JCPenney removes ‘Too Pretty To Do Homework’ tee

JCPenney has already pulled the product, so I’m just posting this for its comic value.  Apparently, seven-year-olds were supposed to be hip to how ironic it was!

(Hap tip: Jesse, who was annoyed that a different shirt ad is still available.)

Is 17 gendered?

Scientific American has an article (poorly titled) on the role of gender in thought. Much of it I knew before, but I hadn’t known that there is a widespread tendency to consider odd numbers masculine and even ones feminine. (And it shocked me, partly because I realised to my astonishment that I was absolutely certain odd numbers were female! Especially 17! And despite claims that it is Julius Caesar.)

Thanks, Mr Jender!

“Independent” Pre-Abortion Counselling to be required in UK

The head of the Royal College of General Practitioners has warned that government moves to shake up pre-abortion counselling for women could create new barriers and set the system back 25 years.

Clare Gerada defended abortion charities, disputing accusations that they are biased in their counselling and encourage women to have abortions because they are subsequently paid to carry out the terminations.

The government has announced a change in the rules to ensure that women are also offered counselling provided independently of the charity-run services, such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and Marie Stopes.

MPs who are backed by anti-abortion groups claim the move justifies the argument that there is a conflict of interest in the way services are run.

So the proposal is that we need independent counsellors because charities that provide abortion can’t be trusted. And the fact that this proposal is being made is the evidence that is being used to support the claim that the charities can’t be trusted. Nice one.

For more, go here.

(Thanks, Mr Jender.)