The wonders of science!

Looks like someone's finally addressing the need for gender-disaggregated medical studies. Yes, it turns out that mens and women's bodies actually are different and subsequently react differently to medicines and disease and infection. Wow! The medical community is really progressing in leaps and bounds.

More ineffective AIDS funding

Bush has developed a $15 million AIDS funding program. Guess who's likely to see most of the money? Groups that have deep local ties in the countries and focus on abstinence and fidelity --instead of just condoms--are faring well. Now that's what I call smart: more faith-based organizations who see Jesus and abstinence as the most effective means to combat a global pandemic. Gee, that'll work well considering that abstinence is not an option for women if they are raped or subject to sexual violence, family and social pressure, or economic needs. And fidelity is based on honesty and well, call me slutty, but it seems a little shaky to center your global crisis solutions on an often tenuous agreement of trust. Seems to me that the "brains" behind the ABCs (Abstinence, Be Faithful, Condoms) prevention method just aren't really using their noodles when it comes to thinking about the people living daily in countries ravaged by economic insecurity, inequitable social norms, conflict, limited or no healthcare, and violence. Learn more about the HIV/AIDS crisis and how women are particularly vulnerable to infection. *Sorry. Bono moment over.*

Lifetime TV: Worth fighting for?

I've seen my fair share of bad programming on Lifetime Television for Women (including all the hits with with Tori Spelling) and would have never in my right mind thought to fight for the network that consistently produced some of the worst tv throughout the 1990s. Yet, there are hundreds of women across the nation protesting the Dish network over its decision to charge for access to Lifetime. After EchoStar unplugged Lifetime, the network, which is based in New York, took out full-page newspaper advertisements saying, "Dish doesn't value women," and encouraging Dish subscribers to switch to DirectTV, a rival satellite television company. Some women have held rallies to decry the loss of their favorite shows and to sling barbs at Mr. Ergen, who has a record of public scuffles with television programmers. While Lifetime has brought to light some very critical issues regarding women, I don't know if my girlfriends are quite ready to forgive them for that total crap miniseries on trafficking. (Mira Sorvino, we thought you were better than that.)

What is their reasoning?!?

Refusal to let White House staff testify about Hurricane Katrina; Illegal and warantless wiretapping; The whole weird thing with Google. I won't even mention the Patriot Act (oops, too late). I'm losing words for this shit.

Rumsfeld needs a psychological evaluation

Or a f*ing IQ test: US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday strongly rejected studies suggesting that deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched the US military too thin. The notion the Army was overextended is 'just not consistent with the facts,' Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon. They're all drunk with power and gone completely insane. Perhaps its time for those lobotomies.

No more need for feminism

Glass ceiling my ass!* Women-owned businesses are on the rise in the U.S. Up by about 20 percent, women own approximately 6.5 million businesses in the states. While this is positive news overall, I'm sure some dumbshit is going to put this in her/his arsenal of reasons that feminism is unnecessary. *Please note sarcasm. Or rather, thumbs up.

A bad day for "feminism"

First Naomi Wolf and Jesus? Then this. Anyone see a pattern?

Naomi Wolf sees Jesus!

And is subsequently damned to hell by feminists and anyone else with a brain. We always knew she was a little nutty, but Naomi Wolf just sealed the deal. Thanks hon. I feel so much more spirtually free to come out with my own vision-story: I saw the nails being hammered into the coffin.

Another cold day in hell

The latest news is that Alito is well on his way to Senate confirmation. Who's coming with me?

Commander in Chief

Geena Davis has launched a campaign for gender equality in young people's television programming. Working under the See Jane organization, Davis has commissioned a study to assess the situation and has already began advocating for the cause. 'What is the message we're sending out to kids?' "That boys' stories are more interesting, more prevalent and significant, and that girls are peripheral." While I think she's doing a good thing (as I'm all for equity), couldn't she direct that energy into something a little more productive than television? I'm clearly not a citizen of planet Earth.

Mechanics or not, women are objects . . .

. . . to be oogled at and then run over. Okay, well that's what I got from this image, but some might say I'm hyper-critical. The image is actually taken from a news story about a growing trend in France. Seems that French women are breaking boundaries as they begin opening up all-female mechanic garages. The news pieces, however, have decided to focus less on the good points of the story, and stick with what they know: mechanics or not, women are sex objects. I clearly see how female legs under a car adequately conveys the point of the story, as well as the sense of empowerment these women feel from pursuing and succeeding in a field that has historically elided them. Ahhh, but that's not the point. The point, my dear friends, is that women shouldn't be taken seriously, whether or not they can fix a radiator leak or replace your carburetor. And I won't even address the homicidal nature of the image.

Men more sarcastic; women still back-biting bitches

There's a new study released on gender differences as they relate to sarcasm. Blah blah, men are more sarcastic, blah blah. This little bit, however, peaked my interest: Women, however, are champs at sarcasm when it is used to cut other women out of a conversation or a social group, he says. Relational agression, as it's termed, tends to be a female phenomenon, according to scientists. I know, at least on a non-scientific level, that this seems to be a sentiment that is echoed among young women. How many times have you been talking to a girlfriend or younger woman only to find out that they're suspect of other women, don't have a lot of female friends, etc. because they think women are bitchy, catty, gossipy, and on and on? This shit has got to stop ladies. Young women particularly need other young women to rely on, confide in, and grow with; we need to stop vehemently opposing each other as mortal enemies (because it's usually due to men, which is so obviously f*cked up). This crap makes me crazy.

Conspiracy-Theory Friday

In light of my last post, here's some more hyper-paranoid shit coming out of right field, if you will. It looks like those advocates of the so-called Academic Bill of Rights just won't stop.

Who do you Google?

That's what the White House wants to know. Under the guise of protecting children from pornography, the Bush Admin Crazies are "requesting" access to highly private documents from Google that would allow the US government to see who's Googling what. This is total bullshit and not just because they're going to see how many times a day I google myself.

Michelle Bachelet elected as President

Former Pinochet torture victim and socialist, Michelle Bachelet, was elected president of Chile on Sunday. Ms Bachelet, a single mother with three children, is expected to push workers' rights, pension reform and pre-school education during her four-year term which begins in March. As a former political prisoner who was tortured by Gen Pinochet's secret police, she is widely admired by the working class.

Thursday sounds great!

What if you said "yes" to every schmuck who asked you out on a date (cue doom music). Luckily, we don't have to engage in that ghastly social experiment--you'd have to drug me--because Ms. Maria Dahvana Headley did it for us. Increasingly frustrated by her dating life, Headley decided to spend one year responding positively to all flirting and saying yes to literally anyone who asked her out. The ensuing 150 dates included a homeless man, several non-English speakers, 10 taxi drivers, two lesbians and a mime. And she documented her whole year of hellish (and not so hellish) dates in a book. Thanks to Dave for the story.

U.S. barred from new Human Rights Council

Well, that's what would have to happen if John Bolton, US Ambassador to the UN, got what he wanted: "The current situation is untenable and must not be allowed to continue," Bolton said, according to a copy of his written text. "Membership on the [Human Rights] Commission by some of the world's most notorious human rights abusers [he's NOT talking about the US] mocks the legitimacy of the Commission and the United Nations itself." Wow! One would think Mr. Bolton wasn't familiar with the concept of irony.

Amphibians--the new pregnancy test

Think you're pregnant? Screw that EPT crap! Go to your drugstore and purchase one South African clawed frog. Go home, inject your urine into its dorsal lymph sac, and then wait. A dose of a pregnant woman's pee will cause a female South African clawed frog to lay eggs within eight to 12 hours. The test also works on male frogs, which produce sperm in response to the injection. This is absolutely great, minus the whole impending extinction of the frogs.

Strippers sue employer

Just a reminder: Strippers are paid employees. Paid employees have rights. Therefore, strippers have rights. That's called a syllogism, and it should be pretty clear. But in case it's not, check out this fascinating article in Salon. Some women who worked as strippers at a tribal casino in California are suing the owners for a myriad of workplace violations including sexual harassment, wrongful termination, abuse, and gender and age discrimination. Problem is, the casino--Thunder Valley--is tribal-owned and operated as part of a sovereign Indian nation, making it exempt from U.S. civil law. This isn't the first time that sex workers have organized for rights, but it is the first instance (that I'm aware of) where the legal actions are so complicated by national boundaries.

This is so sad . . .

. . . but this is so me.

Transgender Barbie

I missed the boat on this one, so I'll just direct you to Jessica's post on the gender-confused, Barbie bonanza happening thanks to those creepy chicks over at Concerned Women for America. In short, the Mattel website gave its young visitors three options to the question, "I'm a . . . ". Barbie fans could choose, "boy," "girl," OR "I don't know." CWA screamed conspirancy, claiming Mattel was promoting what they termed gender confusion.

UNFPA still working

Despite the Bush Administration's refusal to commit funding to the UNFPA--the UN agency that provides adequate healthcare services women and the poor worldwide--the critical work of the agency continues. The U.S. historically allotted $32 million USD annually to the UNFPA, but one of Bush's first actions as president involved reinstating the global gag rule, and subsequently eliminating funding to the UNFPA. In 2002, Washington cut 34 million dollars; in 2003, 25 million dollars; and in 2004 and 2005, 34 million dollars each. The cuts were prompted by a misconceived charge that UNFPA was supporting and promoting abortions in China -- a view strongly held by neo-conservatives and right wing Christian fundamentalists who are strong political supporters of Bush. Pissed off? Do something.

A bagillion dollars

That's approximately the financial cost of the Iraq war to the U.S. alone. Okay, well, if you want to nit-pick, it's more like $1 - 2 trillion dollars. However you cut it, it's a huge fucking waste of money. The scary numbers come from a new study that expanded on traditional estimates by including such costs as lifetime disability and healthcare for troops injured in the conflict as well as the impact on the American economy, concluded that the US government is continuing to underestimate the cost of the war. You think someone would have considered these as critical variables in the beginning, but hey, that's neoclassical economics for you. The authors of the paper, Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel prize-winning economist, and Linda Bilmes, a Harvard budget expert, caution that, "Our estimates are very conservative, and it could be that the final costs will be much higher. And it should be noted they do not include the costs of the conflict to either Iraq or the UK."

'Vale la pena'

"It's worth it." Mexican women are increasingly uttering this phrase as they decide to illegally cross the border in hopes of finding work and a better life for their family. Although it's difficult to get firm numbers on illegal immigration, researchers suggest that Mexican women are increasingly deciding to risk their lives and make the dangerous journey across national lines. as many as 35 percent to 45 percent of those crossing the border illegally today are women. Twenty years ago, fewer than 20 percent of the people crossing illegally were women, she said. The arduous trek can be extremely dangerous for women, with reports of rape, drugs, theft, and violence. The trend among Mexican women crossing exposes the highly gendered aspects of immigration and will undoubtedly be jeapordized (or completely squashed) by the recent appointment of Ellen Sauerbrey as head of the Refugee, Population, and Migration Bureau.

Big trouble in little Frisco

San Francisco needs one hell of a misogynist-makeover. It all started with the 49ers training video (2003) that featured strippers, racism, homophobia, and drugs (I always knew football was good for nothing) and now some dudes in the police force--another troublesome crew--has gotten in on the act . If you haven't been paying attention, 23 officers in the SFPD were suspended over some videos they showed at the holiday party. The videos--meant to be a parody of life on the force--include the following: a police officer dressed as a transgender person; sex with masseuses; a homeless black woman railing against white people after apparently being hit by a patrol car; and various officers saying, "Oh, captain," and flicking their tongues suggestively. The problem is, the Captain didn't think it was so funny and made the video public, launching a city/nationwide dialogue. The thing is, Captain Fong is Asian-American. And a woman. So, according to the officers in question, she was being unfair by airing the SFPD's dirty laundry. Yeah, I definitely see how this is all her fault.

All rise . . .

The Alito confirmation hearings began this morning and while formal questioning won't begin until tomorrow, it seems that the process isn't going to be a relaxing ride for the nominee. In their opening remarks, senators promised to question Alito sharply about his views on abortion and executive power. Hopefully, our little Democrats will actually fulfill their promises this time, but this could get dirty considering the hefty paper trail that Alito has left throughout his career and growing concern among Congress on Bush's increasingly bullish Presidential prowess. Listen to the hearings or follow the coverage.

Sex-selected abortion rampant

According to a Canadian study, female fetacide has remained steady over the last 20 years in India. Up to 10 million female fetuses have been selectively aborted in India since 1976 . . . . Researchers also found the probability that a female fetus was aborted was more than twice as likely among educated mothers than illiterate ones. This is a disturbing reality that affects many other parts of the world besides India.

Pregnant in Indiana? Good luck!

If Republican state legislator Troy Woodruff has his way, having or performing an abortion in the state of Indiana would be a Class C felony. [Woodruff] has filed a bill (HB 1096) that would make abortion illegal in the state unless continuing the pregnancy to term would cause "substantial permanent impairment of the life or physical health of the pregnant woman," Lucky for everyone, the liklihood of the bill passing is slim given it's a short legislative session, but the absurdity of politicians has got to stop. Bans on gay marraige, gestational certificates, and no reproductive choice. Could these people please get a clue?!?

I have nothing to wear!

I'm finding myself uttering these words less and less, but if I'm honest with myself, I still own way too many clothes that I haven't worn in years. Unfortunately, I'm not alone. A recent survey found that, women in the UK have blown more than 7 billion pounds (over 12 billion US dollars) on clothes they don't wear. Women have 14 items of clothing, on average, lurking in the back of their wardrobes that they have not worn in the last year, the survey by home insurer Churchill found. Each unwanted item cost an average 21.82 pounds, which meant the country's 24 million women spent 7.3 billion pounds last year on clothes they did not wear, the insurer said. While the study focuses solely on the UK, I'll bet that a similar epidemic lurks in the U.S. This is absolutely ridiculous.

More Bush cronyism

I spent the better part of yesterday writing an article on the impending nomination process of Ellen Sauerbrey--a Bush nominee to head the Bureau of Population, Refugess, and Migration (PRM). The woman has--by her own admission--NO experience in the areas of refugees and migration and she has been continuously hostile towards women's human rights and reproductive health services. Given the duties of the head of PRM, this could be another Michael Brown, FEMA-style disaster appointment. Her approval was in limbo because the Senate Foreign Relations committee was waiting to confirm or reject her (Thanks Barbara Boxer!), but, as I warned in the article, it's always possible for Little Bushy to bypass the Senate and appoint Ms. Sauerbrey with the same tactic (a recess appointment) he used to make John Bolton the U.S. Ambassador to the UN. Well, guess what Little B did today?

CEDAW reviewed

In two weeks--16 Jan through 3 Feb--the 34th session of the CEDAW (The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) committee will review six countries records of treatment of women. I will be there representin' to the fullest and will report accordingly, but you should definitely keep your eyes and ears open to the happenings. CEDAW, otherwise known as the Women's Treaty, promotes women´s equal access, equal opportunities in political, public life, as well as in education, health and employment. And (not) surprisingly, one of the countries that won't ever be reviewed is our beloved little home, the U.S. Why? Well, dearies, our little country didn't really feel that signing the document or upholding women's equality was really that necessary. Because we're above that--we love women! Especially when they're half naked, vacuuming, getting pregnant, and shutting up! Uh-huh. Learn more about CEDAW.

Poised for the presidency

Slate is offering a timely addition to my previous post on women's rising political power. It puts an interesting spin on the idea of women as heads of states as it addresses the idea that women in political power doesn't necessarily mean increased rights for women. Additionally, women don't always run on a woman-centered platform nor are they inherently woman-friendly politicians. While I think most of you are clear on this, it's an interesting article that points out particular trends in South American politics. Check it out here.

Excuses, excuses

Girlfriends, get ready for your first line of defense: women are genetically predisposed to cheat on their partners! According to a study published by UCLA, . . . women have evolved to cheat on their mates during the most fertile part of their cycle, but only when those mates are less sexually attractive than other men. You can finally say with confidence, "Honey, I didn't mean to do it, but I was ovulating and he was better looking . . . . What was I supposed to do?"

Women ruling the world

From Germany to Afghanistan to Japan to Liberia, women are experiencing some profound political successes all over the world. A recent AP story highlights some of the following: In Liberia, newly-elected President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became Africa's first elected female president; In Afghanistan, 68 female candidates won seats in the 249-member legislature; Michelle Bachelet is poised to become Chile's first female president in a runoff election on Jan. 15; Two businesswomen became Saudi Arabia's first female elected officials in November. Perhaps the U.S. could take some cues . . .

Pillbox

Feeling sexually uninspired in the new year? Well, stop blaming your partner (although it probably is all their fault) and start re-thinking your birth control. According to new research coming out of the UK,the pill could be to blame for your blundering libido. . . . women who rely on the contraceptive pill may be putting themselves at risk of long-term sexual dysfunction. While I have suffered through hellacious bouts of horror ("sexual difficulties" incuded) thanks to the pill, I'm having a hard time believing that birth control could lead to life-long sexual dysfunction. Believe it or not, there are patterns among pills that cause serious problems for women and they are often the most prescribed by doctors (Ortho Tri-Cyclen anyone?). Why is this you ask? Hmm...well, per usual I'm thinking it has something to do with pharmaceutical kickbacks, but I digress. The real issue here is education--sexual, reproductive, and medical. Young women will often just accept whatever pill is first prescribed to them and think that all the awful side-effects are just par for the course. If we do go back to our doctor with complaints, we're told to "hold off ," "take them for three months and then we'll see about switching," "these effects are normal," etc. Well I'm always curious as to the last time said doctors felt like they wanted to physically assault anyone who touched them, gained 15 pounds in 30 days, hated everyone they've ever known, or just generally wanted to die. Because that's what taking bad birth control feels like. So, perhaps instead of insinuating that birth control is evil and will inevitably lead to sexual dysfunction, scientists need to figure out how to make birth control that isn't so volatile to our bodies and doctors need to get hip to listening to us. Until then, there's going to be some irate, non-fertile bitches ready to attack.