Blogging for Choice

It's the 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, so it's Blog for Choice Day.

I wrote the following on the Women in Astronomy blog last year, and I think it's worth repeating today:

Reproductive freedom, up to and including safe and legal abortions, is vital to women in science precisely because it allows us to choose how and when to start our families, or even whether to do so at all. At nearly every forum on women in science or women in astronomy I attend, the subject of having children always comes up: when's the best time? what about childcare? can I get maternity leave? how do you balance work and family? These questions are hard enough to answer. It's made slightly easier by having the freedom to choose.

In light of the ongoging debate on health care reform and amendments to the bills designed to restrict access to abortion, I think it's vital now more than ever to think about what reproductive rights mean for all women. For my own part, I'll be making a donation to Planned Parenthood today.

The truth about the truth

*testing* *testing*

Boy, this place is dusty with disuse!

I've come back here because I keep constructing blog entries in my head, but they aren't really appropriate for the Women in Astrnomy blog, but I still need an outlet for them, so here I am.

*ahem* Here goes.

A few years ago, I went to a career development workshop, out of which I got very little useful advice. There was however, one exercise which stuck in my mind, and that was answering the question, "What is your biggest flaw?" Well, now I have an answer.

I am too honest.

Here's an example: say I'm interviewing for a job. At some point, the conversation will turn to what it's like to live in the area and quality of life issues, that kind of thing. And rather than expressing 100% enthusiasm for the prospect of living there, I will simply blurt out, "well, I'm not sure I'll like that." Which doesn't actually mean that I won't take the job should it be offered to me, it means exactly that: it's not the ideal living situation for me. But then again, the ideal living situation for me would include one, maybe two specific cities in the US, so why on earth would I even say such a thing?

I believe I am going to shoot myself in the foot with applying for jobs this year, which is bad because there are few jobs to be had to begin with, and I have no real fallback if I don't get a job. Recruiters are willing enough to lie to me (We'd love it if you'd apply to our position! It's a completely open search! We'll get back to you next week!) why shouldn't I be willing to lie to them? Except I can't seem to break myself of telling the truth.