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How did I get here: Could I be less macho?

I blame my father for my missing manly arts, but I know my limits — including changing a flat tyre

Urban shepherds keep watchful eye on flocks

In Brighton and Croydon ‘lookerers’ discover the joys of tending to sheep and some even take them for a trip into town

My Week: Belle de Jour

I’m sure some women have bad experiences when they spend a night stuck near naked in the rain. I found it empowering

Krav Maga: extreme violence for office workers

Why residents of Britain, one of the world’s safest nations, are learning how to rupture testicles and burst eardrums

Seeking sanctuary

Where people have sought safety — from America’s Underground Railroad to a famous West London women’s refuge

Could safe havens prevent teenage stabbings?

The families of two schoolboys killed in London are supporting a new 'safe haven' scheme being launched in the capital

The Get Out of Jail Free gene

The sentence of one killer in Italy has been reduced as he possesses a ‘violent gene’. Can DNA be used as a defence?

The story behind the picture: American elections, 2008

Times photographer Tom Pilston describes the circumstances behind his picture

Cold, dark journeys of the lone wolf

Her bestsellers are set in prehistory but Michelle Paver finds inspiration in the Arctic

A life online: Belle de Jour and other mystery sex bloggers

Alesha Dixon: I'm no pushover, you'll see

Bitter splits from her husband and record label left Alesha Dixon feeling lost — but she’s a survivor, she says

The Pedant: Me, Myself and I

Getting the cases of pronouns wrong is a serious but common error and journalists are among the worst offenders

Can the Tory Shires be rewired?

As the Tory candidate Liz Truss faces deselection over an affair, will David Cameron’s female agenda ever be accepted?

Neighbours reunited

Like many urbanites, Sean McKillop didn’t have much to do with his neighbours. That’s all changed, thanks to the web

Take my money: I don’t want it

Oxford academic Toby Ord has pledged to give a third of his salary to charity. He says we’d all be happier if we donated 10% of our lifetime...

Going up

The most extravagant parties of the year

Sol Kerzner threw a bash last month that cost £15m. The credit crunch has not stopped the super-rich from having a ball

Open Minds: Marius Brill

In an age where divides have crumbled, are we really more connected?

How to party, by the queens of clubland

These women have created the clubbing events of 2009. Here, they give us their tips for the perfect night out