Words that don't need twisting to offend

If Kate Moss spent any energy on what comes out of her mouth, instead of focusing on what does not go in, she might have avoided this media circus.

For those of you who may not be aware, there are sites all over the web dedicated to anorexia and bulimia; giving how-to tips, ways to hide it, and so on. These Pro-disorder websites feed off of quotes like the one recently thrown out by Kate Moss in an interview.

"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."

She refers to this as one of her many "personal motto's". A spokesperson for Beat, a charity focused on preventing eating disorders, pointed out that this quote can be found on the front page of "Starving for Control", a well-known pro-anorexia site.

I cannot stress enough how big of an issue eating disorders are for women of all ages, and there is especially a big fight against it in the UK right now. Please talk to the women in your life, especially those that are young and impressionable, and tell them their beauty is not measured in pounds or inches.

Signs of our Society's Decline

It is ironic that I should feel moved to post this blog, because on my personal blog I posted one that felt near the opposite just a few hours ago.

A guilty pleasure of mine is to head over to Texts From Last Night online. Sometimes they are really funny, and they are often offensive, but sometimes they are entirely too tragic for me to understand why someone would willingly share these things. Although, I suppose the real concern is that they sent them to someone in the first place.

They give me an insight into the culture of our youth. Granted, I should not pretend that these messages represent all teenagers and young adults. In fact, these may only represent a small percentage of our population, but some of these are serious red flags, even if they only encompass a small demographic.

Case in point. This message was posted this morning:
(847): This is the first month I have not taken plan B to get my period in over a year
(847): And somehow that makes me sad knowing I haven't had raunchy unprotected sex in a month

These are the values and priorities of our youth, at least the party-culture. And people always want to assume all young men are wanton trolls, but that young women have a higher standard of virtue... perhaps we should stop looking at it that way? From what I have heard and read, young women are becoming just as lustful and reckless as the stereotype of their counterparts.

And it is this recklessness that concerns, more than the lustful behavior. Yes, from a moral perspective, I am highly concerned about the sexual behavior and allowances of our youth. What I want to evaluate, though, is the complete lack of self-protection. Constantly putting drugs and alcohol into their bodies, sleeping with several different partners, choosing "lazy contraception" (Plan B, abortion, etc) over thinking ahead and preventing problems...

I know that one does not completely excuse or explain the other, but this seems to tie back exactly to the lack of sexual education in our country! Not the promiscuity, necessarily (though possibly), but certainly the recklessness.

We have got to do something! We need to be reading, voting, writing, SCREAMING at the top of our lungs!

The Best Use of Bribery - Hip-Hop for HIV tests

This week in Houston, TX, the NAACP, along with Planned Parenthood and other foundations, are going to bribe young Houstonians into getting HIV and syphilis tests, as well as sexual health education.
And I am loving it!
Sure, I wish we didn't have to resort to bribery to get things done, but hey, I'm just ecstatic they are doing SOMETHING proactive, and probably very helpful!

HIV AWARENESS TESTING
•Who: Anyone 15 to 40 with photo identification (driver’s license or a state, military or school ID)
• What: Free HIV and syphilis rapid tests plus sessions on sexually transmitted disease prevention
• When: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday
• Where: NAACP Family Technology Center, 4203 Fannin
Information: 713-794-9020
~*~

The goal — targeted to National HIV Testing Day on Saturday — is to screen 1,200 people daily from today through Thursday at the NAACP Family Technology Center and another 10,000 in the next two weeks at Planned Parenthood, St. Hope Foundation and other partner agencies.

~*~

Everyone who goes in to take these tests, as well as an hour of education, will receive tickets to a concert in the George R Brown Center, with a long list of performers. The entertainers include someone named Bun B (from Port Arthur) and LeToya Luckett, who apparently used to be in Destiny's Child... for that week that they had four members. Whatever, it is still a free concert!

I am so proud to be a Houstonian, because they are taking action against an epidemic of ignorance. There is simply too much information for people to know everything they need to for their own health, especially with declining (and sometimes non-existent) sex education. This seems to be a larger problem with the black youth of America, which is the most bitter irony, because they are much more likely, biologically, to adopt these diseases:

"African-Americans bear the heaviest burden of the nation’s HIV/AIDS crisis. The U.S. population is roughly 12 percent black, but African-Americans account for 46 percent of the 1 million people living with HIV nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
"Those hit hardest in Houston are young and black, which is why the mass testing targets African-American youths."

People do not realize the staggering statistics that go along with these diseases, especially in areas with limited education:

"In 2008, 14 clinic patients tested HIV-positive. There have been three more this year. The youngest was 15; the oldest was 24. Before, an average year turned up five young adults with the virus."

Please, spread the word of this effort, so that we can protect our youth. Hopefully, this will seriously open the eyes and minds of many, urging them to better protect themselves and those they love.

You can read more about this event at The Chron.

Stand Up Girl

StandUpGirl.com is an online community designed for women who are experiencing unexpected pregnancy. The topics range from preventing pregnancy, accepting responsibility, how to make a new plan, and even how to recover from an abortion. 'Becky' has developed a loving community where women and girls help each other and, hopefully, learn from each others' mistakes.

The writing has an endearing, youthful quality. It comes across as advice from your BFF at a sleepover, but with wisdom and a certain maturity. This somewhat relaxed demeanor is an odd advantage, and hopefully it helps Becky 'target' a younger audience.

There is such hope and encouragement on these pages. I love the forward of the "Making A New Plan" page:

"Your life has taken an unexpected turn and it is time to make a new plan! There are probably lots of things on your mind and perhaps it is hard to think clearly because you are afraid and feeling vulnerable. You are a mother and have a little one to take care of now.

The good news is, you can do it! Many other women have found themselves in your situation and have come out of it as stronger women and wonderful mothers. This is going to be a very difficult time for you and the next couple of years raising a toddler will not be easy either. However, if you work through your life a day at a time and make the most important things your priorities, you will not get as overwhelmed."

Her tone is so gentle and encouraging, but she manages not to pull any punches. She repeatedly says on her site that 'this will not be easy', but the community is there to help those who are scared and confused. Becky urges women to join local networks, specifically to look for pregnancy centers, saying "At first, the idea of dropping in was very intimating and I felt embarrassed that I needed help. Before long, I felt quite at home and was so grateful for all their help. "

From a Christian standpoint, I especially appreciate her suggested post-abortion Bible studies, one for women as well as one for men. It is so refreshing to find Christians whose outlook is modern and accepting. So often, in these situations, "the Church" comes across looking cold or unsympathetic. That was not Jesus' message, and I applaud Becky for her open arm policy.

This blog truly tries to cover everything. Under the Tab labeled "Girl Help", you will find links called "I'd Like to Help", a page of local and international help-lines, centers and programs; "Abortion Testimonials", where women and girls discuss their decision in an effort to prevent others; "Girl Power", "Dating, Love, Sex", "Crisis Support", "Biology and In Utero Info", and finally "Young Mother Help", which are all pages of appropriate links, leading readers to information across the web.

I am so thankful Becky's personal mission, and I pray that she continues to help women and girls as they make major life decisions.

...and then there's Bristol Palin...

It is by happy accident that this article so appropriately follows my last post about Meghan McCain. Perhaps "happy accident" is the wrong way to put it, because I am far from happy about this article and picture:

Let me throw in a sidebar, before I burn this soapbox: how bad do you feel for Tripp Palin? Not just because if the STUPID name, which seems to be genetic, but let's take a look at his future. Technology is advancing every day, to accomplish amazing feats. Don't you figure that, say, the Internet will still be around when he is 10 or so? And don't you assume that the Internet will have held onto this nauseous propaganda, wherein Tripp's mommy practically paints the word "REGRET" across the baby's forehead and drags it behind her? Her entire campaign, specifically in this magazine interview, consists of complaining about the burden of a baby; the crying, the pain, the responsibility - wah, wah, WAH! The therapist that gets their hands on this child will be a millionaire...

OK, so about the article itself... I can barely see straight, I am so upset. The girl, this idiot child, seems to think she has discovered a secret. "OMG, I can haz consequences?" How can anyone, ANYONE, think that Abstinence Only "education" is acceptable? The ridiculous part, is that now she is an even bigger proponent for it! WHAT?!? So, if you could go back and change things, rather than use a condom or a pill, you would just sit next to each other and pray? I'm not trying to mock, because honestly that does work for a few very strong people, but let's not pretend that when Bristol Palin time travels, she suddenly has a brain. No, she would still be a horny, under-educated teenager, and she still would have had sex!

I agree that we need to teach our children to abstain from sex. I am also aware, however, of reality; since when did we start assuming teenagers listened? No one likes to be told what to do (or not do) but teens are the worst! Their bodies are telling them to do things, and adults are telling them not to. Let's take a guess about who wins, 8 times out of 10.

I know people that have abstained, who are saving themselves for marriage. I promise, a handful even, of wonderful, educated adults. Those people made that choice because of God's command, not a pathetic "sex ed" class or a political leader. That we continue to refer to Abstinence Only teachign as "education" is an abomination.

And Bristol? Pay less attention to the papparazzi, and more to your son. If you don't want to go in debt over his counseling...

Meghan McCain makes me proud to be a Republican

Labels are a dangerous thing to wear and assign to others. We allow them to wholly define a person, and that is such a huge mistake. I am a Christian, and to some people that label includes the subtitle "Without Fault". Trust me when I tell you that is far from true. One day I will copy Maya Angelou's amazing poem When I Say I'm A Christian to further my point on that idea. But today's issue is about politcal labels.

Meghan McCain is a Republican, loud and proud. In the fitting-with-the-label category, she is pro-life. But she speaks out adamently against the common perception of the Republican party on the issue of abstinence-only sex education. Other than that fabulous jacket, this is my favorite of her qualities : )

In her column (The GOP Doesn't Understand Sex) she writes: "Let me get something straight: Bristol Palin, as an 18-year-old adult, is free to make her own choices and decide how she wants her life to unfold. But for whatever reasons, the American public and media remain overly engrossed in our politicians’ sex lives and, as in this case, those of their families. There’s an especially unhealthy attitude among conservatives. Daughters of Republican politicians aren’t expected to have sex, let alone enjoy it—as if there were some strange chastity belt automatically attached to us female offspring. God forbid anyone talk realistically about life experiences and natural, sexual instincts. Nope, the answer is always abstinence."

This young woman has a strong sense of self and of justice. She wants to deal with our youth honestly; what a novel concept! "The key, honestly, is communication between parents and children. At the end of the day, the worst thing parents can do is raise children who are not prepared for the situations they may encounter, especially when they’re not planned... Unfortunately, Republicans typically don’t like to discuss or deal with things they think are wrong or immoral. And that’s a huge mistake. If we can’t discuss birth control in addition to abstinence, and in a nonjudgmental way, kids will continue to make bad choices for lack of having access to informed, safe options. Not everyone shares the same beliefs, and more importantly, people don’t always react the same way to their circumstances. Which is why it is so important to encourage honest, open communication about the realities of sex within the party at large, and more specifically, between parents and their children."

Meghan is an impressive young woman, and I look forward to hearing her impact on the Republican party.

Lauren Luke

I have found a new blog to follow that really challenges me. I often agree with the sentiment, but I just as frequently disagree with the delivery. ZeldaLily subtitles itself as "Feminism in a Bra". Do with that what you will, but hop on over and see if her articles can challenge you and your beliefs on these issues.


ZL posted a blog yesterday concerning Lauren Luke, the YouTube make-up entrepreneur. I don't get to spend much time on YouTube, thanks to a web-block at work, but this seems like a truly fascinating gal.




Her story of learning and teaching make-up is inspiring, and she loved being able to "[make] a connection with other girls out there like me, regular girls." She loves the ingenuity and personality of this creative expression we wear on our skin. "I always dreamed of having my own makeup line where I could develop products that made people feel special - that I myself would be over the moon to wear. The excitement that comes from makeup is something very personal."



She has recently developed her own line, which currently consist of 'kits' (how very British of her) based on a color scheme or evoked feeling. Check out her amazing kits and videos on her new site, By Lauren Luke.

Forming an Opinion

It is one of the trickiest topics to discuss, especially among women, without getting agitated. How one woman can think that something is perfectly acceptable while another believes it to be evil and vile makes this a conversation to be entered at your own risk. You can even find two women who are both "on the same side" whose beliefs are vastly different.

Where is the line drawn between birth control and abortion? When and why should abortion be allowed?

Extreme stories like this one can really sway your opinions, although I agree with one commenter; this really makes up my mind about sexual education more than the abortion issue per say.

This article has moments that are graphic; consider yourself warned.
http://zeldalily.com/index.php/2009/04/teens-using-cow-hormones-to-induce-abortion/#more-210

The French push harder to protect their own and others

"PARIS – France's government launched a campaign Tuesday against forced marriages and genital mutilation, seeking to protect women from practices that quietly thrive in immigrant communities the nation is struggling to integrate."

France has long been fighting the weary battle against genital mutilation, especially on it's own soil. Many immigrant groups who have planted themselves in France have brought cultures and traditions that the French government will not allow.

Now the battle wages even stronger as they as trying to stamp out forced marriages as well. These laws extend to French citizens on foreign soil as well.

I'm sure you can understand and appreciate how this battle is nearly impossible to win. The current strategy is to inform all people in the public service that they must join the fight.

"The government is handing out 100,000 leaflets to schools, doctors and other public services explaining the health and legal risks and providing information on support services for victims.
The campaign involves two stark, red, white and black brochures. One pictures a razor — a tool often used in genital mutilation — in a circle with a slash through it. The other shows a splayed palm, a ring of barbed wire being slid over the ring finger, also circled with a slash running through it."

Please pray for our French sisters as they march slowly towards a victory. They need our support, emotionally and financially, as well as spiritually.

Afghan women on both sides of the stones

As things move farther from the Taliban-style of ruling, women are gaining small ground all the time in Afghanistan. This does not mean, however, that things are always moving forward. Sometimes you fall back.


A new marriage law has passed in Afghanistan that has many women upset. A crowd in Kabul protested this law, where they were pelted with small stones and gravel. The most troubling part of this news, for me personally, was that there were women throwing the stones as well.


The new law states that "a husband can demand sex with his wife every four days unless she is ill or would be harmed by intercourse — a clause that critics say legalizes marital rape. It also regulates when and for what reasons a wife may leave her home alone."



A crowd of female Afghan police circled the women to protect them from the stones. I would really like to know the political opinions of those women! Did they protect their sisters because they agreed, or simply because it was their job? Would some have preferred to move aside and watch the women suffer?

A crowd of men and women were there to assault the protestors, shouting such things as, "You are a dog! You are not a Shiite woman!"

One beautiful piece of news in this story gives me great hope for the women of this nation. Fourteen-year-old Masuma Hasani said her whole family had come out to protest the law — both her parents and her younger sister who she held by the arm. "I am concerned about my future with this law," she said. "We want our rights. We don't want women to just be used."

Something must be going right if the youth are really evaluating their own politcal future as a result of actions now. They are becoming more and more educated about consequences of actions; their own as well as their governments', and frankly ours.

Read more here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090415/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

Sex Survey: Communication Between Mothers and Daughters

O Magazine worked together with Seventeen Magazine on a survey of mothers and daughters, to determine how effective the existing communication is between them. They also hoped to discover what changes can be made to better inform both parties. This survey covers both general information and statistics as well as very specific stories from women's' lives.

It shows the facts - sometimes disturbing, sometimes relieving - about what girls gain from these Talks with their mothers, as well as what is lost. The beautiful part of this article is that it is (loosely speaking) and instruction manual. As these women pour out their souls, and their experiences, you really get a feel for what works and what doesn't. Every woman (and every girl) are going to want and need completely different things (which is why men will never truly "understand women"), and this helps to show the balance of what works for whom.

"Every mother of an adolescent goes through a wrenching push-and-pull as she tries to both protect and let go of a child she loves beyond measure. How a mother knows when to trust this young creature to make the right decisions as she shares her body with another—that comes down to instinct, not numbers. But what our survey can, and does, assure us is that talking about sex with our daughters—no matter how awkward or embarrassing, no matter if we're met with utter adolescent disdain—is worth the effort. "

This article is informative, funny and slightly heartbreaking, but I would definitely call it helpful. Share this with your daughters and mothers, your sisters and friends.

Safety Tips

There have been so many kidnappings and attacks, especially locally that I hvae heard of, and I cannot help but post things like this. I hope it helps:

Crucial
Because of recent abductions In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation... This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, everyone you know. After reading these 9 crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do : The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2.. Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you... Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy.. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their chequebook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR , LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it . As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor , and in the back seat
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
C..) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side... If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird.. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.

10. Water scam! If you wake up in the middleof the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is aburst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors! Please pass this on This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on America 's Most Wanted when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana

TURNING PAIN TO POWER Tour

Join V-Day for the TURNING PAIN TO POWER Tour & Stand Up for the Women of Congo!
"V-Day’s TURNING PAIN TO POWER Tour was developed to get the word out about violence against women in the Congo, and the efforts underway to end it. Through public conversations, Dr. Mukwege and Eve will expose the violence, explore the causes of the brutality, and share the stories of Congo’s growing movement of women leaders. The February 2009 tour will make stops in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Washington, DC. "

To find the itinerary and to buy tickets, please follow this link:
http://newsite.vday.org/pain-to-power-tour