Are You Still Celebrating The Women & Girls In Your Life?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on March 10th, 2013
I HOPE the answer to that question is a loud and proud YES!
Good morning!
And continues to be so for a lifetime. This weekend in celebration of International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on just how much women do and how wonderful we are….and to honor the women in your life and those around you as you go about your day. It is time get present, take notice, and do something more for women. Not just today or this weekend, but every day.
I blog of the atrocities quite frequently here, of women who endure torture and abuse, slavery and murder, here, and all over the world on a daily basis. The UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet stresses that discrimination and violence against women and girls have no place in the 21st century. “Enough is enough,” she says in a message of both outrage and hope that discrimination and violence must end. I echo her words. And I HOPE that the women and especially men on this planet will echo Bachelet’s words as well and do something in support of ending the violence toward women and girls.
On a more personal note, my weekend started off as best as I could imagine. Friday night went into the early hours of the morning and I felt like such a loved woman. It was as if the Gods were looking over me, smiling and making sure that I had a good time and was treated with love and respect. I can only wish just as much for all of my sisters out there today and forever.
That’s it for me today. I am just keeping it short and sweet this Sunday morning. But please, if you want to be long and give loving lip…go for it!
♥♥♥
Anonymous: Well…thank you very much for stopping by, and giving your candid opinion.
Barry: Now we’re talking. Thanks for your response. Yes, women are quite the conversationalists (and more!)…we can talk for hours and thoroughly enjoy it. I HOPE that you spent some time honoring the woman or women in your life this weekend, being a weekend to celebrate women and all the wonderfulness that women embody. Please share more if you would like.
Peace & Big Love...
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
March 10th, 2013 at 9:44 am
Glad to hear it Michelle. You deserve it!
/SB
March 10th, 2013 at 10:44 am
Michelle, I couldn’t post yesterday. I kept checking back to see if Zen Lill could get in. I gave up trying because I figured if you Girlz couldn’t get in it was a lost cause for me.
I am so happy about the special woman in my life. We have been a loving couple for 9 years. I still have meaningful men in my life. The best man in my life is my father. When I told him I was gay. He said, “okay.”
Later he said if anyone gives you grief about it, call your Dad. He cares for me and I love him very much.
March 10th, 2013 at 10:51 am
Small” Secret to Outwitting a Big Appetite
While attending a recent conference in Florida, I went to breakfast at a restaurant and ordered a whole-grain muffin, as did my companion.
Boy, were those muffins big! My companion picked hers up and started nibbling—and ended up eating the whole thing.
I first cut mine into quarters, then ate two of the pieces and felt satisfied. I also felt fortunate to have recently read the intriguing study that clued me in to this simple cut-food-up-and-eat-less strategy.
The 301 study volunteers fasted overnight and skipped breakfast before the experiment began. Then they each were given a bagel and cream cheese.
One group of participants got bagels that were whole…the other group got identical bagels, except that theirs had been cut into four pieces.
After eating as much of their bagels as they wanted, they spent 20 minutes filling out questionnaires about food preferences—a delaying tactic, because it takes about 20 minutes after eating for the brain to get the message that the stomach is full.
Next, each participant was invited to eat as much as desired of a complimentary lunch that included a turkey sandwich, veggies with dressing, crackers with meat and cheese, mozzarella sticks, pasta, potato salad and a cupcake.
Fascinating findings:
Compared with participants who had received whole bagels, those whose bagels had been cut up ate 8% less of their bagels—but the real revelation was that they also ate 40% less of the big lunch!
Apparently, the cut-up bagels had done a much better job of satisfying participants’ appetites, so when offered additional food later, they were less tempted by it.
Especially in this era of portion sizes run riot (as with those Florida mega-muffins), it’s smart for us to make regular use of this simple tactic—cut up food to make it seem more plentiful and thus more satisfying. The way I see it, we have nothing to lose but weight.
Source: Devina Wadhera is a PhD candidate in the department of psychology at Arizona State University in Tempe and lead author of a study on food piece size and satiety presented the recent Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior in Zurich.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:05 am
Michelle, I love being a girl. If I could change one thing about the world today I would like to change the young women of today’s lack of awareness.
We as the new generation have to become more interested in what is happening in the world today. Your blog is really a big help.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:13 am
The best thing about being a woman today is the opportunities we have growing up in the 21st century. At school, it was hammered into us that “you can be anyone you want to be” – and it turns out they were right. You can look around the world for great women role models or you can look right here on your blog Michelle.
I can’t wait for Hilary to be elected President. Oh and then there’s wearing dresses instead of shorts in summer, being better drivers than men and always being right in arguments with my boyfriend.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:15 am
Michelle, I couldn’t get in and when I discovered some newbie got in only to dis our blog I was livid.
This blog inspires me. I love your articles about people who have tough lives and still manage to cope.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:29 am
Michelle, I hope you don’t pay attention to “anonymous.” If he/she had any real interest he would have used at least an alia.
Your blog reminds us that too many people are focused on their images rather than the state of the world. There is way too much focus on self image. It’s a shame that so many people define themselves by their looks.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:30 am
Sounds delightful, Mischa, glad for you.
I try to start and end every weekend that way (and sometimes on a Tues/Wed/Th afternoon just bc I can ; )
I didn’t try to get in yesterday but I see anonymous did, and I’ll say only this: when peeps here post w ‘anonymous’ they always throw in something like this is crap, that’s crap – I think it’s crap (and pretty stinkin’ lame) that you can’t even make up a blog moniker for yourself, lol…
Everyday is International Women’s Day and Barry’s comment is a tribute to that. We do have the fine art of conversation for conversations sake down, we don’t require an end game although I always learn something from everyone I speak with, (even if it’s only that I’d rather not do it again : )
Luv, Zen Lill
March 10th, 2013 at 11:33 am
Michelle, pay no attention to Anonymous, I love your blog. It allows me to to read and learn so much more than I would without it. I’ve heard from people who have influenced me greatly that I now can’t imagine my life without waking up to read your blog.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:42 am
Jewell, my father is the best man in my life too. He picks me up when I crash my car, helps me drive to competitions several hours away, supports me one hundred percent in everything I do, all while making jokes.
When I hear men coming on complaining about how this blog disses men, I want to write in and say my DAD loves this blog. He says if a man can’t take it, that tells you how much of a real man he is.
I have never seen my dad treat any OTW disrespectfully. He has always encouraged us to respect the rights of others.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:46 am
I think one of the best ways to celebrate the girls in your life is to encourage pre-teen and teenage girls in high school. It’s a hard time of life when people can be hard on others and on themselves.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:50 am
I think Anonymous misses the point of this blog. Besides supporting women, it advocates changing the world on a global scale.
I support most of your suggestions Michelle. On a global scale I would definitely change the distribution of wealth so that we have a more equal society financially and standards of living are balanced across communities and cultures.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:55 am
Michelle, I have been reading and occasionally posting on your blog for three years. It is like my children to me. I don’t feel I could live without it.
I love my morning routine of reading it. It is definitely one of the things in my life I can’t envision living without. Maybe I should also mention my husband so he doesn’t feel left out.
I couldn’t live you without you either darling.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:58 am
I guess Anonymous hasn’t read any of Howie’s posts.
March 10th, 2013 at 12:01 pm
I agree with you Barry and Zen Lill. The best thing about being a woman is that, I think, we have a perfect balance of compassion plus realism and we see conflict as an opportunity to grow closer and overcome issues.
March 10th, 2013 at 12:02 pm
The best man in my life is my hubby because he’s very stable and he’s a real leader. I look up to him due to his high morals and therefore feel flattered that he chose me as his wife. And it also proves he has good judgement!
March 10th, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Renting an Apartment? What You Must Know Now
In recent years, rental apartments have soared in popularity. But along with the popularity have come rising rents and unwelcome surprises for renters who fail to ask the right questions or to get important details written into their leases.
Even with a detailed lease, there’s no guarantee that the other party will follow the agreement, but here are strategies to help renters avoid disputes with landlords…
Mention all parties who will be living in the apartment. Misrepresentation or omission of tenants can be grounds for a landlord to terminate your lease.
Example:
A couple signs a lease and fails to mention an adult son who will be living with them. For an apartment whose rent is limited by law, including him in the lease also may give the adult son succession rights, meaning that he might be able to take over the apartment when the parents pass on.
If your landlord says you can have pets and/or bring your own major appliances, such as a washer and dryer, make sure it is written into the lease. Also specify how many pets—say, two dogs or one cat and one canary…and/or which appliances you are adding so that you are not forced to get rid of them later.
Do research on the possible legal problems. Instead of taking the landlord’s word that there are no liens or foreclosures on the property, check that yourself.
It is important because if the property is in foreclosure, the bank could evict the tenant and the tenant would not be able to recoup the rent paid even if he/she has a lease.
You might be able to look up property records on your municipality’s or county’s Web site to see whether the property is the subject of litigation, which could mean it is in foreclosure proceedings.
If you find that the property is the subject of litigation, go to the county office and pull the “notice of pendency” for details.
However, a lien (foreclosure or otherwise) may not be listed on the Internet, so you may have to check the court system, your county’s register of deeds or the appropriate governmental agency.
In lieu of doing this, you can ask any title company to run a limited search for any type of lien, which can cost $200 to $300.
Check the certificate of occupancy if you are renting a basement apartment. Illegal basement units are common in some municipalities. The certificate of occupancy tells you the number of families that can legally occupy the building.
The landlord might say that the house is a legal three-family home when it really is a two-family home with an illegal basement apartment.
If the municipality sends out an inspector who finds the apartment to be illegal, a notice could be sent to the owner requiring that you be evicted.
Find out who pays for utilities. Your lease should state which utilities are your responsibility and which are your landlord’s.
Example:
Water and sewage typically are paid by the landlord of a multifamily building. However, if the water bill increases with a new tenant, landlords sometimes try to pass on that extra cost to the tenant.
If your lease states that water is covered by the landlord, you are protected against this.
Source: Joseph R. Costello, partner at the Brooklyn, New York–based law firm Costello & Costello, PC, founded in 1959. He specializes in landlord-tenant disputes. http://www.CostelloCostello.com
March 10th, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Michelle, your blog represents more than just the plight of women. It supports people who are struggling in life – whether it’s children trapped in slavery, kids who get bullied at school or OTWs who are the victims of racial discrimination and any who might feel they don’t have a voice or feel unable to reach out for help.
Forget the Anonymous’s from the fringe.
March 10th, 2013 at 12:24 pm
I love your blog Michelle. It has exposed to me my favorite type of women, incredible intelligent women that say “f*ck” a lot.
March 10th, 2013 at 12:25 pm
Michelle, your blog has be believing that if I could change one thing, I would make the world a safer place for women and children … especially in indigenous communities where violence against women in particular is at shameful levels.
March 10th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Michelle, your blog regularly helps people with issues they face, large and small.
March 10th, 2013 at 1:38 pm
Michelle, I love your blog too. Guam is also acknowledging their females.
———————————–
Gov. Eddie Calvo and officials met inside the Government House to sign a proclamation marking the beginning of Women’s History Month on Guam.
This year’s theme is “Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.”
Before the proclamation was signed, First Lady Christine Calvo gave a speech talking about the historic transition women have gone through over the years.
“We should celebrate that in the long history of humanity…we were blessed in our lifetime to have been part of such sweeping change to our place in the world. We’ve certainly come a long way,” Christine Calvo said.
She also said women today owe their independence and opportunities to the women who came before them.
“We owe our improved condition of our place in society to the brave women who fought for us to vote, to join the workforce and to receive equal pay, to compete in the sciences, the arts and the humanities in our universities,” she said.
After Christine Calvo’s speech, Donna Kloppenburg read the proclamation, which was later signed by Gov. Calvo.
“As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we honor the numerous contributions women have made throughout Guam’s history, enriching our culture, strengthening our island and providing opportunities for future generations,” the proclamation stated.
—————————————
Thank you Michelle for staying firm on your blog about the need for men to respect the right of women to equality and the freedom to manage our own bodies.
Despite the Governor’s gesture toward women here, he and most of the men here continue to try to control the bodies of women. They use religion to cower and confuse women about supporting their own causes.
If more read your blog, it would not be so easy for the Catholic Church to use their lies to scare women into obedience.
Hafa Adai
Anna
March 10th, 2013 at 8:02 pm
White America has become so greedy and corrupt that today no drugs you get can be guaranteed by the FDA. The white folks elected by white folks to our House and Senate passed a law in 1998 that exempted drug compounding companies from FDA regulation.
What does that mean to you? It means that the drugs you get from your hospital may be from a compounding company and they could kill you.
This is the result of white america deciding that government is too big to interfere with business. Let them self regulate. If OTWs don’t get control of this country, it will deteriorate into a bunch of state run fiefdoms for the filthy rich.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50142537n
Say what you will, but this race has either the most easily manipulated minds or they are greedy to a level of self destruction.
Either way if they are not stopped at the polls, democracy will be a thing of the past in this nation.
Robert, RT
March 10th, 2013 at 8:18 pm
“Obama poised to pick Perez for Labor,” by AP’s Jim Kuhnhenn: “President Obama is close to naming Thomas Perez, a civil rights official in the Justice Department, as his choice to head the Department of Labor.
His nomination could come as early as Monday … Perez would replace Hilda Solis, who resigned in January. … Perez was the first Latino elected to the Montgomery County Council in Maryland, where he served from 2002 to 2006. Perez, 51, has led the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division since 2009 and previously served as Maryland’s labor secretary.
He is expected to have solid support from organized labor and the Hispanic community, which is eager to have Hispanic representation in Obama’s Cabinet. …
At the Justice Department, Perez played a leading role in the decision to challenge voter ID laws in Texas and South Carolina that could restrict minority voting rights.”
March 11th, 2013 at 6:22 am
The influence that Obama brings to the world is on display again. The Queen of England declared for gay rights today. If one of our previous presidents had had the guts to stand up for LGBT rights when they were in office, most certainly the United Kingdom would have followed.
But 250 years of white males was only about maintaining the power white men had in the country and world. No one else was considered if it meant forcing white men to share their entitlements.
That is an indisputable fact. Regardless if a white male suffered occasionally, the fact remained that white male entitlements were never threatened.
Obama has done more to equalize the playing field than anyone since Ghandi, King, you can pick from this list of women likely made by a white male. Unfortunately most white women still defer to men when it comes to defining who they are. http://www.biography.com/people/groups/famous-female-leaders/all
White women will not as a group support an OTW woman because we listen to our men about racism. As a white woman this makes me sick. But the truth is before us. We look for a strong WHITE woman to take the lead for women in this nation.
Notice how we failed to rally to Susan Rice’s defense when our white males went after her in such a brutal fashion. Yet, we expect OTW women to rally behind our pick, Hilary Clinton.
It may come as a surprise to us in 2016, if OTW women don’t see a white woman as their savior. Traditionally white women have been more than willing to accept the viewpoint of white men as superior even to their own. OTW women give no such difference to white men or their OTW men.
Hilary is not a shoe in. If we white women continue to give the kind of deference we do to our males, we may lose the respect and support of OTW women.
March 11th, 2013 at 6:37 am
Irene, this white woman agrees with you. Take republican Gohmert from Tex. He introduced legislation banning the President from using federal funds to play golf until White House tours resume despite the fact that Obama hasn’t played golf since the crises.
This is another way to show white America that white men are still in charge. My husband nodded that it made sense. I asked him would he have said the same if this was done to Bush.
He got in my face and shouted are you calling me a racist? I hadn’t mentioned color it was obviously on his mind. He is a democrat, but he was willing to allow that a white man doing something to show that any white man is better than any OTW is okay.
March 11th, 2013 at 7:29 am
Michelle have you heard about the Lady Boudica from 60 AD.
———————–
Boudica was a queen of the Iceni people of Norfolk who lead an uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire.
Her husband, Prasutagus had left his Kingdom jointly to his daughters and the Roman Emperor when he died. The Roman Empire allowed allied independence only for the lifetime of the current king, and inheritance though the male line only was permitted.
As he had left his kingdom to his daughters, his will was ignored and his kingdom annexed as if it had been conquered.
It is reported that Boudica was flogged and her daughters raped. She was later chosen as the leader of her people and their neighbors in an uprising against the Romans.
Her army fell on the poorly defended city of Camulodunum (Colchester), and destroyed it, besieging the last defenders in the temple for two days before it fell.
Archaeology shows the city was methodically demolished.
Quintus Petillius Cerialis attempted to relieve the city, but his forces were routed. His infantry was wiped out: only the commander and some of his cavalry escaped.
Tacitus says the Britons had no interest in taking or selling prisoners, only in slaughter by gibbet, fire, or cross.
Dio’s account gives more prurient detail: that the noblest women were impaled on spikes and had their breasts cut off and sewn to their mouths, “to the accompaniment of sacrifices, banquets, and wanton behaviour” in sacred places, particularly the groves of Andraste.
Ironically, the great anti-imperialist rebel is now identified with the head of the British Empire, and her statue stands guard over the city she razed to the ground.