It’s very rare to meet someone who wasn't bullied in some way, shape or form growing up. It would seem that being teased when you were younger is quite normal, and almost a right of passage. But why is this such an accepted thing in western society?How many people who are now adults have discovered that a lot of their issues have stemmed from how they were treated by other kids when they were younger? How they were teased and bullied in school? As a culture, we’ve just accepted ...
BITCH:LIFE
26 Sep 2011 14:00 GMT
Back in the old days, it was harder to get fired. (Notice how I said "fired" and not "laid off" or "made redundant" because we all know how easy that is these days. Thanks a lot [insert name of your country's PM/President/Government here]).To get fired on the spot, you used to have to have a complete mental breakdown and pour hot coffee all over your boss's face and stab someone with a ballpoint pen. Or, you could just not show up which, quite frankly, is a lot less exciting than going...
BITCH:LIFE
23 Sep 2011 19:00 GMT
Last week the results of research carried out by UNICEF and IPSOS Mori made headlines when it seemed to suggest that UK children are the least happy in Europe because of consumer pressures. Only, that isn’t actually what it said.Consumer pressure was involved but rather as a symptom, not the problem itself. The study (read it in full) c...
BITCH:LIFE
19 Sep 2011 12:00 GMT
Last week I discussed my own experiences going back to work for someone else after a year's maternity leave, and Alice Harold of Mob Agenda shared her experiences of setting up a business and becoming a 'WAHM' (Work At Home Mum). Non-profit consultant Michael Waugaman also kindly agreed to talk about what it's like getting back in the game after a longer career break and ...
BITCH:LIFE
15 Sep 2011 09:00 GMT
Memory has its own idiolect. It doesn’t recall the past the way you or I would. It prioritizes the oddest phrases, while relegating the most seemingly crucial subjects.I was in my bedroom at my parents’ house in Tennessee, packing to return to Chicago the next day, for another year at Northwestern. I had a small television in that room, but it was turned off. Then I heard my mother screaming up the stairs: “Turn on the TV! Terrorists are attacking the World Trade Center!” I tend to un...
BITCH:LIFE
11 Sep 2011 16:41 GMT
I’ve just returned to work after a year’s maternity leave, and frankly, I’m loving it. But the adjustment has its difficulties. Here I give my tips for rejoining the working world and speak to two other parents about their experiences.The 9-5 Office WorkerLike many big city commuters, I’m a full-time employee in a busy office. I go in on the Tube and work 9-5 (ish) Monday to Friday. I intended to go back to work from the start, and my daughter g...
BITCH:LIFE
07 Sep 2011 08:30 GMT
As someone who has never had a credit card of my own, credit cards, loans and mortgages all scare the hell out of me. Yes, I'm a grown woman, but good god we're in a recession! (Also, I'm an immigrant who was too young to have "good" credit in her homeland when she left, and is still trying to build up "good" credit in her new place. Give a girl a break.)
BITCH:LIFE
30 Aug 2011 12:00 GMT
A guide to manners? Yes please! …oh and thank you!Steven Petrow’s new book Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners landed on my doorstep with an almighty thud. I was looking forward to it turning up but I had no idea quite how big it would be, it’s like the yellow pages. Do gays and lesbians need this much help with manners? Well, we’ll get to that later.
BITCH:LIFE
29 Aug 2011 13:20 GMT
In the UK this week, there's been a hell of a lot of polyamory around. It's going on all the time of course, but this week it's a bit more noticeable than usual. There have been non-monogamous folk talking to the Metro, polyamorous women in a
BITCH:LIFE
26 Aug 2011 12:13 GMT
Relationships are hard work, aren't they? Having sex with someone you can relax around and who knows what you like is really quite amazing, but the emotional drama that sometimes comes with intimate relationships can make you wonder if it's worth the hassle. That's why having a 'friend with benefits' can be so appealing.
BITCH:LIFE
19 Aug 2011 12:00 GMT