Issue 173 — July 26, 2021
Two billionaires went into space last week and created a big dust up here on Earth. The debates over whether Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos did something amazing or disgusting raged on social media.
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Issue 172 — July 12, 2021
Last week, I attended my first unmasked, in person, un-social distanced theatrical performance, albeit outdoors. It was pure bliss.
The play was, of course, the thing, and an entertaining one at that. But being in a community of happy theater goers was by far the essence of my joy.
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Issue 171— July 5, 2021
Philanthropist Melinda French Gates stood for a photo op with French President Emmanuel Macron at the UN Women’s Generation Equality Forum June 29-July 1, 2021 and discussed the Gates Foundation’s new commitment of $2.1 USD to women’s economic empowerment, family planning, and (Hallelujah! At last!) accelerating women’s leadership.
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Issue 170 — June 28, 2021
My weekly zoom with women friends who have been staying in touch through the pandemic recently focused on how hard it is to get old ideas and solutions out of their heads when a new and better one has been proven more effective.
The examples mostly came from the world of science and medicine, starting with Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis who was hounded out of the medical profession in the 19th century. Dr. Semmelweis observed that simply washing hands after treating other patients could significantly reduce maternal mortality. Despite a growing body of scientific papers that backed up his theory, most physicians refused to change their traditional practices, and eventually had Semmelweis committed to an institution where he died.
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Issue 169 — June 6, 2021
As a girl, I loved tennis. I was never destined to be a Naomi Osaka, but I played regularly until I was 13 years old. Then my family moved to a small town where the only public tennis court was at the local high school. Soon after arriving in town, I went there with a girlfriend.
The court bordered on the street. A few minutes into our game, a carload of teenage boys parked in front of the court and shouted remarks about our physical appearance. We ignored the boys till they left, then packed up our racquets and went home. I never played tennis again.
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Issue 168 — May 31, 2021
It’s graduation season. A time of traditions.
Last year, graduation traditions, or rather the lack of them were a shock to the system. Regardless of which of the three available responses schools chose — cancel, postpone, or scramble to go virtual —there was much hand-wringing and mourning about what the students would miss.
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Issue 167 — May 17, 2021
Every time I make a speech or do a leadership training, a woman inevitably asks, “What about women who don’t support other women? Why are women so hard on other women?” Or, “What do I do about a woman who is trying to sabotage me in my career?”
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Issue 166 — April 19, 2021
Did you ever have an idea and after some months it actually happens? Were you surprised? Excited? So sure it would come to pass that you weren’t worried about it even when it seemed like it would be impossible to achieve for whatever reason? All of the above?
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Issue 165 — April 5, 2021
“And in a world where everyone strives to act, think and look the same — being different is truly something to be proud of. That’s why I’m very proud to be autistic.” – Greta Thunberg.
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Issue 163 — March 22, 2021
First and foremost, I stand and Take The Lead, as an organization, stands in solidarity with Asian Americans, and against the rising hate crimes and harassment against them.
Since hearing the terrible news of the murders of eight people, six of them Asian women, in Atlanta massage parlors on March 16, the words of the song from Rogers and Hammerstein’s 1949 musical South Pacific have been repeating in my mind.
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Issue 162 — March 8, 2021
This March 8 is an International Women’s Day like no other.
Let’s first take a moment to recognize the millions globally who have suffered illness and those who have died from Covid-19.
The day we now celebrate with flowers and tributes to the advances women have made began in 1909 as a radical call by women in the Socialist Party of America for workers’ rights and women’s rights — both very radical notions at the time. This included safe workplaces and efforts to prevent sexual assault and violence in war zones and elsewhere. Sound familiar? Not really so very radical is it?
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