Slideshow here.

'We're not saying we're better -- or even stronger -- than our male counterparts, but we do have certain advantages.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'A holiday weekend is coming up, which means that a lot of women will be spending time with their significant others. In the interest of keeping relationships intact during this time of togetherness, I thought about the ways we, as women, take a few too many liberties with our men and think it's okay.

I mention this because day to day female interactions stresses being polite and positive, even if what a situation really calls for is brutal honesty. Consider this post an open call for change in lieu of creating awkward moment during brunch.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'Two young Massachusetts women have been placed on unpaid leave from their jobs after posting a photo on Facebook showing one of them at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery giving the finger beside a sign calling for silence and respect.

Lindsey Stone, 30, and Jamie Schuh, who took the photo, were placed on unpaid leave by a non-profit, LIFE Inc., based in Hyannis, Mass., which helps adults with special needs, the Cape Cod Time reported on Wednesday.

The chief financial officer of the told the Times that the company is ''appalled.''

A Fire Lindsey Stone page has gotten more than 14,000 "likes."'

Article here. Excerpt:

'I'm caught short by the return of the word "misogynist", thanks to Australian PM Julia Gillard tagging the term on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. I'd thought it was a quaint old word replaced in common usage 40 years ago by "male chauvinist pig".

After all, why use one word when we can waste three?

It's true the two terms are not strict synonyms, but male chauvinist pig devoured the other's usage because its meaning was very similar, it was stroppier, and it was part of the enraged language of early Women's Lib. To its more extreme first users, male chauvinist pig was a satisfying phrase, made entirely from swear words.

And it rolled redolently from the tongue with an oink-oink here, and a P plosive there.

Pig's plosive, it may be noted, is a consonant which can't be uttered without ejecting a puff of hot air.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Johnathan Montgomery spent the past four years in a Virginia state prison saying the same thing a lot of inmates do: He was innocent.

Convicted in 2008 of molesting a 10-year-old girl outside her grandmother's Hampton home when he was 14, he insisted the alleged 2000 assault never happened. Turns out, he was telling the truth.

After the woman recently recanted her story, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell on Tuesday issued a conditional pardon to Montgomery, allowing him to be freed in time for Thanksgiving at his father's home in Vale, N.C.

"The truth sets you free," Montgomery, now 26, said Tuesday night, shortly after being released from the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarrat, Va., where reporters awaited him.

It's not exactly clear why the woman, Elizabeth Paige Coast, recanted her story, but she was working as a clerk for the Hampton, Va., police department at the time.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'CHIEF Mumena of the Kaonde people has called on women to encourage their partners to seek male circumcision services.

Speaking at a voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) stakeholders meeting held recently at Hotel Inter-Continental in Lusaka, the traditional leader called for an increase in male circumcision communication.

"Male circumcision is about survival. Women should realise that male circumcision helps prevent cervical cancer, thus women should demand for their partners to get circumcised," she said.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Oh! Such a day exists?’ That was the response of most people, when told about ‘International Men’s Day’ that has been celebrated, though in a far more low key fashion than Women’s Day, for over a decade.

There is a lot of talk about gender equality and justice but when it comes to assigning a day to thank the contributions made by the gentlemen, no one seems to care. TV channels, magazines and youth groups come out in full vigour to celebrate Women’s Day that falls on March 8, however, the day for men is unknown to even men.

“It is that phase of the world where people should realise that men are a tortured lot too, especially in the name of the so called ‘women’s rights’,” says social activist Baby Prasad, who has been championing men’s rights for the past six years. According to him, those who are keen to celebrate women’s day should also make it a point to acknowledge the contributions of the men, who pretend to be strong but are in actuality having a tough time.

Article here. Excerpt:

'When a woman is harassed, a number of NGOs and the National Commission for Women arrive to provide support. But a similar system is not available for harassed men, who also consider it unmanly to join any movement fighting for men’s rights and relate the problem too late.

Link here. Excerpt:

'A Swedish woman has been charged with possession of human skulls and bones, which the prosecution claimed she used for sexual purposes.

The 37 year-old woman kept at least six skulls, one spine and "a large number of other bones" in her Gothenburg apartment, according to the prosecution's charge sheet.

It said she had used the human body parts "for various sexual activities". The evidence included two CDs entitled "My necrophilia" and "My first experience".
...
"I want my man like he is, whether he is dead or alive. He allows me to find sexual happiness on the side," added the woman, who has said she is in a relationship.

The access code to a morgue was also found in the apartment, the paper said, citing a press conference held by the prosecutor on Tuesday.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Fresh off his reelection, President Barack Obama is asking his supporters to complete a survey that asks the people being polled to check off which “constituency groups” they identify with – there are 22 groups listed but not one for “whites” or “men.”

The post-election survey, distributed through www.barackobama.com to “take this organization forward,” includes the question, “Which constituency groups do you identify yourself with? Select all that apply.” It then lists 22 groups.

But whites and men are not on the list – women are, as are African Americans, Arab-Americans, Latinos and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender).'

The article title says it's due to chores; but the article says it's differences around how money is spent. Article here. Excerpt:

'Most marriages break down over arguments about who does mundane household chores or pays the bills rather than due to infidelity, according to a leading law firm.

According to analysis of divorce cases by Gateley, a UK law firm, seven in ten marriages fall apart because couples fail to reach an agreement on decisions relating to the home, such as how monthly finances are arranged, where couples live or how household responsibilities are carved up.

Only one in five marriages ends because of infidelity, the law firm said.
...
Of the seven in ten marriages that fail because people can not agree on simple domestic issues, by far the most common cause is lack of agreement over finances. One in eight of these marriages disintegrate because couples are unable to agree on where to settle down.'

As we celebrate the season of giving thanks we turn to you our committed e-lert activists, hardworking volunteers, dedicated staff, and generous donors to say that we couldn't do this without you. Every one of our advances is due to your commitment to our success. Thank you!

Looking for a good movie to catch this holiday season? Next Monday is the premiere of The Central Park Five, the story of the five young men who were wrongfully convicted for the 1989 rape of a jogger in Central Park. Check your theater for showtimes. You can watch the trailer here.

Thanks again for everything, from the bottom of my heart.

Visit http://www.saveservices.org/dvlp to join SAVE's Domestic Violence Legislative Project (the DVLP).

Teri Stoddard, Program Director
Stop Abusive and Violent Environments
www.saveservices.org

Link here. Excerpt:

'In much of the developing world, men retain significant authority over many aspects of family and community life. Without men, we don’t have healthy communities. Men frequently control decisions about access to resources that either limit – or expand – access to education, health and social support services for women and girls. Men may – or may not – adopt and model behaviors that safeguard their own health and the health of their partners. Peace Corps employs several strategies that engage men and boys to reduce gender inequalities and promote the health and well-being of women, men, and children.
...
These male-focused activities are typically complemented by programs directly focused on women and girls. Hundreds of Volunteers in dozens of countries regularly organize “Girls Leading Our World” (GLOW) camps and similar activities that empower adolescent and young adult females to be conscious of and prepared to respond to male behaviors that may compromise their health and wellbeing.'

From Marc A.:

Today is International Men's Day, a day to celebrate the men and boys in our lives and men's contributions to humanity, civilization, family, & child care, and to address men's issues and equal rights.

International Men's Day was first inaugurated in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago, and today is celebrated in over 60 nations and on every continent. The objectives of IMD include focusing on men's and boys' health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It is an occasion to highlight discrimination against men and boys and to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular for their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care. Speaking on behalf of UNESCO, Director of Women and Culture of Peace Ingeborg Breines said of IMD, "This is an excellent idea and would give some gender balance." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Men's_Day

Article here. Because it's in the NYTimes, use Google.com to see it. Paste the URL:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/health/teenage-boys-worried-about-body-image-take-risks.html

into the search box and click "Google Search", then click the first hit. Excerpt: