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Archives for November, 2008

On condoms and first-time-sex

Last night I finally went to see Zack and Miri Make a Porno.  I’ve been wanting to see this movie since I caught the tail end of it at the Austin premier through an odd sequence of events.  The end was hysterical!  I couldn’t wait.  Well, last night was the first obvious opportunity to present [...]

Staying interested

The other day the illustrious Paul Sunstone left the following comment on this post:
One of the challenges that I’ve found when talking with teens is boredom on my part. At first, that might sound counter-intuitive, Karen. After all, our sexuality is so important to us that it might be hard to imagine someone could become [...]

On the education end of things

This morning is all about the educational theory.  Here’s what it comes down to:
I love teaching.  It is truly one of my great joys in life, I’m told I’m pretty good at it, and the information I share has the potential to be life-transforming.  But I hate grading.
It’s a problem.
The classes and consultation work I [...]

Dear President-elect Obama

Yesterday I wrote a letter to Obama talking about what I would like to see him do in his first 100 days in office.  You can write a letter too!  And I think you should. In fact, ask your kids if they want to write a letter too - most teenagers will be voting in [...]

Awards and such

I have something to confess: I am highly remiss and negligent.  On October 20th, 2008 Paul Sunstone awarded me with his highly prestigious, highly sought after Sun Mountain Award.  It even comes with a number!  See:

But seriously, I am very honored.  Paul’s blog, Cafe Philos, is one of my favorites.  Paul’s posts are always interesting, [...]

Knowing too much

I’ve been loving your comments recently, everyone.  Thank you for jumping in!
The other day, my friend Jairy left this comment on my post On Trust:
I was also a bit taken aback during our first class when I asked the group about what their concerns were about the class. I posed the idea that maybe they [...]

Why we link sex and menstruation

Yesterday someone commented on an earlier post called Making menstruation personal again.  Here is what she (or he) said:
I find the “medicalization” of menstruation abhorrent, but I disagree that “menstruation is one of the first parts of teaching young women about sex and sexuality.” Of course sex ed is really important, but I think explanations [...]

On Trust (and what it means about innocence and knowledge)

This morning I was thinking about trust.  About who has it, and who doesn’t.  And what that means about innocence and knowledge.
Because I occasionally find myself in front of a group of young teenagers talking about this most intimate topic, promising I won’t tell their parents what they say, teenagers often confide in me or [...]

Sexy TV = Pregnant Teens

Here’s the thing about media images: they live in us.  The dramatic nature of the impact of visual images, particularly those in motion, on our psyches is hard to describe to people who watch a lot of media.  It is understood naturally by people who have spent times of their adult lives without much interaction [...]

Obamanos!

I am a bit speechless.  I am also a bit sick.  Today is a day for our country to stop and take a deep breath.  There will be plenty of pundits yammering elsewhere if that’s what you’re looking for.