thoughts

so a few random thoughts running through my mind today, most of it is silly and just things i'm slightly obsessed with and the other is a bit more serious and has been pretty controversial in the news the last few days.

so light & fluffy first!

i'm kinda slightly obsessed with downton abbey. i'd heard about it last year from some of my british/irish friends and thought it sounded like something i'd like. and in the last month or so i've started to hear more & more about it on facebook/twitter and a few friends told me it was right up my alley and it was on netflix. so over the weekend i had some time and started watching it. and was hooked in .32 seconds.
hello.
my research interests are domestic servants (especially irish ones) and it is a historical piece and it drama/soap operay. what about that wouldn't i like.
so why i'm in LOVE with downton abbey.
-the domestic service aspect
-the 1910s/world war I time period (so under-rated!)
-so many twists and turns! i just don't want an episode to end
-umm cousin matthew
-maggie smith is in it.
-the clothes

so i watched all of season one saturday night & sunday. and then went to pbs.org to watch season two and tuesday night i'd watched the 4 episodes that have aired in the states. and i'm sooo looking forward to season three. with the years they have said (1920-1921) i'm guessing a little bit might be on the irish independence? so yea. in love with downton abbey.

moon pie!

my sister and i went to cracker barrel for lunch today. and it was amusing. we also were able to get some moon pies. which made us very happy!

the new m&m all wrapped up

sunny day!

ohhhh - and so i live down the road from where they make m&ms. and on my way to PT i pass the mars plant. so my mom noticed on saturday night (on the way home from the airport) that there was a big thing covering the plant. so on monday driving i stopped to take a picture because they had a m&m bag covering the newest m&m. and as i was in the parking lot
taking the picture i laugh because it looked like a bunch of people were coming outside for the unveiling of the new m&m and when i drove by on tuesday it was unveiled! so it is the little things that make me smile!

and well it was a gorgeous day! it smelled like spring outside (aka farmers out in the fields) and i could get used to this 60 degree february first.



and onto the serious.

so i'm sure many of you have heard about susan g. komen ending their funding to planned parenthood.
npr link  & nyt link
and well i'm not so sure about the ending of this partnership and how it is being played out with the media and how i feel about the issue.

my sorority's national philanthropy is susan g. komen and since 1992 we've been sponsors of the survivor recognition program at race for the cure. over the last 8 years since joining zta i've volunteered and donated money towards susan g. komen programs and today i am questioning my decision to continue to support this organization and also wondering how an organization i care so much about is responding to this issue.

i am pro-choice. i believe in a women's right to choose. i wouldn't say i'm pro-abortion, but if a woman weighs her options and decides to have an abortion she has the right to make that decision. i think there should be counseling and laws in place with regards to abortion but overall i believe in education and helping promote safe sex and reproductive rights for women. and planned parenthood does that. they are the largest provider of reproductive rights in the country and the majority of their work is in education and providing the resources to help women. only 3% of their services are abortions while 35% is contraception. and much of their work goes towards low income women who can't afford health care. so while i've never supported pp, i do support their ideals and women's reproductive rights and education.

and with everything that has come out recently with the withdrawal of funding to planned parenthood by susan g. komen for preventative care, screenings and education for breast cancer i'm not happy. overall sgk annually gives about $700k towards this to pp (a small percent of their overall) and i read the email i got from the northern nj komen and the annual donations to local groups they support in my area. and after looking at the issue from both sides and while komen says it is because of the house investigation they have withdrawn their support it really seems they caved to the right wing side, especially with their newest svp extremely pro-life and in her bid for governor of ga outright said she would never support pp.

so now i'm kinda disappointed in sgk for this action and how it was handled. i think that is what i'm most upset about is the way this was done and that is looks like it being disguised by something else. and how they are cutting funding for something (preventative care and information for those who need it most) but making it seem like it is because something else. and how this has become such a politicized issue.

and i guess my conflict is if i can continue to support sgk and an organization i used to believe in. i'm curious to see if zta is going to make a statement about everything? i've been a part of some interesting discussions with sisters about this and many of us are conflicted. while i love the work zta does part of me wonders if we should change our philanthropy to something else? not due to just this but the attitude of being "over-pinked" in october and other issues with sgk. so i'm interested to see where this is headed and what will happen?