Since we're noting the possible undermining of the NH Men's Commission, I thought it would be worth pointing out the stacking of the so-called Equal Opportunities Commission in the United Kingdom. Note that the chair, deputy chair, and chief executive are all women. In total, there are 13 women and 3 men -- equal opportunity in the allegedly post-feminist, western world.

Glenn Sacks had a new article printed in the Los Angeles Daily News late last week on the topic of boys' educational needs. In it, Sacks discusses how discipline of boys is becoming a worsening problem in schools, and that this indicates how schools are failing to meet boys' needs. Sacks then goes on to make constructive suggestions on how to improve the classroom environment both to reduce discipline problems as well as be more inclusive of the teaching methods boys are most responsive to. Please pass this article around to any educators you know.

Last Tuesday, the list of nominees NH Governor Jeanne Shaheen made for the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Men were released. Information about the seven nominees can be found on the NCFC-NH web site. However, the news is not all good. NCFC-NH members spent a lot of time lobbying for passage of this bill, and were alone through much of this process. Now that the list has been released (after tremendous delay, I might add), we are surprised to find that few of the names are even familiar to us. One individual on the list, Scott Hampton, even went on NH Public Radio debating Rep. Bickford about the legislation, saying that NH does not need a men's commission. It is suspicious, to say the least, that Hampton would then be nominated for the commission. Is the commission being sabotaged? I personally believe it is. And we only have about two weeks to stop it. For this reason, you will see a much lower number of new stories posted to MANN for the next week or so. I'm going to be putting a lot of resources into getting to the bottom of this mess and trying to do what I can correct it.

napnip sent me a link to this PDF document which announces that the National Football League is promoting prostate cancer awareness this month, particularly during Prostate Cancer Awareness Week (Sept. 15-21). As David Crawford, the founder of the Prostate Cancer Educational Council said, "There could be no better partner for reaching our target audience." Keep an eye out for players talking about this issue during this month. If you haven't already, also check out the PCAW web site.

Dr. Richard Gelles wrote an important article for men's activists that details some of the ways that research about DV against men has been repressed and attacked over the years. It's an incredible eye-opener, and is definitely must-read material for DV activists. The L.A. chapter of NCFM received permission to reprint it on their web site, and it can be viewed here.

Steve Imparl has put together a very comprehensive outline of men's issues (focusing on men's legal rights), in a PDF document that can be downloaded here. This could be a useful reference for many people, so feel free to download it and give Steve your feedback at SImparl@aol.com.

Dan Lynch writes "Dan Curry wanted people to hear this Thompson and Sacks interview (part one, part two) with Marc Angelucci, the leader of the LA chapter of NCFM. On September 3, Angelucci discussed LA/NCFM's groundbreaking civil rights lawsuit and its drive to create a Los Angeles Commission for Men. Angelucci will also discuss his campaign to increase services for male victims of domestic violence in Los Angeles. Angelucci, Thompson, and Sacks will also discuss the California Senate's recent passage of the Paternity Justice Act (AB 2240) and the work and testimony of both the American Coalition for Fathers and Children (ACFC) and LA/NCFM on behalf of the bill. Listeners are urged to write, call, or fax California Governor Gray Davis and urge him to sign this bill.
Davis can be contacted by e-mail at governor@governor.ca.gov, by phone at 916-445-2841, by fax at 916-445-4633, or by regular mail at Governor's Office, Governor Gray Davis, State Capitol Building,
Sacramento, CA 95814. Listeners are urged to write "I support AB 2240" in big letters across the top of their letters and faxes. For more information on the National Coalition of Free Men, visit their website at www.ncfm.org."

Thundercloud. writes "I don't know about the rest of the country, but where I live, Progressive Insurance is running their "Man being castrated with pliers, by ex-wife" commercial again. They are running it just as often as before our 'letters of protest', and at all hours of the day. Even when children can see it. It seems misandry wins, yet again. As for me, I'm just gonna go bang my head against the wall."

Dan Lynch writes "I'd like to suggest an open discussion about honouring those who we feel have contributed to the rights, health and glory of men. I'm sure everyone has their favorites but I would like to name as many names as we can brainstorm to accredit to our cause. It could even be people who contribute to this board or people from the past. It could even be people who did so inadvertently in respect to fairness , fellowship or advocacy of any sort towards men. This could be a time to make an awareness of even the least of the notables. I for one strongly believe in knowledge as the precursor to activism. Once we are armed with knowledge nothing can stop us. It's also good to know who is out there and who is on our side and with the constant growth of the men's movement hopefully this is something we will have to up date all the time."

Bledso writes "Ellen Goodman is at it again. She has written an article that dismisses the gender gap in education as "crisis reporting". She states "You don't need a bachelor's degree to pick up a subtext in the crisis reporting: Somehow or other, women are upsetting the natural order of things". The article can be read here.

Tummler sent in this article and writes "A tardy six year old boy was suspended for three days from his Canton Ohio elementary school last spring for running to the window one morning and flagging down his schoolbus. Unfortunately for the pure souls of the six year old girls on board, he hadn't gotten his clothes on yet. Unfortunately for him, he's just become a man."

The Battered Men's Helpline is sponsoring its second annual conference on domestic violence against men. It will be held in Portland, Maine, on the afternoon of October 19. I attended this event last year and wrote up a summary of it (with photos). I'm definitely planning on attending again this year and I hope if you're in the area you will too. The program last year was excellent and I understand that this year there will be seating for more than 200 people. Help make sure these seats are filled and let others know about this conference, one of the only of its kind, focusing on DV against men. For more info see the BMH announcement of the conference.

Warren Farrell has written an essay on the glass cellar of dangerous employment in which many men find themselves. The time has long since come for society to accept the fact that men's lives have as much value as women's lives.

A recent post on the Men's Health America mailing list details the "four fatal flaws of CEDAW," including the fact that it's anti-male and allows for no recognition of gender discrimination against men. As they conclude, " CEDAW is an attempt to impose a radical gender ideology on countries around the world. CEDAW seeks to create a double-standard of rights and responsibilities for men and women. CEDAW represents a serious threat to family stability and gender equality."

ahhkaboom writes "This story is a bit different. I was on NBC's website to peruse the new season of PC tv programming, and stumbled across this website of a new show ["Hidden Hills"]. Doesn't the man look like he has his severed penis on a fork, while his empowered businesswoman-wife looks gleeful? Check out the picture below, where the man covers his crotch after being hit in the you-know-where."