I was recently contacted by a reporter with a major media outlet who is looking for fathers who fit the following profile:

1) You were falsely accused of domestic violence or child sexual abuse.

2) You lost custody, some of your visitation time, or all contact with your children because of the false allegation.

If this is you, please send me your name, phone number, and a brief (100 words max) description of yourself by clicking here.

(Note: Thanks to all those who responded to my request last month for Texas dads with child support issues. Three of those who responded to our notice appeared on a Fox Houston TV special on dads and child support on November 5. To watch that show, click here.)

Brandweek Discusses 'Dad as Idiot' Advertising, Says 'It's Hard to Argue that Guys Like Sacks Don't Have a Point'

Background: We've done several protests against ads which portray men and fathers as clowns--see Campaign Against Anti-Father Verizon Commercial, Campaign Against Anti-Male Advertising, Campaign Against Detroit News 'Get Her a Gift or She'll Give You a Black Eye' Ad

Atlantic Monthly Associate Editor Matthew Yglesias criticizes my readers in his recent blog post The Weird, Wacky World of Antifeminist Blogging. His post concerns the loony reaction from blog commenters at www.MensNewsDaily.com about my recent blog post Feminist Writer Ann Friedman Has a Point. (My blog posts are also cross-posted on www.MensNewsDaily.com.) A few points:

1) On one level, this seems to be a bit of a cheap shot. For one, it ignores the fact that many of my readers have had to deal personally with many of the gut-wrenching topics I write about.  In general, the average blog commenter is going to sound more reasonable when commenting on the 2008 presidential race, illegal immigration, or campaign finance reform than they are about injustices which they and their children have directly suffered. For example, if I write a blog post on Parental Alienation Syndrome and a father who has been separated against his will from his children comments on the post, it's not really fair to expect it to be as reasonable or objective as with a more ordinary topic.

2) I think it is also a bit of a cheap shot because I am not responsible for what blog commenters say, particularly on www.MensNewsDaily.com, which is Yglesias' subject. I often read things in blog comments that I do not like, but I rarely delete them. Perhaps I am wrong, but Yglesias' post seems to be yet one more attempt to try to paint me as a misogynist or a radical, even though the evidence for it is sorely lacking. Often feminist bloggers and critics try to discredit me by mixing up what I say with what others, including blog commenters, have said. Conversely, perhaps Yglesias simply thought it was an interesting subject and there is no political motivation.

3) To be fair, Yglesias certainly has a point, particularly in regards to the blog post he cites.  As I have said on many occasions, there is no shortage of idiots on men's and fathers' rights blogs and in the movement in general.

It is also true that some of the regular blog commenters at www.MensNewsDaily.com think of me as a wimpy moderate.  I occasionally receive letters from "radicals" who tell me that I lack the courage, or something, to properly confront politically-correct feminism. I find these letters particularly amusing. After all, who knows more about what it's like to battle PC feminism, me or the guy who wrote the letter?

These "radicals" get frustrated with me because I will sometimes state that the feminists are correct on an issue, or I will criticize our side.  I do so because I think it is best for our movement, it is important to be fair, and I do not want to be in the position of having to defend indefensible positions. Some readers understand, and that's great, and some don't, and that's okay too.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

(Note: The leading feminist blog Feministing.com has also discussed this story--see Unforeseen Headline of the Year.)

The American Coalition for Fathers and Children The American Coalition for Fathers and Children is dedicated to creating a family law system which promotes equal rights for all parties affected by divorce. Contact the ACFC at 1-800-978-3237 or visit them on the web at www.acfc.org. Parenting Plan Calendar Software Shared Ground (R) is an easy-to-use software program designed for divorced parents to track their parenting plan schedules over many years. Do-it-yourself or let us build your approved parenting plan into a multi-year calendar so that you can print, share, or modify the calendar later. Parents, attorneys, arbitrators and mediators can generate equitable parenting plans, which is especially useful for parents seeking fair division of their children's time. FREE ASSISTANCE TO OUR CLIENTS- $49.95 one-time charge, FREE TRIAL & MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE. Click here for more information.

"Gemma Gregory's latest victim had no idea that she had a history of claiming rape when he was asked to attend the same police station in September last year.

"The man had had a relationship with Gemma but ended it because of her heavy drinking. The couple met on a few occasions later on, and one night he stayed at her flat. The next evening, Gemma claimed to police that she had been raped. She was given a medical examination and repeated the claim in a video interview.

"The man was saved from a possible charge because of 'intimate' text messages sent by Gemma. Detective Constable Paul Weymouth, of Plymouth CID, said: 'We have a log of 512 telephone calls from or about her. She wanted to see him in prison.'"

Gemma Gregory (pictured) falsely accuses eight men of rape, repeats the claims in videotaped interviews, and does everything she can to put the men in prison. The result?

She gets a laughable 12-month suspended jail sentence for perjury, and the local police say that the real problem is that false charges like these could hurt...women!

The article from The London Times is below. Thanks to Wayne, a reader, for sending me the story.

Woman cried rape against 8 innocent men
London Times
11/17/07

The worst day of Paul Haslam's life began at 3.30am with a loud knock on the door from the police. They told him he was being arrested on suspicion of rape, and took him to Charles Cross police station in Plymouth.

There, he was questioned about what had happened the previous evening, when he had spent the night with a girl he had known for only a short time. He knew he had done nothing wrong, but he did not know how he could prove it.

Later that day Mr Haslam was released without charge. Three weeks later he received a letter telling him that no further action was being taken. By then he had lost his job and had to tell his family about the arrest.

Mr Haslam, 30, had hardly thought about that day nine years ago until he read in his local newspaper this week that the woman who made the false allegation against him had since done the same thing to seven other men.

Gemma Gregory left a trail of disrupted lives across the city of Plymouth. A judge gave her a 12-month suspended jail sentence for perjury for her latest false accusation and ordered her to undergo psychiatric treatment. Mr Haslam, then aged 21, had moved to Devon from his home town of Bolton when he encountered Gregory, then in her late teens. He was working as a care assistant in the nursing home where a relative of hers was being looked after.

When his employer found out that he had been arrested, he lost his job. The news also ruined a holiday in Florida for his aunt and uncle. Mr Haslam, now the father of three young boys, said: "If it hadn't been for two other people in the house who knew nothing untoward had happened, I could have gone to prison for a crime I didn't commit. The thought makes my blood run cold."

Gregory's latest victim had no idea that she had a history of claiming rape when he was asked to attend the same police station in September last year...

To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

A Legal Advocate for Fathers in Los Angeles & Ventura Counties The Law Offices of Adam Michael Sacks, Esq., handles cases of all sizes with compassion, understanding, and a commitment to helping fathers protect themselves in a divorce. Don't assume anything and don't sign anything--call Adam Sacks, Esq. at 1-800-340-7320, or write him at adam@adamlawyer.com. www.adamlawyer.com (No relation) FALSELY ACCUSED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA? If you've been falsely accused of domestic violence, sexual abuse, child molestation, or other crimes of a sexual nature, contact The Law Offices of Douglas R. Slain. Slain is a specialist who has worked for over 30 years to defend falsely accused men and fathers. To learn more, click here, or call 800-438-6820.

Some of you may recall that earlier this year I mentioned that Evan Stark (pictured), a prominent feminist advocate for domestic violence victims and the author of Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life (Interpersonal Violence) and numerous other DV books, had called me a "notorious right-wing nut case whose lies or half truths about family matters are legion."

Stark was reacting to my co-authored column Domestic Violence Lawsuit Will Help Secure Services for All Abuse Victims (Los Angeles Daily Journal, San Francisco Daily Journal, 12/28/05), which one of my readers had apparently sent him during an email exchange. I thought it was one of my better columns, but apparently Evan didn't agree.

The book jacket of his Coercive Control says:

"In millions of abusive relationships, men use a largely unidentified form of subjugation that more closely resembles kidnapping or indentured servitude than assault. Stark calls this pattern 'coercive control'...Stark shows in terrifying detail how men can use coercive control to extend their dominance over time and through social space in ways that subvert women's autonomy, isolate them, and infiltrate the most intimate corners of their lives. Against this backdrop, Stark analyzes the cases of three women tried for crimes committed in the context of abuse, showing that their reactions are only intelligible when they are reframed as victims of coercive control rather than as 'battered wives.'

"Elevating coercive control from a second-class misdemeanor to a human rights violation, Stark explains why law, policy, and advocacy must shift their focus to emphasize how coercive control jeopardizes women's freedom in everyday life."

Would Stark classify Mary Winkler as a "victim of coercive control"?

[Mary Winkler shot her husband in the back and then refused to aid him or call 911 as he slowly bled to death for 20 minutes. She claimed--with little corroborating evidence--that she was a battered wife who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome because of her husband's violence towards her. She was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and walked away a free woman in September after serving a farcically brief 'sentence' for her crimes. To learn more, see my co-authored column No child custody for husband-killer Mary Winkler (World Net Daily, 9/14/07), or click here.]

Stark was also a critic of our successful Campaign Against PBS's Father-Bashing Breaking the Silence in 2005. Stark told PBS:

"I am grateful, as a professional who represents battered mothers and their children in the courts, that you aired the breaking the silence film. The entire production ran true and, I must say, though many of the problems shown capture the experience of several million families a year."

Anyway, I was surprised and pleased lately when Stark, completely out of the blue, wrote me with his regrets. Stark wrote:

"Sometimes I get frustrated and respond in anger. I may have called you a 'Right Wing Nut Case,' but also may not have. If I did, I apologize."

OK, Evan, apology accepted. You showed some class by offering it.

Evan also criticized my quoting of DV researcher Richard Gelles' criticisms of Stark. I'm going to look into it when I get a chance, and probably do another blog post at a later point.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Fathers & Families: Advocacy for the Child-Father Bond Fathers & Families is a non-profit organization advocating for the right of every child to have two parents. Called by some a "fathers' rights organization," Fathers & Families is made up of men and women who believe that fathers are an essential part of a child's life and that divorce or separation should not change this. www.FathersandFamilies.org  FALSELY ACCUSED IN TEXAS? Domestic Violence. Child Sexual Assault. Child Protective Services Defense. Contact the Law Office of Stuckle & Ferguson www.PaulStuckle.com / falseaccusations@stuckle-ferguson.com Goldberg & Associates--the Parental Alienation Specialists If you're the target of Parental Alienation, the Parental Alienation specialists at Goldberg & Associates can help. They operate throughout the U.S. and Canada and assist family law attorneys and targeted parents needing medical-legal consulting services related to Parental Alienation. Call them at 905.481.0367 or visit their website www.parentalalienation.ca.

I discussed the Matt Dubay/"Roe v. Wade for Men" case on the Maria Sanchez Show on KVTA AM 1520 in Ventura, CA Monday afternoon. We also discussed other fathers' rights/men's rights issues. The audio of the interview is available--to listen, click here.

To learn more about the Dubay case, see my co-authored column Respect a Man's Choice, Too (8/1/06), written for the left-wing website AlterNet.

Maria just got the coveted afternoon drive-time slot at the news/talk station in Ventura County, KVTA, 1520AM--the article by Los Angeles radio guru Don Barrett of www.LARadio.com on it is below. I was a guest on Maria's first afternoon in her new slot, and I wish her the best of luck.

Maria Sanchez Drives Home to KVTA
Don Barrett
www.LARadio.com

(November 14, 2007) Maria Sanchez, former KFIer, has moved from doing mornings at KKZZ, 1590AM "The Connection," to afternoon drive at the premier news/talk station in Ventura County, KVTA, 1520AM. "I'm loving it," enthused Maria just before she started her second day at KVTA. She's thrilled "to go to an established news/talk station with a larger listener base, streaming on the Net, better signal, and people who get Talk radio and know what they're getting. At The Connection we were kinda inventing the wheel. They didn't know what to expect. And there are a lot who were listening to me at The Connection and they are following me to KVTA. We were able to give the listeners a three-day heads up that I was moving, plus the Web site is directing people to KVTA."

Maria thinks there is a bigger window of opportunity for preparation in her new time slot...

To read and discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

HELP FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FATHERS If you're a father in Northern California who's going through a divorce or its aftermath and need legal help, contact The Law Offices of Douglas R. Slain. Slain, a graduate of Stanford Law School, has over 30 years of experience in family law and criminal defense. He can help you protect your relationship with your kids and your finances. To learn more, click here, or call 800-438-6820. Jeff Leving's New Book--Divorce Wars Jeffery M. Leving, one of America's most prominent divorce lawyers, has written a new book on how to win any divorce fairly, even when your spouse brings out the heavy artillery. Divorce Wars: A Field Guide to the Winning Tactics, Preemptive Strikes, and Top Maneuvers When Divorce Gets Ugly provides essential advice on everything from picking the right lawyer and devising a winning settlement strategy to getting the most from your day in court and dealing with an ex-spouse. Divorce Wars is available here. Help, Resources for Dads The National Fathers' Resource Center is a division of Fathers For Equal Rights, Inc. (FER), located in Dallas, Texas, with offices in both Dallas and Houston. In existence for over three decades, it has services and resources for dads nationwide and is one of the largest and most active fathers' rights organizations in the U.S. www.fathers4kids.org

Background: Conscientious Virginia judge James Michael Shull, who smoked out a woman who sought to extend a restraining order based on false charges of domestic violence, was just removed from the bench by this Virginia Supreme Court ruling. Not only was Shull railroaded, but he has been the target of widely-disseminated lazy, misleading reporting by the Associated Press, the New York Post, and others.

To learn more about the case, see my blog posts In Defense of Judge James Michael Shull (Part I), Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V and Part VI, or read my co-authored newspaper column defending Shull here.

The article Crossing the line in the courtroom (11/13/07) from Tricities.com in Kingsport Tennessee is yet another hatchet job on Judge Shull. The article appears below, with my comments in italics interspersed.

Crossing the line in the courtroom
Tricities.com
(11/13/07)

Judges are among the most powerful men and women in our society, but that power is not unlimited.

The power of the office doesn't convey a right to mistreat, belittle or otherwise disrespect those who appear before the court. All should be equal in the eyes of the law.

Former Judge James Michael Shull broke this cardinal rule. He disrespected and demeaned some who sought his aid and, in doing so, brought disgrace and shame upon his profession and paid a steep price--removal from office by the Virginia State Supreme Court.

Shull "disrespected and demeaned" nobody. Instead, he made a tough call in a difficult situation in order to protect two young children. Shull had to effectively turn the kids over to either a father who was accused of stabbing their mother or a mother who was allegedly a mentally-disturbed, suicidal "cutter." Putting the children's safety over courtroom decorum, Shull made what was indisputably the correct call, finding that the mother had cut herself and had falsely accused the father.

Shull, who presided in Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts in Lee, Scott and Wise counties, is just the fourth sitting judge to receive such punishment in Virginia.

Two of the previous judicial defrocking took place a century ago. The third case involved a judge who misappropriated alcohol and firearms that were introduced as evidence in a court proceeding, then consumed the confiscated beer in his chambers.

Sitting judges are almost never removed from office. Behavior must be truly egregious--or even criminal--for such to occur.

Shull's behavior wasn't criminal, but it was grossly inappropriate, the state Supreme Court determined in a Nov. 2 ruling. The judge admitted flipping a coin to decide a child custody issue.

What really happened was this--a mother and father had shared physical custody of their children, and could not agree as to who would have them on Christmas Day. Shull urged them to come to an agreement themselves, but they were unable to. Normally at this point (or actually, long before it) the judge would've just decided to give the kids to mom for Christmas, but Shull told both parents that he considered both of them to be good, loving parents and that he did not want to have to choose between them.

When they were unable to decide, he decided to toss a coin to make the decision, sending a clear message that the court was not going to favor one parent over the other. I applaud Shull for this, yet, amazingly, this non-event is one of the major charges against him.

Also, according to Shull, the coin toss was not objected to by either of the two parties, both of whom were represented by attorneys. Shull determined who got the 1st week of Xmas vacation the first year, with vacation to be alternated thereafter...

To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Help for Midwest Fathers Cordell & Cordell is one of the largest domestic relations firms for men in the Midwest, representing fathers in Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Kansas, Indiana and Georgia. Men who come to Cordell & Cordell know that their interests and the interests of their children will be aggressively championed. www.cordellcordell.com Civil War - A Father's Guide to Winning Child Custody Joseph E. Cordell's Civil War - A Father's Guide to Winning Child Custody  gives fathers clear, easy-to-understand tips on how to achieve the best results possible in a divorce. Comprehensive chapters explain every step of the divorce process, the meaning of legal terms, how courts determine custody, and how to maximize chances of victory at every stage. Cordell is the founder of Cordell & Cordell.

My recent His Side with Glenn Sacks radio commentary for KLAA AM 830 in Los Angeles concerns the problem of "dad-as-idiot" TV, and points out a commendable exception.

To listen to the commentary, click here.

To learn more about the problems with the way men and fathers are portrayed on television, click here.

His Side with Glenn Sacks radio commentaries are broadcast daily on KLAA AM 830, a 50,000 watt talk station in Los Angeles and Orange County. KLAA AM 830 is owned by Arte Moreno, owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. KLAA hosts include Glenn Beck and Michael Savage.

From 2003-2005, His Side with Glenn Sacks ran in a syndicated talk show format in Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, Seattle, and other cities. To listen to show archives, click here.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Fathers & Families News Digest, 11-19-07

Below are some recent articles and items of interest from Fathers & Families' latest News Digest.

Domestic violence court a solid recommendation (Jackson Sun, 11-13-07)

Michael Jordan divorce breaks records with $168 million agreement (TransWorldNews, 11-13-07)

Man wants to be banned from pubs (North-West Evening Mail, 11-14-07)

Florida man sentenced to 2 years in prison for not paying child support  (Zanesville Recorder, 11-14-07)

N.H. deadbeat dad runs out of luck (Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 11-14-07)

Couple stays close through stage work (Huntsville Times, 11-15-07)

Pastor's wife: Church is a divorce asset (Associated Press, 11-16-07)

Judge rules Broward major does not have to pay child support (Broward Times, 11-16-07)

Man jailed on child support charges (Dubuque Telegraph Herald, 11-18-07)

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Dad Gets 4 Years Strict Probation for Child Support, Says State Took Away His Ability to Make a Living

Dan F. Craft, a 55-year-old truck driver, has been sentenced to four years of CCS/ISP (Community controlled sanctions/ intensive supervised probation)--the strictest kind of probation--for being behind on his child support. He says it happened because he fell behind when he was out of work, and then the Child Support Enforcement Agency revoked his driver's license, preventing him from obtaining work.

I don't know if Craft's account is factually correct, but I do know this happens in many cases, and is one of the many ways the child support system manufactures "deadbeat dads."

Reporter Teresa Moore of The Ironton Tribune in Ohio wrote:

"Dan F. Craft, 55, of Huntington, W.Va., pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of criminal non-support. Bowling sentenced Craft to four years CCS/ISP and ordered him to pay $270 a month to clear his $13,000 arrearage in addition to his regular child support payments.

"Craft said the only reason he got so far behind is that he got out of work and got behind on his child support payments, which prompted the Child Support Enforcement Agency to revoke his driver's license. Craft said he is a truck driver and could not work without his license."

The full story can be seen here.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

The Men's Legal Center--Help for Men & Fathers The Men's Legal Center, Family Law Advocates specializes in representing men in Family Law Court in San Diego. They also provide guidance and assistance for fathers all over California. Contact them at 619.234.3838 or by email by clicking here. Free US Rx Prescription Card Available now to all United States Citizens at no charge, to assist with high cost of prescription drugs. Save up to 80-90% today on prescription drugs This card can be used by people who have Medicare, Medicaid, who are insured or uninsured. Everyone qualifies. To learn more, click here. Dance4Equality Dance4Equality promotes awareness and advocacy for equal rights in family law through the beautiful uniqueness of dance. Led by Derek J. Bailey, an enrolled tribal member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Dance4Equality has led protests against the Michigan family courts to promote equal protection for all in family law cases. To learn more, click here.

Background: In my recent post The Fatherhood Movement & Underdog Social Movements in History (Part I: The 'Battle of Deputies Run'), I explained:

"Being committed to a movement which has not yet come into its prime--the fatherhood movement--I'm sometimes interested in the stories of the unlikely successes of other social movements.

"One of the biggest underdog movements in history to succeed, though we don't talk about it much, is the industrial labor movement. Most of the big industrial unions were formed during the 1930s, under conditions which, in retrospect, seem mind-boggling. Amid massive unemployment and widespread poverty, facing off unscrupulous, lawless bosses and their violent hired thugs as well as hostile and sometimes violent police, working men utilized strikes, sit-downs and other methods to build strong, vibrant labor unions.

"I think one could fairly say that, given what these men achieved, it is impossible to ever claim that any reasonable movement cannot succeed."

In my previous post I cited the famous Minneapolis Teamsters strike in 1934, wherein striking workers and their supporters squared off against police and company-hired thugs in what's known as the "Battle of Deputies Run." Another example, more modern and more genteel, is the rise of the Major League Baseball Players' Association from 1966 to 1981.

Today's astronomical baseball salaries have made many forget that for 100 years baseball players were treated terribly. Owners had all of the power in the relationship, in part because of the reserve clause, which mandated that a player could only play for one team unless they traded or released him. With almost no negotiating power, players were vastly underpaid in relation to the value they brought to the industry. Prior to the union era, many retired players lived in poverty or scraped by on menial jobs.

That began to change in 1966 when Marvin Miller, formerly one of the leaders of the Steelworkers' union, became the head of the Players' Association. The union faced a hostile press, hostile, idiotic baseball fans, and some of the wealthiest people in the country, the club owners. In 1972 the owners tried to roll back the already meager pension the baseball players received, and it led to the first strike in baseball history. The owners sought to provoke the strike in order to break the nascent union, and Miller himself thought there was little the players would be able to do about it, at least in the short term.

The excerpt below is from Marvin Miller's fascinating autobiography A Whole Different Ball Game. In it, Miller informs the 48 player representatives (two per team) of the owners' position on the pension issue and recommends that they not strike.

Excerpted from "A Whole Different Ball Game":

"The meeting [in Dallas] got underway. After reviewing all that had happened during the negotiations, I recommended that we delay striking. Hands shot up all over the room. The players were more committed to accepting the owner's challenge to strike than I had realized; in fact, they were positively militant. Soon I found myself playing the role of devil's advocate, trying to be as realistic (even pessimistic) as possible. I explained the hardships involved. I pointed out that we had no strike fund, no field offices, and no public relations staff; the press would likely be hostile; and on and on. To no avail. Player after player stood up to convince me that they were united, that they were hell-bent on taking the fight to the owners--even though it was impossible to know how long the strike would last.

"Roughly four hours into the meeting, one of the player reps, impatient with the continuing discussion, started to chant: 'Strike! Strike! Strike!' It was picked up by the others and repeated over and over..."

To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Online Dating Rights Online Dating Rights opposes the new federal International Marriage Broker Regulation Act, which requires Americans who seek to meet foreigners via the internet to have a criminal background check and an intrusive report about intimate details of one's life BEFORE any communication--the first time in US history that such checks have been required. www.onlinedatingrights.com SAMSONLAW--Divorce Lawyers for Michigan Men & Fathers If you're a Michigan man faced with divorce, you need SAMSONLAW on your side--SAMSONLAW defends men. Smart Advocacy Means Stopping Oppression Now. INeedSamson.com My Sara My Sara--How the Adoption Assistance Agency stole a baby girl away from her loving family and put her up for adoption, for a nice profit. To learn more about this incredible story, go to www.my-sara.com

The video link below is from "Garden Wedding," one of the new California TV gay marriage ads. Mercifully, the ad spares us the anti-male stereotypes sometimes promoted by gay marriage advocates, who are often aligned with the feminist movement.

In the ad, a woman is about to get married and her father is leading her out to the ceremony to walk her down the aisle.  Believe it or not, he's actually a nice guy and his daughter seems proud to be with him.  Believe it or not, the person who sticks out a cane and trips the bride and prevents her from getting married is a woman, not a man.  Believe it or not, the groom is portrayed as a caring person.

To some degree I can understand the loyalty that gay activists have for the women's movement and feminists/feminist causes.  It is true that the National Organization for Women and other feminist groups have often played a positive role in reducing society's bigotry towards gays.  However, because gays and feminists are often political allies, this sometimes translates into a hostility for men from the LGBT movement.  This is unfortunate.

We saw one example of this back in June when OPUS, the nationally syndicated cartoon, had an anti-male/pro-gay marriage cartoon right before Father's Day.  I don't mind the gay marriage apart, but I opposed the cartoon's anti-father message, for which I was unjustly pilloried in many gay newspapers and online publications.  To learn more about that controversy, click here.

To watch the new gay marriage ad, click here.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Happily Un-married! Living Together & Loving It! Living together is becoming widely accepted among all ages. Happily Un-married! is the first book to take a serious & non-judgmental look at helping these couples improve the fitness of their relationships. The rate of cohabitation is skyrocketing--10 million couples, 40% of whom have children. Happily Un-married! helps unmarried couples stabilize and strengthen their relationships. www.cohabitating.org Help for Georgia Dads Georgia attorney Edwin M. Saginar has 36 years of experience in family law and criminal defense, including domestic violence. He has seen many spouses falsely accuse their significant others of family violence, and knows how to defend your rights. www.edwinsaginar.com Need Affordable Help with Child Support and Custody Issues? Legal Services Centers of America provides fathers with affordable help in family law matters such as child support and child custody. Based in Colorado, they handle cases throughout the US. Call them at (719) 219-3561or write them at lscalegal@earthlink.net. www.legalservicecentersofamerica.com

"At this time of year, we always read of those parents who take their first child to college. They carefully put the sheets on their kids' dormitory beds and neatly arrange their clothes  -- a momentary nostalgic return to the childhood years that have fled. The new collegians are desperate for them to leave. They depart. They look over their shoulders at their beloved children, overflowing with emotion.  They arrive home, open the door  -- and the house is silent. The doors do not slam. The phone does not ring.

"No backpacks are plopped down on the floor. The cereal has not been devoured. And they feel empty. They gaze at the photographs of their boy when he was three.

"And they know that what was, is no more, and can never be.

"How much worse when this happens before its proper time, when the children are young, when it happens to a loving parent who has done no wrong, when it happens simply by order of an ignorant judge, influenced by degrading media portrayals of men, and empowered by blind laws. This we never read about.

"And here is the ultimate wound: it is done, they say, because it is in your child's best interest-- to be torn away from you!"

Ned Holstein gave a great speech at a September Fathers & Families meeting--it is excerpted above and below. To read it in full, click here. More from Ned:

"About five years ago, the Boston Globe ran a headline story claiming that the leading cause of death of pregnant women was murder at the hands of their male partners. The story was occasioned by a Massachusetts Department of Public Health special report, accompanied by a press release. As a doctor, I was dubious about this claim, so I looked up the DPH report. It did not surprise me to find that medical causes of death far outnumbered any other cause, and that motor vehicles and drugs came next, with domestic violence making a modest contribution. The Massachusetts DPH never distanced itself from the Globe story, despite its own research report that contradicted the Globe.

"Two years ago, PBS ran a so-called documentary called "Breaking the Silence."  Its central claim was that two-thirds of fathers who seek the custody of their children, even shared custody, are secret batterers. There is no research basis for this claim whatsoever. I know, because I asked the authors of this travesty for their sources, and then I studied the papers they cited, and I found that this slander was a complete fabrication...

To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Alicia M. Crowe's Real Dads Stand Up! Alicia M. Crowe's new book Real Dads Stand Up! explains what every single father should know about child support, rights and custody. Learn how to exercise your legal rights, avoid 'baby mama drama', navigate the child support system, gain and maintain access to your children, and settle issues without going to trial. www.realdadsstandup.com Fathers' Rights Legal Help If you need help with divorce, child custody, child support, alimony and visitation issues, The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd. is one of the only law firms in the country focused almost exclusively on fathers' rights in divorce. Leving did heroic work on the Elian Gonzalez case, helping reunite Elian with his father. He also co-authored Illinois' Joint Custody Law, and was named one of "America's Best Lawyers" by Forbes Radio. Leving is the author of Fathers' Rights: Hard Hitting and Fair Advice for Every Father Involved in a Custody Dispute. Call today for an initial consultation (312) 807-3990 or visit us on the web at www.dadsrights.com.

You Be the Judge--NOW Claims This Ad Is 'Offensive to Women'--Is It? (Part VIII/Conclusion) Background: TV often portrays men and fathers as idiots--to learn more and see video clips, click here. Brandweek Magazine editor Todd Wasserman discussed the problem of 'Dad as Idiot' advertising in his recent column The Surviving Dads Of Ads. The National Organization for Women/NOW Foundation has launched a new campaign around ads which they label "Offensive to Women." The campaign involved Love Your Body Day 2007, which was October 18. In this  eight-part series, I've reprinted some of the ads which NOW tells us are "Offensive to Women," giving my own humble opinion on the matter and soliciting yours. In You Be the Judge (Part I), I agreed with NOW. In Part II, I agreed with them on one out of two. In Part III, I thought they were wrong on both. In Part IV and also Part V, I agreed with NOW. In Part VI and Part VII, I disagreed with NOW. NOW protests this Cesare Paciotti ad. They write: "Another fashion victim--literally, it appears. Designers sure do love to show off their clothes on fallen women." The woman looks like she's just been shot--all that's missing is the red blood stain, and I wonder if that's why we have red in the shoes. Looks creepy to me. I'll go with NOW on this one, so that brings NOW's final score, in my book, to 5 out of 10 correct. Conclusion? NOW's complaints that advertising is unfair to women have a measure of legitimacy, but not much. Women are portrayed vastly more favorably in advertising than men are. While NOW is correct about the occasional ad that is offensive to women, it's small in scale compared to the modern "men as idiot" advertising norm. To discuss this issue on my blog, click here. Help for Los Angeles/Ventura County Dads Certified Family Law Specialist Peter M. Walzer was one of the key figures in our successful legislative struggle to preserve the LaMusga move-away decision. As Chair of the State Bar of California Family Law Section Executive Committee, Walzer lobbied the state legislature to improve California laws on child support and child custody. He's an American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Fellow who has authored numerous articles on custody issues, business valuation in marital dissolutions and spousal and child support.  www.California-Divorce.com The LaMusga Company The LaMusga Company provides customized solutions to assist individuals and business owners in reaching their financial goals. The LaMusga Company is committed to helping you accomplish your long-term financial objectives. LaMusgaCo.com Ponder This the Next Time You Hear Some Chest-Thumping DA Pledge to Crack Down on 'Deadbeat Dads', Part II--The Chalmers Case The recent audit of Missouri child support points directly to the Herbert Chalmers tragedy last year. The audit found that in child support cases "the amount owed was incorrect in 27 percent of the cases" and "record-keeping was so far off that parents were shown as owing $309,409 to $454,647 more than they actually owed." Moreover, these errors have led to unfair punishments of innocent fathers. To learn more about the audit, click here. In April 2006, Herbert Chalmers of St. Louis, Missouri killed himself and three others, including two members of the family whose business was garnisheeing his wages. Chalmers' withholding had been doubled and he was left with only $400 a month from his paychecks. He claimed he was the victim of a child support enforcement error but it was only after the killings that an investigation was conducted. The result? According to state officials, Chalmers had been correct--due to a clerical error, he was being garnisheed five times what he actually owed. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch interviewed a man whose family members were killed in the spree, who told them, "If it was a mistake, it cost the lives of my family." According to the article: "Did the state make some kind of mistake in calculating Herbert L. Chalmers' child support, possibly sparking a rampage that killed four women--including his children's mother and two members of the family whose business garnisheed his wages? "Chalmers made it clear he felt there had been an error, railing about it for months before Tuesday's bloody spree. He complained about it to some survivors of the tragedy before using his last shot on himself..." To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here. Dr. Warren Farrell's Shared Parenting Evidence Kit--What You Need to Win Shared Physical Custody Dr. Warren Farrell, a top expert on children of divorce now offers a complete evidence kit to help you win shared custody.  The DVDs, audio CD and electronic files summarize the best scientific research available collected over decades.  Scientific research has proven that children do far better with near equal time with both parents with minimal conditions.  This video set was developed to educate parents, judges, lawyers, psychologists and other divorce professionals. Most judges are doing exactly what is worst for children with sole-custody.  Submitted as evidence this will maximize your chances. Divorce Reform groups call(508) 381-1450 to use as fundraiser. www.BestInterestofChildren.org Help for Michigan Dads Michigan family law attorney Mindy L. Hitchcock has experience fighting for noncustodial parents against Michigan's abusive FOC. Her holistic approach to divorce gets results for her clients while avoiding the scorched earth approach to law that leaves families emotionally and financially devastated. Lady4Justice.com

Misogyny and Stupidity Over Female Baseball Umpire Background: Recently I lamented the release of female baseball umpire Ria Cortesio (pictured). Her release also reminded me of one of the stupidest and most misogynistic blog comments I've ever seen. It was written as a response to my blog post Will the First Woman Major League Umpire Improve Baseball?, in which I speculated that a female umpire might help cut down on some of the asinine umpire blaming and baiting that goes on in baseball. My theory is that since the vast majority of men are gentlemen (though feminists will never admit it), a female umpire will be treated with far more courtesy than a male umpire. Misogynist/radical masculist "GrizzlieAntagonist" doesn't like Cortesio, doesn't like me, and wrote: "Baseball is a religion, and, regardless of objective qualifications, a female presence of any sort is an abomination, and Glenn Sacks is a wuss...is there any doubt that this umpiress hates men? What was her motivation for becoming an umpiress anyway? Love of the game? No way! Women don't love anything, and they sure don't love baseball. The motivation surging through her black evil heart was hatred of men. She wanted to impose upon a male pastime with her presence. She wanted to urinate on it." Gee, and here I thought she just enjoyed her job... To discuss this issue on my blog, click here. The Diary of a Patient Man--How a Male DV Victim Fought the System and Fought for His Child William Stoneking's The Diary of a Patient Man is the compelling and inspirational true story of a father's fight for his child against a violent ex-wife and a biased court system that tried to drive him away. Get it online or order your copy here. Are you or someone you love being abused? The Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women provides crisis intervention and support services to victims of domestic violence and their families in order to help survivors recover from the trauma of domestic violence. Contact them by clicking here. Vinny Testaverde on Fatherhood Incredibly, Vinny Testaverde is still playing quarterback in the NFL at age 44. Recently he said: "I've learned a lot over the years, and certainly my experience has helped me to continue doing what I'm doing. I wouldn't say I'm a smart person, but I know football. There's two things I think I'm good at. It's playing football and being a good father." Hat tip to Doug Slain and his blog Men on the Defensive. To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Are You the Target of Parental Alienation? Parental alienation cases are among the most difficult and complicated in family law. J. Michael Bone, Ph.D., is an expert on parental alienation. If you're a target parent, he can help you get back into your children's lives. Bone has worked as a custody evaluator and as a therapist and knows how to help the court find the truth. His services are available throughout the U.S. Dr. Bone can be reached by phone at (407) 645-0662 or by email by clicking here. www.jmbconsulting.org     Help for Colorado Dads As someone who has personally experienced the heartbreak of divorce and family breakup, Brett W. Martin, Esq. works to advance the interests and concerns of fathers in domestic and family law litigation. Personal attention is given to clients to help them through a very difficult time in their lives. www.brettwmartin.com

I'm no fan of female revenge commercials that imply that women usually have a reason to be mad at men, and are justified in wanting their revenge. One example is this Dairy Queen commercial.

However, occasionally women seek their revenge on men but men manage to get win out anyway. One example is the movie John Tucker Must Die. Three high school girls are being two-timed (three-timed?) by the school's basketball star and decide to get their revenge on Tucker by trying to humiliate him. Tucker is clever, though, and a smooth operator, and he always seems to land on his feet no matter what they do.

This Toyota Tacoma ad is in a similar vein. To watch, click here.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Parental-Alienation-Awareness.com Stop Parental Alienation--a terrible form of Child Abuse. Nine states have now officially recognized Parental Alienation Awareness Day. To learn more, go to Parental-Alienation-Awareness.com. Think of Your Light Switch as an ATM Machine Wouldn't you like to get paid every time you turn on the power?  Find out how you can get paid on thousands of electric bills each month by clicking here.

Background: Ex-cons and "deadbeat dads" are two of society's least favorite groups. As a result, it's hard to formulate and implement reasonable policies and laws concerning the two. A new Department of Justice study on reducing prisoner recidivism focuses on an important but little-mentioned problem ex-offenders face--the crushing child support debts which accrued while they were behind bars. Upon release, child support enforcement agencies att