Poirit,
Your just being mean and nasty because you actually like me.

"International Invent Yer Own Drink Day"

And why not? Or perhaps it will have to be left to a male to invent another type of drink (so that women can complain about that).

Personally I don't drink alcohol, because my job requires 0.0.

I don't swear (much), and I am just about ready to give cigarettes, and I don't chase after women, (as I find boats more appealing).

Does that make me more acceptable.

Only if you lose the university phobia, Vanna.

Briar rose,
You would be extremely surprised how many people from universities I have been in contact with, but not in this country.

But why hasn’t an academic or feminist in a so-called Australian university developed a drink for women.

Drink spiking is basically non-existent (and always has been), and raping women when drunk is a part of feminist fairy tales, but women drinking when pregnant is very definitely a danger to the fetus.

A woman many not know she is pregnant until 4th or 5th week, and doctors now recommend no alcohol at all for pregnant women.

So it would be a priority for women to have no alcohol in their bloodstream, and no drugs of any type for that matter.

So developing a drink for women would obviously be high on the list of essential research for academics in so-called Australian universities.

vanna,

I'm not being mean and nasty. I'm simply puzzled by your attitude, and your particularly spiteful attack on Squeers when you discovered he was an academic - that was mean and nasty.

Now, as far as your leisure time is concerned - I would advise you to swear when you feel the need (always a good maxim), have a cigarette occasionally (you're the sort of soul who needs at least one good vice to keep things balanced).... and keep up the non-pursuit of women - let them come to you.

vanna it's the classic image of drink spiking that's largely urban myth - someone slipping narcotic into a drink. I suspect that the reality is that there are those who use alcoholic drink spiking as well as other who underestimate how much they drank (or how well they handle drink).

There are enough drinkers around determined to get others to drink more without sexual conitations to make it a problem. I've recently had a couple of instances where a friends neighbour has got me drinks I'd already clearly said I did not want and put them down in front of me. It's awkward refusing them at that point (already poured or opened). I've chosen not to drink them but I don't think that's earned me any brownie points. The same fellow seems to use other tactics to get drink into people. Nothing malicous about it but that could easlity turn into drink spiking in another situation.

R0bert

Suze
Your contributions in these debates are always valuable and I completely get your POV.

This is an example where all agree there is a problem but coming at the solution from a different angle. One is to 'hope' men take more responsibility for their behaviours including teaching boys (as well as girls) about responsible behaviours, but the fact is it is not working out very well so far if we just leave it to the men.

Those men who do rape SHOULD take responsibility for their behaviour but the fact is they don't. If they were of that mind they probably wouldn't be a rapist. Many men who have had women in their family raped, abused, assaulted or subject to violence of some sort, know the emotional impact.

If men won't step up and take responsibility, that only leaves us (Women) to take responsibility for ourselves, avoiding unsafe situations and watching where and what we drink and with whom. There will always be predatory men who rape, not much we can do about that other than increasing convictions and getting the sods off the streets.

It is natural for each gender to protect their image, I wouldn't take too much too heart on OLO. Victim blaming is a safety valve (not most men obviously). For some (there is a name for it but I've forgotten) it is a protective mechanism and avoids the unpleasantness of acknowledging the world is not always a safe place. I include men who have been falsely accused of rape as victims too.

Women find it hard to believe any other women could make a false accusation and completely ruin a man's life and men find it difficult to accept some of their gender are rapists. That is why there is a tendency to find excuses, either the problems are overstated, the claims are false or it is the fault of the media, the victim, the dress, the drink etc.

That is my take on Jennifer's article - empowering women rather than relying on men alone.