Just to let you know, it's the first anniversary of Cyberman Books this friday, and you're welcome to come along and chat with the regulars this friday. If you're interested, visit their homepage to find out more.

Anon User writes "On Valentine's Day 2003...American men and women often remain bitterly divided...Part of the division...is due to women's legitimate grievances. But much of it is also caused by men's resentment that the very real problems and disadvantages they face as husbands, partners and fathers have been ignored by the media, our lawmakers and by society as a whole. To achieve reconciliation between the genders, it is necessary to address men's grievances." Read the article at http://www.glennsacks.com/valentines_day_and.htm --Newsday (2/12/03)

The winner of the V-Day parody song contest has been released. Jack Kammer, a men's issues writer, sponsored this contest to find a good parody of the Wizard of Oz song, "If I only had a heart" to satirize the idea that women are the exclusive victims of violence and oppression, which is the main impetus behind changing Valentine's Day to "V-Day". The winning entry can be found here, and the second and third place winners on this page. Many thanks to everyone who participated - the contest was a lot of fun. Plus, the winner received $100 cash prize!

dave100254 writes "Register Guard/Editor's MailbagOn January 18th, the Swat Team killed my son, Guy Einer McClure. His life was really over when Crook County Circuit Judge George Neilson and the State of Oregon decided what he would pay in child and spousal support in June of 1999. He had no hope and no life after that. I really wish the laws could be changed. Sent in by Kathy McClure, Guy's mother." I wish I knew what to say here, but words fail me.

It makes sense to view with a bit of skepticism such precepts as those espoused in this essay. The article does, however, present some interesting facts about fundamental, cognitive differences between males and females. And it flies in the face of those genfems, who insist that such differences are purely social constructions.

frank h writes "When I read this article by Joseph Farah, my blood pressure went up so far that I immediately got a headache. As you may recall, Clara Harris murdered her husband by running him over with her Mercedes Benz. Her trial is in progress in Texas. Frankly, I think she deserves the death penalty. But apparently Mr. Farah thinks she is a saint and that there ought to be more women like her. I would encourage anyone who is similarly outraged to share thoses feelings with Farah in no uncertain terms, at: jfarah@worldnetdaily.com

Ray writes "In this article
the outgoing mayor of a Southern California city is reported as having been caught on videotape slugging a City Councilman. She was cited for misdemeanor battery. Does this story confirm once again that violent women really can't do any serious harm, because their upper body strength is not equivalent to that of a man? Does our society view a woman's upper body strength differently here, than when a woman competes against a man for a job?"

Dan Lynch writes ""There is no bottom to stupid when it comes to government inaction" someone mailed me today. Read on: " ‘New think’ thought of the day, published first in the Montreal Gazette – Men commit suicide because they are genetically defective (the Gazette always reports women commit suicide from desperate acts).
Once again the Montreal Gazette Newspaper, continues to call any issue regarding men a PEOPLE ISSUE (Women’s issues are reported as women’s issues).
It is the same sexist propaganda from the Gazette when it comes to suicides. Because suicide is 80% men, the Gazette reports it as a people issue.
Men are the victims of 75% of violence in Canada, 43% (growing) of spousal abuse victims and ¾ of suicides. Over 90% of the homeless in Canada are men.
Heritage Canada gives 100% of all gender specific funding to women and 100% of gender exclusive resources to the over 500 gender exclusive shelters to women.
The Canadian and Quebec governments refuse to fund a single gender exclusive penny to anything to do with men’s issues (health, suicide, etc). Millions to women, nothing to men.
Desperate men / Zero resources = desperate acts.
Yet these researchers as you report, obviously without a clue, are looking for ‘a genetic link’ and a new study. Study What???
How about the Gazette Newspaper starts asking why there is no emergency funding for men from our Governments.
Today and each and every day 3 men in Quebec will commit suicide.
There is no bottom to stupid when it comes to government inaction and newspaper silence!""

Tatis writes "Men's issues columnist Glenn Sacks is doing a national radio tour debating his Valentine's Day column "Should Men Still be Expected to Pay for Dates?" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch , 2/14/02). Sacks has appeared or will be appearing in dozens of major cities leading up to Valentine's Day, including New York City, San Antonio, St. Louis, Phoenix, Los Angeles and others. To follow the tour, go to glennsacks.com."

Jeff (aka This is Not Equality) writes "A 17-year old Boston girl has earned my respect, and she is, along with her step-brother and his friends, taking on the Selective Service System. With this move, she has done more for women than the NOW could ever hope to accomplish.

"The discrimination is kind of in favor of women," she said yesterday. "But this is kind of an ethical thing. If you say women have the same rights as men, you're going to have to take the good with the bad.""

ABC news has published an article that states some important facts about domestic violence. Some of the valuable statements include:

"men are battered by their partners more than 800,000 times a year, according to surveys cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

and

"(Attorney and psychologist, Claudia) Dias thinks women who batter are much harder to treat than their male counterparts. According to Dias, female batterers 'start from a place where everyone sees them as victims.' She said men tell the very same stories of childhood abuse, yet men are never excused for hitting women. Women, on the other hand, have gotten just the opposite message."

We should write to commend them for this report.

SJones writes "The Texas woman who ran over her husband 3 times while his daughter was riding in the car with her will probably get away with it by claiming, as Lorena Bobbitt did, that she acted out of 'sudden passion' and is therefore not responsible for her actions. Sudden passion is a defense generally reserved only for women who are clearly guilty of horrible violent crimes such as sexual mutilations or murders. It's simply the "temporary insanity" claim reworded and the standard punishment, which the story doesn't mention, is 'counseling' and no jail time. The story is here."

Philalethes writes "You may be familiar with the Flatt case in North Dakota, wherein a newly-enlightened mother is suing the hospital that induced her to sign away her newborn son's foreskin (see "Circumcision Opponents Use the Legal System" under Tuesday). Here is a charming editorial from the University of Southern California's Daily Trojan student newspaper, representing the views of the modern, liberated young American female.

J. Steven Svoboda of Attorneys for the Rights of the Child comments, "Without any credit or mention of journalist Adam Liptak and his recent New York Times article, and without any attempt to directly contact us for comment, the article takes and distorts information from Liptak's piece about the Flatt v. Kantak case (conducted by attorney Zenas Baer) as well as about Attorneys for the Rights of the Child.""

I will host this week's MANN chat, Wednesday night (2/5),
starting at 9:30 PM Eastern Time, at the href="http://www.mensactivism.org/chat.shtml">usual location. The
topic for this chat will be "Men in Commercials: What Shall We Do About
the Misandry?"  The National Organization for Women Foundation
(NOWF) has published its href="http://www.nowfoundation.org/watchout3/superbowl.html">assessment
of the television commercials that aired during Super Bowl XXVII.
 NOWF's comments on the commercials are interesting because they
indicate some ground on which men and radical feminists might agree.
 Quite troubling, though, is NOWF's clear approval of some
commercials that may stereotype men or otherwise portray men in a
negative light.  What do you think of this development?  Join
us tonight at MANN chat to have your say.  It will help if you style="font-weight: bold;">read the href="http://www.nowfoundation.org/watchout3/superbowl.html">NOWF
report before attending the
chat.  Hope to see you there!

ppmnow writes "They just don't get 'it'...and neither does msnbc. Why is it that viewer dissatisfaction with this network is at an all time low? Read the following excerpt of a book featured on the front page of MSN....

So, why are so many women single today? I am certain there are different opinions to that query than whats being offered by Whitehead's book. Perhaps they should consider asking some men on this. You know, to add to the whole perspective."