THE FEDERAL BLOGGERS' PROJECT

Gentle Readers,

I  just watched a very interesting documentary about the Federal Writers' Project that was part of the WPA during the Great Depression.

I always wonder why that time was the Great Depression and now we're simply having a recession. Shouldn't we at least substitute a word for great and call this some kind of depression? The Crappy Depression. The Lousy Fuckin' Depression.

But, ah, I digress.

For those of you who aren't up on your history or are Canadian or Slovenian, the WPA was part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. It was the Works Progress Administration, and the idea was to give jobs to the unemployed not only because they needed to earn money, but having a job also helped people get their dignity back.  A lot of people -- including me -- don't want charity. They -- including me -- want jobs. While Roosevelt's administration admitted that the WPA cost more than putting people on relief, they knew how important the jobs were for morale. This I totally understand. Not being able to find a job is so disheartening. The program was also good for the country's infrastructure because many of the jobs involved building roads and bridges and even parks.

Of course writers were not earning much during the depression and some were on the verge of starvation. People didn't have money to buy books and magazines and many newspapers laid off writers and editors, so a group of writers got together and demanded they be included in the WPA. The writers included such luminaries as Zora Neale Hurston, the author of the amazingly marvelous Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Thus, the Federal Writers' Project was born. Writers were given jobs writing, and since the point was to provide employment, the writers sometimes included typists or the occasional truck driver who needed work.

But what were the writers to write? Eventually someone came up with the idea that they would write guides to all the states, focusing on places of interest, what the cities and towns were like, folklore. Up to this point, no such guide existed for the U.S.

So where am I going with this story? I bet you know. Since some of us -- including me -- can't find jobs, President Obama needs to create the Federal Bloggers Project to provide jobs for unemployed bloggers! I would continue to stay at home and write my blog, but I'd get a decent salary and benefits.

Wow! Is this a good idea or what?

And I don't even have to be told what to write because you can't shut me up. I always have something to say.

Lots of other people who need jobs could also write blogs, or maybe we need new state guides. And wouldn't it be great if the state guides told the truth? Like "St. Augustine may be the nation's oldest city, but it's a tourist trap." Or "Topeka. Why bother?"

Unemployment problem solved. Tourists well informed.

You're welcome.

Infinities of love,

Lola

MY FRIEND CAROL SHARED THIS MESSAGE WITH ME

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Joe Biden <info@barackobama.com>
To: Carol Wallace Conner
Sent: Wed, March 23, 2011 6:37:17 PM
Subject: William's future

Carol -- I want to tell you about a family in Minnesota. Justin and Kari live in Brooklyn Park, right outside of Minneapolis. They're parents to three children.  Their three-year-old, William, was born with a genetic disorder called tuberous sclerosis complex. For the rest of his life, William will wrestle with  tumors in his brain, his heart, his kidneys, his  skin, and possibly other major organs. He must  take medication to control seizures and faces  the threat of kidney disease. What Justin and Kari want for William is a future.  And because of health reform, that's what he'll have. Today, insurance companies are no longer able to  discriminate against William because of the condition he's dealt with since birth. Now, Justin and Kari know  they'll be able to get the kind of care that William  needs -- today and into the future. Their story isn't unique, but it's one of many that  need to be told. We all know people whose lives  have been changed because of the Affordable Care  Act, even if we don't realize it. So we've found a way  to show exactly how reform is working for all of us -- for our parents, our siblings, our kids, ourselves. Will you take a minute to take our Health  Reform Checkup and let the people you  love know how reform is working for them? Before the Affordable Care Act, Justin and Kari weren't  sure about the future. They worried that they'd never  be able to find coverage for William again if Justin lost  his job. They worried about the life that William would lead -- whether he'd ever be able to work or support a family. Not anymore. William's condition isn't going away,  but he'll always be able to get care. The Affordable  Care Act is one year old today, and it has already  changed William's life -- and this country -- for good. Today, there are families who feel better about the  future than they did a year ago. They've found some  security, some relief. And these are people we know.  They're our neighbors, our colleagues, our friends,  our families -- the people next to us every day. On the one-year anniversary of the Affordable  Care Act, I think we have a duty to discuss how  reform is already working. Watch Justin and Kari tell their story, and  take a moment to learn how health reform is changing the lives of those you know: http://my.barackobama.com/Checkup6?email=carolw.conner@yahoo.com&zip=32209 A year ago, I stood next to the President as  he signed health reform into law -- and we have you to thank for making that possible. Yours, Joe

Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee -- 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

AND HE STILL STANDS TALL

God’s grace and peace upon this man is my prayer, and I pray that before the end of his term, people’s hearts, minds, and eyes will open. There will never be another like him.   May he lead and be guided in the way God would want him to lead and guide.  He is not perfect and has never claimed to be.  He and this country are in need of our prayers. ... It only takes a spark.  NO President has ever worked this hard for our country.  Many wonder, does he ever sleep? Only God can sustain such energy and knowledge. Please let us form a powerful prayer chain around our President and his family and ask God to secure it with love, protection, mercy and grace. Amen.   Will you please join in this prayer?  Let's keep it going! Lord, We pray for optimum health, mental clarity, and political prosperity for President Barack Obama. We pray that what he lacks in political 'experience' you make up for with supernatural wisdom and power. We also pray that when his enemies come upon him they will stumble and fall; and that your love will fill his heart to the end and that 'Your will' be done through him.  All you are asked to do is keep this circulating if you are so inclined. May God bless and keep you.  My friend Carol passed this on to me, and obviously, I think it worth posting. Happy New Year 2011!