Selfridges Goes Gender Neutral

Selfridges Department Store in the United Kingdom has decided to go gender neutral after noticing that so many women were buying men's clothes. Now, they say, anyone can buy what most matches her or his self expression, with three floors of unisex clothing. The store will also say farewell to its current mannequins and revamp its beauty products and accessories. For many, this could be a very welcome change.

I remember the ridiculous situation of having to send the girls I coached to the boys section in order to buy soccer shorts and shirts. It sent a clear message that soccer is for boys and not girls. For anyone who does not adhere to gender stereotypes, many stores still let a person know there is something amiss.

Historically, females have had an easier time of dressing the way males have traditionally dressed, but males have bullied other males who have dressed in any way perceived to be female. This is a hierarchy issue, as it is fine for lower groups to be like the "superior" top, but prohibited for top groups to act like "inferior" lower groups.

Selfridges says they want everyone to be liberated.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/27/selfridges-gender-neutral-clothing_n_6549922.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000050

Beware Men Who Harass Women!!

To men who think it is so innocent and funny to harass women, beware. You might just find yourself in the same situation as these men in Peru!!

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/01/24/moms-in-disguise/

The NRA, No Surprise, Is Wrong

The top of the hierarchy lives in fear of lower groups. According to an article in Slate, here is a quote from Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association:

"We know, in the world that surrounds us, there are terrorists and home invaders and drug cartels and car-jackers and knock-out gamers and rapers, haters, campus killers, airport killers, shopping-mall killers, road-rage killers, and killers who scheme to destroy our country with massive storms of violence against our power grids, or vicious waves of chemicals or disease that could collapse the society that sustains us all."

But all of us are losing, and dying, because of the fear that keeps the top of the hierarchy from informing itself with facts. The evidence overwhelmingly shows that guns leave everybody less safe, especially harrowing for women and children, who die from gun violence in America at far higher rates than in other countries. There is a significant positive relationship between gun ownership and overall homicide levels.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2015/01/good_guy_with_a_gun_myth_guns_increase_the_risk_of_homicide_accidents_suicide.html?google_editors_picks=true

"Barbie Doesn't Resonate with Girls Anymore"

Music to our ears. Looks like Barbie may be on her way out.

Eating disorders and females not liking their bodies, are they on their way out too? We have grown up with Barbie, and also watched women try and succeed in becoming way too thin, while nothing like that has happened to men.

We have watched the explosion of artificial blond hair and make-up, while men are thought to look great as their natural selves.

Financial analysts say that Barbie just doesn’t resonate with girls anymore. She is being replaced, at least temporarily, by Elsa of the movie "Frozen." Well at least Elsa has a goal in her life, is brave, and can be a leader. Not just possess a body that is impossible to achieve in real life like Barbie.

Was it just that for so long there was no one else strong enough to replace her?

 http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mattels-problems-wont-end-at-change-of-guard-2015-01-26?link=MW_latest_news

Teaching Our Children about Civil Rights

Today is the 60th birthday of Ruby Bridges, the brave six-year-old girl who was the first to the first African American child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in the southeastern United States. She attended school alone in the classroom the first year because no white parents would send their children to learn in the same classroom. The next year more African American children came.

This Facebook posting contains many web and print resources for children about desegregation for people their age, and are written for children their age. The posting also contains a more complete story of Ruby Bridges, a true troubadour for equality.

To look at hundreds of resources that depict girls as the truely strong people they are, see

http://www.amightygirl.com/books

https://www.facebook.com/amightygirl/photos/a.360833590619627.72897.316489315054055/733247560044893/?type=1&theater

CIvil Rights - Women Gave It To Us Too

In so many ways, men are in the forefront because they are the only ones given opportunity to be visible leaders. Hence, men get the credit. The women who work in the background to make the movement, event, or the organization happen are too often forgotten.

In this week of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., let us also remember some of the women who also brought us the Civil Rights Movement.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/speak-easy/item/77522-the-invisible-women-of-the-civil-rights-movement

Majority of School Children Feel the Direct Effects of our Hierarchies

We all know that, in one of the world's richest countries, the money is going somewhere. And not to most people who are building this country through their hard work and sacrifice.

So now, finally, we have the situation that over half of our children in public schools qualify for  free or reduced lunch, meaning the majority of our children in public schools are poor.

Republicans just keep sending more resources to the top, and many people who are poor keep being brainwashed to support them. Hierarchies are great at getting people to work against their own best interests.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/majority-of-us-public-school-students-are-in-poverty/2015/01/15/df7171d0-9ce9-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html

Diversity Helping our Collective Independence

Who is defying the dominance of the United States by corporate America, and trying to keep the thought of mom and pop businesses alive? It's the immigrants.

Between 2000 and 2013, immigrants accounted for all net Main Street business growth nationally and in 31 of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the country.

Maybe immigrants aren't so brainwashed as the rest of us about our overly capitalistic system, where those on the top can't have enough and we should pass our resources to them and sit quietly while we are grateful for crumbs.

Immigrants are keeping our American dream of independence alive.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/most-main-street-growth-due-immigrant-businesses-n286071

Absence of Leadership and Philosophy

Piers Morgan has written an editorial about the lack of the presence of the United States leadership at the Paris rally and support yesterday by millions in support of Charlie Hebdo solidarity.

At the head of the march were 50 world leaders; the Prime Ministers of France, Britain, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Turkey and Israel stood side-by-side, arm-in-arm with the German chancellor, the Palestinian president, and the Queen of Jordan. 

As a country who prides itself as being on top of the world hierarchy, the United States absence of leadership would be noticed.  Also, as a country who prides itself on spending trillions of dollars fighting international terrorism, absence of leadership would be noticed. And of course Morgan would get the point across by referring to the sport in this country on top of the sports hierarchy only played by men and mostly popular only in the United States - football.

As a country who thinks military might and free use of guns will solve problems, our lack of leadership presence sends another message - other ways of addressing problems in the world are not as effective. We'll see who is right in the end.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2906879/PIERS-MORGAN-Fifty-world-leaders-marched-freedom-yesterday-leader-free-world-Watching-football-dropping-ball.html

Go Ducks - In the Right Direction

Yes we do live in Oregon, so we would like the Ducks to win the football college national championship. But articles like this make us even more convinced we live in a wonderful state.

We have come a long way when it comes to LGBT awareness.

http://www.outsports.com/2015/1/7/7510145/oregon-ducks-coach-mark-helfrich-gay-football-player

A Billion Dollars not Enough in a "Top 1%" Divorce Settlement

Though we don't dispute that maybe she is not getting her fair share, Ann Arnall, 56, refused a $974.8 million divorce settlement check saying that the amount is too small. She is the ex-wife of a billionaire oil tycoon and former hubby Harold Hamm — CEO of the energy company Continental Resources. She is demanding more money because he was allowed to keep the bulk of his $13.5 billion fortune.

If we in the other 99% have a hard time perceiving just how much the other 1% has, here is a good example to remind us. The accompanying question is, of course, why do Republican lawmakers keep insisting the top 1% doesn't have enough and need even more tax breaks.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wife-rejects-billionaire-oilmans-975m-personal-check/story?id=28055210

Empowered Women Speak Out the Truth in America

Speaking the truth. Through poetry. About the issues facing young people and people younger and older than they. It works. It is effective. Watch.

http://www.empoweringwomennow.com/videos/3-fearless-girls-queen-latifah/