In India, China, and Russia women equal and sometimes outnumber men in hard and soft science fields. Are Indian women's XX different that American women's XX? The issues are institutional and leadership. Claiming they are innate prevents modernizing academe.

The joker in the pack is motherhood. It stops the tenure clock, and makes those 80 hour weeks impossible. The second joker is the bias against publishing female scientists.

I will point out that female scientists do better outside of academe. Academe still has a number of very old fashioned barriers to success for parents who want to spend time with their kids. The 80 hour weeks, the service requirement, the tenure process itself, the fiefdoms.

The problems with science jobs is very real. We are losing them to other countries. American companies want to outsource R&D, and state legislatures are beginning to move research funding for flagships into teaching dollars across systems. If that research support continues to change, and the problems with industry support continue, along with the political problems of doing hard science in America, then the gender of our scientists may become the least of our problems.

It's as if I have no choice or power to avoid plummeting and the noose around my neck is vodka.

Bullshit. You choose between the drink and the family. You are not powerless. Too many people do stop, do control their drinking. But THEY have to make the CHOICE to do so. To keep on drinking too much is a choice.

Avoid the triggers. Figure out what it takes. But don't whine that you don't "choose" this. You loved ones do not CHOOSE to put up with your crap when you drink They are victimized by the "person who is not you". Does it really matter when the drunk hits, cuts, beats, says vicious things? Does saying "I have no choice" absolve you? No, it doesn't.

AA isn't for everyone. But choosing to control or stop drinking is within the power of an alcoholic. It's a big commitment. I've very proud of my brother for doing it. It can be done.

The article has so many factual problems it's best to not even go there. The real issue is that everyone has the right to critique every religion. Arab media dn governmental elites, as well as religious elites, ahve launched attacks on Christianity and Judiasm that are far more ugly and vicious than anything the Pope said. If you can dish it out, you need to be able to take it. If you can't take it, don't dish it out.

There are contradictions in all of the Abrahamic faiths. Islam gets no pass for this. Sura 2 is contradicted by the Sura allowing force to conversion. The two are in direct conflict. Mohammed's convert by the sword doctine is in direct contradiction to Sura 2's "No faith by force". It is as legitimate to debate that as to critique the catholic Church's idiotic condom policy (the controversial "lesser evil" policy"), the ordination policies, etc. The true believers are not the ones rioting over the Pope's remarks. it's the people of little faith and intelligence, allowing themselves to be distracted by corrupt elites who bash the Pope to cover their own corruption and horrible exploitation of their own people.

The screaming is a misdirection by corrupt Arab elites. I pray for the day people in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, etc start asking "where is my real education", "where is my good job", "where are my services", why do these people get this differential treatment? That's the day the imans had better start worrying.

You are not helpless. But it sure is easier to act like it.

When alcoholics hit rock bottom, they give up the booze. Not before. Until then, they sound just like you. Every excuse, it's all to hard. You have to make the decision and let go of the excuses.

I earned the right to rip. My relative did this. We all suffered. Been there, got the T-shirt.

Instead of wallowing in your selfishness, make the decision to get sober.

Think about the others in your life instead of yourself.

I thought the tone had to come fromt he second email and the persistence. There's something here that makes me feel he is protecting the LW. He isn't saying mentally ill. He says she needs help.

The grandparents going behind the back raised a flag for me. A daycare should not have allowed that, nor a babysitter. Unless the babysitter was family? A sibling who didn't know?

The grandparents visit sounds manipulative in the worst sense. Normal people don't do that. It takes a whole lot of entitlement to visit not once, not twice, but multiple times when the parents are not home, because you know they would not be happy. Clearly the babysitter/daycare should have stopped it upon request. Something is going on here beyond this letter.

I'll give cary the benefit of the doubt. I hope the LW gets the help she needs, be it a lawyer, police, whatever.