k_aegis@mindspring.com wrote:
> I agree that making some topics taboo does not promote understanding between
> humans. On the other hand, not every human will want to talk about every
> topic, there is a set of preferences involved. It would be nice to know
> someone's preferences ahead of time, most of the time one has to make an
> educated guess. Sometimes, one is pleasantly surprised at the range of
> topics available, such as among the persons on this list.
It was pointed out to me by someone else in private email that when a man raises the issue of abortion, "it is an indication/invitation to also openly discuss orchiectomy and vasectomy" -which I think is entirely fair :)
In that spirit, I noticed when I had my vasectomy that they keep the snippets of tubing, preserved in alcohol, to protect themselves against malpractice claims in the event the patient "reconnects" and fathers a child. I told the staff that it reminded me of the movie "Last Emperor of China", where the court eunuchs kept their balls in little boxes so that they could be buried "complete". I've noticed that women laugh harder at this than men....
-- Doug Jones Rocket Plumber, XCOR Aerospace http://www.xcor-aerospace.com