Jobs Women Make Money

Women still make 25% less than men.  The reasons for the pay difference are women’s choices around jobs versus raising a family, and gender discrimination according to a 2006 New York Times article.  Anywho, this yahoo article tries to say these are 5 jobs in which women can have it all and still make money like a man. 

read full article here

Photo by:  Tidewater Muse

(my comment to the math photo is hardy, har, har, har, har…)

Kirsten Dunst & Depression

Apparently, Kirsten Dunst has come out and said that she was not in addiction related rehab, but rather she was in rehab for depression read full story here.  She is quoted saying We’re all in the same boat together,” she opines. “Depression is pretty serious and should not be gossiped about.”   I value that she is candid about her struggle and hope that press can be kind and willing to accept her humanness with gentleness.  I know many people struggle with issues of anxiety and depression, and these issues often stem from struggles with self-esteem.  It is important that we open up the communication lines about depression so that people know that it can be real, and that it can helped with proper assistance.  And in the vapid fashion of Perez Hilton he makes sure to poke fun and doubt her intentions (and although he could be correct why would anyone lie and say it was depression over addiction?!).  And Michael at the dlisted was almost compassionate, and then bitter.  I think everyone should just chill out and respect her courage. At People Magazine Online they discuss that she was crying a lot and drinking a lot.  All signs of depression, it is so great she sought help.  I am a big fan of letting others know that there are positive options like therapy – I wish it wasn’t so taboo in our culture to seek help for things like depression. Life is simply too short to live strained and depressed, anxious, unhappy or other related emotions!

In tribute to her honesty and coolness, here is an interview with Kirsten Dunst and Sophia Coppola from one of my favorite films 2006, Marie Antionette. 

Princess Beatrice Bikini Comments

The British press is going after 19 year Princess Beatrics (daughter of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew) for wearing a bikini.  Comments made that she needs to cover up because I guess she is asize 10 and therefore should cover up?!.  You can see her photo below in the bikini, but my question is this:

Why do we need to break her down?  Just as women to women and human to human, Beatrice is just a 19 year old young woman who is not exempt from needing to develop her confidence and self-esteem.  Why can’t others just RESPECT each other as human beings instead of breaking each other down?

Photo of Beatrice in Bikini

For me this isn’t an issue of being beautiful at all sizes, blah, blah, blah…what I am screaming at is WHY SO JUDGMENTAL and HURTFUL TOWARDS OTHERS?  We need to just get over judgments and just learn to be more bloody kind to each other.

Better Not Show Up The Boys: Girls & Basketball in Beaverton, OR

I have heard this time and time again from those wanting to remove Title 9 citing the notion that it is hurting boy’s self-esteem. Yes, heaven forbid they must treat girls equally, give them the same access to education and particularly sports that they get. Oh no, we can’t treat them fairly, it will hurt their conflated, overprivledged sense of oppressing other! Oh no!

While my cynical and smarty pants commentary aside (oh no, I should not be smarter than a boy either) this notion of protecting the boys from girls who excel them in sports particularly is problematic and quite honestly ticks me off.  

A similar issue has arisen with the WNBA, of which Megan has noted in other posts as well as Heidi in her WNBA Marketing Posts. The issue there is of course make-up requirements.

Yet, the article of late, from Beaverton, OR discusses this issue. Yet, it was not mentioned at all the real reason I think this amazingly talented young girl, Jaime Nared, (she is 12!) was kicked off the boys team she has been playing on since 2nd grade. It was not because of new management. It is not because the boys do not treat her same when it comes to being rough. It is not because of the surprise rule they just found about not allowing mixed gender teams.

The answer, dear readers, is that more than likely the parents do not want to have their boys losing to a girl.(Perhaps even fellow male team mates feel the same in this as well). Jaime herself is coming into her prime, scoring amazingly, and just excelling in every way. It was ok to let the “girl” play on the team……as long as she was not as good as the boys, or at least did not show it. How the tune does change! Now, it would ruin their manhood, hurt their self-esteem….they would not feel like the best. It is just not right to have boys experience that!

We must start now, ensuring that they never enter a situation where a girl or woman would be in a better position than them, socially, economically, or politically. Let us encourage the boys to demand girls are kicked out of all bastions of a falsified entitlement and socially constructed masculinity. After all, their self-esteem (really read that as privilege and continuing entitlement) stomps over all notions of equality.

Well what do those self-esteem bloggers out there think?

Read the full news article here.  Or watch the Video here.

Photo by: astique

Rize

RIZE (2005) Incredible documentary about a community coming together through dance. You see the fragility of self-esteem though with the terms of winning/losing. 

Nintendo Wii Fit & Self-Esteem

As we have mentioned before, and has been mentioned in research and various articles, that physical activity increases self-esteem and overall health.

What does this mean then with the introduction of the Wii Fit? Will this tech toy increase physical activity and self-esteem? Or is it just a game? If you play the Nintendo Wii Fit, give your thoughts! If you do not, tell us what you think as well!

Read the full article here.

Photo by: Ian Muttoo

Teen Sex Myth Debunked

 Well, looks like research is going to back “abstince” is the only way for teens. The reported trend with teens lately was supposedly having oral and anal sex as a way to remain a ‘technical virgin’ until real virginity is lost. According to researchers at the Guttmacher Institute have recently published findings in the Journal of Adolescent Psychology reports the Washington Post that this isn’t what teens are doing:

“This study . . . invalidates the suggestion that ‘technical virgins’ account for the rise in oral and anal sex,” said Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association. “Sexually experienced teens were almost four times more likely to engage in oral sex and 20 times more likely to engage in anal sex than their peers who were virgins.” …  “This report reveals that teen sex — even with a condom — presents significant risk for future sexual experimentation and so underscores the need for redoubled emphasis on abstinence education for teens,” she said. “Only abstinence education adequately addresses this problem.” 

Hmmmm…..teen sex is a big issue for self-esteem and especially for females. My question is when are we going to talk about fostering healthy sexuality in our youth versus the idea of “abstinence.”  I figure abstinence may be the best health option but unless supporters of abstinence plan to alter the global media to remove the blarring popularity of sexual activity, it seems like a feudal effort.  This all actually ties back to the Miley CyrusIssue for me, where as a society she was being publically admonished for her budding sexuality.

Like any serious social issues here are two short joke videos on the matter:

 

Photo by: Lin Pernille ♥ Photography