More “Vagina Monologues” Controversy

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

All over the country last month and this month, womens groups and theater groups are performing Eve Ensler’s play "The Vagina Monologues" as part of V-Day campaign, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.  Not all women are completely enamored of the play.  Amanda Marcotte, she of the recent John Edwards blogging kerfuffle, writes: A lot of … Read More

Amanda Marcotte Resigns [UPDATE: Jesus Lovers Show Their Love]

Ken AshfordElection 2008, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

If you’ve been following this story on this blog, this is the latest: Amanda Marcotte has resigned from the Edwards campaign.  She explains why here: I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right. Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing … Read More

Like A Fish Needs A Bicycle

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

For the first time in census history, more women (51%) are living without a spouse than with one.  It’s a trend that’s been going on for several decades.  The New York Times fills us in. In 2005, 51 percent of women said they were living without a spouse, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000. Coupled … Read More

Hollaback, Girl

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

Ladies: Harrassed on the street by some jerk?  Snap his photo and put it up on this series of websites, generically called Hollaback.  Here, for example, is Hollaback NYC.

Rape Blogging

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

The feminist blogosphere has been really interesting lately. It all started with this post ("How Bars Exploit Underage Woman As Commodities") on Alternet by a feminist named Liz Funk.  Funk focuses on the "open secret" of bars and clubs to pay attractive underage woman (that is, below drinking age) to frequent their establishments, attracting male clientele who, naturally, buy drinks … Read More

Women Talk Nod More Than Men?

Ken AshfordWomen's Issues1 Comment

Amanda Marcotte is responding with a hearty "bullshit" to the study by Dr. Louann Brizendine — a study which concluded that women talk three times more than men.  Amanda points to Exhibit A — a New York Times interview with Dr. Brizendine, which features the following exchange: NYT: Your book cites a study claiming that women use about 20,000 words … Read More

The Vice-President’s Grandchild Has Two Mommies

Ken AshfordGodstuff, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

Congratulations to Mary Cheney, daughter of the vice-president, and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe.  It turns out that Mary is pregnant. I don’t understand how one of two women (who aren’t married to each other because women can’t marry women) can manage to get pregnant, so I went to the world’s most reliable source about, well, everything — … Read More

Confirmed, Part II

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

No duh: It is something one half of the population has long suspected – and the other half always vocally denied. Women really do talk more than men. In fact, women talk almost three times as much as men, with the average woman chalking up 20,000 words in a day – 13,000 more than the average man. Women also speak … Read More

More Women Prefer…

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

Every Tuesday, the folks over at Mental Floss type a search term into Google, and report the trivia that turns up in the results.  They call it "Tuesday Turnip" (get it?). Today’s Tuesday Turnip was "More women prefer".  Here’s what the Mental Floss folks discovered from searching that phrase in Google: More Women Prefer Dogs Over Husbands: An online poll … Read More

Nathan Tabor on “Plan B”: Wrong Again

Ken AshfordSex/Morality/Family Values, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

Nathan says: Planned Parenthood and other members of the abortion industry want to change the definition of pregnancy, claiming that pregnancy begins with implantation of a fertilized egg, rather than at fertilization — the point when the egg and the sperm unite. By altering the definition of pregnancy, Planned Parenthood officials can claim with a straight face that the morning-after … Read More