As a woman who has dealt with plenty of unwelcome judgment in her life, I have always been a little uneasy about the idea of beauty pageants. But ever since I became a mother to my own little girl, that discomfort has deepened into something far more urgent. When I look at my daughter, I think about everything that…
As the mother of three sons, I imagined that instilling my feminist values in my children would be one of the most rewarding parts of motherhood. I was so excited to share my passion for women’s rights with them and post updates online about their progress along the way. That’s why it’s so goddamn infuriating that my…
It goes without saying that our police should be held accountable when they’re guilty of using excessive force. But, as a law-enforcement veteran myself, I’ve seen far too many people weighing in on the national conversation on police brutality who have no idea what cops deal with on a daily basis. So listen up: If…
Like most Facebook users around the world, I felt shocked and betrayed when news broke that millions of users’ data had been sold to a political data analysis firm. I decided to delete my Facebook account in light of this heinous breach of security, but found myself missing being able to easily interact with the…
When you give birth to a child and you hold that miraculous being in your arms for the first time, you can’t help but think what amazing things the future holds for them—joys, triumphs, jobs, relationships, everything. When I had my son, Kevin, it was my greatest ambition to see him succeed in every facet of life. But…
Listen up, men, because there’s a condescending habit you need to cut out right now. When you automatically assume a position of superiority over women, it belittles our intelligence and invalidates our point of view. That’s why you need to stop telling women to calm down and swim perpendicular to the riptide when you…
When I became CEO of Toys ‘R’ Us, I was excited for a chance to lead one of America’s most well-known toy stores into a new era of prosperity. Unfortunately, it pains me to announce that after 70 years of bringing joy to children across the world, Toys ‘R’ Us will soon be shutting its doors forever. Many people will…
From electric cars to space travel to brain-computer interface technology, I am constantly expanding my portfolio to include big, forward-thinking ideas that I believe are worth investing in. That’s why when I first read ClickHole, I immediately envisioned the possibilities offered by their unwavering commitment to…
If you’ve filled out a March Madness bracket and have your next three weeks planned out to catch the maximum amount of basketball action, you’re just like millions of other Americans ready to watch the best college athletes duke it out. But as exciting as the tournament can be, there is a difficult ethical discussion…
It’s no secret that Hollywood exaggerates and embellishes stories in order to make them more exciting, and I’m the first to enjoy a larger-than-life blockbuster. That being said, sometimes directors just go way too far stretching the truth in a way that makes you want to pull your hair out. I recently watched The…
I don’t pretend to know everything about life. Hell, sometimes I don’t even know where my car is parked. But there are a few things I’ve learned in my five-plus decades on this planet, and this one is on the top of the list: As hard as it can be to remember at times, there are some things in life that are just more…
As founder of Coinstar, I invented the machine for a single purpose. I envisioned a world where, with my advanced coin-sorting technology, people could come into a supermarket, place their coins in the machine, and just seconds later, walk away with either cash or credit. Coinstar technology is incredible, and it has…
Last night, Ram ran a commercial during the Super Bowl that featured audio of a Martin Luther King Jr. sermon overlaid onto footage of its trucks. While corporations are constantly pandering to viewers with empty imagery and over-the-top messaging, this ad was completely unforgivable. Ram’s cynical misuse of Dr.…
Raising a child is no easy task, and when it comes to children with developmental disabilities, parents face an additional set of challenges that others may not be fully aware of. Although educational resources give a glimpse into what life is like for parents of children with autism, they can only do so much: You’ll…
Before I get into it here, let me be clear: There’s so much about The CW’s The Flash that I think is great. It’s got superhero fun with just enough heart and an awesome cast to boot. Which is why it’s so disappointing that the show is completely undermined by one glaringly obvious mistake that makes it impossible to…
It’s an incredible experience to watch a child become inspired by the majesty and diversity of the wildlife on this planet. But human activity is also threatening to destroy a lot of those beautiful creatures that our children love to learn about, and now is the time for action. If we don’t protect endangered species,…
Tomorrow the FCC will vote on whether or not to repeal laws protecting net neutrality. The outcome of the vote could have profound consequences and change the internet forever. However, regardless of the result of tomorrow’s vote, my solemn promise to you, the American people, is that whether or not net neutrality is…
The Olympics are meant to showcase the pinnacle of human athletic achievement, but doping scandals in recent years have muddied that noble spirit. No one epitomizes the cheat-to-win attitude more than the Russian team, and fortunately now the International Olympic Committee is laying down the law and sending a…
It’s no secret that life can throw bad news at you right out of the blue. For those of us who aren’t fabulously wealthy, an unexpected bump in the road can clean out your bank account in a hurry, leaving you drowning in debt. That’s why every middle-class family should have some money set aside in case of an emergency…
It seems that every time we experience a national tragedy, discussion always gets bogged down in the semantics of which horrible acts should or should not be considered “terrorism.” Some people argue that mass shootings committed by U.S.-born citizens should be labeled as domestic acts of terror, while others believe…
