election season -- was not a topic of discussion. Those who attended the meetings -- representatives from the Iowa Department of Corrections, the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, the Iowa Policy Project, Five Giant Steps, the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence among others -- were instead fixated on the kitchen table issues that adversely affect women in Iowa. This is not to say that women's health, including reproductive health, was not a concern among those in attendance. It was just that this group of women and one man, Commissioner Tom Carnahan of Davenport, understand that reproductive health is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to women's issues.

Robin Robinson, project manager for Five Giant Steps, provided the Commission with information related to early childhood development that was specific to Linn County. This project, which was born from the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber's and the Cedar Rapids Community Foundation's Fifteen in 5 initiative, focuses on the area's youngest residents.

"[Five Giant Steps] is an information conduit and we are responding to current needs, such as in relation to the flood recovery efforts in this area," Robinson said.

Robinson presented the Commission members and other meeting participants with printed documents outlining the current state of child care programs in Cedar Rapids and Palo following the June floods. The 2008 floods, according to those documents, affected local licensed and registered child care settings that serve a total of 1,547 children. Of that total amount, 32 percent are child care settings that had major flood damage and have subsequently closed. To date, it is uncertain if these providers will re-open and again service the community. An additional 16 percent also suffered major damage, have not yet restarted operations, but plan to be operational at some point this fall.

Flooding also impacted services being offered by the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, which serves Cedar, Iowa, Johnson and Washington counties, as well as the Cedar Rapids-based Waypoint Services, according to Kristie Fortmann-Doser, DVIP executive director. The most pressing need this organization has going into the 2008 legislative session, however, is monetary.

"Since 2002 nine dual -- domestic violence and sexual assault -- programs have closed or been forced to merge with other programs in state because of lack of funding," Fortmann-Doser said. "During a time when DVIP has seen a nearly 100 percent increase in services in the four county area we serve, the program has lost roughly $140,000 in funding from the state. These monies in the past have been offset through the Iowa Attorney General's Office, but it is our understand that offset will no longer be available."

Without the offset and while facing further federal and state funding cuts, the program is facing a potential 41 percent funding loss.

The Commission was also given a glimpse into Iowa wage equity from Beth Pearson of the Iowa Policy Project. Despite women comprising nearly half of the state's workforce, according to Pearson, disparities persist between the genders.

"For instance, although women in Iowa are more likely than men to receive a post-secondary education, they are also more likely to be in poverty and to earn a lower wage than male peers," Pearson said, citing her organization's recent study on women and the economy.

She recommended the Commission look at policies that would provide paid family leave for women in the workforce.

One of the problems outlined by many in attendance is that women seeking services in Iowa (as well as many women incarcerated in Iowa) have dual barriers. For instance, not only may a woman be a victim of sexual violence, but she might also be a substance abuser. A woman who is earning less and trying to work her way out of poverty might be hampered by problems associated with finding and affording quality child care or transportation to a higher paying job. In this way, many of the issues surrounding the betterment of women as a whole are multifaceted and don't lend themselves to single solutions.

The Iowa Commission on the Status of Women will continue to host the public hearings and then will develop their legislative priorities for the 2008 session.

Vague laws aren't anything new. Those who have been on the reproductive justice battlefronts have known for sometime that a vaguely written law can have unintended consequences and has the potential of putting professionals at risk. This is because when a law is written broadly, the exact meaning is up to interpretation by law enforcement and by the courts.

A good example of legislation written too vaguely to be effective is happening right now in the neighboring state of Nebraska.

Earlier this year, Nebraska became the last state in the nation to enact a "safe haven" law that allows parents to abandon their offspring at hospitals without fear of prosecution. Typically these bills are specific. For instance, in Iowa, the law applies only to infants less than 14 days old. In Nebraska, however, legislators wanted to expand the legislation to include all caregivers (not just mothers) and offspring of all ages. When the expanded legislation went before the Nebraska Senate, only one legislator voted against it, and he did so not out of object to the new expansions, but of a belief that all safe haven laws are "approval to abandon your child bills."

The Associated Press and other news outlets began reporting yesterday that 11 children, ages 1 to 17, were left at Nebraska hospitals on Wednesday. Nine of the children, four girls and five boys, were from one family. All of the children were abandoned at the hospitals by their fathers.

The legislature, which was stuck in a disagreement about setting ages in relation to the state's safe haven law, chose instead to choose the vague term "child," and then not define it. The result is a vague law that is now open to wide interpretation. Some have argued that a "child" can be any person 18 and younger.

When we, as citizens, approach our legislators and ask them to enact laws, we also have a responsibility to follow through and ensure that our ideas are written specifically according to the problem being addressed. Our legislators also have a responsibility to converse with as many people as possible to determine, as best they can, the unintended consequences of poorly drafted legislation.

The original Nebraska bill, offered by Sen. Arnie Stuthman of Platte Center, limited the safe haven law to infants less than 72 hours old. He agreed to compromise when the legislation became stalled. Within days of the law being passed, according to the Associated Press, Nebraska lawmakers acknowledged the courts would have to sort out the details.

The Child Welfare Information Gateway has a breakdown of the various state safe haven laws for those who are interested in learning more.

The Fall Festival at Starry Elementary School in Marion is a yearly tradition. All the school families are invited to purchase pizza, popcorn, sodas and tickets to carnival games. Games -- ranging from the ever popular toilet toss to the pumpkin walk -- cost between one or two tickets each.

We left last year with at least three pumpkins and a live goldfish. Unfortunately (which I write only because my children may read this), the carnival had given away all the live fish before we reached the toilet toss game.

We did, however, make it home with three bottles of soda, courtesy of the ring toss, and a very cute cake, courtesy of the cake walk. The potential sugar rush and subsequent late bedtime has me wondering why they don't plan the festival for a Friday night. Oh well, I guess that's the cost of fun in the big city.

I also want to give a big thank you to my teenager. She went with the intention of playing Dance Dance Revolution, but ended up helping run the game when no one else seemed to understand the controls. She said she had a good time watching all the little kids play, but has heard enough YMCA by the Village People to last her a lifetime.

So, after dissing David Letterman last night with lies about how there was a crisis that warranted an immediate return to the beltway, Sen. John McCain arrived in Washington today around noon, says Michael D. Shear and Lori Montgomery of the Washington Post.

The D.C. journalist report:

... McCain has not visibly been part of the action on the issue. He was not present when House and Senate negotiators emerged from a two-hour meeting to declare success. That announcement was made by Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Sen. Robert F. Bennett (Utah) and Frank.

McCain, by contrast, spent some time in his office with several Republican colleagues, briefly stopped at Boehner's office, then left for lunch at the Capitol's Mansfield Room before returning to his office in the Russell Senate Office Building.

In other news, Dana Bash at CNN is reporting that Sen. Lindsey Graham said the McCain campaign now wants the Presidential Debate Commission and the Obama campaign to not only cancel the presidential debate if there is no economic bailout package by Friday, but wants to have the presidential debate next Thursday in St. Louis. (The place and time of the first scheduled vice presidential debate.)

There is, of course, no date being floated for a rescheduled debated between Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin.

All this talk of "saving" the economy doesn't have officials in Mississippi resting any better. A senior University of Mississippi official told ABC News that the cancellation of the debate would be financially "devastating" and that the school has spent roughly $5.5 million in preparation for the event.

The Iowa State Treasurer's Office in coordination with the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women is planning a conference on Oct. 18 in Des Moines that focuses on women's financial issues.

This conference is designed to address the unique financial issues women face in their work and personal lives ... to provide reliable information that will help them achieve financial success and security.

Speakers include State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald, Private Capital Solutions Group President Suzanna deBaca, ICSW Executive Director Rachel Scott Hoepker, U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau Program Analyst Pam Ayers, The Vanguard Group Relationship Manager Kathy Edgett, WB Capital Management Vice President Tina Gordinier, Iowa Finance Authority's Single and Family House Production Director Irene Hardisty, Principal Financial Group Senior Financial Representative Ann Merkley, U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau Program Analyst Carla Tillmon and ISU Extension Family Resource Management Field Specialist Barbara Wollan.

Here are a list of some of the topics:

• Wage negotiation: know the facts and make the ask
• Do I save for college or retirement?
• What every woman needs to know to sustain home ownership security
• Money 101: Using what you have to get what you want
• How to be a good financial role model for your children
• If you can dress, you can invest

The all-day conference is free of charge, but registration is required. Those who wish to attend can find more information on the Iowa Women & Money Conference web site.

Also a quick reminder that many events like this are listed on the Essential Estrogen Calendar of Events.

A Mount Vernon man has been sentenced to three years of federal probation for violating a state no-contact order.

Jon Akers, 36, pleaded guilty in early July to a felony charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a person subject to a state no-contact order. Under federal law, a person subject to such a court order protecting an intimate partner may not possess a gun or ammunition. There is no such prohibition under Iowa law.

On May 10, 2007, Akers' estranged wife contacted the Mount Vernon Police Department to report that Akers had been prowling around her home. Officers responded and found Akers' vehicle parked nearby. The officers also subsequently located Akers, dressed in dark clothing, in the woman's back yard. Akers jumped a fence and ran away when officers ordered him to stop. He was arrested a short time later when he returned to his vehicle.

When officers conducted an inventory of the vehicle, they found a cased shotgun behind the front seat. Akers had been under a court restraining order since May 26, 2006 that prohibited him from harassing, stalking or threatening his wife.

In addition to his probation term, Akers was given a $100 special assessment by the court. Because he is now a convicted felon, he can never legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

Arizona Sen. John McCain evidently made a phone call to David Letterman last night apologizing for having to zip off to Washington, D.C. and handle the economic crisis. Unfortunately, that wasn't really the case.

During an interview with Keith Olbermann, Letterman goes to a live feed from the CBS News studio just down the street. McCain is sitting on the set across from Katie Couric getting his mug beat with make-up.

"Hey, John, I got a question," Letterman shouts over the audio. "You need a ride to the airport?" (This exchange starts at roughly 6:20.)

And, in case anyone has forgotten, McCain announced his bid for the presidency on Letterman's show.

I missed the television airing of "Women, Power and Politics," a program produced by PBS and reported by Maria Hinojosa, but I was able to watch the video online. So can you.

The program features not only thoughts on Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, but offers a glimpse of the U.S. Senate campaign being waged by Jeanne Shaheen. (The woman who took the stage in Unity when Clinton tossed her support behind Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee.)

"When I first ran for governor," said Shaheen, "I was referred to in the paper as Betty Crocker -- and that was meant as a compliment."

In the report, which I really can't say enough good things about, Hinojosa makes the point that at the current rate of progress it will take 100 years before men and women are equally represented in Congress. Think about that. One hundred years.

I guess I never honestly believed to see that goal met in my lifetime, but I had hoped that my daughters would see it. If our nation continues to chug along like this, my daughters will never know a Congress equally represented by men and women. Am I working this hard for my future granddaughters? More importantly, can the issues our nation faces really be solved by primarily men?

And, yes, I'm being honest with that last question. Can the crisis that we face be solved by the men who created the crisis? Do men bring an inherent understanding of health care to the offices they seek? Bottom line, don't all women, regardless of party affiliation, bring a different attitude about life, policy and government to public service?

In any event, these are some of the questions I'm left to ponder after watching the PBS report. I was always told that good journalism could be summed up by answering all of the reader's questions. I still think this is true in most cases, but there are exceptions. Subjects such as women in politics, I think, are even better when they leave the reader/watcher with more questions.

Go watch the report and let me know your thoughts. Is the United States as far as it should be? What do American women need to do in order to move past stereotypes and the thought process that leaves us believing that a woman running for office is an oddity?

Because of our first-in-the-nation caucuses, Iowans more than any other geographic group in the nation have been listening for a very long time to discussions of racism and sexism during this political season. For some of us, it was a nice change to previous political rants about religion.

Funny how some things have a way of coming full circle.

More than 100 Christian bookstores run by the Southern Baptist Convention have pulled an issue of Gospel Today from their customer-accessible shelves because the cover story features five prominent female pastors. Lifeway Christian Stores spokesman Chris Turner has said the magazines were removed because the "cover story, featuring female pastors, clearly advocates a position contrary to our denomination's statement of faith." Shoppers who want to buy a copy will need to request it from behind the counter -- a la Playboy and Penthouse.

The Baptist Faith and Message states that "while both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture." It is one of only two references in the entire document to women. The other comes under section 18, where the assembly decides that marriage should be limited to one man and one woman. In addition, there is only one reference in the document to "female," it comes under section three, titled "Man." There are 15 references to "man" in the document.

The following statement was issued by the publishers of Gospel Today:

In a year that has seen unprecedented momentum among African American and female leadership -- with Barack Obama becoming the first African American to receive the nomination of a major political party; ... and Gov. Sarah Palin being declared a front-running vice presidential candidate -- Gospel Today magazine shared a riveting and timely story in its current issue about dynamic women who are "Breaking the Stained Glass Ceiling" as pastors.

Five powerful female pastors were featured on GT's cover: Pastor Tamara Bennett (Sacramento), Pastor Claudia Copeland (San Antonio), Bishop Millicent Hunter (Philadelphia), Pastor Sheryl Brady (Durham) and Pastor Kimberly Ray (Chicago).

However, to the shock and disappointment of many, because of this cover story, the Southern Baptist Convention-owned Lifeway Christian Bookstores opted NOT to display this issue of GT.

While Hairston may not be willing to challenge the Southern Baptist Convention's doctrine, I certainly will. I'd wager a guess that most Southern Baptists are firmly aligned with the Republican Party and, as such, plan to cast their presidential ballot this November for the McCain-Palin ticket. How ironic and extremely sad is that?

The same people who rarely refer to women when having discussions about their church leadership are poised to vote for a woman to definitely be the second in command of the entire nation. Women are not good enough -- perhaps not moral enough -- to be spiritual leaders in the Southern Baptist tradition, but they are good enough and moral enough to lead the nation?

In justifying their belief that women not hold senior pastoral positions, the Southern Baptist Convention points to the following verse of scripture:

"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." ~ 1 Timothy 2:12

For those who have not read this chapter of 1 Timothy, here's a brief recap: We should live a peaceful existence -- offering prayers and giving thanks to God. There is only one God and man has one mediator to him, Jesus Christ. Timothy said that he wants men everywhere to pray without wrath and doubting. Then he turns to the role of women. Women, he said, should adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls or anything of monetary value. Women who profess godliness should only adorn themselves with good works. Women should learn in silence with all subjection. This is because Adam came first, then Eve. And, we must always remember that Adam was not deceived, but Eve was.

According to Timothy -- and, I guess, according to the Southern Baptist Convention -- women still bear the brunt of the fall from grace. So, it isn't really that women aren't moral or good enough to be senior pastors -- it's that some within the Christian (and other religious) tradition believe that women are still deserving of punishment.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius campaigned today in Cedar Rapids for Barack Obama. Here are some clips from the event:

Becky Greenwald, Democratic congressional candidate in Iowa's 4th District, has garnered the attention of one of the nation's largest political action committees and financial powerhouse for women seeking public office.

Today, the Washington, D.C.-based EMILY's List -- an acronym for Early Money Is Like Yeast -- announced its endorsement of Greenwald and Sharen Neuhardt, a candidate in Ohio's 7th District.

"Running in emerging take-back opportunities for the House, Becky Greenwald and Sharen Neuhardt represent the dynamic, capable, and visionary leaders we need in Congress today," said Ellen R. Malcolm, president of the organization. "Hailing from the swing states of Iowa and Ohio, these exceptional candidates have the passion and experience to tackle the real problems facing their districts. Their backgrounds and leadership will be valued assets in the upcoming freshmen class in Congress. EMILY's List members are proud to support these Democratic women and help elect them to the U.S. House in November."

Greenwald, who faces Republican incumbent Tom Latham on the November ballot, is hoping to become the first woman to ever represent Iowa in Congress.

EMILY's List has more than 100,000 members across the nation and, since its founding in 1985, has raised more than $240 million to elect 71 women to the U.S. House, 13 to the U.S. Senate and eight to governorships.

Just got off the phone with one of my sisters in Texas. She reports that our other sister in Houston, who decided to ride out the storm because her husband is ill with cancer, has fared well. They had some screens ripped from their home and lost a refrigerator that was on the back porch, but otherwise are in good shape.

They report that the trees in their yard all survived, but a neighbor's tree did not. The tree looked as if someone had just pulled it straight up and out of the ground.

Their primary concern at this moment is gasoline. The husband is on oxygen and they need gas for the generator. When my sister got in the car and attempted to go find more gasoline, the roads were all blocked by debris. So, she will probably end up siphoning gas from the cars to keep the generators going until the roads can be cleared.

The rest of the family in Houston is also okay. One of the nephews took his family to a shelter for the storm. His home, along a lake, was the only of the family's homes that took damage during the previous hurricanes. He was also the only family member that didn't pack up and head further north. I guess they learned their lesson and didn't want to ride out another one in the house. No word yet on how much damage there is to his property.

The only other news is that my sister in Dallas had to upgrade her mobile phone. It seems she dropped the previous one in a root beer float.

Here's hoping that everyone else with family down south received news just as sweet.

A 38-year-old man from Madison, Wisc. pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to one count of interstate travel with intent to commit criminal sexual activity with a minor.

At the plea hearing, which was held in Cedar Rapids, Todd William Orth admitted he met a minor girl via the Internet in December 1007 and that he had numerous contacts with her over the Internet and by phone throughout the first half of 2008. Shortly after they met, Orth learned the girl was 14.

Orth admitted that, in April 2008, he began talking to the girl about meeting for sex. Orth also admitted that he drove to Iowa on June 25, had sex with the girl and then drove back to Wisconsin.

A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled and Orth will remain in custody pending sentencing. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment and supervised release for the remainder of his life.

The case was filed as a part of Project Safe Childhood.

There is new information breaking almost daily in the wake of the federal immigration raid on Agriprocessors in Postville. Although I'm no longer cross-posting my news items here, I'm still following the story for readers.

Here's a direct link to my continuing coverage of the situation at Agriprocessors.

Actually, by the time this scheduled post is published on Essential Estrogen, I'll be flying down Hwy 13 toward Postville once again.

A 43-year-old Cedar Rapids man who produced child pornography was sentenced this morning in federal court to more than 39 years in prison.

John Shuler pleaded guilty in October 2007 to conspiring to produce child pornography and production of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Shuler admitted he conspired to produce sexually explicit images of two girls and actually produced sexually explicit images of one of the girls. The offenses took place in Cedar Rapids from roughly 2005 to 2006.

Judge Linda R. Reade sentenced Shuler to 470 months in prison. In addition, a special assessment of $200 was imposed. Although given the man's age and the fact that there is no parole in the federal system it is doubtful he will live long enough to see prison release, if he does he will also have a 15-year term of court supervision.

A co-defendant in the case, Heather Fiorella, entered a guilty plea in December 2007 to three counts of possession of child pornography. Her sentencing date is not yet scheduled.

The case was filed as a part of Project Safe Childhood. In Feb. 2006, the U.S. Dept. of Justice created the project, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.

"On Wednesday, Sept. 3, we sent out an email to 40 friends and colleagues asking them to respond to Sarah Palin's candidacy as vice president of the United States. They forwarded the letter to their friends across America. By Tuesday, we had received more than 40,000 responses from women of all ages and backgrounds. Below are their voices."

Women Against Sarah Palin

Just noticed a piece by Ethan Elgin, a writer who has worked in the mental health field and advocates for the rights of those with disabilities, and wanted wanted to pass it along to Essential Estrogen readers.

With the recent pick of Sarah Palin as VP, the only information that can be garnered in regards to her policies in Mental Health is her record with state budget cuts concerning special needs. ... during her tenure in office she cut spending for The Department of Education and Early Development of Special Needs in Alaska. These are funds specifically targeted to help disabled children in the public school system, particularly for families that cannot afford specialized care. Without these funds the supplementary services for local schools for children with special needs were not met.

The following is the budget reports provided by the Special Education Service Agency:

In 2007 before Gov. Palin took office the budget was at $8,265,300.

After she took office the budget for special needs in Alaska is now $3,156,000 for the years 2008 and 2009.

This is a cut of $5,109,300.

As each day passes, and additional information comes to light about her dealings in Alaska, I become more convinced that my original assessment of Palin as a government reformer was incorrect.

One of the great things about being a journalist is meeting people in all different walks of life. Some come into your life for short bursts of time, to help you through a particular event or moment, and others become friends that you can call on repeatedly.

One of the many people I've met while covering the immigration raid and its aftermath in Postville is Jeff Abbas of the listener-supported KPVL radio station. He's quick with a laugh... and nearly compassionate to a fault. Throughout this mess, he has been a strong voice in the community. Being that strong voice, however, hasn't always been easy for him. As I've learned first hand while covering the Cedar Rapids floods, it's difficult to watch a place you love, a place that you call home be ripped apart and try to put itself back together.

Jeff was recently featured on KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids. Kudos to you, Jeff!

If any readers have been wondering what they could do to help the town of Postville in the wake of the immigration raids, giving a donation to the radio station -- the only radio station in town -- would be of benefit. Feel free to download the stream and listen in too.

"We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby..."

It was nine words in a two paragraph press release announcing that the 17-year-old daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was pregnant, but it should tell American women all they need to know. Implicit in Monday's statement from Sarah and Todd Palin was that their young daughter had a choice -- the same choice Palin has said she'd deny women including her own offspring.

During a 2006 gubernatorial debate Palin said that she would deny her then 14-year-old daughter choice, even if the girl was raped.

The candidates were pressed on their stances on abortion and were even asked what they would do if their own daughters were raped and became pregnant

Palin said she would support abortion only if the mother's life was in danger. When it came to her daughter, she said, "I would choose life."

While there is little doubt that being the child of such a staunch anti-choice politician, who recently joined the presidential campaign of another anti-choice politician, left Bristol with limited choices, it still remains that the campaign wanted Americans to believe two things:

1. That this was not a forced or coerced pregnancy.
2. That the "right" choice was made.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, when confronted in 2000 with a hypothetical of his daughter being pregnant, said that "the final decision would be made by [our daughter] with [mine and Cindy's] advice and counsel." When pressed about this viewpoint actually making him look like he was in favor of women having a choice, he shot back that he didn't "think it is the pro-choice position to say that my daughter and my wife and I will discuss something that is a family matter that we have to decide."

McCain and Palin (based on Monday's press release and not her earlier statements) believe their families should have the luxury of choice, but that the remainder of American women are not to be trusted. While some may argue that McCain doesn't really know what he believes when it comes to matters of reproductive health, it is clear that Palin believes women should be forced to carry pregnancies to term even in cases of rape and incest. Ironically enough, her view that an exception should be made in cases where the mother's life is at risk, could be termed almost moderate when contrasted with the Republican Party Platform adopted yesterday in Minneapolis. According to those voting on the document Monday, officials representing the GOP should not allow any exceptions, even if that means women die.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband Todd released a statement this morning announcing that their eldest daughter, Bristol, 17, is expecting a child.

We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.

The statement also indicates that Bristol will marry the baby's father and requests the media respect the young couple's privacy.

According to Steve Holland of the UK Independent, senior officials within the McCain campaign confirmed they knew of the girl's pregnancy at the time Palin was selected. The officials indicated that the statement was released in hopes of curtailing "rumors" regarding the couple's youngest child, Trig, and the oldest daughter's possible involvement.

In light of this news, I've been looking at my own 16-year-old daughter and wondering if I could further my own political aspirations at the expense of her privacy. Obviously a chance to run for the nation's second highest office would be tempting, but my first priority has always been to my children -- their nurturing, their care and their protection. I fail to see how thrusting my young and pregnant daughter into the national spotlight could be construed as protecting and caring for her.