Recently I became aware of a case from 1988 where a young woman in the USA died because parental consent laws in her state meant that she couldn’t get a safe legal abortion from Planned Parenthood early in her pregnancy… Read More ›
Sociology
Catherine, Emma, Purdey and feminism
I love the Avengers, along with other super-stylish British action shows from my childhood such as The Prisoner, The Saint and their low-rent cousin Dr Who. And one of the things I liked on these shows is that the female… Read More ›
Simple arguments
Two posts about gaping policy divides in Western society: Firstly Chris Clarke of Creek Running North: “some things are priceless, and the economy thus finds them worthless. “ Read the whole thing, which provoked the following comment from John from… Read More ›
Babies, black dogs and benefits
Well now, isn’t this study an interesting bookend with the New Zealand study that caused a press stir a few months ago when it showed a correlation between mental illness and abortion of pregnancy. An Australian study has shown that… Read More ›
Get Up, yer whingers
Thanks to Susoz, I now know we have an Australian netroots progressive activism group a la MoveOn.org in the States, which is Get Up! MoveOn did some credible work in fundraising and lobbying at the last US election. It will… Read More ›
Wealth and justice in Orange County
The only reason these young men ever came to trial is that they not only videotaped their gang-rape and foreign object assault of their unconscious 16-year-old schoolmate Jane Doe, but they showed the tape to friends at parties to brag of what they’d done.
Iconic Trifecta
Slouch hats, Harbour Bridge and Opera House… …all it needs is a bloody koala. It’s a shame the boys with the big guns were in the shade while the morning sun was bouncing so brightly off the Opera House, because… Read More ›
Are you a Thompson or a Calley?
Next week, on 16 March, is the anniversary of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam in 1968. Lt. William Calley was in charge of one platoon of the American troops who killed either 112 (USA military figures) or 504 (Vietnamese… Read More ›
Blog against Sexism on International Women’s Day
Actually I’m a day late for Blogging Against Sexism – busy day yesterday with no time for blogging after I got my comedy festival tickets, and I couldn’t think of anything original to say anyway. So here’s a few choice… Read More ›
Tragedy of the Closet
There’s been a lot of ink and electrons devoted to Brokeback Mountain, but here’s what I think is the best review (major plot spoilers alert)- An Affair to Remember from the New York Review of Books’ Daniel Mendelsohn, pointing out… Read More ›
Hoyden About Town 