If Prostitution Was Legal, Would There Still be Rape?

Yep.

No question.

You see, rape--or at least, some rape--isn't about sex at all. It's about violence, power, control, force, anger...things that aren't as easily satisfied by renting someone's body for the evening as mere sexual frustration might be.

Here is some more in-depth information about the causes of rape: Causes of Rape

Some will argue that all rape is about violence rather than sex, but I do not believe that research or statistics bear that out. Changing culture over the past few decades has brought about a higher incidence of the type of rape commonly described as "date rape" and a greater likelihood of rape being reported, and with that new information new layers of complexity have appeared.

In any case, it's clear that the rapes that are motivated by violence toward women will not be eliminated by making sex more readily available through legalization of prostitution.

Even where it is about sex, or partially about sex, it's often about SPECIFIC sex (in particular, sex that a rapist feels was in some way "promised" and then not delivered); thus, the availability of an alternative would likely have little or no impact on the in-the-moment reaction.

Further, it is worth noting that in today's society, sex IS fairly readily available. Many accused rapists are young, attractive, well-to-do, and not at all likely to be unable to find sexual release without force. Thus, if it were simply a matter of providing an easily accessible alternative, the problem of rape would largedly have been solved by cultural evolution over the past few decades.


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I Don't Like Birth Control What's My Other Alternatives?

Taking your question literally, you really only have two choices: you can refrain from having sex, or you can have children. Of course, you may be sterile, or beyond childbearing years, or just extraordinarily lucky, but for the most part, those are the options.

That's so obvious, though, that I have to suspect that you don't really mean exactly what you wrote. I'm going to go out on a limb a little and assume that what you meant was that you don't like birth control pills, or hormonal birth control. That's a wise sentiment. Hormonal birth control is safer than it used to be, which unfortunately leads many people to believe that it's safer that it is and to overlook the potentially serious side effects of birth control pills and other hormonal birth control.

So, assuming that what you're looking for is actually an alternative form of birth control, there is a lot of information about various forms of birth control available on the web.

However, each has its own downsides. Some forms of contraception are less effective than others, and none are foolproof. Some carry risks of infection, some require fitting (or even insertion) by a medical professional. Some are just plain messy and/or inconvenient.

Therefore, the best answer to this question (aside from the prospect of a charming baby, of course--I'm pretty crazy about mine) is to talk to your doctor about the birth control options available to you and the pros, cons, and risks associated with each type of contraceptive.

Unless, of course, you're in middle school (or the parent of a middleschooler). Then, read this: Birth Control for Middle Schoolers? I Think We're Missing the Point


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What Size Doggie Door Do I Need for a German Shepherd?

It turns out you have to measure him.

Here is some advice on how to determine what size doggie door you need: Measuring Your Pet.

You might think that measuring your pet for a doggie door would be pretty straightforward, but it turns out that apparently you don't actually need an opening as big as your dog. That's good news, too, because my first thought when I read this question was that any doggie door that was cut to fit a German Shepherd would also fit a small to average burglar quite nicely.


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Can You Get Pregnant From Rape?

For obvious reasons, this one alarmed me.

Yes. Absolutely. Sex is sex, and whether it's voluntary or not if semen enters the vagina, you can get pregnant.

Of course, physical and emotional trauma can also impact your hormone production and throw off your menstrual cycle.

Bottom line: See a doctor. Please. Right away.


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How Does Tiffany Know the Jonas Brothers?

I don't.

Really.

However, I'm going to guess that the person who asked this question didn't mean me.

My first thought was that the question referred to 80s singer Tiffany, because she's the only Tiffany I recall having gone by only her first name.

I suggested that to my daughter, and she said, "Who is Tiffany?" She's 12 and dead center for the Jonas Brothers demographic, so I had to rethink that. In fact, I couldn't come up with another possibility (still really sure they didn't mean me), so I did some Googling myself.

I came to the conclusion that the question related to singer Tiffany Giardina. My daughter hadn't heard of her either, and she was a little edgy about that fact, but it turned out that her music wasn't bad, and she's got a little video on her MySpace page in which Kevin Jonas calls her "our best friend". I suspect a slight exaggeration, but her bio says that she grew up with the Jonas Brothers (there's your answer, if that's what you're looking for).


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What Does Reality Really Mean?

About the same time, I also got "What's really real?" and "What does reality mean to you?"

Honestly, I'm baffled by the idea that the answer to this question is somehow subjected. I'm baffled by the idea that people sit around speculating about whether what they're experiencing is really more real or really less real than other potential realities occurring in their minds or parallel universes or as hypothetical futures.

Look around. Those dirty dishes waiting for you are real. So is the fact that it's entirely within your power to change the fact that there are dirty dishes waiting for you. The sun shining down on you is real, the taste of that peach you just pulled off a tree is real, your relationships are real (even though they may not be exactly what you think they are).

We don't have our own personal, individualized realities. What you see is what there is. Live in it. It's really not so bad.


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The Sun Also Rises What's Wrong with Jake?

I'm going to assume that the question is intended literally. There are a number of arguments possible as to what might be "wrong with Jake" psychologically or as a character, but I'm guessing the question here is about Jake's war wound.

We're never told exactly what's wrong with Jake; the only thing we know is that his war injury makes it impossible for him to consummate a relationship with Brett. Direct information about the nature and extent of the injury is very limited, but this probably isn't merely a matter of delicacy. Much of Hemingway's best work is characterized by a bare-bones approach that requires some work on the reader's part, and The Sun Also Rises is perhaps the best novel-length example of that technique.


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