Must. Keep. Going.

Growth is not always comfortable. But it gets easier with time...

Dream it. Do it.

What have you been dreaming of doing? The time is NOW.

Remembering Martin Luther King

ODD BRODSKY To Benefit Women's Freedom Center in Burlington Vermont

ODD BRODSKY will be featured at the 24th Annual Women's Film Festival in Vermont. This festival is put on as a fundraiser for a small, feminist, non-profit organization called the Women's Freedom Center that works to end violence against women. We are honored and grateful to support this amazing event.

Discover Your Personal Legend

I just finished reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Wow. This is a must read for all artists, and anyone who is on (or wants to be on) their path. The truth and beauty of this book is inspiring and completely life affirming. Look for signs. Follow your intuition. Be brave. ‪Discover your personal legend.

#PF: 7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose

There's some good stuff here! ‪#‎PhilosophicalFriday‬
http://markmanson.net/life-purpose#tmhmdj:rEq

Life is like a Camera.

As we head off to the Big Bear Lake International Film mFestival at a ridiculously early hour, I wanted to leave you with this meme for ‪#‎PhilisophicalFriday‬

PF: Life is about risk.

#‎PhilosophicalFriday‬ ~One of my all-time favorites quotes.

Captain My Captain!

Like many people I've been heartbroken over the passing of Robin Williams this week.  Last night we were at the Chinese Theatres in Hollywood where ODD BRODSKY recently had it's Los Angeles Premiere. When we went outside we discovered Robin Williams' star directly in front had been turned into a beautiful shrine, with dozens and dozens of bouquets, candles, handwritten letters & notes, photos, mementos and so much love you could actually FEEL it.

POTA wins a $20K grant from Chase!

Thanks so much to everyone who voted. Thanks to you, our dream of having funds to get our nonprofit company to the next level is happening! We worked round' the clock gathering votes from friends and family, filmmaking organizations and festivals, from live events and even on movie sets! We're gonna do a lot of good with this. Goal #1 is to hire some help so we can grow faster and to spread the word about the programs we offer!

No H8

Today I participated in the silent photo protest for NoH8 (no hate/no on "8") in support of equal marriage rights for all. This is not the "official" photo -I will post it when I see it in a few weeks!

3 out of 6 Ideablob winners are TFA Alums

November's Ideablob winner was just announced, and surprise, surprise, it's yet another TFA Alumnus.  That makes the winners of the June, August and November competition ALL TFA beneficiaries.  You may remember that Ideablob created an incentive back in June (right when we lost the grant the FIRST time because our entry was sabotaged by Jessica Hammock of Project Epiphany, a TFA Alum) that if a TFA Alum won their monthly $10,000 contest, the TFA Organization would receive a separate $5000 award.  (Ideablob denies this, but we have evidence.)  Now, to date, 50% of all the winners since this financial incentive went into effect have been TFA Alums.  

Here is what you can do if Ideablob's TFA bonus incentive has adversely affected your win: You can contact your state's Attorney General, as well as the USA Attorney General, Make a claim with the Better Business Burrow, File a complaint with the FDIC (they regulate the activities of banks) and lastly, of course is private litigation. (Unfortunately, lawyer fees will likely cost as much as the amount of the injury.) And, of course, if enough people have been effected by this, it could be classified as a class action suit.  

Sometimes justice is believing in karma --knowing that what goes around comes around.   

My Grant Rant

I try not to think about Ideablob unless I absolutely have to (since I've filed complaints against them with various regulatory and consumer protection agencies). But I did yesterday when the CEO actually had the audacity to add me as a friend on my twitter feed. Hello?

My bad experience with them happened only a few months ago so it's no wonder I'm still feeling so down! As I'm sure you remember, I lost the $20K Ideablob grant when a greedy woman's notorious online forum (appropriately called "Something Awful") sabotaged my entry. I was in first place and likely would have won if she had played fairly. And when her "Something Awful" forum was discovered, this woman edited her posts to hide what she did. Hoping this was a "fluke" occurrence, I entered the grant competition and lost a second time when Ideablob favored TFA Alums with special bonus incentives. (They deny any special treatment was given, but here is evidence.) 

I'm usually a very peppy, positive, happy, upbeat person. No wonder I've been feeling depressed lately! I spent 3 months working on this grant full-time, and it was only 2 months ago. This really took a toll on me. I truly believed that Ideablob somehow did not realize (or think it through) that it was not fair to give an undisclosed $5K bonus award to TFA for TFA Alums only, and when they realized it they'd take responsibility for the error and make it up to the other finalists. I know, I know. Pretty naive. At least I take solace regarding that first woman: Jessica from Project Epiphany. If she has any conscious at all, every time she looks at her prize telescopes she is reminded of what she did to get them. She sent me an email after the voting ended saying she felt badly about what she'd done and was not going to accept the grant. My husband said it was a ploy and not to believe her. He was right. But the most hurtful part of ALL was how I never even got any sort of courtesy explanation from the CEO. I was completely invisible. No apology. Nothing. And now he's adding me as a friend on Twitter? Sorry, but no.

Yes on Change

My friend Onyay wrote this song and performs it here. What an amazing video! I am remembering what talented friends I have. Talented and proactive. I am humbled.

No on 8

 

POTA cofounder Jenn Mahoney wrote and edited this video. She also stars in it. She conceived the idea on Wednesday and it was completed and live on YouTube by Sunday! Go Jenn --You creative, activist! Lets keep equal rights for ALL people.

Why Women Should Vote

Below is the content of an anonymous email I received, forwarded by my Grandfather's Cousin. It was a story worth repeating, and so I am sharing it with you. 

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers who lived only 90 years ago.

Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote. These women were innocent and defenseless, but were jailed for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote. 

Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.' They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

Some women won't vote this year because-why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.  All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie. What would those women think of the way I use , or don't use, my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now.

HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.  It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.

We need to vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote demo cratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

History is being made.

Manifest President Obama

"President Barack Obama"

Palin Disappoints on SNL

Saturday Night Live made out like a bandit with it's highest ratings in years as they dragged Sarah Palin over the coals. One has to wonder what she was thinking by agreeing to appear on the show, with nothing to say, no witty skit planned, nothing...  She just stood there as SNL cast regulars and Alec Baldwin made fun of her.  Matt and I watched the NBC Internet playback with out jaws dropped to the ground when Palin appeared on "Weekend Update" and instead of actually participating in the sketch, Amy Poehlar took center stage and performed a solo political rap instead. Palin sat there and bounced her head to Amy's rap, which was a roast that Palin did not seem to understand was at her expense.  How could McCain's camp let this happen?  We sat there dumbstruck as a person dressed in a moose costume was shot and killed in front of her.  As an Obama supporter, I truly feared that if Sarah showed any charisma she would help the McCain campaign.  (I have to admit McCain was pretty spectacular at the Charity Dinner only a few days earlier.)  Had she pulled off something similar, it could have made a difference.  But never did I expect she would just sit there doing NOTHING as the cast made fun of her. I almost (almost) felt bad for her.

Vote for The Future

House votes down bailout plan; Dow drops 778

Yesterday was yet another historical day: the Dow Jones industrial average suffered its single worst point drop ever, taking a 777.68-point nosedive after the House voted against a proposed plan that was stitched together over the weekend by administration officials and congressional leaders to try to stabilize financial markets and unthaw frozen credit markets. Full story at USAToday

It's hard not to feel scared when newscasters paint a doomsday scenario. Even the "calm" reporters talked faster than usual, telling us not to worry, as they spoke of banks having no money to cash paychecks, people having no money for food and bills and a massive loss of jobs. I have to say it feels like a scare tactic. I don't know what to think. A bill like this is one of most important bills outside of war or impeachment that a member could ever have to vote on. I don't think it should be taken lightly. Maybe we should just CALM DOWN and take the time needed to make the BEST possible plan.  

It's been interesting watching the political stations swing things. They all do it, but Fox is simply infuriating. The accusations they make to turn the blame from Republicans to Democrats on anything and everything is astounding. I wish that reporters could be held accountable for the random and calculated accusations they make on television. I can't believe what I am watching. Fox republicans are freaking out about the new voting rule in Ohio, since Obama has such a huge following of college students there. They are making accusations about cheating, fraud, and trying to overturn the new ruling. For my sanity I'm changing the channel now...