Mice Made Gay By Genetic Modification

• Scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology claim that they have made genetic modifications in female mice that cause them to “reject the advances of their male counterparts and attempt to mate with fellow females.”

The experiment involved deleting the FucM gene in the mice while they were still embryos. However, researchers note that this does not mean sexual orientation necessarily has a genetic basis in humans – just that it does in rodents. • A Scottish lingerie brand has decided to branch out into clothing, but Ultimo owner Michelle Mone had one caveat: the clothes had to be modeled by “real women.” And where does one find “real women?” On Facebook, natch. The lingerie company looked for their non-model models online, and ultimately chose 14 ladies who fit the bill. Though we snark slightly, their pictures – and stories – are really pretty great. • An autopsy of an 87-year-old woman who died after being tased by deputies showed that she suffered from heart disease. According to experts, a healthy person wouldn’t have died from the taser gun, but because Phyllis Owens had been ill, she was under far greater risk. Police maintain that she was threatening them with a gun. • Are the Clintons moving house? Rumor has it that the political power couple is set to swap their mansion in Chappaqua, New York for a larger place in Bedford Hills. • In other pressing Clinton-related news: Chelsea Clinton might convert to Judaism. Or not. Basically, the news here is that no one knows whether she plans to convert for her future hubby or how they plan to raise their (yet to be conceived, as far as we know) kids. • A recent study found that every day, 10 women in Brazil are killed in domestic violence cases. The government-sponsored study, called Map of Violence 2010, found that 41,532 women were murdered between 1997 and 2007. To make matters worse, Brazil’s women’s police stations report seeing an exorbitant number of complains of threats that see no prosecution. • The glass ceiling may be lowest for women seeking to hold positions of religious leadership, according to a recent symposium held at Georgetown University. While women play a vital role in religious institutions – and they should play an important role in peacekeeping operations – there are relatively few women who hold positions of power. • A British intelligence source reports that a group of burqa-clad women carrying AK-47 assault rifles were spotted in Somalia on Monday. The women are believed to be linked to Al Qaeda. They reportedly paraded around an extremist rally, demanding the withdrawal of foreign troops. • The gender disparity in Vietnam has reach an “alarming level” according to the general director of the General Office for Population and Family Planning. If the birth ratio continues in this trend, soon there will be a shortage of wives, Duong Quoc Trong says. “The richer people become, the more boys they want,” added another official. “As health care services become more developed and advanced, people have more opportunities to choose the gender of their children.” • Men working in academic careers are generally happier with their jobs than women, according to results of numerous studies. However, the happiness level tends to vary by discipline, with women in the physical sciences and humanities reporting more job satisfaction than those in the visual and performing arts. • A registered sex offender was arrested on July 3rd after he asked police for directions to the “Little Miss Fairborn” beauty pageant so that he could take photos. Michael Lynn Light, who was convicted of abusing a young girl, pleaded not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. • Forty percent of U.S. adults admit that fumbling with a condom dampens the mood for sex, and 90% say they’ve had unsafe sex at least once. The same survey also found that 70% of respondents think of love when they hear the word passion, 67% think of romance, and 55% think of sex. Weirdly, a full 43% think of commitment. •