So-Called 'Feminist' Takes Pro-Choice Stance to a Crazy New Level

zaterdag 21 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Lisa Fogarty 15 hours ago

Sex-selective abortions aren't breaking news. Most of us are aware of the horrifying fact that in countries like China and India many pregnancies have been terminated because parents aren't happy with the gender -- which is typically female -- of their unborn child. Rude awakening time: this practice is occurring in countries like the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, as well. And so-called feminists who should be up in arms over the very thought of aborting a baby just because she has a vagina actually have the nerve to defend it. 

Ann Faredi, who is the chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, made her position on the matter quite clear this week when she said:

There is no legal requirement to deny a woman an abortion if she has a sex preference. We either support a woman's capacity to decide or we don't. You can't be pro-choice except when you don't like the choice.   

Excuse me? When did the world become so black and white, Ms. Faredi? I consider myself pro-choice, but I don't consider myself a defender of abortions-for-everyone-for-any-old-reason. I expect people who take a pro-life stance to argue with me about what they consider the immoral act of terminating a pregnancy based on the health of the fetus or because a woman was raped or is mentally or physically incapable of carrying the baby to term. Although I disagree with it, I can respectfully understand the opposing view. But there is no justification in my opinion -- cultural or otherwise --  worthy of arguing in favor of aborting a fetus because it isn't male. 

On a personal note, I am 13 weeks pregnant and in the process of undergoing a slew of sonograms and genetic tests -- most of which I haven't opted to take. The latest test, which I did choose to take, is called Cell-Free Fetal DNA Testing. I was in shock when my doctor told me she'd be able to not only uncover the gender mystery for me as early as Week 15, but to tell me if my child may have fertility problems of his or her own. I can't help but wonder how many parents might consider terminating their pregnancies based on the fact that their child might not be "picture perfect." There's no doubt in my mind we've become test happy, but it's completely within our control to refrain from trying to manipulate the results of our pregnancies to the umpteenth degree. And I can't stand by and defend the normalization of a brutal practice like sex-selective abortion.Do you think sex-selective abortions are a woman's choice?  ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lisa Fogarty

is a former old-timey print journalist who lives in Brooklyn with her husband and toddler girl. She still carries a notebook everywhere and is always on the lookout for tasty vegan food and blouses with collars that will finally put the Peter Pan out on its (adorable) tush.

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Military Dad Takes 4-Year-Old Daughter's Teddy Bear on Deployment and Shows Her the World

vrijdag 13 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Julie Ryan Evans 10 hours ago

We see a lot of the heartwarming homecomings when military men and women reunite with their families after long deployments overseas. They're emotional and beautiful, and we wonder how they're able to make such a sacrifice. While nothing makes it easy, families do find ways to stay in touch and keep that bond though miles separate them. Coast Guard officer Gerald Orellana and his family provide a unique and heartwarming example.

According to a story at the Huffington Post, Orellana's daughter, Evelyn, gave him her prized stuffed teddy bear when he was about to leave for his deployment to the Arctic. Her mom, Irene, said Evelyn didn't want him to be lonely. "She knew that she and I would have each other, but Gerald wouldn't have our family."

So Gerald set out with "Evelynbear" in his suitcase, which is sweet enough. But it gets even sweeter.

Gerald didn't just keep the bear packed away in his suitcase and take her out once in awhile when no one was looking. He actually took Evelynbear on adventures with him, then sent pictures back to his wife and daughter to show just how much fun she was having.

There are pictures of the bear on the ship, in the snow, and in a cigar shop. She even has a uniform! Since Gerald will reportedly be deployed for the rest of year, we can only imagine what else they'll see her do. It's such a sweet and simple way for the family to share the experiences together even though they're worlds apart.

Nothing can make it painless to not have a parent there for the day-to-day activities and milestones, but things like this help ease the pain a bit.

What unique ways have you seen military family members keep in touch?

Image via Ben Sutherland/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Julie Ryan Evans

can be found writing from coffee houses wherever she may be. The quality of her days is largely influenced by the seat she nabs and whether a protein plate is available.

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Which 'Real Housewives' Couple Has What It Takes to Go the Distance? (PHOTOS)

vrijdag 30 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Rebecca Stokes 4 hours ago

The best thing about any iteration of The Real Housewives franchise is the drama that's constantly erupting between the ladies themselves. The second best thing is learning that if you have the dollars and look hard enough, you can find a seemingly never-ending array of body-con dresses to suit any and all occasions should you feel so moved.

The third best thing? It's a toss-up between the hair and the exploits of Lisa Vanderpump's original doggy-OG, Giggy.* I kid, I kid -- it's the romantic roller coaster rides of the shows' couples. They have been there and back again -- and we've been more than happy to go along with them!

We've seen good dates and bad dates and marriages we never thought would last and marriages that should have never started. Then again, we've been lucky enough to see true love as it blooms between couples who are sure to grow old together. Join us as we trot out five of our favorite Real Housewives couples. We'll dish on who we think will last, who is headed for disaster, and who is already there.

*Seriously though, I would be totally willing to watch just Giggy for a solid hour. Or 10.

Image via Twitter

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Names: Teresa and Joe Guidice

Years active: 12

Likelihood of staying together: 68%

Team motto: All That Glitters Will Eventually Get You Thrown in Jail

Career highlight: The formerly small-chested Teresa desired larger jugs and opted for surgical enhancement. Though many crass jokes were made, it's clear Joe was into her body either way and simply wanted her to be happy.

Career low: Where to begin? Joe's cheating allegations? Teresa's unhinged relationship with her brother and sister-in-law? The fact that they both might be going to jail? It's all awful, but there was something beyond cringe-inducing about Joe's OBVIOUS phone call to another woman while the family went on a group road-trip.

Click the "Like" button below if you're a fan of Real Housewives. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rebecca Stokes

Rebecca is a writer who lives in Brooklyn with her cats. She is probably even at this moment spilling food on herself.

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Prince William Says the Royal Baby Takes After His Brother Harry

maandag 19 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Kiri Blakeley 4 hours ago

Prince William gave his first interview since the birth of his son, Prince George, and he had some adorable, and unexpected, things to say about the little royal. One of the interesting things he said about PG is that the tyke already has a very formed personality -- and that it's like his uncle, Harry! Wills revealed:

He's a little bit of a rascal, let's put it that way! He either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger, I'm not sure ... [He is] growing quite quickly actually. But he's a little fighter. He kind of, he wriggles around quite a lot. And he doesn't want to go to sleep that much, which is a little bit of a problem.

Hm, does this mean George will grow up to party naked in a Las Vegas hotel room?

One thing that's so interesting about babies is how quickly they develop their own personality. And you never quite know where it's going to come from. We tend to think our kids will be a perfect mixture of parents -- and inherit only the best qualities of both sides. But what if the kid gets the worst qualities of both sides?! Or gets the personality of some long-lost black sheep cousin? Yikes!

Prince Harry is a good guy but, let's face it, kind of the wild card in the family. There was the scandal after he dressed as a Nazi at a costume party. And who can forget his naked romp inside a Las Vegas hotel in January?

One of my friends has an adorable 2-year-old girl. She looks just like her mom. But it's clear she gets a lot of her personality from her dad. We joke that she even likes his favorite bar. But it's true! When we bring her there, she doesn't want to leave. She loves the place. So does he! She loves it even if he's not there. So weird.

Another friend was certain her baby was going to be just like her -- which was the last thing she wanted. She was a very troublesome youth and her baby was a real kicker inside the womb. Sure enough, baby came out a real screamer and a stubborn tantrum-thrower. Just like she used to be. "Oh God," she wailed. "Do I have to deal with myself until she's 16?!"

Hey, Harry isn't all bad. A little spice never hurt anyone. And Wills indicates that George may even be taking after him -- when he was younger. Crazy little kids can grow up to be sweet, even shy, adults. I've seen that happen too. As for myself, I take so little after either one of my parents that I often wonder where the hell I came from. On the other hand, I'm eerily similar to my paternal grandfather. (He and I have the exact same hands too, but that's another story.)

So what will Georgie be like? Whether he's like Harry or Wills, I think he'll be just fine. As long as he's not like Charles.

Haha. Joooooke.

How early could you tell your child's personality?

Image via Getty

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Mom Takes On Stupid Pregnancy 'Rules' and Tells It Like It Really Is

woensdag 14 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Jacqueline Burt 2 hours ago

What's safe during pregnancy? What's not? It's a debate that will continue to rage on, I suspect, for as long as babies are born, but the answers change -- often. Or maybe I should say opinions? And those opinions do tend to stir up some serious controversy, as is the case with those contained in the new book Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong -- and What You Really Need to Know by Emily Oster. As you might have guessed from the name, Oster's take on what's okay/not okay during pregnancy is slightly different from what's currently considered conventional wisdom: Caffeine and alcohol -- in moderation, of course -- aren't necessarily mortal sins for mothers-to-be. Now, Oster isn't a doctor, but she is an economist. And when -- while pregnant with her first child -- she applied her expertise with numbers to relevant studies, what she found was, in her words, "surprising."

In search of real answers, I combed through hundreds of studies -- the ones that the recommendations were based on -- to get to the good data. This is where another part of my training as an economist came in: I knew enough to read the numbers correctly ... the key problem lies in separating correlation from causation. The claim that you should stop having coffee while pregnant, for instance, is based on causal reasoning: If you change nothing else, you'll be less likely to have a miscarriage if you drink less coffee. But what we see in the data is only a correlation -- the women who drink coffee are more likely to miscarry. There are also many other differences between women who drink coffee and those who don't, differences that could themselves be responsible for the differences in miscarriage rates.

This makes a lot of sense to me. My first pregnancy was something of a surprise, so I was already eight weeks along when I saw those double lines on the test stick. And let me tell ya: Insta-panic!! Those first ignorant eight weeks were filled with all sorts of activity not generally considered to be appropriate during pregnancy. Naturally I quit smoking, drinking, and guzzling Starbucks right away, but I still worried ... thankfully, my daughter was born perfectly healthy (and too smart for her own good).

Still, not surprisingly, lots of people are absolutely going insane over Oster's ideas, accusing the mom and author of being "irresponsible" and even a "danger to pregnant women and their families." Is that fair? When my grandmother was pregnant with my father, her ob/gyn encouraged her to smoke cigarettes to keep her weight down -- he even prescribed Dexedrine! My mom, on the other hand, was told by her ob/gyn to eat "as much as she wanted," weight gain be damned! Maybe it's safe to say none of us has all the answers? For me, it all goes back to the common sense thing: A glass of wine is probably fine, a bottle is probably less fine. But that's just me.

Do you think drinking coffee and/or alcohol during pregnancy in moderation is okay?

Image via star5112/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jacqueline Burt

has written for numerous magazines, newspapers, and websites. She is easily bored and often tired, so she requires constant entertainment to keep her awake. Dance, Monkey! Dance! 

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