It’s the babies, stupid

I've been to a few entrepreneur, venture capital, and private equity-related panels in the past few days, and I every time I go to one of these conferences, I'm struck by how male-dominated the room -- and the business world -- is, from seed start-ups all the way through private equity partnerships. As a general rule, I've seen that female CEOs in the world of Private Equity only exist as heads of Limited Partners.

These articles explore why female entrepreneurs have trouble securing venture capital for their business plans (it's the babies, stupid).

Silicon Valley Has a Woman Problem, But Women Still Have a Baby Problem 

Silicon Valley: You and Some of Your VC's have a Gender Problem

Capital Gains: Women, Babies, And Getting Ahead In Business

I wonder if and when this will change...

By The Numbers: What Women CEOs Are Earning

Slideshow of Top Paid Women CEOS compiled by Forbes

#1 is Andrea Jung of Avon -- no surprise there.

Project Runway Finale

Before having seen any collections, I had predicted that Althea might win because she isn't mean (Irina) or one-note (Carol Hannah). But I was wrong! Having seen the collections, it was pretty clear that Irina's was the only cohesive one with a vision--though Michael Kors had a point that the warrior-woman has been done (over and over--Balenciaga's flower warriors; shoulder pads from the 80's; 1940's wartime womenswear) and apparently her T-shirts had some controversy about them concerning copying (ironic, right?) but other than that, I did like her helmets and that chain. No, Tim, it wasn't too costumey. Sometimes you don't give the best advice.

So, mean girl wins, nice girls lose. I still would've liked to have see Epperson's looks.

Carol Hannah's best look

A representative piece of Irina's collection. I thought it was cool...and I would wear that jacket...

Oh, and the web design at mylifetime.com really sucks. Bravo's websites are so much better! This is the worst slideshow I've ever had to try to use to get these pictures.

Cookies Gone Bad

On top of their depression from break ups and unemployment, women are having to deal with salmonella from eating too much raw Toll House cookie dough!!!!!!!

I guess my 1/2-tube binges will have to stop.

Apparently, they've recalled all the cookie dough because of salmonella detection. Looks like we'll be baking from scratch again. It's better like that anyway. PS: It's never a good idea to eat that much raw egg. Obviously people would get sick. But yeah, salmonella is pretty unfortunate. I guess we stilll have to blame the evil cookie monster corporation of Nestle instead of laughing at stupid consumers.

Courtesy of WCVB-TV News Online:

June 20, 2009

Nestle USA on Friday voluntarily recalled Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products after 65 people nationwide who ate the dough raw reporting falling sick, including 25 who were hospitalized.

The recall covers all varieties of prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough but does not include Toll House chocolate chips or baking bars, or Dreyer's and Edy's ice cream products with Nestle Toll House cookie dough ingredients.

Below are lists of products that have been recalled by the company and a list of the states where people have tested positive for E. coli bacteria after eating one of the dough products raw:

- COOKIE & BROWNIE DOUGH BAR

Chocolate Chip bar 16.5oz

Chocolate Chip bar 16.5oz
Chocolate Chunk bar 16.5oz
Walnut Chocolate Chip bar 16.5oz
Jumbo Chocolate Chip bar 16.5oz
Oatmeal Raisin bar 16.5oz
Sugar Cookies bar 16.5oz
Sugar Cookies bar 16.5oz
Mini Chocolate Chip bar 16.5oz
Mini Chocolate Chip bar 16.5oz
Mini Brownie Bites bar 16oz
Fudgy Brownie With Peanut Butter Filling 19oz
- COOKIE DOUGH TUB

Chocolate Chip tub 40oz
Chocolate Chip tub 80oz (5 lb)
Sugar tub 40oz.
Gingerbread tub 40oz
Peanut Butter tub 40oz
- TUBE DOUGH

Chocolate Chip tube 16.5oz
Chocolate Chip tube 32oz
- ULTIMATES COOKIE BAR DOUGH
Ultimates Peanut Butter Cups, Chips & Chocolate
Chunks bar 16oz
Ultimates White Chip Macadamia Nut bar 16oz
Ultimates Chocolate Chip & Chunks with Pecans bar 16oz
Ultimates Chocolate Chip Lovers 16oz
Ultimates Turtles bar 16oz
Ultimates Peanut Butter Lovers bar 16oz
Ultimates Chocolate Chip with Caramel Filling bar 16oz
Ultimates Chocolate Chip with Chocolate Filling bar 16oz
- SEASONAL COOKIE & BROWNIE DOUGH

Valentine Hearts Sugar Cookie Shapes 15.5oz
Valentine Swirled Chocolate Chip bar 16oz
Fudgy Brownies With Raspberry Filling 19oz
Easter Eggs Sugar Cookie Shapes 15.5oz
Easter Swirled Chocolate Chip bar 16oz
Easter Swirled Mini Brownie Bites bar 18 oz
Red, White & Blue Swirled Choc Chip bar 16oz
Halloween Pumpkin Pals Sugar Cookies 13.5oz
Halloween Swirled Chocolate Chip bar 16oz
Halloween Swirled Fudgy Brownies bar 18oz
Christmas Shapes Sugar Cookies 15.5oz
Christmas Swirled Chocolate Chip bar 16oz
Christmas Swirled Fudgy Brownies bar 18oz
Limited Edition Mint Swirled Chocolate Chip 16oz
- DISCONTINUED VARIETIES

Valentine Hearts Sugar Cookies 13.5oz
Easter Brownie Bar 18oz
Easter Bunnies Sugar Cookies 13.5oz
Halloween Sugar Shapes 15.5oz
Christmas Sugar Cookie Tube 16oz
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie Tub 48 oz.
- STATES WHERE CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED:Arkansas (1); Arizona (2); California (2); Colorado (5); Delaware (1); Hawaii (1); Iowa (2); Illinois (5); Kentucky (1); Massachusetts (4); Maryland (2); Maine (3); Minnesota (5); Missouri (2); Montana (1); North Carolina (1); New Hampshire (2); New Jersey (1); Nevada (2); Ohio (4); Oklahoma (1); Oregon (1); Pennsylvania (2); South Carolina (1); Texas (3); Utah (2); Virginia (2); Washington (5); Wisconsin (1)
Grand Total: 65 cases in 29 states

Why are they listing Valentine's Day cookies? Wasn't that, like, 4 months ago? Hmmm....

PS: A tub of chocolate chip cookie dough sounds like a dream.

Feminism

I'm writing a paper about film and second wave feminism, so I took a few books out of the library. One was entitled "Does Feminism Discriminate Against Men?"

Here are some gems.
p. 4: “Expressing feelings of vulnerability brings women affection and men rejection."

p. 47
“When a woman touches a man on his rear, he’s likely to say, ‘thank you’; when a man touches a woman on her rear, she’s more likely to say ‘sue you.’

“Why this difference? He’s always had to work for sex, pay for sex, risk rejection for sex, perform for sex—so what he gets for no work, pay, rejection, or performing creates gratitude: He says ‘thank you.’ She’s had men pay for drinks and dinners before they even asked for sex, so when he takes it without asking and without paying, she’s more likely to say ‘sue you.’"

I hope you enjoyed that. There's even more where that came from.

Women Directors

I'm studying film from 1960-present and am currently focusing on the 60's and 70's for a research paper.
Anyone who's studied cinema can name-drop the movie brats, the guys who all went to film school at around the same time and revamped the studios in America during the late 60's/early 70's: Coppola, Scorsese, Lucas, Spielberg...the list goes on.

What's notable is that it was a boy's club. The guys made movies about male fantasies, but there really wasn't a counterpoint of women directors who were able to make films about women's goals and aspirations. They existed in Europe, particularly in Germany, but why not in America?

This discrepancy continues today: just try and name 1 female filmmaker. Other than Coppola.

Am I right, or am I right? You probably can't name more than 3. Maybe.

What is it about America that makes women directors not as famous? Is it there a lack of female interest in the field, or do their films just fail? Is it a feminist issue?

Notes to self

to read - have not read all yet:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/business/10women.html?em

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/sober-in-the-animal-house/

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200906/happiness