From Greg Andersen via email: In November 2007, I was contracted by Men’s Health SA (at that time the South Australian Men’s Health Alliance - SAMHA) to conduct a one-day-a-week Media Watch role on behalf of SAMHA and its collaborative partners, the Men’s Health Information & Resource Centre and the Australasian Men’s Health Forum. This role was to involve the critique, analysis and, when appropriate, challenging of mass media statements and commentary and other forms of institutional, academic and government literature and media that:

• depicted men or boys or masculinity in an unfair, negative or disparaging way
• were misleading, inaccurate, or prejudicial towards men and boys
• detracted from a general positive affirmation of men, boys, and masculinity
• undermined the endeavour to approach men and boy’s health and issues in an intelligent, respectful, positive, equitable and constructive way.

I have just put together a report on my Media Watch role over the past 18 months which you might find interesting or useful. It can be downloaded from:

Article here. Keep your barf-bucket handy. Excerpt:

'The case of Otty Sanchez is shocking and gruesome. But it's also a cautionary tale about how we treat new mothers
...
How is it that Buchholz has known Sanchez for six years, lived with her, and had a baby with her, as the AP reports, but professes to be unaware until last week that she had been diagnosed as schizophrenic?

Since Buchholz himself is schizophrenic, currently on a six-drug daily regimen, this does not seem like something Sanchez would be too embarrassed to share with him. Maybe she did mention it, but he forgot? Or perhaps he was in denial, dismissing her behavior as "baby blues" or simple "bitchiness"?'

Story here. Excerpt:

'North Augusta, SC—29-year-old Melissa Sawyers will not see her children, Thursday night.

Jamie Corbett, friend: “She’s somebody who was crying out for help, and this was her last cry for help.“

North Augusta Public Safety Officers say, Monday night, Sawyers put her 7-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter into her car, then ran a garden hose from the tail pipe, into the car. Sawyers got inside and started driving.
...
Corbett: “She’s been struggling a little bit in her life, and situations people can’t handle certain situations and unfortunately this is how it ended up.“'

Story here. Excerpt:

'WEBSTER — A woman allegedly assaulted and beat her legally blind neighbor, for whom she had been organizing mail and finances.

Annette L. Gray, 48, of 112 Main St., Apt. 1, is charged with armed assault in a dwelling, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (blunt object) and permitting injury to an elder/disabled.

She pleaded not guilty yesterday in front of Judge Robert G. Harbour in Dudley District Court. She released on $2,500 cash bail and was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim. A pretrial hearing is slated for Sept. 3.
Shortly aftter midnight yesterday, police went to Matte’s Hardware on Main Street on the report of a man screaming for help. The man is legally blind and receives Social Security disability, police said.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'Investigators said that earlier this month, Jocelyn Louis, 72, heated up a potato masher and used it to burn the boy on his arms and legs. Police said the foster mother did not stop even after the first series of burns.

"He goes back to his bedroom, starts to cry. She comes back and says, 'I'm not finished with you yet,' and does it again," said Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes.

Police in Midwest City are awaiting arrest warrants on Louis before they take her into custody.'

Story here.

'A city woman is accused of stabbing her boyfriend in the hand during a spat, causing minor injury, police said.

Marta Griffin, 36, of 7 Fairmount St., was arrested shortly after the incident, which took place around 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, police said. She faces felony, domestic violence charges of first-degree assault and criminal threatening.

Her boyfriend was treated at the scene by medical personnel, police said.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'A Santa Barbara woman has been arrested on 11 felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor--a boy who was friends with her son.

Genise Schu, 47, has allegedly had a roughly seven-year sexual relationship with the now-20-year-old victim, according to authorities.

The relationship began when the alleged victim was 13 years old and would spend the night at the home of one of his classmates, her son. At some point, allegedly, she showed him pornography while others were sleeping, and eventually orally copulated the boy and had sexual intercourse at least twice. Since then the two have allegedly had consensual sex hundreds of times during the relationship, according to a declaration from Santa Barbara police officer Corina Terrence.'

Story here.

'FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - Fairbanks police arrested a 56-year-old woman accused of firing at a man outside her home.

The man told police he tried to intervene when he saw one woman beating another in the front yard early Thursday. The authorities say that prompted Christine Babich to go inside, fetch a pistol and shoot at the man who ran down the street and called for help.

The authorities arrived and established a boundary around the house. But police say Babich did not surrender until they got a search warrant and sent a remote-operated vehicle into the place.

Babich is charged with assault.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'A woman accused of drowning her four-year-old daughter in the bath has been moved to a psychiatric unit under the Mental Health Act, a court has heard.

Laura Fletcher, 22, was charged with murder after daughter Chloe was found dead at their home in Oakdale Avenue, Wallasey, Merseyside, on 29 April.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'LOWELL, Mass. — A Massachusetts woman charged with locking her 3-year-old son in a filthy, sweltering attic had been arrested previously for assault and battery with a knife.

Kirsten Paquette, 27, was arraigned Friday on charges of reckless endangerment to a child and assault and battery on a child. She was held on $10,000 bail.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Finding tie-ins between what young men enjoy doing outside of school and activities involving reading and writing is one way to engage boys and help them find relevance in literacy. The provincial Department of Education hosted a two-day summer workshop Thursday, July 30 and Friday, July 31 entitled “Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys” at the Old Orchard Inn in Greenwich as part of the Summer Institute on Literacy. Workshop leader Michael Smith, co-author of Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men and professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said boys are underperforming girls in reading and writing all over the world.'

Story here.

'A WOMAN appeared in court accused of making a false allegation that a man raped a child.

Anne Chambers told police she witnessed the offence in a park, Durham Crown Court heard.

She later withdrew the allegation, but not before the man had been arrested and kept in custody for two days.

Chambers, 33, of Sixth Street, Horden, County Durham, pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice in February this year.

Judge Esmond Faulks ordered the trial to take place on a day to be fixed in the first week of September.

Chambers was bailed on condition she live at home, and attend court for trial when called upon to do so.'

Via Jeremy S. He writes: "Here you go Guys. Relax with some tea and listen to some raw truth as you work. I am much impressed with this man-whoever he is. I am told he is a psychologist in Tasmania.

There is nothing better than unadulterated truth and it does not get more true, more blunt or better in any way than this. All you need to know in 4 hours of listening. Make a CD and play it in the car on the way to work or to pick up the kids. Or on the way to court even." Listing of audio programs:

Stolen generation Pt.1. (Two Parts, by Amfortas)
http://soundcloud.com/christian-j/stolen-generation-part-one

A professional analysis of the Family Court’s ‘Bible’ that justifies the ‘ least detrimental alternatives’ to the traditional family. “We have a generation of fathers who are shell-shocked, heartbroken”. It was Adolph Hitler who first said that people will take any reduction to their freedom if you tell them it is in the best interests of the children. Could we not have a non-detrimental alternative, Amfortas asks.

Story here. Excerpt:

'A woman suspected of carving a nearly full-term baby girl from her friend's womb and passing the newborn off as her own was being held on $2 million bail Thursday.

Julie Corey, 35, has been charged as a fugitive from justice. She appeared in district court in New Hampshire via video from the county jail, a day after she was arrested at a homeless shelter in the state, allegedly with the live infant.

The baby is said to be "in fairly good health," police said. The infant's mother, 23-year-old Darlene Haynes, was about 8 months pregnant when she was killed.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'NEW ORLEANS -- It's been a tough week for porn actress Stormy Daniels -- complete with a domestic violence charge and a car explosion -- as she continues to mull a U.S. Senate bid that could make life uncomfortable for incumbent first-term Louisiana Republican David Vitter, still recovering from a sex scandal.

Daniels was arrested Saturday on a domestic violence battery charge after she allegedly hit her husband at their home in Tampa, Fla., during a dispute about laundry and unpaid bills.
...
Mosny told police that Daniels was upset "about the way the clothes had been done" and then "got more upset about some bills that had not been paid," the police report said.

The police report said Daniels allegedly "threw a potted plant at the kitchen sink," hit Mosny on the head several times and "threw their wedding album onto the floor and knocked candles off coffee table, breaking them."'