A few years ago I participated in a discussion with a group of women from AAUW, (formerly known as The American Association of University Women) who were in such fields as nursing, audiology, speech therapy, teaching, social work, and other woman-dominated professions. All of them said they had been good at math and were very interested in science but had been directed into fields considered "practical" for them.

AAUW has a program for encouraging girls to pursue their interests in math and science. Our branch sponsors a once a year event for 7th grade girls at the local university, where professors give them lectures on topics such as astronomy, geology, and life sciences. We also give scholarships to young women who major in math and science.

In the absence of encouragement and mentoring of young women by still mostly male scientists and in the face of the regressive attitudes toward women modeled by our leaders, our small efforts are about all that is happening to encourage talented young women who might want to enter science, math, and engineeering.

What I want at the debates is for Obama to look McCain right in the eye and say, "You're a lying sack of shit!"

And then I want Biden to look Palin right in the eye and say, "You are a lying sack of moose dung to claim that you sold a plane for profit on E-Bay and gave back the bridge to nowhere money. Neither of which you did!"

Thank you. Or as my friend puts it, "You know what I think? I think that woman is a trash can for her husband's sperm!"

A lot of liberal women did not believe they were going to take the hit. Now they realize that they will have to struggle all their lives for recognition, just as their mothers did. What worries me is that they may not be tough enough.

pretty much.

I don't see why there is anything ridiculous about Palin saying her state is surrounded by foreign countries. I live in Hawaii and our state is surrounded by water. We are menaced by sea creatures all the time, like sharks. Constant vigilance is the only answer to threats from foreign countries and menacing sea creatures.

I was thinking that maybe sharks would be like Russia, whereas Canada could be like the friendly porpoise. Russia bad, Canada good.

Can I be vice-president? I can think real good like Sarah Palin.

Well,Cheever is a woman whose main claim to fame is that she had a famous father. As a matter of fact, the way to break into publishing is to write a memoir about your famous father.

When I'm out with old farts they're always leering at the young women, but I don't really see how that empowers young women.

Any trade missions would be a matter of public record and should be easily accessible without any preconditions or stipulations to any citizen. Those people all act as if laws are some kind of joke.

This is one of the best things ever written on the current election, in my opinion. Of course I am full of shit.

Before you criticize your elders and betters, learn to spell.

So he's poor, but he's primarily a duck. I don't like duck, so that's lucky for him.

So women are this way and men are that way. Could you please explain Madonna to me? Or the Dalai Lama? Or gays? There is a lot more diversity in this world than is dreamed of in the philosophy of many. And many more reasons to seek fame and power than finding access to the "most desirable women."

It's a ridiculous argument.

brightstar sez: women fail to comprehend that EVERYTHING the vast majority of men do (be they cognizant of it or not) is directed at one singular goal-- being poised in the most optimal position to gain access to the best females they are capable of getting. (do you see any men doing anything BESIDES THIS? Point them out to me PLEASE.)

Hmm. Let's see. Just about every man I know. I see men driving cars, making money, farming and gardening, studying, teaching, doing scientific research, etc etc. But I guess they just aren't "cognizant" of the way they are kidding themselves into thinking these activities are anything but the means to the end of getting some.

Gosh, I think antifeminists need to come up with better arguments. Saying that men are just horny skirtchasers looking for the hottest women seems, well, reductionist. Isn't that an insult to men?

I see crappy arguments like this all the time in the popular press, backed up by pseudoscience, and I know the lesser lights among us believe these just so tales about the male animal.

As well, stating that men are hard-wired to chase around looking for women is a very dubious foundation for claiming male superiority, if that is what is going on here-- or the even more degenerate argument that men are the way they are and that is that.

And, of course, there is no talk of female sexuality, which I guess is beside the point, since this argument robs women of any agency beyond of that of trying to be hot enough to interest a man and maybe have the pleasure of being seduced or raped by some lecher.

Those paupers will be better off on a low salt diet. Most of us eat too much salt.

Palin is stupid. Paglia is confused. Stupid and confused are so yesterday.