So are there really more men experts in the computing field or does it just seem that way? That question is part of an ongoing and raging debate about women in technology. From women missing as top speakers at technology conferences to little girls shunning computers for something less boring is male dominance in the field a reality or an illusion?

What if your biggest stumbling block is...you? Say you have an idea. A crazy, wonderful, huge idea. So you call on your courage, uproot your life, move a thousand or more miles, and arrive on the scene to...wait a little more. Have you failed? Or are you just getting started?

Whether you have a job, own a business, or are looking for a job, chances are you are networking now more than ever. Networking is placed on a pedestal like no other and you can barely go through 24 hours without someone telling you "it's all about networking" and "you have to be out there networking".

BlogHer was started to find where the women in technology and blogging were. Now that thousands of them have been found I'm on a quest to find and talk to my favorite women in the blogosphere. Women who make my jaw drop with their enthusiasm for for communicating within a new and often changing space, women who are always ready for more. I'm not that type of woman; the kind that works on project after project and it terrifies me to even think of leaving Real Job for a life of being an entrepreneur but the women I will be interviewing in this series have done just that.

As you go about a day at the office or building your business, how mindful are you? Are you focused on one moment, one task at a time or are you a multi-tasking wonder? We talk so much about getting things done, doing more with less, and driving bottom line results, but what if all that incessant doing is actually the very thing that stands in the way of being more successful?

Recently, I was struck by a comment left on the blog of popular blogger, coach and author Pam Slim. The anonymous (of course) commenter chastised her for seeking sales and for there being less free content on her blog as she worked on promoting her newly launched book. Then I was blown away by Pam's fabulous response. Calm, neutral, factual, non-reactive, honest, compassionate and not defensive in the least.

Are you a perfectionist? Are you slaving away trying to get things just perfect before you move ahead? Well if you're planning to create a plan so you can plan or are tweaking till all hours, your perfectionism could be costing you.

We're less than three weeks away from the official start of dreaded bathing suit season - er, I mean, summer - which means it is that time of the year that the front in the war against body hair moves a bit higher up on the leg to the Bikini Line. The Bikini Line is not unlike the Maginot Line in that the enemy is going to find a way around it, and new tools of defense are constantly being introduced for those who refuse to surrender and just buy board shorts.

The big hoopla this week in the world of technology came from Google's I/O conference. Among the announcements was one about Google Web Elements. What are they and what can you do with them? Google Web Elements are widgitized versions of Google products such as calendars, chat, maps, custom search, YouTube news, and docs. You can add these widgets to your site or blog. Most of the widgets were already available. Now they've been aggregated in one spot. YouTube News is a newly added item.

Recently I was at a board meeting for a local women's business organization and one of the members who is also a Mom shared something that took me by surprise. She had been at a college graduation where the graduation speaker literally spoke a message of doom and gloom for 2009 graduates. As she put it, "the speaker basically told these young adults that while they succeeded in getting their diploma there are no jobs to be found so be ready for disappointment and dependence on your parents".

I'll admit I have been a long time fan of Pam Slim at Escape from Cubicle Nation and I was thrilled to death when her book Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur was released in late April.

I recently wrote about how many people who don't have a job are starting a business because the recession is a great time to get started. However, there's more to starting a business (at least if you don't want to be one of the many small businesses that have been closing up shop) than just hanging out the proverbial shingle.