Blogs on More

Okay, here’s a really cool thing to do today in honour of International Women’s Day.

The International Museum of Women (IMOW) has officially launched Women on the Map!, an online global campaign starting today and continuing throughout the month of March.

How it works
Each woman’s name will be added to a world map of where they are located (to be viewed as a drop pin) and a brief message about why they are being honored.

The whole process takes 30 seconds and the honoree will become part of a collective of names of women from across the globe, connecting women across continents and creating a visual representation of the vast, change-making impact women can have on the world. The map also features pins with links to inspirational and personal stories of women featured in IMOW’s latest online exhibition, Economica: Women and the Global Economy, to present a snapshot of women’s roles in economies around the world today.

I tried it out by adding my former camp director’s name and location (of the camp) and it works really nicely.

Click here to add your personal heroine to the map.

* photo courtesy of IMOW

I was really glad to see Meryl Streep win at the Golden Globes (here’s a clip of her in the press room, where I find her answers smart and classy as usual); I have to admit that Julie & Julia was the surprise movie of the year for me - I really enjoyed it and found it inspirational. Go passionate women!

What did you think of the awards?

Also, I wanted to be sure to announce our winner of the giveaway contest. The comments were all so good that I picked a random number and that’s the comment that won: #23: “My husband and I don’t argue very often and if we do have a serious discussion we try to remain calm and under control. We very seldom yell at each other and try to reason with each other if we disagree-so compromise is always our best strategy. We have been married for 43 years and so far we are still madly in love with each other!!” - Sheila.

Stay tuned for a post around some of your comments; they were really great. Thanks for participating and keep reading for more giveaways and opportunities to share your wisdom!

Do you still make resolutions? I have read that this is the worst time of year to make resolutions, and I often haven’t kept my own but I still appreciate the cultural ritual of pausing to look back for a moment and determine the way forward, so to speak.

So here are the stories we ran last year that are inspiring me to strive this year. If you have a favourite - on any site - do share yours in the comments!

Georgina Branch-Brown’s story of her second act as an art model
How to start an eco-friendly business
Judith Timson’s look at late bloomers
Vanessa Craft’s profile of women who went from homeless to business owners
Women who’ve taken up competitive sports at midlife
Karen von Haun’s piece on ditching your fashion phobias
And Sarah Moore’s inaugural rant!

Avatar premieres this week and Sigourney Weaver graces our December/January cover. And she looks fabulous, both in clips from the film and on our cover.

I confess I’ve had a not-so-secret crush on Sigourney Weaver since I first saw Alien. I was too young for the scary bits in 1979 when the film was released, but I had a memorable date during its re-release in the hype leading up to Aliens in 1986. I remember ranting most of the way home to my date about the lack of really powerful women characters like Ripley when he confessed that he’d just been hoping I would be scared and lean up against him. He didn’t stick around for my Working Girl phase. (I fortunately have not yet had an Ice Storm phase.)

So reading Margy Rochlin’s profile was not just part of my job but it made the fan girl in me happy. Not only does Weaver talk about her debut in sci-fi, she shares about her empty nest anxieties and her 25-year-old marriage. I wish I could link you to the piece, but it’s one of the ones we’re not able to run on the site so you’ll have to go get a copy of More if you don’t already have one. (But I can and will link you to Diane Selkirk’s web-exclusive piece on Reena Lazar, a much less well-known role model who uses film to help bring peace to teens - kind of her own avatar project in a way.)

Women in film really can influence us. Lieut. Ellen Ripley gave me a taste of women badasses (as MTV named her) that I’ve never quite lost. Which film characters have shaped your view of women?

Dawn Burns, More’s advertising coordinator, is appearing in Canadian Living’s “Holiday Mixer” style piece this month.

What was it like to model? Dawn says “It’s hard work. It’s not as easy as it looks. Having to get me to laugh out loud and have genuine smiles was hard…I felt a bit like a toddler when they were saying smile for the camera. But it was a lot of fun to get fussed over. I also wasn’t allowed to sit down in the clothes once I had them on.” Click on the thumbnail to get a look at Dawn’s looks, courtesy of Canadian Living.

Tell us something you’ve done lately that took you out of your comfort zone!

I’m very sad to pass on the news that Cheryl Irving, featured in Lisa Fitterman’s piece Cheryl goes to the bank passed away on November 11, after a long battle with cancer. Donations are welcome to the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, in lieu of flowers.

Allow me a bit of hometown pride here for a moment: Sometimes living in Toronto is just a lot of fun. Fortunately, thanks to the Royal Ontario Museum’s podcasting, I get to share a recent Toronto-based event with you all online: Celebrated American writer and publishing magnate Lewis Lapham recently presented “Celebrity in Contemporary Culture” as a part of the Eva Holtby Lecture on Contemporary Culture, and you can listen to it right here.

It’s a smart and entertaining examination of the question of celebrity in our culture (along with great anecdotes), so grab a cup of tea and have a listen.

If this is your thing, and you’re in the Toronto area, absolutely do not miss the ROM’s Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913 - 2008 (until January 3, 2010). I was privileged to attend the media preview and have actually gone back myself since to take another look. The pictures are beautiful, of course, but seeing them carefully curated and collected really brought home for me how photographers and media create iconic images. If you take my advice and head over, leave time to visit Canadian Content: Portraits by Nigel Dickson (until March 21, 2010) as well.

And just to completely blow your mind, the Art Gallery of Ontario is exhibiting Edward Steichen: In High Fashion, the Condé Nast Years 1923–1937 as a sort of sister exhibition to the Vanity Fair portraits. I recommend it too!

Let us know what you think, either of the podcast or the exhibits. Also, if you want to share what’s going on in your hometown, please do post in the comments or get in touch with me.

[Jenn’s note: Today’s guest blog is written by Monica Drexler (50 - yes, 50; check out the pics), sales director for More, She recounts her first cycling fundraiser – riding in Israel alongside war veterans. I thought today was the right day to share her experience with you. Just click on the thumbnails to get a better view of the thumbnails!]

I recently completed my first fundraiser cycle ride in Israel called “Courage In Motion” (Oct.19-23). It’s organized by Beit Halochem Canada Aid To Disabled Veterans Of Israel, which supports and helps to rehabilitate soldiers who have been wounded as well as citizens who are victims of terrorism. This was a chance for me to give back and at the same time participate in a sport that I love. I signed up with my boyfriend Paul who had done several of these fundraisers in the past. I envied the way he would return from these trips full of accomplishment.

I knew that I needed to train hard in order to complete the 300+ km route from Tel-Aviv To Eilat. When the day arrived to leave for the trip I started to feel a little anxious, not knowing what to expect. Would the rest of the 30 riders leave me in the dust? Would I be able to keep up with the pace? Would I remember to refill my fanny pack with tissue for emergency pee breaks?

When we arrived to meet our group, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved to hear that many riders felt the same way as I did, although there were a few elite cyclists ready to burn rubber.

Riding with vets
We had the privilege to cycle with remarkable war veterans. Although they each had their own personal story of tragedy they do not consider themselves as victims. They are strong, courageous and determined and they demonstrated each one of these qualities during our 5-day challenge. Their injuries quite often affected mobility of their legs and therefore they were equipped with 3 wheel bikes, requiring them to pedal with arm strength. These bikes were low to the ground and in 40 degree (Celsius!) weather the heat from the pavement would have been unimaginable yet they were unstoppable. This is the only event of its kind that incorporates a support system encouraging vets to participate; otherwise it is impossible for them to experience riding a bike outdoors - which we so easily take for granted.

I met Helen the second day of my ride. She had sustained her injuries from a suicide bomber while shopping one day. My initial reaction of feeling sad about her situation quickly changed to someone I looked to for inspiration. She handled her 3 wheel bike with ease and glided in front of me with confidence and pure core strength. She was one of many who gave me the strength to finish the 330 km challenge. Each one of these veterans is a hero in my mind and it was my privilege and honor to be able to ride along side with them.

Giving back feeds the soul but don’t underestimate the strength and drive of these survivors as we have much to learn from them.

I made many new friends on this trip and learned many life lessons and will be able to relive the wonderful memories at our Toronto reunion in a couple of weeks. As a group we raised $150,000 and hope to surpass this goal again next year! Maybe I’ll see you there?

To all my dear friends and family, thank you for your support…you each helped to make a difference.

I’m very pleased to announce that we have video of two fearless editors:

Linda Lewis, editor-in-chief gives a behind-the-scenes look at the November issue
Sarah Moore, managing editor delivers a 40-second rant on how women are portrayed as technophobes - warning, you may laugh out loud at the office

Our haute flash readers got the links first this time, and if you want to be among them the next time, sign up for our newsletters. Although subscribing to the blog through your RSS reader will also put you in the loop!

That said, we did have site issues this week and I’d like to thank you all for your patience and understanding. They totally stressed me out; any tips you want to share on remaining calm when things go wrong would be much appreciated in the comments!

Finally, heading into the weekend, I wanted to share this great piece on the Obamas’ marriage from the New York Times. My husband and I struggle with this notion of equality a lot as well, and neither of us is a world leader! What’s your take?

This is a pretty neat project in sustainable fashion: The Uniform Project. Sheena Matheiken is wearing the same dress every day (designed by Eliza Starbuck) for one year in order to raise awareness and funds for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots non-profit devoted to bringing education to children living in the slums.

Every day she posts her new look and a number of them are pretty inspiring. Time to dust off that little black dress!