What a crappy list of role models

I'm not sure what I really expected from the Lifestyle section of MSN's page.

Most Influential Women of 2007

It starts out promising:

1. Hillary Rodham Clinton
2. Benazir Bhutto

The last nine are basically a list of models, fashion designers, singers, and a chick from the View.

Tina Fey is #9. I'm not going to say anything bad about Tina, probably because I kind of have a girl-crush on her. But chances are Nancy Pelosi or Condoleezza Rice have had slightly more influence in the world during 2007.

The men's list is far less fluffy. There is one fashion designer on there, plus Michael Vick. But the list also includes Hugo Chavez, Al Gore, Ron Paul, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

So girls, remember that you either have to be pretty, talk about pretty people, or provide a service for pretty people to be influential. Just leave the important government decisions for the boys to make. Even if you do have a lot of power in the political or business world, no one will really notice (unless of course, you have a decent rack).

Date Rape Song redux

Apparently I'm not the first one to think that "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is about a date rape.

Merry Date Rape, Once Again

This author's post was much better than mine, and the last line made me laugh out loud for about five minutes at work, which is a rare thing.

Third rail of parenting issues

Quite the cat fight emerges in the comments of this post:
The Real Value of Stay at Home Parenting

The flaws and merits of the original post are adequately pointed out in the comments. To me, his point was basically that if this is a choice that a couple makes, then it might not be as financially unfeasible as one may originally think. However, he seems to only look at the savings of a stay-at-home-parent and not any of the corresponding costs (i.e. not contributing to retirement savings, the gap in the resume that can harm future earnings, etc). And many of the items that he is counting as "saving" (such as not going out to lunch with coworkers or stopping for coffee every day) can already be eliminated as expenses without the worker quitting his/her job. I think his argument was rational, although incomplete.

In the comments we see that this is much more than an economic issue to most people. Stay-at-home-parents accuse working parents of letting someone else raise their kids, being detached, and creating a bunch of "cold hearted American citizens". Working parents accuse stay-at-home-parents of raising kids who don't know how to interact with others and basically being lazy.

I'm probably a little more judgmental than I should be regarding this topic. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with having a parent stay at home with kids. I had a parent at home full time until I started school, and I turned out fine. What turns me off is that it is usually the woman who a) wants to stay home and b)has a lower salary so that it makes more sense for her to not work and c) is continually asked by coworkers whether she plans on returning to work after having children. If things were a little more equal between the sexes I would be much more on board with stay-at-home-parenting.

Slip a sable under the tree....

I hate commercials this time of year. Apparently women are supposed to want shiny, expensive things for Christmas. And they are supposed to feel unloved if they instead receive something with a modicum of utility. The jewelry stores (namely Bruce G. Weber in Utica Square) have been especially insistent this year.

Basically quoting the hot young perky blond in the commercial "I'm so lucky. He gives me jewelry from Bruce G. Weber. I love that he picks it out for me."

Another one, with the same spokeswoman, this one is nominally targeting men, "If she sees a Bruce G. Weber box under the tree, she's going to be so excited." Subtext: She's going to do whatever you want for hours. You know, in the bedroom.

Oh yeah, we're supposed to want cars too. To do it right, it has to be a Lexus with a big bow waiting for us in the driveway on Christmas morning.

I don't know of anyone who has actually received a car for Christmas, but I know I would pretty much react as follows: What do you mean you spent half the value of a modest house on something that has already depreciated to the quarter of the value of a modest house? And quadrupled our insurance premiums? And added a significant chunk of debt to our names and potentially hurt our collective credit? Without consulting me?

The best gift I have received is a collection of tools from Restoration Hardware the first Christmas I had with my now husband. They still come in handy, and are probably worth as much as a Lexus would be worth five years later.

Most likely the last thing I'll say about Lamaze class

For four classes, we've been presented with information to help make good choices pertaining to the safety of mother and baby before, during, and after childbirth.

The fifth class is scheduled for today. My city has been hit with a crippling ice storm. From what I see, the roads are not slick, but there are so many fallen trees and power lines in the road that driving is pretty darn dangerous. Especially at night because there are no street lights to help avoid said debris due to the power outages. But is the hospital rescheduling the class so that we can enjoy a safe and warm evening at home? Hell no - they are going forward as planned. They are inviting pregnant couples to take their chances on the roads. Nice risk assessment, Hillcrest. I'll light up a Camel and sip a cocktail on the way there.

Why would men ever think that "no" doesn't really mean "no"?

Is it just me, or is the song "Baby, it's Cold Outside" pretty much about a date rape?

I say if you want to stay, stay and if you want to go, go. But don't be coy about it, and certainly don't be drinking anything that he pours into your glass.