I recently talked to a man who seemed to think that all women with cleavage have to do to get what they want (in this case, a taxi on New Year's Eve) is to show it.

How naive can you get? Men are essentially naive, perhaps willingly so, to women's actual world and experiences in it.

What might actually happen? The taxi driver could insist on a feel of such cleavage, putting the woman in a very uncomfortable and even dangerous situation.

An obvious extension of this kind of thinking is that women should or have to let men have sex with them to get what they want. The assumption is that men are always in a position of control and power. If the taxi driver is a (straight) woman, the assumptions are shown to be faulty in this regard.

The attitude that also bothers me is that this man thought I should be manipulative to get what I want. And that it was so easy.

Is he ignorant of the dangers women face? Or just trying to flatter me? Or just stupid?

"A Serious Man", "A Single Man" and now "Solitary Man". So many movies about men. And then we have the new movie, "GIRL with a Dragon Tattoo" about a mid-20's WOMAN!

How many movies can you name with the word woman or women in the title?

• "Pretty Woman": about a prostitute, one of the few female dominated professions of interest to the male audience (the one that's really important since women will watch movies about men and men won't generally watch movies about women)
• "Scent of a Woman": two main characters are both men so it's not even about a woman
• Can I count "Wonder Woman"?

No More Shame in Having Prison Connections
by Jean Butler

For those of you who forget that the incarcerated humans in this country
are indeed just that - human - I'd like you to think on this the next
time you talk about "inmates, criminals, convicts, etc." These humans
have families and those who love them, despite whatever they did. Look
around you and wonder, because this is who we are:
We take care of your children and grandchildren in nursery school.
We give them shots in the doctor's office.
We're dental assistants, school teachers and Sunday school teachers.
We stand behind you in the grocery line.
We prepare your medicine in the drugstore.
We work in banks, approve your loans and service your insurance claims.
We work for newspapers and television and radio stations.
We read your electric meters and water meters.
We are your landlords and your neighbors.
We take care of your elderly parents in nursing homes.
We're nurses, lab technicians and Wry technicians.
We own beauty shops, flower shops and printing shops.
We're welders, plumbers and tree trimmers.
We work for the Internal Revenue Service, the State Department, the
courthouse, schools, churches, drugstores and toy stores.
We're lawyers, legal secretaries, school board members and school-bus
drivers.
We prepare meals for your children in school.
We're city council members and bank tellers.
We process your checking account and savings account.
We work at your Social Security office and your insurance company.
We take care of your IRA, stocks and bonds.
We sell your children bikes, school supplies, clothes, shoes, and
eyeglasses.
We repair your cars.
We're real-estate agents, car dealers, college professors, safety
engineers and ranchers.
We work at Wal-Mart and Kmart and sell Avon products.
We're not all "on welfare," no matter what the government would like you
to think.
There are 2 million people in prison in America, and twice that many are
on parole and probation. Add in mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers,
aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends, and you're touching about 16
million people affected by the prison system in the United States.
We're tired of letting ourselves feel humiliated or embarrassed because
our loved one is in prison. We did nothing wrong. We're tired of fearing
the loss of our jobs or evictions from our housing should anyone find out
we have a loved one in prison. We're tired of being made to feel inferior
or unwelcome in churches, clubs, organizations or society in general
simply because we refuse to abandon our loved ones.
We're ready to unite, to come out of hiding and openly support each other
and our loved ones. We're ready to speak out against the "they deserve
what they get" attitude we hear you talk about in stores, lines and
restaurants.
We number in the millions. We're everywhere, in every state, county, city
and town. We may even live next door to you. Sixteen million (or more).

Nice people at the library and what they say:



"You're a cheap bastard!" (county took away drop off ballot boxes, nothing to do with the library or the library assistant being accused of frugality)



"You are the devil in disguise" (said to same library assistant because she smiles a lot)

Take a librarian to lunch
You know that she deserves it.
Ascertain her favorite food,
And find a place that serves it.

Seek out, too, an ambiance
That you are sure will suit her.
Some place that bans all little kids
And where there's no computer.

Serve her with her favorite drink:
Champagne? Or something diet?
And make it clear that, at this meal,
There are no rules on quiet.

Ask her to tell you of her job:
Which books are circulating?
Which patron said what funny thing?
You’ll find it fascinating.

But do leave promptly when you’ve shared
Good talk and drink and food.
Librarians must be back when due
And may not be renewed.

N.B. Nothing here should be construed as precluding the taking of a male librarian to lunch.

(Who wrote this? twasn't me)