:iagree:

I have no problem labeling myself a feminist. In harsh patriarchal societies, women and children bore the brunt of suffering. I want my own daughters as well those women in the harsher countries to have access to reproductive choices. Maybe it is because we live in a relatively rich egalitarian country that allows us to take for granted advances made those women who were willing to put their lives on line to right wrongs. In more complex societies, women still continue to earn less than men for a variety of reasons. Feminism not only attempts to bring awareness to these ills but also to place value on the unpaid work that women do. Feminism was the impetus for the protest against the Taliban treatment of women when Texas governor hosted them back in 90s; I don't recall the specifics. A movement is far bigger than an inflammatory comment made by one person and bigger than theatrics like bra burning.

:iagree:

Well, you could consider a small tasteful nose jewel to be a tool for warding off people who judge you on appearance instead of character.

I would not go so far as to say it is now the norm, but it definitely is no longer necessarily a countercultural symbol. Re piercing between nose and mouth or cheek: I think that the dangers are overstated usually by those who have difficulty with others bucking the appearance status quo. I had no response one way or the other when some of my teens and young adults had facial piercings; I was satisfied that they were happy with them. The rings and studs can be removed as needed to be appropriate in certain situations. I am not interested in facial piercings for myself; I am content with the one hole in each ear. Further, I have no interest in body modification in general. Are you an old fuddy duddy? I don't know. I guess you would have to consider your viewpoints on a variety of ideas to determine your fuddy-duddiness quotient.

I know of a few families who share what I am assuming are your religious and philosophical viewpoints toward traditional gender roles and family life. However, sometimes, families find themselves in situation where the mother's paying work is considerably more lucrative and stable than that of the father. Those families have favored pragmatism over principle; I don't know how to word it but it definitely is not intended as snark or gotcha. As I said earlier, generally I trust intelligent reasonable adults to make decisions that are best for them nor would I consider those decisions a betrayal of their principles.

I'll just say I do not want to be responsible for setting a five alarm fire so I choose to wear, not burn :) .

Darn tootin'! It is truly unjust when mothers who work full time or homeschool full time have to pull a second shift at home. If the mother stays busy all day with paying work or homeschooling, why should the father not have to pitch in on second shift too? It is indeed a callous situation that I would go to marital war over if necessary. I am not saying that it has to be tit for tat but the workload should be equitably spread out over time.

Why couldn't the father quit working to take care of child? Why is the mother expected to do so? Perhaps her job is more stable, has better compensation, or better benefits. Or maybe both need to work to cover the copays and deductibles of a chronically ill child. Maybe they both work because they fear losing insurance from job termination in this shaky economy. Maybe she wishes to keep her career for security in event of divorce or death of spouse. It can be very difficult to re-establish oneself in their career after leaving work. Admittedly I am a tad tender about this subject since I never completely quit working altogether and was quizzed by a few acquaintances about why I worked during years it was not necessary. The reason is that my early years were spent in environment of extreme poverty hostile to women and children; thus, I never want to lose my ability to be financially independent. When women stop working after marrying and starting family, that choice comes at high price that can have lifelong financial ramifications. I wish to avoid being one of those women who feel trapped in an abusive or loveless marriage because she feels she cannot make it on her own emotionally or financially. It is unfortunate that motherhood, one of the most important jobs is the least valued economically in our society. I do not know what the answers or solutions are, but I trust each woman of intelligence and reason to determine the right answer for her own situation.

While I do not take the comments personally, I have on numerous occasions read posts highly critical of working mothers. The built in assumption usually was that they were working to indulge in luxuries when they could devote themselves to their families if they were willing to lead a simpler life. The choice of whether to work should be a woman's own choice assuming that the family already has adequate financial resources. It is irrelevant whether she works for luxury, necessity, or personal fulfillment.

:iagree: I've long considered feminism as a subset of human rights that is focused on the traditional underdogs, women and children, who are less likely than males to wield physical and financial power. On a personal level, I am glad that I was able to step in as sole breadwinner during a tough time for our family, and I am glad that my partner did not feel at all demeaned by being the stay at home parent for awhile. In my first professional position, a partner of international firm made remark that women were joining profession for a "good ride until they started having babies."

I consider a basic understanding of probability and statistics to be an essential ingredient of sound education, but I may be biased since statistics was my second choice for major/career. In high school, we did some prob and stat work using my old college notes and internet sources. I consider it to be akin to consumer math; we need a working knowledge of it to understand how studies are conducted and evaluated and interpret results beyond sensational news headlines.

Envy maybe? As long as you are feeling strong and healthy, keep doing what you're doing.

This seems to be pattern for curing of any significant social ill like slavery, apartheid, voting rights, etc. The people who start the process are mocked and viewed as radical troublemakers. As a progressive idea slowly wins hearts and mind of populace, no one in their right mind wants to go back to way things were.

If a man, feminist or not, has issue with acts of politeness reserved for female gender, then he can solve his problem by not engaging in such acts can't he? He could extend those courtesies on a need-based approach. Resentful people are unattractive regardness of any acts of gender-based or need-based politeness.

I am indifferent to it as long as it merely politeness and how he was brought up to behave. In other words, if he were a generally nice person, I would not insist that he change his way. If the man in question were a sexist, I would have a different take on it. My husband typically does not practice those gestures, and I am comfortable with that. However, all of us open doors or give up public seating for the frail, wheelchair bound, elderly, folks carrying babes or big packages, etc.

The thought of the finality of death does not overwhelm me in the abstract, but death has a way of arriving at inconvenient times. :) The short answer is that my brain is hardwired to prefer brutal realism over what I would consider a comforting delusion. Honestly the concept of believing in afterlife to avoid depression is one I find difficult to comprehend because I cannot will myself to believe in what I am confident is highly unlikely. However, a dear now deceased friend once stated that she had to believe in afterlife for her mental health. For eons prior to my birth I did not exist, so why would I find it depressing to cease existence? All life has its seasons, and I am ok with that. Actually the world without supernatural omnipotent beings makes more sense to me. The uncertainty of an indifferent universe enhances my existence instead of provoking anxiety. For all its ills, the universe is full of mystery, beauty, humanity. I find awe, peace, and reassurance in things as simple as kittens playing, spectacles of nature, people uniting to fight injustice, creating art and music, etc. One stab at a precious existence in a world full of awe and beautiful mystery for me outweighs any unproven claims of a future system of rewards and punishments.

Bread pudding/breakfast casserole in big enough pan to have it for both lunch and dinner. Used stale bread, lean ham scavenged from ham bone, cheddar cheese, green onions, mushrooms, and lots of eggs.

Try putting yourself in his shoes even though you are saddened by his initial reaction. As the sole breadwinner (assumption there), he probably is feeling overwhelmed about how he will provide for another child, especially in this shaky economy. His panic will subside with time as the two of you decide upon a plan of action. :grouphug:

:iagree: Even though I had never heard term "demographic winter," it smacked of same thing to me.

Perhaps the ads will motivate families to learn about healthier lifestyles. Agribusiness surely is not going to go out of their way to provide healthy food supply until their processed products cease making profits for them. I find nothing disturbing about the state attempting to raise awareness of a serious issue.

Yes.

:iagree:

But wouldn't your husband be rushing to hospital only for a crisis such as suicidal patient, not for a relatively minor issue like a shyness in a child?

I dropped OT and ST for my special needs kiddo too. You know what? Her family and close friends could understand her speech. She was NATURALLY engaging in activities that "reset" her sensory integration deficit problem just as I did. I understand the need for OT for someone who has lost use of certain faculties after devastating accident or illness or retardation. However, it was a colossal waste of time and money for my child. The speech problem resolved itself with time and practice. As for her SID, she does not consider it a problem but rather a quirk; I agree with her.