Entries for January 2007

The "Gay Sheep" story is a recent example of Internet punditry that caused a much greater stir and circulated worldwide. The blogosphere discovered last summer that a research scientist in Oregon was studying the brains of "gay" rams (male sheep) and erupted in a furor over such questions as whether science should be trying to discover what makes animals (or humans) prefer same-gender sex, whether taxpayer dollars should fund experiments in which animals are slaughtered, and whether the research findings might be used to abort potentially gay human fetuses.

Jenny Dombrowski writes: "If indeed the women's movement is over, then why are women still treated as objects in our society? We are inundated with images of perfection at every turn: from the checkout line of the grocery store to the movie theater to the billboards along the highway."

The Internet has brought us so many ambrosial capabilities: online access to global information and research, online shopping, online business dealings, online dating. The list expands daily. But one of high tech's less ambrosial characteristics is the Internet's plethora of self-appointed pundits. Anyone with a computer and broadband may now make his or her thoughts available to a global audience.

Are there some Americans who'd give a female candidate preference over a man? An ABC/Washington Post poll taken last month says yes. Twenty-three percent of women voters told those pollsters they are more likely to vote for another woman. Even though female candidates like to paint themselves as agents of change, only 9 percent of men said they'd give a female candidate extra points. Lord knows, if there ever were a time when the nation could benefit from major changes in our political leadership, this is it.

OK, so Hillary's "in," but can she win, and, most important, can she win the votes of women? As Dick Morris and Eileen McGann have reminded us, "Remember that women are 52 percent of our population, 54 percent of the registered vote, and usually between 55 percent and 56 percent of actual turnout."

Earlier this week the New York Times reported that 51 percent of American women are single, a probable all-time high.

Once again mainstream media got it wrong, wrong, wrong about women and work. This time it's a study by the Simmons School of Management in Boston showing highly educated career women aren't dunking careers as so much detritus once babies come along. Quite the contrary–they are making more use of flextime and working while parenting.