BECAUSE A RICH LIFE SHOULDN'T COST A FORTUNE.
Statistically, a child is bullied every 7 minutes at school, and 85% of the time, no one intervenes. Because of this, 8% of students stay home out of fear being bullied.
*stats sourced from StompOutBullying.org
This month the inspirational documentary of how Malala Yousafzai’s homeland (the Swat Valley of Pakistan) was taken over by Taliban extremists, how her family endured under the de facto rule of terrorists, and how Malala became a beacon for female education and empowerment, is being released in select US theaters. As of now, the film will only screen during the month of October.
The full list of theaters is here.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again: I have been really lucky to meet amazingly adventurous and ambitious women. I can’t help but think that we get drawn together by magnetic boss lady forces, a force field of mutual curiosity and awe for discovering the world and taking personal risks. These women are not fearless, but they are courageous, and that’s what really matters.
One of the most recent additions to my social circle happened just a little over a year ago in the form of Mahilani Akiona, but I will let her tell you how she came to be in Los Angeles. All I can say is that she is the embodiment of boss lady spirit, and my conversations with her actually fueled the creation of the TLABL blog in the first place.
Thanksgiving… it’s not just about pilgrims and pie, although I do happen to know a real life pilgrim who also concocts incredible baked goods, explores the world, and is gloriously experienced in the art of gratitude. And she goes by the name of Dr. Therese Mascardo.
Dr. Therese, a modern pilgrim if you will, is a living model of grace, generosity, and gratitude. I’m not kidding, she is the kind of “nice” that is both magnetic as well as shocking. If we lived in a fairy forest, Therese would be the beloved princess for whom the wildlife big and small forget their shyness or instinctual aggression. The larks would fishtail braid her hair and the flowers would unfurl their petals in unison to bask in the warmth of her radiant soul.
So then, who better to share a little wisdom about giving thanks than this purple-haired pilgrim that I’m so blessed to call my friend?
So you may have already guessed it, but I’m a feminist.
What I’m not is a man-hating banshee that applauds the verbal or physical abuse of men. I try to abide by a code of human decency that says each of us deserves respect and kindness, and it is no kinder for a woman to abuse a man than it is for a man to abuse a woman. I don’t believe that men should be punished or “taken down a notch.”
Nor do I believe that feminism should be limited to advocacy by women alone. The word contains the “fem” prefix, but to focus more on the Latin than the actual intention leaves everyone unsatisfied, so why dwell on it? The underlying principles of feminism are not unlike those for racial, spiritual, and sexual equality. Feminism is important because it addresses gender-based inequalities, and it is as important (but not necessarily more important) than the issues we still confront with race, religion, and human sexuality. And as with race, religion, and human sexuality, the feminist cause cannot and should not be limited to participation by women if it is to be successful.
Did you watch the Emmys last night?
As usual, the red carpet was full of impossibly gorgeous celebrities all spiffed up in their designer tuxedo suits and sweeping gowns. And once again the journalists spent most of the time asking actresses vapid questions about their gowns and manicures and asking actors about their actual Emmy nominations, professional thoughts, and personal opinions. The media is so focused on this superficial nonsense, in fact, that E! rolled out a “clutch cam” to accompany the “mani cam” that they debuted during the Oscars to showcase celebrity manicures. The clutch cam featured a rhinestone-bedazzled rotating platform for the actress to place her clutch as if she were peddling goods on QVC.
