Gov Jen on the Diane Rehm Show

Governor Jennifer Granholm did a great interview on the Diane Rehm Show today. So positive, so upbeat, so excited about strategies for moving Michigan forward out of these difficult times, where there've been 300,000 jobs lost since 2001 and unemployment is at 6.7% (national average about 5%).

She talked about the state's plans to attract more business in health sciences and alternative energy, among others, and about the law she's about to sign requiring more stringent high school graduation requirements. She spoke of a training initiative with the state's community colleges that will help displaced workers train for jobs that already exist in the state's economy.

She also made it clear that the Feds need to lend a hand to the flailing auto industry -- not bail it out, ala Chrysler back in the 80s -- with more favorable policies in foreign trade, pensions and health care.

If you didn't hear it this morning, give a listen here.

Update: I've now posted this entry as a diary on Michigan Liberal.

Someone's checking me out

It's so interesting to look at site stats (and so easy when you don't attract all that much traffic).

For instance, yesterday I was looking at my stats for my other blog and I noticed the visitor at right. "Hmm," I thought, "unknown domain, unknown organization, unknown country ... looks like they don't want to be tracked."

Ok, sometimes I'm paranoid.

Then I checked out the term this person searched in Yahoo: "kathleen vandervelde." And my paranoia meter went sky high.

So I decided to check the stats on this blog. Lo and behold, I see this:


Again, unknown domain, unknown organization. This time the search term was "devos," searched through Google Blog Search. Could be two different people, right? But look at the similarities in these two searches:

• Same IP address
• Searches made only minutes apart (devos first, then just a few minutes later, kathleen vandervelde)
• Both searches from a Macintosh with OSX

I don't know, of course, who is checking me out, but I have my ideas. (The OSX clue does kinda narrow things down. Very few visitors to either blog are on a Mac and I pretty much know who they are.)

Like I said, it's interesting. I'll be keeping my eye on this, you bet!

Weekend links

Catching up on some weekend reading:

Talking points on the federal abortion ban The language used by ultra-conservatives in this debate frames the debate. If you truly want meaningful discussion, don't use that language.

Fred Phelps is the salt of the earth ...
Niceness is no substitute for policy (or strategy).

Sicko "Marriage Contract" One For The Ages
"You will wear only thigh-highs & garters, and only thong panties ..."

Presumptuous Dick
Rick DeVos has reserved some pretty hopeful domain names for Dad.

Building the Internet Toll Road
"... major U.S. phone companies ... want to be able to give priority treatment to those who pay to get through faster."

Welcome, visitors/welcome visitors?

Wow, looky who's visiting Michigan Liberal with seven hits yesterday alone! Gosh, I only get three or four visits from them to my two blogs. Every day.

Could be just a few old friends who are keeping up with what I'm doing ... who knows?

(Check out the occurrence of the 167 IP address)

It's official: This is a MI/Lib Dem Blog

I've been seeing hits here lately from the Michigan Liberal blog's stats counter, as well as from the site itself. When I finally got around to checking this out (Hey, starting a freelance writing biz is time-consuming!), I see that they added me to their list of Michigan/Liberal Democratic blogs. Woo hoo! And I didn't even ask 'em.

Trouble is, now that I'm "official," I kinda feel obligated to post more often, more political. Which actually shouldn't be too difficult: the governor's race hoo-ha alone will likely offer up enough fodder to keep any number of blogs smokin'.

Anyway, to the guys and gals at Michigan Liberal -- thanks for linkin' me up!

Have you seen ...?

The first of Dick DeVos's TV spots in his bid for guv is already airing. Saw it last night during the Olympics. First read about it here.

Bye, Betty

Betty Friedan died today on her 85th birthday. I saw the women's movement pioneer and author of The Feminine Mystique speak here at Fountain Street Church sometime in the 80s. I remember it was standing-room only. I remember the general consensus afterward seemed to be that she was "over" the feminist movement and it was over her.

I read The Feminine Mystique, of course. My mother did not and I'm sure my teenaged daughters never will. Women have gained much since the 1963 best-seller was written, but we've lost some too. I can only shake my head (and bite my tongue) when my mother says to my daughters, "Your mother is a feminist, but I'm not." And they agree, saying they are not feminists, either.