Now, don't worry: this study, presented by the American Sociological Association, wasn't actually taking the lay of the land for a possible law. Rather, the researchers, from Indiana University and the University of Utah, used this question -less politically charged than many, but a good indication of general inclinations - to get the 815 respondents (an admittedly fairly small sample) to open up about a range of social issues. Said one researcher, according to USA Today, "Because it's not politicized, people just answer the question without really thinking about it...It sort of taps into people's views about all kinds of things."

Overall, 70% of those polled felt, according to USA Today, "either somewhat or strongly, that it's beneficial for women to take her husband's last name when they marry." And the divides did not appear to be generational. The same researcher called the enthusiasm for government-mandated name-change "interesting"; I'd probably use another word - especially if this is, indeed, an indicator of people's larger views. (Although I'm wondering what the results were "code" for: "no socialized socialist medicine socialists," paradoxically?) People feeling a single name encourages family unity, as many proponents stated, is one thing; taking away choice from something so wholly personal is quite another - and is one of those awful things that, like Michael Jackson's death, is initially shocking - and then, after a moment's depressed reflection, not at all.

Study: Wives Should Take Husbands' Surname [UPI]
70% Say Brides Should Take Husband's Name [USA Today]

According to the Economist, researcher Guido Heineck discovered that,

using the British Household Panel Survey, which in 2005 asked questions to determine the psychological profile of respondents, that certain traits correlate with higher wages. But the relationships differ for each gender. For example, being neurotic is correlated with lower wages for women, but is not significant for men. Women also benefit from being conscientious, but possessing that trait does not have much bearing on male income.

In addition, "being agreeable is correlated with lower earnings for both genders," because, apparently, no one has ever been able to combine courtesy with authority, and as such anything less than utter tyranny is regarded as a sign of passive weakness. Meanwhile, being extroverted and outgoing did absolutely no one any good, and "being open to new experiences," with all its sinister implications, resulted in higher wages for folks of both sexes.

In short: conscientious, unneurotic women open to new experiences (of the inappropriate or foreign office varietal?) have "upper management" written all over them, where they'll govern with high-earning neurotic male sourpusses over a bunch of friendly extroverts. It is noteworthy that, of the paragraph citing the laxness extended to male neuroses and conscientiousness, an Economist reader rejoicing in the name of "Doug Pascover" wrote, "The second paragraph is nothing but good news. I'll drink to that, alone!" You're on your way, mister.

It Pays To Be A Mean Neurotic...If You're A Man [Economist]

The survey reports that 67% of pet owners said they can understand their animals' sounds (such as barks and meows) and 62% of owners said that their pets can understand them when they speak. One-fifth of pet owners said they and their pets understand each other's sounds completely.

Who are these people who say they can communicate with their pets? They are mostly female, living on a lower-income, older and cat-owners. Fewer than six in 10 males said they and their pets understand one another. Men!

AP Poll: Understanding Those Barks And Meows [AP]
Evan Rachel Wood Finds A New Love—A Cat! [People]

• A very important and scientific survey claims that Aussie men are "wimps" because 75% of surveyed men prefer to bring champagne and cheese plates to barbecues and that one in two men prefer to yoga or Pilates over soccer. • A South Korean convenience store giant claims that condom sales have increased 19% since August because couples are waiting until their finances are in better shape to have kids. • Debby, the world's oldest captive polar bear, was euthanized in Winnipeg on Monday after multiple organ failure. She was 42. • Researchers have announced that the 4,600-year-old bones of the oldest genetically identifiable nuclear family in Germany reveal that the family met a violent death. • Latina women who prefer to speak Spanish and live in the US are 5.6 times more likely than white women to report regret or dissatisfaction with their breast cancer treatment. • A woman from Massachusetts was charged on Monday with raping and beating her teenage niece whom she she forced to do work for her family in a "Cinderella-type situation." • From the Institute of Seemingly Obvious Studies: your perceived personality traits are linked to how satisfied you are with your romantic partners. • "Paparazzi schools" in South Korea specialize in training people how to catch and document ordinary citizens transgressing the law in order to receive monetary rewards from the government. • The adoption of foreign children by Americans fell 12% in the past year. • The National Zoo in Washington D.C. has a new addition: a 16-day-old female dama gazelle. • Do people put off expensive divorces during economic downturns or do divorce rates increase with added money stress? • Anti-gravity yoga is a new craze that "could" take England by storm. •

Jezebel Marital Status Survey [Survey Monkey]
Earlier: Single Women: Psyched Or Sad?

All the same, the results of the survey illustrate a society where the dual-income household has become the norm. 35% of men and 40% of women said that the key benefit of having a working spouse is that it alleviates the pressure of being the sole breadwinner. Of the 25% of men surveyed whose wives did not work, 40% of them wished their old lady would get a job. MSNBC added, "Of the approximately 75 percent of men whose wives did work, only 5 percent wished she was at home." Coontz says most men don't want to come home to a wife who hasn't been intellectually stimulated. They're irritated by "a wife who was frequently either bored or boring."

The only real divide that remains, according to MSNBC, is in domestic chores. Over 40% of women say they do more than their fair share of housework, and 29% of men agree. Even with women contributing more to the household income, about 50% of couples say they fight over money at least once a month. Sigh. In some ways, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Sea Change' Seen In Spouse's Financial Roles[MSNBC]
Love (And Money) Story Of Our Time [MSNBC]

Call me old fashioned, but I think there's never an excuse to snoop in someone's email. If you suspect them of something, put on your big girl pants and address the problem like a woman! Don't go for privacy-invading bullshit. But what do you all think? Is it ever acceptable to search a significant other's email account?

V-Day Advice: Ladies, Don't Snoop In People's E-mail [Salon]
Survey Says: Love At First Ping [Google Blog]

Earlier Crap Email From A Dude Tag Archive