Blind Guardians

As I was reading up on all the male domains that have been “invaded” by women, I noticed traditional women’s roles remain as hard for men to break into. FAA stats have over 80 percent of flight attendants to be women. Then there are stereotypes that women want to break, and using statistics.

Quoting an article from the Chicago Sun Times by Lucio Guerrero (2006):

MEN ARE BETTER AND SAFER DRIVERS THAN WOMEN
Statistics: In 1998, women caused 27 percent of fatal crashes. Men caused 73 percent, according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.

The way these statistics are indicated almost makes it look like men are worse/rasher drivers compared to women. But the source of the statistic itself claims to further clarify the disparity within the numbers. The statistic claims that the one-sided figures are owed primarily due to two factors:

1. Greater Mileage by men.
2. Stupid kids. The statistics for fatal accidents over 19 clearly shows the number of deaths to be on par.

So basically if the article cared enough to show the entire truth of the statistics, then it would be noted that the percentage of fatal accidents for men has decreased 8 percent, while for women it has increased 11 percent. Also trying to rule out mileage bias, the statistic would indicate 59.5 percent accidents for men versus 40.5 women. Sobering thought. While the statistic still appears to be more male dominated, one thing is clear if you choose to visit IIHS, that as women start to drive more, the statistic doesn’t increase linearly for women. This is due to the fact that, as women drive more miles, men drive less, and drunken driving incidents with women at the helm increase as well.

The BAC related accidents show a 20 percent increase in women driver fatalities compared to a 5 percent increase in male fatalities (1985-2005).

Women also constantly choose to neglect paternal rights. As indicated by a friend of mine, British Law concerning child custody, between 1973 and the late 90s was pro-mother. Gender neutral laws are in the process of being made. Even prior to 1973, child custody laws were pro-mother in principle, to reflect societal roles of fathers as bread earners and mothers as care takers of the family. So a househusband (which is not uncommon), is ineligible by the “old” law to gain custody. But since it is beneficial for the woman in this case, little was contested in that respect. In Indian law, even today, the laws are pro-mother, if not anti-father. A father can’t contest legal proceedings for custody until age 7 unless proof of an unworthy or irresponsible mother can be indicated.

Here are some links of questions being asked to experts regarding custody.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Indian-Law-1798/Custody-1.htm

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Indian-Law-1798/Custody-3.htm

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Indian-Law-1798/Custody-child.htm

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Indian-Law-1798/Child-Custody.htm

The act that governs custody is the Guardian & Wards Act 1890. 1890. That’s a century old act. My immature understanding of the law is such, Father wishes custody, and is capable of providing the required atmosphere for the child, then he must prove the incapacity of the mother, morally or temperamentally (not sure about financially, since men do provide for welfare for children when the mother has custody, in some cases even if the mother is financially capable of providing for the child.) So unless the mother is abusive or uninterested, a father has no right to custody of the children. I am actually hoping to someday discuss this with someone with a legal background to gain a better understanding, since I cannot understand the legal jargon that is up on some of the sites.

And don’t get me started about the 498a and DV acts. The Supreme Court has already started finding fault with the DV act (and has been constantly criticizing the 498a) just months after it has been passed. Further more, the NCW seems not to care to make the DV act gender neutral. The act only addresses women that face domestic violence. Just an indication of misuse of the DVand 498a acts, Estranged wife vs. WIPRO.

Equality is a pipe dream, since those that lobby equality fail to see their oversights. And just to finish off with a quote to address Renuka Chaudhary’s interview on The Devil’s Advocate , “Discrimination in the past is not an excuse for discrimination in the future.”

I could go on and on. There is so much more to say, but I fear I will ramble more than necessary. Then there is also the dissection of where women have it wrong. Like the myth that men don't face domestic violence or nearly not enough. But as men like Gaurav Nigam begin standing up for themselves feminists and women's right activist will find it harder to remain hypocritical.

Most of the statistics are for the US, since I found it hard to get them for india. Finally I would like to thank The Depressed Doormat, for help with the details and facts and helping with his already wide pool of reading resources on the topic.

War For Territory/ The Male Domain

Tom boys, women with short hair, women wearing jeans and t-shirts, women wanting “men’s jobs”, invasion of the male domain of testosterone pumping sports, women wanting the seat down, women expecting men to not objectify them as sexual objects, barbecues, the list could go on. But is there any place in the female domain that men are allowed “invade”.

The invaders are inevitably labeled effeminate, pansy or gay in the extremes. Now often the labeling is carried out within the male domain itself, but every once in a while it is the women that behave territorially to even a prospective invasion of their space. Try getting your wife/girl friend to take you to her beauty salon or bring up the ethical question of male pregnancies and the bias, hypocrisy that is the female sex is evident.

And they have the audacity to question why we are so territorial when it comes to sports. I would like to clarify, right here and now, that my reluctance to allow women into what is predominantly a male sanctity of testosterone worship is not so much because I think it should remain singular in its sex-based membership, but more as far as principle. Women want separate times at the gym, swimming pools but somehow want to claim that they bear an equal if not greater burden.

i - Hate: Superscar - Sivaji

Sunday morning, 15 minutes before noon, I hear a faint knock followed by a familiar voice. It has just been 3 hours since I fell asleep. I groggily lift my head as I enquire to the reason of this blasphemy. Coming from a family that regards the Sabbath to be a holy day, I was obviously annoyed at the brazen intrusion. Turns out I am being asked if I want to join my roommate to a Tamil movie (for the record, I don’t speak the language and my understanding of it is just sufficient to hire an auto rickshaw). He just got ditched by another friend of ours and wants to avoid going alone. After some calls (trying to avoid having to say ok) I seem to have worked myself into a corner and agree to accompany him. The car is rented, made some ham and cheese sandwiches with bologna (we ran out of different types of salami as you can see) and we hit the road...

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i - Hate: Superscar - Sivaji

Sivaji

Yes, I am a pussy. I don’t want them to burn my house down. Who they? No, not the people in my head, for a change. These are real people, made out of flesh and blood. What do they do besides destroying houses? They destroy each other and eventually themselves. All for what joy, one might ask. All was almost fine until a dreadful phenomenon “Sivaji” struck the world in the wee hours of 15th June 2007. You think Tsunami was bad? Heh, think again!


So what if it stars a 60-year-old man doing a 20-year-old great grand child? What if the actor was made to look younger with the help of computer graphics that lifts a European woman’s skin and grafts it into the superstar(?)’s face? What if people stayed overnight at the movies in the hope of getting a ticket? The movie makers make CASH. That is all it boils down to, isn’t it? What do the people who are crazy (by this, I mean MAD crazy) fanatics get out of this ordeal? Umm…don’t get them grey cells working. The answer is NOTHING. Oh oh also, the fans bathed his idol/ cut out with beer. What can possibly be the logic behind such an abnormal act?


“Sivaji” has been billed as India's most expensive movie and apparently the plot revolves around a man who loses money because of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Innovative eh? Not to forget, the tickets are being sold for Rs.2000 in black (Hint: Tsunami relief fund and CRY need you!). We talk about “poverty” in our country. Really? You think ANYONE cares?


Al-qaeda doesn’t have to think too hard to bomb a thickly populated area anymore. The thought that holds me back from watching this something they call a movie is the fact that I will never get back those 3 hours of my life spent watching it besides other very obvious reasons. What is sad is not the movie by itself but the way people react to it. Believe me when I say I tried in every way possible to try to think the way they do but I fail miserably every time I do that. The saying “Failure is a stepping stone to success” scares me at this point for I never want to see the day when I “succeed” in seeing the awesomeness involved in the movie.

This is a post by Pri, who for some reason doesn't want to post this on her own blog. Visit her blog from my blog roll, "Birth of Sanity".