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Dec

25

My lights are better than your lights

Filed Under Politics | 9 Comments

I drove my son to a friend’s house on Saturday during the daytime. I could see the green strings of lights coiled from stick to stick along the deepset driveway, but they weren’t illuminated.

Then, that night, I picked him up and saw them. I loved what the family had done. The parents are both university-level art instructors. Their home was more or less hand-built and they always have cool stuff adorning the yard. They buy balled trees for the holidays and line the paths with them, replacing the ones that die or adding to the groves.

I do love me beautiful displays.

But, I also love me our Chanuka chanukiot. And here’s what they looked like on the last day of Chanuka – this past Friday. Despite the two essays published in yesterday’s New York Times (I have never met a Jew who is anything like the Jews in these essays), plenty of Jews love their winter holiday and keep it lovely, without coveting anyone else’s. Don’t worry – I’ve already written them about it and have offered to write for them a real winter holiday essay.

Happy, joyous, merry holiday.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:33 pm December 25th, 2006 in Politics | 9 Comments 

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Dec

25

Christian or not, 95% of all Americans have pre-marital sex

Filed Under Politics | 4 Comments

This chart is from the article, Trends in Premartial Sex in the United States, 1954-2003, from the January/February 2007 issue of Public Health Reports.

From the report:

We’re not talking about sex at what age. We’re not talking about men versus women. We’re not talking about adultery. We’re talking about sexual intercourse with someone before you are married. Period. The sex that some conservatives expect will not be pursued because it isn’t for procreation.

Guess what? Looks like plenty of people are pursuing that kind of sex.

So – sex education developers, abstinence-only proponents, people against giving girls the HPV vaccine – are you paying attention?

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:34 pm December 25th, 2006 in Politics | 4 Comments 

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Dec

25

Anti-bullying law implementation: case study of opposites, ‘tween suicide in VT

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Just read this and this. No child or parent should ever have to live through these instances. And don’t go telling me it’s some rite of passage, on either the bully or the bullied side. Bull****. We have the power to teach that it’s wrong and what behavior should be substituted. Shame on you if you don’t pursue doing that.

Btw, for those of you who’ve been bullied or parent kids who’ve been bullied, grab a tissue box now, or a pillow to punch if you get angry. Or both.

Vermont’s law is here. And it does include a sexual orientation enumeration.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:24 pm December 25th, 2006 in Politics | Comments Off 

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