Limbaugh shouldn't joke about hungry kids-What Got To Me Today

Okay, for the most part I don't blog here much about politics.  I might write about something that is the result of politics...but that is about it.  This, of course, isn't because I'm not passionate about all things political (I'm actually a bit of a political junkie) but I don't push it here because you guys don't come here to hear me rant about that stuff.  I should probably start another blog about my lefty views, but that is a whole other project.

All that being said, means I don't ever talk about Rush Limbaugh.   This is why:  in full disclosure, I loathe him. Eww...I don't even like to see his photo here on my pretty blog! I go out of my way not to give him any extra press.  So why this time?  I just can't sit here and let this one go.  On June 16th, he aired a show that was lower than his usual sluggy self. 

As I say often, you guys know I write a lot about hunger in our neighborhoods, cities and U.S.  I write about ways to help fight it, about the people who are champions at helping fight it, and about hunger awareness.  Here in our small city, there are about 100 families with kids who use Social Services for food, and that's not counting the ones who sneak off to the larger food banks hoping no one will notice.  Hunger is a huge epidemic in this country, and more and more it is families with children.  Summer time is worse, because kids who usually rely on free and discount school breakfasts and lunches don't get them when school is out.  Well, Mr. Limbaugh has an opinion about this issue and I don't like it. 

Limbaugh laughs up a new segment he wants to start about how to help kids find food, because if the parents "just can sit around and let their kids starve", somebody's got to help these poor kids out right?  Rush jokes that they should try their refrigerator?  Or this thing in a house called a kitchen?  Then of course, they could watch a video about the proper ways to dumpster dive to find something nutritious, even though they might have to compete "with homeless people there".

Okay...my head is exploding!

I know parents who don't eat so that their kids can.  I know of refrigerators in "things called kitchens" that are incessantly empty. I know that food banks can't keep enough food on the shelves and soup kitchens are standing room only.  I can't believe anyone would make jokes about hungry people in our country.  It is cruel and irresponsible and practiacally un-American! 

Rush Limbaugh has got to be one of the most clueless people on this planet.  He lives in a world where he is never hungry (obviously), he is surrounded by cronies so the opposition can't hurt him, he has so much money he could feed millions.  If he spent half the money he spends on ego feeding and oxycoten, perhaps he could help wipout hunger entirely...he could at least set all the food banks in this country up for a year or two.

I wonder what Rush would do if he suddenly had no access to food?  You think he'd go near a dumpster?  I doubt it.

Seattle teacher clueless and cruel is What Got To Me Today!

When I was about thirteen, I remember not being allowed into a home while wearing my winter coat, because it smelled like smoke.  True, I lived with a smoking parent (didn't we all back then?), and the house in question was a non-smoking house (I totally get it because as an adult, my house is a non-smoking house and I can't stand the smell of smoke either). I was met, however, by the homeowner, with an "ewww...you're going to have to stay out in the garage until you get that coat off, I don't want it in my house."  Well, I was totally mortified and embarrassed, which is probably why I still remember it today. 

Now, take that mortification and multiply it by 1000.  This has got to be how it felt for an eight year old girl in Seattle when her teacher kicked her out of the classroom because the scent of her hair (from a hair product) made the teacher ill.  It is reported the teacher also told the girl she was allergic to her hair, even though she wasn't allergic to her own dog's hair, before kicking her out.  She said  the hair made her feel faint and like she was going to vomit.  This happened openly in front of the little girl's classmates.  Add to it that the little girl is bi-racial, the only ethnic student in the advanced placement class, and that she was outcast first to the hallway, and then to a lower level class because of the way her hair (product) smelled. 

Okay...let me take a deep breath here because I am so outraged by this that if I don't, my hands will shake too much for me to type.

What in the h*** is this woman doing in a classroom if she can't even realize the negative and hurtful impact her words and actions are going to have on this little girl?  According to the father, who is African-American, he has been encouraging his daughter to not give in to peer pressure to straighten her hair like her white classmates.  He writes on his blog, "I want her to know she's beautiful".  So, in compromise, the girl wears a hair lotion (Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion) to keep her hair in a natural state.

I understand that some people have real physical reactions to chemicals and perfumes.  That isn't the issue.

The issue is how the teacher treated the little girl.
The issue is how the teacher never contacted the parents. 
The issue is how the school didn't return the parent's call, or deal at all with the situation, when the girl told her parent's what had happened.

So, if the situation continued to be ignored, the little girl would no longer be allowed into the advanced placement class.

Well, needless to say, due to the failed response of the school, the matter has escalated.  The parent's do not wish to send the girl to school in the current environment.  The NAACP has stepped in, and the school has turned to it's lawyers.  By what I've read so far, there has been no action to the teacher, and no apology to the little girl or her family.

If the teacher would have made her concerns known to the parents, it is very likely they may have changed products to alleviate the problem, in a way that was sensitive to the girl's self-esteem.  The teacher had a real opportunity here to create a supportive environment, and even turn it into a teaching moment.  Instead, this young girl will never forget how she was singled out, insulted, embarrassed in front of her peers, her hair compared to that of a dog, and demoted to a lesser level of learning.

I remember a smoky winter coat from 23 years ago.  You cannot tell me this 8 year old little girl will forget.

A non-spoiler review: Sex and the City

Don't worry, this isn't going to be the kind of review that ruins it for you if you haven't seen it yet.  This is actually going to be pretty quick and to the point.  For those who have seen it, it is a sequel.  With the exception of the Harry Potter series, when is a sequel ever better than the first film? But to fans of Kerry, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte, we don't need an oscar.  We just want to see how our girls are doing.

Well, they are aging, which is evident (except for Charlotte--naturally age defying), but we don't care because we are all getting older too.  Women audiences are always complaining there aren't enough roles for over-40 women in Hollywood, so this is just one more case where older women are gorgeous, smart and sophisticated.

I want to elaborate on the "smart" part. This film may have been a fluff film, for entertainment purposes only, but don't you be fooled, especially with Sarah Jessica Parker at the helm.  Here is the list of political points made in the film.  Kudos ladies, kudos!

• gay marriage and how it is only legal in five states
• the transition of straight men from less accepting to more accepting of gay men
• surrogacy/pregnancy surrogate
• difficulties of motherhood
• recognition of how hard it is for mothers who cannot afford nannies or outside help
• women's rights or lack thereof in the middle east
• women's sexual freedoms
• discrimination against women in American boardrooms
• variations of infidelity
• individualized marriages, which rules work for whom?
• aging, gracefully or not?
• independent married women

Then of course, on the gorgeous candystore of fashion side of things...we were not disappointed.  The shoes, the clothes, the make-up, the accessories and jewelry...dripping and sparkling and a downright golden goo-fest...which we LOVE!

And yes please, bring on the hunks..Big (my personal fave), Aiden, Smyth, even Harry and Steve if you are into the adorable type make their appearances...and a new one, Ricard...a steamy Aussie who showed himself (actually more of himself than any of the others!)  throughout the second half of the film...it is rated R, after all.

What the critics say is true...there is a lot less sex and a lot less City.  The two things missing that I found noticeable and a bit of a bummer were the absence of the theme music anywhere in the film.  It opened to Alicia Keys instead of the piano we all love--so much it's my ringtone!  The other thing missing, which my husband James pointed out (yes, my husband who has watched and enjoyed the series with me since the beginning...yeah, he's awesome) was Kerry's writing.  Not once do we see her words typed across the screen.  We see her old apartment, we see the laptop on the desk...not seeing her typing away is like seeing Peyton Manning on the sidelines, just watching the ball.  (Did I really throw an NFL comparison into the story?  Yep, I like sparkle and football).

Anyway, it was nice to see the girls and where they are in their lives.  It was fun to laugh at the witty writing that is signature Sex and the City.  It was terrific to get lost in the fashoin and glitz and it was an awesome excuse to have a date night with my hubby.

If you've been a follower, it's worth it to see it.

Sports For Chicks: 10 year old runner inspires on a national platform

Photo by Julie Charney

Sometimes it takes awhile for our kids to find their niche, the one or two interests that will fuel them through childhood and adolescence. For Lauren Charney, a 10 year old fourth- grader from Saline, it wasn't until third grade that she truly found her passion. Running.

Not only has the sport inspired Lauren, but it has given her the platform to inspire other girls to run too. A national platform.

Although Lauren participates in other sports, it is running that "makes me feel like I can do anything." When I asked Lauren what advice she would give other girls who might be a little shy about putting their first step forward, she didn't hesitate in giving credit to Girls On the Run. Girls On the Run has given Lauren a vehicle to great achievement and put her in a place to inspire all of us.Girls On the Run is a non-profit, non-competitive organization. According to their website,

"Girls on the Run® is a life-changing, experiential learning programs for girls age eight to thirteen years old. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development."

Lauren Charney has taken her running a step further. Turns out her love of the sport and inspirational attitude has launched her to a place where she is one of six national finalists in the Kelloggs 2010 Junior Achievement Awards. She has already been flown to Chicago for a photo/video shoot, and is now being featured on the Kelloggs webisite competing for the 2010 ESPY award. She will fly to Los Angeles later this summer to attend the ESPY breakfast, where the winner will be announced. The winner will then attend the ESPY Award Ceremony that evening. To learn more about Lauren and vote her to to the top, go to www.frostedflakes.com.

Lauren has learned more than how to prepare for a race (like loading up on healthy peanut butter waffles and warming up her muscles with jumping jacks). She has learned what it is like to be supported by a community, to have self-esteem, to feel empowered to do anything.

Sometimes it takes a little time for our kids to really find what it is they are looking for. When they do, it is important for us as parents to support them, find outlets for them to go after what they dream of that gives them a sense of purpose and accomplishment. We all could learn a lot from girls like Lauren. It is never too late to take the first step.

The "Beauty" of Tennis: Sports For Chicks on Tennis

I love tennis season!  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer usually end up sweating it out in the finals of any given tournament, adding to the beauty of summertime.  Despite their ease on our eyes, they are both electrifying on the court. The French Open (clay courts) in Paris is underway this weekend. Nadal has an upper hand on clay, where he is so much more comfortable than many other players.  For those who are loyal fans of U.S. players, Andy Roddick is currently ranked eighth in the world, and is sure to give those ranked above him a real run for their money. 

On the women's court, Williams sisters Serena and Venus lead the world rankings in spots one and two.  Every year we wonder which sister will top the other in rankings.  This year, Serena leads.  I don't know about you, but I am inspired by these women everytime I see them play.  They are strong and explosive, both with daunting serves and unbeatable stamina.  I can't wait to see them play and often wonder if we'll see them head to head in the finals.  Then truly, who do I root for?  I remember the first time they were in the finals at Wimbledon and we got to see them in Prime Time on a Saturday night.  So awesome!

Competitive world tennis season is here:  The French Open, Wimbledon, The Australian Open, the US Open in NY.  It will be so exciting to see how our favorite players compete, see the upsets and the killer shots, hear the grunts and gasps of the crowds and get sucked into the drama.

And yes, I'm not above saying it, welcome back to television Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.  We've missed "seeing" you.  Happy Summer!

What Got To Me Today? I will not be quiet for hackers!

So this got to me Thursday, and is still getting me today. For those of you who read me, you probably know I have a website called Successful Women Weekly (www.successfulwomenweekly.com) where I feature all kinds of information about women.  I have a star feature of the month with a bio of an inspirational woman.  There is a Women In the News page, local woman owned Biz of the week, and a Champion For Women page that features a business or organization doing right by women.

The latter is where I seem to have attracted some opposition who felt they had the right to hack me.  As most of you know, I do a lot of writing on women's rights both domestically and across the globe.  I give kudos to people trying to help women who are abused or oppressed or both. I give kudos to those who try and make a difference in women's lives.

It is my right to write about these people.
It is my right to expose some of the terrible issues women face.
It is my right to celebrate the women who are successful.
It is my right to write about the losers who have tried to suppress my voice on my blog.

You will not stop me, you only fuel me.  I will continue to speak out and inform, and if you don't like it,  I guess you'll try and hack me again but I will keep coming back.

Here is to women on the rise.

Thank you.

Sports For Chicks: What to do about Roethlisberger

Okay ladies, I need some feedback.  Last month I posted about how dispicable it is that Ben Roethlisberger, star quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, only received a 4-6 week suspension from game play after he continues to particpate in sexually abusive behavior toward women.  Here is an excerpt from my previous blog:

For those of you unfamiliar with this particular topic, here it is in a nutshell:  Ben Roethlisberger is the beloved quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has been accused of sexually assaulting a 20 year old woman in a bathroom while two of his cronies guarded the door.  He did not rebut the charges.  This is not his first alleged sexual abuse.  He kind of has a habit of women accusing him of not knowing the meaning of "no means no". This is the second time he's had to say something like, " I'm sorry this makes my team look bad" but never sorry to the girl.

The question now becomes, what are we, the women football fans, going to do about it?  I got a couple of comments from that blog, but have had many discussions as to whether or not there should be a real boycott of big Ben from lady fans.  Do we think we can make a difference?  Should we contact some national women's organizations to try and get some publicity behind us?  Is this a good way to bring awareness to rape and domestic abuse, while making sure our beloved NFL doesn't let these kinds of athletes bear their awesome logo?

I'm a huge NFL fan.  This is not to make our favorite teams look bad (Go Lions!), I just think the NFL Commissioner should know that a lot of women pay for their sport.  We deserve a little respect, not a slap in the face compared to Ben Roethlisberger's slap on the wrist.

You tell me... should we go for it?