I hope you weren't implicating me in your first sentence, because I don't deny that estrogen might pollute the water (I phrased it clumsily). What I do call into question, however, is the actual impact of synthetic estrogen from pill-users in relation to the enormous amount of the stuff released by manufacturing,…

Fine, same type of solutions. But there's a great argument to be made that a) the Pill saves the earth a whole damn lot of pollution from significantly more overpopulation and b) the Pill is an anticonceptive that two people use together to prevent pregnancy. To say that it's a women's-only problem would only fly if…

Yeah, but if negligible means, say, 1 percent, why make a big issue out of the one and ignore the 99 other?

I used to think like that. It wasn't just self esteem, it was also a slew of messages I got about boys from within my family. "They're only interested in one thing" being the baseline of most of them.

I rest my case. Compare that to the 800-1000 USD I see quoted everywhere.

Yeah, but that was last week.

I keep wondering why Mirena (and I suspect a bunch of other medication) is so damn expensive overseas. I had to pay for it out of pocket because birth control isn't covered anymore, but it cost me no more than 140 euros (I live in Holland). To my knowledge drugs aren't subsidized, so the difference in cost is insane.

Yeah, but does that really happen that often?

My point was: I think they do - if only as extra's in the background - but it's not strange that you can't think of any.

The Abortioneers ‏@abortioneers

Except when you feel you can't compete with the looks of the girls and women they show. Which goes for, oh, 99% of the people. If they don't show what kind of qualities got the boys were they are, they don't have to compare them.

I think that if you'd really start to tally and study that, it may be diverse, but it's by far not diverse enough. People tend to take more notice of everything that doesn't adhere to the default or to stereotypes. Negative stereotypes are so ubiquitous they can turn invisible. Even to the person stereotyped.

I didn't say that it was objectively a good move for her, because I'm not sure that she's necessarily better off than before this ever happened. I hope, but I'm not certain. What I mean is that she made the absolute best of what was a shitty no-win situation for her (which is one reason why it was so nauseating).

I should've mentioned - before it broke your brain :) - it's the Dutch ruder form for genitalia, which is "kut". My sis is called Ruth. "Ruud" for guys is pretty common here.

BTW, I feel you on the nerves. Hoo boy.

That's too true. This season lacks pick-me-ups to make up for the drainage. I think they're trying to portray upheaval and insecurity of the worst kind, and a lack of direction, and they're really doing a good job of it. Come to think of it, it already started with Lucky Strike leaving.

I just realized that Joan was another one of the 'theme women' - so to speak - who not only couldn't be owned, but couldn't be controlled. Don tried, but she went her own way, for her own reasons, that he couldn't ever fathom, because he's never been in that place.

They took her opinion seriously before, because she was good for it. They'll have to now, because she got a vote out of it. To me, she looked defiant. Yes, Don was shocked, but I don't believe his friendship is so fickle that he'll hold it against her forever. Don can be a bastard, but he's shown this season that he…

No. I honestly believe she'll still be respected. She's earned it, and while their behavior was gross, the partners aren't dummies. They know who she is and what she can do. The only thing they are also really aware of is that she's beautiful and a woman. This episode showed that that's something they can't ever see…

Not just that, but someone had to fork over the five percent. I'm thinking it's all of them combined, but it couldn't come out of nowhere.