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The most fascinating thing I found on the internet this week…

…was this set of guidelines for women Civil War reenactors who reenact military roles. The premise is that you are supposed to be as realistically male as possible so-as to be realistic to the period (1860s in the US, for our international readers).
I’ve only recently started to learn about the phenomenon / subculture / practice of Civil War reenactors, so I really don’t know what to make of stuff like this:

3) Voice: One of the most difficult things to disguise. Try to keep your voice tone low and deep. If that is impossible, try not to speak too often when you do find it necessary to speak. ( NCO’s : Yelling orders in battle doesn’t count because everyone else is yelling and their voices are cracking too!)

or what’s going on here?

2) Discretion: While in the field or in camp, you may face situations that require mature handling. PLEASE use your head and think before you say or do anything that may embarrass your comrades or yourself

or the emphasis on disguise as necessary to save “fellow soldiers from embarassment”?

B) Binder: An absolute must unless you are completely flat chested. Sports brassieres do not give the kind of support or effect that is desirable. One can still detect “unmanly” chest movement and those type brassieres don’t really protect you from pain or your fellow soldiers from possible embarrassment. Imagine that you are in ...

Masculinity and the cost of health care

The New York Times just published this article about a recent study of men’s attitudes and healthcare. According to the study

Men who strongly endorsed old-school notions of masculinity — believing the ideal man is the strong, silent type who doesn’t complain about pain — were only half as likely as other men to seek preventative health care services, like an annual physical or a flu shot.

What the article does not mention is the relevance to the current debate about health care in the United States. If we do end up with a public option for health insurance, men who cling to traditional beliefs about masculinity may end up costing taxpayers more, because preventative care is often far ...

The New York Times just published this article about a recent study of men’s attitudes and healthcare. According to the study

Men who strongly endorsed old-school notions of masculinity — believing the ideal man is the ...

Race and Street Harassment — A tricky situation

Disclaimer : This is a difficult issue, and I’m sure this post is going to upset some people.  I’m open to criticism, but please take it in good faith that I am trying to address this issue openly and start conversations, not attack anyone’s race or culture.

It happened again today.  On my way to work this morning, I heard, "Hey baby.  Good morning, gorgeous."  I don’t appreciate this type of street harassment, so I just kept walking and ignored the man.  "Hello?  Hello??   Come on, baby!" he persisted as I walked away, never making eye contact.  Nothing unusual about this situation, it happens all the time.  But then he turned to his friend and made a loud remark ...

Disclaimer : This is a difficult issue, and I’m sure this post is going to upset some people.  I’m open to criticism, but please take it in good faith that I am trying to address this issue ...

Heads up FML: Sexual assault is not funny

For a while now I’ve gotten my daily giggles at the site FMyLife.com. Sure, it’s not always in good taste, but schadenfreude rarely is. In case you’ve missed out on the FML goodness, people submit very short stories which begin with the word “Today” and end with “Fuck My Life” (abbreviated as FML).
I was pretty disturbed today to come across not one, but two stories that clearly described sexual assault. Below is the letter I wrote to the FML administrators:
Dear FML admins,
I’ve been enjoying your site for months and have gotten many laughs from it. But I was very disturbed when I checked the site today, because I saw two FML stories ...

For a while now I’ve gotten my daily giggles at the site FMyLife.com. Sure, it’s not always in good taste, but schadenfreude rarely is. In case you’ve missed out on the FML goodness, people ...