Empire Strikes...

subtitle: keep your theology off my biology!

yesterday the supreme court upheld bush's partial-birth abortion ban. although a majority of abortions will not be compromised because of this, it is only the beginning of a the slow chipping away of women's rights. what is particularly shocking is that this bill does not include a clause to protect the health/life of the woman. the bottom line: what gives anyone, particularly anyone who doesn't possess a uterus, the right to decide anything about anyone else's body? we have so little that we can control in this world, and our bodies are our most sacred possessions. it's not a question of morality, it's a question of a simple human right.

and then today, the family research council filed suit against the FDA for its over-the-counter approval of plan b. i can't help but wonder, if plan b had a lobby as powerful as tobacco would there be an issue? it's ok to blatantly target kids with cigarette ads but god forbid a DOCTOR prescribe a medication! feh!

the last word: if we properly educated our youth about responsible decision making then we could drastically reduce the need for abortions and emergency contraception. logic people!

for more information, or to get involved, see the following sites:
http://www.nyclu.org/
http://www.ppnyc.org/homepage.html

to get information to help educate youth you might know:
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/
http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/
http://www.sexetc.org/

BUYBCwEC!!

through my work with the academy for educational development (www.aed.org) i've become involved in emergency contraception awareness campaigns in new york city. many myths and misconceptions (no pun intended) exist around EC/Plan B, the following sites provide useful information that all women should know. even if you don't ever plan on using it, you may have a friend who needs your help.


check out: http://www.backupyourbirthcontrol.org/



from guttmacher.org:

Have you backed-up your birth control?

March 20 is Back Up Your Birth Control Day of Action, a day devoted to increasing awareness of and access to emergency contraception. Emergency contraception, sometimes called the “morning-after pill,” is a concentrated dosage of the same hormones found in ordinary birth control pills that can prevent a pregnancy from occurring when taken after unprotected sex, making it an effective “plan B” for helping women avoid unwanted pregnancies and abortions.

On August 24, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency contraception for sale over-the-counter without a prescription to women aged 18 and older. While the FDA’s decision was certainly a step in the right direction, there is still work to be done to ensure access for all women. To start, adolescents younger than 18 still need a doctor’s prescription to obtain emergency contraception. This can cause delays in obtaining the method, and, since it is more effective the sooner after unprotected sex it is taken, increase a young woman’s risk of an unintended pregnancy.

Additionally, cost can pose a barrier for many low-income women trying to obtain emergency contraception. Many insurance companies do not cover over-the-counter drugs, and only a few states cover emergency contraception for women on Medicaid without first requiring a visit to a physician or clinic, which delays access to the method. The difficulty poor women face in obtaining emergency contraception is especially troubling, given the fact that they have greater difficulty than other women in accessing contraception generally, and therefore have higher rates of unintended pregnancy: A poor woman in the United States is four times as likely to have an unintended pregnancy, five times as likely to have an unintended birth and more than three times as likely to have an abortion as her higher-income counterpart.

Emergency contraception has tremendous potential to prevent unintended pregnancy among women who experience contraceptive failure, unprotected sex or sexual assault. We should be working to remove the barriers that young women and poor women face in accessing all contraceptive methods, including emergency contraception. These barriers aside, the fact remains that many women and men still do not even know about emergency contraception, making continued efforts to raise public awareness about the method essential, as well.

define "rehabilitation"

13-Year-Old Faces 128 Felony Counts

- - - - - - - - - - - -

March 14,2007 | NELSONVILLE, Ohio -- A 13-year-old boy is charged in juvenile court with 128 felonies in what police call a small-town crime spree.

The boy, in juvenile detention pending a pretrial hearing later this month, faces delinquency counts of burglary, theft, vandalism and witness intimidation.

"In my 30 years of doing this, I've never had a juvenile that young with so many charges," Athens County Prosecutor C. David Warren said Tuesday.

Police accuse the boy of breaking into homes and businesses in Nelsonville, a small, rural town 55 miles southeast of Columbus, and of stealing checks from elderly residents, Warren said.

He also is accused of beating one of the witnesses who turned him in, Warren said.

At least three other youths, one of them 10 years old, also have been charged, Warren said.

The boy could be freed at 21 even if he is convicted of all 128 counts, prosecutors said.

"We either get him rehabilitated now in the juvenile system or we will be dealing with him for the rest of his life," Warren said.

in memory

women's history month post #2, better late than never. file under: women making a difference

from guttmacher.org:

Cynthia Dailard, one of the Guttmacher Policy Review’s most prolific and accomplished authors, died suddenly on December 24, 2006, at the age of 38. She was the Guttmacher Institute’s chief policy analyst on issues related to domestic family planning programs, sex education and teenagers’ sexual behavior. Over the course of eight years, Cynthia was a powerful, determined advocate, bent on moving a positive sexual and reproductive health agenda forward even in the most difficult political environment. Six of her most influential articles, providing an overview of her thoughts on some of the issues dearest to her, are excerpted in “Remember Her Words: The Analysis and Advocacy of Cynthia Dailard, 1998–2006.”

A blog in her honor can be found here.

V is for "hoohah"

women's history post #1: file under -- these women get a big woot!

ucovered from my fav gem broadsheet,


three students were suspended from john jay high school in new york for insubordination surrounding their use of the v-word.




that's right. apparently, the students, who read the "short skirt" monologue from the vagina monologues at an open mic night had agreed to not use the word vagina. however, they said it on stage in front of everyone (horror of all horrors!) and were suspended. the superintendent makes a point of noting that it was NOT about censorship (which he would never tolerate) but about insubordination because they need to be taught that when they make an agreement they need to stick to it.

um.

perdon monsieur...but isn't asking them not to say it in the first place censorship? hate to burst your bubble buddy, but vagina happens to be an anatomically correct term. just like penis (shudder!) .

if it were me, i would have dropped an f-bomb in front of vagina, just to drive home the point.

the full article is here.

currently reading: education week

currently listening: shake me baby by junior senior

currently feeling: mischievous

Today, March 8, is International Women's Day. For more information visit: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/
March is also women's history month, and though I am starting late, I plan to post something here daily related to women's history or women's issues.

equal opportunity objectifying

doing my part to shed light on the fact that men are objectified quite often as well.
tsk tsk.
shame on .true.
subtext: boys ought be hunted.
subtext: single girls and boys, you want to hunt single boys.
subtext: find him now! (because if you don't you a lose-er).
subtext: there's no such thing as boyfriend season but if we start a marketing campaign that implies there is then we'll have you all feeling less adequate than you already do (if you are single) or like you are missing out on hunting season with the boys/girls (if you aren't).
thanks true for doing your part!

i'm not an addict

i gave in.

dammit.

is facebook the mac to myspace's pc? discuss.

5-7-5

haikus are so great.
composed strategically
out of syllables.

could haikus be the latest form of mass expression? all you have to do is be able to count your syllables appropriately and you can convey all sorts of things. could this be the oft overlooked answer to classist underrepresentation in art and literature -- making a simple art form available to all?

i think so. and i've got the evidence to support my case:

exhibit 1:
gangsta haikus
throwing stars by mc sino
me just throwing stars
from back seat of stolen cars
you'll wish you caught SARS

exhibit 2:
samurai appliance repairman
i shit you not, this guy at fixitnow.com writes haikus that advise you on small appliance repair.
for example:
Dryer runs all day
clothes get warm, but wet remains.
replace the vent now.

exhibit 3:
harry potter haikus
Harry soars past us
a song in his heart, the Snitch
in his sweaty palms
—Mirror Girl, 12
harharhar. see post below.

exhibit 4:
there is even a page dedicated to haikus for recently neutered dogs.
First you picked me up
I licked your nose, we were friends
Then you took my balls
- scherrah

exhibit 5: cat haikus, natch
We're almost equals
I purr to show I love you
Want to smell my butt?

exhibit 6:
the always hilarious and often personally relevant hipster haikus
Pop will eat itself:
Hence, t-shirts with wry slogans
About wry t-shirts

exhibit 7: file under "wtf"
this person created haikus using upside down calculators
seriously.
Illegible blob
Legless eggshell oozes oil
Elegize his loss

exhibit 8: redneck haikus
ooohhhh, the potential. the sheer unlimited potential...
HATRED
I curse the rainbow
Emblazoned upon his hood
Goddamn Jeff Gordon

exhibit 9:
the sarcasm society (if you can believe that actually exists) has a haiku page as well
with gems like:
It's Evolution!
People are getting smarter!
God has told me so!
by Andrew N. 16th of May, 2006

and finally exhibit 10: the daily haiku
often political, always satisfying (and illustrated well):
Memories Submitted by tampioca on Thu, 2007-03-01 07:03.

That's my favorite couch.
It's where Bill tagged Monica.
It still smells like him.

well, dear readers, that's all for now. i hope you've enjoyed my foray into creative expression via limited syllabic genius.

all it takes is some
creativity and the
skill to count your words

currently listening: "show me" by mint royale feat. de la soul (addictive! catchy!)
currently reading: not enough
currently feeling: strangely fine