Civics 101, Please.

Come closer.  Closer.  That's it.  Now, let me school ya on something.  Obama? You know, that man that was elected President?  He's been in office for a little over 320 days now and he hasn't accomplished ANYTHING, has he?  Geezy-peets! No, he hasn't.  It's all I hear, all the time.  It makes me "smash your forehead into a hard surface" angry.  I want to ask them if they thought Obama would pay off their mortgage or car loan too when he was elected into office. 

Oh wait. They didn't vote for him.  That's what it is. 

Fine.  That's fine.  That doesn't bother me. To each their own.  What gets me it is that no one seems to remember Civics 101.  Like I said in 'I Am Not Un-American', things do not happen over night for any government official, regardless of their political affiliation.  Changing policies, creating new programs and initiatives, fixing the massive problems that our broken nation has tried to shove under the rug since the 1960s takes time.  Most likely more time than Obama will have or be alloted.  It isn't like buying a latte or downloading a new itune.  Remember this- Clinton had a rough and lagging 100 days.  Anyone remember George W's?  There was a lot of brush hauling.  Get a history book out, dust it off and do some reading.  Every President has not done everything they promised. Even when given eight years.  It's partially due to that stubborn 'checks and balances' thing we have in this country.  Partly because other issues take precedence and need to be addressed.

When I see bumper stickers that state, "Want your change back now?  Ask Obama."  I want to yell to the driver, "Hey! Come here!  I got a treat for you!  It's called...SCHOOL."  Because clearly you have no idea what you are talking about.  This economic problem isn't Obama's creation.  The last eight years (and us) are to blame for a lot of that.  Just like it wasn't Clinton who gave us that 90's economic boom.  It's like real estate or anything else.  It is all cyclical. Next thing you know we will forget that Al Gore did not create the internet. Gah. 

So what has Obama done this year?

January- He signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  Five days later he reauthorized the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) giving four million uninsured children health insurance.  In March, he repealed the embryonic stem cells issue.  Federal funding and strict guidelines will now go to the research for this cause.  May saw a new nomination for Supreme Court Justice.  There is a whole lot more- the economic stimulus package in February, new global warming proposals this past September, universal health care reform is in the works (Do some research on how it works for other countries, it's a good thing.  Then come fight me.) and there is so much more.  It's not like he is sitting back eating bon bons.  He and many other government officials, from both parties, are working hard.  It just takes time.  More time than it does to blow $100 at Target at least. 

And to think that I was going to write about Christmas's past and childhood wishes today.  Maybe what I really want for Christmas is a government funded civics class for the nation. 

Thank you to PunditMom and Jodifur too for such a wonderful mention today.  It made my day. 

My Take on Review Blogging- Good or Bad

Most of you know that I also write a review blog, Mummy's Product Reviews. Initially, I didn't set out to write product reviews. It all started right here back in 2006 when as a weekly feature I did 'The Product of the Week'. People were always asking me about places to go, brands, beauty items, I could go on. As a self-admitted "product whore" and advice columnist wannabe, it seemed a likely fit. 'The Product of the Week' was simply my take on a product I tried, loved and wanted to share. That's all. Nothing was sent to me, no one pitched me. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Just items from my house. Review bloggers didn't hold much world wide web space if any back then.

Over time things have obviously evolved. An Arbonne consultant sent me a slew of stuff and I joined the Parent Bloggers Network. Review bloggers began showing up all over the place. It was time to create a separate space for it all, thus MPR was born. Right from the start I promoted honest reviews. I wasn't there to appease some company and stroke their fur. Call me an idealist but I really did want the companies to know what I liked and disliked about their products. Pitches from PR reps began to trickle in and by the end of 2007 they were pouring in. I was invited to review a car! I couldn't believe that this was really happening. I loved it.

Now, in 2009, I still love it. Honest reviews are my thing, besides my regular writing. I have a handy star guide and I hate to say it but this is one of my passions. Sometimes a company will give me an honorarium and even before the FTC decided to crackdown I was honest about that too. I willingly admit that I like free stuff, just not all free stuff. Having a company request a review is nice, sometimes. I like building relationships with companies and I admit I have passed on quite a few whose products and/or practices didn't jive with mine. When I work with a company or seek them out it is because I respect their brand and want to learn and share more- good or bad. I enjoy most of the events I attend because I get to learn something new (good or bad), see some blogger friends and network. I don't let it cloud my judgement or ability to be objective about the product. My belief then and now has always been that a company must be willing to take a certain risk when they ask someone to review their product. The very definition of the word review is this- "To examine with an eye to criticism or correction. To write or give a critical report on (a new work or performance, for example)."

I don't review everything that comes my way either. Unsolicited items, products without paperwork and pitches that don't fit my criteria or the blog don't make it as a review. I don't see the point of reviewing an item for only positive purposes either. What good does that do the readers or the company? I also think that review bloggers should be paid for their writing. The writing, not for shilling a product. I realize it is a fine line and requires disclosure and I wish it didn't affect a bloggers credibility (read this!). It's work testing a product, working with a company, writing up the review and spewing it out to the masses. PR work, writing work, just plain Work. Work, I love but yes, work. I actually think about what I write and I do not just post up a press release. That idea alone makes my skin crawl. I admit that if a company intrigues me or produces an item that peaks my interest I will set up a review. That is how it works. If I don't like it, I say I don't like it. Attending an event, being put up in a nice hotel and being given free stuff could sway me but it doesn't. Yes, really. I'll cop to it being nice having all that attention and stuff lavished on me but at the end of the day, when the blog post goes up, it is all about the product and not the attention. It really is about blogging with integrity.

Again, call me an idealist but I believe and agree with Liz at Mom-101, that PR companies and the companies behind the products we all review, should be honest. They want us for who we are and like any good relationship we shouldn't have to change who we are just so they will like us. They should love us, respect our opinions (good or bad) just for who we are even if a bad review comes their way. That being said, bloggers need to own up to the relationships they have with these brands and what went on behind the scenes. Be professional and weigh the pros and cons of an item. They should be honest with their reviews and not have their heads turned just because someone gave them a truckload of chips, a night in a hotel and some free meals. Like any job it is your credibility that is at stake. I hate feeling dirty because as a reviewer I am lumped in with "gimme bloggers" who are not credible or professional in their work.

My blood gets thick and begins to boil when I hear reviewers say they only do positive reviews and don't want to offend the company. Really? We are the consumers, people! We buy the stuff. If we don't like it we don't buy it. If we don't tell the makers, they have no idea their product doesn't work, smells bad, tastes awful, is a rip-off or doesn't last. It's just like a regular ol' relationship. It irritates you when your boyfriend bites his toenails off with his teeth while watching television? He's not going to stop if you never say anything! Tell him it grosses you out. To me it is all the same thing.

I'm seriously considering putting up a monthly column called, 'Disappointments' on MPR and listing a bunch of products that didn't perform well regardless if I bought it on my own or it was supplied. I don't care if companies back off from my reviews because then it shows they are just in it for the free PR. It's not about ruining a brand or a product, it's about providing real research and true thoughts and findings. That to me is highly valuable information when it is handled tactfully.

I could say, "Can't we all just get along?" I could say that we are just on the cusp of having real, open discussions surrounding this ordeal but we are right in the thick of it. December 1 is looming large and everyone who reviews is going to have to figure out where they stand. I already know where I stand and it is with full disclosure and honesty.

I'm climbing off my soap box now. Thanks for your time.

"Little Pukes" Piss Me Off

From the files of... 'Not So Quietly Seething', I bring you this little tidbit about a certain entertainer. Though really? Is he entertaining anyone these days? I wish he were entertaining the idea of jail time but sadly it is not going to happen.


Hours after Chris Brown is sentenced for abusing his girlfriend Rhianna he is seen at an LA Club, clearly already violating his sentence. *Sigh*



Where is this dudes parole officer? Seriously?! I feel the waves of an angry mob coming on. I'm hoping another report comes out soon about how many of the women in that club doused him with their drinks and forcibly removed him from the club. Is that too much to ask?


Photo courtesy of TMZ.

I Want My Two Dollars!

If only it were that simple or even that insignificant amount of money. However, it is not.

Here's the problem- some months ago I was hired to be a blogging consultant to launch a particularly new (and by new I mean, having no idea what the heck they were getting themselves into, all very obvious now) scheduling company to the DC Metro area. I was ecstatic. I completely believed in and loved the product. The company is woman-owned and family friendly too. It was proof-positive that going to BlogHer can get you work too.

Rates were negotiated. Plans outlined. Contracts were signed. Work officially began.

Then things started to go awry. Emails were missed and bounced back. Contact was a bit hard to make. I tried to hold to it all together and make the campaign as successful as I could on the 5 hours a week I was allotted. Not much time in the grand scheme of things and truthfully I worked over that five each week just to get done what I did. The whole project took four weeks total. I charged them for three because I knew things were tight for them budget-wise. I couldn't excuse that third week because I had worked almost 10 hours that week alone. I needed to be paid.

And I was. For two weeks. Now? Nothing. My last $350 is not being sent. Why? They didn't budget it despite what my contract states, "a minimum of two weeks of work" and an agreement that I would be paid regardless. I am livid.

I want my money. I want to take the high road and not run their name through the mud but I'm wondering if after all this time (work ended in early September) I should just go ahead and call them out here and here and amongst my whole blogging network. They gleaned contacts from me through this project. My word and reputation is on the line. If another blogger is screwed out of hard-earned money because companies think they don't have to actually pay a blogger for work then they have another thing coming.

So, Internets- some advice? What would you do?

To think they had the nerve to ask me just last week to do more press for them as well. Sickening.

Remove the Breakables Mommy's Feeling Joan Crawfordesque

What is it about those days when you have an early morning appointment that suddenly turns rational, normally sane people into total nut jobs? I schedule these appointments to a.) get them out of the way and b.) there is less wait and chaos in the doctor's office at that time of the morning. But it doesn't matter. I still no matter what time I get up, how much I plan and pack ahead somehow all hell breaks loose.

1. Wake up early to get some work out of the way. Computer inexplicably shuts down. I take it as a sign to move on and shower.

2. T.D. wakes up a full 45 minutes earlier than normal throwing off the flow. I bounce back as she is happy in her room with books and a sippy cup. Which makes me wonder, should she be off the sippy? No time to think of that now I must get ready!

3. Stalk guest room making sure it is clean for MIL's arrival later today. The dog has decided to not eye gunk up the pillows. Awesome! Two points for me!

4. Shower. Bliss as I don't have to talk to anyone or talk anyone down from climbing out of the tub or into the tub with a hairdryer and tub of salt scrub. No plastic toys have been lobbed at the shower door either. Score!

5. Come downstairs to find not my coat unhung AGAIN. I know I'm home and all but it doesn't mean that I am now the maid who picks up EVERYONE's stuff all the time. HANG THE FREAKIN' COAT!

6. Realize the sink and counters I scrubbed the night before to make house MIL presentable are now entirely coated in burnt bagel crumbs. FACK!!!! Gritting my teeth I mutter to myself about how I am the maid apparently. I clean the sink and counters AGAIN while swearing oaths and longing for the maid's cigarette break.

7. Breakfast is assembled we are all dressed! Amazing! Dog pukes on the carpet in the den and then again under the kitchen table while we are eating. Eggs. We are eating runny eggs. Kick ass!

8. Clean up all puke from house only to find eggs smeared on table, chair and cabinets. Toddler amazingly clean. Sticky pineapple bits coat the once clean floor. Indigestion begins and I long for a shot of some hard stuff. If sippy cups aren't for chardonnay can they be used for vodka?

9. Send T.D. to watch Clifford because the incessant whining? For I have no idea what makes me want to go into a Joan Crawford clean the bathroom meltdown. Seriously. It seems like such a good release to just trash a nicely clean room and then leave someone else to clean it up doesn't it? Must be why she does it every day.

10. Oh look! It's time to dash! Maybe the bracing cold air will snap me out of this tense and slightly bitter mood. It's date night tonight and I need to mellow out. I think I'll turn on some Dance Party USA music and make T.D. dance for me. Dance! Little kid Dance! That never fails to cheer me up. And stop the whining.



8.