Susan notes: in this guest blog post originally published in the Huffington Post, spiritual author, speaker, teacher and AWR friend and fan Dr. Susan Corso (pictured left) suggests her fellow Americans rethink their collective response to the Ground Zero mosque debate – and I think she’s probably right! Read more about Dr. Curso’s eclectic qualifications below.

Oooh, I am so mad

Every now and again, the universe sends me a special gift.

This morning, as I prepared my latest TED “playlist” from the 170+ amazing TED talks by amazing TED women, I stumbled on this gem: a TEDx talk by creator Amy Rosenthal.

Rosenthal is a truly magical force: a writer, filmmaker, radio host, author of more than 12 children’s books, and creator of The Beckoning: A Feature Film

Amazing Women Rock went live online two years ago, after one year in development.

It was a dream come true for me - the manifestation of my personal mission to do something concrete to celebrate, motivate and inspire women around the world.

At the time, few people understood my vision - in early 2007, the site was ahead of its time. Open-source technology and community websites were still

This blog is officially a toddler.

It's come a long way since my first-ever entry aptly entitled Like A Virgin?

Who knows what the year of the “terrible twos” will offer, but if the past is any indication of what lies ahead, it’s bound to be an exciting time….

In yet another universal paradox, hardly anything has changed since last year’s birthday blog post. On the other hand, everything

“Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.”

The line from Janis Joplin’s 1960s hit Me and Bobby Mcgee (written by Kris Kristofferson), was the first thing that sprung to mind when I read @farah_way’s dm asking if I would write something about freedom for the Free The Hikers blog.

I went to YouTube (where else?), and searched the tune to see what I could find.

Susan notes: this guest blog was penned by one of my favourite Twitter friends Uzm Atcha (aka @LHjunkie). She's a 21-year-old firecracker, blogger and activist living in the UAE. She writes for Mideast Youth (where this post was originally published), manages the March 18 Movement campaign, and supremely commands Mideast  Tunes, a platform for regional underground musicians. Find her on

Last week, I (and a few other so-called Dubai "Twitterati"), were interviewed by one of the local newspapers for a feature on Twitter (I think it's going to be published soon!!!).

I recorded the interview, and today cut it up into bite-sized pieces for a Twitter bit on my blog. This sneak preview of my own "Twitter Basics" series is one of the 15 segments that resulted from the edit.

I

Twenty-two-year-old engineering student Ambreen Rahman knows what it takes to build strong bridges.

And it has nothing to do with steel or concrete.

"As long as you meet people with passion, compassion and understanding, you can make friends with them, and you can build a lot of bridges," she told me in a recent online interview.

Rahman should know, she’s been building bridges between

A Powerful Noise is an extraordinary film with a simple yet compelling message: empowering women changes communities for the better.

My own corollary to that message is this: changing communities for the better is the first step toward changing the world.

Considering the less-than-ideal situation in which many of us find ourselves, that can only be a good thing. This inspirational movie

The universe speaks to me constantly.

If I don’t pay attention, or listen well enough, it tends to shout. Deafeningly. Just lke I felt my Mom (pictured at left in 2009), sometimes did when I was a kid.

Still, I often don’t hear. Just like I didn't as a chlld.

On other occasions, the universe whispers in my ear so softly that I have a hard time deciphering its message. When that happens,