Well, I think the things that men don’t know about women (and vice versa) are precisely the things we have neglected to teach our children. It is our responsibility as leaders to convey this important information through example. And I don’t think that any woman will learn anything about how to handle disrepectful men in this world by having another (more capable?) woman do it for her. I think it is presumptuous and insulting to assume that any woman needs someone to handle the situation for her.

I bet you all would have some great comments for the Change the World section - I was there this morning and didn’t see too many of your names there. This topic is really fun, but your voices are needed….

Wow, with all these hot flashes maybe we need a topic on hormone replacement therapy. BTW, I sleep mostly in just panties, but sometimes I start with a cami or more and remove pieces as I become warmer. If I go totally nude my husband always assumes it’s a signal. I had a funny friend who said she had “go” and “no” panties. She and her husband understood which were which.

It’s interesting to me that we are asuming women will choose whether to join this discussion group based on what they expect to receive FROM it. I came here because I am searching for valid ways to give back, and I saw this forum as an possilbe means to that end. If ANY person believes he or she doesn’t belong here maybe it’s because they feel they wouldn’t have anything sufficient to offer. I would say, “bring it”.

Tinka I posted this on the Change the World section a few days back, but thought I’d reply to you with this information about ementoring. www.MentorNet.net is an E-Mentoring Network for Diversity in Engineering and Science. They pair mentors with proteges in similar fields for an 8 month online professional relationship geared toward providing support of all types for the student. Each partner completes a profile and chooses when and if to be an active participant. I am a mentor and am working with my third protege. Each protege has been quite different from the previos and has required different types of support. Finding a paying summer internship is definately an area where a mentor could help their protege.

Ms. Dee - I like your idea about the virual piggy-bank to fund the Grameen bank. What about a sponsor who would agree to donate to a U.S. Grameen Bank fund for each post on this blog?

Yes, the male’s comment about restricting the length of some comments got to me. I hadn’t really posted anything that I thought was lengthy, but I instantly felt that knee-jerk self doubt creep in that always seems to come to me after a reprimand from a male authority. Then I put myself in check and filed his comment where it belongs. Another one for the junk-mail file in my brain.

Suzanne I love reading your posts becuase they create enough curiosity for me to further educate myself. What type of work do you do? I was glad to see you bring up the topic of Grameen Bank. I just read Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus (founder of the Grameen Bank) and really am intrigued by his model. I was going to mention it today in a post as well. Thanks for always referencing your facts and for your links!

I had unprotected sex at 16, pregnancy at 17 while still in my senior year of high school, eloped one week after my 18th birthday, told my parents that I was married one day later. Fortunately I had enough credits to graduate high school a semester early because they didn’t allow pregnant teen students in the 70’s. I delivered my daughter when I was 18. I did some drugs, alcohol & dui. I have crashed my mountain bike breaking my bones more than once. I neglected to yield to a truck I didn’t see while driving my teen daughter to band practice, and we were subsequently t-boned. Although I struggled early on, my life so far has turned out great. I divorced my first husband, and was a single Mom on government assistance. I met my current husband in my 20’s, went to college, graduate school and clinical fellowship in Audiology and worked professionally in my 30’s. I’m learning to meditate and paint in my 40’s. I’ve also hiked mountains, gone diving with sharks, rock climbed, flown in glider planes, and eaten raw fish. The difference now is that I am informed, know my limits, and am more capable of making decisions. I am immensely proud of my daughter who is a kind hearted, wonderfully smart, Registered Nurse First Assistant and performs heart surgeries all day. So I guess the most dangerous thing I ever did was to be blind to my own potential. All I needed was one person to tell me that I was more than I had believed. I only hope I can pay that forward.

I can see it now. U.S. outsourcing progresses more each year, and immigration into the U.S. continues to progress. Current U.S. citizens are forced to leave this country for lack of jobs so we move elsewhere and the U.S. jobs are outsourced - back to us for lower pay.

Now that piece of music was certainly worth a pause…. Thanks for sharing the link!

Lately I have begun to think that maybe we don’t realize certain dreams because they aren’t the right ones for us. My parents never encouraged me to go to college, but instead to learn to type and take shorthand so I could be a good secretary. After having a child and a divorce I met a man who was in college, and he was the first person to recognize that I COULD do it. I received a bachelor’s degree with honors and a Master’s degree. I was an audiologist, then later worked in the pharmaceutical industry. I thought I wanted to be a couselor or teacher. I am none of those things anymore. I have a chronic illness which sucks, BUT NOW I have learned to paint!!! I had a very wise friend once tell me to be careful what you wish for. I think I am starting to understand that now.

You took the words right out of my fingers Deborah!

I live with chronic illness which prevents me form working in the traditional sense, and I am on disability. I have undergraduate and graduate degrees and 10+ years of work experience in two fields. I would like to have the opportunity to work on projects at home in my own time when I can. Although my energy levels limit me, I still need to feel like I make a difference, and would love to earn some money. I know there are work-at-home websites, but I think a networking website dedicated to disabled professionals would be advantageous. I’m just thinking out loud here, but does anyone have any thoughts on the feasiblity of this idea?

Ditto.