
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
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
Spring always brings a mix of elements, doesn’t it? Torrential downpours and gray skies wash away all the winter grit and then the world suddenly bursts to life again in a spectrum of colors and textures and sweet smells. And pollen too, but hey, let’s try to keep it positive.
It’s also the time of year we all know and love: TAX SEASON!
Yes, I know that most people dislike taxes and dread tax time, but I’ve grown to enjoy that tax season provides a perfect opportunity to redeem myself financially for the year ahead. And if you guessed that I’m about to discourage you from blowing your tax return dollars on a new pair of shoes or some other frivolity, then you guessed correctly. 😉
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.
The holidays can be a total budget killer. All the tinsel and egg nog and festive lights can sometimes confuse us into justifying abnormally excessive shopping behavior, which can kick off a naughty spending habit that follows us into the new year. And it’s not pretty when those credit card bills arrive, am I right?
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.
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.