Category: Chick Stuff,

Saudi cleric banned for saying women’s brains ‘a quarter the size’ of men’s 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Middle East,Leave a comment

A Saudi cleric who said women should not drive because their brains shrink to a quarter the size of a man’s when they go shopping has been banned from preaching.

Saad al-Hijri, head of fatwas (legal opinions) in Saudi Arabia’s Assir governorate, was suspended from all religious activity after advising against allowing women to drive in a speech that contained comments “diminishing human value”, a spokesman for the governor of Asir province said.

…In a video this week, Hijri asked what the traffic department would do it if it discovered a man with only half a brain. “Would it give him a licence or not? It would not. So how can it give it to a woman when she has only half?” he said.

“If she goes to the market she loses another half. What is left? A quarter … We demand the traffic department check because she is not suitable to drive and she has only a quarter.”

The comments sparked outrage on social media, which is hugely popular in the kingdom.

Saudi cleric banned for saying women’s brains ‘a quarter the size’ of men’s | World news | The Guardian

hmmm

Saudi Arabia women hail end of driving ban 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Middle East,, Religion,Leave a comment

One activist called it a “great victory”, while another said she was going to buy her “dream car”.

…The Gulf kingdom is the only country in the world that bans women from driving – and women are still subject to strict dress codes and gender segregation.

Until now, only men were allowed licences and women who drove in public risked being arrested and fined.

…The country’s US ambassador, Prince Khaled bin Salman, confirmed that women would not have to get male permission to take driving lessons, and would be able to drive anywhere they liked.

…In recent years, some members of the Saudi royal family have expressed support for ending the ban.

Last year, the government launched the Vision 2030 plan to modernise the economy – which was seen as a sign the country was moving towards reform.

…The hashtags “I am my own guardian” and “Saudi Women Can Drive” quickly gained traction on social media – but so did the hashtag “the women of my house won’t drive.”

…An estimated 800,000 chauffeurs currently ferry Saudi women around. The reason it has taken so long is the long-standing opposition from religious conservatives, who have expressed views varying from “they are too stupid to drive” to “it will lead to intolerable mingling of the sexes.”

Saudi Arabia women hail end of driving ban – BBC News

Amazing. What a leap forward!

Federal judge permanently blocks Indiana abortion limits 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Local Interest,Leave a comment

A federal judge permanently struck down provisions of an Indiana law passed last year that would have banned abortions sought due to fetal genetic abnormalities and required that aborted fetuses be buried or cremated.U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt’s decision, issued Friday, found that those two provisions and a third one are unconstitutional. She granted an order permanently blocking all three from being enforced and granted summary judgment in favor of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, which had sued the state in April 2016 after then-Gov. Mike Pence signed the provisions into law.

Federal judge permanently blocks Indiana abortion limits | WGN-TV

hmmmm

Sanders, Sexism and how millennial feminists saw HRC

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Domestic Affairs,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

[Sanders voters] are my natural colleagues, and most are as upset as I am by Trump’s victory. But they played a big role in the thin edge (not a landslide, as Trump would have us believe) that gave Trump the election. For while Trump supporters hooted and cheered for their candidate, forgiving him every lie, every crime, every bit of disgusting [behavior], too many young Democrats made it very clear (in newspaper and internet interviews, in polls, and in the mainstream media) that they were only voting for Hillary Clinton as the lesser of two evils, “holding their noses”, tears still streaming down their faces over the primary defeat of the person they felt truly deserved their votes. Some didn’t vote at all. And as much as I am in agreement with many of his ideas, Bernie Sanders splintered and ultimately sabotaged the Democratic party – not because he chose to run against Hillary Clinton, but because of how he ran against her.

… When Sanders denied that badge of [honor] to Clinton he wasn’t distinguishing his agenda from hers (their positions on most issues were, in reality, pretty similar), he was excluding her from the company of the good and pure – and in the process, limiting what counted as progressive causes, too. His list didn’t include the struggle for reproductive rights or affordable child care. Nor, at the beginning of his campaign, was there much emphasis on racial justice.

…Sanders gave Clinton no credit for her longstanding progressivism in [equal rights for women and minorities,] while identifying her with the corruption he was dedicated to cleaning up. …Portraying Clinton as the enemy of systemic change …was not only factually incorrect, but proved politically disastrous in the general election.

…Like progressive, establishment is a pretty meaningless term, particularly when lobbed at one Washington politician by another. Neither Sanders nor Clinton had been working outside the system.

Appearances to the contrary, Sanders was not a union organizer, but rather a longtime member of the Senate. And if Clinton had more support from the Democratic party, that was due in large part to the relationships she had cultivated over the years, working with others – something Sanders was not particularly good at.

…[Sanders later described] Planned Parenthood and NARAL as “establishment” and abortion as a social issue.

…[The media] posted pictures of him being arrested at a protest against the University of Chicago’s real estate investments, while making no mention of the work Hillary had done, when she was the same age, investigating racist housing practices with Marian Wright Edelman. 

The destruction of Hillary Clinton: sexism, Sanders, and the millennial feminists | Susan Bordo | Opinion | The Guardian

hmmmm

Hillary Will Sit Down and Shut Up When Bernie Does 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Domestic Affairs,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

 

Hillary Will Sit Down and Shut Up When Bernie Does – The Daily Banter

Stuff like,

Clinton ran a good campaign, won a massive popular vote victory and required an equally massive effort on the part of disparate groups to eke a technical win out for Trump.

…is a little much. It wasn’t a terrible campaign, compared to the history of American politics it probably can be called a good campaign but it could have been much better. It was a decisive win but I’m not sure that I’d go all the way to massive.

The author’s defensiveness of HRC does not lend itself to persuasion. If the facts were presented without the hyperbole the point would still be made, with the added bonus of added potential to actual open and change minds to the author’s point. (Liberals, this is why we can’t have nice things.)

All that said, there are some interesting things in here.

 

Iceland Has Nearly Eradicating Down Syndrome Births – Some Offer A Typically American Response (Unsophisticated, Un-nuanced, Holier-Than-Thou, Eschewing Reason, Logic, and the Valuation of Women’s Lives in Favor of Heavy Handed Religious Guilt, Not Grounded in Anything Like a Holy Text But Stemming From Four Decades of Politically Rooted Culture Wars ) 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Europe,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

Iceland seems to be leading the world in the eradication of Down syndrome; on average, only one or two babies suffering from the condition are born in the nation of 330,000 each year. 

…Cognitive impairments resulting from Down syndrome can range from mild to severe, and deadly physical anomalies are also often associated with the disease. Roughly half of all those who suffer from Down syndrome have serious health conditions, including potentially deadly congenital heart defects. The life expectancy of those afflicted with the syndrome is roughly 60 years, and many require specialized medical care for the entire duration of their lives.

…Down syndrome is often not discovered until late in the 2nd trimester, which can pose a legal and ethical dilemma for some expectant mothers. However, Iceland allows for the termination of pregnancies after 16 weeks in cases of fetal deformity, including Down syndrome.

Only a couple of babies with Down syndrome are born during an average year in Iceland, and in many of those few instances it is because parents get incorrect genetic screening results. In the United States, roughly 6,000 Down syndrome babies are born annually.

…When genetic abnormalities, including Down syndrome, are discovered, Helga Sol Olafsdottir (also of Landspitali University Hospital) helps to counsel the pregnant women in the midst of crisis. She tells those feeling guilty over their decision to terminate that “this is their life.”

…Women in Iceland who choose to terminate Down syndrome fetus are given a prayer card following the procedure. The tiny memento includes the termination date and the footprints of the terminated fetus, a practice that is confusing to [anti-womens’ empowerment] activists in America, many of whom [are intellectually and emotionally shallow enough to] consider terminating a pregnancy to be tantamount to murder.

Iceland Under Fire Over Controversial Method Of Nearly Eradicating Down Syndrome Births

It is satisfying to re-title clickbait…

A woman interviewed 100 convicted rapists in India. This is what she learned. 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Southern Central Asia,Leave a comment

Madhumita Pandey’s doctoral research searches for the roots of these men’s beliefs.

….Pandey, who grew up in New Delhi, and saw her city in a new light after the Nirbhaya case, said: “I thought, what prompts these men? What are the circumstances which produce men like this? I thought, ask the source.”

Since then, she has spent weeks talking to rapists in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. Most of the men she met there were uneducated, only a handful had graduated high school. Many were third- or fourth-grade dropouts. “When I went to research, I was convinced these men are monsters. But when you talk to them, you realize these are not extraordinary men, they are really ordinary. What they’ve done because of upbringing and thought process.”

A woman interviewed 100 convicted rapists in India. This is what she learned. – The Washington Post

hmmm

‘Listen to women’: UK doctors issued with first guidance on endometriosis 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Science and Stuff,Leave a comment

The NHS must listen to women, says Nice. If they have symptoms including continuing pelvic pain, severe period pain, pain during sex or they suffer from infertility, endometriosis must not be ruled out. It should not be discounted if the woman continues to say she has symptoms when examinations such as ultrasound scans are negative.

“Delayed diagnosis is a significant problem for many women with endometriosis leading them to years of unnecessary distress and suffering,” said Professor Mark Baker, director of the centre for guidelines at Nice.“

The condition is difficult to diagnose as symptoms vary and are often unspecific. However, once it has been diagnosed, there are effective treatments available that can ease women’s symptoms. This guideline will help healthcare professionals detect endometriosis early, to close the symptom to diagnosis gap and to ensure more timely treatment.”

‘Listen to women’: UK doctors issued with first guidance on endometriosis | Society | The Guardian

sigh….

Gender Double Standards Everyone’s Apparently OK With 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

Carly Fiorina, presidential hopeful and business fucker-upper, has said that Hillary Clinton doesn’t deserve a free pass just because she’s a woman. …If anyone realistically believes Hillary Clinton’s been getting a pass on anything because she’s a woman, they may be what we in the industry call “drunk as shit.”

In June 2015, the New York Times ran an article entitled “Why It Matters That Hillary Clinton Wore Ralph Lauren.” Rather than waste time reading the article, I’ll cut to the chase and tell you why it matters: It fucking doesn’t. All the candidates could wear fucking burlap sacks — how does this have any effect on politics? Go back to writing crosswords, New York Times.

…”Hillary Clinton Wore A Red Power Suit” comes from Esquire. “Hillary Clinton Reveals The ‘Cold Shoulder’ Donna Karan Dress is Her Favorite” is another Daily Mail winner. There are more paragraphs dedicated to Hillary Clinton’s fashion choices than there are to explaining any of the dozens of insane promises Donald Trump has made during his campaign.

Sure, people have made fun of Donald Trump’s hair …but even that is often relegated to a single paragraph in a larger piece. …People discuss his policies, right? His promises and threats. Maybe Clinton is getting a free pass, since we only care about her clothes.

Except Clinton’s getting raked over the coals for her emails, for her husband banging an intern about 20 years ago, for Benghazi, for various financial and ethical issues, and for her Wall Street ties. In other words, people have an entire list of genuine concerns about her as a politician. And then they want to know why she’s wearing an orange pantsuit. Clinton’s “free pass” costs just as much as any candidate’s, with the added bonus of having a dress code.

4 Gender Double Standards Everyone’s Apparently OK With | Cracked.com

Lawd almighty Cracked, that is spot on!

Retired Fighter Pilot Amy McGrath Announces Run For Congress In Kentucky With One Of The Best Political Ads Ever Seen

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Domestic Affairs,, Military,Leave a comment

“When I was 13 my congressman told me I couldn’t fly in combat… I said they just hadn’t met me yet… I knew I could do it but most of them told me I couldn’t…. I’m Amy McGrath and I love our country. I spent twenty years as a U.S. Marine, flew 89 combat missions, bombing Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, I was the first female marine to fly in an F-18 in combat… Some are telling me a Democrat can’t win this battle. …We’ll see about that.” – Amy McGrath

 

Retired Fighter Pilot Amy McGrath Announces Run For Congress In Kentucky With One Of The Best Political Ads We’ve Ever Seen

Dayum grrrrrrl….

Oohrah!

“Crying Nazi” Christopher Cantwell gives himself up to police 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Granite State,, Media and Culture,, Race,Leave a comment

Before achieving notoriety as the weeping Nazi — a dubious distinction he earned after posting an online video in which he cried at the prospect of being arrested for his actions in Charlottesville — Cantwell cut his political teeth as a men’s rights Activist. Those views were evident in his interviews during the Charlottesville rally, particularly when he condemned President Donald Trump for “giving his daughter to a Jew” on the grounds that “I don’t think you can feel about race the way I do and watch that Kushner bastard walk around with that beautiful girl.”

“Crying Nazi” Christopher Cantwell gives himself up to police – Salon.com

“Men’s rights” activists are typically less than men.

On the stand in her groping case, Taylor Swift was every woman. And that’s what’s so sad. 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,Leave a comment

Taylor Swift is a pop star, one of music’s most savvy businesswomen and a $280 million brand.

And yet, she was none of those things yesterday in a Denver courtroom, where she testified against a man who she says groped her at a 2013 meet-and-greet. Swift was just another woman in a world that requires women to insist — to prove, over and over again — that their experience qualifies as truth. In a world that decides, off the bat, that women are crazy or mendacious or simply wrong. And so Swift insisted, more times than anyone should have to and in increasingly descriptive terms, that a former radio DJ had the audacity to put his hand under her skirt and violate her.

…Swift was unbowed, lighting the courtroom ablaze:  “It was a definite grab,” she would say. Once his hand found its target, she testified, it “stayed latched on to my bare ass cheek.” Again and again, she described what she says happened. The Denver Post suggested it might have been the highest recorded number of instances of the words “ass” and “cheek” in the courtroom’s history.

Before it was eventually edited, a CNN article described Swift’s testimony as “snarky.” Others described her as aggravated. We’d do better to see Swift’s testimony as what cultural critic Soraya McDonald described recently in the Undefeated as “necessary arrogance.”  It’s necessary because not being believed is the baseline for women.

…Mueller is also arguing that Swift’s accusation has wrecked his career prospects and his name; for that, he is seeking as much as $3 million from Swift. (She is seeking $1, and in court documents said she filed suit only to “serv[e] as an example to other women who may resist publicly reliving similar outrageous and humiliating acts.”)

In court, asked about the fallout for Mueller, Swift retorted, “I am being blamed for the unfortunate events of his life that are a product of his decisions and not mine.”

It was as if she really was speaking for every woman. And that’s profoundly sad.

On the stand in her groping case, Taylor Swift was every woman. And that’s what’s so sad. – The Washington Post

sigh….