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Male ACA Boxer 3 months old
His fur color is light fawn with white paws with bloodline papers (ACA).He is lovable and playable and love kids.He is potty train.If your intrested please called 585-752-3588 or 585-287-0235.The dad is the tall white one in the pic and the mother is the brown on in the pic.
Apr 1 -
Shiloah shepherds
Family raised shiloah shepherd puppy's for sale. 1st shots & worming done. They will be 8 wks 4/6/15 & get their 8wk shots. Parents on sight. For more info please call or text 585 403 6164.
Apr 1 -
AKC YORKIES!! Ready May 9th
Parents are AKC.
Mommy is small at 5 lbs (blue and gold)
Daddy is TINY at 3 lbs!! (black and tan)
3 boys
Will be vet checked, shots and wormed.
Go home with goodie bag with toys and more!
Apr 1 -
AKC Registered Boxer Stud - Services offered
6 year old AKC Boxer stud has sired four healthy litters. DNA on record with AKC.
Temperament is not typical of boxers. He is very calm and loves to cuddle. Otherwise, when he's in the mood, he's a complete goofball.
I will breed him only with another AKC fully ...
Mar 31 -
poodle puppy
we have 2 standard poodle pups available after Easter
both parents can be seen at www.buffalopoodles.com
Mar 31 -
East Rochester
AKC German Rottweiler pups
AKC German Rottweiler pups born march 15 six boys four girls tails dew claws and first shots . both parents on property. ready to go by april 30th calls only no text. 585-794-8580 pic of mom and dad and pups below also pedigree on both dogs
Mar 31 -
Golden Retriever
We have ten adorable puppies ready for their forever homes on or after April 16. They were born on Feb 19. This will be the perfect time to take in a new puppy -- It's springtime!! They are all healthy and active and are lovingly cared for by our family. Both the dad and mom ...
Mar 31 -
Penn Yan
Yorkie Chi Male TINY!!
Daddy is a 3 lb Yorkie
Mommy is a 5 lb long coat CH line Chihuahua.
Will be very small. Only baby in the litter <3
Will be seen by a real vet for shots and wormings. Health guarantee.
Lifetime support.
Goes home with toys, security blanket, medical papers, and more!
Mar 31 -
pug puppy's
I have 4 females and 1 male
Mar 30 -
Pug female
I still have a female Pug available. Born 11-15-2014 She is now 4 months old. Her vet certificate shows she has loose kneecaps. She runs, plays and jumps without a problem. Very sweet pup $300. Comes with ACA registration and shot records. Great Pet, not for breeding.CALL ...
Mar 30 -
Female 14weeks utd on shots know basic commands sit,stay,come,partially housebroken,,GREAT EATER .VERY,VERY SMART willing and eager learner.. raised totally by kids and adults so she I'd great with both.. great hips straight legs and back bright shiny eyes.. very sweet pup
Mar 30 -
black German shepherd puppies
A female or male German Shepard of the buyers choosing
He is a 3 year old male that needs a home. He is very friendly, but is not fond of other animals. If interested, please call me at 585-250-5698
Mar 28 -
Mini Poodle pups
Taking deposits. 2 male mini poodle pups. 1- apricot 1- chocolate. Ready for new homes after april 13th. Will be vet checked, have health certificates, multiple wormings, have first vaccination. And come with puppy package. Mom and dad are 12 lbs, and are here to see.
Mar 28 -
Carlin Pinscher Puppy
I have 1 black female Carlin Pinscher aka Muggin puppy remaining. Mom is a registered Miniature Pinscher, Dad is registered Pug. Please google this designer breed to read up on them before emailing. Comes with first two sets of shots, wormings up to date and vet checked with ...
Mar 28 -
Maltese puppies males & females
Gorgeous Maltese puppies
3 boys & 2 girls
White with apricot marking
First shots
Puppy pad trained
Born 2/27/15
Ready for new homes on 4/27/15
Super sweet, adorable and smart
Mar 28 -
Zoey is looking for her furever home
She is four years old. Does good on a leash and loves walks. She is potty trained, crate trained and loves kids. She gets along with non aggressive dogs but will do best in a only dog home. She is around 100lbs. and is a reverse brindle. The only reason she needs a new home ...
Mar 28 -
Zoey needs her furever home!!
She is 4. Potty trained, crate trained, walks good on a leash. Loves children. Deserves a lot more love than we can give her. We have too many dogs. She is awesome. Looking for a home with no other dogs, She is not aggressive towards other dogs but will not back down to one.
Quality bred Akc Saint pups expected May
We are expecting a very nice 6th generation litter of Saint pups early May!! Rough coat sire and smooth coat dam, will produce both coat types. I will be reserving pick smooth female to stay here for future generation. We are now accepting $25 Non Refundable wait list ...
Mar 27 -
7 month old male pitbull
Hello, we are looking to rehome our puppy named Pepperoni. He is great with children and other animals. Pepperoni is neutered, and has all of his shots, and we have all of his paperwork. I need to find a new home for him due to our 2 year old pitbull not liking him much. ...
Mar 27 -
Standard Poodle Stud
We have a beautiful Standard Poodle stud , with pedigree. Kubba has fathered many litters of Goldendoodls, all healthy and gorgeous. He is AKC registered. Kubba has the most wonderful personality, sweet and lovable and loves everyone he meets. His most interesting ...
Mar 26 -
Yorkypoo puppies
Yorky poo puppies. 1st shots 1st worming tiny. Ready to go first week of April. Deposit will hold. . 585 7468674
Mar 26 -
YORKIES!! TINY!! Ready May 9th RUNT
Parents are AKC.
Mommy is small at 5 lbs (blue and gold)
Daddy is TINY at 3 lbs!! (black and tan)
3 boys
Will be vet checked, shots and wormed.
Go home with toys, security blanket, bandana, and lots more!
Health guarantee
Raised in a loving home with NO CAGES
Mar 26 -
Pitbull puppies on the market
Pitbull puppies ,smart,house and kennel trained,excellent temperament,get along well with other dogs and cats...well socialized with kids....$350.00, will negotiate on price for the right home..serious inquiries only..call 585-458-0775
Mar 26 -


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Leave Javi60 a message to find out more.
Posted 03/28/2015 04:03:56 EDT
In response to FantaSox's comment: Just because someone is a potential 30 home run hitter doesn't mean he can play any position he wants to. Bogaerts will cost pitchers nightmares. it,s the most imp more »
Posted 03/28/2015 03:52:32 EDT
In response to moonslav59's comment: In response to Javi60's comment: The more realistic view at this moment is that Sox are solid everywhere, except pitching, mainly starters and closer question mark more »
Posted 03/28/2015 02:01:37 EDT
The more realistic view at this moment is that Sox are solid everywhere, except pitching, mainly starters and closer question mark...with so many crowded spots, is not the time to trade part of the p more »
Posted 03/24/2015 05:57:15 EDT
In response to moonslav59's comment: In response to BostonBruinss' comment: I have no idea on earth how we are favored. We finished last place a year ago. Top 10 ok, but favored is a stupid expectati more »
Posted 03/17/2015 09:38:41 EDT
In response to moonslav59's comment: It's easy to second guess, but I'm thinking we probably could have had Lester for $100M to $110M/5 had we offered him that last spring. Of course, back then there more »
Posted 03/15/2015 01:46:29 EDT
Let us not kid ourselves, Sox rotation is not solid at all, the Lester Lackey void is still looming...call it Cole, Cueto or Tom Brady... We need two quality pitchers, at least.. Agree that trade pros more »
Posted 03/15/2015 01:37:19 EDT
In response to craze4sox's comment: In response to notin's comment: Pass on Cueto, who is unlikely to sign an exension at this point in his career. Usually players sign extensions pre-arbitration, no more »
Posted 03/14/2015 10:09:43 EDT
In response to moonslav59's comment: ItsIt's always fun to see some poor unsuspecting soul criticize Daniel Nava and then watch Moon take him to the woodshed. :) I know a large percent of Sox fans nev more »
Posted 03/13/2015 08:46:32 EDT
In response to bosoxmal's comment: Somewhere in the back of my memory bank, a voice is telling me this spring is exactly the opposite of the 2014 spring training. I could spend an hour checking MLB, G more »
Posted 02/02/2015 06:50:07 EST
In response to Rocky's comment: In response to Javi60's comment: Where was Giselle?...didnot see her celebrating...Tom did not mentioned her, just thanking his familiy..why my concern?...she is better more »
Posted 02/02/2015 06:31:43 EST
Where was Giselle?...didnot see her celebrating...Tom did not mentioned her, just thanking his familiy..why my concern?...she is better than Tom...lol
more »
Posted 01/30/2015 08:23:39 EST
In response to SpacemanEephus' comment:
Cue the "Sox Pull Another One off the Trash Heap" rabid dogs.
Posted 01/30/2015 08:17:57 EST
In response to craze4sox's comment: I really like the upside, this could be an inexpensive risk that helps a great deal. http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/red-sox-sign-alexi-ogando-to-dollar15-milli more »
Posted 01/17/2015 11:12:15 EST
In response to redsoxpride34's comment: [QUOTE] The sox need to get serious about acquiring an ace before the season. All of the world series winners during the past 10-15 years and probably dating be more »
Posted 12/30/2014 05:05:17 EST
In response to therazcreation's comment: In response to seannybboi's comment: [QUOTE] I doubt Sox are serious about Scherzer but try to raise his price tag at least. "Do or do not. There's no try." more »
Posted 12/23/2014 11:25:17 EST
In response to GreenPartyCelt1's comment: Will the acquisition of Shields be the difference maker? Will the Yanks be smothered by the Red Sox scoring machine and their own impotent offense? Who will f more »
Posted 12/19/2014 01:26:47 EST
In response to MadMc's comment: In response to Javi60's comment: [QUOTE] just around the corner, Luchino for a player to named later... Unfortunately the trade would be coming about 8 months too late more »
Posted 12/17/2014 08:47:46 EST
just around the corner, Luchino for a player to named later...more »
Posted 12/11/2014 09:56:39 EST
In response to ctredsoxfanhugh's comment: In response to TexasPat's comment: [QUOTE] These deals that the Sox made were for a #3 and #4 starter. They still have to belly up to the bar and land an more »
Posted 12/11/2014 09:42:59 EST
In response to moonslav59's comment: I thought all along that Shields would be the guy we end up with. I do not think the Sox see Porcello as our ace, especially with no solid number 2 behind him. The more »
Posted 12/11/2014 03:13:25 EST
WITH LESTER GONE FORGET. 2015....think about a rotation for 2016 if john sends Luchino to Cubs.... It is him or Ben, make up your mind John...more »
Posted 12/10/2014 02:16:11 EST
In response to redsoxpride34's comment: [QUOTE] Apparently sox final offer was 6 yrs 135 mill, thought we would at least be at 145-150, gotta say I'm really disappointed in the fo. The whole Lester tr more »
Posted 12/10/2014 01:41:28 EST
In response to BogieAt12oclock's comment: In response to therazcreation's comment: [QUOTE] In response to BogieAt12oclock's comment: [QUOTE] According to MLB, SOX offered Lester 6years/135million. Now more »
Posted 12/07/2014 10:07:45 EST
We need Lester...Get Lester...hope Henry made an offer that cannot be refused...I agree that at least one more starter should be gotten in trade...Napoli is a good tradeoff...some other prospects to more »
Posted 12/07/2014 10:01:09 EST
In response to Hfxsoxnut's comment:
And he wisely left Larry at home.
©2015 Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Internet Of Bring-Your-Own Things
Design News Staff 3/27/2015 0
It's a Monday morning and time to go into the office and kick off the week. But before leaving the house, I need to write an executive summary for a client report that's due by 8 ...
Google, Intel, TAG Heuer Plan Smartwatch
Design News Staff 3/23/2015 0
Google, Intel, and TAG Heuer last week announced plans to collaborate on a Swiss smartwatch based on Intel electronics and Google's Android Wear software.
Thunder Cloud Lamp Brings the Storm Indoors
Elizabeth Montalbano, Contributing Writer 3/11/2015 24
There's nothing more exciting or terrifying -- depending on your perspective -- than a summer thunderstorm. Well now you can have one right inside your house thanks to a ...
8 Views of Hot Manufacturing Tech
Rob Spiegel, Senior Editor, Automation & Motion Control 3/11/2015 1
From Bluetooth transmission of plant data to eco-friendly mini-cables, major new technology was on display at the recent Pacific Design and Manufacturing show in Anaheim, Calif. A ...
STEM Connection
Kano DIY Computer to Inspire Girls in Pioneering STEM Program
Elizabeth Montalbano, Contributing Writer 3/10/2015 7
A pioneering STEM education program has a new tool in its arsenal to inspire young women to learn computer science with an innovative build-your-own device for kids called Kano.
15 Curious Things We Spotted at Mobile World Congress
Design News Staff 3/9/2015 1
As the Mobile World Congress has literally morphed into the Everything Connected Show, the stuff we spotted on the show floor this year tend toward the universal.
What's at the Core of Apple's 'Spring Forward' Event?
Design News Staff 3/4/2015 2
Last week, Apple emailed invites for its next product-introduction event to select members of the tech press (no, we didn't get one, but then again we're not surprised). The soiree, ...
This Student's Batsuit Will Protect You in a Real Fight
Chris Wiltz, Managing Editor 3/2/2015 3
If you want to get your hands on a Batsuit it only takes a trip to the costume shop. But good luck trying to fight crime in one ... not that vigilantism is that good of an idea anyway.
Guest Blogs
When Will the Smart Home Really Be Smart?
Cees Links, GreenPeak Technologies 2/27/2015 6
We live in an exciting time. The first wave of computers has peaked -- almost all of us to now carry around a sophisticated computer in our pockets. The second wave is in process; ...
Gadget Freak: Lover's Laboratory
1/30/2007 0
Gadget Freak Scream Fest Edition
10/13/2006 0
Five Equals Four with a Diode OR: Something Didn't Add Up Here!
8/15/2006 0
The Making of a Gadget Via Committee
Gadget Freak of the Year
4/11/2006 0
A peek behind the scenes to show you how a gadget freak is created


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Rocco Reed bangs Brandon Lewis hard in "Make-Up Sex"
Earlier today, Men.com network site Drill My Hole released a hot new scene starring Rocco Reed and Brandon Lewis. Brandon has been cheating on his boyfriend Rocco and was kicked out of the house. Now he comes crawling back to the apartment to ask his partner for forgiveness. Rocco can't stay angry and more importantly, his cock can't stay soft when Brandon is around.
Brandon tries to make up with Rocco by giving him an extensive blowjob. Rocco moans as the cheating boyfriend swallows his dick. It seems like the air has been cleared, but it turns out that there is still some anger and frustration inside Rocco which all comes out during the hard fuck that follows. He bangs Brandon's ass hard and deep in a couple of different positions, before he covers him in cum.
As you probably know, Queer Fever readers get a discount at Men.com [read more]. For $25 per month – until cancelled – you will get unlimited access to all six sites within the Men.com network. The network gets updated every single day.
All Rocco Reed fans who are into gang bang scenes are going to be happy, as Men.com will release a scene in which Rocco Reed bottoms for four hot black guys. The scene – called Rocco's Fantasy – will come out next month and he will get fucked by Castro Supreme, Brett Johnson, Lawson Kane and Paulo Thiago. You can already watch the free trailer.
+ Watch the free preview video
+ Try Men.com one day for only one dollar


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DEFINITION of 'Julian C. Day'
The CEO and chairman of technology retailer Radio Shack since July 2006 and a former CEO and president of mass merchandiser Kmart Corp. After joining Kmart as its COO and president in 2002, he rose to CEO in January 2003. Day helped Kmart strengthen its balance sheet, improve profitability and liquidity, reduce debt, secure exit financing and decrease operating costs. One of his strategies was to decentralize decision making so store managers had more control over their inventory purchases. He stepped down as Kmart's CEO in October 2004.
INVESTOPEDIA EXPLAINS 'Julian C. Day'
Day was born in England in 1952 and educated at Oxford and the London Business School. He began his career with consulting firm McKinsey & Company in 1980 and went on to work at Chase Manhattan Bank and at asset manager Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. His first C-level position was at Safeway (North America), where he became CFO in 1993 and later executive vice president. He dramatically improved the company's share price, earning a reputation as a turnaround specialist. He then joined Sears, Roebuck and Co. in 1999, where he held the same positions.
Kenneth I. ChenaultThe chairman and CEO of American Express. Chenault joined the ...
ChairmanAn executive elected by a company's board of directors that is ...
Corporate HeadquartersA place where a company's executive offices and executives' direct ...
Board Of Directors - B Of DA group of individuals that are elected as, or elected to act ...
Corporate GovernanceThe system of rules, practices and processes by which a company ...
Same-Store SalesA statistic used in retail industry analysis that compares the ...
Evaluating The Board Of DirectorsCorporate structure can tell you a lot about a company's potential. Learn more here.
What Investors Can Learn From Insider TradingSome insider trading is actually legal - and can be extremely telling for investors.
Choosing The Winners In The Click-And-Mortar GameE-tailing has changed the way consumers do nearly everything. Do you know how to pick the best retailer?
Fundamental Analysis
Analyzing Retail StocksTo analyze retail stocks, investors need to be aware of the most common metrics used. Find out what they are.
Options & Futures
Governance PaysLearn about how the way a company keeps its management in check can affect the bottom line.
Evaluating Grocery Store StocksRetail grocers are no longer a homogeneous group selling products in the same manner. Find out how to evaluate these companies.
Stock Analysis
How MasterCard Likely Earned a Spot in Your WalletAn in depth look at MasterCard and its future prospects as an investment.
Stock Analysis
What Are Costco's Latest Earnings?On March 5, Costco, the wholesale retail giant reported second-quarter earnings that handily outpaced analysts' expectations.
What does C-Suite Mean?C-Suite is a slang term used to describe the highest level senior executives of a corporation. This is the decision-making, power center of a company. These individuals are usually paid well, ...
What's Human Capital?Human capital is a company asset, but it's not listed on the balance sheet. Human capital is all of the creative skills and knowledge embodied in the employees of a company -- skills that bring ...


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Im looking at brewing a California Common and a Kolsch this weekend and needed some help with the Kolsch.
Here is what Im looking at doing.
7.5lbs Pilsner Malt
3lbs Red Wheat
Mash @ 154 for 60min
.75oz Chinook 60min (thinking about .5oz would drop the IBU to 26)
.5oz Tettnanger 15min
.5oz Tettnanger - 5min
Wyeast 2565 Kolsch w/ 1liter starter
Ferment @ 62
Any suggestions? Thanks
How "to style" do you want to be? Wheat malt is at most a small <10% addition to Kolsch. You are also a bit over on OG, IBUs, and finishing hops, but I did something similar last fall and really enjoyed it. I'd probably use something smoother than Chinook for bittering, if you want to go high AA% I'd use Magnum or Warrior. I'd also drop the mash temp a few degrees to make sure the beer dries out.
Good luck.
Check out The Mad Fermentationist for my adventures in fermentation and my book: American Sour Beers!
I love kölsch. The recipe I have brewed in the past is 7 lbs Bo pils, 1 lbs carafoam, 1 lbs wheat. However, I am convinced 100% bo pils is the way to go. There is really no reason to include wheat for head retention with pils malt.
Your recipe is on the very hoppy side for a kölsch. It's not a bad thing if that's how you prefer your beer. But, a kölsch should be (at least in the traditional sense) all about the malt and the yeast profile. I use 1 oz of spaltz at 60 and 1 at 15. Keep in mind that has been described as too hop forward in competitions I have entered.
Solid choice on the yeast and ferm temp. You could easily take that strain into the 50s if you'd like.
Lastly, I'd suggest lowering your mash temperature. I used a decoction mash, but an infusion at 150 should be preferable to 154.
I agree with Dang. 36 IBU is really high for Kolsch, but it's your beer. I wouldn't use a bittering hop variety for Kolsch either, I have a Kolsch clearing now that I used Magnum to bitter and it seemed really harsh the last time I tasted it (I'm hoping that will go away with time).
Also, I haven't used the Wyeast Kolsch before, but the White Labs Kolsch is a total pain to deal with. It takes forever to clear and I really don't want to take up my lagering fridge with an ale. I'm pretty sure I will use US-05 from now on to make Kolsch unless it turns out really fruity. Maybe the Wyeast is more flocculent.
I always use wyeast and get absolute clarity (I could read a book through the filled glass). So give wyeast a try before switching to us05...I think you will end with something more along the lines of a blonde ale or a pseudo pilsner with us05.
Ok, i'm going to throw out the wheat.
9lbs Pilsner
.5lb Munich
1oz Tettnanger - 60min
.5oz Hallertau - 15
.5oz Hallertau - 5
IBU around 22
I'd add a little bit of Munich or Vienna malt to add some melanoidins. Kolsch was traditionally decocted.
I usually lager for a few months, but I can't help but pull a taste or so and it's pretty clear after a month from the day it goes into the fermenter. Of course it was in the keg in the chest freezer at the time so it was basically cold crashed and layered for about a week. You could always add a few whirlfloc tabs and cut on any wheat as well.


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International Gathering
Welcome to 2015. Our next International Gathering is Friday, February 6th. Chinese New Year is in February this year, so we will be celebrating it ahead of time.
We meet from 11 AM to 12:30. If you are bringing children to the meeting, please pack their favorite toys so they would not feel bored.
Members are becoming friends over time. It is a wonderful sight to behold. Our sharing sometimes lead to connections and resources that further the dreams of group members. As always, you'll find a safe and supportive atmosphere here.
Redmond Library, Meeting Room 1, 11 AM to 12:30 PM
The International Gathering was created for the purpose of bringing people together who want to learn about other cultures, and building friendships.
It is also a place where immigrants can find friends who share their experience of adjusting to another culture. Maybe support one another while they are away from their home country and families.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We also go on day trips to explore Seattle and surrounding areas. This year, we've been to Richmond Beach, Carkeek Park, Golden Gardens Park, Greenlake, Swanson's Nursery, Lake Union to see the houseboats, Volunteer Park Conservatory, Deception Pass, Tulip Festival, u-pick strawberries, raspberries, bluberries. For details, email email@example.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Here are blogs of past gatherings
I look forward to seeing you on February 6th, 2015.


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Annette Schwarz Videos Favorite
Tall, blond, and German, pornstar Annette Schwarz will make you go gaga with her bountiful 34C-26-40 measurements. Born March 26, 1984, 5'11" Annette Schwarz is known for her enthusiasm and willingness to perform extreme sex acts (use your imagination). Beginning her career at the age of 18, Annette started with fetish modeling and although she is submissive with male partners, Annette still has a penchant for dominatrix behavior with her female costars. In 2007 Annette signed with Evil Angel where she continues to test boundaries and explore her extreme sexuality.
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Does anyone know what at&t's return period is offhand? I've got the exact same issue with my handset :/
Also, if I'm past that point, does Sammy charge for fixing the button?
XDA Developers was founded by developers, for developers. It is now a valuable resource for people who want to make the most of their mobile devices, from customizing the look and feel to adding new functionality.
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PJM Lifestyle
VIDEO: What's More Sexist, Meghan Trainor Singing to Her Future Husband, or JCPenney's Butt-Firming Jeans for Teens?
You have to admit the retro stylings of YouTube star Meghan Trainor make for some catchy little tunes. But in her latest video, Dear Future Husband, the siren dons pinup-wear while scrubbing the floor of a 50′s kitchen and warning her husband he'd better compliment her every day and buy her jewelry. Contemporary feminists are in an uproar over the classic imagery, but does Trainor have a better grip on the inherent power of her sexuality than the teenage girls who feel the need to buy "butt-enhancing jeans" at JCPenney?
The national department store catalog includes:
The "YMI Wanna Betta Butt Skinny Jeggings" boasts: "With a slight lift and shift and contouring seams, our wanna betta butt skinny jeggings hug you in just the right places to give you a firmer, more flattering look."
"Rewind Smoothie Super Stretch Booty Buddy Skinny Jeans" features "rear-end-enhancing structure" designed to "augment your jean collection — and your backside" and comes in an acid wash finish.
Penney's isn't alone. Several online stores including Modaxpress, Hourglass Angel, and even Amazon offer butt enhancing denim to a teenage crowd. Where's the feminist outrage over a wardrobe enhancement specifically targeted to those vulnerable teen girls suffering all those dreaded body-image issues? Perhaps they're too busy in Trainor's kitchen arguing over who gets to make the pie.
VIDEO: Would You Get 'Married at First Sight'?
A&E's "docuseries" Married at First Sight had its second season premiere last night. The theory: arranged marriage cultures have a radically lower divorce rate than non-arranged marriage cultures. Therefore, a group of four experts (a psychologist, a sexologist, a sociologist and a spiritual advisor) conduct thorough testing to match up couples who will literally meet each other at the altar.
With a 66% success rate in its first season, the matchmaking panel appears to have a lower divorce rate than America at large. In the era of Tinder-generated fruitless casual sex, is trusting your romantic future to a pre-arranged scenario a logical alternative to a series of dead-end one night stands?
Presbyterians Approve Gay Marriage: Forward-Looking or Surrender to a Culture Gone Wild?
The Presbyterian Church has once again confirmed its progressive reputation:
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved redefining marriage in the church constitution Tuesday to include a "commitment between two people," becoming the largest Protestant group to formally recognize gay marriage as Christian and allow same-sex weddings in every congregation.
Is this a sign that Presbyterians are forward-looking and profoundly modern, or are they selling out? Opinion polls show that 55 percent of Americans now support same-sex marriage. No church can survive when it ignores the wishes and ideas of the culture at large. Gay marriage is going to be legalized nationwide eventually, as the culture is moving in that direction. Might as well get on board now rather than wait and be accused of being out of touch.
On the other hand, many devoted Christians rightfully argue that the Bible clearly states that a marriage is an arrangement between a man and a woman. They'll claim they've got Genesis to back them up if they believe in a literal interpretation of Christianity's holy book:
Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
What do you think? Are the Presbyterians right and should other churches follow suit, or are they selling out their religion in a desperate attempt to stay relevant in today's society?
image illustration via shutterstock / Ivan Cholakov
VIDEO: What Lena Dunham Doesn't Want to Know About Sex
In last night's episode of HBO's Girls, Hannah's father came out of the closet.
Blah, blah, blah, right? At least until the end of the episode when Hannah confronts her father and says, gay or straight, she doesn't want to know about his sex life.
Wait a minute? Is there something slightly traditionalist about Ms. Dunham after all?
No kid in her right mind wants to consider that her parents have sex. Yet for Ms. Dunham, who grew up around a considerable amount of father-generated sexual art, scripting a character who makes such a pedestrian proclamation is actually out of the ordinary.
Where is the line drawn in the progressive mind when it comes to loved ones and their sexual exploits? Could it be that the Queen of Sharing doesn't want to share so much after all? Or is it more like others aren't allowed to share as much as she does?
Contemporary Feminism's War Against Women in the Name of Radical Islam
Let her walk uncovered down a Saudi street and come back and tell us how about feminism in Islam. pic.twitter.com/yz57JlCX8R
— Tommy Robinson (@TRobinsonNewEra) February 5, 2015
Owen Jones opines in the UK Guardian that women are "taken less seriously than men" and, as a result, the "pandemic of violence against women will continue." Coming on the heels of the famed Arquette faux pas at the Oscars, his essay easily reads as more of the same old "War on Women" schtick, and to a great extent it is. However, his opening argument is worth noting for what it does say and for what Jones does not. Somehow, like most contemporary feminists with a platform, he manages to acknowledge the grotesque abuses of women living in Islamic cultures while completely refusing to point out that radicalized Islam is the number one serious threat to women across the globe.
#Istanbul: Men in skirts protest the brutal killing of #ÖzgecanAslan | http://t.co/AcUHZPkHEi #Turkey pic.twitter.com/sdbJdjSlck
— Revolution News (@NewsRevo) February 21, 2015
Jones begins by recounting the story of Özgecan Aslan a 20-year-old Turkish college student who was tortured, raped and murdered, her body then burned as evidence, by a bus driver.
Across Twitter, Turkish women have responded by sharing their experiences of harassment, objectification and abuse. But something else happened: men took to the streets wearing miniskirts, protesting at male violence against women and at those who excuse it or play it down. Before assessing how men can best speak out in support of women, it's worth looking at the scale of gender oppression. The statistics reveal what looks like a campaign of terror. According to the World Health Organisation, over a third of women globally have suffered violence from a partner or sexual violence from another man. The UN estimates that about 133 million girls and women have suffered female genital mutilation, and believes that nearly all of the 4.5 million people "forced into sexual exploitation" are girls and women.
He stops there, short of pointing out that the WHO statistics cited clearly show that the greatest threat of violence against women exists in primarily Islamic countries. While he mentions female genital mutilation, he again neglects to tie in the fact that FGM is most commonly practiced in Muslim countries and among extremist Islamic cultures.
Jones bases his argument in a story of a Muslim girl tortured and murdered by a man in a Muslim country that is growing more religious by the day, only to devolve into the same demeaning politically correct tropes of contemporary gender feminism. He finds it ironic that men dare to call themselves feminists and decides "…men will only stop killing, raping, injuring and oppressing women if they change." Change what? Their gender? For Jones, as it is for so many other feminist activists, it is easier to just throw a blanket of blame onto men than to confront the source of evil that exacts a real "campaign of terror" against women: radical Islam.
I do not wish women to have power over men.. #feminism pic.twitter.com/S4gqu4hUdZ — Ms. Progressive (@MsEnlightened) February 17, 2015
What's worse, Jones doesn't hesitate to make his case for women all about gay men. In yet another ironic twist, after accusing men of co-opting the feminist movement for their own egotistical needs, he uses gender feminist theory to defend a tangent on gay rights:
And while men are not oppressed by men's oppression of women, some are certainly damaged by it. Gay men are a striking example: we are deemed to be too much like women. But some straight men suffer because of an aggressive form of masculinity too. The boundaries of how a man is supposed to behave are aggressively policed by both sexism and its cousin, homophobia. Men who do not conform to this stereotype – by talking about their feelings, failing to objectify women, not punching other men enough – risk being abused as unmanly. "Stop being such a woman," or "Stop being such a poof." Not only does that leave many men struggling with mental distress, unable to talk about their feelings; it also is one major reason that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50.
If gender stereotypes are a cause of male suicide, they only have gender feminists to blame. Wait – wasn't this supposed to be an argument in favor of feminism and the female voice?
Why American Sniper Is a Much Better Love Story Than Fifty Shades of Grey
For the last several weeks the mainstream media has been promoting the movie Fifty Shades of Grey as if their life depended on it. For NBC Universal, perhaps it does. As Roger Sterling on Mad Men said, "Hollywood isn't happy unless things are extreme."
After the Today show on NBC spent weeks building up the movie with exclusive clips, interviews and insight on its presumptive popularity, it's no surprise that millions of women flocked to theaters over the three-day weekend.
However, I'm worried that men may think that Christian Grey is what women want.
A male friend emailed me:
The majority of women have spoken as to what they want out of a man. I'm not interested in competing with the character in 50 Shades because I actually have a conscience. Do the majority of women who are fans have a conscience? At this point I'm not convinced they do.
The worst lesson men could take from the movie's temporary and forced success is to think it represents the real desires of women.
All of the attention the media is giving to Fifty Shades of Grey reminds me of the fervor for Sex and the City. For years women have been told by the media that it is cosmopolitan to consume sex-obsessed entertainment and pursue casual, and physically and emotionally dangerous sex.
Now that Fifty Shades of Grey has surpassed The Passion of the Christ's opening weekend the media is drooling. Have women finally embraced the message Hollywood and the mainstream media have been feeding them?
Ultimately, I'm not worried about what women take away from Fifty Shades of Grey because it's fantasy. Also, the media seem to leave out of their reporting on casual sex as entertainment and "mommy porn" that the endings [SPOILER] usually portray a traditional relationship. The women of Sex and the City ended up with significant others and all but one married. Would Fifty Shades of Grey be as popular if the female character lived the rest of her days as a sex slave? Women might imagine life with a billionaire in a helicopter, but not life in a dungeon as a kept woman.
There is one movie in theaters that tells an amazing love story. Speaking of Fifty, this movie recently became one of only 50 movies in history to surpass over $300 million in domestic ticket sales. This feat was done without the mainstream media begging the public to see it. That love story is American Sniper.
Though you wouldn't know it by the coverage, American Sniper had far less blood-thirst than Fifty Shades of Grey and a much more realistic depiction of a romantic relationship that women and men should want to emulate. Though a majority of the movie is devoted to Chris Kyle's four tours in Iraq, the story of Chris and Taya's relationship is significant.
Chris ultimately decided to retire and focus on strengthening their marriage and raising their children. While Fifty Shades of Grey is about a transactional relationship, American Sniper is one of a love greater than oneself. It shows love for another person, love for country, and love for family.
In a recent interview with People, Taya Kyle said,
I miss him so much. I loved being in his arms. I loved holding his hand. But what I miss most about Chris is the feeling when he was in the room. He just changed the feeling whenever he walked in. I missed him even when he was just gone from the room.
Taya went on to say of Chris, "He was a man with a huge heart and charisma and kindness."
Fifty Shades of America's New Dark Ages
This year you could spend your Valentine's Day in a theater full of middle-aged women oozing over a hot-bodied twenty-something whipping his blindfolded secretary to the point of striking blood in the name of "love." Daytime television loves to play up to the Soccer Mom demographic (a title first dubbed to describe Clinton fans, ironically) seeking fantasy fulfillment in the form of sexual fiction. It was corny enough when shirtless Fabios graced the covers. Now that the most popular sex trilogy focuses on a woman who willingly allows herself to be sexually abused, is pop culture humoring those bored housewives too much?
While the majority of Fifty Shades fans are typical middle-aged marrieds dissatisfied with their partners (or even themselves), anywhere from 5-25% of Americans "show affinity" for BDSM (Bondage/Domination-Discipline/Sadism/Masochism) in the bedroom. On an issue that poses a particular sexual threat to women, feminists are split 50-50 between being against sexual abuse and for a narcissistic "if it feels good, do it" sexual ethos. Hence, a pervert who trolls Fanfiction.net (the original home of Hobbit-inspired Elvish/Dwarf porn) can turn her twisted sexual fantasies into an overnight sensation. After all, it's all about love in the end. Or is it?
Porn? Playstation? 'Pain-In-The-Ass' Dates? What Are the REAL Reasons Millennial Men Aren't Marrying?
I was in LA last month and stopped by the PJTV studios to do a roundtable discussion on Millennial men and marriage:
Dr. Helen Smith, author of Men on Strike discusses the state of the young American male with PJTV's Andrew Klavan, Bill Whittle and Matt Orr. Are men shunning marriage because of the economy, or do they have alternatives to marriage, like porn and easy sex? Could it be that women simply giving-up on the hopes of having a relationship with the current pool of men in America? Hear the answers.
Or maybe American men have given up hope on the current pool of women in America: as one of the panelists notes, "Dating is a pain in the ass." Here is our discussion:
Whatever Happened to a Hint of Sex?
Feminist, Body-Positive Pin-Ups Are Unbelievably Gorgeous http://t.co/ehU0XxtsIN pic.twitter.com/7hEjKE8j13
— Project Pat Sajak (@ParisBurned) January 25, 2015
A few days ago a friend of mine who loves and lives vintage shared this gem from HuffPo showing a series of modern-day "pin-up" pics paired with the argument that "every body is gorgeous." The pin-ups, all retro-themed, featured a varying number of body shapes and types in clever poses and even cleverer clothing designed to hint at sex. Because sex, good sex, ultimately relies on stimulating the human imagination. Bad sex, on the other hand, has everything to do with telling the mind what to think instead of letting it take the hint. Which is why sex today, quite frankly, stinks.
Play the body-positive feminist angle of the photos all you want. What really makes these photos awesome is that they are a reminder of a time when sex was a hint and women were in control of exactly how far they went with the nudge, the wink, the euphemism, and the nudity. Contemporary feminists love to argue that being completely naked in public is the ultimate proclamation of sexual power, because they cannot comprehend the unspoken language of sex. Anything that isn't laid out clearly in a multi-part contract is somehow an inconclusive sexual assault. No wonder they love gays and lust after drag queens. These are the only demographics still allowed to speak the unspoken language of glamour and inference. The shaggy-haired, pantsuited crew wishes they could be that comfortable in a sparkling evening gown and heels.
Miley Cyrus Completely Topless In Maui see here more click:$ http://t.co/QEELKUkn0X pic.twitter.com/yTXRXvOfLD — love&iniciative☆tips (@wellsandeepkum1) January 29, 2015
The truth is, contemporary feminists don't know how to handle the power that comes with the clothes. Naked they get. Naked comes with a contract and court protection. The resulting shock value, best left to celebrities on red carpets protected by the lens of the camera, is especially defended and praised. Second-wave theorists once decried cinema's voyeuristic male gaze. Now they taunt it openly, flashing breasts and bottoms to the point of sheer boredom, arguing that familiarity with the naked figure will somehow both grant women ownership of their bodies and tame evil male lust. (Tell that one to the booming porn industry.)
No one is more adept at the naked game than Miley Cyrus, Disney's good girl-gone-bad who has apparently decided to challenge Lena Dunham at her own flesh-revealing game. Her latest shoot for V magazine wasn't a shoot, per se, as much as a catalog of naked Polaroids (the Insta-variety no doubt) snapped by a friend while on her latest tour. Compare her nude antics to original Disney bad girl Annette Funicello, who ignored Disney's advice and dared to bare her navel in a two-piece for a series of bikini beach movies in the 1960s. Funicello's legacy is that of teen sex symbol. Miley's on the other hand is that of teen slut.
"@taystokess: Remnants of DCs slutwalk. Yes means yes and no means no! pic.twitter.com/lYyxaPd63T"youre awesome
— Nora (@nora_da_xplora) November 1, 2014
In the Slut Walk era, Miley is just another bare-breasted woman in the crowd of feminists bent on denying psychology and biology through visual over-stimulation and court-protected denial of responsibility for inevitable consequences. As Camille Paglia so smartly comments to the pro-slut crowd:
Don't call yourself a slut unless you are prepared to live and defend yourself like one. My creed is street-smart feminism, alert, wary, and militant—the harsh survival code of streetwalkers and drag queens. Sex is a force of nature, not just a social construct. Monsters stalk its midnight realm. Too many overprotected middle-class girls have a dangerously naive view of the world. They fail to see the animality and primitivism of sex, historically controlled by traditions of religion and morality now steadily dissolving in the West.
The sexual revolution won by my 1960s generation was a two-edged sword. Our liberation has burdened our successors with too many sexual choices too early. Their flesh-baring daily dress is a sex mime to whose arousing signals they seem blind. Only in a police state, and not even there, will women be totally safe on the streets. Honorable men do not rape. But protests and parades cannot create honor.
Contemporary feminism isn't just about nudity. Its ancient, paganesque obsession with body image puts more demands on a woman's body than the simple shedding of attire. Ancient Jews who desired to fit in with their Greek overlords painfully reversed their circumcisions. Today's women go to great lengths to emasculate their otherwise feminine figures to do what, exactly? Pursue a level of strength biologically and psychologically associated with the male gender? Or carve a comfortable trans-niche of their own, not quite glam like the drag divas but not nearly as boring as the Hillaryesque powersuit crowd?
Whether it's female body building or superhero chic, flat abs, four-packed and more, are now the ultimate pursuit in female happiness. Women once considered themselves liberated from the forced flat abs of the corset generation. Now they're demanding their own bodies do the work of the whale bones. Cinched in tight, these picture-perfect bodies eliminate the belly pouch made famous in elegant female art for centuries. (The un-tightened belly pouch that also makes the round ligament pain common in an expanding pregnant belly easier to bear.) Goodbye, Botticelli's bellies and all the promise of fertility within, hello flat abs and the emasculated figures that come with them.
Hyper-muscular demands on a feminine physique can have more than just an aesthetic effect on their womanhood:
A Norwegian population-based survey of nearly 4,000 women under 45 found a clear link between exercise intensity and fertility. Women who were active most days were more than three times more likely to have fertility problems than inactive women. And those who exercised to the point of exhaustion were more than twice as likely to be infertile than those who engaged in less strenuous activities, according to results published in Human Reproduction.
It is the great irony of flat abs and nude figures that women, who claim to possess a greater hold over their own sexuality, are in fact rendering themselves powerless over their own sex. Whether they are work-out freaks who reduce their chances of becoming mothers or women insisting that baring it all isn't an invitation to a dangerous sexual encounter, contemporary feminism has crafted a cadre of goddesses willing to sacrifice themselves on the altar of so-called liberation. The only thing they've been liberated from is the one thing they're after: Being thought of as sexy.
Why Whiskey Is Better Purchased with a Wingman
When one has indoor plumbing some things are simply better purchased with a wingman. Not the proverbial "wingman," but an oversized, fortified male accompanying the said female in procurement of goods, minimizing her mocking for sheer amusement of purveyor staff.
In my experience these purchases include fast cars, Cuban cigars in Paris (Churchills not cigarillos), and high-end spirits. Never have I been so unabashedly snickered at as when inquiring about whiskey.
It all started four years ago. My husband was having a major birthday and I desired a distinctive offering. I thought about a really ripe Cabernet Franc (his favorite) but we already had enough garnet-hued libations in the basement. Collecting red wine involved more babysitting and added expense than initially anticipated. It's an indulgence requiring quick consumption after opening as it begins to decline soon after. And wine has obstinate storage needs. If you have something special waiting to peak, it can easily become soured in less than ideal conditions.
A good example was the much-anticipated 2004 Merryvale Profile finally opened on our anniversary last month–an utter disappointment. The bottle had been too close to the radiant heat floor and consequently the cork dried out, allowing air to filter through. We took a sip and puckered up, promptly committing the remaining tainted wine to the crock that houses my French Mother. What a waste.
My husband is incredibly difficult to buy for and rarely gets excited about anything—the only downside to his even keel. Before he was into wine, he really enjoyed whiskey, which was at the time absent from the liquor cabinet. I began my internet search for a spirit to parallel a major birthday for such a man and came across the annual "spirit" awards (as in alcohol, not cheerleaders).
The mentioned imported whiskeys (spelled "whiskies" in Scotland, Canada and Japan) were the Scotch and Irish bottlings, Canadian and, surprisingly, some Japanese. There were several standouts, but no solitary bottle that prompted a Hallelujah. So I headed to the American offerings in which one bourbon (we'll get to a whiskey/bourbon comparison in a sec) won seven notable awards in 2010 and a score of 97 points by Wine Enthusiast. That bottle was the 20-year Pappy Van Winkle, referred to by loyal devotees as "Pappy."
That solitary distilled spirit commandeered recommendations and reviews from every possible venue: lowly college kids that accidentally found a bottle hiding in the local liquor store to chefs in Manhattan to bourbon gurus in Kentucky. The 20-year Pappy seemed the overwhelmingly obvious choice, and I was relieved to find my husband's soon-to-be birthday gift.
Then came the crushing reality. I was tremendously naïve regarding process acquisition of the illusive "Pappy." There were thousands of folks (generally men) on wait lists across the country trying to land a bottle, and no respectable liquor store in Maryland was willing to sell to some girl wanna-be whiskey connoisseur sans wingman. The fact that shipping alcohol to Maryland was illegal at the time only upped the ante.
Three weeks later the exchange took place. Within arm's reach was not one, but two bottles of Pappy Van Winkle in trademark velvet bottle sleeves. I had managed to talk an unnamed someone out of both a 15-year and a 20-year Pappy for the agreed price of $500. My blue-collar background objected via inner dialogue but was snuffed out the second I cradled that plain brown box in my arms. I had closed on a Hail Mary, securing honorary sainthood among future generations of American wives.
Finally the day came. He opened the box, at once astonished. After putting his jaw back into place, he snapped a photo with his iPhone and off it went to his brother in Dallas, who'd been trying to get his hands on any bottle (or even just an ounce) of Pappy Van Winkle for well over a year.
That first Pappy procurement swiftly launched me into the "Wifee Hall of Fame" (his words, not mine). I've never seen a tough guy act so dorky. He texted photos of himself posing with his Pappy to nearly every drinking buddy he's ever had. But my victorious endowment also created a problem… He was hooked. The limited supply of Pappy merely tickled the scratch of increasing consumer demand in the following years.
I again called all the liquor stores who might obtain an allocation, usually one case or less, in late November. After booking my parents' babysitting services for Pappy allocation day, the hubby and I hit every liquor store (like Bonnie and Clyde) that was expecting at least six bottles. We went in each location separately as there was a one-bottle limit per person. At the end of the day we had four new bottles. The following year we obtained another four bottles to add to our modest collection (see exhibit B below). Pappy allocation day had become a standing date between us… like a treasure hunt for grown-ups with OCD.
This past November, we were down to eight bottles and hoped to pick up two or three more. But the UPS trucks had all arrived at liquor stores with lines forming outside and the few bottles sent to each location sold immediately upon arrival. Didn't even make it to the shelves. Other stores that were expecting a modest delivery got the big goose egg and were consequently pretty pissed off. Despite five well-managed attempts, we went home empty handed (sigh).
A few hours after returning home defeated, one of my husband's employees called with intel regarding someone who might sell us a bottle of the Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye. When my dedicated spouse arrived at the nondescript liquor store, the 80-something owner looked him up and down, asked him a few questions and made small talk. After all, the guy wasn't about to sell Van Winkle to a jerk (or worse, an unworthy palate). Luckily, my husband passed the interview. They had bonded over a mutual interest, hockey.
The older fellow then discreetly disclosed that he had rye in the back. My husband followed him to a room of what seemed to be boxes full of easily attainable American whiskeys. But the contents of the boxes did not correspond with their entry-level housing.
Not only did my husband secure a Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, he also came home with a unique bottling of Colonel E.H. Taylor, and the humdinger… the 18-year Sazarac Rye that I'd been trying to get a hold of for two years (see exhibit A). The Sazarac Rye had been the second most absurd request I made at local liquor stores. And it is absolutely delicious! Not nearly as angry as the Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye because the smooth toffee-like Sazarac had another five years to mellow into an uber-refined gentleman.
So, here's a quick education on American whiskey and bourbon. There are actually laws that specify what they can be made of, what they are aged in, the temp of the fluid when entering the barrels, and how high the alcohol content must be for each. It's a lot of info, but Maker's Mark generated a great visual that presents the basics in a rather unconfusing manner. I wish I would have found this back in 2010:
An unforeseen bonus to our rather tantric Pappy fixation is that it has only increased in value, nearly three-hundred percent. And, it keeps for ages, unlike the red wine stewing on our heated floors.
The Pappy purchased and opened several years ago is just as enjoyable, if not more so. And the best part? I get between twenty and twenty-five servings per bottle, under $15 for a 1oz. pour of 23-year Pappy, the brand's flagship. In contrast, our big reds cost more per pour, offering only six servings per bottle. Buck for buck, our whiskey is by far a superior value for initial investment.
We've still got four ounces left of that first 20-year bottle I bought back in 2010. Those last well-loved milliliters will be finishing a long distinguished life in form of a bourbon cake in the next few weeks. I realize this is spiritual heresy, so feel free to protest should you feel led.
Exposing Feminism's Patriarchy Myth on Campus
Arthur Chu wrote a wandering epithet over at Salon on "bitter nerd" Scott Aaronson's rant against feminism. Aaronson's complaints as detailed in Chu's piece are far from new. As a graduate teaching assistant I had many male students (rather nerdy types) walk out of film theory classes declaring they were "horrible people" and "secret rapists" because they were born male. In the wake of the campus rape lies of 2014, who can blame these guys for believing feminism is conducting its own War Against Men:
This is not a debate about gender roles. It is not about economics or the esoterica of hateful radicals in an ivory tower. This is a war, an ideological campaign to smear all men as moral monsters. It is not a war against "patriarchy" or some imagined evil rich guy. This is a war on men as such – of all races and social classes. It is a war against your brothers, sons, fathers, friends and relatives. And right now, the bad guys and girls are winning.
Pretty typical of #rapeculture to spin Camille Paglia's warnings into: RAPE IS OK! Don't you love Salon's journalism? http://t.co/BhNNFvypOC
— s.a.d. anne geddes (@zannekamp) November 19, 2014
"…[H]ow could [Aaronson] be targeted by books written by second-wave feminists when he was a toddler?" Chu asks incredulously. Camille Paglia answers Chu in her book Vamps and Tramps, and most recently in her Time magazine piece on the overblown campus rape epidemic. Second-wave feminists believe themselves to be superior human beings through a pseudo-science that negates biology, psychology and religion in favor of a sterile view of the world as a grand social order which must be maintained and controlled through Marxist politics. To put it rather simply, the second wave threw out biology and psychology and mocked God, making a target of every man like Scott who reads feminist literature only to walk away convinced that he's an inherent rapist because he was born male. As Paglia explains:
The horrors and atrocities of history have been edited out of primary and secondary education except where they can be blamed on racism, sexism, and imperialism — toxins embedded in oppressive outside structures that must be smashed and remade. But the real problem resides in human nature, which religion as well as great art sees as eternally torn by a war between the forces of darkness and light.
Leanne Black is finally jailed after FIVE false rape allegations against her ex-boyfriends in eight years http://t.co/eWWSfGdCUA #waronmen — Chance Boudreaux (@SgtPolite) July 9, 2013
Paglia details that Marxist feminists "…simplistically project outward onto a mythical 'patriarchy' their own inner conflicts and moral ambiguities." Men have no such external myth on which to blame what Chu calls "internal demons" which is why for men these moral struggles are easily chalked off as "slippery things." Chu writes
I do know that what could help women… is to find the guys who are doing bad things to her and stop those guys from doing that. That's why feminism is more focused on women's issues than men's, because women's issues are the things happening out in the world where we can do something about them.
This absurdity is an outgrowth of the second wave's politicization of male rape. Female rape, highly eroticized in the '70s, was legitimized by the feminist movement as sexual fantasy only to become an illicit crime when acted out by a male counterpart. Paglia notes, "…the illicit is always highly charged," which is why the issue of campus rape has become the most highly charged issue of feminism today. This also explains why rape has become the source for such incredible moral ambiguity and why men, the mythical figures onto which the moral ambiguities of the female sex are projected, are increasingly blamed for women's bad sexual decision-making.
The story of Molly Morris and Corey Mock is nothing new to the campus rape scene. Having met on Tinder, a social media app designed to fulfill hook-up scenarios, Mock pursued classmate Morris, who played hard to get until agreeing to a breakfast date. Morris took Mock up on his invitation to a party, but wound up not arriving until 2 a.m., only to find a bunch of male wrestlers with few female faces in the crowd. Partaking in plenty of booze, Morris implies she was drugged and woke up the next day naked in bed with Mock. She decided not to go to the police because "she was not emotionally ready to enter a criminal justice system that would scrutinize her life and choices."
Her's is a pathetic excuse that permits the consequences of her bad decision-making to be projected onto the mythical patriarchy represented by Mock and the criminal justice system. When Morris finally did approach their university's administration Mock was found innocent, then guilty, then granted a stay and finally expelled from the school in what amounted to a politically motivated public relations debacle. Mock's side of the story is only given by his father via the comment field at the end. He explicitly details his son's sexual encounter to make it clear that it was, indeed, consensual. After explaining what happened to his son, he concludes, "Morally and ethically I want to say, don't have sex until you get married. We all know that would be naive."
A rape epidemic — by women? by @instapundit http://t.co/TINSl4Ciy8 via @usatoday #tcot #p2 #waronmen #rape #feminism
— David Mastio (@DavidMastio) September 23, 2014
Would it? The reality is that abstinence has become the only 100% guaranteed way to avoid being falsely accused of sexual assault. That reality check highlights the long-forgotten intrinsic value of abstinence culture. The moralists who promoted that antiquated agenda understood that the allure of sexuality and the power of sex needed to be contextualized through marriage so societal order could be maintained. When society rejected marriage culture, it implicitly accepted the second-wave feminist alternative. Hence, every man is a rapist and every woman a victim.
Paglia argues that "rape will not be understood until we revive the old concept of the barbaric, the uncivilized." Likewise, the problem of campus rape – that is, second-wave feminism's grotesque predilection for falsely accusing male sex partners of assault in an attempt to soothe their own wounded pride and troubled souls – will not cease until moral order, built on a solid biological and psychological understanding of the individual and an acceptance of moral responsibility on the part of both parties, is restored.
Thank God for Marvel's Agent Carter Feminism
Don't let the stereotypical G.I. lunks distract you with their butt-smacking, "don't you need to file something" portrayal of 1940s masculinity. Marvel's Agent Carter is far from your oh-so-played-out second wave feminist portrayal of manhood – and womanhood, for that matter. Which is why it's the best show going on television for feminism today.
For every lunk there's a hero, Carter's colleague Agent Sousa being one of them. One brilliant expository exchange sets the tone, demonstrating exactly how appealing real men find Carter's fearless independence:
Carter: "I'm grateful. I'm also more than capable of handling whatever these adolescents throw at me."
Sousa: "Yes, ma'am. Doesn't mean I have to like it."
Carter: "Well that's another thing we have in common."
Carter is a fully empowered female. Sousa knows it, respects it, and likes it. And Carter likes him for it. This kind of His Girl Friday exchange gets equity feminism the screen time our culture so desperately needs. Unlike her Avengers' counterpart the Black Widow, Agent Carter isn't squished into slicked up body suits and forced to perform gymnastic feats in order to intrigue her male audience. And unlike gender feminists, Carter draws authority from her sex and uses it to save the day.
The 10 Most Ridiculous Marriages
"True Love takes many forms." How poetic… and how bizarre when it comes to what some people consider "true love." Taken to its logical conclusion, love leads to marriage, but what happens when the object of your desire is, in fact, an object?
There is a psychological term for it: object sexuality, in which someone not only feels attracted to an inanimate object, but views the object of their desire as a partner. Apparently, the Eiffel Tower is a popular, pardon the term, object of women's desires. (But then again, it is tall, slim and French…)
Of course, there's a difference between falling in love with a thing and marrying – and yet, there are some willing to support an "Anything goes, as long as it's Love" mentality. Here are some of the most bizarre marriages on record.
1. Woman marries a bridge.
Peh! Who needs the Eiffel Tower? Popular, city-thing that it is. Julie Rose apparently goes for the sturdy squat, country-type, which is why she married the Le Pont du Diable Bridge in southern France. The relationship seems a stretch considering the 600-year age gap, but with the blessing of the mayor of the neighboring town, and while the bridge was silent about it, Julie said it's fine with her loving other men – and bridges.
I suppose a bridge would consent to an open marriage.
4 Fallacies Killing Feminism
Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson, two wannabe-famous New York twenty somethings, teamed up to talk sex via their "running soap opera," "almost reality TV show" podcast Guys We F*cked. Broadcasting under the "anti-slut shaming" banner makes Guys We F*cked appealing to the contemporary feminists at Salon who never turn down the chance to normalize twisted sexuality. Salon assistant editor Jenny Kutner sat down with the comedy duo more commonly known as "Sorry About Last Night" who, as they enter season 2 of their famed podcast, are looking to crowdsource funds from fans while noting that their careers are "…getting better because of the podcast, which is really exciting."
Performing an editorial feat, Kutner defines the duo's narcissism as "comedy with a purpose" in her attempt to define the two as feminists. In doing so, the assistant editor at Salon exposes exactly why contemporary feminism is failing 21st century women: Today's feminists have worked to sever feminism from its historical roots as a biblically-grounded movement for women's independence. What they're replacing it with, a "social media feminism" as artist and feminist April Bey has dubbed it, is a mere mask for narcissistic, death-obsessed, goddess worship.
Why Is Prohibiting Adultery Essential To Building Civilization?
See the eighth commandment here.
The Key to a Woman's Sexual Power
Editor's Note: See the first two parts in Susan L.M. Goldberg's series exploring ABC's Scandal through the lens of Biblical feminism: "What's Evil Got to Do with It?," "Women and the Scandal of Doing It All Alone." Also check out an introduction to her work and collection of 194 articles and blog posts here.
The husband/wife relationship is central to feminism. Historical, first-wave feminism studied matrimony in terms of legal rights. Contemporary, second-wave feminism approaches marriage in terms of sexual and economic power. Biblical feminism seeks to understand the spiritual relationship between a husband and wife, and how that spiritual relationship manifests into physical action. To do so, we must begin at the beginning, with Genesis 3:16:
To the woman he said, "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."
"Rule over you" is a phrase that sends chills down any feminist's spine. But, what does it truly mean? A study of the original Hebrew text provides radical insight into one of the most abused verses of Torah:
This brings us to perhaps the most difficult verse in the Hebrew Bible for people concerned with human equality. Gen 3:16 seems to give men the right to dominate women. Feminists have grappled with this text in a variety of ways. One possibility is to recognize that the traditional translations have distorted its meaning and that it is best read against its social background of agrarian life. Instead of the familiar "I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing," the verse should begin "I will greatly increase your work and your pregnancies." The word for "work," izavon, is the same word used in God's statement to the man; the usual translation ("pangs" or "pain") is far less accurate. In addition, the woman will experience more pregnancies; the Hebrew word is pregnancy, not childbearing, as the NRSV and other versions have it. Women, in other words, must have large families and also work hard, which is what the next clause also proclaims. The verse is a mandate for intense productive and reproductive roles for women; it sanctions what life meant for Israelite women.
In light of this, the notion of general male dominance in the second half of the verse is a distortion. More likely, the idea of male "rule" is related to the multiple pregnancies mentioned in the first half of the verse. Women might resist repeated pregnancies because of the dangers of death in childbirth, but because of their sexual passion ("desire," 3:16) they accede to their husbands' sexuality. Male rule in this verse is narrowly drawn, relating only to sexuality; male interpretive traditions have extended that idea by claiming that it means general male dominance.
Women and the Scandal of Doing It All Alone
Editor's Note: See Part 1 of Susan's ongoing series analyzing the connections between ABC's Scandal, current events, and Western values: "What's Evil Got to Do with It?"
Women are fixers. It should come as no surprise to anyone with an understanding of the sexes that the leading female figure on primetime television is none other than a fixer named Olivia Pope. Fifty years ago women primarily played the role of mother on screen and, in doing so, they fixed things and life was pretty darn perfect. But perfect doesn't fly on network television any longer. Today it's all about drama, and drama is conflict. So, we get Olivia Pope: beautiful, intelligent, who fantasizes about marrying an already married man, having his children and fixing a nice little life in the Vermont countryside for them, but is too embroiled in fixing her own life and the lives of those she loves to ever quite reach her American nirvana.
Like Israel's matriarchs, Olivia Pope has a vision of justice, of order, of the way things should be. The wearer of the "white hat," she wrestles between good and evil in her many attempts to manifest this divine sense that has been humanized as her "gut" instinct. Watch her and you'll see the woman in white when she pursues truth, the woman in black when she has given over to evil, and the woman in gray when she questions everything she knows. Being a fixer is a woman's inherent power and inevitable struggle. It isn't that we want to "do it all" because doing it isn't as hard as taking responsibility for it, for the lives under our care. Olivia Pope cares for everyone, wants to save everyone, wants to repair everyone and make everything all better. Her struggle, like that of the matriarchs, is in placing the sole burden of responsibility on her own shoulders. But, the greatest lesson of God-given responsibility is that you are not expected to carry it all alone.
Is Marriage Worth Saving?
The American Enterprise Institute has a new study that looks at the benefits of marriage:
This study documents five key findings about the relationships between family patterns and economic well-being in America.
The retreat from marriage—a retreat that has been concentrated among lower-income Americans—plays a key role in the changing economic fortunes of American family life. We estimate that the growth in median income of families with children would be 44 percent higher if the United States enjoyed 1980 levels of married parenthood today. Further, at least 32 percent of the growth in family-income inequality since 1979 among families with children and 37 percent of the decline in men's employment rates during that time can be linked to the decreasing number of Americans who form and maintain stable, married families.
Growing up with both parents (in an intact family) is strongly associated with more education, work, and income among today's young men and women. Young men and women from intact families enjoy an annual "intact-family premium" that amounts to $6,500 and $4,700, respectively, over the incomes of their peers from single-parent families.
Men obtain a substantial "marriage premium" and women bear no marriage penalty in their individual incomes, and both men and women enjoy substantially higher family incomes, compared to peers with otherwise similar characteristics. For instance, men enjoy a marriage premium of at least $15,900 per year in their individual income compared to their single peers.
The study announces some public policy changes to encourage marriage, such as launching a national campaign to pursue school, work, marriage and parenthood, in that order; doing away with the marriage penalty; adding childcare credits; improving vocational programs; and expanding the maximum earned income tax credit for single, childless adults to $1,000, increasing their marriageability.
The study seems to miss the point: marriage is a liability for men (and for some women, though the law is on their side). The extra income might be nice, but when it gets you stuck with extra child support, alimony or just plain half your stuff taken away, what's the point of making the extra dough?
Public policy should include making the marriage arena a more fair and equitable place for men. How about doing away with or reducing alimony, giving more equal access to children, making more fair domestic violence laws, doing away with jail time in child support cases and making them more fair, and providing at least some civic education for men and boys on their limited rights so they can make an informed decision?
But the real question is, is marriage worth saving?
More from Dr. Helen:
On Men and Catcalling
Cross-posted from Dr. Helen, image illustration via shutterstock / alphaspirit
The Feminist Lesson in Mom's Night Out
Twenty-four percent of married couple families with children under 15 have a stay-at-home mom. Ninety-nine percent of stay-at-home moms in the movies get a really bad rap. Search "Best Movie Moms" and you'll get lists that include Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment, Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, Shelly Duvall in The Shining, and more than a few mentions of Psycho. The majority of movie mothers are either widowed or divorced, careerists or working class, alcoholics or impregnated by UFOs. The closest you'll get to a stay-at-home mom in post-1940s cinema is Kathleen Turner playing the psychotic Serial Mom or Michael Keaton taking on the role so his wife can pursue her career in Mr. Mom.
In fact, outside of Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side there hasn't been a truly admirable middle-class, white, stay-at-home mother on the silver screen in over 50 years. Which is probably why Mom's Night Out received such a negative critical reception when it premiered last spring. We have been acculturated out of believing in the power and purpose of stay-at-home moms. Yet, the criticisms leveled at Mom's Night Out for its "depressingly regressive" spirit and "archaic notions of gender roles" were not applied to a similar film about a stay-at-home mom released only two years prior. This Is 40 received mixed reviews, but praise for yielding "…some of [Judd] Apatow's most personal observations yet on the feelings for husbands, wives, parents, and children that we categorize as love."
So, what made This Is 40 palatable in a way that Mom's Night Out wasn't? Is there, perhaps, a culturally acceptable way to be a stay-at-home mom?
10 Ways to Avoid Regretting Your Wedding
The average wedding in America costs roughly $30,000. Egged on by countless wedding TV shows, magazines, and websites, people throw what appear to be pseudo star-studded events that aim to rival the kind of blow-out parties you only see in movies. In the end you wind up with one night of clouded memories, a ton of photos, and a group of hungover people hovering over breakfast in the hotel lobby the next day. The bills may last you months, even upwards of a year. And for what? To make your grandmother happy? Because you really liked that episode of My Fair Wedding? You can have a great, regret-free wedding without sacrificing yourself to the Wedding Idol. Here's how.
What 2 Retired Whores Can Teach Slut-Walk Feminists
A story about two old Jewish ladies is making the rounds in the Jewish press, but not for the reasons you may think. Sure, they're bubbes. They're children of a Holocaust survivor to boot. But the real reason they're attracting so much attention is that they happen to be retired professional whores.
Dutch twins Louise and Martine Fokkens (probably not their real last name, since "Fokken" is a Dutch term for "old whore") have become international celebrities since the 2011 release of their biographical documentary Meet the Fokkens. Women's magazines like Cosmo picked up on their story shortly after the film's release, publishing quick little details like:
Louise and Martine (mothers of four and three respectively) became prostitutes before the age of 20 in order to escape violent relationships.
It's an interpretation that, at best, qualifies as a half-truth. Louise was forced into the sex trade by an abusive husband. Martine, however, became a prostitute out of spite:
Martine followed her sister into the trade, working first as a cleaning lady at brothels before she began turning tricks herself. "I was angry at how everybody around us shunned Louise," Martine said. "I did it out of spite, really."
Both women eventually divorced their husbands, whom they now describe as "a couple of pimps." But they continued working in the district "because that had become our lives," Louise said.
"Our life in the business became a source of pride, a sport of sorts," Louise added.
In retrospect, both women say they regret becoming prostitutes.
Reading their story, one can't help but wonder if mainstream feminist advocates for slut walks and "Yes Means Yes" legislation would condemn the pair for regretting the life they chose. After all, their body, their choice, right? They took control of their bad marriages, divorced the husbands they referred to as "pimps" and chose, fully of their own volition, to remain in the sex trade after their exes were fully out of the picture. Martine and Louise, it would seem, are the originators of the Slut Walk.
These 150 Paula Bolyard Articles & Blog Posts Will Inspire You
So far in this ongoing series compiling and organizing the best work from PJ Lifestyle's contributors I've focused on critics and analysts of popular culture from all over the place. To the north in Canada, the punk rock capitalist canadian: "136 Kathy Shaidle Articles That Expand Your Appreciation of Life and Culture." To the South, guaranteed smiles from a gifted Georgia writer: "116 Articles Exploring American Culture by Chris Queen." And to the East Coast, in the wilderness of New Jersey, taking back feminism: "194 Articles and Blog Posts Showcasing Susan L.M. Goldberg's Compelling Culture Commentaries"
Also check out these shorter collections from two newer contributors, focusing on war and comic books: "Don't Miss These 20 James Jay Carafano Articles Exploring War's Impact on Pop Culture" and "15 Great Lists Debating Comic Books and Pop Culture by Pierre Comtois."
Today I highlight two more PJ Lifestyle writers who lead the way in other important fronts in the culture wars. What more appropriate way to promote the section's family themes than to showcase the diverse perspectives from a mom and a dad? Paula Bolyard and Walter Hudson have both been inspirations to edit, learn from, and befriend over the past few years. They've both helped to shape my thinking for the day when I become a parent. Take a look at some of their articles and you'll see why I'm so optimistic about the impact they can both have on the culture…
Paula is tremendously persuasive and compelling in her journalism exploring the world of home schooling. Her critiques of public school education and teachers unions have also shaped my perspective. When I have children someday they'll be homeschooled. That's Paula. She'll change your mind too.
But Paula illuminates on a whole swath of issues. Our collaborations began when PJ was looking for an Ohio contributor in 2012. Paula provided very insightful, accessible coverage then and has returned to covering her home states's news political controversies, and culture. Post-election I was eager to see Paula explore other topics. She's had many successful articles on everything from parenting advice to religious commentaries to life reflections to goofy nostalgia pieces. Her pro-life articles are some of the best I've ever read — models of how to articulate values and win over fence-sitters.
After you check out a few of Paula's articles please get in touch with us and let us know what kinds of ideas you'd like to see her explore in the future. Please leave your comments or hit us up on Twitter: @Pbolyard and @DaveSwindle
And now also check out today: "125 Articles and Blog Posts Showcasing the Wit & Wisdom of Walter Hudson."
- When Teachers Act Like Thugs 'for the Children!'
- A Parent Guide to Teachers' Unions
- Has a Century of Progressive Education Turned Us into Obedient Sheep?
- Should Parents Take Over Failing Schools?
- When Radical Teachers Occupy the Department of Education
- Can the Left and Right Find Common Ground on Common Core and High-Stakes Testing?
- Arming Teachers in Schools
- What is the Cultural Profile for the Class of 2017?
- Shelter-in-Place: This Generation's Duck-and-Cover
- Weeping, Confession, and Hugs Replace Reading, Writing, and Math at School
- 10 Terrible Common Core Homework Assignments
- Should Colleges Have Parent-Teacher Conferences?
- Are We Getting Carried Away With Common Core Curriculum Phobia?
- 10 Things Your Kids May Never Read Because Common Core Neglects Cursive
- How Parents Are Winning the Common Core Debate
- Common Core: As Untested as the U.S. Speed Skating Suits
- How Can Parents Fight Back Against Federal Bleacher Bullies?
- Ohio Lawmakers Hold Common Core Repeal Hearings
- Terrorist-Supporting Kent State Professor's Incendiary, Anti-Semitic Facebook Posts
- More Outrage at Kent State About a Sweatshirt Than a Terrorist Sympathizing Professor
- Think You Could Never Homeschool?
- Ohio Gives Homeschoolers Equal Access to Sports and Other Activities
- Will Your Kids Grow Up to Be Weird if You Homeschool Them?
- What If All the Homeschoolers Suddenly Enrolled in Public School?
- 7 Objections to Homeschooling Teens
- How Common Core is Coming to Homeschoolers
- Are Elite Colleges and Universities Discriminating Against Homeschoolers?
- 4 Secrets from the Hidden World of Homeschoolers
- Does Homeschooling Reduce Opportunities for Women in the Workplace?
- An Open Letter to Grandparents of Homeschooled Kids
- Ohio Lawmakers Want Social Workers to Have Veto Power Over Decision to Homeschool
- UPDATE: Controversial Ohio Homeschool Bill Withdrawn After Grassroots Tsunami Opposes
- German Homeschooling Family Can Stay in U.S.
- Do Homeschoolers 'Rob' Public Schools of Tax Dollars?
- Strong Religious Beliefs Can Shape How Women View Homeschooling
- 5 Pro Tips for Homeschoolers
- The Top 10 Reasons to Join a Homeschool Co-op
- The Top 10 Reasons to Avoid a Homeschool Co-Op
- Homeschooling Family Ordered to Follow Common Core Curriculum
Family and Parenting
- 4 Benefits of Marrying Young
- What to Expect When You're Expecting (Your College Kid Home for Christmas)
- Raising Boys Who Grow Up to Be Men Who Go to Combat With Women
- 5 Busybodies Who Want to Parent Your Kids
- Stay-at-Home Moms: Will Your Kids Judge You for Choosing Them Over a Career?
- Small-Town Values and Two-Parent Families
- 7 Quick Tips for Parents of New College Students
- The 5 Best American Historical Fiction Books to Read Aloud to Your Kids
- What We Taught Our Boys About Girls Like Miley Cyrus
- Was Bad Parenting to Blame for the Sandy Hook Massacre?
- Is Your Child a Stealth Dyslexic?
- I Agree With Camille Paglia on This Kind of Family Planning for Teens
- Implementing Andrew McCarthy's Proposed Compromise on the Marriage Question
- How Do You Survive When Your World Shatters?
- How Did We Survive Childhood Before the '90s Safety Nannies Came Along?
- How I Evolved on Guns During the #BostonPoliceScanner Manhunt
- Evolving on Guns: Considering the Morality of Gun Ownership Now That I Refuse to Be a Victim
- Evolving on Guns: My First Foray into Gun Culture
- How to Commit Voter Fraud in Ohio
- It's the Gas Prices, Stupid
- Will We See a Florida Recount Rematch in Ohio?
- Does Obama Have the Stronger Ground Game in Ohio?
- Ohio: Somali Voters, ACORN Tactics, and Voter Fraud Allegations
- Ohio Post-Mortem: Glitz, Gimmicks, Sleight-of-Hand, and Witnessing Fraud
- Is Ohio Governor John Kasich the Chris Christie of the Midwest?
- Cleveland House of Horrors: Should Somebody Have Done Something?
- Cleveland Kidnapper Ariel Castro Sentenced to 1000 Years, Blames Victims
- Cleveland House of Horrors Demolished
- Ohio's Ashland University Slashes Tuition by $10,000
- Ohio Paper Can't Find a Single Person to Argue Against Legalizing Pot… Really??
- The Top 10 Things to Do in Cleveland
- Ohio Gubernatorial Candidate Proposes 'Win Tax' for Cleveland Sports Teams
- Federal Judge Orders Ohio to Restore Early Voting on 3 Days Before Election Day
- Conflicted About LeBron's Return to Cleveland
- Ohio Teachers Threaten to Strike Over Being Forced into Obamacare Exchanges
- Cleveland School Dumps FLOTUS Lunches for Chipotle-Style Burritos and Clam Chowder
- Cleveland VA Still Mired in Huge Backlogs
- Hundreds of Drive-In Theaters May Close Permanently at End of Season
- The 1970s Culture Clash in 2 Songs
- 10 Modern Technologies We Lived Without in Primitive, Pre-Millennial America
- 5 Memories That Will Make You Nostalgic for the 1970s
- The 10 Most Terrifying Public Service Announcements from the 1970s
- The 10 Most Essential Women's Shoes in the 1970s
- Whatever Happened to Our Top 10 Favorite Tiger Beat Cover Boys From the 1970s?
- 10 Comic Book Ads That Destroyed Your Faith in Humanity Before You Hit Puberty
Life Advice and Reflections
- Baseball: The Last Refuge from What Divides Us
- On September 11, Another Pilot Died in His Seat
- 9/11 as the Chilling Details Unfolded Online
- Things We Take for Granted
- Get Off the Phone!
- 5 Reasons To Remain Optimistic That We Haven't Lost America Yet
- 5 Things to Grab When You Hear the Tornado Sirens
- The Sacrifice of One
- 10 Surprisingly Unconventional Uses for Your Crock-Pot
- Christian Churches Occupied, Shia Mosques Destroyed, Nuns and Orphans Kidnapped in Iraq
- Marco Rubio and the Progressive Atheist Orthodoxy
- Dear Sister Wives Star Kody Brown: Love Should Be Exclusive, not Divided
- The (g)odless Inaugural Prayer
- Is a Spiritual Revolution the Missing Link in Our Quest for a Political Revolution?
- New Great Awakening: Should Pastors and Churches Be Involved in Politics?
- New Great Awakening: America Is Not a Christian Nation
- New Great Awakening: Does God Promise to Heal Our Land If We Pray?
- New Great Awakening: When Politicians Speak for God
- The Atheist Who Silenced the Astronaut
- What Would Dietrich Bonhoeffer Say to Anthony Weiner?
- Fal$e Teacher$ — Christian Rapper Shames Prosperity Preachers
- Is Your Church Too Old — Or Too Young?
- Why Liberals Hate Tim Tebow
- Should Christian Parents Send their Children to Public Schools?
- Will the Tolerance Agenda Destroy Christian Higher Education?
- A Model of Interfaith Dialogue: A Southern Baptist at Brigham Young University
- How about Celebrating Reformation Day instead of Halloween?
- At Least We Don't Have Marauding Hippos in the Streets of America
- Right This Very Minute Someone Is Being Tortured
- Peace with God Amid Christmas Chaos
- Thanks to Our Atheist, Agnostic, and Liberal Friends for Their Help in the Liberty Wars
- Does God Care Who Wins the Super Bowl?
- The Resurgence of God in Academia
- Will Christianity Survive the Sexual Revolution?
- Is Heaven Is for Real… Real?
- British PM David Cameron Emphasizes the Importance of Christianity in Society
- Where Was Jesus on Saturday Between His Death and Resurrection?
- Have You Done Enough for God This Easter?
- A Moment of Prayer on the Campaign Trail
- Sarah Palin: 'Waterboarding Is How We Baptize Terrorists'
- 10 Quotes on Faith and Freedom from Eric Metaxas' Hillsdale Commencement Address
- The Left's Anti-Christian Bigotry Strategy 2.0
- Jesuit Priest Abducted in Afghanistan
- Extreme Makeover: Planned Parenthood Edition
- 5 Things Planned Parenthood Doesn't Want You to Know About Pregnancy Resource Centers
- Can This Powerful Song Change the Hearts of Abortion Supporters?
- Blood on Humanitarian Icon Mandela's Hands
- The 3 Deadliest Words in the World: 'It's a Girl'
- What Happens to America's Aborted Babies?
- Is It True That 50 Years Ago Christians Didn't Care About Abortion?
- Obama's America: Abortion Deserts Across the Country
- Ohio Cracks Down on Unsafe Abortion Clinics
- 5 Covert Conservative Lessons in Downton Abbey
- Best Moments from the Season Premier of Duck Dynasty
- Who Are You to Judge Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson?
- The Touching Asperger's Storyline on Parenthood
- Why We Will Miss Downton Abbey
- 10 Ladies' Room Rules That Will Keep Other Women from Hating You
- The 10 Dumbest Fireworks Fails
- The 10 Most Amazing Pet Home Birth Videos
- 11 Curious Spurious Correlations
Activism and Ideology
If You Married George Clooney, Would You Take His Last Name?
Hat tip to The Dennis Prager Show for today's subject. The hot question, inspired by the decision of Amal Alamuddin to take the last name of her new husband, at CNN: "Mrs. Clooney took his name; would you?"
Amal Alamuddin was well-known in many important circles long before she snagged the world's most eligible bachelor. But Amal Alamuddin is now Amal Clooney, according to her law firm's website.
That the 36-year-old British attorney has decided to take her famous husband's last name has raised many questions about feminism and traditional marriage roles.
My only question is: If you married George Clooney, why wouldn't you take his name?
In all seriousness, though, the decision over whether to take a spouse's name is an extremely personal one. Married in May, I had to make it myself just a short time ago, and there was a lot to consider.
Salon says that to even have the debate about names is a sign of "privilege":
For the vast majority of heterosexually coupled population, the issue of what to do about last names isn't even an issue. Most women take their husband's names, and very few men take their wives'. For it to be a subject of conversation or debate at all is usually an indication of privilege, and with privilege comes lots of opinions. Writing last year in the Guardian, Jill Filipovic asked, "Why, in 2013, does getting married mean giving up the most basic marker of your identity?" At the other end of the spectrum, noted bad advice giver Steve Harvey has opined that "If you want to keep your last name you got, marry your daddy." These are your options, ladies, and whatever you do, you're wrong.
I was recently at an event where a fellow guest I knew only slightly hesitantly introduced my spouse by my last name. It wasn't a big deal for us to say that we don't share a name, but what surprised me was that the man then pressed me on the subject. "Well, why not? Isn't that confusing? Is it because your last name is so simple? What if your name was complicated, would you have taken his then?" Dude, what's it to you? At the same event, I hung out with a professionally successful friend who is newly married for the first time, at over the age of 50, and who changed her name to her husband's. And here's what I know – we're both fine.
The new Mrs. Clooney is a smart cookie. She's no brainless dupe of the patriarchy. I think it's a safe bet that her choices come from a place of thoughtful contemplation.
What have you observed in your own life?
Congratulations to the Clooney family. Marriage is wonderful.
image via shutterstock/ ChinellatoPhoto
The Battle Against Israel's Orthodox Patriarchy
I didn't fully appreciate how spiritually free I am as an American woman until I set foot on an El Al plane.
"Do you speak Hebrew?" the fretting woman in front of me asked.
"No, not really."
"It's okay, I speak English," she hurriedly replied, obviously looking for a friendly face. "These Orthodox," she motioned to the people sitting next to her, "they don't like sitting next to women."
"Well, that's their problem." My response was pointed, matter-of-fact, American.
She smiled as if a light bulb went off in her head. "You're right!" Her expression grew cloudy. "But what if I take off my sweater? They won't like that I expose my shoulders with my tank top."
Again, I simply replied, "That's their problem."
She smiled, empowered. Removing her sweater, she took her seat and stood her ground.
And at that moment I thanked God I was raised in pluralistic America, and realized, oddly enough, that the Holy Land was giving me my first chance to practice the biblical feminism I've preached.
Israel is a Western nation in that women have equal rights by law. Israel is also a confluence of religious and ethnic cultural attitudes, not all of which are friendly to women. Two days into our trip to Jerusalem, a family member who also happens to be a retired journalist explained the latest story to hit the nightly news. A man accused of spousal abuse was released to return home. Later that evening, police found his wife had been shot dead. The husband confessed to the murder. Apparently, domestic violence and death is a relatively small but significant problem in Israel. When I asked my former journalist why, he pointed to the influence of Middle Eastern (both Arabic and radical Islamic) patriarchal culture as the primary source.
Yet, even religious Jews in Israel (and around the world), despite their insular nature, are far from immune to sexual abuse. Sex scandals among the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox) show up frequently on the evening news. In this case it's not the Arab/Muslim influence, but perverted behaviors that arise from rabbinic abuse of biblical teachings. How do you expect a man to relate to a woman sexually when he's not even allowed to look her in the eye?


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To watch full episodes, you must have a cable provider that supports SundanceTV's full episode service and you must have SundanceTV as part of your cable package.
A huge rabid dog traps a mother (Dee Wallace) and boy (Danny Pintauro) in a Pinto.
Sundance Film Festival
The world premieres of 16 American documentary films.
10 Female Directors Who Reeled in Sundance Deals
10 Controversial Movies that Came Out of Sundance
10 Great Thrillers That Came Out of Sundance