I have a friend who, every time she sees me, feels the need to say, "You look so skinny." The first time she said this, I took it as a compliment. I thought that she was giving me kudos for the good care I take of myself with three healthy...

Most of you have probably heard about the dire straits public schools in California face, but maybe like me, until you see some numbers comparing school budgets between last year and this year, it doesn't fully hit home.

A friend of mine who teaches in a Los Angeles public school...

It is no secret that teachers in general are underpaid. In fact, many teachers leave the profession because they do not make enough money. According to a 2006 study done by The National Education Association, 50 percent of teachers leave the profession...

Every day we hear about incredible improvements in the financial status of women. More and more women are the primary breadwinner in their household (almost 40%). Women-owned businesses are growing at twice the rate of all U.S. companies. A new survey by GfK...

My third grade teacher, Mrs. Gray, called my mom at home one day to tell her that she was worried about me playing soccer all of the time with the boys at recess. "She's the only girl and I'm afraid it's too rough for her. She might get hurt," she...

I'm a Dave Letterman fan. My husband and I TiVo his show and watch it a few nights a week. I happened to be watching last Thursday night when Dave announced that he had done some "very, very bad things."

By now, most of you have heard the...

A good friend revealed to me recently that when she first got married, she found herself doing all sorts of "Little Miss Homemaker things." She was ironing her husband's shirts, making him lunch, and waiting for him to come home at the end of the day. "I have never ironed...

Historically speaking, women have been left out of the most important conversations regarding war and peace until fairly recently. (Only 17 percent of the seats in the US Congress are held by women - and that's the most it's ever been.) As more women are coming into positions of power...

I have always felt deep in my bones that peace in our world is possible. I have been doubted, challenged, laughed at and ridiculed for this belief.

There will always be wars, it's human nature. I...

A line started forming just after midnight Tuesday at the Los Angeles Forum in Inglewood, California by thousands of people hoping to get free medical, dental and vision services being offered courtesy of the non-profit group Remote Area Medical. The people in line were not just the uninsured,...

Are you a "Yes" person or a "No" person, and is one better than the other?

Movies like The Yes Man starring Jim Carey would have you believe that saying "no" leads to a boring life and a host of unexplored possibilities. After saying...

What would it be like if you made more money than your husband or your boyfriend or your father? For some of you, you are already in this position. For others, what once seemed like a faraway possibility, is now closer in view.

According to a recent article in

I have heard it said over and over in the personal growth world that in order to reach your potential, you must "embrace your dark side," or "shadow." What the heck does this mean? I thought for years. What dark side?

Little by little...

As a Buddhist practitioner you learn that lust, greed and desire are negative qualities - hindrances on the path to enlightenment and in some texts, even evil. You learn that sensual pleasures are better left renounced and the body just a vehicle to be trained and overcome.

Many of us are familiar with teen bullying. If you didn't see Mean Girls with Lindsay Lohan, you probably heard about it. Girls being mean to girls -- backstabbing, back-talking and sabotaging. Pretty depressing, but pretty true. Where does this come from...

As countries like India and China rise in their global status and economic power, I wonder if the increased visibility will force them to clean up their act and see that their children are protected.

This headline last week was a harsh reminder of...

Last Wednesday was Earth Day. My email Inbox was packed with announcements, newsletters and events all in honor of this day. I didn't attend any particular event, but I did go out for my daily walk in my Santa Monica neighborhood and soaked in the beauty of the flowers,...

Not too far in the past, if a woman was assertive, demanding and purposeful, she was considered a controlling bitch. On the other hand, if a woman complained about her lack of opportunity and played victim, she was considered an annoying whiner. Today, many women are looking to each other...

I was out rollerblading with my cousin today, like we do every Thursday morning. It is a time for us to catch up, talk about what's going on in our lives, get some exercise, and drink in the beautiful beachside heaven that we have here in Santa Monica.

In this blog I've discussed public issues and also personal ones. Today's blog is a personal one. I have touched on this topic before, but I am finding I need to discuss it again as I'm curious about other people's experience with it. Here goes...

I have been thinking a...