Fun Fact of the Day

Fun fact of the day: you can set Word's grammar check options to identify not only passive voice, but also cliches and gender-specific words.

I have not yet used this function, so I cannot tell you how it works.  However, I am fascinated by its existence. 

Day-Maker #83

Overheard in the office: "No, we do not have the Pope's cell phone number."

Divorce and the Pill

Here's an interesting take on the Pill from a surprising source.  Scientific American seems to be claiming that the Pill leads to higher divorce rates.  Here's the two ways that happens, according to this article:

1) The Pill leads women to be attracted to men with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes that are more similar, rather than less similar to their own.  Couples with similar MHC genes report less sexual satisfaction.  Less sexual satisfaction could contribute to divorce.

2) The Pill leads women to be attracted to men with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes that are more similar, rather than less similar to their own. When a couple decides to have a baby, the woman goes off the Pill and finds herself less attracted to her husband, while simultaneously more attracted to other men.  This change in attraction could lead to divorce.

Let me put in a few disclaimers and explanatory notes here:

*Just because widespread use of the Pill might lead to a higher divorce rate, it does not necessarily follow that an individual woman should not use the Pill for contraceptive purposes.

*I think that (i.e. women should not use the Pill for contraceptive purposes) for other reasons.

*If there is a correlation between use of the Pill and divorce, it should be enough for most women to think twice about the decision to use hormonal contraception.  I don't want to be less attracted to my husband at the exact moment we want to have children.

*The changes in attraction from the use of hormonal contraception might be a social scientific explanation of divorce rates, but they are not an excuse for any individual divorce.  It might be harder to make a marriage work in these circumstances, but (barring abusive situations) divorce should simply not be an option.

The thing that interests me most about this article is that it comes from a source without a Christian bias. The point isn't to convince women not to use hormonal contraceptives, but to draw attention to an interesting scientific fact.  And whatever we disagree on, I think most people of good will agree that women should have all the facts before making decisions about the drugs we use.

Breaking News: Syria

Breaking News: Majority of Americans Approve of Sending Congress to Syria.  Thanks to The Onion for covering this story.

It amused me so much I had to share, though there is nothing amusing about the situation in Syria.  I've been following it via NPR.  At the time of the chemical weapons attack, they talked with a doctor at a hospital in Syria, who described the thousands of patients coming in.  I was so horrified I nearly changed stations, but I don't want to be that person who turns a blind eye to the sufferings of others.

Over the next two days, I heard Kerry's and Obama's comments from NPR and tried to form an opinion on what we as the US should do.  I reached the impasse that I always do when pondering foreign policy.  On the one hand, I hate war and know the US does not have a good history of intervening in other nations' civil wars.  On the other hand, listen to descriptions of the people hit by the sarin gas.  By our common humanity, each person holds a certain responsibility for every other person on the planet.  And if we don't do anything, who will?

NPR reassured me that these feelings are normal and gendered.  More men than women support US military action in Syria -- not because women are more likely to oppose it, but because they are more likely to be undecided.

We Need Feminism Because....

Lately, I've been antsy to start running again -- I stopped in June due to health issues and now that they are resolved, I am preparing to get back to it.  So it's not surprising that as I wander through the neighborhood that will be mine in November, I sometimes think about where I will run.

I haven't just been thinking about it -- I've also talked to my fiance, who lives there now, about running routes in his neighborhood.  The conversation went something like this:

"The running path down by the river -- is it safe?"
"I think your greatest danger is being hit by a bike." [Brief excursus about runners being hit by cyclists.] "I like running towards town better."
"Yeah, but I don't like running along main roads."
"There's a bridge over the highway so you won't get hit.  There are some roads back here too that might be good.  There's a big hill and lots of stairs that lead you to a park."
"That doesn't look like it'd be long enough.  I'll probably go by the path."
"I don't like it in the winter.  It's not very well lit."
[Moment of revelation for both of us: we are talking about different dangers.]
"Of course, I don't have the same concerns as a lady runner..."

I need feminism because my concerns when choosing a running path should not be dictated by my gender.  That conversation brought to mind this collection of students explaining why they need feminism.

Color Me Beautiful

I missed last week by a day -- oops.  Here's one of my favorite links in my "Blog Me" folder by way of apology.  It's part of  Dove's Real Beauty Campaign.  Imagine describing yourself to a sketch artist.  How accurate do you think the picture would be?  How much would it vary from a picture he would draw based on someone else's description?  That's what Dove did.

I love the idea, and I know the message hits a lot of young women in a place they need some comfort.  However, the rational, skeptical side of me wants to try it with men.  Do men see themselves differently than other people do?  We focus a lot of attention on women and body image.  I would love to see some evidence that (if) the gender-bias reflects a reality.

The Prophets of Oak Ridge

I'm going to give you lots of reading and little commentary today.  This is a piece by the Washington Post about a social justice group working for nuclear disarmament.  "A nun, a drifter, and a house painter," as the article characterizes them, broke into what was considered one of the most secure nuclear facilities in the US.  It's a long read, but let me tell you, well worth your while.