Many countries have women-only train cars so that women can avoid being groped on their way to work.

Yeah. But it's not that kind of trains. It's the kind where they might (and I'm sure they will, in the end) beat you up if you won't go to the car that was intended for your gender. All to keep the men holy, and the women as sinners. In the kind of trains you talk about, it's up to the woman's choice - and that's what it's all about.

I just want to take few transgendered friends and share a car together.

Who are always ignored in these debates.

Seska, that was a good article you wrote, but yeah, I do regret looking at the comments.

Oh, ugh, Shir. That's completely enraging.

And, yeah, Seska, the CiF comment threads are...not pleasant. I thought your article was great, and then I scrolled down through the first couple dozen comments, trying to formulate a response more complex than, Dear God, you are all brimful of wrong; did any of you actually read the entire article, beginning to end? but thinking about detailed responses just made me want to punch my computer. If I have a sudden attack of coherence and eloquence later in the day, I may try it.

The other day I was fantasizing of telling those people, "You know, Bin Laden wants there to be a religious war between Islam and the West. You're playing right into his hands!"

Playing right into his hands? Pfah. They're actively doing his work for him. He's probably sitting in a cave somewhere writing them thank-you notes for their excellent sleeper agent operation.

All of which I'd be sorely tempted to tell them -- even if they are looking for a religious war, maybe they have just enough shame left to not want to be seen as working for the other guy?

Shir, that is awful. I'm sorry.

One of my nephews is starting kindergarten today and the other is starting high school! I can barely wrap my head around it. I can't wait to seem them at T's wedding in October.

My oldest niece and nephew (they're twins) start Driver's Ed in a few weeks. My brother and sister-in-law are a little freaked....

edit nice/niece spelling error thingie....

I taught my first class. Went OK, I guess. Talked too fast, as usual.

Now I'm eating lunch. I made a lunch, but then I left it at home, so I went to the student center to get lunch. I've got a salad, but the only vegan dressings were the fat-free ones, so I went with fat-free French, which seemed the least ick, but it tastes like ketchup. Also, way too many people on those food lines. I am not forgetting my lunch again.

My nieces are still very little. But I admit to being freaked out every time the oldest one (aged three) starts initiating philosophical or theological debates with me. "Auntie Nay, do you think God made the moon?" *Cue Auntie Nay spitting out her coffee in surprise*

JZ, thanks, but don't worry about commenting. A friend of a friend has waded in there and is doing good work telling them to stop being such illiterate wankers, anyway, which is making me feel better!

My nephew is 16 (which I can't believe) but he's decided not to bother with getting his license right now as he can get everywhere he wants by bike and/or public transit. The kid know a lot about the bus system where he lives, it's pretty cool.

I'm just going to pretend that they still look like this: link