Cultivating Our Powers

Posted by: gretchen on November 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

When I logged into Girls Can’t WHAT? this morning, the random quote from the top of the page that greeted me was this:

“Let her [woman] receive encouragement for the proper cultivation of all her powers, so that she may enter profitably into the active business of life.” ~ Lucretia Mott

I don’t know the exact context of this statement. If I recall correctly, I found it in a book somewhere and wrote it down. It sounds a bit like a prayer to me, and perhaps it is. I think the part that smacked me in the face this morning was the word “proper”. As women, we have lots of powers. Some we use for good and others we squander or don’t use at all. Ultimately we are the ones choosing which powers to exercise and whether we will use them for good or evil. We are all constantly trying to “cultivate our powers” but are we receiving the right materials to prosper?

Ms. Mott suggests we should receive encouragement in order for the proper cultivation to take place. Much like a plant that needs water, sunlight and other nutrients to grow, encouragement is essential to our own growth. Without it, we may cultivate power, but is it proper? We can still grow and have power but it will be weak, wilted and poorly formed much like a plant that doesn’t get enough sunlight. Without the positive influence of encouragement, we cannot grow properly.

What can we do to ensure that we are properly cultivating power to others today?

Girls Can’t WHAT? 2008 Calendars are Here

Posted by: gretchen on November 19, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

Just in time for Christmas! The Girls Can’t WHAT? Calendars make great gifts for friends, family members and employees. Everone needs a calendar, right?

Girls can't WHAT? Cowgirl CalendarGirls can't WHAT? Veterinarian Calendar
Girls can't WHAT? Volleyball CalendarGirls can't WHAT? Bass Guitar Calendar

“Anonymous” is not a License to be Mean

Posted by: gretchen on November 19, 2007 | 2 Comments |

Megan Meier PhotoA favorite stop on my daily round of news feeds is OpenSourceCommunity.org where I get my fix of geeky stuff. Yesterday, however, I was reminded about a story that first appeared last year about a young girl named Megan Meier, who hanged herself after receiving hateful messages on myspace. You can catch ABC News’ interview with Megan’s parents one year after their daughter’s suicide for the complete story and an interview with Megan’s parents. The interview is short and essentially is a plea by the parents to put safety measures in place for kids on the Internet. They would like to institute required classes in schools for Internet safety. While I agree that education is needed among younger computer users, I think there is a deeper issue that extends beyond the scope of the world wide web, where the “www” often stands for “wild wild west”.
Read more

Is it “Ho, ho, ho” or “Ha, ha, ha”?

Posted by: gretchen on November 16, 2007 | 2 Comments |

Kelli pointed out this lovely article from World Net Daily about Santa and his traditional “Ho, ho, ho” expression. It seems, some nutjobs somewhere are protesting Santa’s freedom of speech, citing that “Ho, ho, ho” is not a politically correct thing to say these days. The temporary employment service, Westaff, is mandating that it’s Santas-for-hire replace the supposed derogatory phrase with “Ha, ha, ha” instead.

Ok, who thinks this stuff up? Seriously. Are there not better things to do in life? Let’s look at this from a logical viewpoint. Kids usually figure out that “Santa” isn’t real in about the second or third grade. Ask your average second or third grader what a “ho” is and you will likely be told it is a gardening tool. So does anyone really think that Santa is insulting women everywhere with his cheerful “ho ho ho” greeting? C’mon! I’d be more concerned that our kids will end up in therapy, traumatized because the new-improved politically correct Santa is laughing at them.

Barbara Walters Interview on TV Land

Posted by: gretchen on November 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

Recieved an email from Orli Sharaby, 360i on behalf of TV Land, mentioning an interview with Barbara Walters which will be airing tomorrow evening:

As a champion of feminist issues and as a blog with many younger readers, I thought I would share with you this short video about Barbara Walters, a woman who has been breaking barriers in media for nearly half a century. Now, she’s been named as one of TV Land and Entertainment Weekly’s 50 greatest TV icons of all time. The video comes from TV Land, and it’s a brief snippet about Barbara Walters’ impact on our cultural landscape.

“The 50 Greatest TV Icons” is a 2-hour TV Land special that airs on Friday, Nov. 16 at 8pm ET/PT, but a couple of celebrity interviews have been made available now, exclusively for bloggers. One of them features newscaster Cynthia McFadden discussing Barbara Walters, as I mentioned above.

Click here to watch the video.

I watched the clip and the interview proves to be very interesting. I’m making a note on my calendar to watch it. :D

Looking for Gurus

Posted by: gretchen on November 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

Between the influx of registered users and the barrage of requests for help I have received via email in the last couple of months, I thought maybe it was time to put two and two together. A mentoring type of “program” was suggested to me many moons ago when I first started building this site, but at the time I didn’t had too much on my plate to put any thought or effort into creating such a thing. With membership approaching 500 lovely ladies and counting, I think maybe it’s time to put something together. I’m just brainstorming out loud here, so don’t expect a detailed plan to follow. I’m just looking for interest, feedback and ideas to see if “mentoring” is worth pursuing.

First of all, I don’t like the word “mentor”. Too close to the word “mental” and, well, people think I’m mental already. “Buddies” is too cheesy, although that’s the current term used in the forums, but perhaps I can hack that… Read more

Four-wheeling Anyone?

Posted by: gretchen on November 13, 2007 | 5 Comments |

This is another “by request” design, but I’m not sure what to call it. It’s a girl on a four-wheeler, but is there a technical name for this sport? Is it a sport?  I know a lot of women who like to ride ATV’s through mud and rough terrain, but I’m not sure if there are any competitions involving the vehicles or if this is just something you do for fun.  Please post a comment and enlighten me.  :)

Anyway, the Four-Wheeler design is now available on all sorts of T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, posters, stickers, magnets, hats and more in the Girls Can’t WHAT? shop.

ATV Four-Wheeler Design

Test

Posted by: gretchen on November 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

Test Post - ignore. Having problems with WordPress today after some server upgrades. Lovely. Welcome to Monday. x(

One is Greater than None

Posted by: gretchen on November 9, 2007 | 5 Comments |

One is Greater than NoneMy sister caught this info on Martha Stewart today…. “One is greater than None” is an organization started by eight 14-year-old girls who wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. They have recently launched their own line of clothing and are using the proceeds to help kids in other countries. It’s a pretty impressive undertaking and it’s really catching on. Check them out at oneisgreaterthannone.org.

Girls Guide to Grappling by Liz Posener

Posted by: gretchen on November 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

Liz Posener PhotoFemale fighter Liz Posener is passionate about her sport. A mother of two, Liz, along with her husband, Simon, own and operate a training facility called Kel Lee’s Academy of Martial Arts. Liz is a professional trainer and also competes in women’s grappling events.

Liz actively shares her knowledge of grappling and martial arts with other women. She is the author of the “Girls Guide to Grappling” where she details 10 important things to consider while training.

To find out more about Liz Posener, visit her web site at: www.lizposener.com

How to Get Answers on the Internet

Posted by: gretchen on November 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

Getting an answer is not always an easy task. I’ve had people tell me I am “brilliant” when able to help them find a solution to their web design or troubleshoot their computer. I won’t dispute the fact that I am smart (I hate it when people downplay intelligence. If you are intelligent, you need not be ashamed of it.) I’m not talking about IQ points here either. My “intelligence” is the result of hard work and an intense desire to learn how things work. I also know how to get answers and get them fast. My suggestions are geared toward getting technical answers, but can be applied to just about any kind of research. Here are my tips:

1. Ask. Yep - just ask. Someone out here in cyberspace probably already knows how to solve your problem. They won’t be randomly emailing you anytime soon, so you need to make yourself known. Find a forum that specializes in the area you need help in. If you have a medical question, don’t post it in a geek forum as you are likely to get the wrong kind of instructions for resuscitating your hard drive. (Please be sure to follow the forum etiquette and do search for answers before you post. Oftentimes the answer is already there if you take a moment to look for it.) Read more

Voting for Hillary Because She’s a Woman

Posted by: gretchen on November 1, 2007 | 5 Comments |

This subject was brought up in an earlier post, but Kelli sent me a great article from American Thinker titled “Republican Women Too Smart to Fall for Hillary’s Ruse” discussing Mark Penn’s recent declaration that 24% of Republican women will defect and vote for Hillary because she’s a woman.  Of course the article goes on to state why this is a ludicrous thing to say, much less publish in a public newspaper.  I still find it amusing that people think women vote “emotionally”.  I think we deserve much more credit than that.

I’ll be the first to admit that a woman president would be cool.  I’m already developing a Girls Can’t WHAT? design for that, but I could never vote for a candidate based on gender just to add another “female first” to the tally of feminist achievements.   As an American citizen, my privilege to vote is not something to be sqandered.

I absolutely HATE discussing politics, but I thought I’d throw this one out for commenting.  Is anyone planning to change political parties just to elect a woman president?

Comments