(From Reuters) The Texas woman once known as "Jane Roe," whose case led to the ruling that women have a constitutional right to an abortion, lost a U.S. Supreme Court appeal on Tuesday (Feb 22) seeking to overturn its historic 1973 decision.
Article
The Court rejected this most recent bid without comment or recorded dissent. You might also remember that in 1993, the Court actually heard a more significant challenge to overturn Roe, and Roe was upheld.
I am also *somewhat* comforted in all of this by the core legal notion of stare decisis, which literally means "to stand by that which is decided." Courts are generally unwilling to depart from earlier precedents, even if current justices would decide the case differently if heard today. This doesn't mean decisions aren't overruled - they are, especially if it can be shown that the earlier decision was made too hastily or if new legislation undermines the decision (U.S. vs. Washington). I just want you to know that all is not necessarily lost, even if Rhenquist is replaced with an anti-choice justice. Having faith in stare decisis is about all I can do at this point.
Wednesday
SXSW Day Parties
I'm probably going to buy a SXSW wristband for the first time this year, mainly because I have a friend coming in from Seattle and it will be easier to hang out. It pains me to give my graduate-student salary to sxsw. But you can have a kick-ass time sans wristband! Keep checking the Girlstown Productions event calendar, where I have been posting all the cool-sounding day parties which are free (and sometimes have free beer and food while it lasts). So far Wednesday at Emo's (WMMF, Octopus Project, other locals) is looking good, as is Thursday at Emo's (Tegan & Sara, Stars, The Wrens + lots more), Church of the Friendly Ghost (Chunklet Party with Enon, Swearing at Motorists + more) on Friday, and Tillery Street Theatre (Porchlight Pop Fest)and Longbranch Inn (Visqueen & Schoolyard Heroes!) on Saturday.
Saturday
Worlds Collide
I witnessed the weirdest thing the other day, but in order to tell about it I will have to admit that I was at Nordstrom's, looking for cheap-ish clothes in the teeny-bopper section. Ok. Now that that's out of the way, there is a giant video screen in this section of the store that plays various music videos and random interview clips with people I'm too old to have heard of. When I got there, Le Tigre's "TKO" (from their recent major label debut "This Island") video was playing on the screen and it was super loud! It was the strangest feeling to walk around looking at clothes in Nordstrom's to Le Tigre. I stood there, transfixed, staring at the video screen. No one else seemed to notice the revelation ocurring in that moment. Immediately following the Le Tigre song, a clip came on with some smarmy teenage boy (a new teen idol that has somehow escaped my radar?) talking about his ideal of a "perfect girl." He said nothing mattered as much as "having class." Puke. It was so jarring and wrong and horrible to have this punk-ass kid come on right after Le Tigre and preach to the girls shopping at Nordstrom's that they can get a boyfriend if they are "classy."
It made me realize that Le Tigre really has succeeded in their quest to take their message to the mainstream. I say, good for them!!
It made me realize that Le Tigre really has succeeded in their quest to take their message to the mainstream. I say, good for them!!
Thursday
More Project Runway Drivel
I just have to share the joy in my life that is Project Runway. O my gawd this show has me right where it wants me, salivating for more. I should note, studying for my exam makes me extremely vulnerable to the clutches of television. So if I sound like a big loser, I kind of am at the moment and I'm ok with that. Anyway -- back to the show. If you need to catch up, this article gives a good overview.
This Sunday, Bravo is doing a Project Runway marathon so you can watch every single episode leading up to Wednesday's two-hour finale!! if you have cable. and haven't killed your television which we all know we should do. i also know it's a big banana republic advertising vehicle, but just ignore that part. hee hee.
This Sunday, Bravo is doing a Project Runway marathon so you can watch every single episode leading up to Wednesday's two-hour finale!! if you have cable. and haven't killed your television which we all know we should do. i also know it's a big banana republic advertising vehicle, but just ignore that part. hee hee.
Austin Rocks Tonite
Woo-wee there is a lot going on in Austin tonight.
We have a hipster show at The Parish (I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness), a rocker show at Emo's (Young Heart Attack, The Good Looks, Rockland Eagles, The Action Is), and the down-and-dirty punk blues of Amplified Heat at Whiskey Bar. I also hear that Red River charmers Hobble will be at Room 710 tonight. Oh the choices!!
As if that weren't enough, there's the Flicker Film Festival at the Alamo downtown (hosted by the Austin Craft Mafia), and an earnest intellectual lecture on the inequalities of globalization on the UT campus.
If I can convince myself that going out will actually help me study for comps, then I will most likely be at Emo's and Room 710.
p.s. tonight is the sold-out Duran Duran show at UT. Who was your favorite band member? I was a Roger Taylor girl, all the way. 8th grade was pretty much spent watching Duran Duran and Wham! videos on MTV at my friend's house after school. (sniff)
We have a hipster show at The Parish (I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness), a rocker show at Emo's (Young Heart Attack, The Good Looks, Rockland Eagles, The Action Is), and the down-and-dirty punk blues of Amplified Heat at Whiskey Bar. I also hear that Red River charmers Hobble will be at Room 710 tonight. Oh the choices!!
As if that weren't enough, there's the Flicker Film Festival at the Alamo downtown (hosted by the Austin Craft Mafia), and an earnest intellectual lecture on the inequalities of globalization on the UT campus.
If I can convince myself that going out will actually help me study for comps, then I will most likely be at Emo's and Room 710.
p.s. tonight is the sold-out Duran Duran show at UT. Who was your favorite band member? I was a Roger Taylor girl, all the way. 8th grade was pretty much spent watching Duran Duran and Wham! videos on MTV at my friend's house after school. (sniff)
Sunday
A friendly valentine's day message...
Sales of gold jewelry in the first two weeks of February will create 34 million metric tons of waste worldwide. To put that in perspective, according to Oxfam America, the production of a single 18 Karat gold ring weighing less than an ounce generates at least 20 tons of mine waste.
Yay.
Yay.
Thursday
How many female chemical engineering professors are there, anyway?
If you've been dying to know, it's your lucky day. All the hubbub over the Harvard President's recent gaffe has renewed public interest in the underrepresentation of women in the sciences. This website, which was created prior to the recent fracas, lets you look up fairly detailed demographic information on 150 research universities in the U.S. to see what percentage of their math and science faculty are women. The site is set up to send a letter for you to the University President of your choice, among other action-oriented things.
Did you know there was a GAO Report last year recommending that federal agencies need to do more to ensure compliance with Title IX (that's the one about sex discrimination being wrong and bad)?
Did you know there was a GAO Report last year recommending that federal agencies need to do more to ensure compliance with Title IX (that's the one about sex discrimination being wrong and bad)?
"I'm not a woman in rock, I'm a force of nature" - Courtney Love
Are we already going to be talking about the 'good old days?' I am so depressed.
"Fast forward 10 years and there's barely a female rock voice left. Of the 23 categories contested at this year's NME awards, a British female artist is nominated in only one: World's Sexiest Women. How has it come to this? Where is the female Alex Kapranos? Where are the female Razorlight? Didn't we make it easy for girls to become rock musicians and gain the respect of their male peers?"
full article from the Guardian
"Fast forward 10 years and there's barely a female rock voice left. Of the 23 categories contested at this year's NME awards, a British female artist is nominated in only one: World's Sexiest Women. How has it come to this? Where is the female Alex Kapranos? Where are the female Razorlight? Didn't we make it easy for girls to become rock musicians and gain the respect of their male peers?"
full article from the Guardian
Tuesday
Boxing is Good For Us
I heard this great review of Million Dollar Baby yesterday on the radio. The reviewer talked a lot about girls' aggression and how we're socialized to repress it at our peril. I got excited because my dissertation (hey! stop yawning!) will be about similar stuff and she articulated the issues really nicely. I saw the movie a week ago and the whole theater was crying by the end. Seriously! Clint has no shame when it comes to manipulating our emotions.
"Million Dollar Baby's portrayal of a female boxer resonates for Leah Hager Cohen, who sees a greater victory in the triumphs of women in the ring. Cohen is the author of the book Without Apology: Girls, Women, and the Desire to Fight and trains at the Ring Boxing Club in Boston." --NPR
You can go to this NPR page and click on the audio link to hear the story.
"Million Dollar Baby's portrayal of a female boxer resonates for Leah Hager Cohen, who sees a greater victory in the triumphs of women in the ring. Cohen is the author of the book Without Apology: Girls, Women, and the Desire to Fight and trains at the Ring Boxing Club in Boston." --NPR
You can go to this NPR page and click on the audio link to hear the story.
Monday
Flying Blind or Who Needs Social Science, Anyway?
The connection between social science research and policy is usually tenuous at best, but here's an example of how policy completely disregards empirical evidence: the recently published study that suggests abstinence-only education programs don't work, and actually might increase sexual activity among teens, and the subsequent proposal from the Bush administration to increase funding for these programs by $38 million to a total of $192.5 million in 2006 ("Bush Budget Calls for Cuts in Health Services," New York Times, February 5, 2005).
The study referenced above has its methodological flaws, the most obvious of which is the lack of a comparison group, so we can't rule out other explanations for the results. But to increase funding for this crap? Oh, and by the way, mr. prez, your freaking boot camps don't work either.
The study referenced above has its methodological flaws, the most obvious of which is the lack of a comparison group, so we can't rule out other explanations for the results. But to increase funding for this crap? Oh, and by the way, mr. prez, your freaking boot camps don't work either.
Thursday
Tuesday
This is Just Plain Nutty
A 25-year-old waitress who turned down a job providing "sexual services" at a brothel in Berlin faces possible cuts to her unemployment benefits under laws introduced this year.
Full article:
If You Don't Take a Job as a Prostitute, We Can Stop Your Benefits
*Thanks to secret pal steve for bringing this to my attention*
Full article:
If You Don't Take a Job as a Prostitute, We Can Stop Your Benefits
*Thanks to secret pal steve for bringing this to my attention*
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