An Ohio man has been charged with a first degree misdemeanor after he allegedly used a law-enforcement computer network to gather information on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber. • North Carolina lawmakers have redefined "life sentence" to mean 80 years. According to the new definition, 20 convicted criminals are now set for release, including several men convicted of raping young girls. • According to a report released by the National Science Foundation, only 33% of people working in science are women. The scarcity of women in science is especially noticeable in the "hard sciences," including the study of radioactive elements. • This photograph, cleverly captioned "Career Choices for Girls According to Videogames" provides a single piece of the puzzle as to why many young girls feel their only options are fashion designer, cheerleader, or professional housekeeper. • John McCain has asked Obama to posthumously pardon black boxer Jack Johnson, who was imprisoned in 1913 for his romantic involvement with a white woman. • As part of an attempt to get male students to be "Renaissance men," Morehouse College in Atlanta has forbidden them from wearing baggy pants, sunglasses, do-rags and clothing "normally worn by women." • Politicians often write books to boost their careers, but Sarah Palin may be a simpler soul. Says onetime Republican spokesman Ron Bonjean, "her goal is to make a whole lot of money." •

• Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha has requested that India return the remains of Mother Teresa. According to reports, Indian church officials are irate over Albania's claim that Mother Teresa rightfully belongs to them. But as she herself once said: "By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world." •  A recent study found that intimate partner violence is linked to many different health problems, including urinary tract infections, chest pain, and acid reflux. They also found that women who had suffered abuse were more likely to be diagnosed with depression. •  A recent case involving a teacher from Michigan, who passed out at a party and awoke later only to find her entire body covered with obscene pictures and language, has sparked a debate about "drunk shaming." To make the story much worse, the teacher claims there was non-consensual sexual activity earlier in the night. •  The Bomb Squad was called yesterday to examine a package sent to a Swedish princess visiting New York. However, the package was found to be harmless, if a little creepy: It contained wires, cassette tapes, underwear and a love letter. •  According to a new report, almost half of the women who requested the morning after pill in Ireland were unable to get access to the pill within the recommended 24 hours. The morning after pill is not currently available over the counter in Ireland. • Researchers are attempting to address the link between socioeconomic status and breast cancer survival rates through examining the possible benefits of targeted interventions. •  A 54-year-old man from the UK claims that Halloween decorations could scare him to death. He suffers from severe arachnophobia, and even the sight of a rubber spider may be enough to give him a heart attack. •  An 86-year-old Florida woman has been charged with stealing a long-haired cat, which she claims was given to her by her neighbor several years ago. •  Liverpool police claim that there have been instances of teenage girls performing sex acts on bouncers in exchange for admittance to a night club named "Pink Bar." Police are seeking to shut down the gay-friendly club. • The Human Society has filed a complaint against IHOP regarding their eggs, which IHOP advertises are "cruelty-free." The Humane Society says that the eggs are not cage-free, and thus cannot be truly called "cruelty-free." •  Unsurprising news: a study found that overweight women's self-esteem dropped when they looked at photographs of models. A little more surprising: underweight women's self-esteem actually rose. • In a Q&A at the San Francisco Commonwealth Club, White House correspondent Helen Thomas said that "Nancy Reagan was a heroine in my opinion," and that Obama "lacks courage." • The Xhosa practice of ukuthwalwa, or abducting girls for marriage, has some South African girls as young as 11 essentially enslaved to their husbands. But Prince Xhanti Sigcawu of the Xhosa royal family says, "Ukuthwalwa like all our other customs was and remains an important part of who we are as people." • In Ireland, 1,722 women were turned away from domestic violence shelters last year because of lack of space. But the Irish government may be about to cut funding for some victims' services by up to 30%. • Princeton will add one gender-neutral, apartment-style dorm to its housing offerings next year, which supporters say will be a boon to transgender students. • A British woman who splashed children by driving through a puddle may face criminal charges, but she says the kids asked for it. • Eight young women, all drug users and some prostitutes, have been killed in Jennings, Louisiana in the last four years, and police say it may be the work of a serial killer. • The Daily Mail interviewed a 52-year-old woman who has been raising a pet crocodile for the past 13 years. In 2005 her husband forced her to choose between him and the croc. She chose her "daughter" because "husbands can look after themselves." • 

• An anonymous man, who has been convicted of attempted rape twice, first when he was 11 and again at 14, spoke to the BBC about his own history of abuse and why he continued the cycle of violence. "I didn't see it as committing a sexual offence, I seen it as a normal act," he said. "I'd witnessed it all my life, it was just normal to me, didn't think there was anything wrong with it… playing doctors and nurses, that's how I described it when I was younger." • Time magazine investigates the link between homophobia in Africa and the AIDs epidemic. Sadly, since public health announcements focus exclusively on heterosexual sex, many African men are unaware of the risks associated with unprotected anal sex. • A recent study on the power of media influence on teen behavior shows that kids are more likely to do stupid shit like "car surfing" (i.e. riding on the roof of a moving car) after they have seen it depicted on television or in a film. • Click here to watch a video of a beagle and a raccoon playing together. Cute interspecies friendships are the best! • A survey of female surgeons found that most women doctors are happy with their career choice, although many of them would prefer to have a more flexible work schedule. • According to a study from the University of Montreal, women who have had their ovaries removed and thus experience premature menopause are more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer than those who enter menopause without intervention. • "Though violence against women can be found in every country, women in societies with entrenched male dominance, patriarchal kinship patterns, and legalised discrimination - the situation in many Arab countries - are acutely vulnerable," reads a recently released UN-sponsored report on "Challenges to Human Security in the Arab Countries." It continues: "The fabled oil wealth of the Arab countries presents a misleading picture of their economic situation to live with the insecurities associated with their status. They are at the mercy of conditions in camps or political and economic events in their host countries, which could suddenly turn against them." • Pro-choice advocate group NARAL has announced that it's endorsing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. NARAL previously withheld support because it was uncertain of Sotomayor's views on the issue since she has never ruled on abortion. •

• WTF: An angry raccoon bit off the penis of a 44-year-old Russian man after he leapt drunkenly on the animal and attempted to rape it. • New research has found that repeatedly making bad jokes may lead to ridicule and embarrassment, with the worst responses often coming from a loved one. [Punny Jezebel ladies, are you listening? I kid. -Ed.] • A new ad for safe sex uses chewing gum and a soothing narrator to effectively illustrate the indiscriminate nature of HIV/AIDS. • A lesbian couple claim that they were treated unfairly by an Egyptian born doctor who refused to take them on as patients. Andrea and Ginette Markowski have filed a complaint against Dr. Kamelia Elias for discrimination. • A MRI performed on a woman with super memory revealed that several sections of her brain were enlarged. Scientists say this may help them discover the source of this rare gift. • A couple in their 20s have been arrested after walking naked through the streets of Singapore. • Esther Adams is a Victoria Beckham look-a-like, but apparently, being genetically blessed and making money off someone else's fame isn't enough for Esther: in an article in the Daily Mail, she complains about the difficulties of being an "imposhter". • A former high school cheerleader has lost her lawsuit for injuries she received when a teammate failed to catch her. The justices concluded that cheerleading is a "contact sport" and neither the male cheerleader who dropped her nor the school was liable for damages. • In 1974, Elaine Murphy wrote a letter to a prominent medical magazine, claiming that musicians often suffered from "cello scrotum," an ailment caused by the instrument rubbing against the performer's crotch. Over 30 years later, Murphy finally admitted that it was all an elaborate hoax. No word yet on whether or not "guitar nipple" is also fake. • Apparently, a cow by any other name would not be so productive: a study has found that cows with names produce more milk than their unnamed sisters. Researchers believe it is the "personal touch" that leads to more milk. • Parishioners at the Holy Family Church in New Jersey have been warned that Obama's new bill, the Freedom of Choice Act, may force many Catholic hospitals to close. Abortion rights groups claim that this is a "a distraction from issues around birth control and sex education for teens that could actually be considered in this Congress." • A former Hooters waitress is suing New York "restaurant" Hawaiian Tropic Zone for discrimination. She claims that the restaurant manager told her "you don't speak white" and "you are ghetto." •

• The U.S. military has announced that it has arrested an al Qaeda figure who helped in the 2006 kidnapping of journalist Jill Carroll. • A black female physician was blocked from seeking a DNA test to prove her direct relation to U.S. founding father James Madison by Madison's recognized/white descendants. • With Proposition 8 looming in CA to ban gay marriage, some Mormons are going on the internet to voice their support for gay marriage. • A new study conducted by an economics professor at UC Berkeley says that economic, environmental, and war-related stress causes pregnant women to release more hormones and give birth to more girls. • The creator of The Secret Life of the American Teenager is upset that a PSA urging parents to discuss sex with their kids is put on at the end of each episode. • Hot Cartoons And The Women Who Could Play Them: Megan Fox as Pocahontas? Really? • Angelica Alfaro defied the odds and stereotypes surrounding children of Mexican immigrants by attending and graduating from a college and not having children. • A guideline for members of district councils in England has cautioned council-members against using phrases like "man on the street" and "manning the switchboard" because they are "offensive" to women. • Rosie Swale Pope, a 61-year-old grandmother in England has just returned from her 5-year, 20,000-mile run around the world. • The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, has pardoned 3 men accused of brutally gang raping a woman with a bayonet after she complained that they kidnapped her son. •

In 1999, Allen was known as the "ninja rapist" because he wore a black mask when he raped or attempted to rape as many as 7 women at knifepoint. Surgical castration, or orchiectomy, as it is called, is a day-surgery procedure done under local anesthesia. Each testicle is removed through a small scrotal incision similar to the kind made during a vasectomy. Allen can expect hormonal changes that could lead to the breast development, osteoporosis and hot flashes.

Six states have experimented with chemical castration laws in the US., which involves the criminal being injected with hormonal compound Depo-Provera (which some of you may be familiar with). But surgical castration is rarely used (and, as far as we know, irreversible). But we're wondering: did the punishment fit the crime? Take our poll after the jump.

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Fla. Rapist Castrated In Plea Deal [ABC News]

• Planned Parenthood head Cecile Richards, daughter of late Texas firebrand Ann Richards, tactfully rips John McCain's campaign a new one after his top strategist calls Planned Parenthood "one of the most radical pro-abortion groups in the country." [Politico]
• Swedish girls are getting fatter and no one knows why. We blame global warming. [USAToday]
• Wait, maybe we should blame mothers! After all, children born to women with postpartum depression tend to be rated as "emotionally negative" more than other kids. [Salon]
• A man charged with rape who had the allegation cleared because the judge fell asleep at his hearing has now raped two more women. [DailyTelegraph]

• In shades of Heavenly Creatures, two teenage Australian girls have been charged with the murder of a friend during a sleepover. Their reasoning? "It just felt right". [Daily Telegraph]
• Feeling like a fat, depressed slob? It could be your thyroid. [CNN]