Between Us Girls

Sarah Palin - The New Face of Feminism?

At some point, the term “feminism,” like “liberal,” became a dirty word (I guess that makes me a very dirty girl). Be that as it may, the word “liberal” has a true meaning that is far more attractive than one might be led to believe by conservative name-callers (it means favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs; favoring or permitting freedom of action and freedom from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant,open-minded ).

The labels “feminist/feminism” also have a far more benign meaning than we currently suspect. “Feminism” means “the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.” “Feminist” simply refers to someone who follows that doctrine.

Unfortunately, the term “feminist” has become so criminalized that most women are no longer willing to use it in reference to themselves. Do women realize that in doing so they are actually saying that they don't support equal rights for women? I don't believe for a minute that this is the message they mean to convey, but sadly, even the women who believe that they do indeed deserve equal rights have been brainwashed into saying that they don't...without even realizing it.

Ethics in America

Whatever happened to ethics? Is there still a place for them in American politics? Is there a place for them in American culture?

I wonder about this daily. Ethics seem not to matter much these days. So many of us are alarmingly unconcerned with them particularly when it comes to the race for the White House. Lies and smears that once would have generated indignation and horror, have become routine and ho-hum. Their relevance to the presidential election simply does not exist for some. How can that be?   How is it that so many of us can be so seemingly unconcerned with the moral principles, or the lack thereof, of the people to whom we will soon give ultimate power?

Maybe we have just forgotten what ethical behavior looks like, or perhaps “ethics” seems antiquated or overly philosophical. Heck, maybe we've just forgotten what the word means. Let's review:

The Top Twelve Scientifically-Proven Happiness Strategies

We are all searching for happiness these days and advice on how to find it abounds. But how do we know what really works and, more importantly, how do we know what is going to work for us?

Luckily, the scientific community has been working hard on these questions and they are beginning to come up with some answers. First, scientists have confirmed what we all know by now to be true and that is that money doesn't but happiness and neither does that new car, the vacation at the beach, the big wedding, the job promotion or the face-lift – not lasting happiness anyway. On the other hand, scientists have also found at least twelve strategies that do, in fact, lead to sustainable increases in happiness. The trick is first, to know what they are and how to employ them and, second, to know which ones will work best for you.

First, lets take a look at the top 12 scientifically-proven happiness strategies. Here they are:

What the World Needs Now...is Confirmation That Americans Recognize the Errors of our Administration's Ways and are Ready to Do Something About It

Democrats in this country are worried, very worried.  We are dumbfounded by the current polls, by the gullibility of much of the public and by the very high probability that we are in for four more years of dangerous and destructive Republican policies.  And we should be.  This country is in serious condition and with McCain in office we'll likely need to be put on life support.  But we Democrats are not the only ones who are worried.

People around the world are watching this election closely.  The many countries who have disagreed with the Bush/Cheney strategies of the last eight years are holding their breath...waiting to see if we Americans can redeem ourselves.  They don't blame all Americans for the global American debacle of the last eight years.  No, right now, they blame George Bush and Dick Cheney.  But that might be about to change.

The rest of the world is waiting to see if the Bush/Cheney policies are the result of two men's arrogance and deceit, or if they reflect the true values of the American people. How we handle this election, whether we

Equanimity as a Weakness? - I Think Not

During a recent television interview, Barack Obama was asked if he thought that the unusual bit of fiery passion he showed and the few hard hitting remarks he made in his acceptance speech were enough to quell the criticism that he isn't passionate or tough enough to be president. Apparently, many people seem to find his emotional control and his ability to greet questions, criticisms or alternative ideas with a thoughtful response rather than an impulsive reaction off-putting.

Just as advertisers know how to word deceptive claims in a way that makes them more believable and job candidates can cleverly frame their weaknesses as strengths, political opposition and the media can

5 Tips for Harnessing the Power of Your Words

No one would deny the power of words, but like all powerful tools, words can be used for good or evil. And sometimes, our failure to use our words carefully can hurt others and our relationships with them.

We've all had experiences with people who purposely use words as weapons, but we've also known those whose simple lack of ability to think before they speak unwittingly leads them to embarrass themselves or offend others.

I was reminded of this quality recently by the story of a friend of mine. A friend of a friend had recently become a non-friend because of her tendency to have whatever thoughts entered her mind immediately spill out of her mouth. I was sad to hear it, but not terribly surprised. When I first met the woman she had reminded me of an old, no-longer-friend of my own who was too quick to share her opinions and criticism. This old friend taught me some painful, but very valuable lessons. Thanks to my experiences with her, I had seen the writing on the wall early on with this new friend of a friend and had chosen to steer clear. Whew!

While we all make mistakes from time to time and occasionally say or do the wrong thing, some of us, like the woman in the example above, consistently make the tactical error of not thinking before we speak.