may_dryad

"The fact is, sex is messy."

That's the slogan of a new pamphlet from Britain's National Health Service aimed at adults who work with teens. It recommends a sex-positive form of sex education that acknowledges that teenagers, like most of us, are inclined to enjoy sex, and

argues that, far from promoting teenage sex, it could encourage young people to delay losing their virginity until they are sure they will enjoy the experience.

That's right, people. The British are now officially less uptight about sex than we are.

Okay, the actual New York Times headline is Sotomayor Says Identity Won't Distort Decisions. When's the last time a white male supreme court nominee had to defend his ability to be objective in the face of his identity? Oh wait, never! Because white male perception = objective reality.

This contradictory article by Lisa Belkin acknowledges that "men find it more threatening when women cheat than vice versa," but then goes on to focus exclusively on why women find it so threatening. Belkin suggests that it's natural for us to worry "that a man will take his support and protection elsewhere," except that "as many as 76 percent of spouses (not just these famous outliers) who face infidelity stay together." Is it just me, or does that mean that marriages where infidelity occurs are actually more successful than average? The national divorce rate is still around 50%, last I heard.

No, I think the public is interested in these stories because we like to feel that the rich and powerful have the same problems we do. But I'm starting to wonder when the shocking revelation that extramarital sex exists is going to stop being news. I suppose we ought to call out the social conservatives on their hypocrisy, even if it is embarrassingly easy to do, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to give a shit.

I desperately want to hear the mainstream media refer to Tiller's murder as the culmination of decades of domestic terrorism against him. And if the government were to say the same thing, that would be fantastic. Unfortunately, I'm not expecting that to happen.

For my own part, this whole thing is really causing me to police my language better. I generally say "anti-choice" instead of "pro-life" in any case, but now I'm determined that "pro-life" will never cross my lips again, unless it's in scare quotes.

Pope Deplores "Ideological Manipulation"

In other news, Keith Richards deplores drug use.

Nora, who at four years old is more excited by transfers of presents than transfers of power, was a little confused while watching the inauguration with me today.

Nora: Who's that?

Me: That's the President.

Nora: Is he bringing us presents?

Me: No, he doesn't have presents; he's the President.

Nora: Can we open him?

Me: No, we can't open him.

There's a documentary called The Orgasmic Birth, which advocates for natural childbirth and which also reveals that some women experience an orgasm as the baby exits the birth canal.

Now, I'm a big advocate of natural childbirth myself. I felt every second of my 12-hour labor, but although I've never really thought about it this way, if I had to provide an antonym for orgasm, it would be childbirth.

I mean, yes, the part where I was naked and sweating on my hands and knees, making uncontrollable animal noises, is not antithetical to my experience with orgasms. But the part where I was pushing an 8 pound 10 ounce baby out of my vagina, to the accompaniment of the actual rending of my flesh--no, pretty much didn't do it for me.

Of course, I've always been an external stimulation kind of girl.

It turns out that the elderly tend to resent being called "sweetie" and "dear." They regard it as belittling. And a new study shows that, if they internalize the infantilizing message of such "elderspeak," their life expectancy is noticeably lowered, not to mention their performance on various tests of physical and mental ability.

Ellen Kirschman, 68, a police psychologist in Northern California, said she objected to people calling her “young lady,” which she called “mocking and disingenuous.” She added: “As I get older, I don’t want to be recognized for my age. I want to be recognized for my accomplishments, for my wisdom.”

Kirschman's remark implies that she was not recognized for her accomplishments and wisdom when she was younger, and the same thing is often true of other "young ladies," younger women who are so often addressed in the same belittling language that has been proven to weaken and kill the elderly.

So, unless it's the woman at the grocery store who clearly calls everyone "honey," regardless of age or gender, I advise you to react to these misguided endearments the same way Nora, my four-year-old daughter, does.

"I'm not sweetheart! I'm Nora!"

Is this for real?

Apparently, women don't like Palin because we never got over the fact that we weren't the pretty, popular girl in high school.

The really confusing part is that the article then goes on to make serious points: 1)that a woman who is "too confident" is considered a bitch, and 2)that the first woman to enter a new role is considered the representative of all women (because women are the collective Other), and therefore if she fucks up, it reflects badly on all women.

So the article seems to be criticizing the sexism we've seen this campaign season, but it's couching that criticism in a tone that's incredibly disparaging towards women (and men).

I don't get it.