Last week, a Chicago-area judge sentenced Clifton Williams to 6 months in jail. The crime? No, not drugs, theft, or violence. The offense for which Williams was sentenced was far more ordinary: yawning.

Williams, who sat in the galley as his cousin was being sentenced on drug charges, let out a yawn and stretch while Judge Daniel Rozak was handing out the sentence. Rozak immediately found him in contempt-of-court and handed him a 6 month sentence, the largest sentence legally permissable without a mandatory review. Ironically, Williams’ cousin received 2 years of probation for slinging crack.

Of course, it is unlikely that Williams is completely innocent. In fact, I have no doubt that he let out a yawn as means of disrupting the court. It is also unlikely that Williams, who has already been incarcerated for a week, will have to serve the entire sentence. Most people in the county get out of jail in a few days by apologizing to the judge. Still, this feels like an egregious abuse of judicial power.

Without question, courtrooms are central to the functioning of our democract. As such, they deserve full decorum and respect. It is for this reason that judges have broad legal discretion to effectively manage their court rooms.  Unfortunately, some judges do not use their authority in the interest of order and justice, but rather to satiate their thirst for unchecked power and uncritical deference.

Judge Rozak seems to be one of those people.

This year, 5 contempt charges have been brought in the county. Four have been brought by Rozak. In fact, since 1999, Rozak has accounted for one-third of all contempt charges. Given the fact that there are more than 30 judges in the 12th Judicial Circuit, we have every reason to believe that his behavior is both excessive and irregular.

Given the current assault on individual freedom and justice, particularly for our most vulnerable citizens, it is important that we keep a spotlight on such activities, both in Chicago and in our own cities. More importantly, we must organize and challenge the system that allows such behavior to go unexamined and unpunished.

Question to the Sexpert:

“As long as you’re discussing interesting studies, might we get your thoughts on this little gem related the female enthusiasm for sex to red wine consumption. Also, what is the Female Sexual Function Index?”

Much like I’d gratefully smile at a relative who changes the subject to the weather at an awkward Thanksgiving dinner where I grow weary of trying to explain to Grandma why it’s not ok to refer to the Mexican neighbors as “Spanish people,” I’m glad you brought this up.

Not only is the study itself a fascinating bit of sex research, it’s also a perfect exemplar of the phenomenon of mainstream media doing a piss poor job of reporting sex research.

Some Italian scientists, looking for trouble, gave the Female Sexual Functional Index (a self-report survey on arousal and satisfaction which you can read here) to 800 women between the ages of 18 and 50 who came into a Tuscan hospital. They divided the ladies into three categories: red wine drinkers, non drinkers and those who prefer other alcohol and excluded the results of everyone who drank more than 2 glasses a day, those who smoked and those with specific sexual dysfunctions.

What they discovered is that women who drank one or two glasses of red wine a day scored a little higher on the Index. All we know for certain is that in this particular group (which may or may not be representative of all women) those who drank a little bit of red wine reported having better sex lives. That’s it. That’s all this study proves. It doesn’t prove wine makes women hornier, it doesn’t prove women who drink have better sex, it doesn’t prove that wine will help your sex life.

But the media reporting the story was more than happy to make ridiculous leaps of logic for the sake of having tantalizing leads. One story started, “If you’ve always thought booze made sex more enjoyable, science may have finally agreed with you,” despite the fact the study said nothing of the sort. Others made inferences that people should drink on the way to the bedroom or that wine might be the key to a better sex life.

And nearly all the articles included either a picture of a glass of wine or a photo of a white couple in bed, the woman wearing a bra and the man topless, drinking white wine. Yet, the study actually only looked into red wine. Not a big deal in and of itself, of course, but a great example of how you can’t take mainstream media reports of scientific findings at face value.

To further examine the study and reasons why you shouldn’t immediately go to Wine and Spirits with the plan of saving your marriage, here is Timaree’s Methodological Problems O’Rama:

· Women who drink one to two glasses a day of red wine might also eat a diet that encourages cardiovascular health and live less stressful lives than those who drink a lot more or none at all, both factors that might contribute to sexual satisfaction. And they might also be relaxed about sexuality in general.

· Self report of sexual satisfaction is not proof of sex being better.

· The study was performed in Italy, a country known for its wine production. The possibilities for both skewed samples and conflicts of interests abound.

· There is no way to know whether the wine has an effect on sex drive or if women with higher sex drives tend to like wine.

· Older women scored higher on the index than young ones, indicating that satisfaction with sex might be more a function of natural or developed sexual peaks than the effect of alcohol

The list can continue on for a hot minute. In any event, the take-home message is that sexuality is complex and the media wants to simplify things to the point of worthlessness… so don’t base your decisions on cheesy news bits. And if you want to bang an Italian woman, get her lightly toasted.

Questions? Comments? Violent Reactions? Email sexwithtimaree@gmail.com See more at SexwithTimaree.com

Sexpert Timaree Schmit is currently finishing her doctorate in Human Sexuality, the culmination of a lifetime of prurient interests. She has worked as a sex educator writing for both academic and popular media for over seven years, and as an HIV Prevention Counselor, peer sexuality educator and adjunct professor. She was the founding Chair of the Human Sexuality Education Student Organization (HSEDSO) and is an active member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and the Society for Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS). You can see more of her work at SexWithTimaree.com

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Questions? Comments? Violent Reactions? Email sexwithtimaree@gmail.com See more at SexwithTimaree.com

The Repression of the Repressed
By Mumia Abu-Jamal

In the 30 years since the Islamic Revolution, the U.S. has been the focal point of Iran’s foreign and domestic policy; the pivot around which all else spins.

It has been the central theme animating its diplomacy, and also the organizing tool that the elites have utilized to elicit support from broad sectors of the population.

The recent spate of threats from the previous (George W.) Bush administration, and the nomination of Iran to the fatuous ‘axis of evil’ served to only reinforce state power, and strengthen the hands of the powerful clerics, for they were able to deploy Iranian nationalism as a mobilizing force.

The Iraq War was a godsend to Iran, for it removed its bitterest enemy, Saddam Hussein, and led to the emergence of the Shia majority as a power, right next door.

Yet, all is not well in the Islamic Republic, as shown by the recent eruption of protests that followed the announcement of the presidential results. The irony is that all 3 approved presidential candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and, yes — even Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were given permission to negotiate with Washington.

I say ‘given permission’ because under the Iranian constitution the president doesn’t run things — the Supreme Leader does.

In Iran, all of the wheels of state power, political, military and judicial, converge in the person of Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei — the Supreme Leader.

When the 1979 Iranian revolution caught fire, all major segments of Iranian society  turned against the man known as  “America’s Shah”, who was regarded as a U.S. puppet.  The Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was a dictator, whose secret police, the Savak, were dreaded and feared for their use of torture.

After the Revolution did torture continue?  Certainly.  As Will and Ariel Durant taught us, “Nothing is clearer in history, than the adoption by successful rebels of the methods they were accustomed to condemn in the forces they deposed”
[The Lessons of History (1968), p. 341]

In fact, the Iranian revolution was a rightest revolution, that wiped out leftist forces from the workers’ movements, the students, radical political parties and democratic activists.

In part, that explains much of the present repression against the many forces which converged around the elections, for they are seen, not just as adversaries, but enemies of the state — and worse, enemies of God.

Iranian scholar Farhi Farideh, in her brilliant 1990 study, States and Urban-Based Revolutions: Iran and Nicaragua  (University of Illinois Press) argues that every successful revolution uses “dangerous” memories from hidden histories to inspire, teach and mobilize new generations to rebel and recreate new social and political realities.

Iran has thousands of years — even before its Islamization — to draw upon, to find new ways — and perhaps old ways -to recreate a thriving civilization in the Middle East.

– (c) ‘09 maj

Today’s photo of the day shows Euna Lee and Laura Ling returning home to their families. It will be interesting to see how this incident enable Kim Jong-il to re-brand himself amongst the North Korean people. Also, I’m wondering if the use of Bill Clinton in an “unofficial capacity” enabled President Obama to engage in the type of bilateral diplomacy that he promised during his campaign without drawing the ire of increasingly unhappy voters. All of that aside, this is a great moment for the Lee and Ling families, the Obama Administration, and the broader American public.