About two weeks ago I was asked to be part of an online video project by Purple States called 50/50/50, where 50 bloggers from 50 states chime in on the economic crisis, immigration, and the media. The videos are being published over 50 days and the bloggers are encouraged to participate in an online discussion. So far videos from Alabama through Idaho have been published and, while there are only four women bloggers included in that group so far, there are more coming up later.

Its worth noting that Purple States is still in need of bloggers from several of the states that begin with letters later in the alphabet, especially bloggers with conservative leanings. If you are interested, see the note below.

When I was asked to get involved in 50/50/50, I wasn't so sure. I'd never done any interviews or video blogging, uh, I mean vlogging, before and because I am not a political blogger I wasn't sure I'd have anything of substance to contribute. However after giving it some thought I decided to give it a try feeling that perhaps I could offer a glimpse of what it's like to live a relatively frugal lifestyle in order to be a stay-at-home mom, a perspective that hadn't been shared yet, but one that I believed many women could relate to. Here is my video.

Purple States was created and is managed by Dr. Cynthia Farrar. "Dr. Farrar is nationally-recognized for her work in orchestrating non-partisan conversations among randomly-invited citizens. She devised the Purple States synthesis of old media with the connectivity of the internet to give a broad audience access to people-powered, watchable, engaging news coverage." Purple States is produced by husband and wife team, John and Cinnamon Kennedy.

Cinnamon Kennedy, online producer for Purple States said,

Purple States is trying to build a believable media. We think that by showcasing the real opinions (and knowledge) of real people side by side with people who are different from them, we can provide a way for people to see something like "truth" in the news. We are so happy with the progress of 50 50 50 - we have some awesome bloggers! In addition to providing a conversation vehicle for the general public, we also provide real viewpoints for "traditional media" - we have produced videos in the past for NYTimes.com and WashingtonPost.com, and that's our hope for at least some of the 50 50 50 material.

A few of the videos have already been picked up by CNN.com and iReport.com.

One of the things I have enjoyed about being a part of this project is the honesty. All of the vloggers are just telling it like it is. It's incredibly interesting to see the different opinions, stories and knowledge that each person has to share based on their life experiences and geography. It's also been a wakeup call and disheartening to hear that at least two of the 12 vloggers who's videos have been published thus far are currently unemployed and more are underemployed and having a hard time getting by. When I couple that with finding out a friend of mine's husband was just laid off, it's enough for me to seriously rethink how important it is that we move into a new house in the near future (something I mentioned in my vlog). While I have many beefs about my house and yard, there are things we could do to make it a more desirable place to live without increasing the amount of our mortgage. I think staying put for now is, as much as I hate to admit it, in our best interest.

Here's a a brief introduction to some of the women bloggers who are a part of the 50/50/50 project thus far.

First, those who've already had their vlogs published:
Maia Nolan is a third-generation Alaskan who writes at Own the Sidewalk. Over on the Purple States message board, Maia commented, "I hated Anchorage as a teenager, but as an adult I find I really love the community. We're celebrating fifty years of statehood in 2009, and I'm writing an interview-based play about the statehood movement for a professional theatre company in Juneau. Because we're such a young state, a number of our "founding fathers" (and mothers) are still around, and it's been great to meet with them and hear their stories."

Kris Arden of California maintains a video blog on YouTube. According to Kris, it is "a culture/history/travel-related vlog mainly about Japan. I lived in Japan for 8 years and loved it. Everyday brought a new surprise or challenge. My hope is to show fellow YouTubers about life in Japan, its history and unique traditions, and to discuss modern-day issues affecting Japan." She is now seeking employment in California.

Amy Gates (that's me), a stay-at-home mom of two from Colorado, who blogs at Crunchy Domestic Goddess.

Kit Lennington from Idaho blogs at Left Side of the Moon. When her previous employer went bankrupt two years ago, Kit took a significant pay cut and currently works at a rehabilitation hospital.

More bloggers who's vlogs have not yet been published:
Angela Parker, a writer and "tech geek" who is "fascinated with information and the way people communicate, visualize and even fixate on topics," is from Kentucky. She blogs at Wicked Blog.

Judy Reagan is the blogger representing Louisiana. No blog available at this time.

And Tamara Isaac, a self-employed, Christian, single mom from Missouri, writes at Ozark Mountains Dreamer.

Like I mentioned above, Purple States is still in need of bloggers for several of the states that are later in the alphabet, especially bloggers with conservative leanings. This project is not limited to "political bloggers." If you are interested in learning more, please send an email to Cinnamon Kennedy at purplestates5050@gmail.com. Perhaps I'll see vlogs from some of you down the road.

Contributing editor Amy Gates blogs about green living, attachment parenting, activism and photography at Crunchy Domestic Goddess.