In response to my last post, Terri asked,

Where are the people moving forward with impeachment and resignation cries? It's like the Will Rogers' quote (or maybe Mark Twain?) "Everybody's always talking about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it."

I've been following the Bush/Cheney impeachment movement for a while, and the answer seems to be that while those who believe it is warranted seemed more convinced than ever, there's no support for an impeachment fight among the people who would have to lead the charge. Even some of the administration's most vocal critics say its actions do not rise to the level of "treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors" required under the US Constitution.

As part of this year's conference "extras," BlogHer's Gold Sponsor, Yahoo!, is hosting an on-site Internet Cafe & Bookstore. The Cafe will be open to all attendees throughout both conference days, and will feature a free espresso bar, cafe tables, lounge furniture, and wifi. (Plus a few ethernet hook-ups for those of you doing heavy-duty downloading.)

The Cafe will also feature a special BlogHer Bookstore, where we'll be stocking, selling, and offering signings of books written by...you. We are pleased to announce that Barnes & Noble Booksellers will be setting up a mini-store, full of titles that are not only relevant to women bloggers, but also written by them.

If you have written (or contributed) to a book that you would like for us to offer for sale at the BlogHer Bookstore, please let us know!

If the 4th of July in the US is about freedom and independence, I think the day after the 4th is a good time to think about social restrictions we find ourselves living within in regards to sex and gender.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish a very happy Solar Return to my friend and colleague, the wonderful astrologer Donna Cunningham. Her contributions to the field of astrology are legendary. Being a Cancer, she specializes in the Moon. And with a strong Pluto in her chart, she doesn't shrink from the dark side. She was also one of our very first Featured Astrologers on TheAstrologer.com. Happy Birthday Donna, and many more!

As I sit and re-read the post, or more accurately, the comments to the post at Body Impolitic, about the BlogHer Con panel "Our Bodies, Our Blogs", I'm eating cream horns. Yes, more than one. I do like cream horns and am thoroughly enjoying reading women talking about "fat" and "diet" and "body image" and "discrimination" while eating them. And no, I'm not going to worry all day long about how many fat grams or calories I just put into my body. I'm also not going to restrict calories over the course of the day or increase my exercise to make up for these yummy cream horns. Nope, they're not a healthy food choice but I'm enjoying them and that's what's important to me. I deserve a cream horn break once in awhile!

The local birds know my backyard is a restful haven where they can find fresh seed and water. Six feeders rest in my cedar trees, in the graceful catalpa that shades my kitchen from the western sun. I can sit on my porch for hours watching the birds that call Northern New Mexico home, from the Western Tanager (pictured) to an incredible array of finches, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, and birds of prey. If you, too, love to watch our winged friends, please check out these wonderful sites:

About six weeks ago, I received my review copy of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success and immediately gave it to my partner and purchased two more for her brother and her best friend. The book from career columnist, Penelope Trunk is unconventional in its tone and advice and just what lost souls of Gen X & Y need to read to thrive in their work life.

Several other bloggers wrote reviews, so I wanted to round these up before I summarize my takeaways.

Cathy from Not Eating Out in New York wants you to hear her out:

"I acknowledge global warming. I am sitting in my apartment with two fans on glued to this chair and have ice cubes in my cheeks like a squirrel hoarding nuts. Did they say global humidifying is upon us as well, or is it just these couple of days we’re having in the hellishly hot tri-state area?" ~ Not Eating Out in New York

For her recipe-solution to global warming, read Chilled Watermelon, Coconut & Tapioca Soup.

BlogHer food editor Alanna Kellogg loves cold soups, especially Fruity Gazpacho!

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA as it is commonly known, is that handy little law that was passed in 1996 to protect personal health information. Widely known and discussed, HIPAA is a familiar concept to any American citizen who has visited a doctor in the past decade. The intention of the law is a noble one--in a nutshell, HIPAA aims to curtail discrimination based on one's medical history. However, misunderstandings about the law are common among medical professionals.