Online Gender

So I started a post yesterday at work about the media reporting of this PEW research study, looking at how men and women us the internet, and then I got busy. (stupid actually having work to do) Echidne has finished it for me, here and here.

The study focuses on the differences between men and women, so obviously that's what we're hearing about. But the differences are being reported seriously out of proportion to what is actually going on. It is absolutely disgusting. This is an example of how sensationalized reporting completely blows scientific research out of proportion. And now it will become "common wisdom" that men and women use the internet different, because women are touchy feely and into relationships and men like to use ebay and check investments. (Although only 20% of men look at porn? YEAH RIGHT! And 5% of women? Sad, come on people, just be honest no one is going to judge you....Much. )

Some amazing headlines:

Men log on for news, women for the viewsTimes of India, India - 22 hours agoSAN FRANCISCO: Internet users share many common interests, but men are heavier consumers of news, stocks, sports and pornography while more women look for ...

Men want facts, women seek relations on Web - surveyReuters.uk, UK - Dec 28, 2005By Eric Auchard. SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Internet users share many common interests, but men are heavier consumers of news, stocks ...

Gender gap alive and well onlineBBC News, UK - Dec 28, 2005Gender divisions persist online but it is no longer about whether more men or women use the net, research shows. A study by the ...

Men and women even do things differently onlineabc13.com, TX - 15 hours ago(12/29/05 - NEW YORK) - Anyone who's spent any time seeing men and women interact on any level would agree there are differences between the way the two ... (VOMIT!)

Men surf sleaze, women eye heavenFinancial Express, India - Dec 29, 2005The study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project to be released on Thursday finds men are slightly more intense users of the Web. ...

I think this (partially stolen from Echidne's Post) really points out the absurdity of the headlines and sensationalized reporting:

The only one of those that I find really compelling is the 32% more men looking up sport statistics. But really, I am Shinobi's complete lack of surprise. And supporting health information. But a 10% difference is hardly compelling evidence of a gender gap.

Non Sucky Headline Award Goes to:

Online, genders differ only slightlySan Jose Mercury News, USA - 22 hours agoBy Anick Jesdanun. NEW YORK - Women are now as likely to use the Internet as men -- about two-thirds of both genders do -- yet a ...

But they still used the AP's amazingly sucky article underneath it. At least the headline was right.

:-(

Hubris is quitting.

Hubris's blog was the first blog I started reading after Spinsanity and Cabal, and it was where I took my blogging baby steps. Now that I'm in my blogging adolesence as it were I know just barely enough to be sullenly grateful to the people who are indirectly responsible for this blog's existance. So Thanks Hubris.

I think I'm going to stick with denial for now and leave him in my blogroll and hope he changes his mind or starts posting at INDC again. The first stages of grief and all.

Holidays

Home with the family, my sanity is slowly draining away, actually.... quickly.

Gotta love the holidays.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukah. Also I hope your winter Solstice was good and that your Kwanzaa will be meaningful and awesome. Any holidays I missed, happy that one too.

Intelligent Design

Declared unconstitutional By the US District Court.

There IS a God!

Said the judge: "It is ironic that several of these individuals, who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise the real purpose behind the ID Policy." -CNN

heh, indeed

Update: Bill at INDC has a good analysis

Piercing

I got my nipples peirced this weekend. I don't really know what else to say about it. I think the worst part of the whole thing was waiting for the peircer to be not busy, because I seriously almost chickened out. Though partial nakedness in front of a total stranger wasn't too fun either.

I went to The Alley. They did an awesome job, and are very knowledgable. Their website is www.chicagopiercing.com. If you are considering getting anything peirced I would HIGHLY recommend that you go there an no where else. It is a little more expensive but they use all titanium jewlery and have very good sanitation standards. Also they are a free hand shop so they don't use clamps which can cause more pain. Both the peircers I have spoken to there are full of useful information and are very very nice. And they both have enough holes and tatoos to ensure confidence ;-)

The peircing itself wasn't that bad. Though I did forget to finish breathing out on the second one, oops. They hurt more now than they did after I got them peirced, this morning my cat jumped on top of me, that was interesting for her as she found herself flying through the air.

Thanks to E and her boy for going with me and buying me ice cream after.

"Right Now"

CQ has a post on the new poll that shows the numbers Senator Murtha used when calling for withdrawl from Iraq may have been sliiiightly inaccurate. But I have to question this as polls are involved.

Captain's Quarter's :

Another point also demonstrates the lies that Democrats have used in trying to
scare the American public into losing the war. It turns out that 80% of Iraqis
don't want the Americans out "right now", but only 26%. (emphasis mine)

Murtha's Quote: (Via WP)

"I'm absolutely convinced that we're making no progress at all. . . . Until we
turn it over to the Iraqis, we're going to continue to do the fighting. . . .
They'll have to work this out themselves. . . . We have become the enemy; 80
percent of the people in Iraq want us out of there; 45 percent say it's
justified to attack Americans. It's time to change direction." (emphasis mine)

Where does Murtha say "Right Now"? I don't see it? Maybe they cut it out. Or MAAAYBE it was never in there in the first place. I'm not going to go the "evil republican spin" route, but the addition of those two words" Right Now" really changes the meaning of that statistic.

Instead I will just point out that maybe 80% of Iraqi's wanting us to leave eventually isn't sucha far fetched number when compared to the ABC poll numbers. In fact, according to CQ 26% want us out right now and 52% want us out when their security forces are trained, well that's 78% total wanting us out, and I'd bet that's within the margin of error of that 80% number. (usually 2.5%, but I don't know what it is in this case)

Conversely, I found the theoretical source of Murtha's numbers(via media matters), this secret UK military poll. I don't see 80% wanting us to withdraw in there, the only even remotely comparable number from that article is 82% opposed to the presence of coalition troops, which is not the same as calling for immediate withdrawl. (If someone asked me if I was opposed to foreign guys with guns in my country, I'd probably say yes too, so this could have a lot to do with how questiosn were asked.) So it is possible Murtha misused/misspoke the statistic when he spoke, or that there is a more detailed report I don't have access too.

But it seems that neither side is really looking at the numbers carefully or critically in this case.

It Happens.

I stole this from a bboard.

AND THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENS....
In the Beginning was The Plan
And then came the Assumptions.
And the Assumptions were without form
And the Plan was completely without substance.
And the darkness was upon the face of the workers.
And they spoke among themseves, saying "It is a crock of shit, and it stinketh."
And the workers went unto their Supervisors and sayeth, "It is a pail of dung and none may abide the odor thereof."
And the Supervisors went unto their Managers and sayeth unto them, "It is a container of excrement and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it."
And the Managers went unto their Directors and sayeth, "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength."
And the Directors spoke amongst themselves, saying to one another, "It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."
And the Directors went unto the Vice Presidents and sayeth unto them, "It promotes growth and is exceedingly powerful."
And the Vice Presidents went unto the President and sayeth onto him, "This new plan will actively promote the growth and efficiency of this Company, and these Areas in particular." And the President looked upon The Plan, And saw that it was good, and The Plan became Policy.
And this is how Shit happens.

Debt? what Debt?

Remember Porkbusters? And all the budget cuts that were passed through congress recently?

Well guess what, now they are cutting TAXES! What a GREAT IDEA! Why didn't WE think of that. I mean it makes perfect sense, if you cut back on how much you are spending that you cut back on how much you take in, right? Especially when you're already spending on a huge deficit.

I had to read this article (thanks mark) twice to make sure it said what I thought it said.

Maybe we need to get some non rich people into congress that understand what a budget is, and how it is supposed to balance, and how when you have a debt you should be paying it off, not making it bigger.

I'm going to go shopping on my credit card now, I've got at least a grand left before it maxes out, after reading that, I need new shoes. And maybe some jewlery.

Update: Brendan Nyhan debunks an editorial in the WSJ claiming that the tax cuts will generate revenue.

Female Bisexuality

Ryan at Feministe has an article today on the idea of Inherent Female Bisexuality. This is a popular idea at Frat parties where they try to get two straight girls to make out.

As an actual female bisexual (I know, national coming out day was last month, whatever) I find it kindof offensive when others imply that all women are bisexual. Women are no more bisexual than men are. Even though women are generally more attractive than men IMHO that is MY perception and I certainly don't think all women in the world agree with me. (Hence the Society for Future Housewives etc.)

Anyway, I'll be reading these articles, and maybe I will have more to opine on at a later date.

A War I agree with

War has been declared, on Christmas!

Finally a war I can really get behind. Come on people, support the troops, don't let them down by questioning the validity of this mission.

And by the troops, I mean mean me.

And by mission, I mean throwing the radio in the cube next to me out of the window.

And by validity I mean TURN OFF THE FUCKING CHRISTMAS MUSIC!

How many different people can sing the same 10 songs, seriously. This is eating my soul.

Corruption

Jon Henke has an amazing post at QandO about corruption in both parties and how neither party is really doing anything to stop it.

Good call Jon.

WOO South Africa

This is me celebrating the legalization of same sex marriage in South Africa, YAY!

perfectly reasonable reasoning:

Heterosexual married couples in South Africa have numerous rights that are
denied to gay couples, including the ability to make decisions on each other's
behalf in medical emergencies and inheritance rights if a partner dies without a
will.

Judge Albie Sachs, who delivered Thursday's ruling, said laws defining
marriage as a union between a man and a woman are inconsistent with sections of
the constitution "to the extent that they make no provision for same-sex couples
to enjoy the status, entitlements and responsibilities they accord to
heterosexual couples.

"The court instructed Parliament to extend the definitions of marriage
within a year, or else the words "or spouse" would automatically be added by the
courts, the South African Press Association reported.

In the only dissenting opinion, Judge Kate O'Regan argued the 11-member
court should effect the changes immediately, a view shared by gay rights
groups.

Finally some people with their priorities in order. I still don't understand this whole destruction of marriage the homophobes are ranting about. I'm glad South Africa has some sense in this regard.