Saturday evening roundup and ramble

Please read Melanie Tannenbaum's excellent addendum on "benevolent" sexism. I'm going to take it and run with it (i.e., second everything she very articulately wrote and elaborate on two things in particular:

(1) Yes, it sucks for guys, too. Both the direct-translation stuff (the objectification of Jon Hamm) and the gender stereotypes like those perpetrated by my well-meaning friend (wmf). WMF argues that women are deluding themselves if they think that men are interested in anything other than sex (the corollary is that, for women, hotness conquers all). Does that belief system serve either gender? The more important thing is, it's misguided on all levels. (That research aside, I still believe in letting the guys ask for the first date or two or three).

(1a) I know there are certain things that are hard-wired, and unfortunately for both genders, one of those things is for dudes to check women out in a really obvious way. Just because it's science, doesn't mean you don't need to work on it, because it just makes both parties uncomfortable.

Oh, I meant to slam this Men's Health piece that I read while I was waiting for my haircut. She does not actually want the jerk. That woman is confused.

(2) Weight comments are incredibly annoying, especially when made in public, i.e., in front of other people. Leave it at "you look great"--and even that implies that the person did not look "great" before. I think there are circumstances under which it's appropriate to make weight-related comments, but context is extremely important.

(2a) Ms. Tannenbaum does not address this, because it's not related to gender, but the most annoying weight comments (not weight loss comments per se, but low weight) are those that presume the other person's eating habits. No, I do not have an eating disorder; no, I do not live in a perpetual state of gustatory deprivation; and hell, no, I do not function well without food. I have very healthy eating habits, I eat very, very well (i.e., my food tastes f*ing amazing), and I need food, or else I'm a mess.

It is unfortunate that this thermodynamics-of-cooking article is so meat-centric. I am posting it anyway because it's fascinating, but please mentally substitute tofu and tempeh for "meat."

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A primer on the pre-Christian symbolism of Easter (and no, it's not about Ishtar). That is actually an excellent, comprehensive summary of egg-related creation myths.

It turns out that when Gracie purrs, that's her doing ab work: