Happy St Patrick’s day – if you want to check out the St Patrick’s Day luck superstitions, read my post from last year: Luck Of The Irish And Other Reasons To Avoid The Pub Today.
Firstly, head over to the ‘I Am A Skeptic’ banners over at Skeptic.com!
You may notice that four women and one man is featured – Dr Harriet Hall, Robyn ‘Swoopy’ McCarthy, Desiree Schell, Sharon Hill, Marion Kilgour and George Hrab. Not bad, Daniel Loxton, not bad at all! Zip Daniel an appreciative @Daniel_Loxton tweet or email for coming up with the big idea. 
Secondly – thanks to Leslie Cannold again from Twitter – Jobcentre apologies for anti-Jedi discrimination, from Slash-dot:
“Chris Jarvis, 31, is described as a Star Wars fan and member of the International Church of Jediism. Said church’s intergalactic hoodie uniform is at odds with the strict doctrine of the Department for Work and Pensions, which may require Jobcentre ‘customers’ to remove crash helmets or hoods for ‘security reasons.’ Following his ejection, Jarvis filled out a complaint form and within three days got a written apology from branch boss Wendy Flewers. She said: ‘We are committed to provide a customer service which embraces diversity and respects customers’ religion.’”
In my research, I have had one person identify their religion as Jedi. Yes, some people do believe it – I met one in person who thanked me for considering the Jedi and their beliefs at the 2009 Dragon*Con!
Thirdly – Dr Ben Goldacre on pseudoscience involving vaginal health: Could an Angry Vagina be the source of womb diseases such as fibroid tumours?
In short, no.
World renowned Holistic Health Practitioner Queen Afua declares womb diseases linked to our emotional state of mind. In her latest book ‘Overcoming An Angry Vagina: Journey to Womb Wellness’ (to be published 17 March 2010), Queen Afua invites the reader to listen to the messages relayed through the womb impacting on our physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Gack… Sounds like a mixture of Oprah and her ‘vajay-jay’ nonsense and The Secret, no? And to think, just after Jamie Kilstein had a flaming-comedy-routine at the Global Atheist Convention all about the Church of the Smiling Vagina. I think at least his version will guarantee a NSFW laugh without the price-tag and emotional blackmail on how ‘you’re just not curing your condition due to your negative attitude’. :/
Fourthly – prom banning in the USA: Fulton MS Prom Discrimination at the ACLU:
The ACLU wants Itawamba County School District officials in Fulton, Mississippi to reverse their decision to forbid a lesbian student from attending prom with her girlfriend and from wearing a tuxedo to the prom. Constance McMillen, a student at Itawamba Agricultural High School, came to the ACLU for help after school officials told her that she could not come to prom with her girlfriend, also a student at IAHS, and that if they arrived separately but slow-danced together they might be thrown out.
Additional note – as a high-school teacher I had a conversation here in Australia with a former deputy who had not outed herself as a lesbian during her career. When the parents of a lesbian student approached the school about how their daughter could not bring her girlfriend as her partner at their Year 12 ball, she had to bend to the school’s decision and uphold the ruling. The parents pointed out that if their daughter had NOT willingly outed herself, she could have had her girlfriend attend as a ‘friend’. It was something the deputy greatly regretted supporting and indicative of how we still have a damned long way to go even in this country.
Oh – and Ms Deveny with ‘Banging on about atheism? 438 columns. Only 12 of them about religion. Why I won’t stop‘.
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You might want to mention that in a wonderful move the AHA has stepped in and offered to organise and plan the prom themselves.
http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2010-03-humanists-prepare-to-hold-lgbt-inclusive-prom-in-miss
I kind of think it’s evident in that it’s their group reporting it? Such nasty prejudiced actions like banning proms and partnerships do go on – thankfully there are groups who will stand up for people.
And perhaps more importantly that there are brave people like Miss McMillen willing to stand up for themselves. It would have undoubtedly been so much easier in many ways for her and her girlfriend to simply turn up to the prom separately and not dance. That they chose not to shows great character.
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