The Unfuckables...The Sequel

After the comment thread in last night's post about the f'idiotic things men do when attempting to get laid, I was unsurprised that the birth rate was declining in the Western world. But then I read Feministe Jill's epic bad dating stories and those of Salon's Kate Harding and I'm now surprised that we actually manage to breed at all. And if you didn't get in on the comments last night, here's your chance: 21. If I do actually fuck you, don't call me on Wednesday and ask me if I left my underwear there. If you don't know if it's mine, I shouldn't know either. [Feministe, Salon]

Robert M. Baum of the University of Missouri has been conducting research on the Diola people of (what is now) Senegal for nearly 30 years. Despite his many visits and increasing status level within the Diola communities (and his access to male religious leaders and male religious shrines), he continued to be stymied in his efforts to research and understand Diola women's religious traditions — especially when it came to the Ehugna, a fertility shrine accessible only to women who had given birth. Religious leaders refused to be interviewed about it, he was consistently denied access and has finally determined that "...access to women's ritual spaces and esoteric knowledge may be too restricted for male researchers." Yeah, Bob, now you know how women anthropological researchers feel much of the time. Sucks, doesn't it? [Eureka Alert]

How Being A Woman In Politics Can Help, And Hurt

Does the smiling bride in this photograph seem ever-so-slightly familiar? That's because this is Margaret Thatcher in 1951, 8 years before she won her first election. In fact, it's before she "prettied" herself up in order to win that election, if the new film Margaret Thatcher — The Long Walk To Finchley and her former Parliamentarian Edwina Currie are to be believed. In her first two races, when she ran like a man would run, she kept losing so, according to the film and Currie, on the advice of her husband "She lightens her hair, modulates her voice from strident to low and sexy, wears tops that show a hint of cleavage and skirts that display a flash of leg," and then goes and cries to the guy in charge of picking candidates that she's being held back because she's a woman. We'd all like to believe that things have changed. But, I think after this primary season, we all know better that they haven't. And since they haven't, are you being smart by playing along, or stupid by giving in? More »

Are Men Less Likely To Be Depressed Because They Don't Even Know What It Is?

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has announced that while 18 million Americans experience depression every year, one in eight women get depressed, which is twice the rate of depression in men. Twice the rate. In addition, depression hits minorities the most: Middle-aged Hispanic women have the highest rate, then middle-aged African-American women. Young Asian-American women have the second highest rate of suicide among those ages 15 to 24. There are many reasons that women are more likely to experience depression: In addition to genetic factors, brain chemistry issues, and psychosocial losses or changes, there are things that women have to deal with that men usually do not. "Some experiences are unique to women," Dr. Ken Duckworth of the NAMI says, "including post-partum changes, infertility and hormonal fluctuations throughout their lives." But one has to wonder: Do men even realize what depression is? More »