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Simone Finkenwirth of Die Klappentexterin

Today's guest on GIRLS CAN BLOG is Simone Finkenwirth, also known as  Klappentexterin. Albeit her litblog's rather young age, Simone has managed to sneak into the RSS feed readers of plenty of book lovers.

Follow the jump below to find out why passing through in silence ain't her thing, which section of her own blog she likes best, and why to Simone, one smile is worth more than ten visits of grumpy readers.

(Picture taken from postsecret.)

The Serpentine Ladies Swam Loch Ness in Aid of Afghan Mother and Child Rescue

Congratulations on swimming 23 miles at 5ºC! 

Click here to support their cause and the AMCR, have a look at more photos of the swim on flickr, or recap it on Twitter. There's also a portrait of the American-Australian-British team on the official Swim Loch Ness Homepage.

Ariane Fürer Landolt of Suleika

With a first entry to her archive on 1 October 2004, Ariane has been blogging longer than myself* - and she's been doing so from a world trip on a boat called Suleika! 

Follow the jump below to find out how blogging from a sail boat works and what technical difficulties might arise on the open sea, or just to take a look at the cutest seal ever. 

*I took it up in Malaysia in the spring of 2005.

Blogger Gewinnspiel von Appsilon

Appsilon, ein Online-Magazin für iPhone, iPad und Co, verlost noch bis zum 15. August 2010 ein neues iPhone G4 ohne Vertrag. Um an dem Gewinnspiel teilzunehmen, "einfach" in einem Statement erklären, warum ausgerechnet man selbst das hippe Teil verdient. Zum Beispiel:

Ich sollte das neue iPhone gewinnen, weil es mir erstens dabei helfen würde, die GIRLS CAN BLOG-Leser_innen auch von unterwegs zu unterhalten, weil GIRLS CAN BLOG zweitens ein Blog ist, der auf einem Mac konzipiert wurde und zu dem daher so ein Telefon irre gut passen würde, weil iPhones drittens großartig sind (das behaupten zumindest alle, die schon eins haben), und weil viertens noch immer ein paar weniger Frauen als Männer eines besitzen und es im Zuge der neuen Gleichstellungsabsichten in der Wirtschaft - GIRLS CAN BLOG berichtete hier - doch eigentlich schön wäre, wenn man die Nutzer-nach-Geschlecht-Statistik von Februar 2010 auf 50%-50% bringen könnte... Schließlich soll unser Erfolg nicht daran scheitern, dass wir unsere guten Ideen nicht von unterwegs unter die Leute bringen können, oder?

SIA - Soon We'll Be Found (Live)

Do Women Have to be Naked to Get Into the Met. Museum?

1989:

And again, even worse, in 2005:

Source

Svenja of Svenja-and-the-City

Ladies and gentlemen, today I am super happy to introduce to you blogging detective (!) Svenja of fabulous Svenja-and-the-City.

Follow the jump below to find out what makes her life much less ordinary than that of most people (or rather anyone!) I know, what Coda is, and why - to Svenja - video posts are just wrong. 

New Report Out: “Women on the Web: How Women are Shaping the Internet”

Yesterday ComSource, a research company focusing on digital marketing intelligence, published a 30 pages report on how women are using the web. Download it here or read excerpts of the paper and comparisons to other studies on Mashable.

The (Not Yet Ultimate) Girls Can Blog - FAQ

Annina answers frequently asked questions like: What's your email address? How do I submit an interview to GCB? Can I deeplink to specific posts on the site? And, by the way, is GCB a feminist blog?

Looking for a Job?

At the end of May 2010, The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) crowned the Top 50 Companies for Executive Women. Members of the Top 10 are: Abbot, Aetna, American Express, Fleishman-Hillard, General Mills, IBM, Johnson & Johnson,  Marriott International, Office Depot, and Wellpoint. Congratulations on your commitment to shattering the glass ceiling! (More info on the mentioned companies here.)

Janelle Monae Interview

Check out another inspiring and more recent interview with Janelle here.

Kathrin Ganz of I Heart Digital Life

Today, please meet gender scientist and web activist Kathrin Ganz, whose blog i heart digital life is renowned for its vivid personality and no-bullshit attitude.

Follow the jump below to find out about the upside of seemingly uninteresting tweets and where being one of many comes in handy for once.

Madonna's Daughter Blogs, Too!

And if Lourdes Ciccone's blogging wouldn't have begun just in time to promote her new clothes range, I would have even thought her to be cool...! If you're still interested, click here for the blog or here for her fake introductory posting.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement

Miriam Paulsen of Tschau Tschüssi

Girls Can Blog is not only a fan of female bloggers, but also of female entrepreneurs. Even more so, of course, when they blog.

On this note, I'd like to introduce Miriam Paulsen and her blog Tschau Tschüssi.

Follow the jump below to find out about Miriam's business, why coming up with new ideas ain't easy these days, and why she rarely uses Twitter. 

Gudrun, who was introduced on Girls Can Blog as Piratenweib, was mentioned in a readworthy article on gender equality online. (In German, via Anna Blumbach)

The Colour of Beauty - Black Girls in Fashion

Via Mädchenmannschaft.

Christiane Zintzen of in|ad|ae|qu|at

Christiane Zintzen's blog in|ad|ae|qu|at ("inadequate") is among the most progressive literary websites I know: Original contributions from well-known authors, her own scientific approach to her topics and added art - both visual and audio* - ensure a constant stimulation of the senses. 

Follow the jump below to find out how in|ad|ae|qu|at came about, what kind of compensation Christiane offers to her contributors, and what Woody Allen has to do with it all. 

*My personal recommendation is Sabine Scho's 2009 radio piece "Grober Rundfunk" which is part of a series called "Kunstradio" produced by Christiane for the ORF.

(Picture taken from postsecret.)

Clara Luzia live @ FM4 Soundpark

Angela of A Survivor's Guide to Huntington's Disease?

Can we fight what is in our genes? On her blog A Survivor's Guide to Huntington's Disease? Angela describes living with a neurodegenerative genetic disorder: From her coming to terms with her mother's and her own illness to her attempt to break her family's heredity by In Vitro Fertilization, Angela lets us in on her hopes and fears.

For her interview, please follow the  jump below. 

Update: Serious Play for Serious Girls

In a previous post I mentioned Serious Play For Serious Girls and unfortunately got some of the facts wrong: They aren't an Australian organization, as I had gathered, but in fact an American one - from Buffalo, New York, to be exact. And rather than a research forum, SPSG is actually a research foundation that has recently published the "2010 Threats To Girlhood* Report" (available to download here). My apologies for relocating you to Australia, Mary Jayne!

* Threats to Girlhood include all of the issues, mindsets, factors, trends, and circumstances that impact girls' lifelong health, wellness, happiness, and ability to succeed.

First Flattr Cash Check

Hi Flattrers!

I just wanted to let you know that - thanks to you - I made 2,38€ since installing the service. Yay! :)

Your money will go directly into a GIRLS CAN BLOG fund (i.e. a plastic box in my cabinet) and later, at the end of the year, towards blog hosting fees and the like.

Many thanks, your help is greatly appreciated!

Annina

Haven't heard of Flattr yet? Try them here.

SUMMER BREAK!

Hi everyone,

I'm on holiday and will resume posting on 11 July 2010.

In the meantime, why not browse the Blogger Portrait Series-Archive?

Many thanks for your interest in GCB!

Annina

If I'm not mistaken, this picture is owned by Chicks On Speed.

Anna of Cycling Is Good For You

Before Anna of Cycling Is Good For You got in touch, I had no idea that such a thing as a cross-European cycling scene even existed. All the more I was interested in finding out about her cool multi-cultural blog project.

If you're as curious as I was, follow the link below to find out which cities she and her colleagues blog from, and differentiates an interesting blog from a boring one.  

Serious Play For Serious Girls

Check out Serious Play For Serious Girls, an Australian research forum that aims at advancing the lifelong possibilities for women by enhancing the quality of children's play experiences. (Via PinkStinks.)

The Making of Laura Veirs' 'July Flame'

Pharmama

Pharmama is a Swiss pharmacist and mother. Good thing that, after work, she's still got the energy to detail her daily adventures in writing. On her blog of the same name, Pharmama discusses anything from amusing encounters with customers to the composition of drugs and family holidays.

Follow the jump below to find out why Pharmama is keeping her real name a secret, who would likely benefit from reading her blog, and which rules she set for her discussion threads. 

(Picture taken in Shibuya, Tokio, by my friend Sandra.)

Jam Session: Melissa auf der Maur and Karen Elson

Lara Ghazal of Lara's Palimpsest

Lara's Palimpsest is among the most intellectually ambitious private blogs I have come across so far. With a firm background in linguistics, Lara takes us on an interesting journey through the fields of langauge and philosophy.

Follow the link below to find out about the advantages of virtual over hard copy notes, what a palimpsest is, and who -according to Lara- should not take up blogging.

The German Female Economy

Klaus-Peter Müller, member of the Commerzbank board of directors, wants to see more* women in German executive suites and the (usually more sensationalist) newspaper BILD promotes this. Nice.

*Currently, only 21 of 833 members of the boards of directors of the 200 German companies with the highest turn-overs are women.

Makiko Itoh of Just Hungry and Just Bento

The time has come - GCB proudly introduces its first food blog editor! 

Makiko of Just Hungry & Just Bento has turned her passion for cooking into a fulltime blogger's career. By explaining Japanese cuisine from the very basics, Makiko has become the online source for help with questions such as 'Which are the 100 Japanese foods I must try?' or 'What is Bento?'.

Follow the link below to find out what Makiko's occupation was before her blogs took off, who of us Drupal is good for, and which other female-edited blogs she's reading for inspiriation.

(Picture taken from postsecret.)

Female Skateboarders

Photographer Max Hamilton portrays female British skateboarders in a photo series on his homepage. (Via Mädchenmannschaft)

Interview with Isa Guha (England Women’s Cricket Team)

 A film by Abi Moore of PinkStinks.

Daniela Reimann of Media Arts Education

Scientist Daniela Reimann is the editor of Media Arts Education, a blog that concerns itself with educational aspects of interactive media and fine arts.

While Daniela's blog is mainly directed at other experts in her field, read her interview below to find out more about the maturation of blog posts and the future of digital identities.

'Pink Drunken Elephant' - Jaqee

I came across Swedish-Ugandan artist Jaqee via Smilla Dankert. In the clip above she performs an acoustic version of this original track. I totally love her positive vibe!

GCB @ dieStandard.at

Much to my delight, the Austrian online magazine dieStandard.at published an article on Girls Can Blog yesterday! Please read it in German here.

For all English users I may say that they took special interest in the interviews with Antje Schrupp (politics), Kathrin Kaufmann (various), Elke Brüns (culture), Mary Scherpe (fashion) and Luciana Schmidt (fashion).

Anne Feldkamp of BLICA

As BLICA has been among the blogs most often recommended in the Blogger Portrait Series, I was especially curious to find out more about Anne Feldkamp, its editor. With the expert eye of an art historian, Anne composes not ordinary fashion blog posts, but contextual collages instead.

Follow the link below to find out what Anne's imaginary childhood friend has to do with her blogging and how technical dorks will get by in the blogosphere in spite of their cluelessness.

(picture taken from postsecret.)

Elke Brüns of Gespenst der Armut

Today, it's my pleasure to introduce to you Elke Brüns, who is investigating the cultural aftermath of poverty on her blog Gespenst der Armut [Ghost of Poverty]. By tracking and discussing relevant articles on politics, science and the arts, Elke manages to relate an issue to our everyday lives that many might have deemed far away.

Follow the link below to read one of my favourite interviews of this series so far, and find out about the relation between blogging, poverty and the power of interpretation.

'Oh, the Divorces!' (Live At Home Version) - Tracey Thorn

Aurora of Nekocherry

Sticking with the last post's topic Art & Illustration, please meet Sardinian designer Aurora. On her blog Nekocherry, she doesn't only demonstrate her graphic skills and creative ideas, but also lets us in on a career in the making. 

Follow the jump below to find out what 'neko' means in Japanese and why it isn't always bad to find out that someone is spying on you...

Congratulations, Olga!

Olga Petrova has just been awarded the ADC's Talent of the Year award for her HFG Offenbach  final year project Marivanna. Marivanna is a so-called stick animation that visualizes her great-grandmother's journey through life. (Source)

"It's time to sweep in and shit all over it!"

Guardian columnist Hadley Freeman dissects the new Sex and the City movie here, and rightly so. (The quote above is taken from SATC, An American Girl in Paris Part Une, Season 6.)

GCB the Other Way 'Round: Annina Interviewed by the Mädchenmannschaft

Helga Hansen asked me a couple of questions regarding this blog. Read my interview in German over at the Mädchenmannschaft or follow the jump below to find out in English what GIRLS CAN BLOG is about, what to do to be featured, and what might become of the project in the future.