Men’s Interests

Peering outward from behind a mottled screen of vines and leaves, the Green Man does not speak or sleep; he waits. His meaning and his origins are largely lost to time — the Green Man wasn’t named till 1939. We know, however, that this type of enigmatic figure was the work of artists, anonymous craftsman whose unsigned work adorns the crevices and walls of medieval cathedrals. This year we will appropriate the Green Man and the primeval spell he casts on our imaginations for a modern purpose. Our theme concerns humanity’s relationship to nature. Do we, as conscious beings, exist outside of nature’s sway, or does its force impel us and inform the central root of who and what we are?

Tickets to this year’s Burning Man will be made available on January 17, 10AM PST at http://tickets.burningman.com. The theme is The Green Man.

According to Larry Harvey there were some problems with ticket purchases last year. People logged on before the tickets went on sale and the system crashed. He says they’ve addressed the problem and hopes for a more positive experience this year. He says:

I really don’t want to be too hard on anyone. When you are isolated and feel frustrated it is very easy to lose your temper. But isn’t it ironic that all of the sturm and drang about getting there first, about competing with thousands of other consumers, should arise among a group of people who are dedicated to a non-consumerist event that is devoted to cooperation and collaboration.

If our first allotment of $195 tickets sells out, a second gate will silently slide open, offering another 10,000 tickets for $225 apiece. Finally, when the last gate is automatically triggered, yet another 10,000 tickets will be available at $250.

During the wait for your place in line, if your neck gets tense, if you begin to pound the keyboard, please rest assured - you’re not alone nor need you be alone. There is a place that waits for you in Black Rock City.

Join Parents Magazine and Beliefnet in examining today’s spirituality and parenting by taking this survey.

Visit MAXIM’s 2006 Hometown Hottie Kerry in this video.

From Three parents for Canadian boy | WORLD | NEWS | tvnz.co.nz:

A five-year-old Canadian boy can have two mothers and a father, an Ontario court ruled this week in a landmark case that redefines the meaning of family and examines the rights of parents in same-sex relationships.

In a ruling released on Tuesday, the Ontario Court of Appeal said the female partner of the child’s biological mother could be legally recognized as the boy’s third parent.

The biological father, named on the boy’s birth certificate, is a friend of both women and is taking an active role in the child’s life.

My opinion on this child custody case sets me apart in the fathers’ and equal parenting movements. Many people believe marriage should only be between a male and a female, and every child should have one father and one mother. Fathers4Justice in Canada has announced they do not agree with this court ruling.

While I believe the rights of every biological parent need to be respected, I also know how much children benefit by having other loving, devoted adults in their lives. I believe if a same-sex couple has a child, and both love and care for it, both of those parents should stay active in the child’s life. The children in these cases deserve the protection of the law to have the protection of their parents.

It’s obvious to me how much these women love this child. They didn’t have the non-birth mom adopt the boy because that would have eliminated the father’s rights. Since I wasn’t raised by lesbian moms I can’t say what life will be like for this child. But I’m happy to see three adults who love him so much they’re willing to set a legal precedent to be his parents.

same-sex marriage child custody fathers4justice fathers rights

The crime:

Mother roasts two children alive

INDIA: Nirmala twisted the neck of her one-year-old son Munna before throwing him in flames. She killed her daughter Shelly in the same way…

Petrified after seeing the horrendous act, Nirmala’s third kid Divya struggled for her safety and even clawed her mother’s face. The girl raised an alarm and was helped by neighbours.

The confession:

After committing the dastardly act, Nirmala wept inconsolably for her children. She explained that she wanted to destroy her family in a fit of rage.

The scapegoat:

On being interrogated, Nirmala revealed that it was the torturous behaviour of her husband Mansa Ram Chaurasia that provoked her to take this beastly turn.

Say what?

She further informed that Mansa Ram falsely blamed her for having an illicit relationship and that he beat her very often. Not only this he once stripped her and even hit her.

“…even hit her”? Doesn’t that contradict “…he beat her very often”? Maybe she wasn’t interrogated; maybe she was trained.

Just curious, where is the proof he beat her?

misandry domestic violence india child abuse

From Yahoo News:

U.S. growers produce nearly $35 billion worth of marijuana annually, making the illegal drug the country’s largest cash crop, bigger than corn and wheat combined, an advocate of medical marijuana use said in a study released on Monday.

The report, conducted by Jon Gettman, a public policy analyst and former head of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, also concluded that five U.S. states produce more than $1 billion worth of marijuana apiece: California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Hawaii and Washington…

“Marijuana has become a pervasive and ineradicable part of the economy of the United States,” he said. “The contribution of this market to the nation’s gross domestic product is overlooked in the debate over effective control.”

“Like all profitable agricultural crops marijuana adds resources and value to the economy,” he added. “The focus of public policy should be how to effectively control this market through regulation and taxation in order to achieve immediate and realistic goals, such as reducing teenage access.”

From Yahoo News:

A devout Christian who said an accident at work boosted his libido and wrecked his marriage as he turned to prostitutes and pornography was awarded more than 3 million pounds ($5.89 million) in damages Tuesday…

Stephen Tame, 29, from Suffolk, suffered severe head injuries in a fall, transforming him from a loyal newlywed into a “disinhibited” character who had two affairs…

From the Los Angeles Times

The video game maker will replace the wrist strap for its Wii console’s novel controller amid reports that some straps broke during game play, causing the device to fly out of users’ hands and shatter television screens…

Nintendo has replaced the wrist strap with a beefier one on its upcoming console shipments.

Consumers can determine if you need the newer version of the wrist strap, and obtain a replacement strap by calling (800) 859-4519 or using the Wii Remote Wrist Strap Replacement Request Form.

Nintendo recall strap remote

From Information Week:

A “significant” worm is successfully attacking unpatched Symantec enterprise anti-virus software…

“We’ve seen exploit code for some time, but [Big Yellow] is the first truly automated threat,” says Marc Maiffret, eEye’s chief technology officer. The worm, which appears to be of Chinese origin, already has infected a number of systems worldwide…

Symantec’s current advice is to patch Symantec AntiVirus and Client Security to protect systems against threats such as Big Yellow. A detailed guide on what versions must be patched and how is available on the Symantec support site. HERE

worm computerworm symantec threat patch

From Yahoo! News:

The study findings suggest many men are being subjected to unnecessary anxiety about test results and a cancer diagnosis, unneeded diagnostic procedures, and potential side effects of prostate cancer treatment, says lead researcher Louise C. Walter, MD, a staff physician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

“I’ve seen it happen to my patients,” explains Walter a geriatrician. “They get very worried and get procedures done to them that leave them incontinent and impotent for a disease that I thought wasn’t going to cause them major problems.”

Other experts agree the findings are cause for concern. Several studies suggest that men over 70 or 75 can indeed suffer because of the procedures used to diagnose and treat prostate cancer, notes Andrew Wolf, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Virginia Health System and a member of the ACS Primary Care Advisory Committee.

“There’s a good chance a lot of these men are being harmed,” adds Wolf, who was not involved in the study.

Considering the lack of training, and little time these people have to get to know these families, and after all the complaints I’ve heard from fit loving parents, I’m not sure I support this law.

From the Pennsyvania Standard-Journal Online:

HARRISBURG — Legislation authored by Sen. Jake Corman (R-34) that will curtail the filing of frivolous complaints in child custody hearings and provide limited immunity for child custody evaluators recently became law when it was signed by Governor Ed Rendell.

Corman’s Senate Bill 845 became Act 175 of 2006 and will prohibit any person who is a party to a child custody hearing from filing a complaint against a court-appointed health care or behavioral health care practitioner who is making recommendations on the child custody agreement or court order. The prohibition will be in effect prior to the issuance of the final order and for 60 days after.

childcustody divorce custodyevaluators pennsylvania

UK: It’s too bad being a dying man wasn’t enough reason for Kevin Feltham to receive the treatment he needs for his bowel cancer. Even being a dying father wasn’t a good enough reason for Feltham, 44, to qualify for Erbitux, an experimental drug that encourages his body to fight the cancer which has moved into his liver and lungs.

Feltham finally won his bid for the treatment on his third try, according to Derbyshire County NHS Primary Care Trust spokesman Ian Beaumont, saying “In this instance the appeal panel was presented with some very specific and significant information relating to the individual case and made its decision with those circumstances in mind.”

What caused the turnaround?

According to Sheffield Today:

Kevin’s son Ben, aged 17, who lives with him in Bolsover, is due to have an operation of his own in a few months’ time to remove excess fluid from his brain – and his dad wants to be around to support him.