Author Archives

• CFS/ME and “faulty illness beliefs”: The incredible hubris of the psychiatro-patriarchal complex

  By lauredhel on 2009-03-19 • ( 35 )

  New Scientist this week published an interview with infamous psychiatrist Simon Wessely. Wessely persists in believing, in the face of all the evidence, that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalitis (CFS/ME)* is a uniquely UK/American psychological condition caused by internet-triggered “faulty illness… Read More ›

• Pain trouble-shooting

  By lauredhel on 2009-03-18 • ( 31 )

  Some days, I need this handy Pain Troubleshooting Guide. Today is one of those days. In other news:

• Feminists with disabilities – please come and put your two cents in

  By lauredhel on 2009-03-17 • ( 19 )

  Questions of the day: 1. Is there a Feminists with Disabilities blog carnival? Where? 2. If ‘no’, should there be? 3. What else might be useful to build bonds and facilitate community conversations amongst feminists with disabilities? 4. Have you… Read More ›

• Autumn, blessed autumn

  By lauredhel on 2009-03-16 • ( 7 )

  This time of year makes my heart sing! It was 38* degrees yesterday (bleurgh), 30 degrees today (hmm), but it’s now cooling down with a plunge and a sigh. Not one day in the next week is going to be… Read More ›

• More confected fat-baby epidemic panic? The “increasing trend” that isn’t.

  By lauredhel on 2009-03-16 • ( 28 )

  This supposed ongoing upward trend in birthweight has been used as an excuse for absurd levels of inductions of labour and skyrocketing C sections, and a springboard for blaming lazy, old, fat, neglectful mothers for the “obesity epidemic”, childhood cancer,… Read More ›

• Quickhit: Background Briefing on Australia’s Looming Internet Censorship

  By lauredhel on 2009-03-15

  For those interested in Minister Stephen Conroy’s plans to introduce mandatory internet censorship to Australia, check out Wendy Carlisle’s show on the Background Briefing. ABC Radio National: Conroy’s clean feed It’s well-researched, and it explains the issue from square one,… Read More ›

• Baby toupees: “i’m Not a Boy!”

  By lauredhel on 2009-03-15 • ( 31 )

  Dissatisfied with lacy elastic garters as a salve for gender-neutral panic in the carers of baby girls, the market has come up with this hideously hirsute scalpgirdle: The splash page reads: Baby Bangs – for the girl who has everything…. Read More ›

• Otterday! And Open Thread.

  By lauredhel on 2009-03-14 • ( 26 )

  Last week it was otters telling a crocodile who’s boss; this week, it’s a coyote. The otters take a brief moment out from playing to smack the stalking coyote down; the coyote rapidly decides that it’s just not worth the… Read More ›

• 2 a.m. What The Fuck

  By lauredhel on 2009-03-14 • ( 11 )

  You know that stuff I danced around about bottle imagery undermining breastfeeding messages? There’s more to say there, but for now… Here’s todays 2 a.m. What The Fuck, from the Daily Mail: “Mothers win the right to breastfeed in all… Read More ›

• Alcohol and Breastfeeding: NHMRC buys into abstinence-only messaging

  By lauredhel on 2009-03-12 • ( 15 )

  Last month, I started talking a little bit about alcohol, pregnancy, and abstinence-only messages, in a takedown of one particular study which failed to link alcohol and preterm birth, but said it did. “Bad science on booze in pregnancy: Women… Read More ›