All posts by Carol Garvan

The Status Update That Cost $80,000

You’ve probably seen the headlines. “Single Facebook Post Unravels $80,000 Settlement.” “Girl costs father $80,000 with ‘SUCK IT’ facebook post.” I first saw the story first on – surprise, surprise – Facebook. In case you didn’t catch the story, the basic facts are these: Several years ago, a private prep school in Florida, Gulliver Schools, […]

News Flash: US Ties Papua New Guinea for Last Place in Paid Maternity Leave

The U.S. is all about being a “global leader” – whether it’s in terms of military power, or math and science scholarship, or space exploration, or countless other pursuits we pride ourselves in.  We panic about the nation’s decline whenever a new study shows that we’ve fallen slightly in our global ranking on, say, science […]

Fast Food? Not So Fast.

On a recent road trip with my two-year-old, we stopped for lunch at a drive-through fast food place.  It was probably the highlight of her trip.  “Woman put food right through window!” she marveled.  And a few moments later she was enjoying fries as we cruised toward our destination. “Need more ketchup!” she said, preferring […]

Giving Thanks: One Food Drive Sparks Controversy, Another Creates Solidarity

You don’t often see “controversial” and “charity food drive” in the same headline, but that’s exactly what has been happening over the past week.  With Thanksgiving upon us, Walmart once again takes the cake (pumpkin pie?) for being the biggest turkey.  The mammoth retail chain pays its employees so poorly that a Walmart in Canton, […]

Why It Does Matter: Congress Debates Anti-Discrimination Law for LGBT Employees

In a courageous op-ed published Monday, November 4, Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Mike Michaud announced that he was gay. “Allow me to save them the trouble with a simple, honest answer,” he wrote. “Yes, I am.  But why should it matter?”  Rep. Michaud is right.  It shouldn’t matter.  Sexual orientation should have nothing to do […]