Blog entry here. Excerpt:

'Short version: Fathers and Families’ mission is to protect children’s right to the love and care of both parents after divorce or separation. We often hear from parents who have been driven to the margins of their children’s lives because their disability/partial disability is being used to deny them custody or visitation. SB 1188 will protect these parents—to write a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger asking him to sign SB 1188, click here.

Please send your letter whether you are a California resident or not. Your letter will be hand-delivered to the Governor’s office by our Sacramento legislative representative. You may use our form letter or write your own.'

Via Jeremy S., article here. Excerpt:

'When we speak of gender we are highlighting our psychological and social conceptions of what it means to be a man or women. "Gender Schemas" refers to our intuitive hypotheses about the behaviour, traits, and preferences of men and women and boys and girls. Correspondingly, the term "gender roles" refers to expectations, to our ideas about how men and women are expected to behave.

All the signs have been there during this campaign. Physiognomy is well and truly at play, and more. We have covered her ear lobes, her marital status, her hair, her clothes, her choice not to have children and so on.
...
Gillard's gender should be her greatest strength, not a political weakness. But tackling gender schemas requires more insight and more thought than dropping shiny policy baubles. She needs the electorate to see her seated at the head of the table and to be comfortable with that image. Holding babies and kicking footballs with kids falls a long way short of what's needed to gain true popular acceptance.'

Thanks to those of you who are voting daily for the Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women to win 250K from the Pepsi Project challenge. We are currently holding steady at 204- we still have a long way to go and a short time to do so!

I have heard from a couple of people that they have had trouble at the Pepsi site with casting their votes. I have written to Pepsi about the problem and they suggested that I encourage you to contact them so that they may troubleshoot with you. Contact the Pepsi Refresh Hotline at 1-800-768-2784 between 8 am and 8 pm (EDT).

Just 2 minutes a day over the next 23 days--give under served victims of domestic violence a lifeline

Vote online here
Text your vote: Text: 101761 to Pepsi (73774)

2 minutes...that's it! Go here to sign up and click "vote for this idea" and text your vote: Text: 101761 to Pepsi (73774)

Article here. Excerpt:

'"Many feminists argue that the problem of false accusations is so minuscule that to discuss it extensively is a harmful distraction from the far more serious problem of rape. On the other side are men's-rights activists, claiming that false accusations are as much of a scourge as rape itself."

Bull's-eye. Whenever false rape allegations spin in the news cycle, as a father, my soul stands on a razor blade betwixt that divide: Knowing how false accusations can color police response should — God forbid — my daughter ever need a sympathetic ear; and fearing for my son in a world where the right words from the wrong lips can destroy reputations and land you behind bars.

Researchers have struggled to pinpoint the prevalence of false rape claims. Estimates range widely from about 2 percent to 90 percent. However, the most trusted studies put the figure between 8 and 10 percent.

Story here. Excerpt:

'BOXING champion Pat Clinton's son was held for three days in Greece over a false rape accusation.

Sean Clinton, 19, and a friend were on holiday with a group in Crete when a woman tourist accused them.

But after an agonising three days in custody, they were told there was no case to answer.

It is understood police found no evidence to prove that even consensual sex had taken place.

Last night, Sean was back home with his mum Carol in Kilsyth, Stirlingshire.

And former world flyweight champion Pat, known as "the boy from Croy" during his career, revealed they were considering suing his accuser.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'Men have been warned to be on their guard after the 26-year-old woman claimed a total of €800,000 (£666,315) in insurance after lodging allegations of rape on the island of Kos.

It is believed that her victims include at least four Britons, according to a lawyer representing one of the falsely accused.

An international hunt involving Greek and Swedish police and Interpol has failed to find the woman, described as an attractive blonde.'

Related, here.

Story here. Excerpt:

'Dr Aziz Chaudry's fitness to practise was impaired as a result of his misconduct, a panel found.

The hearing concluded the standard of care given to five boys in 2006 was not that expected of a registered medical practitioner.

The patients all received circumcisions at his private clinic in Clacton.

The panel also found he failed to provide adequate details to the boy's families and to warn them of possible complications.
...
His procedures revealed failings in notifying the patients' GPs about the circumcisions, and inadequate record keeping, the GMC concluded.

The GMC imposed conditions on his registration which will remain in place for 12 months.

The doctor, who was trained in Pakistan and claimed to have more than 20 years' experience, was told he cannot carry out any surgical procedures for the next 12 months, including circumcisions.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'The maker of an instrument used in circumcisions claimed that injury was impossible with its use, but after an infant lost a portion of his penis during an operation with the Mogen clamp, a judge awarded $10.8 million in damages against the company.

The judgment handed down Friday in New York involves an Atlanta lawyer who has been crusading against circumcision as a dangerous and unnecessary practice.

Attorney David Llewellyn won a similar case in Atlanta last year and the injury behind that prior lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court put the New York clamp manufacturer on notice about the danger of the device, his current lawsuit said.

Story here. Excerpt:

'RACINE - A father who thinks the family court system has let him down is planning to host a rally for fathers' rights on the Racine County Courthouse steps.

Ricardo Martinez, 34, of Racine, says he is expecting 150 people to join him at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 18.

"It's not right," said Martinez. "This cannot be right what they are doing to men. There is no equality."

When Martinez and his ex-wife divorced, joint custody was granted for their six- and seven-year-old sons, he said. His time with them was supposed to be on Wednesdays, some weekends and holidays.

Since he has become an advocate for father's rights, Martinez said he has had even less contact with his children. His complaints about the situation have fallen on deaf ears, he claims.

"I'm stuck with a system that doesn't want to help me," he said.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Mapping the full extent of the domestic-violence industry is not easy, because it's a cottage-industry, spread out in hundreds of places. State and federal money goes to well over a hundred institutes, clinics, programs for counseling or outreach or coordination or training, computer databases, coalitions, shelters, PR agencies and other groups.

Most would say that's just fine: Domestic violence is ugly and ought to be dealt with. But others are beginning to wonder if the huge industrial cure is as bad as the disease.

From the article:

'Slovenia, 25th July 2010

Hello, police, I need help, my girlfriend beat me up!

An unusual incident occurred yesterday on the Slovenian coast. A young man called the police, because his girlfriend allegedly beat him up.

Men physically assaulting their spouses for various reasons often make the news, but a woman attacking her partner is something rare.

The unusual incident occurred yesterday on the coast, when the police were called after a young couple had an argument. The 23-year-old man from Izola called them, because his 26-year-old girlfriend slapped him twice during their argument.

The woman will have to pay a fine.

When they arrived, the police found only the young man. His girlfriend had driven off prior to their arrival. Koper PD representative stated that the unknown woman will be fined for the assault.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Some years ago I was at a night club with a group of men and women. Naturally the conversation turned to sex. One woman, in her late forties, said, in a good natured way, “It’s a shame that by the time men really learn what they are doing in bed, their equipment doesn’t work like it used to.”

“I understand how you feel,” I said, in an equally jovial tone, “By the time women start learning what they are doing in bed their looks start fading.”
...
There was a silver lining, though. It did spark a rather lively round of verbal sparring with the rest of the people at the table. And I am sure that it was a discussion that has been echoed millions of times at millions of night club gatherings.

Why is it that men and women hit their sexual peaks at such radically different ages?

Story here. Excerpt:

'Imprisoned for 27 years for a rape he did not commit, Michael Anthony Green walked out of a US jail a free man and in the process was able to leave behind some of the anger that fuelled his survival behind bars.

Accompanied by his lawyer, Mr Green walked out of jail and into the arms of about 20 family members who cheered him.

"Live life," Mr Green said, when asked what he is going to do now.

Mr Green, 44, was released after the Harris County District Attorney's Office reopened his case and new DNA tests it commissioned showed he did not commit the 1983 rape of a woman who was abducted.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'WASHINGTON (AP) — Authorities say a woman has been charged in the stabbing of a 20-year-old NPR intern as she walked to work in northwest Washington.

Police say 24-year-old Melodie Brevard of Washington was arrested shortly after the attack about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Seventh and I streets in Chinatown. She has been charged with assault with intent to kill.

D.C. police spokesman Lt. Nick Breul says three people restrained Brevard after the attack until officers arrived. He says officers responded quickly because they had been investigating a suspicious package nearby.'

My goodness, this cannot be right... a woman just wouldn't do something so random and violent! Uh-huh. My guess is she will get "psychiatric attention" and never face criminal charges.

Story here.

'Toronto police are looking for a 23-year-old woman who they allege abducted her son during a parental visit.

Emila Sardaru and her one-year-old son, Robin Stanciu, were last seen July 23 at around 10 p.m. near Dawes Road and Danforth Avenue.

Police are asking for the public's assistance to find them.

They say Sardaru is of Romanian descent and speaks limited English.

She is described as white, about five feet and five inches tall. and about 165 pounds.'

As submitter-via-email Jeremy S. commented: "What, no Amber Alert?"