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Stumbled on this article, so I decided to post it here

If women can have careers and be mothers, why do we as a society persist in seeing professional ambition and parenting as mutually exclusive?

We are raising a generation of girls who think that child rearing is more important than their own ambitions, Hilary French, president of the Girls’ Schools Association, has said.

Young women need to learn that they have options in life, according to Mrs French, yet they are still expected to be the homemakers, shouldering the majority of the child-rearing and meal-planning burden.

Mrs French told a story of a talk given 18 months ago by a young entrepreneur to girls at Central Newcastle High School, where she is headmistress.

“A lady dared to say that she had probably put her business ahead of her son, and the sharp intake of breath from all of the girls was audible.
“They were all absolutely shocked, so yes, we are still creating a generation of girls who think that the whole idea of looking after children is really the most important thing, once you have a child.”

Unless you discover a cure for cancer, or personally bring about peace in the Middle East, raising a happy family is probably the most important thing that most of us – men or women – will accomplish in life.

I think it is a great thing that girls see parenthood as an important part of their future. The real problem is that their male peers don’t. If they did, we wouldn’t have this ridiculous either/or situation for women.

Years ago, being a wife was seen as a full-time occupation; keeping the house and making sure supper was on the table intime for a husband returning from work left little time for other ambitions.

But in most circles today, any woman declaring that she intended to be a homemaker would raise more than a few eyebrows– get a dishwasher and a hoover, tell your husband to clean up after himself, and get yourself out of the house to earn some money!

There is no biological way to divorce a woman from her role in child birthing and rearing, nor should there be. Motherhood is fantastic, and a really great intellectual challenge, too. There is nothing anti-feminist about encouraging girls to look forward to their future role as a mother.

What is worrying is if that is seen as a role that is all-or-nothing. Part of being a great mother is having ambition and enjoyment of things in life yourself. Kids know if you're depressed or bored. Spending all of your time with a parent who lacks ambition for herself will hardly encourage a child to aspire to great things.

Most of the best parents I've met are role models for their children, even if they're not physically there all the time.

What young women need is a good education and household and childcare support, so they can realise their ambitions. Clearly, girls are getting a good education: women are now more likely than men to go university in Britain.

But the only way that Mrs French’s young charges will feel comfortable making decisions for themselves, and pursing their dreams, is if we breakdown some of the stigmas against working mothers and childcare.

A recent survey suggested that British mothers whose spouses play an important role in childcare receive more promotions than if they have help just from another relative, or rely on other forms of professional childcare. Help with other household duties also has a significant impact on a woman’s career progression. Mothers who have help - from their partner or another source -with cleaning and other household responsibilities outside of working hours are more likely to get a promotion than mothers who shoulder these responsibilities themselves.

“Sharing household responsibilities and maintaining a good work-life blend gives working women more time to network, find mentors or sponsors and seek new job opportunities,” said Dr InesWichert, the psychologist who conducted the study.

It is not just our young girls who need to prioritise their careers; their husbands must, too. When the men get on board, and when good, affordable childcare is more readily available, girls will realise that there is no reason that they cannot look forward to exciting careers and the joys of motherhood.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/9768889/Girls-still-see-child-raising-as-their-future-why-dont-boys.html

What do You think?

It is the revolutionary communications system used daily by billions of users - but few know this, January 1, 2013 is the internet's 30th birthday.

The computer network officially began its technological revolution when it fully substituted previous networking systems on January 1 1983. Known as ''flag day'', it was the first time the US Department of Defence (DoD)-commissioned Arpanet network fully switched to use of the Internet protocol suite (IPS) communications system.
Using data ''packet-switching'', the new method of linking computers paved the way for the arrival of the WorldWide Web.

Chris Edwards, an electronics correspondent for Engineering and Technology magazine, said: ''I don't think that anybody making that switch on the day would have realised the importance of what they were doing.
''But without it, the internet and the World Wide Web as we know them could not have happened.''

Commenting on the historic event's impact on the world, Mr Edwards said: ''The internet means there is nowhere and no one in the world you can't reach easily and cheaply.''

Based on designs by Welsh scientist Donald Davies, the Arpanet network began as a military projectin the late 1960s. It was developed at prestigious American universities and research laboratories, such as the University of California, LosAngeles (UCLA) and the Stanford Research Institute.

Starting in 1973, work on the powerful and flexible IPS and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) technology which would change mass communications got underway. The new systems were designed to replace the more vulnerable Network Control Program (NCP) used previously, making sure the network was not exposed to a single point of failure.
This meant a single attack could not bring it down, making it safer and more reliable.

By January 1 1983, the substitution of the older system for the new Internet protocol had been completed and the Internet was born. English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee was then able to use it to host the system of interlinked hypertext documents he invented in 1989, known as the World Wide Web.


SOURCE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/9773936/Internet-celebrates-its-30th-birthday.html

Yoruba actress, Bisi Komolafe dead.

According to several unconfirmed sources, the actress passed away in an unknown circumstance few hours to the new year.

jaxxy: a frnd of mine dis same she drove all d way a long distance only 2 get 2 her destination and park bt instead of pressing d break hit d accelerator and ran d car in2 a pavement. Now I tot she was using 1 leg bt I'm nt sure. Can dat happen while using 1 leg also

Yes, not only dat it can happen, it does happen esp wen U're learning & U're jittery....

If part of Ur New Year Resolution is to get rid of that Belly Fat, then this may be of help.

Some behaviors can actually help to shrink your waistline and help you keep weight off for good. Here are ten of the best behaviors to start incorporating today to lose weight and banish belly fat for good.

* Deep Breathing: Stress can pack on belly fat and lead to a host of medical issues if not controlled.

One of the quickest ways to reduce your stress levels and bring stress hormones (the ones that trigger belly fat storage when elevated for long periods of time) back to normal is by deep breathing. Taking a few long, deep breaths can help to instantly relax you and cut your overall stress.

* Meditating: Meditation is the practice of focusing and concentrating on one particular thing, whether that be a particular sound or object or even your own breath.This increased focus and concentration helps to reduce stress and promote relaxation.

In fact, studies show that people who meditate on a regular basis experience less anxiety and depression as well.

* Exercising in short bouts: The more exercise the better, but you may not have the time or ability to exercise for long periods of time, especially when first starting out. So instead of trying to pack in 30 minutes of exercise at one time, space it out.

Research has shown that working out in 10-minute intervals three times a day is just as effective for weight loss as working out for 30 minutes at once.

* Sleeping: Sleep is such an important factor in banishing belly fat. Without adequate sleep, your stress levels increase, thus causing you to pack on pounds and fat around your midsection.

Lack of sleep is also associated with reduced levels of leptin, the hormone that helps regulate appetite and metabolism. A leptin decrease stimulates appetite and promotes overeating. So in order to shrink your belly, it’s vital to get enough shuteye. Aim for seven to eight hours a night.

* Chewing slowly: When you eat rapidly, your body can’t recognize when you’ve eaten enough. To slow yourself down, make it a point to chew each bit eat least ten times and make sure to put your fork or spoon down in between bites.

* Frequent snacking: One major key to losing weight and keeping it off is to not let yourself get too hungry. When you get too hungry, you experience strong food cravings, so when you do get a chance to eat, you eat the wrong things and eat too quickly, which can prevent you from recognizing your body’s cues as to when you’ve eaten enough. Have a small meal or snack every few hours to keep you from getting too hungry.

* Staying hydrated: When you’re slightly dehydrated, your body holds onto more water. This excess water weight can give you a bloated or puffy look, especially in your midsection. Slight dehydration can also increase your cravings and appetite because your brain may misinterpret thirst for hunger. So drink up to slim down! Aim for 64 ounces (8 cups) of water daily.

* Avoiding salt: The more sodium you consume, the more water weight you retain. This water weight then bloats your belly, making your waistline look larger than it really is. So put down the salt shaker and choose fresh, whole foods over salty processed ones.

* Keeping a journal: One of the absolute bestways to get yourself on track with a weight loss plan (and maintain it) is by keeping a food journal. By tracking everything you eat and drink, you can notice when you begin to consume belly-bloating foods as well as double-check that you’re eating belly-fat-burning nutrients on a regular basis.

* Stretching: Stretching is a great way to increase flexibility, strengthen muscles, and decrease stress. In addition, regular stretching helps to reduce exercise-related injuries, which can derail your fitness routine. Aim to spend a minimum of five to ten minutes every day doing a few brief stretches.

Demba Ba’s £7 million move to Chelsea has been held up over the club’s refusal to pay his agents the £2 million in fees they are demanding.

As an increasingly agitated Alan Pardew called on Ba to issue a declaration of loyalty to Newcastle , the striker’s representatives had reached a stand-off in negotiations with Chelsea caused both by the demand for agents’ payments and a significant gap in the wages being sought by the 27 year-old and those being offered by Chelsea.

Telegraph Sport revealed on Sunday that Chelsea had emerged as the favourites to sign Ba from Newcastle United and talks opened on Sunday evening with his advisers, which they later described as “unproductive”.

Ba has a £7 million release clause in his contract at Newcastle United, of which he is significantly due £2.5 million. In addition the player wants wages of £70,000 a week, plus bonuses, and his agents want to share fees of £2 million.

Chelsea offered Ba significantly less than £70,000 a week and have also, so far, refused to meet his agents’ demands.Instead they have offered a standard five per cent of Ba’s contract.

The Premier League club had hoped to resume negotiations yesterday but were told that no talks would take place for the next few days as Ba considered other options.

The expectation, according to sources close to the deal, is that both sides are involved in a game of brinkmanship although Chelsea have shocked Ba’s advisers by their refusal to meet their demands.

Despite the stand-off it is, nevertheless, still expected that Ba will join Chelsea during the January transfer window but, as expected, Arsenal have also now entered the bidding......Telegraph

Dailymail reports that two former Premier League stars have been voted as the worst signings of the season in La Liga, by readers of Spanish newspaper Marca.

Luka Modric, who left Tottenham for Real Madrid after protracted negotiations, and Alex Song, who signed for Barcelona from Arsenal, were the worst rated, with Modric gaining 32.2 per cent of the vote.

Croatian Modric initially impressed on debut for Jose Mourinho's side, but has failed to push on and claim a regular role either as a deep-lying playmaker like Xabi Alonso, or attacking midfielder like Mesut Ozil

As for Song, the Cameroon international has featured in just seven games, the majority of which have come at centre-back as opposed to his preferred midfield role.

Another former Premier League star did receive acclaim, though, with Obafemi Martins coming second in the poll for best signing of the season.

Elsewhere, Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova were all beaten to the coach of the year gong by Atletico Madrid boss, the former Argentina international Diego Simeone

omiobo: It is not a crime for such day to be set aside for the worshipers of God to reflect on what God has done for them throughout the year,and to thank Him for mercy and grace to witness new year.

Yes, it is not a crime....it's gud, but there should be sincerity of purpose...

Tmany: or just thank God with your family in your home

exactly wat I mean, am not against the fact that U shd tank God, but U can do it in Ur own home or Ur own way....sum ppl make it mandatory 2 b in Church when d clock hits 00:00, even if they av 2 get dere a minute before....

Shenez: What are you trying to insuniate? These practice have been occur before you are born even your father.

D fact that it has been in practise 4 a long tym doesn't make it d best practise....

ednut1: because we nigerians are hypocrites, afta tonight, we continue or justified evil ways

Word!

Was just wondering why loadz of people go to churches/mosques every Dec 31, just to shout 'Happy New Year'....even those that did not go 2 Church/Mosque throughout d year.....

haibe: I will pretend you dint say norton and mcafee, they will gladly watch ur computer while virus is entering..

well, I thought they were good....I've bin using ESET, nd I can assure it's one of d best around, I'll probably place it 2nd after Kapersky...

Auto transmission was designed for one leg driving. D 1st tym I drove an auto, I drove perfectly wit jst one leg....it's adviceable U use a single leg for beta control & 2 avoid mistake....also d right leg has more power (for most ppl), this makes it easier 2 press d brake well....d right thing is a single leg for auto....jst do d right thing so Ur mind can b at rest.

roli21: i use 1 leg 4 manual so wats d big deal

lwkmd....wen U turn God wey fit do d impossible?

U dn't even need two....there are good antivirus out dere....Kapersky, Eset, Bit Defender, Norton & Mcafee.....jst pick one of 'em

You really neva can tell, Unless you're really close to them to know their worth b4 and after their respective terms....since they dn't declare their assets, you really neva can tell.....Abacha's was so obvious 'cos he died nd was nt really able to cover his tracks....

401kk: lovely lesbians

So you're automatically a gay whenever you take pictures with your friend(s) of same sex...uh?