From Boing Boing:
Film star claims Heathrow security guards printed and circulated naked pictures from body-scanners
“Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan claims that when he went through Heathrow, security staff printed out the naked image of his body from the full-body scanners (scanners that the authorities have claimed won’t ever be used to generate printouts) and circulated them among the staff

(snip)

‘Then I saw these girls - they had these printouts. I looked at them. I thought they were some forms you had to fill. I said ‘give them to me’ - and you could see everything inside. So I autographed them for them.’”

Now weren’t we told this sort of thing wouldn’t happen?!?

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I found this on a childfree forum:
Endangered Species Condoms
“Through a network of more than 3,000 volunteers, the Center for Biological Diversity is distributing 100,000 free Endangered Species Condoms in all 50 states to highlight how unsustainable human population growth is driving species extinct at a cataclysmic rate.

At 6.8 billion people, the human race is not only the most populous large mammal on Earth but the most populous large mammal that has ever existed. Providing for the needs and wants of this many people — especially those in high-consumption, first-world nations — has pushed homo sapiens to absorb 50 percent of the planet’s freshwater and develop 50 percent of its landmass. As a result, other species are running out of places to live.

To help people understand the impact of overpopulation on other species, and to give them a chance to take action in their own life, the Center is distributing free packets of Endangered Species Condoms depicting six separate species: the polar bear, snail darter, spotted owl, American burying beetle, jaguar, and coquí guajón rock frog.”

I absolutely love these condoms! One of the many reasons I’m childfree is because I believe the world is overpopulated. We’re breeding ourselves into extinction.

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From the Chicago Sun-Times:
Pornography bookstore has $30 sex ‘party room’
“A Melrose Park pornography bookstore — run with the help of a former crooked cop with ties to the mob — offers a party room in the back where couples and singles have multiple sex partners as part of organized, late-night sessions.

It costs $30 or more per person to get in to the party room at 15th Avenue Adult Books, run for months out of a nondescript building in an industrial area.

Guests can linger at chairs and tables or get up on a stage and partake in the activities, according to people familiar with the business.

(snip)

Since last year, the Cook County sheriff’s police has sent in undercover officers on several occasions and found nothing illegal happening, a spokesman said.

(snip)

When asked if he had qualms about a onetime associate of organized crime helping operate a business in his town, Serpico said no, adding, “I can’t control what somebody has done in the past.”

The bookstore “is what it is,” Serpico said. “I can’t regulate morality.”"

Serpico is the mayor of Melrose Park. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if more politicians felt this way?

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From Bust Magazine:
A Friend in Need: Abortion Doulas Help Women Through Hard Times
“It’s generally accepted that childbirth is a stressful process. That’s why a woman in labor often opts to have a doula by her side—to nurture her during intense bouts of pain and emotion. But what about when a woman decides to terminate a pregnancy? Nearly three years ago, a small group of reproductive-rights activists came up with the concept of offering doula support for the “entire spectrum of pregnancy”—including abortion—and created The Doula Project to do so.

(snip)

At this point, the service is very limited. Mitchell explains that it takes some doing to convince abortion clinics to allow an extra person in the room during a private procedure. Still, The Doula Project is working on expanding by installing doulas in two clinics in New York City, starting an affi liate group in Atlanta, GA, and putting together a doula training kit in the hopes that the idea continues to spread. More information can be found at www.doulaproject.org.”

A friend of mine who had an abortion once told me that she wished she had a companion with her during the procedure. A good friend went with her but had to wait in the reception room.

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From Feministing:
Quick Hit Update: “Kill Your Hooker” Facebook group changes name to avoid deletion
“As an update to yesterday’s What We Missed that called attention to the horrendous Facebook group, “Kill Your Hooker So You Don’t Have to Pay Her”, one of our readers alerted us to this: Apparently, everyone’s speedy organizing has resulted in the group changing their name (and link) to make it seem as if the group doesn’t exist anymore. But oh, does it still.”

This is some fucked up shit. There’s a lot of updated links on this post. If you’re on Facebook you can check this horrible group out.

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Let’s end on a high note shall we?

From the New York Times:
Transsexualism No Longer Viewed as Mental Illness in France
“France has removed transsexualism from an official list of mental illnesses, according to an order issued by the French Ministry of Health reported Friday by French news media. The order issued Wednesday removed “gender identity disorders” from an article of the social security code related to “long-term psychiatric diseases.” According to media reports, France is the first country in the world to do so.”

This is excellent news! I hope more countries take France’s lead and do the same.

Posted by Vixen in News