Is this changing, Amy?

Not in the mainstream, as far as I can tell, but there are certainly more forward-thinking women who are getting married their own way, down to the color of the dress.

My experience with it was from working in romance in publishing -- people wanted medieval brides in white gowns. Not right! Queen Victoria shocked the world by wearing white to hers -- she set the trend. In 1840-whatever.

But that's the kind of cultural osmosis I mean, and I think you were talking about, too -- people think pink is a girl's color now. Why? Is it? Maybe not. But most people are willing to accept the shorthand because they're too busy to be bothered. Girls like pink and dolls! Excellent, I'm ready to be a mom. Ugh.

hivemind - is anyone aware of a book that looks at childrens' book characters in terms of their neurosis? I was thinking about this last night as we just finished reading Harriet the Spy. She seems pretty classic Aspergers. Calvin in Calvin and Hobbes, sociopath? Amelia Bedelia, also Aspergers, or maybe ADHD?

Pink-for-girls-blue-for-boys became solidified right around the time ultrasounds became really good at sex detection. Why sell gender neutral clothes to parents who know what they're having months in advance when you can sell them a pink frilly dress NOW and a set of little blue overalls with trucks on them for kid #2?

(In practice, this generally lends itself to younger siblings simply being mistaken for the opposite sex because their parents can't be bothered to buy new clothes that they now know from experience will be outgrown in a matter of weeks. But that doesn't stop Gerber from selling little pink headbands to make sure nobody thinks your bald baby girl is a bald baby boy.)

Stop CBS from airing anti-vaccine ads on its Times Square JumboTron

A 15-second public service message featuring the National Vaccine Information Center is being shown on the CBS JumboTron on Times Square through April 28. Made possible by support from Mercola.com, the message is shown every hour for 18 hours a day on the 20 by 26-foot full color big screen located on 42nd St. between 7th and 8th Avenues near Broadway and the NY Port Authority and directly beneath where the crystal ball drops at midnight on Times Square every NewYear's Eve.

The 15 second spot includes the logos of NVIC and Mercola.com and a photo of a Mom with her baby. It begins with the message Vaccines: Know the Risks and ends with the message Vaccination: Your Health. Your Family. Your Choice with the statue of liberty in the background.

Do other media organizations air ads like this? or refuse to air them?

Trudy, may I tag this please?

Please do!

That is hopeful. In my community, I see a lot of "soft" antivaxism - people who have just the wrong combination of privilege and ignorance so that "too many too soon" seems like common sense.

It's not going to make them autistic, but it is stressful and can make them feel like shit. If an alternate schedule mitigates that where is the harm?

You all read the J Crew ridiculousness, right? I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a (male) psychologist on GMA point out the ridiculousness of thinking that painting a little boy's toenails pink is in some way socializing him to not be male. Like the kid is going to resent his peen and cut it off, or something.

I saw it mentioned that no one would bat an eye if it had been a little girl in overalls playing with a truck. It's total boyfail. All you're saying is, "'girl stuff' is bad and beneath you." Which is a shitty thing to do to a kid.

My brother had a complete fit about the idea of my nephew going to dancing school. I spoke with the teacher, and she said that dads (and moms) sometimes have difficulty with it. She sort of rolls her eyes and explains, "girls like dudes who can move on the dancefloor." She also mentioned that it seemed to be a white thing. Dancing doesn't seem to be thought of as "sissy" shit in other cultures, sometimes. See also, "strictly ballroom."

Do other media organizations air ads like this? or refuse to air them?

Salon removed an anti-vax piece from its archives. That's the only think I know in regards to this subject.

It's not going to make them autistic, but it is stressful and can make them feel like shit. If an alternate schedule mitigates that where is the harm?

I'm unsure that doctors/medical professionals/communicable disease researchers say there is any harm in spreading out vaccinations. I think it's mostly done in combination for convenience (one trip versus several trips where they will be stressed out and feel shitty each time).

At any rate, "too much, too soon" is a feeling no based in any sort of evidence. I mean, what does that even mean? Too much not going to get measles?

I washed the door, taped up the trim and epoxied the holes in it. Going to attempt a swim in a bit and come back and prime, then hopefully, paint, the inside of the door. Can't do anything about the exterior until tomorrow. It's bright cerulean, but when I google it, the color is all wrong on my monitor. It matches the blue in a couple of pieces of art I have in the kitchen.

I really think I'm trying to do too much this weekend.

I love the idea of a bright door, sarameg, especially if it picks up a color from your art. Now I want to paint my back door a brighter red (it's sort of a brick red, now, and peeling and chipping and grungy looking), but I probably won't get to that for quite a while