The New Jersey State Senate defeated a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage in the state on January 7, 2010. The state legislature had, within their grasp, the opportunity to show courageous leadership to advance the cause of civil rights and to end discrimination against homosexual couples - and they blew it.
Make-up, dieting, waxing, shaving, painful heels and uncomfortable underwear are all common expectations of many (not all, mind you) women in relationships, but these issues are purely physical. When it comes to the emotional burdens, women have it much easier than men.
Every weekday morning, my girlfriend wakes up at 6:45 and, like my colleague points out, she goes through a series of ritualistic cosmetic applications before she leaves her apartment to get to work by 9AM. When I ask her why she goes through the trouble of shaving her legs, straightening her hair, putting on blush, eye shadow, mascara, lip gloss, painful heels, and a stride-restricting pencil skirt, to simply sit in her cubicle all day, she answers, "It makes me feel pretty.