Blog Posts by genConnect.com

Girls rock, and the entertainment industry needs to recognize it.

That's the mantra for The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (GDIGM), which recently released a study that found that content creators are aware of gender imbalances in family films and want to give female characters their due.

The study, "Changing the Status Quo: Industry Leaders' Perceptions of Gender in Family Films," also found that content creators, such as movie director or TV show writers, believe gender equality is important, and not that difficult to attain - particularly when it comes to family-friendly programming.

Madeline Di Nonno is the Institute's executive director and spearheads See Jane, a program which works cooperatively with entertainment industry to encourage story lines that are gender balanced and promote women in positive ways. In an interview with genConnect, Di Nonno told us that producers and directors are creating great female characters; however, change will not happen

By Dr. Marianne Brandon, relationship therapist and author/ genConnect.com

For many new moms, it can be a veritable challenge to meld the new experiences of motherhood with a steamy love life. In my practice, I regularly work with postpartum women who describe their sex lives in the past tense:

• "It's so hard to feel sexy when you have children hanging on you all day."
• "I cannot relax at night because I'm always listening for the baby."
• "My body just isn't the same as it used to be. And it's not just the baby fat that I can't get rid of - my orgasms are harder to reach since I gave birth."

Most women do not want to sacrifice their sex lives to motherhood. Women long for intimate connection with their partners. They want to enjoy their bodies, and they want to feel pleasure. But so many women find that all of this becomes extraordinarily challenging as their families grow - especially the first year after giving birth. Her

BirthControl-ShoesPhotoBy Susan Wysocki, President of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health / genConnect.com

I think choosing a method of contraception should be like buying a new pair of shoes. We would never consider buying shoes after looking at only one pair. We wouldn't consider going to the store that offered only one style or color. We don't expect that our favorite pair of shoes when we are 20 will be our favorite pair when we are 30 or 40.

Yet, sometimes we choose and use methods of contraception with less thought (and sometimes less information) than we do picking out a pair of shoes. Finding the right method of contraception, I dare say, is far more important than that pair of shoes. And, I like shoes.

Similar to shoes, there are contraceptive choices that are more or less appealing depending on your lifestyle and age. There are contraceptives for daily use, monthly use, or those that can be used for 5 years or more, but are still completely reversible.

Just in time for the Kentucky Derby, Kelly Hayes shares ingredients and techniques on making this sweet concoction

Along with the donning of extravagant chapeaus, and the singing of "My Old Kentucky Home" one of the more hallowed Kentucky Derby traditions is the consumption of more than one Mint Julep. This sweet, toxic concoction has led many a race goer to ruin and frankly, the syrupy sweet offerings at the Churchill Downs are about as inviting as a New Orleans Hurricane. Both are merely headaches in a glass.

• Start by buying a bottle of Woodford Reserve, "The Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby" (which is not to be confused with The Official Drink of the Kentucky Derby, a julep made with Early Times, a Kentucky Whiskey). Woodford is an excellent small batch Bourbon and it will make all the difference.

• Take a Collins or highball glass, basically a tall

As most of you sip on a margarita, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, take a moment to reflect on the history of "that frozen concoction that helps me hang on."

Those of you who know the Jimmy Buffett tune "Margaritaville" will instantly recognize the reference. The line is crooned by the song's protagonist, who is strumming his six-string while making frozen margaritas with the "booze in the blender" to help him survive a lost love.

Partially due to the song, one of the most popular in the great American songbook, the frozen margarita has become one of the most popular of all American cocktails. Easy to drink, even easier to order, the frozen concoction has launched more weekends than the five o'clock whistle. And while the margarita has surely helped salve some broken hearts, the bet here is that it has successfully launched many more relationships.

The origins of the original margarita are as murky as a four-drink bender, but the explosion of the frozen margarita can be

A boy about 8 or 9 years old says to his father, "You're glad this man got killed." The "man" the son is referring to is Osama bin Laden.

"This man was a bad man," explains the father. "He killed a lot of people. In this case it feels good when someone like that dies."

Overhearing that conversation really struck Dr. Barbara Okun, a counseling psychology professor at Northeastern University and co-author of Saying Goodbye: How Families Can Find Renewal Through Loss.

How is a parent supposed to explain such feelings to a child? How do you justify feeling "glad" or "good" about someone being killed? How do YOU feel about the death of Osama bin Laden? (POLL)

While there are no strict guidelines to addressing this to your children, Dr. Okun suggests being open and honest.

"Talk to your children about the paradoxes and dilemmas associated this situation," Dr. Okun said. "Kids need to understand the ambiguity. Some children like the young boy weren't even born during 9/11

It's that time of year again! As countless college seniors gear up for their highly anticipated graduation day, many may feel themselves excited and simultaneously anxious about entering the Real World.

At the recent annual Matrix Awards luncheon in New York City sponsored by New York Women in Communications, award winners and presenters ranging from Arianna Huffington to Rosie O'Donnell and Evelyn H. Lauder, shared their words of wisdom on secrets to success:

1. Arianna Huffington, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, The Huffington Post

"The best advice is not to be afraid of failure because so often women stop themselves from taking risks, from pursuing their dreams because they're afraid of failure. All I can say is failure is not the opposite of success. It's really a stepping-stone of success and everyone has failed along the way to success."


2. Gwen Ifill, Moderator and Managing Editor, "Washington Week " and Senior Correspondent, "The PBS NewsHour"

"It's tough. Journalism in

On Sunday, you may see an unusual number of lemonade stands in your neighborhood. May 1st is Lemonade Day, a nationwide program sweeping 28 cities with 120,000 lemonade stands opening as a way for kids to learn business skills and raise money for charities. When financial journalist Maria Bartiromo discovered Lemonade Day, she offered the budding entrepreneurs important advice on running a successful business.

While her tips are directed at children selling lemonade, all should take note. The below can be applied to most companies ...

1. Don't sell yourself short.
2. Make sure you understand the market. That means don't charge too little
3. Remember there is a cost to making the drink. Know what others are charging for their lemonade so you can price it right and profit from it.
4. Make sure you make a quality lemonade. People will remember the taste, freshness and your attitude during the sale. These are the things that will make the customer come back-- quality and service and