feminist blogs

Because they’re having an “informal performance day” next week instead of a recital.

Because there’s no dress rehearsal.

Because the performance costume is a pair of black pants and a black leotard for tap, and the same black leotard and pink tights for ballet. (more…)

Friday Cat Blogging (™ Kevin Drum)

Saw a new patient yesterday who apologized for bringing her three-year-old son to the appointment with her. He did pretty well; she brought a bunch of toys and a coloring book and a box of snacks, and she told him in advance that he could have the snacks when I came in the room, so he settled down with his crackers while we talked.  It’s never a surprise to me when kids start to wiggle or wander around during Mom’s exam. It’s hard to sit still when you’re three.  But it does still surprise me when mothers - whether they’re patients or friends - say the kind of thing this woman said to me:

I’m really sorry about him {child is doing nothing unusual, just climbing on and off the chair} My older one, she’s six, and she’s an angel. But he’s all boy. (more…)

Courtesy of Kenosha Kid, you can get addicted to a new game, this one. The idea, as far as I can figure it out, is to stop the cat from leaving the field, and the way to do that is to click on the light green dots to make them into dark green ones. The dark green ones work like a fence, or at least the kitty can't leap onto those.

Have fun, and a good weekend, too.

You may have observed the removal of old asbestos from buildings, presumably from far away, unless you were one of the removers clad in those space suits the workers wear for protection because asbestos is a known health hazard. But you may be unaware that asbestos may exist in new products, too, even in some toys meant for children:

The CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit, two brands of children's play clay, powdered cleanser, roof sealers, duct tapes, window glazing, spackling paste and small appliances were among the products in which asbestos was found by at least two of three labs hired by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.

The group, which was created in 2004 by asbestos victims and their families, spent more than $165,000 to have government-certified laboratories examine hundreds of consumer products over 18 months to determine whether asbestos was present.

It is unusual for a group of volunteers, many of whom have asbestos-caused diseases, to fund research that impacts public health.

"We had to. No one else was doing it," said Linda Reinstein, the group's co-founder and executive director. "This is information that consumers and Congress must have because asbestos is lethal and we naively believe that the government is protecting us, when it's not."

The product that is of greatest concerns to some public health experts is the fingerprint kit, which is a huge seller, according to sales personnel interviewed by the Seattle P-I.

The asbestos in the fingerprint kit was found in the powders the kit contains. These are very likely to be inhaled while playing with the kit.

I'm not sure how reliable private laboratory tests are, but it's of clear concern to find that the government is not testing for asbestos.
-----
Via Rants from the Rookery.

This story is odd:

The state's director of science curriculum has resigned after being accused of creating the appearance of bias against teaching intelligent design.

Chris Comer, who has been the Texas Education Agency's director of science curriculum for more than nine years, offered her resignation this month.

In documents obtained Wednesday through the Texas Public Information Act, agency officials said they recommended firing Comer for repeated acts of misconduct and insubordination. But Comer said she thinks political concerns about the teaching of creationism in schools were behind what she describes as a forced resignation.

Agency officials declined to comment, saying it was a personnel issue.

Comer was put on 30 days paid administrative leave shortly after she forwarded an e-mail in late October announcing a presentation being given by Barbara Forrest, author of "Inside Creationism's Trojan Horse," a book that says creationist politics are behind the movement to get intelligent design theory taught in public schools. Forrest was also a key witness in the Kitzmiller v. Dover case concerning the introduction of intelligent design in a Pennsylvania school district. Comer sent the e-mail to several individuals and a few online communities, saying, "FYI."

Agency officials cited the e-mail in a memo recommending her termination. They said forwarding the e-mail not only violated a directive for her not to communicate in writing or otherwise with anyone outside the agency regarding an upcoming science curriculum review, "it directly conflicts with her responsibilities as the Director of Science."

The memo adds, "Ms. Comer's e-mail implies endorsement of the speaker and implies that TEA endorses the speaker's position on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral."

Why should the TEA remain neutral in this matter? I guess it should also be neutral about whether the earth is flat or not?

Check out this New York Times piece from yesterday about how the Girl Scouts have been recruiting Muslim girls in an effort to help them adjust to American culture without sacrificing their Muslim identity. At the same time, the piece itself was bothersome at some parts, for example:

She has discovered that the trademark green sash — with its American flag, troop number (3009) and colorful merit badges — reduces the number of glowering looks she draws from people otherwise bothered by her traditional Muslim dress.

Just slap an American label on her and she'll be good to go! Sigh.

"A 12-year-old girl was recently arrested for having illicit affairs with men." Ugh.

Is there nothing so stupid these days as the perpetual bombardment of "What You Should Know" lists about the opposite sex? You know, those bon-mots splashed across magazines such as Cosmo and Esquire, breathlessly promising to expose hitherto-unknown secrets to keeping the male/female in your life happy? And, after being assaulted by at least six different stences of perfume while fumbling to page 304, you find gigglers like "Men like blow jobs" and "Women love it when you wash the dishes."

*face palm*

I thought I had seen just about all the silliness posing as sincere relationship help. Of course, we know what that means. Something even worse is waiting around the corner, waiting to pounce like a kitten in dark hallway.

Via yahoo.com comes a column written by a guy named Dave Zinczenko entitled "Dave Zinczenko's Mysteries of the Sexes Explained." Nice. Egoism and greater universal truths all addressed in the title.

I was hoping for an answer to why men feel the need to beat the crap out of each other moments after successfully completing a sports play. Sadly, it was only another expose' on how to spoke those evil, cheatin' menfolk. I thought we had this covered. Really. If he's a secretive person who has never introduced you to his family or friends, never gave you his phone number, only meets you at certain times and insists on eating in dark corners, red flags should go off. Right? Newp.... sadly, I never considered that all-time cad: Charitable Guy. Yep, that's right. If the guy you are dating is into giving to charitable causes, FOR GOD'S SAKE, RUN AWAY!

I'll pause while you finish laughing. Here's a tissue.

Honestly, I haven't read a bigger piece of drivel since Paris Hilton's diaries were published. Three of five signs are utter bullshit, one is questionable and the fifth, while true, is so insanely obvious, a three-year-old girl would say "Well, duh."

Cheating Sign #1: He Doesn't Pay His Bills On Time.
The reasoning behind this one is men who are reckless with their personal responsibilties are going to be just as reckless with their relationships. So, name me one single guy who honestly stays on tops of his bills each month WITHOUT the help of an accountant or his mother. Also, the writer making the broad, inaccurate sweep of saying "Not paying a bill on time" = "recklessness." All of us have forgetten or simply haven't had the money to pay that cable bill from time to time. This does not a Don Juan make.

Cheating Sign #2: He's a Do-Gooder.
Not only is this so stupid I nearly spit my drink on my monitor, the writer doesn't back it up. The explanation offered:

A study just published in the November issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology found that when there's a blurry line between right and wrong (as there often is with matters of infidelity), the people who become the worst cheaters are actually the ones who think of themselves as having the highest moral standards.

Why? The speculation is that these people can justify their wrongdoings with explanations that they weren't doing anything wrong at all.

Okay, nice bit of information but it doesn't make his point at all. So, I'm just going to continue believing any man who takes a moment to donate that extra buck to a charitable cause is at least decent and not trying to clear his conscience of cheating on his girlfriend by banging three women at an outdoor orgy the night before.

Cheating Sign #3: He's Rolling in Dough
If one thing my dating past has taught me, a guy who lives month to month and can only afford a beer and bus fare is just as likely to bang that skanky blonde behind your back as those who burn money in the fireplace because it looks pretty.

Cheating Sign #4: He's a Yeller
Boy, I can sleep better tonight having been educated on this point. *snort* I mean, wow. Because the majority of us women didn't know the only reason a man should be yelling at you is if you're on a ship at sea, it's on fire and he can't find you. And, remember, just because he yells doesn't mean he's cheating. He could just be an asshole.

Cheating Sign #5: He's a Mirror Hog
On the face of this, it's obvious and to be lumped in with point number four. However, I hate to burst the theory, but I live with man who actually looks in the mirror more than I do. It's not because he's hopelessly in love with his face, but the man actually cares whether or not his collar is straight and his pants haven't gotten too tight before he leaves the house. I, on the other hand, hope I match and everything is covered.

What's even more mind-numbing is the writer continues to reference similarly enlightening articles from Men's Health, including one laugh riot titled "The 50 Things She Wishes You Knew About Her." Just for the record, I don't believe driving a stick shift is the test of a real man, buying me new shoes will NOT get you out of the doghouse, I don't think less of man who doesn't lead me around and I do NOT want to be Madonna.

And, I still want to know why men beat the shit out of each other after a touchdown.

*bimbles off*

Oh dear. Stay tuned for more.