Monday, August 20, 2007

Return of the Fuckwits

They're back! The guys who think good parenting starts with disturbing the peace.

So time maybe for a recap on their aims and what is so horribly wrong with them.

(from their own site)

"AIMS:

Early Interventions & Mandatory Mediation
Before couples seek legal recourse, the government must recognise that ALL couples should be bound to enter into mandatory mediation, with appropriately trained mediators."

This is what we would all commonly call bullying. Mediation is and always has been available to those who wish to make use of it. Making it compulsory means that women who have been victims of physical or psychological abuse during their relationships are forced to either accept the demands of the father of their children or face intimidation and a risk of further abuse in the mediation process. Everybody and anybody in a legal situation has the right to take the matter directly to court. Anyway who are these mediators and who is going to train them?

"Presumption of Contact & Shared Parenting
The best parent is both parents. The starting point after separation should be to maintain where possible what the status quo was before separation. Children currently have no right in law to see their parents. The principle of shared parenting creates a level playing field where conflict can be reduced, as opposed to the current "winner takes all" scenario which generates maximum conflict."

The advantages of raising a child in a two-parent family are more than 80% explained financially. So if F4J really cared about children they would be campaigning to force absent fathers to contribute more to their child's maintenance.

Maintaining the status quo after separation is obviously not possible when one partner has moved out. The principle of shared parenting would mean that most children in separated families would spend 3 nights per week at one house and 4 at another. Evidence suggests this is hugely destructive to children's well-being.

One in four women in the UK is a victim of domestic violence at some point in her life. Of course some men are also victims of domestic violence, although the numbers are much lower. No parent should be expected to hand their children over to someone who is or has been violent towards them.

Raising children is hard work. Very few women would refuse genuine well-intended help from someone they considered trust-worthy with their children. By the time you get to courts, you have already fallen at that hurdle.

Last time around in the UK Fiona Bruce did a great job of tackling them head on and actually got them to close down for a while after it was revealed that a large number of their key spokespeople had convictions for domestic violence. At the time Matt O'Connor insisted that he did not encourage his members to intimidate court officials and legal professionals. This time around doing so is one of their stated aims!

Friday, August 10, 2007

Apes Like Me

Thanks very much to everyone who came to see my one-off solo show Apes Like Me. We were rammed!! I really enjoyed doing the show. I discovered afterwards we had an evolutionary biologist in the second row who complimented me on my factual accuracy which was very flattering and we saw lots of people leaving the venue still labeled up as chimps and orang-utans (you would need to have been there to understand why!) so hopefully they got some funny looks later.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Something for Free

Ricky Gervais is apparently charging £37.50 for tickets to his Edinburgh show. Some people think this is too much. If you're one of them try this for price-range instead: FREE! Absolutely free. Sing-Along-A-The-Joy-Of-Sex, 7.20 pm nightly (not Sundays) at the Mercat Bar (Venue 282 in the guide). Third show today went really well - some of the audience told us they're going to come again! And the barman said we were the best show in the venue (sorry everyone else at the Mercat!).

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Another Reason To Come To Our Show!

Abstinence doesn't work! This comes as a big surprise to those of us who've seen the way it's been promoted.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Sunny, Sexy Edinburgh

Mr Cru and I are now settled in Edinburgh for the duration of the festival. This is what we will be doing for the next month...

1) Performing our musical comedy show Sing-Along-A-The-Joy-Of-Sex daily (4th - 25th, not 12th or 19th) at 7.20pm at The Mercat Bar, (Venue 282) FREE!

2) Sketches and improv as part of FREE Comedy Cocktail at Hillside, daily 2.15pm (4th - 19th, not 8th or 15th)

3) I'll be performing my latest solo show Apes Like Me at The Outhouse - one show only 5.15pm on 10th.

4) I'll be compering The F-Show - the FREE fringe late night show 11pm Sun - Weds at the Mercat Bar.

5) I'll be compering the Studio tent at The Meadows on Fringe Sunday (12th) from 11am - 2pm.

6) Loads more!

Let me know if you're in town and you'll be welcome to come and see us all day every day.

Since You-all Had So Much Fun Last Time...

I thought I would let you know the 42nd Carnival of the Feminists is now up at Un-Cool. It's a bumper one too - I thought mine was pretty comprehensive, this is a real extravaganza!