On Tuesday, the Virginia House of Delegates sent a Valentine to the Commonwealth’s fertilized human ova by granting them “Personhood.” If the bill passes the Upper House, perhaps impregnated women will be allowed to drive solo in the HOV+2 lanes.
The bill also neglects to state if the 80 percent of Virginia zygotes that do not result in human births will still remain “Persons.” Virginia is for Lovers, but apparently not for physicians, women, or rational human beings.
It’s that that time again. Gleaming new automobiles are being previewed at auto shows, and pretty young girls are leaning on them. This symbolism sends messages you won’t find in manufacturers’ specifications. Men: buy this car, get that girl. Women: buy this car, be that girl.
Back in the last century, when the USA manufactured real products instead of just bad business deals, the auto show circuit started in Detroit, the Motor City, and fanned out around the country. Today the auto industry is globalized, and so is the car show circuit. The U.S. may not sell many American cars abroad, but the Girls-Leaning-on-Cars concept is a hot export. Compare the ladies of the Detroit, Delhi,Tokyo, Geneva,Guangzhou, and Qatar auto shows.
The meme has permeated all levels of American culture. See selected Flickr images from family photos, movie mags, and amateur hot rod shows in these galleries.
BBC News named its Women of the Year for 2011. The list: Gabrielle Giffords, Adele, Eman al-Obeidi, Sarah Burton, Nafissatou Diallo, Jelena Lecic, Princess Charlene, Pauline Pearce, Rebecca Leighton, the Duchess of Alba, Corporal Kelsey de Santis, andSweetie the panda (aka Tian Tian).
In a stunning blow to the new-born Zygote Civil Rights movement, voters in Mississippi prevented conception of a new state law granting “personhood” and the rights and responsibilities thereof to fertilized human eggs, without regard to the citizenship status or age of the host mother’s ovaries and uterus. This sudden outbreak of good sense is surprising after the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision granting “personhood” to corporations, allowing them the free speech to purchase all the votes they can buy.
Barbara Millicent Roberts (aka “Barbie Doll“) is sporting a new look: pink hair, leopard-skin tights and fresh tattoos. While the hair and tights seem questionable choices for a 52-year-old, it’s the tats that have caused consternation:
“Tattooed Barbie Sparks Controversy, Media Frenzy,” Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC
“Barbie dons new ‘punk’ look: Mattel defends doll as parents take aim at tattoos and bad-girl image,” Daniel Prendergast and Tracy Connor, New York Daily News
Each summer, Girls Rock! DC volunteers teach girls (ages 8-18) Rock and Hip-Hop music skills in an intensive week-long summer camp. At Saturday’s concert, girl bands and DJs will perform their original tunes for the cheering crowd. Much better than watching those same old Saturday morning cartoons.
More about the national Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls Alliance here — they put the “amp” in “camp.”
Cute Aimi Eguchi (above) is a member of the Japanese girl group AKB48. She’s also a computer product, completely digital. The cybersongstress was created by sampling the attributes and actions of other singers in the group, synthesizing “Aimi,” then uploaded the result to the adoring public, who regarded her as another aidoru (アイドル), a pop idol. Now they know she’s a digital diva, but they dig it.
U.S. Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers was suspended from her position by the Bush administration in 2003 and fired in 2004. Her crime: expressing concern about staff shortages which endangered visitors and NPS employees.
It was the truth. The Merit Systems Protection Board has ordered the Park Police to reinstate Chief Chambers by month’s end. The Board also ordered NPS to reimburse her for legal fees and restore her pay retroactive to July 2004.
Teresa Chambers is an admired and persistent law enforcement professional. She has doggedly pursued the cause of justice as Park Police Chief and as Chief of Police in Durham, North Carolina and Riverdale Park, Maryland. It’s only right that Chief Chambers finally got some justice herself.
More:
“Fired Park Police chief Teresa C. Chambers ordered reinstated,” Ed O’Keefe, Washington Post.
Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.
Lucy O’Brien has an interesting post in the Britannica blog. Ms. O’Brien is author of She Bop: The Definitive History of Women in Rock, Pop & Soul and She Bop II, and she reflects on the role of women in the music industry, and how it has changed in the past quarter century.
It’s a rich subject. If you agree, here are a few more titles to consider:
