This city is bad for young women and a lot of every-age-women. All of the tensions are unloaded on them, on us. And if I'll say anything, I take a huge risk with sounding racist, insane or an emotional creature in front of people that in some cases I worked long and hard to convince them I'm intelligent and worthy. So I'm practicing on the conversations in my mind, but I can't seem to stay calm even then, with imagining only the first sentences and considering what to say to them that will make me sound sane and rational.

{{{Shir}}} I don't know what to say to that. I wish I did. I wish it were easier to explain to men facets of safety that we have to be aware of, that they simply do not understand. You have to put your safety first (or at whichever priority level you choose). You have to make assessments of situations, and make your choices. If they choose not to acknowledge that the world is is a different place for a woman than it is for a man, then their ignorance and arrogance speak louder than any form of liberalism they choose to broadcast.

What Andi said.

DO EET. But with all chicks for the team.

Of course. We are us, after all.

My sympathies to DJ and amyth. Hugs to both of you.

Hang in there, Shir...BTDT(sorta) C'mon, Local leg. District: If one million Egyptians can show up, you can! (although there is a certain irony in my hoching people about this as this event is in a private home, which means that access is(so-so handwave)

Well, somewhat prepared for Snowmageddon. That is, the garage is cleared out.

Why did I have to clear the garage for Snowpocalypse? Because we have to have the street clear for the snowplows or pay dire consequences. Thus, the little car goes in the garage, the van goes in the driveway. Previously this was...not possible. At all.

So. Stock up on food? Nah. Chop wood? Nah.

Clean? Yeah.

Thanks, all. It's just frustrating more than anything. It's not that I think less of them for their opinions. It's just that I'm picking my battles, and it's so hard to explain why I'm not choosing "their side" (and hence declaring myself as The Enemy of Everything Good and Pure).

erika, may I ask how did you handle these situations?

{{{Shir}}} does it help at all to know how very wise you are? Your ability to analyze your self and your surroundings continues to astound me.

Shir, I have a couple of dumb questions because I'm not familiar with Israeli geography. When you say that East Jerusalem is "bad," are you referring to verbal harassment or physical attacks/other crime? If it's the latter, are crime statistics available on the Net?

Thank you, Laga.

Fred Pete, I didn't mean that just East Jerusalem is "bad". I meant that whole of Jerusalem is bad if you're "one of the other's women". All is covered under resolution 1325 of the UN: [link]

But it doesn't stop in wars. Juarez, Mexico with its drug wars (second most dangerous place to women in the world, after Darfur): the murders of the women and girls there have nothing to do with the drug wars in themselves. But a lot of social tensions are usually directed towards who the society considers as its weak. At most cases and most places, these are women. That is all. If you still want the statistics, I'll try and look for them tomorrow.

No need to send me statistics, Shir -- you know the situation, and I'll gladly defer to your knowledge. I was just thinking that you might use crime statistics to make your argument to the men that don't get it.

All good wishes for getting through to them.