Update February 18: Asmaa Mahfouz is safe and praying in Tahrir Square today :)

Susan notes: it's February 6, 2011, and 26-year-old Egyptian activist and prolific vlogger Asmaa Mafhouz hasn't been seen online for several days. Friends and supporters are worried for her safety. Why? Because she spoke directly to the heart and soul of a nation in pain. This is one of the best pieces of public speaking I've heard in a long time. Learn more about the history behind the vlog here.

Translation by: @iyed_elbaghdadi (Visit his video channel here to see more of Asmaa Mahfouz's vlogs with English translations as well as other related videos)
Vide tagging by: Ammara Alavi

In many quarters, "feminism" is a still dirty word with lots of negative baggage attached to it.

Most men, at least in my experience, seem to feel threatened by feminist ideology, and by feminists themselves. Even other women lash out against those of us who fight for gender equality, gender parity and a world in which women are not trafficked, abused, beaten, raped, tortured and murdered simply because we were born female.

Being a feminist can be a tough row to hoe.

So when I opened the email below from Don Hazen (left), I have to tell you, it made my day. As I read it, I thought to myself: here's a guy who really "gets it.”

Hazen is executive director of the Independent Media Institute and executive editor of AlterNet, an award-winning news magazine and online community that creates original journalism and amplifies the best of hundreds of other independent media sources.

AlterNet’s aim is to inspire action and advocacy on the environment, human rights and civil liberties, social justice, media, health care issues, and more. Hazen is also the former publisher of Mother Jones magazine, an accomplished book editor.

He holds an MA in counseling from the University of Massachusetts and a BA in politics from Princeton University.

Here's what he has to say about the state of women in journalism:

What happens when mainstream media rejects a "plus-size" lingerie ad they say shows too much cleavage? The advertising agency behind the campaign turns to social media and creates a sizable stir…

Susan notes: I've seen hail before, but nothing quite like this....