January 2001

Male Contraceptive Shot in Progress
Cootie Shot Not Doing the Trick
Wednesday, January 31, 2001 German scientists are testing the effectiveness of a male contraceptive injection, and have released encouraging early results. Men who received the shots, which combine some forms of testosterone with some of the same hormones found in contraceptives for girls, found that their sperm count was significantly reduced and even, in some cases, halted completely. Side effects include a reduction in HDL ("good") cholesterol and a raise in LDL ("bad") cholesterol, as well as nighttime sweatsówhich may have an secondary "eww, get away from me" contraceptive effect as well.

Bad News from Campus Rape Study
Another Reason We Donít Like Studying
Monday, January 29, 2001 Hereís a new set of statistics for everyone to argue over: A December 2000 report from the US Justice Department says that approximately 3 percent of college women suffer sexual assault every year, and that an estimated 13 percent are stalked. The study is based on results gleaned from telephone surveys of almost 4500 women attending two- and four-year colleges, and sought to study "unwanted sexual experiences"óthe study did differentiate between incidents of unwanted or regrettable sex and full-on criminal offenses, even when the respondents did not. One big low-light of the study: Nearly 90 percent of those who had suffered the attacks knew their assailant, who was usually a classmate, acquaintance, friend or ex-boyfriend. Sounds like "Womenís Studies," for too many college girls, includes a course that nobody wants to take.

Slap on Butt Gets Slap on Wrist
Italian Court Says "Whatsamattafayou?"
Friday, January 26, 2001 The Italian Supreme Court ruled this week that a manager who slapped a female employeeís ass was not guilty of sexual harassment, as it was an "isolated" and "impulsive" act that was not intended as an "act of libido." Of course, many instances of harassment are meant as acts of aggression, not libido, but the Italian courts are notoriously dense when it comes to sexually related offensesólast year, the high court ruled that a woman wearing tight jeans could not have been raped, because she must have helped the rapist to remove her pants. So whatís an Italian girl to do when her boss slaps her on the ass? We like one columnistís suggestion: Kick him in the nuts. Hey, it was an isolated impulse!

Cock Block!
Ashcroft Appointment Stalled
Thursday, January 25, 2001 Senate Democrats are demanding more answers from Bush cabinet nominee John Ashcroft, postponing his judiciary review by a week. In his tenure as Missouri Senator, Ashcroft himself was known for delaying the appointments of presidential nominees. Now itís his turnóheís expected to answer more then 400 questions related to his stance on civil rights (hates ëem), gun control (hates it), and abortion (hates it with the scorching hell-fire of a thousand really pissed-off supernovas). Despite opposition from Senate Democrats including California Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is on the Judiciary Committee, and Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, who has promised to stall by filibuster, the nomination of Ashcroft for Attorney General is expected to pass. Womenís groups, meanwhile, are refusing to assume the fetal positionófind out where to send email opposing Ashcroft here.

New HHS Head Will Review RU-486
Senate Dems Donít Boo or HHS
Thursday, January 25, 2001 Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, unanimously approved by the Senate on Wednesday to lead the countryís Department of Health and Human Services, has stated that he intends to review the safety of the abortion pill RU-486. This comes on the heels of the abrupt firing of FDA Commissioner Jane Henney, who oversaw the pillís approval after a 12-year battle over its use, and has many fearing for the future of RU-486 in the US. Senate Democrats favor Thompson, though he opposes late-term abortions and favors strict Medicare and welfare reforms, especially after comparing him to real right-wing zealot nominees like, oh, say, John Ashcroft.

Chick Pilot Saves Female Ambassador
Proof That Super-Sheroes Can Fly
Wednesday, January 24, 2001 A female pilot took down an armed would-be hijacker early yesterday morning in Yemen, saving US Ambassador Barbara Bodine from a potential kidnapping. Yemeni pilot Rosana Mustafa Abdul Khaldeq told the armed pro-Iraqi hijacker, who wanted to reroute the plane to Baghdad, that they would have to make a fuel stop in Djibouti, then activated the emergency slides, evacuated the passengers, and struggled with the assailant until he was subdued. Savvy movie execs take note: Hereís a chance to make an action pic starring women that doesnít end with them driving of a cliff.

Whoop! There It Is
Nigerian Girl Flogged
Tuesday, January 23, 2001 Nigerian teenager Bariya Magazu received 100 public lashes with a cane on Friday, despite the courtís recently stated decision to postpone the flogging pending her appeal. Magazu received the sentence from an Islamic court for the crime of engaging in premarital sex, though she claimed to have been coerced into the act by three friends of her father. The proposed beating caused an international outcry among womenís rights advocates, who are sick of watching women take the blame for sexual abuse, and from the BSDM community, who feel that nonconsensual public flogging "gives the whole scene kind of an icky rep."

Bush Bringing Back Global Gag Rule
Feminists Experiencing Global Gag Reflex
Monday, January 22, 2001 And so it begins! The Bush administration has announced on its very first day in office that it will restrict US funds to international family planning groups that provide access to abortion, counsel women on abortion, or seek to influence other govermentsí policies on abortion. This is expected to be the first in a series of decisions by the Bush administration that will whittle away access to abortion in the USóheís already stated his intention to ban certain late-term abortion procedures, to revisit a domestic gag rule policy that was overturned by Clinton, and to "review" the FDAís recent approval of RU-486. What a way to celebrate the 28th anniversary of Roe v. Wadeówith the declaration of Bush v. Womenís Rights.

First Lady Likes Roe V. Wade
Also Likes AbstinenceóGo Figure
Friday, January 19, 2001 US First-Lady-Elect Laura Bush told NBCís "Today" show that she does not think the 1973 Roe V. Wade Supreme Court decision, which grants women the constitutional right to have an abortion, should be overturned. While she did not state outright that she supports a womanís right to abortion, and she does agree with her husband that the number of abortions performed each year should be reduced, she said that she thinks the way to achieve this goal is through teaching abstinence in schools. But what about those of us who are well past school age? Maybe we should all get married to men like W.óthen weíd be inclined to be abstinent, too.

Kuwait Dismisses Womenís Rights Case
More Suffering, Less Sufferage
Friday, January 19, 2001 Kuwaitís high court dismissed a suit that sought rights for women to vote and run for office. The Constitutional Court rejected the case, as it did last year for similar cases, on "procedural grounds." The technicalities on which the case was rejected were not detailed, but we assume that the procedural error here involved advocating for the rights of people who forgot to have penises.

Texas Pimps Face Sentencing
Wanna-Be Pimps Bettah Reckanize
Thursday, January 18, 2001 Two people convicted of smuggling women into the US and forcing them to work as prostitutes are waiting to be sentenced by a federal judge. Chinese and Thai women were smuggled through South and Latin America to brothels in Houston, where they were restrained, kept behind barred windows , and forced to have sex with johns until they raised approximately $40,000 each to pay off their smugglers. While some of the Thai women were already working as prostitutes, many of the Chinese women were kidnapped, or lied to by smugglers, who told them that they would be employed as waitresses or maids. The attorney for one of the convicted pimps was quoted as saying, "These girls look at it as the break of a lifetime. These women make less than $1,000 a year in Thailand. Here they make enough money to pay off their $40,000 contract in a year." Yeah, and they only have to be cuffed, terrorized, and repeatedly fucked by strangers! Guess "victimless crime" really does pay.

"Killer Tampon" Could Prevent Rape
Stops Bleeding in Women, Starts it in Men
Thursday, January 18, 2001 A retired South African anesthesiologist has developed a "killer tampon" designed to slice off the tip of a rapistís penis. The device is described by its inventor as "a hard, cylindrical plastic core that contains a spring blade which slices when pressed against"ócomfy!óbut the plastic core is covered by a soft material, making it that much more pleasant to wear a switchblade in your cooch. The mad doctor designed the device after speaking to South African rape survivors, and learning that South Africa has one of the highest incidences of rape in the world. While this prototype has not yet been picked up by a manufacturer, we are already waiting to see the follow-up products, like exploding pants and nipples that squirt mace.

Pregnant Women Warned Off Eating Shark
Sharks Okay to Continue Eating Women
Monday, January 15, 2001 The US Food and Drug Administration has stated that pregnant women should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish because they may contain high levels of mercury that can damage the fetus; consumer groups warn that fresh tuna should also be added to the list. Pre-natal exposure to mercury is thought to be responsible for problems in the development of brain and nervous system functions in up to 60,000 children a year, according to a report from the National Academy of Sciences, and six states (CT, ME, MI, MN, NJ and VT) have issued warnings about mercury in fish. Mercury is introduced into the environment both naturally and through industrial pollution, and most fish contain trace elements of mercury, but longer-lived larger species that feed on other fish contain higher amounts that pose a greater risk. In order to further reduce the risk of mercury-related health problems, it is also recommended that pregnant women avoid drinking out of thermometers and visiting the first planet from the sun.

Nigerian Girlís Flogging Postponed
Can of Whoop-Ass Waits, Shaken, On Shelf
Monday, January 15, 2001 A Sharia High Court in Nigeria has indefinitely postponed plans to publicly cane a teenage mother for having pre-marital sex and ìbearing false witness.î Bariya Ibrahim Magazu, whose age varies in reports from 17 to as young as 14, was originally sentenced to 180 lashes with a cane in September of last year, when she was dragged into court after her pregnancy became apparent. When asked who might be responsible for her pregnancy, the girl named three men who she said her father had coerced her to have sex with; the men denied her claim, and she was charged with bearing false witness. This charge, with its sentence of 80 lashes, has now been dropped, and the other 100 lashes for pre-marital sex have been indefinitely postponed. Outcry from Canadian, Christian and human rights organizations may have influenced the court, which has hastened to clarify its position. Said one official, ìUnder holy Islamic law the man who gives the flogging must have a copy of the holy Koran under his arm, and cannot raise his arm high. It must be a very soft beating.î And not only will it be a SOFT beating, her flogger will be alert for her ìsafe word,î which, in this case, is ìMichael Fay.î

Monthly Cycle Has Effect on Mental Skills
Proof That Women are Bloody Geniuses
Monday, January 15, 2001 A group of German researchers has determined that womenís grasp of spatial relationships fluctuates during their monthly menstrual cycle. In one test, which measured the ability to recognize rotated versions of a figure, the same group of women scored higher on the second day of their cyclesówhen their estrogen levels were lower and their testosterone levels higheróthan they did on the twenty-second day. This may explain why some standard IQ tests have so many questions involving spatial relationships: they have to skew the tests in favor of those with extra testosterone, otherwise the poor saps would feel really stupid compared with us girls.

"Iron Lady" Indicted for War Crimes
Thatcher Pissed at Theft of Nickname
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 Biljana Plasvic, former president of the Bosnian Serbs, has turned herself in to the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague, where she faces charges including genocide and crimes against humanity. Ms. Plasvic was one of the top aides to notorious "ethnic cleanser" Radovan Karadic during the Bosnian conflict before succeeding him as President, and was famously photographed stepping over the body of a dead Muslim civilian to smooch the murderer, rapist and warlord known as Arkan. Depending on the outcome of her trial, the "Iron Lady," who some have called a "female Mengele," is reportedly considering a signature line of ethnic cleansing products aimed at racist, nationalist housewives.

Anti-Choice Goon for Attorney General
Next Nomination: Unabomber for Sheriff
Wednesday, January 10, 2001 Womenís groups have joined environmentalists, civil rights advocates, union organizers, gay rights groups, and the Association for Not Killing Widdle Puppies in protesting the nomination of former Missouri Senator John Ashcroft for the post of Attorney General. His anti-choice stance is clearly apparent in comments he made to the conservative newsletter Human Events, stating, "If I had the opportunity to pass but a single law, I would fully recognize the constitutional right to life of every unborn child, and ban every abortion except for those medically necessary to save the life of the mother." In 1998, Ashcroft co-sponsored a proposed Constitutional amendment that would ban almost all abortions, including those necessary because of rape or incest. He has formally objected to birth control pills and IUDs, calling them "de facto abortifacents" which end viable pregnancies rather than prevent them. He spent three years charging the National Organization for Women with anti-trust violations. Heís even won awards from the American Life League. Oh, we could go on and on about the crappy things heís done, and we havenít even started to cover his anti-affirmative action, anti-gay and anti-environmental record. Suffice it to say, this is not the man we want in charge of protecting clinic access or prosecuting clinic bombers, and if you want to protect your right to choose, you might want to abort his nomination by writing to your Senator.

Female Circumcision Doc Busted
Why Not Celebrate by Masturbating?
Monday, January 8, 2001 A British physician who offered to perform circumcisions on three girls was expelled from the medical register last month. Female genital mutilation of any sort has been illegal in the United Kingdom since 1985, but the British Medical Association estimates that up to 4,000 girls must still undergo some form of the surgery every year. Dr. Abdul Ahmed was recorded as he offered to circumcise one girl (removing the head of the clitoris) and circumcise and stitch the other two (removing both the head of the clitoris and the labia). He might want to move his practice to Beverly Hills, where women are choosing to undergo Designer Laser Vaginoplasty (DLV) to "aesthetically modify" their labia at thousands of dollars a pop.

US Troops Accused of Sex Crime Abroad
Way to Keep the Peace, GI Jerk
Monday, January 8, 2001 Three US servicemen have been charged with molesting two 15-year-old girls in Southern Japan. The allegations came just hours after the US forces lifted recreation restrictions on servicemen in Okinawa, which had been in place for six months following a similar sex assault case in July involving a Marine and a 14-year-old girl; both cases recall the 1995 rape of an Okinawan 12-year-old by three US soldiers. The recent assaults have caused many to question the presence of the American military in Japan, and to wonder if perhaps we need some more troops stationed there to keep an eye on our troops.

Teenís Parents Drop Implant Plan
Happy Sweet 34DD, Honey!
Monday, January 8, 2001 Jenna Franklinís parents were going to give her a breast augmentation for her 16th birthday, but have dropped the plan after criticism from British doctors. Fifteen-year-old Jenna is very much in favor of the surgery, saying that she has been teased for her flat chest and that "youíve got to have breasts to be successful," but she may have come by this notion via her parents, who own a company that offers plastic surgery services, and especially via her mother, who has had two augmentations herself. While 16 is the minimum legal age for patients who want to undergo this surgery, surgeon Anthony Erian has criticized the proposed Sweet 16 gift, noting that, "At 16, the breast isnít matured enough." Nor, in most cases, is the brain.

Puerto Rico Welcomes First Female Governor
La Isla Gets Even More Bonita
Monday, January 8, 2001 On the second day of the new year, Puerto Rico swore in its first female governor, Sila Calderon. Formerly the Vice President of Citibank in Puerto Rico, Ms. Calderon opposes US military exercises in the region and is not in favor of statehood for the commonwealth island. The entire BUST news staff is campaigning to make a special all-expenses-paid visit to Puerto Rico to personally congratulate Ms. Calderon, but the cheap skirts in charge of this operation just donít seem to recognize the necessity of marking this historical event in this manner, probably because they are sexists.

Female Gov Workers in Japan Face Harassment
Turning to Face Other Way Not an Option
Wednesday, January 3, 2001 Nearly 70 percent of female government workers in Japan report sexual harassment in the workplace, according to a recent survey. Sexual harassment, which varies from unsolicited sexual comments and obscene jokes to stalking and demands for sex, is only recently being addressed in Japanóthe government just introduced anti-harassment guidelines in April of 1999, and there is no penalty for offenders. In the same survey, 37 percent of men said theyíd faced harassment, but, considering the low rate of employment for Japanese women when compared to men, we assume that most of the menís harassers were saying things like, "Have you been working out, dude? Your pecs are totally pumped!"

Kiddie Porn Suspect on Most Wanted List
Screen Name "nsyncfan69"Up for Grabs
Wednesday, January 3, 2001 The FBI has placed its first child pornographer and statutory rapist on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. American Eric Rosser is the first child pornographer to make the list, which is usually reserved for murderers, terrorists, drug dealers and armed robbers. Rosser was indicted in Indiana of producing and distributing a tape which showed him having sex with an 11-year-old girl in Thailand, but he skipped bail and fled the country. Heíd previously sent a letter to the editor of one of Bangkokís English-language newspapers, asking for the public to understand his sexual obsession with young girls, and noting that he restrained himself mostly to child prostitutesóafter all, if the 11-year-old gets a few baht out of the deal, itís okay, right?

Panel: Estrogen Causes Cancer
Having Breasts and Uterus Also No Good, Sorry
Wednesday, January 3, 2001 The National Toxicology Program advisory committee recommended that steroidal estrogen be placed on the countryís list of cancer-causing substances. Steroidal estrogen, used in many birth control pills and post-menopause treatments, is associated with the occurrence of endometrial and breast cancer; however, the risk is usually offset somewhat in common treatments by combining estrogen with progestin. The kind of estrogen thatís naturally swimming around most womenís systems is non-carcinogenic, but may cause periodic fits of hating oneís ass and thighs.

FDA Approves Hormone-Releasing IUD
Perhaps the Scariest-Sounding Birth Control Ever
Wednesday, January 3, 2001 The FDA has recently approved a new contraceptive intra uterine device, or IUD, that also prevents pregnancy by emitting low doses of a hormone that acts on the uterine lining The IUD, to be sold under the name Mirena, is said to be 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy for up to five years, and up to two million women worldwide have used the device, which will debut in the US in early 2001. The IUD is one of the least popular methods of birth control in the US, where women still remember the Dalkon Shield, an IUD that caused infections, miscarriages and some deaths before it was banned in 1975. The new hormone-squirting IUD should be about as popular as a spiky contraceptive sponge injected with sperm-killing botulism. Keep on making birth control easier and easier, guys.

Husband Kills Wife Over Campaign
One Big Bummer of a "No" Vote
Wednesday, January 3, 2001 In Pakistan, which was singled out by the UN in a recent report for having one of the highest rates of domestic violence against women, a woman who was running for local office was killed by her husband. Nazia Mumtaz refused to withdraw her nomination for a local election in the state of Bhalwal, inspiring her husband Munir to stab her to death. Pakistan has set aside 33 percent of all local district and municipal council seats for women, and another 33 percent for the poor, hoping to encourage a more representative government. So maybe they should set aside a bunch of seats for wife beaters and killers, too.

More Access to Morning-After Pill Needed
And Less Access to Night-Before Booze
Wednesday, January 3, 2001 The American Medical Association is recommending that the "morning-after" contraceptive pill be sold over the counter at drugstores and pharmacies, noting that you canít take it the morning after (or any time up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse) if you have to wait a week for a doctorís appointment. The pill is currently available by prescription only, though the drug is considered safe and has minimal side effects. While Britain has already announced plans to make the pill available without a prescription to girls over the age of 16, Wal-Mart, the USís largest retailer, has already announced that it will not carry the pill at any of its 2,400 pharmacies, as people without unwanted children are only one-third as likely to buy tacky, cheap, sweatshop-produced crap they donít need.

NYC Considers VAWA Clause
Big Apple Has Supremest Court of All
Wednesday, January 3, 2001 The Supreme Court said so: The provision of the Violence Against Women Act that lets rape survivors sue their attackers in civil court is a state and local matter So New York Cityís City Council is taking that matter into its own hands, proposing a new law that will make it easier for women to file those civil suits. The law will allow for civil suits in cases of rape and domestic battery, and extends the statute of limitations from one year to seven years; the law will also recognize the rights of men to sue partners in cases of domestic violence against them. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani announced his support of the proposal, figuring that if youíre going to get tough on jaywalkers, you should probably put the smack-down on rapists and batterers, too.

Tokyo Railway Plans Chick-Only Cars
Get Your Hands Off My Choo Choo
Wednesday, January 3, 2001 Responding to mounting complaints about groping and molestation on public railways, a major private operator of commuter trains in Tokyo is planning to re-introduce women-only cars during late-night service. A passenger survey of 100 female commuters indicated that 17 percent had been molested at least once on a public railway. And 70 percent of the surveyed favored women-only cars, figuring that if you canít educate the men, youíd better separate the women. Next stop: Segregation Station!

UN, US, EU Take on Taliban
When Acronyms Attack
Wednesday, January 3, 2001 The European Union has joined the United Nations and United States in moving to condemn the Taliban, the party thatís ruled Afghanistan since 1996, calling for economic sanctions and reduction of military support. The ultra-fundamentalist Taliban has been responsible for the worst case of "gender apartheid" in recent history, forbidding women from working, attending school, going out in public without a male relative, or deviating from strict dress codes that require full-body robes. The United Nations has cited human rights abuses as part of its decision to deny the Taliban international recognition as the governing party of Afghanistan , has publicly decried the Talibanís obstruction of humanitarian aid, and is considering an arms embargo against the country. Meanwhile, the United States recently passed a resolution criticizing their oppressive policies and calling for democratic elections. Donít these Taliban people understand that theyíd be free to oppress women and girls, just so long as they delivered suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden to international authorities? They donít think everyoneís getting worked up over the plight of a bunch of broads, do they?