HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Yes, I'm aware it's a day late, but I had great intentions to get this posted a day early.  It's been a hectic week, what can I say?  The day here was marked by a large parade at my workplace of "Women Scouts" who looked like a force to be reckoned with.  There were also free promotions at my gym for all the females, but they had a poster for the day that read "Women:  You've Got it So Easy."  I had to have a word with the management.

Anyway, 3 shout outs to all the strong, loving, fun-to-be-around women in my life.  Keep flexing those muscles.

1.  Check out this uplifting, light-hearted youtube video, and please sing along, inserting adjectives about your wonderful self where appropriate.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Vd2UHBbjA  SPOILER ALERT:  ELMO is a hero of mine, even if he isn't a she.

2.  I'm reading a fascinating, sometimes hilarious book titled "Turn Right at Macchu Picchu" by Mark Adams.  In it he recounts some of the adventures of Hiram Bingham, who did a lot of exploring of Macchu Picchu around 1911-13.  Funny thing, though, there was a woman at the time, a Ms. Annie M. Peck, who climbed mountains higher than him, and before he got to him. When she reached the summit of one she planted a flag reading VOTES FOR WOMEN, as she was a strong supporter of women's suffrage. And she was a sassy pants who sent him barbed offers of help to find his way on mountains she had already climbed. Why have we not read more about this woman in our history books?

3. In a recent NYTimes Blog for India called India Ink, Neha Thirani Bagri writes a very compelling blog titled "Where is India's Feminist Movement Headed?" in which she puts to pen what is to me the most difficult issue for women in India.  "But one of the most difficult tasks for feminists can’t be accomplished in a courtroom or in a mass protest: that is, changing men’s underlying attitudes toward women, which many advocates say is necessary for a permanent end to the violence, abuse and persecution that women in India experience." Amen, sister.  

Here's the link to the rest of the article: http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/where-is-indias-feminist-movement-headed/?ref=world

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