 |
 |
 |
MIXED GRILL
Learning curve: Rep. David Hathaway, R-Barton, was arguing for cutting sales taxes in the Vermont House. He argued that it would help the economy and said, "Shopping trips often include lunch, am I right, ladies?"
A chorus of boos answered him from the House floor. "I enjoy lunch when I go shopping," he said defensively. Only silence greeted this remark. "I enjoy lunch in addition to eating my words," he continued. This time, the House applauded.
Reproductive
rights STILL A VITAL ISSUE: Ellen Goodman makes
the point that despite the words of G.O.P.
presidential candidates that they support "the big tent" concept,
there still are no seats for pro-choice GOPpers under that "big top."
She notes that the anti-choice strategy has changed "from making abortion
illegal to making it impossible.... The abortion issue is crucial in a
campaign that might ask many women to pick between a woman candidate and
a woman's right." -- "Circus elephants stomp on pro-choicers"--
Boston
Globe
Patrick Henry Men are a band of hard-core antiabortion, anti-tax, anti-government anti-woman, fundamentalist Christians led by Operation Rescue leader Randall Terry. One of them, Michael McHugh, is running in the Republican primary for Virginia's 26th senatorial district this June. There are others out there so check out your local candidates CAREFULLY.
Regression:
A recent Dilbert comic (?) strip has the pointy-haired management
male saying, "Tell me what morale issues you have.
I'll summarize them under the appropriate categories." "My
managers are incompetent, arrogant, micromanaging misogynists," replies
the triangular-haired female. He replies, "That one's under
TIME OF THE MONTH."
Urban
legends: "Ancient Roman law required prostitutes
-- who were registered with the authorities -- to dye their hair blond
or wear a blond wig to separate themselves from honorable Roman brunettes.
Blond was the hair color of Barbarians to the north and slaves of that
race often wound up in brothels." -- An
Underground Education
Today a woman may vary her hair color or style without much comment, unless she is Hillary Clinton. For some reason, the rychus fundies that call in to hate radio talk shows find this to be deplorable. Right now, they are in turmoil because of a book by Joyce Milton, First Partner: Hillary Rodham Clinton, which claims she carried on an affair with Clinton friend, the late Vince Foster, a man. While they love the idea of adding infidelity to the many faults they find with the First Woman, they are terribly conflicted. Their folk hero, Rev. Jerry Falwell has asserted that she is a lesbian, and of course, he is an expert having recently outed Tinky Winky. If you are curious about their current and past hatreds, you can check out this URL which tells loyal right-wing-nuts what to say when they call in to talk shows: http://www.freerepublic.com
Anyway, hair and sexual orientation aside, according to Jim Shea of The Hartford Courant, we women are ALL alike. We ALL, with no exceptions go into a flurry of housecleaning activity if someone is coming to visit. He contends that men don't care how picked up or clean a home is (huh?), that in fact, they like for other men to see their home "in full sty because it proves they are REAL men." However, he continues, ALL women "would rather be seen dancing the funky chicken naked on "American's Funniest Videos" than have another woman see her house in its normal condition." Shea continues that ALL women act this way because of their MOTHERS, and that when it is their MOTHERS that come to visit, ALL women go berzerkers in a cleaning frenzy."
Of course some women exist who are compulsive, but most of us have learned the utter futility of it all. Now we check to see if the toilet is flushed and shove assorted junk to one side so unexpected guests can sit down. Usually, both females and males in the home prepare for invited guests. Women have learned that given infinite patience and time, most men can learn to do simple household tasks very well indeed, and some men are veritable whizzes at housework. Why DO these cultural myths continue so prevalent and unabated? Is it simply to reinforce society's indictment that women are idiots, unreasonable and incapable of rational acts? Where in the world would any intelligent, reasonable and capable man get such an idea? Shea has the answer to that too -- from his mother!
Higher
and higher: Word is that NASA is considering
an all woman crew by 2001. It has
been 38 years of mostly male
domination of space and medical research since Yuri Gagarin's flight.
NASA women are not overly pleased since they think it "smacks
of gimmickry." They DO want more women to be assigned to every
flight.
In July, Eileen Collins will be the first woman to command a shuttle flight.
Lower
and lower: We keep hearing a segment of a piece
of utterly horrible crap played over the radio.
We've not heard as yet who wrote it or sings it or what the title is but
it is very disturbing. A daddy is talking to baby who coos and gurgles
at appropriate times. Daddy has mommy in the trunk of the car and
is telling baby that daddy is making a bed in the water for mommy -- inference
is that mommy is dead. Daddy gets mommy weighted down and dumped
and then tells baby that now there will be no more fights, no
more restraining orders from the court, no more etc.
GENDER CLEANSING touted as conflict resolution? Sounds like "one for the TIPPER" (Gore) to us.
1999-018
Copyright 1999 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@ConnRiver.net.
G e n d e r G a p p e r s T M
|
|
|