360 Blog

We Need More Women In Corporate AmericaWhich Fortune 500 companies are the worst for women to work for?  This particular survey collected data on which companies do not have women in their top-tiered management positions and which companies do not have any women on their Board of Directors. Both are interesting criteria and give a more interesting perspective than just looking at the companies based on wages alone.

So, which companies made the list?
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Let’s see a virtual show of hands—how many people, at least at one point in their lives, wanted to join the Peace Corps? Now how many actually did join? Yeah, me neither.

It was always a huge dream of mine to join. I thought I’d get to use my Spanish, help rebuild communities, or at least teach little kids to read. Little did I know that I’d have a kiddo of my own before I graduated college! Still, it remains on my Living To Do list, as someday when my child is grown I could still possibly serve in the Peace Corps with my husband. Read more

On a recent episode of Real Time with Bill Maher (which I had previously given up due to my feminist principles...), Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel Elizabeth Warren, who is always eloquent, passionate, and a light of hope among thousands of corrupt people, stated that she would be clear about why health reform isn’t happening like we’d like it to: lobbyists. The people simply don’t have the lobbying power that corporations have—sad, unfair, but true—and are not being heard over the throbbing dollar signs.

Today, it’s your turn to be a lobbyist. Read more

As an animal rights activist, there are plenty of things that bug the hell out of me. I can’t stand circuses, people who wear fur, or the cruelty of factory farming. But one of the biggest issues I have with animal abuse is when it deals with larger-than-life animals.

Don’t get me wrong; I think it’s horrible when people abuse anything from a dog to a chicken and that it should never be condoned. But there’s just something about a gigantic, majestic animal—such as an elephant or a whale, something much bigger and powerful than man—being killed for human use that actually makes me cry.  Something that enormous and awesome shouldn’t be destroyed to make someone a damn ashtray. Read more

Saudi Arabian Lingerie Shopping BoycottSaudi Arabian women are currently organizing an unusual protest; the women would like to boycott Saudi Arabian lingerie stores. Their reason is simple. In a country that is so conservative that men and women are not allowed to intermingle, most lingerie stores have only male salesclerks. In other words, women are assisted in their most personal shopping by men. Read more

It’s a weird holiday for a month, but think about it—how many times do you see stray shopping carts littering up the parking lot? Not only does it make it harder for YOU to park, it makes it a much tougher job on the poor guy (and it could be a girl, but I’ve only seen guys doing it) who has to lug all of those carts back inside. Sure, it’s his job, but that doesn’t give any of us the right to make it harder on him—especially in the freezing weather many of us are experiencing right now.

It’s also Random Acts of Kindness Month, so why not combine the two and return your cart back to where it belongs? It only takes a couple of seconds, and you could prevent an accident from happening. And while you’re at it, here are a few more ideas for the month. Feel free to add your own! Read more

From February 15 to February 19, 2010 ENOUGH’s Raise Hope for Congo project will be sponsoring a week of action, or Advocacy Days. These will be in support of the Conflict Minerals Trade Act (CMTA). The timing is perfect to meet local representatives to talk about the act and the conflict in Congo, as Congress will be in recess during this time.

The Act, if passed, will help identify minerals acquired from conflicts, helping the United States to cease trade with such areas and stop supporting the human rights abuses occurring in Congo today. The bill is sponsored by Representatives Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Jim McDermott (D-WA). Read more

I don’t know about you, but when I hear about species extinctions or endangerment, I get pretty sick to my stomach. I’ve heard plenty of people wave these very real, very permanent losses off as a work of nature, of natural selection; after all, extinction has been happening since the dawn of time, right?

In a word, yes, but that’s not a complete answer; we know that the number of species becoming extinct today are largely due to the actions of humans. The main causes of endangerment and extinction are the introduction of nonnative species, disease, pollution, loss of habitat, and overhunting. Most of these are directly caused by humans, and those that are not are still somewhat due to human involvement. Read more

CongressI recently wrote (a little angrily) about a writer on Gawker who complained about the uselessness of using social media for Internet campaigns. A few days later, I got a status report regarding Burma and legislation in particular that would ensure that the US government would have a more watchful eye towards Burma.

I dutifully followed the link in the status report to “Write my congressman”- all I had to do was type in my address, sign my name, and specify the type of legislation I was writing about and voila, the message was sent. Today, I got a message back from my congressman, telling me that my message was received (happily) and that if I wanted to follow a specific piece of legislation, I could check out this web site for the bill number.
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With the kiddos at home today, you might be wondering what to do with them so soon after holiday break. Sure, you could let them sit in their PJs and watch cartoons or play video games, but what’s the fun in that? Instead of another boring day off school, why not make it a fun day by celebrating the reason they’re off—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sometimes it’s hard to celebrate people—it’s not exactly the same as celebrating a cartoon character or commercial holiday where plenty of activities and decorations are readily available. How can you make Dr. King and his message accessible to your kids? Here are a few ideas to get you started. Read more