It’s Olympics time and again, we learn the names of athletes who we never hear of at other times. As a nation we’re obsessed with swimmers and runners and ball sports, but our equestrians kick serious butt. We see horse… Read More ›
Sociology
Raising daughters to have high self-esteem and the problem with that
So much good analysis in this piece from Jessica Valenti in The Nation – “The Upside of Ugly”: But this is the problem with teaching young women that the key to happiness and success is self-esteem. If our end goal… Read More ›
The Drawbacks Of A Healthy Eating Internet Education
I know you. We have a lot in common. You have been doing some reading and now you are pretty sure everything in the grocery store and your kitchen cupboards is going to kill you.
De Botton on sex – even odder than you might have expected
Apparently Alain de Botton knows exactly how everybody feels about sex (just like he does! how convenient!) while being blithely unaware of the sheer TMI factor. This review of his latest book How To Think More About Sex at sexandthe405.com is long, comprehensive and unfavourable.
Media Circus: the plot sickens
As usual, please use this thread to throw your brickbats at egregious spin tactics and churnalism, but don’t forget to throw the odd bouquet when it’s deserved as well.
Pushback Awesome: another community having the anti-harassment policy debate
This time it’s the science fiction writing community undergoing Deep Rifts over a disputed implementation of an existing anti-harassment policy at Readercon following a verified harassment incident, complete with yet another round of but-we-don’t-need-no-stinkin-policy-anyway backlash. [nb: updates 1 & 2]
Disability funding: shirking the NDIS is a disgrace
Eleanor Gibbs has a cracker of an article in New Matilda on the national disgrace that is the continuing roadblocks to the National Disability Insurance Scheme:
That Reddit rapist thread
[Content note: rape culture, sexual violence] Liss put up a counter-thread at Shakesville for rape-survivors and allies to talk about their reactions in a safe-space.
Take-home message: beware micro-manipulations as part of a flirt routine – if warning bells are ringing, trust the jangling of our spidey-senses.
Book Review: Am I Black enough for you? #AWWC2012
#AWWC2012 Book Review: Am I Black enough for you?
London Olympics 2012: “Sexy” women’s volleyball and basketball uniforms updated at last
Some of you oldie Hoydens might remember my 2008 post on Australian Olympics uniforms, Women still the sex class in international elite sports. I thought I’d do a bit of an update on gender and our Aussie uniforms for the 2012 Olympics. And – how often does this happen? – things have actually changed for the better, at least in two sports!
Most notably, the regulations dictating that all women playing beach volleyball must wear teeny-tiny bikinis has changed. Female beach volleyball players will now have the choice of wearing shorts or bikini bottoms. This change ostensibly took place to enable the participation of more women from countries and cultures which restrict the amount of skin women may show, which is great; it also allows women from other cultures the opportunity to cover up a little more should they so desire.
Hoyden About Town 