Vacation Time!!

Lately, I've been on the verge of losing my mind at work. It has been crazy for the last, lets just say several months, and hasn't slowed down a bit! To top it off I'm actually doing the job of two people, sometimes it feels like more, so it's suffice to say that I'm desperate for some much needed (and I'd like to say deserved) time off and after two years without an actual vacation the time has finally, FINALLY come!

So excuse my virtual absence for a few days while I sit by the beach and sip some cocktails down in Florida. I hope Tropical Storm Danny (he's not a Hurricane yet is he?) doesn't interfere too much! I'll have wifi and my computer so I might pop on by to say hello, but this lady needs some R&R so I'll likely be MIA!

Enjoy your weekends everyone!

Bon Voyage!

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Behind Bars: Life Without Parole

Imagine being sentenced to life in prison without parole at 16-years-old. Your whole life - or what you thought it could of been - flashes before your eyes. That future no longer belongs to you.

Imagine that the circumstances surrounding your imprisonment are completely unjust and down right cruel.

Sara Kruzan doesn't have to imagine this horrific nightmare. For her it is reality.

What happened to Sara? How did she end up in jail? What could she have done to deserve life without parole?

Find out the answers to these questions and learn more about Sara's story at Care2!

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Say It Sister!

To commemorate Women's Equality Day NOW launched a new blog - Say it Sister - "to inform, inspire and instigate feminist activism."

I gave it a quick look and while I'm not crazy about the color choices, it looks like it will be a great new place for feminist minds to gather in the blogosphere to share our thoughts and concerns about this crazy world we live in. I know I'll be checking it out and you never know, it just might get a little space over in my blog roll!

Check out NOW's announcement about the blog below:

NOW Launches Action-Oriented Blog on Women's Equality Day

"These splendid people are hungry, hungry. Oh, for more power to give out the truth!"
— Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1875

The National Organization for Women is proud to celebrate Women's Equality Day this year by launching Say It, Sister! — a new blog designed to inform, inspire and instigate feminist activism.

Women's Equality Day marks the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guaranteed women the right to vote. For more than 70 years, the foremothers of feminism campaigned for women's equality at the polls, and they finally achieved victory in 1920.

Nearly a century later, the ballot box remains vital to protecting and advancing women's rights, but the way we educate voters and petition our government has changed dramatically. The Internet has brought us unprecedented organizing power, and there's little doubt that suffragists like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth would have welcomed this tremendous opportunity to amplify their voices and reach out to women across the country and around the globe.

In the tradition of those great feminists, Say It, Sister! will bring women's rights supporters together to motivate and strengthen each other in our mission to end all forms of sex discrimination. The blog will serve as a place where NOW leaders speak their minds, call women and men to action, encourage feedback and facilitate a lively (no doubt) dialogue.

"I am thrilled to launch NOW's blog, Say It, Sister!, on Women's Equality Day," said NOW Action Vice President Erin Matson. "As Elizabeth Cady Stanton said so long ago, there are many hungry people out there. Well, now we have this incredible power to nourish them and point them in the right direction to make change, and that's just what we plan to do!"

The NOW blog is located at www.now.org/blog

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Happy Women's Equality Day!

Better late than never, right?

I completely forgot about today's significance until I got an email from my sister at work wishing me a Happy Women's Equality Day! I got so busy at work that it slipped my mind until now but I couldn't let it go and it's not midnight yet here on the East Coast so I guess I'm coming in right under the wire.

So thank you suffragists for working so hard to guarantee my right to vote. Thanks to your tireless efforts in ensuring the passing of the 19th Amendment, women like me and those across the country have exercised our right to vote for nearly 90 years and this year I cashed in my vote for the first woman candidate for President - Mrs. Hillary Clinton. That is a moment I will never forget.

Speaking of women's suffrage. I came across a movie - Iron Jawed Angels - with Hilary Swank that is a beautiful portrayal of the suffrage movement. I definately recommend checking it out if you haven't already.

Happy Women's Equality Day all!

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Baring it All in Glamour - "Plus-Size" Style

By now you've probably seen or heard of the woman on page 194.

If not let me introduce you.

Meet Lizzi Miller. She's a 20-year-old model who recently graced the glossy pages of Glamour magazine in nothing but a thong – all 180 pounds of her.

I wrote a post about this picture on Care2 that has stirred quite a bit of buzz in the comments section - some points of which I'd like to address here.

First of all, I do not believe that Lizzi is physically plus-sized, but by modeling industry standards she is considered a "plus-size" model. Ridiculous, I know. Maybe we would make more progress in body acceptance if the runways stopped referring to "average" women (like Lizzi) as "plus-size" and started putting them on the runways! For now though I guess a 3-by-3 inch photo hidden in the middle of a magazine is progress (baby steps, very little baby steps).

Secondly, as a size 12-14 Lizzi does represent the "average" American woman. I hate the word "average" but statistically this is true.

Thirdly, at 5 foot 11 and 180 pounds, Lizzi's BMI is slightly (and I mean slighty) overweight. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lizzi's BMI is 25.1 putting her in the overweight category. For her weight and height a BMI of 18.5-24.9 would be considered normal. So tecnically Lizzi is overweight, but seriously she's .2 away.

Lastly, I don't think Lizzi looks overweight or plus-sized or fat. I think she looks beautiful and confident. I wish I had a picture of myself like this and am glad I came across this one because Lizzi has given this lady a newfound love for her belly pooch.

Make sure you check out my article on Care2!

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And the winner is ...

On Sunday night Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez was named Miss Universe 2009.

During the Q&A portion of the evening Miss Venezuela was asked a question about sexism in the workplace:

Question: In many parts of the world obstacles still exist that impede women from achieving their goals in some corporations?

Answer: "I believe that now a days we women have overcome many obstacles and I do believe that we have reached the same level that men have. We must realize there are no longer any barriers amongst us."

To this answer she received rousing applause and cheers.

I'm sorry what?

There are really no words (except bad ones) so I'll leave it at that.

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Hillary Clinton - Another Fav of Mine!

I know many people have very strong opinions about Hillary Clinton. I do too. It seems that they either love her or hate her. I LOVE her! I think she is a phenomenal woman who champions women's rights around the world tirelessly and for that I am thankful.

She recently returned from an 11-day tour of Africa where she focused largely on bringing women's issues to the forefront of the governments across the continent. Before leaving for her trip she sat down with New York Times to talk about her work on women's issues. Below are my favorite highlights:

"Democracy means nothing if half the people can’t vote, or if their vote doesn’t count, or if their literacy rate is so low that the exercise of their vote is in question."

"I happen to believe that the transformation of women’s roles is the last great impediment to universal progress..."

"... in too many places and too many ways, the oppression of women stands as a stark reminder of how difficult it is to realize people’s full human potential."

"If you look at where we are fighting terrorism, there is a connection to groups that are making a stand against modernity, and that is most evident in their treatment of women."

"President Obama and I and the United States will not tolerate this continuation of wanton, senseless, brutal violence perpetrated against girls and women."

"... so-called women’s issues are stability issues, security issues, equity issues."

Also be sure to check out my post on Care2 about her trip to Africa.

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Nicholas Kristof, How I Love Thee

It's no secret that I love Nicholas Kristof! I've posted many of his columns and today found another gem via the New York Times that has me smiling from ear to ear.

It's a Special Issue called, "Saving the World's Women: The Women's Crusade."

I was a little daunted when I saw that the article was 7 pages long, but when I finished I was disappointed. I wanted more and luckily there will be more next month. The essay featured is actually adapted from Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's (a former NYT correspondent and Kristof's wife's) new book, "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide."

“'Women hold up half the sky,' in the words of a Chinese saying, yet that’s mostly an aspiration: in a large slice of the world, girls are uneducated and women marginalized, and it’s not an accident that those same countries are disproportionately mired in poverty and riven by fundamentalism and chaos."

It doesn't have to be this way. We can reach out and help the women and girls of the world and in doing so help us all. Kristof and WuDunn have the right idea in their essay which is sprinkled with inspiring tales of women and girls from the most remote and improverished regions of the world and innovative ideas to help better the lives of women and girls globally.

Check out a sneak peak to Half the Sky at the NYT now!

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On the Road ...

So, I'm currently on the Bolt Bus (free internet!) on my way to Boston for ....

COUNTRY FEST 2009!!

I know, I know. What's a New York City girl doing listening to country music, but some friends of mine in college got me hooked and I've never looked back. I mostly like pop country, you know, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, etc and this weekend I will get to see 5 great artisits perform at Gillette Stadium including the great Kenny Chesney as well as Sugarland (another favorite of mine), Lady Antebellum (a relatively new group), Miranda Lambert (a solo female fav), and Montgomery Gentry (who I honesty know nothing about). It's going to be a great show and I could not be more excited!

While I'm away for your weekend enjoyment I wanted to leave you with my latest Care2 posts. I've neglected to post them so wanted to play a little catch up. So check them out:

Gym Shooter Targeted Women
Rape Tactic of War in the Congo Target New Victims: Men
Chris Brown Apologizes: Is It Too Late?
Match.com Serial Rapist: Finally Found Guilty 8 Years After First Attacks

ENJOY!

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A New Day

I've been thinking a lot about my little virtual home here at Feminist in the City and I've come to some new thoughts on how I'd like to, let's say, decorate it. See, I thought that writing this blog would be something I would enjoy, something that would give me space to express my thoughts and feelings about the world around me, but instead it has become a chore, something always nagging me in the back of my mind. And I think I know why.

It's because I was taking this too seriously, trying too hard to write the right thing and in the right way, trying too hard to sound smart and witty, so much so that I lost sight of what it was I wanted to do, which is be ME! And share MY thoughts no matter how inane or wise. And I learned something: my thoughts, my opinions cannot be edited. They are what I think and feel and no-one has to agree. In fact, if you disagree, please let me know. If I haven't thought of something that you have let me know! I'd LOVE to hear from you.

So, things are going to change around here, hopefully for the better. I may ramble about my day or what's stressing me out. I might get really angry about something sexists or unjust that I read about. I may give you some insight into the little old island of Manhattan that I inhabit - cool spots to check out, restaurants to eat at, exhibits to visit, etc.

So, here's to a new day and hopefully a new look soon (I'm still not digging this layout / colors)!

Sidenote: Let it be known that while writing this post I could not get Celine Dion's "A New Day has Come" song out of my mind.

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Jon and Kate Plus 8 - Enough Already

Ok - just like the rest of America I too am sick of the never ending Jon and Kate Plus 8 saga but it doesn't seem like this news is ever going to die, is it so I'm why not put in my own two cents like everyone else?

For the record I'm "Team Kate" on this one. Yes, she has her faults (impatient, neurotic, anal, etc, etc, etc) but she loves her children and takes her job, which provides for her family, a family of 10 (er, 9 now?), seriously. That I do not fault her for. I applaud her. Yes she has an unconventional job and yes maybe she is stretching her 15 minutes of fame, but it is a job that allows her to provide for her family (imagine having to pay for 8 children to attend college, 5 weddings, etc). What's so wrong with that? Is it just that people are threatened by this Supermom breadwinner?

Anyway, I digress. Today, Kate appeared on the Today show to talk yet again about her divorce and soon-to-be-ex-husbands infidelity. We've heard it all before splashed across the pages of tabloids and magazines and what's starting to get me even more infuriated about the whole mess is the media's coverage of the story.

Take for example two stories that ran today about Kate's appearance on the Today Show.

The first from the Associated Press is titled, "Kate Gosselin still wears her wedding ring." Hmm. So the news worthy angle here is two paint Kate as the pathetic, lonely housewife who can't possibly bear to take her wedding band off, right? Wrong. In the interview she explains that she wears her wedding ring for the sake of her eight children - her eight children who naturally are devastated by their parent's separation. This is not a sign of a woman's desperate hope to work things out with the father of her children. No, as always, Kate is thinking of her children first.

The second story from today's news that nearly made my head blow off was from the title of a video on the Daily Beast where you can view a clip of Kate on the Today Show. Above the still image of Kate on TV is the title, "Kate: I Still Love Jon." What? That has got to be one of the most misleading headlines I have ever read. if you actually listen to the interview you will see that after Meredith asks, "Does any part of you still love him?" Kate responds, "When I think back to the Jon I knew yes, um, suffice is to say." That is not a declaration of love for her cheating, foolish husband as the title leads you to believe. Yes, she loved him, at a time - the time before Jon decided he wanted out of his marriage to go off gallivanting with young women in the Hamptons and NYC.

So, that's my two cents. Go "Team Kate" and media lay off the misleading coverage. I've had enough. Unfortunately, with a hit reality show on TV this news story is never likely to go away. At least not any time soon.

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