The Feminist Pulse

AP: Dunwoody to become first female four-star general

For the first time in American history a woman has been chosen for promotion to four-star general.

The Pentagon announced Monday that President Bush nominated Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody to head the Army Materiel Command, responsible for equipping, outfitting and arming soldiers throughout the Army.

If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first woman to attain the rank of a full general. By law, the Army is limited to 11 active-duty four-stars, including the Army chief of staff, Gen. George Casey.

Women haven't reached four-star rank because by law they are excluded from serving in combat roles, which historically have been the path to the highest-ranking positions. That exclusion still applies, but with Dunwoody the Army has chosen to cast aside its customary limitations on promotion.

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An interesting "secret" I saw on postsecret.

For more secrets check out: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

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Designed with women in mind

The special heart shape of this hand-made heating pad accesses the often ignored and very important pelvic region.

A lot goes on "down there"

Monthly, many of us experience painful menstrual cramps. HeatingHeart is designed primarily to ease this pain, as it drapes over the pelvis, applying gentle pressure and heat to areas in pain.

HeatingHeart was created by a Massage Therapist after working with many clients with chronic tightness in the pelvic region.

The pelvic area is like a super-highway of muscles and tissue that stabilize us. The tightness of this tissue contributes to cramping, low back pain and discomfort in many areas of the body.

The soft cotton cover and organic filling provide soothing and penetrating relief to your most precious parts.

HeatingHeart is designed especially for the ladies.
The special heart shape fits the contours of our bodies. HeatingHeart rests over the pelvic region. It lays perfectly over our sacred sacrum and in the curve of our low back. HeatingHeart fits anywhere on the body for relief.

HeatingHeart is easy to use as it heats quickly in your microwave.

Handmade and can be found: http://www.heatingheart.com/

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By way of Jezebel.com, I discovered possibly the most useful website ever. It's called Mon.thly.Info. And it keeps track of the comings and goings of your menstrual cycle, all with the ability to predict what the date of your next arrival will be. And to top it all off, Mon.thly.info will send you a reminder about your next cycle anywhere from a week before the date to the day of. Amazing, yes? Of course, I just signed up today, so whether the site can live up to the hype within my mind is yet to be seen.

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Michelle told Matthew she'd heard that her husband had a fan in the actor's household. He replied that James Wilkie, his 5-year-old son with Sarah Jessica Parker, was indeed supporting Barack's campaign, explaining that during primary season, the boy had mostly been interested in seeing "the man beat the lady." At this point, Michelle brandished a 10-foot pole and refused to touch that comment with it. She didn't, in fact, say anything of interest or controversy during her live performance, which means that she and her handlers should right now be enjoying the glow of perfect success.

Full story: http://www.slate.com/id/2193857/

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Eco-friendliness has been on my priority list for some time now, and thanks to everyone jumping on the green bandwagon, finding products to fit an earthy lifestyle is easier than ever. And the folks at Babeland have figured out how to answer some feminine needs in an environmentally friendly way.

Babeland offers some goodies to satisfy physical and ethical needs, and they sent me a little sampler package.

First off is Good Clean Love, an all natural personal lubricant. With the sweet scent of cinnamon vanilla, this stuff makes you want to pour it over ice cream, as well as your partner. It contains 100% all natural ingredients, including water, agar, aloe, cinnamon, and vanilla, among others – and no dyes. All the ingredients are actually readable, and, for the most part, pronounceable. That’s reassuring!

And they offer a kit that is great for an anniversary, Valentines, or bachelorette party. It’s called the Eco Sexy kit and contains tiny favorites that are perfect to pack for a special trip or honeymoon. Wrapped in a beautiful bronze mesh bag, the kit contains first and foremost a Laya Spot, a best selling vibrator. Made of elastomer, a new latex-free and phthalate-free material, Laya is perfectly curved and waterproof. Need I say more? Next up, Emerita natural lubricant with vitamin E. Paraben free and water-based, this lube decidedly leaves out mineral oil, petroleum, and animal anything, including testing. Best part – it is from a woman-owned, woman-operated company. To put safety first, three condoms from Mamba are included. Mamba condoms are produced by a well-regarded Swedish non-profit whose testing process is 15 times more stringent than any other condom company in the world – so, yes, safety first. And finally the kit comes with a chocolate hazelnut scented massage candle that smells absolutely delicious and can be dripped and rubbed onto the body because it is made of skin-safe soy – and that comes with, and I love this, Babeland matches. Yep, a tiny box of Babeland brand matches.

While not perfectly eco-conscious (there is still plastic, some inorganic ingredients and whatnot involved), the products are a great start and make fun gifts for us crunchy granolas. And I love supporting businesses that are women-owned, women-operated, women-friendly, women-centered...you get the idea. Babeland is an empowering, clean place to shop for stuff that can be embarrassing or touch-and-go (no pun intended) for some people.

So anyway, keep these items in mind for your next bachelorette gift, or maybe some newly wed Californian lesbians! Perhaps soon we’ll see some solar-powered products made from recycled materials pop up on the radar!

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The NY Times published a great article on how studies of same-sex couples disproved many gender stereotypes prevalent in heterosexual couples.

NYT: Same-Sex Couples Offer Insight Into Gender and Marriage

Notably, same-sex relationships, whether between men or women, were far more egalitarian than heterosexual ones. In heterosexual couples, women did far more of the housework; men were more likely to have the financial responsibility; and men were more likely to initiate sex, while women were more likely to refuse it or to start a conversation about problems in the relationship. With same-sex couples, of course, none of these dichotomies were possible, and the partners tended to share the burdens far more equally.

I like this, I like it, keep going...

Dr. Levenson says this is good news for all couples.

“Like everybody else, I thought this was male behavior and female behavior, but it’s not,” he said. “That means there is a lot more hope that you can do something about it.”

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NYT: Media Charged With Sexism in Clinton Coverage

Some people, including Katie Couric, are charging that the media was sexist in their coverage of Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Some examples:

Cable television has come under the most criticism. Chris Matthews, a host on MSNBC, called Mrs. Clinton a “she-devil” and said she had gotten as far as she had only because her husband had “messed around.”

Mike Barnicle, a panelist on MSNBC, said that Mrs. Clinton was “looking like everyone’s first wife standing outside a probate court.” Tucker Carlson, also on MSNBC, said, “When she comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs.”

The establishment news media were faulted too. The New York Times wrote about Mrs. Clinton’s “cackle” and The Washington Post wrote about her cleavage.

Ken Rudin, an editor at National Public Radio, appeared on CNN, where he equated Mrs. Clinton with the actress Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction.” “She’s going to keep coming back, and they’re not going to stop her," Mr. Rudin said. He later apologized.

Others say that this was just a way of blaming someone else when her campaign went under.
The writer of the article makes an interesting point, interpreting one of Sen. Clinton's statements to mean that racism is no longer tolerated in the U.S. (publicly, in media) but sexism is. This led me to wonder, if Don Imus had called white girls "ho's," would the backlash have been as severe? Is sexism "okay"?

What are your thoughts?

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Authorities found the body of a UCF graduate student who went missing Tuesday night after police spent all day Wednesday searching for her. They suspect foul play.

Nicole Ganguzza, 26, was reported missing Tuesday at around 7 p.m. and was found about two miles from Jay Blanchard Park on a trail behind the post office on Econlockhatchee Trail. Authorities suspect foul play because the body appeared deliberately hidden, police said.

"We're going to look at every avenue, every resource, the Sheriff's Office has," Sgt. Allen Lee with the Orange County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. "We're going to use those resources."

People who appeared to be the family showed obvious signs of emotion at Blanchard Park after hearing the news.

Ganguzza called her husband before she went out to Blanchard Park off Dean Road to jog around 6 p.m., which was the last time anyone heard from her. After her husband was unable to reach her around 7 p.m., he went down to Blanchard Park to look for her and later reported her missing.

A patrol officer went out to the park late Tuesday night to meet the husband. Around 9 p.m. the Missing Person's Unit was notified and they also came to the scene. Ganguzza's black convertible Mitsubishi Eclipse remained at the park overnight.

A search began Wednesday morning, effectively shutting down parts of the park, including the park's jogging paths.

Several organizations helped the search, including the Lake County Sheriff's Office, which brought in a bloodhound and a handler. Investigators from the Orange County Sherrif's homicide, sex crime, K-9 and bike units were also assisting on scene. Airboats and officers on horseback were seen patrolling the area.

Williamson said roughly 60 to 70 people were out on the scene. Ganguzza was an avid runner and often jogged at Blanchard Park, the Sentinel reported.

Ganguzza enrolled as a graduate student at UCF in January, 2006, in the marriage and family therapy department.

Grant Heston, assistant vice president for UCF News and Information, released a statement Wednesday: "… it is a tragedy for Nicole, her family and the entire UCF community. Our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with them.

"We will be sending an e-mail to the campus community this evening and will provide updates as soon as more information is available."

Around the time that Ganguzza went jogging, the weather near where she was last seen was thunder storms and light rain, Andrew Urlich at Accuweather said.

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YANGON, Myanmar - Ten thousand pregnant cyclone survivors are in urgent need of proper care in Myanmar, a U.N. expert said Wednesday, as relief agencies again raised concerns about the junta's willingness to accept foreign aid.

Pregnancy and childbirth were already relatively risky before Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, one of Asia's poorest countries, said William A. Ryan, a spokesman for the U.N. Population Fund.

More than 100 women give birth every day in the area affected by the cyclone, he told reporters in Bangkok, Thailand.

"The destruction of health centers and loss of midwives have greatly increased the risks," he said. "It is clear that many pregnant women do not have anywhere to go to deliver with skilled assistance."

Full story:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080611/ap_on_re_as/myanmar

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NYT: In Europe, Debate Over Islam and Virginity

As Europe’s Muslim population grows, many young Muslim women are caught between the freedoms that European society affords and the deep-rooted traditions of their parents’ and grandparents’ generations.

Gynecologists say that in the past few years, more Muslim women are seeking certificates of virginity to provide proof to others. That in turn has created a demand among cosmetic surgeons for hymen replacements, which, if done properly, they say, will not be detected and will produce tell-tale vaginal bleeding on the wedding night. The service is widely advertised on the Internet; medical tourism packages are available to countries like Tunisia where it is less expensive.

I hate hearing about this kind of double standard. Men are not expected to be virgins when they marry.

Those who perform the procedure say they are empowering patients by giving them a viable future and preventing them from being abused — or even killed — by their fathers or brothers.

“Who am I to judge?” asked Dr. Marc Abecassis, who restored the Montpellier student’s hymen. “I have colleagues in the United States whose patients do this as a Valentine’s present to their husbands. What I do is different. This is not for amusement. My patients don’t have a choice if they want to find serenity — and husbands.”

A specialist in what he calls “intimate” surgery, including penile enhancement, Dr. Abecassis says he performs two to four hymen restorations per week.

The French College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians opposes the procedure on moral, cultural and health grounds.

“We had a revolution in France to win equality; we had a sexual revolution in 1968 when women fought for contraception and abortion,” said Dr. Jacques Lansac, the group’s leader. “Attaching so much importance to the hymen is regression, submission to the intolerance of the past.”

I was surprised to hear that women do this in the U.S. as "Valentine's presents." It is very sad that causing a woman pain and bleeding is so appealing and 'sexy,' and that both men and women succumb to this ridiculous notion.

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The NY Times published an article today about a new racy novel causing a stir in Germany.

NYT: Germany Abuzz at Racy Novel of Sex and Hygiene

The book is called "Wetlands" and it was written by author Charlotte Roche. Here is what the Times has to say about the uproar:

The book, which will be published next year in the United States, is a headlong dash through every crevice and byproduct, physical and psychological, of its narrator’s body and mind. It is difficult to overstate the raunchiness of the novel, and hard to describe in a family newspaper.

“Wetlands” opens in a hospital room after an intimate shaving accident. It gives a detailed topography of Helen’s hemorrhoids, continues into the subject of anal intercourse and only gains momentum from there, eventually reaching avocado pits as objects of female sexual satisfaction and — here is where the debate kicks in — just possibly female empowerment.

The subject has struck a nerve here, catching a wave of popular interest in renewing the debate over women’s roles and image in society.

With its female chancellor, Angela Merkel, and progressive reputation, Germany would hardly seem to be thirsting for such a discussion. Yet, Germany has an old-fashioned tendency to expect women to choose between careers and motherhood rather than trying to accommodate both.

Last year, another German television personality provoked a storm of controversy about the role of women by suggesting that they should stay home to raise their children, and then referring approvingly to the Nazi policy of encouraging German women to have large families.

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Maybe I'm behind the times in the realm of birth control. Sure, I knew that Seasonale was a hit, but anything short of four menstrual cycles a year seemed like the craziest of pipe dreams.

I was dead wrong.

Lybrel is a birth control pill that manages to completely end your period. Because god knows women need to be liberated from a monthly cycle. How could anyone enjoy life as much as this woman if they are menstruating?

The whole Lybrel discovery reminded me of something I'd seen on Saturday Night Live awhile back. It's totally worth watching. Trust me.

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By Jackie Amsden

Since her debut in 1959, every aspect of the six inch doll, from her resume to her belt size, has been examined as representation of how western society defines womanhood —usually with less-than-flattering conclusions.

So, what does it mean when the latest model of the plastic bombshell comes equipped with ultra long legs, fishnet stockings, and a miniature leather portfolio? Her name is Top Model Barbie and she’s part of a whole range of forces vying to shape the face (and body) of girlhood everywhere. That’s right—she’s got friends.

“Put it away—don’t let her see the Barbie,” says a girl’s voice, high and urgent. I can’t tell who said it though, there are too many of them.

I’m standing at the front of the class watching half a dozen grade six and seven students crowd around an eight-year-old. Just a few seconds ago we were discussing Top Model Barbie, each student politely raising their hands to offer their opinions—but all of that was abruptly put on pause with the appearance of the girl. Someone is covering her eyes now.

I have a feeling their dramatic reaction is partly an excuse to get out of their seats, but I also know from what they’ve been telling me that they are genuinely concerned about the influence Top Model Barbie might have on young girls like the one they are huddled around. I slip the doll back into the white shopping bag, hoping the class order will resume and I can continue to hear what today’s ‘tween’ girls have to say about growing up in toy land.
Who and what is a tween?

The word tween generally refers to a consumer category spanning 8-12 years of age. If you’ve never heard the term, that’s not actually very surprising given that today’s definition of tween only entered popular discourse as recently as the 1990s.
One of the primary sources credited with her ‘creation’ is a trade publication called Earnshaw’s Infant’s and Children’s Merchandiser. According to sources like this one, today’s tween is a very special creature: no longer a child, and not yet a teenager, she is struggling to define her sense of self and independence. Not so surprising, all the ambiguities plaguing the tween girl, can be oh-so-easily-resolved with just the right combination of clothing, accessories, and make-up.

Browse a Toy’r’us aisle and you’ll see that Top Model Barbie is not the only doll designed to appeal to this fashion-minded, body-conscious girl-women—you’ll also meet Flava, My Scene and of course the queen of them all: Bratz. What they all have in common is that they are hip, sexy, and carry with them the not-so-subtle message that the path to maturity is all about how you look and what you wear.

After spending a little too much time inspecting dolls with names Juicy Bling, Bikini Jungle-Liscious, and I-Candyz, I half expected the elementary school classroom to be filled with halter-top wearing, high heeled mini-bimbos. Instead, I was surprised to discover a group of girls wearing, well, just the same kids of things that I wore when I was 11 and 12 years-old: jeans, runners, and no make-up. I was even more surprised to hear their reactions when I revealed Top Model Barbie,
“She looks like a hooker. No parent would want their kids to dress like that!” said Kara, 12. Not only did they criticise her notably skimpy outfit, but they also questioned the obvious, yet indirect association the dolls ‘Top Model’ title maked with the reality television show, America’s Next Top Model (ANTM).

“I don’t like [Top Model Barbie} because if kids see Barbie promoting this, they will want to start watching the show. And that’s bad. Models make it seem like if you aren’t skinny you aren’t good enough…and that will ruin your confidence …isn’t Barbie supposed to be a role model?” said Pamela, 12.

Pamela’s critique underlies what Elizabeth Polly Seaton, professor of Women’s Studies at the University of British Columbia, describes as the rise of the spectator/spectacle society.

“Girls and women today are encouraged to see examine themselves with the same scrutiny we examine other models in magazines…we are always looking for any flaws, on our own bodies and the bodies of other women,” said Seaton.

As a result, explains Seaton, girls are encouraged to define their sense of identity and self-worth through their looks—a familiar message being told through unfamiliar means,
“Teality TV shows like AMNT, social networking tools like Facebook, and Youtube all hold up the promise that you can become famous if you put your physical self out there for public scrutiny,” said Seaton.

Though the kids in the class I spoke with appeared critical of Barbie and the spectator society she represents, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re aren’t affected by them, said Joanna Beech, manager of two girls empowerment programs, ‘Welcome to My life’ and ‘Camp Fun Girl’, based out of the YWCA Vancouver.

“It’s good that we have grade seven girls being critical of Barbie, but we all do that and then still worry whether our legs are long enough. Many of the girls we work with know what the ‘right’ answers are but that doesn’t mean they aren’t internalizing the message,” said Beech.

The approach the YWCA takes to address negative body image and the influence of the media, explained Beech, is to help girls build relationships with positive female mentors and encourage them to focus on their inner beauty.

As well, says Beech, we encourage them to interrogate their feelings and opinions, so that “they will, very critically, think about the messages they get from the media and how those affect how they feel about themselves.”

Which brings it all back to the doll: on the one hand, Top Model Barbie’s branding and physical appearance seems to be just one more voice urging girls towards hyper consumerisms, media surveillance and sexualisation.

However, for once, Barbie’s unrealistic and extreme body image might not be a bad thing. For, as one class of tweens showed me, Top Model Barbie’s exaggerated appearance may be just the kind of tool groups like the YWCA can use to engage girls media criticism—so that they can decide whether they want to be a ‘tween’ or just a plain old 11-year-old.

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BOSTON - Dunkin' Donuts has pulled an online advertisement featuring Rachael Ray after complaints that a fringed black-and-white scarf that the celebrity chef wore in the ad offers symbolic support for Muslim extremism and terrorism.

The coffee and baked goods chain said the ad that began appearing online May 7 was pulled over the past weekend because "the possibility of misperception detracted from its original intention to promote our iced coffee."

In the spot, Ray holds an iced coffee while standing in front of trees with pink blossoms.

Critics, including conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, complained that the scarf wrapped around her looked like a kaffiyeh, the traditional Arab headdress. Critics who fueled online complaints about the ad in blogs say such scarves have come to symbolize Muslim extremism and terrorism.

The kaffiyeh, Malkin wrote in a column posted online last Friday, "has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad. Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant (and not-so-ignorant) fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons."

Link to full story at: http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_9417675

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