Upcoming Monthly Men's Sunday Brunches (bring something to share/cook up): Sunday, December 19th at Rick Gravrok's 2925 Monterey Ave S, St. Louis Park, 952/926-6655.(on the west side of Lake Calhoun, off Lake St.) and Sunday, January 16th at Frank Brandon's, 975 Como Blvd E, St. Paul, 651-487-3008. (on the east side of Lake Como). Men hang out together and enjoy good food with no agenda whatsoever. These brunches are open to all men from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m; plan to come and chat and eat for a 1/2-hour to 2-hour period anytime – inevitably some men stay on until 2 p.m. - Andy Mickel, 2004-11-13.

The Minnesota Fathers & Families Network (MFFN) is producing its 2nd annual winter conference, Minnesota Fatherhood & Family Services Summit Wed- Thu, January 19 & 20, 2005; St. Cloud Civic Center; St. Cloud, Minnesota; "Strengthening Fathers; Strengthening Families" Join us to be at the forefront of the conversation about how to involve fathers in the lives of their children. Learn how the changing face of fatherhood is affecting fathers, families, children, and communities across Minnesota. Get the latest information on effective programming, father-related research, and legislation affecting fatherhood services in the state of Minnesota. This conference is geared toward family-services and fatherhood-services practitioners and advocates, including state, county, and non-profit agencies serving fathers and families. Registration ranges from $25-$80 to: MFFN, 1700 NE 2nd St. Minneapolis 55413. FFI: Paul Masiarchin, 612-787-4091, <pmasiarchin@mnfathers.org> or <http://www.mnfathers.org/>

This holiday season the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus <http://www.tcgmc.org/> is partnering with the Aliveness Project , a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Serving our HIV community in the Twin Cities and greater Metro area, Aliveness Project provides nutritional, therapeutic, social and educational services to these individuals so that they may live full, dignified lives. Every holiday season, Aliveness Project distributes over 700 unique baskets to over 1500 people. Each basket is customized with a variety of gifts, depending on individual needs.TCGMC is asking our very generous audience to help us help Aliveness Project this year. For every gift you bring to the holiday concerts, the Chorus will give you a $5 discount coupon good for future Chorus concerts this season. <http://www.aliveness.org/ members/baskets.html>.

James Sherman in Newsweek's November 8th My Turn column gives an excellent analysis of a happy marriage, as well as an common sense and effective critique of Laura Schlessinger's misandrous book, "The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands." Sherman proposes that 3 important criteria for getting married are: 1) promising to accept your partner for who he/she is and not who you hope he/she will become (and if not sure about who he/she is, then don't marry. 2) promising to fight fairly and sometimes give in because it's just not that important to win all the time, and 3) promise to say yes to a request for a favor provided you don't keep score. He says that besides being in love with someone, being in love with the idea of being married is a prerequisite of a happy marriage. Schlessinger's shaming and sexist description of men is that we're easy to please: "Men are very simple creatures" and should be approached as one would a household pet: a hearty meal and an occasional roll in the hay. She refers to men as "simple" on pages 5, 10, 30, 44, 52, 92, 121 of her book according to Sherman. - 2004-11-01.

The Minnesota Freedom Band presents "Crescendo! The Drama of Music" at Minneapolis South High School theater, 3131 19th Ave S, Saturday, December 18, 8 p.m. welcoming its new principal conductor, Chad Olson in presenting music from stage and screen. The Minnesota Freedom Band is a Twin Cities-based lesbian and gay concert and marching band Ña voluntary, nonprofit musical organization. FFI: <http://www.mnfreedomband.org/>.

Bernard Amador's new book, To Know A Fallen Angel : Understanding the Mind of a Sexual Predator tells about the ability to triumph over the lasting effects of sexual abuse. The book explains what happened to the mind of a sexually abused child and takes its readers on an expedition through the mind of a sexual predator, as the story of a young boy's life unfolds from chapter to chapter. In this chronology of sexual secrecy, Amador recounts the life of Michael, a child who grows up in the heart of the poverty-stricken South Bronx in an apartment filled with sexual abuse and incest fueled by alcoholism and domestic violence. As the story unfolds, the sexual abuse Michael experiences results in a misunderstanding between father and son that separates them emotionally and leaves the boy with a desire to know what it would be like to have a "normal" relationship with his father. It also leads to the development of sexual predatory behavior in Michael. Paperback (5x8), 216 pp, ISBN: 141849822X $11.50 CONTACT: Bernard Amador, <bamador@toknowafallenangel.com>, <http://www.toknowafallenangel.com/> 2004-11-13.

Just Between Men Brunch, 1st & 3rd Saturdays of every month from 11 a.m.-2p.m., Pillsbury House, 3501 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis. Sponsored by: Just Between Men FFI: Call R C Cass at 824-0708 x127,