BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

President Barack Obama pushed urgently Thursday for passage of legislation to confront global warming, billing it as a job-creating machine rather than the costly "job killer" Republicans denounced. He telephoned wavering Democrats on the eve of what could be a historic House vote. Speaking in the Rose Garden at the White House, Obama said Washington must not miss the opportunity to work on cleaning the air, creating new "green" energy jobs and moving the nation away from its reliance on fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. The White House appeared concerned that momentum for the bill was slipping, though White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that when it came time for a House showdown, "I'd bet on the president." Democratic leaders scurried to line up enough votes to get the bill passed. They enlisted former Vice President Al Gore, the country's most prominent voice on the urgency of addressing climate change, to make phone call...

I GUESS THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT THE BLUES What is the most powerful means to understand the importance of something? Personal experience. My battle with post-partum depression started about 5 days after my cesaerean. I had gone first into shock in the operating room and was fully awake, hearing my newborns cry while my body convulsed uncontrollably. My ex-husband and obstetrician laid over my torso; the latter kept talking to me so I would stay concious. My recovery was slow. My disability returned with a vengenance and I bled out for many months after the delivery. It didn't help that my ex-husband returned almost 2 months later to a full schedule. Work I would understand. However, all his other activities resumed without so much as a blip. I would get calls during the day from his buddies from these outside activities saying "why is he back? isn't he helping you? do you have help?" The answers were 'I don't know' and 'NO.' Coupled wit...