Letter here. Excerpt:

'The foreskin is a vital part of the penis which protects the glans, keeps it warm and moist, stops it becoming toughened and calloused [keratinized] as a result of constant abrasion on underwear and bed sheets and loosing most of its capacity to feel the normal sensations during intercourse.

The foreskin can be thought of as being in two parts: the outer foreskin is more or less an extension of the skin that covers the shaft of the penis whereas the inner foreskin is mucosal tissue and contains many of the specialized nerves that give pleasure during intercourse. The inner foreskin is a different color and when withdrawn over the shaft, as it is during intercourse, it covers between 30 and 90% of the penis. When considering the inner and outer foreskin it comprises approximately 90% of the skin of the penis and is a lot to have cut off.'

Also, another letter to the same paper, briefer and to the point.

Story here. Excerpt:

'As the university continues to diversify its field of studies for students, an organization hopes to assist with the addition of a new library on campus.

The UK Feminist Alliance is applying for a grant to create a gender studies library and resource center to be located in Student Center in the Center for Student Involvement.

The Feminist Alliance will be applying for a grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women in the spring, but they do not currently have funding for this project.

The president of the UK Feminist Alliance, Virginia Conn, said the library will be a significant addition to UK because it shows the university is committed to diversity. Conn said women are making up more of the workforce than ever before.
...
“Any effort that helps raise awareness about feminism and dispels stereotypes and misinformation, is something that I applaud and encourage,” Cooper said. “I also hope folks will be generous with their donations to the Feminist Alliance.”'

Article here. Excerpt:

Article here. Excerpt:

'...“The presidents of the major universities are very concerned we are not attracting young men in the numbers we should,” says Samarasekera, who worries about a loss of gender diversity in the future ranks of CEOs and judges. That was cause for concern when men outnumbered women, she argues—why not now? “We’ll wake up in 20 years and we will not have the benefit of enough male talent.”

The remarks didn’t sit well with some at the U of A. Derek Warwick, a women’s studies major, decided to respond—he and his friends plastered 300 posters mocking Samarasekera around campus. One, borrowing a motif from the 1958 flick Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, depicted a towering female student menacing the campus, with the tagline, “Women are attacking campus!”

Warwick was threatened with penalties ranging from probation to expulsion for distributing “malicious material.”'

Two weeks ago, Slate.com's short-lived¹ publication "Double X" published an article by Kathryn Joyce entitled "Men's Rights' Groups Have Become Frighteningly Effective"².

This was not Slate.com's finest hour. One thing this article could never be accused of is objective reporting.

On Nov. 5th, the very same day the Double X article appeared, Salon.com's Broadsheet published an article by Judy Berman entitled "'Men's rights' groups go mainstream"³ that adds no new information, and simply seems to be an effort to repeat the Double X article to Salon's readers.

Since the Double X article appeared there have been several analyses of its flaws, the most recent being Cathy Young's article in Forbes:

"Feminism should be about equality–for males too"⁴ which says:

"More than a quarter-century ago, British feminist philosopher Janet Radcliffe Richards wrote, 'No feminist whose concern for women stems from a concern for justice in general can ever legitimately allow her only interest to be the advantage of women.'

Joyce's article is a stark example of feminism as exclusive concern with women and their perceived advantage, rather than justice or truth."

Article here. Excerpt:

'The study, by the economists David Card at Berkeley and Gordon B. Dahl at the University of California-San Diego, looked at police reports of family violence on Sundays during the professional football season. (An earlier, free version of the study is here.)

The researchers were interested in what happened when a home team suffered an upset, which they defined as losses in games that the home team had been predicted to win by more than 3 points.

After controlling for things like location and weather, they found that upset losses by the home team were associated with higher rates of domestic violence. In fact, an upset typically led to an 8 percent increase in police reports of at-home incidents where a man attacked a female partner. Upset losses in games involving a traditional rival had an even bigger effect on the rate of partner violence as did unexpected losses after games involving an unusual number of sacks, turnovers or penalties.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'A 17-year-old secondary school student and his 26-year-old female teacher had sex - and a baby - after bonding when putting the school yearbook together.

The teacher tried to stop the incident going public to protect her now two- year-old child, but it came to light on Friday when the disciplinary tribunal of the Teachers Council released a copy of its decision on the teacher's future.
...
The tribunal has not stripped the teacher of her registration. Instead, it has indefinitely suspended her practising certificate. Before she is allowed back into the classroom, the teacher must show she has addressed ethical and professional issues around power relationships between teachers and students.

The decision is not clear on whether the teacher and student are still romantically involved, saying only that they "maintain a relationship as a result of their joint parenting of the child".
...
The decision said the teacher had emphasised that the student was "very nearly eighteen".'

Story here. Excerpt:

'If women drivers get their way, then they might be able to visit women-only garages in the future, as well as taking out specific car insurance for women.

Female drivers have voted to show that they would like to see women-only garages, because the majority often feel intimidated or patronised when taking their car to the male-dominated arena of garages.

Research from women's car insurance provider Diamond, has found that a significant proportion of women would prefer to see women-only garages, and this also applies to buying a new car, where women said they also feel patronised and would prefer to buy a new car from a saleswoman than a man.
...
"However," she added, "garages still seem to be very much men's domain and can be intimidating for some women. Women only garages could make for a more comfortable experience."'

Article here. Penned in 1994, still a good read today. Excerpt:

'In any work that requires skill or confers status, men's jobs and women's jobs have been distinct and separate throughout all but the last few decades of history, in all cultures and civilizations. The belief that women's jobs and women's social status were always inferior to men's -- practically an article of faith today -- is a half-truth at best. Rather, men competed with men, women with women. In knowledge work today, however, men and women increasingly do the same jobs and are competing and working collegially in the same arena.

Historically, women have always worked as hard as men. A farmer had to have a wife. And a woman on the farm had to have a husband. Neither could run a farm alone. ...

But, historically, men and women did the same work only when it was menial. Men and women both dug ditches, and they worked together. Men and women both picked cotton in the fields. ...'

Story here. Excerpt:

'After decades of feminism, equal rights and "women-only" support networks, a lower, deeper voice is attempting to make itself heard at some of Britain's leading universities.

Male students are "manning-up", setting up men's groups to celebrate and explore the concept of masculinity amid accusations of sexism and gender stereotyping.

Article here. Excerpt:

"Working women have long complained that their man doesn't pull his weight on household chores.

But his lack of effort on the domestic front could actually be a myth created by his partner, researchers have found.

According to a major study, female breadwinners exaggerate their partner's uselessness around the home because they feel guilty about devoting too much time to their career, and not enough to their role of wife and mother.

By nagging their man over his alleged shortcomings, women feel more feminine because they can control the traditionally female role of maintaining the home and family, experts say.

Via Jeremy S. An oldie but a goodie, here. Excerpt:

'When reporting on gender issues, the media sometimes misrepresent statistics in a way that severely disfigures the reality of the sexes. Take Time magazine’s report from some years ago comparing male and female victims of workplace violence. At the bottom of Time's archived page entitled “Odds & Trends” is what Darrell Huff, author of How to Lie with Statistics, would call a “statisticulation,” the misinforming of people via statistical manipulation. Here is Time's statisticulation exactly as the magazine printed it:

THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH ON THE JOB FOR WOMEN IS HOMICIDE. OF WOMEN FATALLY HURT AT WORK FROM 1980 TO 1985, 42% WERE MURDERED, 64% BY GUN. AMONG MEN, ACCIDENTS ARE THE TOP OCCUPATIONAL KILLER; HOMICIDES ACCOUNT FOR JUST 12%

Describing the men's homicide rate as “just 12%,” Time completes its statisticulation, its lie that at work the sex facing the far greater murder risk is women.

Action item here. Excerpt:

'For those of you who have been through the family courts and wondered what just happened this email contains several resources judges use to determine whether or how much time you will have with your children. There are many good judges across the nation working to keep children and parents fully engaged with each other. On the other hand statistics continue to indicate Fathers are the parent overwhelmingly relegated to visitor, non-custodial or non-primary residential status even when that Father has joint legal and/or physical custody of the children and has been a 'hands on' fully engaged parent.

Our movement needs to be aware of an influential organization located in Reno, Nevada called the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). For the better part of the past 60 years NCJFCJ has provided training and programming material for family court judges. Their influence in family law and the courts is significant.'

Specific actions to take are listed at the end of the item on the ACFC web site.

Answer here. You get two guesses as to the sex of the offender. The first guess doesn't count. This was a fairly brutal assault, by the way, with the perpetrator drugging the victim and inserting a foreign object into the victim's rectum while the victim was passed out, causing severe rectal bleeding.

'A 54-year-old Longmont woman accused of drugging and raping a male friend last year could spend up to five years behind bars after pleading guilty this afternoon to menacing and third-degree assault.

Janice McCarl will be sentenced Jan. 22. She faces prison and hefty fines but won’t have to register as a sex offender -- a result that the victim did not agree with, prosecutor Catrina Weigel said.

He "felt she should have to be required to register,” Weigel said.

McCarl’s case was scheduled to go to trial this week, but attorneys agreed to a plea deal at the last minute. If she had been convicted of sexual assault, McCarl could have been sentenced to up to 16 years in prison.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'"Having sex with a condom is not what many men are used to. Even if they know their status, some are reluctant. But the hardest part is encouraging them to get tested. Families are traditional - it is hard for a woman to get tested if the man hasn't," says the 69-year-old. "If a woman comes home with condoms, the man thinks she is trying to take control."

At the joint government and BIPAI funded Baylor hospital in Maseru, a support group of 70 fathers meet to become HIV literate.

"The idea was that if we can empower men to become HIV aware, children and mothers will also get tested," says Dr Christopher Linda, one of the founders of the father-run group. "Most don't have any knowledge of HIV or what it means for children, so we show them videos of how it is passed on. People come still attached to stigma. But at least they are starting to come into hospitals now. Health has for too long been a female issue."'

Is it me, or does it sound like they're really 're'-making it a female issue, disguised as a male one?