Lingerie, Cigars, and Math Is Hard: Florida Republican Stumbles Over Sexism …

They guy whose invites to a men-only fundraiser instructed men to “tell the misses not to wait up” because the very important boys would be solving the world’s troubles over cigars and whiskey criticized his female opponent, Democrat Gwen Graham, tweeting about her, “MathIsHard.” He did this right after his Women for Southerland rally.

Steve Southerland (@SoutherlandFL02) tweeted at 4:17pm – 27 Sep 14:

Had 250 supporters at Women 4 Southerland rally today. Gwen couldn’t muster 10 people to counter us, but still claimed victory. #MathIsHard

Oh, really? Do tell, Rep. Steve Southerland (R-FLA). Tell us all about how hard math is for the misses.

The people were not impressed:

The Democrats weren’t about to let Southerland’s regressive mentality go unnoticed. They issued a statement by Emily Bittner, noting dryly that she was “a member of her high school math team.”

“Congressman Steve Southerland can’t seem to open his mouth without insulting women and revealing how out-of-touch his Washington Way is with North Florida,” said Emily Bittner of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “After Congressman Southerland claimed his $174,000 taxpayer-funded salary wasn’t big enough, he’s the last person who should be demeaning women by claiming that math is too hard for us.”

Oh, that’s right. He wasn’t paid enough to be a sexist lawmaker. Life is hard for Representative Southerland, who wears a bit of Ann Rommey’s “this is hard” pique at the unwashed masses as his calling card, which probably explains why he dug a deeper hole for himself when he opened his mouth again after the 12th century styled man-vite. This time, Southerland tried to defend himself from accusations that he was a sexist by asking if Gwen Graham had ever been to a lingerie shower.

From the Tampa Bay Times:

Asked to respond to the Democrats’ criticism that he’s anti-women, Southerland laughed and said: “I live with five women. That’s all I’m saying. I live with five women. Listen: Has Gwen Graham ever been to a lingerie shower? Ask her. And how many men were there?”

The old “I live with a woman” defense. I know a gay person. I’m friends with a black person.

It is irrelevant what Representative Southerland does in his free time or how many wonderful women he lives with. He actively supports policies that harm women, and he has finally managed to erase any doubt that he is unable to see a world in which women are equals. He is no accidental sexist. This kind of sexism is honed daily. It is also irrelevant if Ms. Graham ever attended a lingerie party, because that has nothing to do with actual work business like a fundraiser. Southerland just couldn’t help himself from sexualizing her because women are play toys not legislators.

So, go to a lingerie party you silly mathless women, and leave the men to solve the world’s problems. Trust that while they have no respect for you, miraculously their laws won’t reflect this bias. Contempt for half of the country should not render Southerland unfit to govern, after all, who better to write laws for us than someone who has no respect for our humanity? Wouldn’t men choose a woman who loathed them to write laws for them?

Math is hard. Female pilots can’t park. The Republican Party is full of Archie Bunkers – bitter, irrational, and full of contempt. They will soon be making laws for us all unless the sane people get out the vote. Shudder.

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Are your friends ruining your healthy lifestyle?

IF THEY CAN HAVE IT… So can I, right?

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As the owner of an online retailer of lingerie and swimwear, it’s not surprising Katherine Hancock, 29, likes to stay in shape. She does this by limiting carbs, eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and going to the gym five days a week.

But when she’s out with her old uni friends, her resolve crumbles. She finds herself ordering things she wouldn’t normally eat, from creamy pastas to wine, cocktails and rich desserts. “I can’t watch my friends eat it and not have any,” she says.

“When we get together we seem to give each other a ‘leave pass’ to eat the things we’ve been desperately trying to avoid,” she explains. She says she would feel “rude” not joining in, but also feels “food envy” when watching her friends eat. “I don’t want to be the only one at the table with a celery stick when they have delicious plates of pasta … It just seems easier to indulge.”

Now new research shows we’re not only more likely to indulge when watching others do so, but simply hearing about other people’s food choices has the same effect. Published in March in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the meta-analysis reviewed 15 studies, and the researchers found that when participants were told others were eating high-kilojoule or larger-sized meals, they were more likely to do so, too.

Conversely, participants consumed less kilojoules when told others were eating low-kilojoule meals. Which led Eric Robinson, lead investigator of the study, to conclude: “Eating behaviours can be transmitted socially.”

Sydney-based psychologist Victoria Kasunic says this occurs because we’re programmed to match each other. Not just when it comes to eating, but also our gestures, postures and language: “We tend to mimic without even realising it.” She says this mimicking behaviour helps us connect with others and gives a sense of belonging.

While we’re all “social creatures” who like to belong, Kasunic says women are “more socialised to fit in”. Which means women are even more inclined to act like the person they’re spending time with. “So when we’re with someone and they’re saying, ‘Let’s have dessert,’ we’re very cued in socially to go, ‘Oh, okay then.’ It’s much harder for us to say no.”

Your weight can also be affected by your friends, according to a study published in theNew England Journal of Medicine in 2007. The study analysed more than 12,000 people over a period of 32 years and found a person’s chance of becoming obese increased by a massive 57 per cent if one of their friends became obese.

Kasunic says this occurs because we judge ourselves against our peer group. So if you’re surrounded by overweight friends, that’s then considered the norm. “[People] don’t want to stand out from their friends or be seen as different,” Kasunic notes. Furthermore, if your friends are overweight, you’ll also be less motivated to lose weight, as doing so can lead you to “feeling on the outer”.

The good news, however, is that while your friends’ size can influence you negatively, it can have a positive effect. “It also works in reverse,” notes Kasunic. So if your friends are starting to slim down, you’re more likely to want to join them. Plus, she says, exercising with a friend or choosing to eat healthier food together makes you more likely to stay on track.

So if you embrace healthier food choices, one day your friends – and their waistlines – may thank you for it.

 

Eating with friends: smart tips

– When eating out, choose a restaurant you know has healthy choices.

– Look up the menu online before you leave and decide what you’ll order before arriving.

– Have a healthy snack before eating out so you’re not ravenous – and vulnerable to poor food choices when you arrive.

– Order your food first, so you don’t get tempted to change your mind when you hear what others are having.

– Invite friends over for meals so you’re in control of the food on offer.

- Daily Life

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