This is one of the better sites I've found online that tackles much of the misinformation surrounding reproductive health. It's from the RH Reality Check website, and it includes documented rebuttals to many of perpetuated myths surrounding contraception use.
A few of the different myths addressed include:
Restricting Access is the Best Way To Reduce Abortions, which shows how abortions in Europe (where there are less restrictions) are significantly less than procedures in Latin America, where access to abortion is limited or illegal in most countries.
Contraceptives, Including Emergency Contraception, Are Abortifacients: I can't count the number of people I've talked to who think this is true. Their usual argument is that contraceptives prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg -- this page explains how that function of contraception is at best a tertiary function (with its primary functions to prevent ovulation and fertilization).
I'm impressed by the documented explanations on this site, and will point others to it in the future, especially when I'm confronted by misinformation regarding reproductive health.
I think I'm going a bit stir-crazy in this maternity leave o' mine. Right now my life consists of:
Feeding baby. Playing with baby. Putting baby down for a nap. Furiously trying to finish housework and squeeze in some personal time while baby sleeps. 45 minutes later, getting baby up. Changing baby. Repeat.
While I know motherhood is one of the "noblest professions," I miss being able to write about political, social, and religious issues I care about. I miss having debates, and being able to entertain a thought in my head for longer than a couple minutes.
So, that said, I'll throw out some ideas/links I've been stewing over, and maybe I'll start feeling like my old self again.
First, a new blog you must read: The Bad Idea blog. I found out about the author as I was commenting on another blog (which, ironically, will no longer allow me to comment. Apparently oppositional thoughts to theology are not welcome on some blogs). Read today's post on Ism-isms and this post on tedious critics for starters.
I finally went through and categorized all my delicious bookmarks. If you ever want to see what I'd like to blog about, if I had the time, then check them out. Usually I'll bookmark links with intentions of doing a post about them later, but then I never get around to it.
Finally, another blog post for you to read and ponder: Packaging Girlhood, "Bratz." This is the blog for the book (which I have yet to read, but is high on my list to pick up SOON), Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketers' Schemes by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown.
If you're note familiar with the realm of little girl toys, Bratz are these obnoxious plastic dolls who are dressed like little miniaturized prostitutes. They're all the rage with little girls these days, replacing Barbie doll playing in most cases. My little Brownies really liked these dolls, and would bring them for our show-and-tell days, much to our horror.
What is interesting about the post I've linked to above is the discussion it generates on the upcoming Bratz movie. Apparently the skankiness will be toned down a bit for the big screen: "The real life actors playing our least favorite dollz won’t be outfitted in anything remotely dominatrix or soft porn “esque” because let’s face it: if cute little dolls look sleazy in those outfits, real girls wearing them would look, well, obscene (and the producers would have to kiss the PG rating—and all the allowance money that comes with it--goodbye)."
The post goes on to discuss the other horrifying aspects of these dolls (and the mentality that goes with them) in the upcoming movie. Now that I'm a mama to a little girl, I know these are issues I'll have to face head-on. And, frankly, that's one of the main reasons I really wanted to have a little girl. I want to be able to empower her to navigate the culture by encouraging her to question (everything!) and instill in her a confidence that others will try to beat out of her.
And with that, now my short attention span for the day is spent. That, and the baby's awake from her nap.
So far, due to life with a teething time-demanding 7-month-old, I've only had the chance to watch the Christian part of the series. I *will* watch the other two sections though, if only to compare and contrast what fundamentalism looks like in all of its monothestic flavors.
My parents are due for a visit next week, and I can see some potentially interesting discussion being generated from watching these videos with them. (prepare yourself, pops!)
Has anyone else had a chance to watch this series yet? From what I've gathered, from watching the one report, I was fairly impressed by the balance of fundamentalist crazies to normal, somewhat liberal believers (read: Jerry Falwell vs. Jimmy Carter). I'm curious to see how this plays out when covering Jewish and Muslim warriors.
Right now I'm watching the Christian portion of "God's Warriors," a week-long special on CNN, featuring reporter Christine Armanpour (who I've always admired). Some of the evangelical groups represented here are pretty scary.
I'll be back tomorrow with the YouTube link to the Christian Warriors segment -- meanwhile, here are the preceding two segments of the program:
I'm reading The Golden Compass right now, and it turns out the film version of the book is due out this December. On the film's website, I can find out which daemon best fits my personality.
So far I'm really enjoying the book -- I love the main character's name, Lyra.
Today on Oprah they replayed an episode of the age-old debate of stay-at-home-mom versus working mom. It was definitely one of The Oprah's better shows. The first part of the show featured ABC reporter Elizabeth Vargus and her decision to leave the coveted anchor position of the nightly news in order to take a lesser job, in order to spend more time with her family.
I remember when she left the newsdesk -- it was a huge deal in the feminist blogosphere. On Oprah, Vargus explained why she left, and the struggles she faces with being a working mom.
Vargus mentioned that the US is one of four developed countries in the world that does not offer any goverment-enforced paid maternity leave for moms. Isn't it funny that the current Administration is more keen on enforcing "freedom" in the world, but not in providing resources for its families at home? (but that's another rant for another day -- the "pro-life" agenda of the Bush administration)
The rest of Oprah's show featured different women from both sides of the debate, explaining why they felt the way they do on the issue. Maybe it's because I'm soon to be a working mom, but I thought the SAHM perspective represented on the show seemed to be really close-minded and full of value statements on how working moms weren't giving enough to their kids. Don't get me wrong, many of the SAHMs that I personally know are not nearly as closed-minded as the show's representatives were -- but I really got offended at how easily judgements could fly toward women who decide to work outside the home.
Mommy-guilt is a real thing, and I can already sense my own guilt that'll come when I go back to work in January. I don't need someone adding to my guilt by saying that I'm not investing enough love and attention in my child just because I choose to spend a few hours a day working outside of our home.
Maybe SAHMs find it easier to judge working moms because they can't imagine themselves needing the outlet that a career offers, an outlet that others like myself do need. Oh, I can really feel myself opening a can of worms here.
The one gem I gathered from the show today was something that the therapist, Dr. Robin, said. She said that guilt isn't meant to torture us as moms, but to teach us.
"Guilt and having remorse, regret, is really in our lives to teach us not to torture us," she says. "You want to learn, 'What did I need to do that I didn't do? How did I neglect my needs or neglect my child?' … You can experience deprivation as a mother and thinking, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm ruining my child.' When your child, if you are attuned and connected to them, feels full and empowered." [link]
Ultimately, both SAHM and working moms can feel regret and guilt -- and you could stay at home with your kid 24/7, but if you're not attuned and engaged in what you're doing, it's as bad as not spending any time with them at all.
Rather than judging the other side on what they are giving up by working or staying at home, maybe we should just respect each other and the decisions we make that are best for our individual families.
My baby or my job? Why does it have to be either/or? As far as I'm concerned, it can be both/and.
Other fellow (famous) ENFPs: Bill Moyers, Paul Harvey, Joseph Campbell, Dr. Seuss, Andy Kaufman, Bob Dylan, and ... wait for it ... James Dobson. (horror of horrors!) Fictionally, a fellow ENFP would be Balki from Perfect Strangers.
I'm married to an INTP, who's in good company with Albert Einstein, Rene Descartes, Socrates, not to mention Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen. (ha!) Oh, and Brian from the Family Guy is also an INTP.
At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged
Random facts:
I've been known to get toothpaste in my eye. It's no easy feat, but I have to be careful not to push the toothpaste down on my brush -- otherwise it flicks up, and is not pleasant. (plus then you have a husband who giggles at you and your clumsiness!)
I've had plastic surgery -- though nothing fun like liposuction or a tummy tuck (which would be nice, post-baby). In high school I had a cyst removed from my face, and a plastic surgeon closed it up, to prevent scarring.
I'm a sucker for musicals. (particularly the "Once More, with Feeling" Buffy episode and the old school Singin' in the Rain)
I have an uncanny ability to fill my gas tank the day before gas prices go DOWN.
If I'm depressed, a movie (or miniseries) based on a Jane Austen book cheers me up.
I'm eating red meat again, after abstaining from it for years. Breastfeeding makes you do odd things.
I'm obsessed with office supplies. In the fall I make the annual pilgrimage to Staples to buy pens, notebook paper, binders, and other office-y things, and I LOVE IT.
I'm pretty starved for adult conversations these days, since most of my time is spent with a non-vocal 6 month old. So if I talk your ear off next time I see you, you'll know why.
I don't usually tag people after these memes. Instead, leave me your 8 random facts in the comments, or continue the meme on your blog!
I just spent the last hour or so perusing the website of an institution from my past. While on this site, I looked up some old friends, found a few other faces not as friendly, and read all about how this organization has grown over the last few years. It was a sorta odd experience -- while some of it felt familiar, most of my online eavesdropping had an odd, bizarro-world feel to it.
To clear things up, I visited the website of the church I used to attend, waaaaaay back when, during my former life in Savannah.
It may not be too shocking for some to hear that I disagree with all of their "what we believe" statements. It may be even less shocking to hear that I don't miss being a part of their membership ranks. Now that I've been away from that evangelical world for a number of years, it's hard for me to fathom how I ever "belonged" to a group like that in the first place. I can, however, remember the appeal that went with being a church member -- instant camaraderie and identification, feeling like you're "making a difference," having a set of people to look out for you when you needed help, etc. I've got a lot of good memories associated with my past involvements with church, mixed right along with the negative.
The painfully-curious part of me wonders what it would feel like to visit this church again. To go and see some of these people from my past, who are right where I left them, 6+ years ago. These days I feel like I'm so far away from it all, and I don't just mean geographically. For me to visit now would be more of an anthropological experience, to observe (and yes, critique) what I see. I'm no Jane Goodall, but I'd give it a shot.
PART3 PART4 PART5 (the last few parts are spoiler-ific, but you've got warning beforehand, just in case you're not finished reading yet -- but why haven't you finished?!)
