If the Stupak Amendment--supported by the religious right AND left and the bishop's group-- is ultimately in the final draft of the healthcare bill, it is a major setback for women's rights. It's getting so tiresome to listening to these Democrats talk the talk about protecting women's reproductive rights, and then using them time and again as a throwaway barter chip in the eleventh hour. Can you imagine if men's health issues were on the table-- let's just say no erectile dysfunction or prostate cancer coverage...it's infuriating that our rights just keep getting chipped away. And this is not about the upper/middle class who can afford it. It's about the female poor and lower classes who NEED reproductive choices, and will be unable to afford them. It's about chipping and chipping away at our rights until illegal and unsafe abortions become common again.

Because of the limits placed on the exchanges, most of the participants will have some form of premium credit or affordable subsidy. That means most will be ineligible for abortion coverage. The idea that people are going to go out and purchase separate "abortion plans" is both cruel and laughable. If this amendment passes, it will mean that virtually all women with insurance through the exchange who find themselves in the unwanted and unexpected position of needing to terminate a pregnancy will not have coverage for the procedure. Abortion coverage will not be outlawed in this country. It will simply be tiered, reserved for those rich enough to afford insurance themselves or lucky enough to receive from their employers. (Ezra Klein, Washington Post)

Seeing the Democrats celebrating this "historic victory" at the cost of women's freedoms when it comes to their own bodies is tremendously sad, and I can't help but think when people brush it off..."well I'd rather have that than nothing..." that it's a slippery slope once all that we've fought for thus far starts crumbling away at the expense of political gambling.

A must-read article by Taylor Marsh on the Huffington post is here: In Pelosi's House, 64 Democrats Sell Women Out.

For action you can take now, please see Planned Parenthood or NARAL. See more »

I have had one on her since Ma Femme est une Actrice and I won't hold it against her that she's starring and winning accolades in the ultra-misogynistic AntiChrist...but I mostly love her for her voice. 5:55 as an album was so inspirational to me, and now her upcoming album is being produced by Beck, so I can't wait. You can get a free download of the first single off of it on her site here. See more »

In the New York Times today: Rethinking the Older Woman, Younger Man Relationship:

The loosening of relationship conventions, which is not limited to age but also includes race, religion and economic status, appears to be particularly evident among female baby boomers, sociologists say, who are faced with the tightest “marriage squeeze” — the smallest pool of compatible men as conventionally defined, those two to three years older, of similar background and higher levels of education and income. The reason is that as women have delayed marriage, men still have a tendency to date and marry younger women.

I'm glad the notion of this becoming less of a stigma, more of a conventional turn is taking hold. I mean, what's the big deal? Great article, read more here. See more »

OOOM Trailer from MAdM OOOM on Vimeo.

I'm not even sure what I'm looking at here but I like it, harkens back to the last time I ever really loved a 1 hour format drama on TV: Twin Peaks. Melissa Auf der Maur is inspiring and seems to have a lot of unique ideas. The kind of girl you want to be friends with. See more »

Ok I just tweeted this, but the images are too iconic to pass up...Some of the most famous paparazzi photos of BB are up for sale. Wouldn't you just love to have one! From the James Hyman Gallery's (London) website:

Coinciding with the 75th Birthday of Brigitte Bardot on 28th September 2009, James Hyman Gallery presents an exhibition of 75 vintage photographs by some of the most famous paparazzi photographers...Presented at the same time as London Fashion Week (18-22 September) Brigitte Bardot and the Original Paparazzi focuses on one of the greatest fashion icons of the twentieth century.

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