This TEDx talk is over three years old. The speaker denounces male leaders in general and pushes for more female leaders because the guys are just so incompetent.

I would love to know what MANN readers think of this talk. Some breakdown/analysis/critical deconstruction, if necessary. Comments are open, as always.

Article here. Excerpt:

'It would be easy to make the mistake of thinking men’s issues have become a more acceptable area of discourse over the last nine years, but this might be because we operate within a very small bubble. Where it matters – in Government, education, academia, the arts, and the entertainment and corporate worlds – things are on a one-way ratchet. Lip service may be paid now and then, but in policy and legislation there continues to be a monopoly on sympathy and concern for just one sex. Most men, including myself, would be quite content to tolerate even very high levels of disadvantage if that were compensated by commensurate respect. But it is the withdrawal of all respect for men and its replacement with bottomless vilification that renders the situation of men now entirely unacceptable.
...

Article here. Excerpt:

'Boris Johnson blamed Russia’s war in Ukraine on “toxic masculinity” just days after Vladimir Putin defended his penchant for bare-chested photographs.

The UK prime minister called the invasion a “crazy macho war” after Putin said Johnson would look “disgusting” if he attempted to flex his flesh like the Russian strongman.

“If you want a perfect example of toxic masculinity, it’s what he’s doing in Ukraine,” Johnson told a German television outlet Wednesday.

“You need more women in positions of power. If Putin was a woman — which he obviously isn’t — but if he were, I really don’t think he would have embarked on a crazy macho war of invasion and violence in the way that he has.”'

---

European Queens Waged More Wars Than Kings:

https://www.thecut.com/2016/01/european-queens-waged-more-wars-than-kings.html

Article here. Excerpt:

'A major review has called for Queensland to adopt affirmative consent laws among sweeping reforms to the handling of victims of sexual assault and violence in the state’s criminal justice system.

The long-awaited final report of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce includes 188 recommendations to improve experiences with the justice system.

They include calls for the state government to carry out a “comprehensive” community education campaign to address “rape myths” and for Queensland to adopt affirmative consent laws.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'The new Louisiana law, which Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, signed on June 15, contains similarities to the DeVos regulation.

For one, public colleges must offer students or student organizations the chance to make opening and closing statements during disciplinary panels, and give them the power to cross-examine witnesses.

These proceedings also can’t be marred by conflicts of interest, the law states. To ensure that, college officials cannot take on certain multiple roles in disciplinary cases — for instance, an investigator and adjudicator can’t be the same person.

If students or student-run groups are found to have violated a college’s rules, they must be able to appeal to an administrator or entity that did not make the initial decision.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Last week, on the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX—the federal law banning sex-based discrimination in education—the Biden administration announced sweeping proposed regulations to address how colleges and universities adjudicate sexual misconduct allegations. The move wasn’t very surprising: During the 2020 campaign, Joe Biden had sharply criticized the existing regulations developed by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, which require colleges to conduct live hearings with cross-examination in campus Title IX cases.

With Roe v. Wade overturned, to not mention it hereon is like ignoring the proverbial 800-lb. gorilla. So I won't.

One man's opinion on the recent decision made by SCOTUS: Strictly speaking it is a Constitutionalist/Constructionist decision. However getting the Con'n updated by amendment is nigh onto impossible even when a lot of ppl think it ought to be. So modernist judges use contemporary standards to find rights that are not explicitly acknowledged in the Con'n by interpreting it as if it had just been written w/ today's standards in view. In short, in the matter of individuals' rights discussed in a federalizing document, to me, there is no right answer, as both approaches to interpreting the Con'n are arguably valid. Thus the matter is political in nature since legality itself supplies no solutions. Yes indeed, it becomes a matter of just who is on SCOTUS when the matter comes before the Court.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Title IX initially meant educational institutions had to provide both sexes with opportunities "substantially proportionate to their respective enrollments." And a 1992 court decision determined that noncompliant schools could face lawsuits, as well as being cut off from federal funding.

But when implemented, Title IX effectively turned into a form of affirmative action for women in sports—an unsustainable quota-like system. It's proven difficult for schools to equally allocate resources—scholarships, equipment, arenas, and budgets—across genders and sports, which has caused schools to take the easy way out by slashing male programs. Especially given that football, a huge moneymaker on college campuses, doesn't have a female equivalent in size or impact.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Today, on the 50th anniversary of Title IX's implementation, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education is getting a radical overhaul that will gut critical due process protections for students accused of sexual misconduct.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Another new private club is opening in San Francisco, this time exclusively for female executives. Chief, a private membership network for women, will open up a multilevel space in Jackson Square, as first reported by the San Francisco Business Times.

The space at 735 Montgomery St. was originally slated to debut sometime in 2020 but was delayed because of the pandemic. The space reportedly includes a bar, a lounge space, meeting rooms, private phone booths and a mothers’ room. Chief confirmed to SFGATE that they hope to launch the clubhouse before the end of the year.
...
Carolyn Childers and Lindsay Kaplan founded the network in 2017, and backers of the company include Alphabet’s investment arm CapitalG. It already operates clubhouses in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Membership with Chief doesn't come cheap — women at the vice presidential level would pay of $5,800 annually and C-Suite executives would pay $7,900.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'As Canada moves to introduce legislation to better address an ever-growing volume of online hate, a national non-profit is working to ensure the disproportionate impact on women and gender-diverse people is known.

Informed Opinions launched its Toxic Hush campaign this month, with some initial and disturbing findings from an ongoing survey documenting online harassment and hate.
...
Shari Graydon is the director of Informed Opinions, which works to amplify the voices of women and gender-diverse people. She said while online hate is increasing across the board, it is particularly bad for women with intersectional identities.
...
“The current scenario means many women don’t have freedom of speech because others are exercising hate speech that shuts them down, makes them fear, makes them go offline, makes them decline profile-raising opportunities.”'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Committee Member Jackie Doyle-Price will be chairing a Sub-Committee of MPs from the Women and Equalities Committee who will meet in addition to the usual Committee meetings to focus exclusively on the topic of attitudes to women and girls in educational settings. The inquiry will scrutinise how attitudes in educational settings, from early years to university, affect women and girls throughout their lives. MPs will explore the prevalence of misogyny within the education system- including reports of widespread sexual harassment within schools and lad culture within universities, the ways in which it presents itself, and how far Government initiatives such as updated Sex and Relationships Education address the issues.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'As our country commemorates Father’s Day this weekend, it is important that we recognize the millions of children throughout our nation who are growing up without their fathers. Data from the United States Census Bureau shows that nearly 18.5 million children grow up without their fathers, which has in return led to the United States owning the title of the world’s leader in fatherlessness.

We know that fatherhood is essential to the development of our children, and the increased involvement of fathers in the home leads to better results on a wide variety of outcomes. From economic prosperity, increased academic performance, to improved social mobility; fathers in their respective homes continue to be a key indicator of success for all children across racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. That is why we have joined forces to introduce a resolution into the U.S. House of Representatives that promotes fatherhood and its proven benefit to society.

Article here. Excerpt:

'A case was filed against BJD MLA Bijay Shankar Das on Saturday after he failed to turn up for his own wedding, police said.

The case was filed against Bijay Shankar Das, the legislator of Tirtol, at the Jagatsinghpur Sadar police station based on the complaint of a woman who alleged that he cheated her as he did not turn up at the marriage registrar's office on Friday, they said.
...
The couple applied at the marriage registrar's office on May 17. Though the woman along with her family reached there for the wedding formalities on Friday after the stipulated 30 days, the MLA failed to turn up, as per the FIR.

Bijay Shankar Das, 30, said he has not denied getting married to her.
...
"Another 60 days are there for the registration of the marriage. Therefore, I did not turn up. I was not informed by her or anyone else to go to the marriage registrar's office," he told reporters.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Some Woke activists suggested that Mother’s Day be called “Birthing Persons Day.” After all, some “pregnant persons” identify as men (or non-women) and don’t like being in a place called a “maternity ward.” If the birthing person’s pronouns are “he/him,” that person might identify as the child’s father though not contributing the paternal genetic material. Should “he” get a Father’s Day card?

What should we call the person who contributes the paternal material? In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, family words like “mother” and “father” are viewed as obscenities. We’re not quite there yet, as babies can’t yet be grown in a bottle and decanted, but we can try to make progress in our language.

What would be the equivalent term for father? “Sperm donor” is even less personal than “birthing person.” The child will never call him “Daddy” and will have great difficulty finding out who he is. He might have been picked from a catalog, with anonymity promised. He probably does not know of his child’s existence.