Caryl Avery

Surely it’s not too much to expect people to calculate the effect of their heedlessness, to be mindful of this absent-mindedness, even to attribute their unwitting assaults to their own half-wittedness. In short, to think before it becomes necessary (or polite) to offer a perfunctory “Sorry.”

By Alexandra Boghosian

The apps you download should reflect what you do. Here are some apps that are just plain useful. Happy downloading!

By Alexandra Boghosian

I suspect that women utter this helpless phrase, “My computer hates me,” more frequently than men do, thereby putting themselves in passive roles when it comes to technology.

On Sunday, March 31, a day of great significance in the Judeo/Christian traditions, Women’s Voices for Change passed the 2-million-page-views milestone.

Samsung launches its new phones with sexist commentary as selling points; another company unveils a tablet for women preloaded with the ‘feminine essentials’; a visual tribute to Maya Angelou; the politics of pubic hair; and the ‘feminism’ in romance novels.

In this week’s Wednesday 5, our last for the year, we highlight some of Women’s Voices’ more notable and popular stories of 2012. As our readers, your visits to our site, comments, emails, Facebook shares and likes, and Tweets let us know what stories mattered to you and why.

Some things we will never have, but acceptance can get us past despair. Even when the ex’s page boasts 1,216 friends and a trip to Hawaii with a dip in a waterfall pool with the new (younger) wife.

Oscar-worthy films for the fall; women journalists in war zones; Instagramming your world; Women’s Equality Day; and an experiment in avoiding mirrors for a month.

“At the recent BlogHer conference, I found myself surrounded by thoughtful, vulnerable, honest writers and heard over and over how they are in this because they have to be. Because they love it. For the life that it brings.”

Wednesday 5: Women changing the business of media, why technology supports ageism, the humanity in Marie-Antoinette through her last letter, how great Hollywood would be if women ran it, and more women in their 40s are having affairs (and great sex).

When I log on to check my stats, I can’t wait to see what implausible searches have brought people from as far away as India and Bulgaria to a site featuring humorous stories. “Pretend floating ducks to buy”? “Insensitive older brother”? What can they be searching for?

Scouting the Web this week, we were inspired by Nike’s tribute video of pioneering women in sports; moved by one artist’s using art to advocate for women who have been victims of violence; tickled by a new Declaration of Independence (from dieting); and inspired all over again—this time by some fabulous sexagenarians.

As summer unofficially begins, our fave blogs are wishing a top supermodel a good 42nd birthday, saluting a pair of pioneering Chicago artists, and exploring the true stories behind that Meryl moment.

In June 20l1, TED released a list of its 20 most-visited Talks to date. On that list was Mary Roach’s stunning and compelling presentation of “The Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Orgasm.”

This week, blogs cheered Anna Wintour’s appearance on Stephen Colbert’s TV show, shared new better-vision technologies, and laughed sadly at French feminists’ satirical slam at the Cannes Film Festival.