Handbags and Women - Choice or Biological Destiny?Written by Henrietta Timmons
Handbags have been one of necessities of life for women ever since recorded history began. It was important to have items that one used often close at hand and articles found in a purse have ranged from ornate sewing scissors (17th century)to todays mandatory cell phone and credit cards. Why is it that women carry their belongings around and men just have their wallets? My opinion is that need to carry something to hold goods is a fundamental need rooted in biology of females. Who is main caregiver of family from prehistory to present? Yes, I know that traditional roles are gradually evolving but what person in "traditional" family is most responsible for taking care of everyone? In most cases, it it woman who gets people organized and make sure everyone has whatever they need. Biologically speaking, female of our species takes care of her offspring and makes sure that all needs will be taken care of once home is left. I believe that this has evolved into women carrying all that they need and what everyone else could possibly want in their handbag. To illustrate - when you go out with a male friend do you ask him for tissues, pen, or paper? No - you ask another female. Another nuturer is more likely to have some basic necessities than a male.
| | Increases in Allergy Caused By Women’s Lib?Written by Thomas Ogren
Increase in Allergy Caused By Women’s Lib? Thomas Leo Ogren Recently my brother-in-law, a college professor, was seeing a famous San Diego allergist, who I’ll not name. He tried to tell allergist all about my book, Allergy-Free Gardening. The allergist dismissed it all as unimportant and then told him, “You want to know why there’s so much allergy nowadays?” My brother-in-law said that, yes, he certainly did want to know. “Women’s Lib,” said learned doctor. “Women used to stay home where they belonged and they took care of kids and kept their houses neat and clean. Now, well, now they all have to have jobs, just like men, and who’s taking care of house? Nobody! That’s why there’s so much allergy now. Their houses are filthy and covered with dust.” My brother-in-law wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. I have an answer for that doctor. An increase in house dust isn’t driving allergy rates sky-high. Not even close. What’s gone up is amount of pollen in our cities. In some areas, Tucson, Arizona, for example, there is actually ten times more pollen in air there now than there was just thirty years ago! And I can document that. It isn’t just Arizona either. In city after city, north and south, all around civilized world, everywhere that modern, low-litter, litter-free, seedless, male landscaping has become popular, pollen rates are up. Even though in many cities there is now less total green matter than in past, there is still more pollen than ever. And more allergy, too. Not long ago I was out in my own neighborhood, camera in hand, looking for some choice high-allergy landscapes to photograph. I didn’t have to go far. I was standing, carefully, on public sidewalk, taking a close-up shot of some Groundsel bush (Baccharis sp.) used as a ground cover in this front yard. An older gentleman came out of house, looked at me and asked, “Now, what in world could be worth photographing in my yard?” “I’m an allergy researcher, Sir,” I said.
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