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We're slouching around a wooden picnic table, killing time before our final game of the season, when my softball coach asks me the question I've been dreading for months: Are you in a relationship?
It sounds like a harmless inquiry. But it's one that will force me out of the closet with my lesbian softball team.
"I'm married..."
The coach swoops in with a follow-up before I can even finish the sentence. "To a man or a woman?"
"To a man."
Every pair of eyes at the table has turned my way. The air feels tense.
"Huh," our manager grunts. "So we have two straight people on the team."
I'm an anomaly here in the South Florida Amateur Athletic Association, which defines itself on the web as "a gay and lesbian softball league... for both gay and non-gay participants." There are 22 teams in the women's division, which kicked off in 1999. The environment is supposed to be "conducive to the gay community." Unsure of what that meant and eager to duck discrimination, I decided to adopt the military motto: "Don't ask, don't tell."
I had found the league by Googling the words softball and women and Lauderdale. The description was OK with me. It's no secret that lots of lesbians love softball. And the last time I played the game with men, I felt like a second-class citizen; they relegated me to the bench and let me bat only once the team was up several runs. It's funny how some men assume that they're better at sports than women.
But I neglected to read the lesbian league's fine print. The rules state that each team is "allowed to have only two non-gay players active[ly] playing at any time in the game."
That doesn't seem so straight-friendly. And where do the bisexuals fit in? Asexuals? Same-sex curious? I remember answering a questionnaire before joining. It asked each prospective player about their perceived skill levels and whether they played college ball. Adding a question about sexual orientation would be, well, like something out of left field.
"It's OK if you sleep with a man," the coach assures me, as the rest of the team absorbs the news of Amy's orientation. "I used to."
An hour later, we lose to the Twisted Sisters. That's no surprise. We always lose. But this will be our last loss. Final tally: 1-16. The single win was actually a forfeit, because the other team didn't have enough players to take us on.
With our basement-dwelling season finally laid to rest, I'll be free to nurse hangovers on Sunday mornings. No more bolting out the door while my husband and dog are still happily asleep. No more frantic phone calls to the park's rainout line to see whether I can just climb back into bed. No more of that distinctive moldering-leather smell on my left hand from the glove I've been using since I was 7 years old.
Has my softball career been ignominiously laid to rest too? Softball will always be a part of me. My childhood revolved around the sport. My toddler years were a blur of ballparks and playgrounds. The glare of outdoor lights. The freedom of the sandbox. The glee of watching my father knock the ball over the fence. Pizza. Hot dogs. Licorice ropes longer than my legs.
Mom played too. And my older sister. Softball seemed inevitable. Eventually, I'd be old enough to join tee ball. Then a recreational league. And ultimately, one of those crazily competitive traveling teams that eat, breathe, and sleep a sport.
Softball cranks into hyperdrive in the summertime. My family would crisscross the country so that my sister and I could play on orange dirt in places like Lafayette, Louisiana, and Muncie, Indiana — places that, otherwise, I would probably never have visited in my lifetime. Each town has lovely, nearly identical ballparks.
Then there was a lengthy hiatus. All that time, travel, sweat, and sunburn eventually wore me down. It weighed on my parents' marriage too. My mother began to loathe the sport. My older sister didn't dare tell my mom (who was, at the time, a Bible-thumping church lady) that girls from opposing high school teams were hitting on her; one third baseman even pinched my sister's butt as she slid into the base. The opposing players teased my sis relentlessly for looking like a cheerleader (blond, stacked, with a full face of makeup).
It might just have been an intimidation tactic. But she was losing interest anyway, and as I approached my middle-school years, so was I. There didn't appear to be any fat paychecks awaiting serious female softball players, and — for me — hitting the books seemed like a safer investment toward a college scholarship. So I gave up on softball at 13. That decision was one of the biggest disappointments my father has ever been dealt as a parent; to this day, he still brings it up on holidays. "Your sister was a good ballplayer," he likes to say, "but you were really good."
Nearly two decades after I stowed my glove, I still missed the exhilarating sensation of a bat, guided by my own two hands, making solid contact with a ball. I missed the relief that sweeps over you when you dive for a low-flying line drive and discover that the ball is in your mitt. I missed the camaraderie.
Much to my mother's dismay, this year I set out to get reacquainted with softball. And I'd be doing it with lesbians. I would test the long-standing assertion — from any number of older people, including my mother — that lesbians and softball go together like peanut butter and jelly. She advised me to stick to yoga.
A journalist named George Hancock is credited with inventing softball in Chicago on a blustery winter day in 1887. The first game was played indoors, with a boxing glove tied into a round shape serving as the ball. The rules were similar to those of baseball. And the players were a bunch of Yale and Harvard alums.
For women, though, engaging in physical activity like sports was still considered unladylike. Nonetheless, women's ball clubs began organizing and traveling the country. Some female ballplayers were dubbed prostitutes; pre-World War II media accounts describe them as brassy broads who did inappropriate things in public such as handsprings and headstands.
More than anything, though, the war made it more acceptable for women to swing bats and throw balls. Many of the same women who took factory jobs during those years also joined their employers' recreational softball leagues. When chewing-gum magnate Philip K. Wrigley decided in 1943 to form a women's baseball league, as chronicled in the 1992 Hollywood flick A League of Their Own, he had a decent pool of talent from which to choose.
This early professional league drafted rules to ensure that its players appeared feminine. The ladies were supposed to wear skirts and lipstick on the field, and they were forced to take etiquette classes off the field. Some of those ladies have admitted in recent years that they are lesbians. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League folded in 1954.
Twenty-two years later, tennis great Billie Jean King and softball legend Joan Joyce founded the International Women's Professional Softball Association; that venture lasted just four seasons. In 1977, one of the league's players, Diane Kalliam, told a reporter for the Lesbian Tide that "virtually all" of her professional softball playing peers were gay.
Joan Joyce, who at 67 is now the head softball coach at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, says Kalliam is overstating the reality. "She's just guessing," Joyce says. "How would she know? It's not like everybody in this league were friends."
Historically, playing ball has been a way for lesbians to meet like-minded women. Most small towns had ball fields, so the sport was accessible. It seems natural that the national pastime also became a lesbian pastime.
In her 1988 book Diamonds Are a Dyke's Best Friend, author Yvonne Zipter reflects on why she and other lesbians are so attracted to softball: The softball field is a place where tomboys can act more like themselves, a place where there's less pressure to conform to the delicate feminine ideal.
Zipter also suggests that the public perception of softball players' being lesbians may have hurt the sport; more specifically, the stereotype may have handicapped the International Women's Professional Softball Association. By then, the women's liberation movement had made the general public increasingly aware that some females prefer to partner with other females. "[A]thletic women of the forties, while perhaps viewed as oddities, were not looked on with as much suspicion and contempt as their counterparts in the seventies," Zipter wrote.
She recounts how three women were once thrown out of a training camp sponsored by Joan Joyce. The women were supposedly demonstrating "overt lesbian behavior," although Zipter was unable to determine what that meant.
Joyce says she doesn't recall the incident. However, she acknowledges that it would have been a "huge problem" at the time if the public thought some of the ladies in the league were gay.
"Back then, I probably would have had a conversation with anybody that showed that kind of attention to someone else," she says. "To be honest with you, I don't really care as long as it doesn't affect the team."
Joyce is a superathlete who excels at everything from golf to basketball to softball. She struck out slugger Ted Williams with whizzing softball pitches at an exhibition game in 1961, then did the same to Hank Aaron in 1978.
The gossip on the softball fields of my youth told of lesbians dominating the college ranks. Like old wives' tales, stories circulated about girls being labeled queer at school simply because they were athletes. Pretty coeds supposedly would fend off persistent, unwanted advances from teammates, the reports contended. Even coaches made college locker rooms sound like settings for a zombie flick: They'll turn you into a LESBIAN.
The tales painted lesbians as sexual predators and outcasts.
A local high school softball coach who played for a Division 1 college in the mid-1990s recently recounted to me how she learned that her sport was popular among lesbians. "There was a woman," she remembers, "the mother of one of my teammates, who coached at a Division 2 school. She set all of us down — the ones who were going to play in college — and told us about how a girl on her team was invited by some lesbian teammates to a party. They got her drunk, somebody kissed her, one thing led to another, and the rumor got around campus that she was gay. She left school.
"We were all shocked. We were small-town, really sheltered. But she was telling us how it could be, giving us a heads-up to make sure our preferences were known."
There were five openly gay girls on the team her freshman year of college; one of them, she's convinced, was "turned" gay by another player. On the field, she remembers, the players functioned as a unit. But off the field, they segregated into gay and nongay cliques. Eager to sway the balance toward heterosexuals, she says, some of the straight teammates pestered the coach to recruit "girly-girls" who would improve the team's " 'pretty' average."
Today, this woman is married to a man and the mother of two children; she coaches a softball team at a Broward County high school.
Vikki Krane, director of women's studies at Bowling Green University in Ohio, chuckles at the notion of young female athletes getting "turned" into lesbians. "Nobody is going to turn someone gay or lesbian. Clearly, if someone has feelings for someone of the same gender, they're going to choose whether or not to act on it. If they simply don't have those feelings, it's not going to happen.
"What do you do when a boy asks you out that you don't want to date?" she continues. "You say, thanks, nice idea, but I don't think it's going to work. It doesn't have to be anything more than that should someone of the same gender ask you out. If you're comfortable with yourself, what does it matter what other people do? Assuming that they aren't being inappropriate."
Krane has written a position paper for the National Association for Girls & Women in Sport outlining steps that coaches and athletic programs can take to eliminate sexual orientation-based prejudice. But ultimately, she believes, change will come at the grass-roots level. As acceptance of homosexuals spreads among the general population, so will acceptance of gays in the sporting ranks.
At every school, coaches set the atmosphere for the team. Some programs, though, have a reputation for being gay-friendly — or not.
The University of Florida's softball program came under major scrutiny in 2003 when a catcher accused coaches there of dropping her from the team for being a lesbian. The catcher, Andrea Zimbardi, alleged that Head Coach Karen Johns pushed Christian beliefs on the players and that Assistant Coach Heather Compton-Butler made disparaging comments about lesbians while simultaneously fishing for information on which players might like women.
Zimbardi sued with the help of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
The university agreed to send its athletic department to sensitivity training, and it added discrimination based on sexual orientation to its zero-tolerance list. The university opted against renewing Johns' contract for the 2005-06 school year. Johns became the head coach at the University of Virginia, and this August, she'll accompany the U.S. Olympics team to Beijing as an assistant coach.
The softball community still hasn't figured out how to deal with the L-word. On a recent rainy summer day, I ambushed a few college softball players at a local training camp. We were well out of earshot of the little girls attending the camp, several of whom were busying themselves trying to capture bugs.
I wanted to talk about the L-word. The college players wanted to disassociate that word from their sport. There's no reason to bring sexuality onto the field, they argued. These days, they said, lesbians are a minority in their sport.
That may well be true. The 1972 passage of Title IX, which required equal opportunities for women in school-sponsored activities, paved the way for millions of American women to adopt knee-scuffing endeavors like softball. The influx of women into athletics is widely thought to have diluted the lesbian ranks. It's commonly believed that just 10 percent of the general population is gay or lesbian, so some find it hard to rationalize that a majority of female athletes in any sport could be lesbian.
The college players I spoke with worried that an article about lesbians and softball might deter young girls from the sport. "If parents see something they don't like, then they're probably not going to let their kids play," one said. Another player equated homophobia to racism — both are ugly realities we have to live with.
There was that military injunction again. "In the college world, it's still like the military: Don't ask, don't tell," says Helen Carroll, director of the homophobia in sports project at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "Every spring, we get calls from so many [lesbian] softball players that are asked not to come back. We try to solve the problem before it becomes a legal battle."
Coming out can still be a career blocker for lesbian softball players and coaches, Carroll says. But thankfully, dialogue and acceptance are increasing. It helps when respected women in the higher echelons of the sport take a stand. Carroll notes that, when Harvard's head coach, Jenny Allard, told her team in 1997 that she is a lesbian, Allard not only kept her job but also became a role model for coaches and players. In explaining the decision, Allard pointed to the importance of honesty in a team environment, saying that hiding her partner "behind the left-field fence" set a poor example.
With so many straight women in the sport and an increasingly diverse lesbian community, "the stereotype of lesbians playing softball has gone by the wayside," says Pat Griffin, author of Strong Women, Deep Closets: Lesbians and Homophobia in Sport. "At the same time, there's still a lot of homophobia out there. Players are still defensive about the image of the sport. There's a huge push to focus on girls like Jennie Finch, the pinup model."
Finch, an Olympic gold medalist in softball, is a beautiful blond pitcher from California. The biography on her website lists the names of her husband, son, and Yorkshire terrier, Prada. Finch modeled for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition after becoming a gold medalist at the 2004 Olympics but turned down a lucrative offer from Playboy to pose in the buff.
Griffin says that by refusing to talk about lesbians on the softball field or by shifting the emphasis to "girly" players, the softball community is making gay athletes "invisible again in a different way." The pressure on college softball players to appear straight is enormous. "There's all this big, long hair on the softball fields," Griffin says. "It's almost become a joke in some circles."
My affiliation with the Florida Amateur Athletic Association begins with tryouts one Sunday in February. Carlos, my husband, is disappointed that I'm joining a women's league; he thought we were going to play together on a coed team. I'm convinced that we won't get much playing time with the fellas (me, because men can be ball hogs; him, because he has never hit a ball in his life). Like a true sport, my husband accompanies me to the tryouts anyway.
Once there, I'm alarmed to discover that after years away from softball, I now throw like a girl. It's horrifying. Fortunately, everyone who wants to play is placed on a team. I get a call from a woman named Liz. I'd later learn that Liz led a team to a Gay World Series victory in 2006. Our sponsor is a lawyer, so we are christened the Law Dawgs. All the games will be played on Sundays.
I show up for our first game feeling anxious. I salute the girls with a perky "hello" and get a few grunts in return. Oh man, I think, this doesn't seem like a fun bunch.
In our first game, the Twisted Sisters crush us, 17-4. Afterward, my teammates look seriously grumpy. "Bitches? Complaints?" Liz asks before we all shuffle away.
Carlos shows up to watch the first game and sees no one — that's because he's at the wrong ballpark. When I report that my teammates seem surly, he decides not to be a spectator. I'm secretly relieved. I fear that some of my teammates might be man-haters, and I already feel like a lone femme in a field of butches. I need to boost my confidence in my playing skills before introducing him.
The next Sunday, we're scheduled for a double-header. I'm tasked with playing catcher for the first game, against a team called Last Call, and I'm nervous about getting hit. A friendly Nuyorican named Mirna shoves a mask into my hands just in the nick of time. As I accept it, gratefully, one of my teammates says in a gravelly voice: "Whaddaya care about your face?"
That's Lee. Her own face is busted that day. She has two black eyes and a thick cut across the bridge of her nose — from a rogue fly ball hit while she was practicing with an ex-girlfriend, she says. We suspect a brawl. Lee is a 39-year-old carpenter with a tough exterior. Years of smoking and downing beers have made her voice gruff, and her walk is a swagger. But there's a sweetness there too. Lee is tiny, and when she lifts her sunglasses, her bright blue eyes are disarmingly soft.
Last Call creams us 13-4. Our pitcher, Lucy, is now limping after an entire game trying to catch my wild throws. Liz is prepared to play catcher until Lucy grumbles, "Why the hell would I want to look at your ugly face? Give me that young one." That's how Caroline, a cute blond college student, became our catcher. I catch a break as a designated hitter.
But my stint as a catcher shows me just how out of shape I am. My body is so sore that I cringe with every step for a solid week.
On a subsequent Sunday, Last Call's shortstop — a former college player with a bullet arm — guns the ball to home plate. The catcher, as is customary in this tough-chick league, is not wearing a mask. The ball slams into her chin. The injury requires 30 stitches.
The next time we face off against Last Call, we get an injury of our own. Theresa, our left fielder, hits a ground ball and sprints toward first base; the same shortstop hurls a wild throw at her. Guess what? Theresa isn't wearing a helmet. Nobody wears helmets in this league. The ball makes contact with Theresa's left cheek, which swells to the size of a grapefruit. The ball's stitches leave an imprint on her jaw. She's lucky, though. Nothing is broken — not even a tooth. Theresa refuses to go to the hospital, and she actually keeps playing.
Apart from the fright of the occasional injury, every Sunday of softball feels the same. The other teams use our sad collection of stumblebum fielders for batting practice. We sulk in silence. Lucy tries to cheer everyone up with bawdy jokes and construction-worker comments like Look at those titties! or Did you see that ass? The comments are usually reserved for any moderately attractive chick walking by, but no one is immune. One afternoon between games of a double-header, she eyes Lee's hairy legs and asks whether the petite carpenter shaves anything besides her head. The answer: negative. The girls squeal in disgust.
"Listen," Lucy announces, "you've gotta shave your drawers before I pan down on you!"
At 53, Lucy is the same age as my mother, but she has zero matronly inhibitions. And she loves her softball. Lucy played fast-pitch at the University of Miami, and she plans to play the game until her dying day. "I was born with a mitt in my hand," she says. "I don't think there's a single thing I don't love about softball. Not even the heat or the dirt. I love to straddle my ass in the dirt."
I felt guilty playing on Mother's Day. But not Lucy. She told her son that, if he wanted to see her, he'd have to come to the softball field.
Lucy says that, compared with some of the other teams in the league, the sex talk among the Law Dawgs is utterly demure, though in my opinion, Lucy and others set the raunchiness bar pretty high. My favorite Lucy comment comes just before our last game. She had just seen the Sex in the City movie. "Man, that Kim Cattrall is hot," she mutters. "She can sit on my face anytime." Then Lee chimes in: "I've got a seat for her too."
When I recount this exchange to my mother, she shrieks: "See! That's why I didn't want you girls playing softball! I didn't want that life for you."
My mother's first memory of lesbians was a sight she saw at an Atlanta ballpark in her youth. Walking toward one of her own softball games, she remembers looking into the treetops and spotting husky women holding hands. She was spooked.
When my parents met, my father was totally stoked to discover that my mother had played softball. He wanted to mate with an athlete. Dad envisioned having a son who would play professional baseball. Or football. Or any sport, really. Instead, he got two little girls.
Little girls like to please their daddies. And nothing seemed to make my father happier than seeing his daughters excel at sports — traditional gender roles be damned. He'd half-heartedly suggest that we take on pursuits with lucrative long-term potential, such as tennis or golf. But the push to play softball was always there. Never mind that there were no seven-figure contracts awaiting serious female ballplayers.
Like many men of his generation, my father grew up in a baseball-crazed family. His grandfathers played on opposing teams, and they'd argue heatedly about specific plays and games well into their retirement years. One thought his skills were superior to the other's because he had shared the field with Honus Wagner, the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame shortstop.
Alas, my father wasn't a great baseball player. Maybe he lacked confidence. Maybe the ball was pitched too fast for him. He didn't get much support from his dad either. He remembers hitting a home run in one of the few games his father bothered to attend; afterward, my grandfather doused his excitement, saying the ball "barely made it over the fence."
My dad vowed to be a better father than his curmudgeon of an old man. He told us girls that we could do anything. And he meant it. I remember attending a minor-league game with him when I was still in preschool. All the men in the stands were peeling off their shirts because it was mercilessly hot out. I was miserable. He took one look at my pageboy haircut and decided that I could pass as a little boy. So I got to go shirtless too. That was empowering.
I'm not entirely sure when I learned how to throw a softball. It was probably around the same time I learned to talk. Upon moving to Florida, my father discovered that he was a heck of a softball player. He dedicated much of his free time to the sport, playing in a men's league and coaching my mother and her sisters. He built dugouts and manicured ball fields at local schools, free of charge. He volunteered to coach high school teams. As soon as my sister and I were ready, he signed us up to play ball too.
I started out in coed tee ball at age 5. There was one other little girl on the team, a dainty, blue-eyed beauty named Krista. I knew Krista well. Her father, Jack, played night games with mine. She was my partner in crime on the ballpark swings. We both had an intense passion for Barbie dolls, and neither of us had brothers.
In tee ball, Krista and I would pass the time doing splits, which we were sometimes so engrossed in that we barely took note of the batted balls rolling past us in the outfield. We'd glance at a passing ball and argue over who would have to retrieve it while our fathers were smacking their foreheads in frustration.
But my fondness for the sport grew. I was so happy about being the batgirl for my older sister's team that my mother was once unable to coerce me out of my navy-blue uniform for a solid week. The next year, I'd get a team of my own. My arm was strong and my batting solid. This softball stuff didn't seem so bad after all.
My Dad always coached, and I was the envy of every little girl for having such an involved father. But my mother was sick of spending her free time and money on softball. She was also annoyed that my father would cut out early from work to coach high school girls who weren't even related to us. The sport became divisive for my parent's marriage.
When I quit softball at 13, my father didn't speak to me for weeks. My mother had to threaten divorce to negotiate a truce. When it came to me and my athletic pursuits, though, Dad was a trooper. My new hobby, I decided, would be ballet. The beginners' classes were full of 5-year-olds, so my ballet studio suggested I join the adults. My father would drive me to each class and hang out in the car until I was finished. One day, the teacher approached him with a suggestion: Why didn't he just take the class? So my father and I learned ballet together.
My parents divorced in 1999. But my mother still lowers her voice and narrows her eyes whenever she says the word softball; in her voice, softball sounds like the root of all evil. My father still coaches a local high school team for what amounts to slave wages. Five months out of the year, the sport consumes his afternoons and weekends. I asked him recently whether his softball fanaticism stems from a desire to prove his athletic skills to his father. His answer: probably.
My paternal grandfather has been dead for more than 30 years.
As the season progresses, morale sinks among the Law Dawgs, but I'm finally finding my groove. I strain a muscle sprinting toward first base in a game against a team called Bullzeye. On the next play, as I rush toward second, my right leg gives out, and I fly forward, arms stretched out like Superwoman. It looks like a graceful, albeit unnecessary, headfirst slide — except that my stomach lands on top of the leather base bag. Everyone thinks I'm demonstrating some serious heart.
On the way to home plate, in a subsequent play, my leg gives out again. This time, I soar over the base and the catcher waiting with both ball and glove in hand. Splayed on the ground, I realize that the ball is in the dirt. The catcher and I lock eyes. I reach for the plate and tap it for a run.
Henceforth, I'm known as "ballerina girl." Even the opposing team gets a kick out of my dives. As we slap hands after the match, a few ladies giggle and give me appreciative pats on the ass.
All it takes is a couple of base hits and a few graceful catches in the outfield and I feel wanted. Needed. Like part of the team. We even talk about grabbing beers together after the game. That's right. Up until this point, there was no communal beer-guzzling going on among the Law Dawgs. Adult softball without beer is like a honeymoon without sex. Lame.
It's a Friday night at Howl at the Moon, the raucous piano bar in Fort Lauderdale's BeachPlace. Liz, our team manager, is hosting a post-season party to celebrate her graduation from City College. I'm one of the first invitees to show up.
I tell the beefy young man at the door that I'm here for Liz's party. He points to a small group of people and says, "They're over there by that man with the big button on his shirt." The "man" he's referring to is Liz. I'm quick to correct the blunder. "Oh God," the doorman whimpers. "Don't tell her I said that!"
It's been almost two weeks since we played our last softball game. Liz doesn't recognize me at first. I'm wearing makeup, some platform wedges, and a shirt with a plunging neckline. I consider it a conservative outfit that I might throw on before driving to the office.
Liz does a double take each time another teammate enters the bar. It's amazing how different the ladies look without ball caps and schleppy T-shirts. "You all look so nice," Liz moans, "and I look the same as I do at the games." Actually, she looks much happier than I ever saw her at the ballpark. She's radiant.
I settle at a table with two silver-haired ladies, one of whom played on Last Call, a team that crushed us on numerous occasions. Most of the gals on Last Call are over 40. This particular lady, who is in her 60s, played outfield this season. But for 35 years, she was a shortstop. "After a while, your reflexes start to slow," she says with a twinge of sadness.
Well, they still kicked our butts.
A few of my teammates are engrossed in conversation at a nearby table. One of them, Theresa, leans over to me and says: "Amy, we've gotta know. Are you gay or straight?"
I'm eager to continue my conversation with the silver-haired ladies, but I'm also floored that word hasn't gotten around to the whole team by now. I relate my "coming out" tale about being married to a man, and my teammates double over with laughter. Theresa says she pegged me as straight from the start, whereas her girlfriend, Mirna, had guessed that I was gay. Denise too figured I was gay since I had joined a gay sports league.
"Man, good thing you didn't tell us earlier," Mirna says. "We would have given you shit all season, like we did with Krystal."
Apparently, Krystal, a barely legal 20-year-old, had professed her straightness repeatedly during warm-ups. Liz joked a few weeks back that the straight gals on the team should perform a strip tease at her graduation party. Tonight, Krystal is a no-show. Nobody asks me to flash my goods. But I'm prepared for the task: There are lace turquoise panties and a matching push-up bra (a Valentine's present from the hubby) under my clothes.
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Fortunately, nobody remembers the strip-tease assignment. My macho husband would be none-too-pleased if I performed like that. And on deeper introspection, I don't think I'd want my teammates to objectify me. Besides, nobody likes a tease.
For a few bucks, Howl at the Moon lets patrons scrawl phrases above the dueling pianos. Our pitcher, Lucy, points proudly toward her prose. "Pussy is a beautiful thing," she wrote. Someone outbids her by a dollar and replaces the phrase with: "Two pussies are better than one."
As I swig Budweisers and sing along to piano tunes, I realize that my discomfort early in the season stemmed from a fear that my teammates wouldn't accept me. I felt the need to "pass" as gay. Now, I'm talking freely about my relationship with my husband. And I'm having a damned good time with my new lesbian friends.
"Will you be back?" several of the ladies ask me. Sure. If they'll have me.


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Austin Woods: Oklahoma Sooners Player Says Tackling Cancer Was 'a Team Effort'
Austin Woods played football while undergoing chemotherapy.
Jan. 5, 2013 -- Austin Woods, an offensive lineman for the Oklahoma Sooners, plays hard, whether it's on the football field, in the classroom or tackling cancer.
"A lot of it is up here, between your ears," Woods said, "you know, your attitude and the heart you have and just the mentality you attack every day with."
During early spring practices, the 6-foot 4, 293-pound junior offensive lineman felt something wasn't right.
"I thought it was mono. I didn't know what it was," he said.
In late April, Woods was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of blood cancer.
It seemed inevitable that he would be sidelined for the season while he underwent twice-monthly chemotherapy treatments, but Woods was determined to not let cancer get the best of him.
"One day, he'd miss a Monday practice because he was at the hospital getting chemotherapy, and then Tuesday he'd be out there on the practice field," said coach Bob Stoops.
Despite the harsh rounds of chemotherapy, Woods continued to excel on the field and in the classroom, doing well enough to be named an academic All-American.
He posted updates and affirmations on his Twitter feed, all of them tagged #BeatCancer50, a reference to his number on the field.
His fellow offensive lineman supported him by tweeting back and shaving their heads in solidarity.
"It was my teammates, my coaches, my family and all my friends," Woods said. "It was truly a team effort."
Woods said he also took inspiration from his mother, Liz Woods, who didn't miss a single day of work when she was treated for breast cancer 15 years ago.
In early October, Woods announced that his cancer was in remission.
"Done with chemo!!! Thanks everyone for all the support throughout all my treatments!" he tweeted.
On Friday, the junior offensive lineman fulfilled a lifelong dream to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
The Sooners lost to Texas A&M 41-13, but for Woods, it was a triumph after a tough year.
"It really taught me a lot about myself and what, you know, attitude and the right mentality can do towards overcoming obstacles in your life," he said.

subset: commoncrawl


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John Keats
John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821 / London, England)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
Sonnet To Spenser
Spenser! a jealous honourer of thine,
A forester deep in thy midmost trees,
Did last eve ask my promise to refine
Some English that might strive thine ear to please.
read more >>
- Hits: Number of visitors who read the poem on the given date.
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|Marston's Border Brewery
Wrexham's former Marston's Border Brewery chimney (nprn: 400338), which featured prominently in the Royal Commission's exhibition panel on Wrexham Pubs and Breweries this summer at the National Eisteddfod, was sold this week on e-bay for £1420, and during the selling process attracted a total of 59 bids. Rivaled only by the tower of St Giles Church (nprn: 162808) in height, the tall 120-foot chimney is one of Wrexham's most striking landmarks. Situated to the rear of the Nag's Head Public House, and dated 1894, it was built as part of the Soames Brewery, which became Border Brewery in 1932 but closed in 1984 following a takeover by the Marstons group. It was then bought by former Wrexham AM and MP Dr John Marek, who has cared for the grade II listed chimney for the last twenty years. Brick-built with wrought iron bands, the giant tower has terracotta panels with a large initial 'S' for Soames Brewery and somewhat prophetically the date inscription on the brewery chimney reads 1894 horizontally (date of construction) but reads 1984 (date of closure) when read vertically. The timing of this sale coincides with the return of the celebrated town brewed Wrexham Lager which will be on sale once more from this Saturday, 29 October 2011.
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October 14, 2009 at 6pm to December 21, 2009 at 7pm – anywhere Reposted from Pharyngula Double your investment! Posted: 13 Oct 2009 12:00 PM PDT The Secular Student Alliance is growing faster than their income, but that could change. They just got a generous… Organized by Secular Student Alliance | Type: donation, drive
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"L.A. Deli" is a series of sketches which take place in yes, a delicatessen, meticulously designed by Jeffrey P. Eisenmann. The set is authentic down to every detail, including the requisite mustard, ketchup, salt, pepper, sweet & low, and napkins placed on each table with Michael Gend's Lighting Design, Chris Moscatiello's Sound and Michael Mullen's Costume Design all contributing to the excellent production values.
There's nothing as authentic as an insider look at the fickle, cockeyed, sometimes treacherous waters of Hollywood and Sam Bobrick's evening of sketches, under the crack direction of Walter Painter and his remarkable cast, he takes us on a hilarious ride through the not-so-wonderful world of tinsel town. Based on actual events experienced by the playwright and some of his colleagues, as well as eavesdropping on conversations at the next table, we meet a cross section of characters inhabiting that universe, ranging from studio executives, agents, film and television producers, writers, and directors to wives and ex-wives willing to give sex advice to the new spouse.
The fun begins with the first sketch called "The Pitch." A young writer named David (Scott Kruse) is excited about his latest script which revolves around two men sharing a jail cell and begins to tell the story line to studio executive J.B. (Phil Proctor.) But, before David can get two sentences out, J.B. begins to immediately change the storyline, making it revolve around a couple in a department store. By the time he finishes the writer's story, it bears no resemblance to the original idea. David is very upset, but when J.B. offers him tens of thousands of dollars for the first draft, he immediately agrees to write the new version of his story. David wants to pitch the script himself, but J.B. dismisses that saying "You're a writer – you don't look important." When David exits, J.B. wonders out loud "Now who can I get to do the rewrite."
This would be a good time to introduce the waitress Kathleen, played to perfection by Gail Matthius. Her character is the only one that appears in ten of the twelve sketches. With pencils stuck in her hair and her order pad in hand, she dutifully takes the orders, giving her opinion about what to avoid. If you've ever been in a Jewish deli, you will definitely recognize her portrayal.
In "The Actor & The Agent" sketch Jimmy (Scott Kruse) a rising young actor is taking a meeting with slimy Ted, an agent (Jeffrey Landman) who is trying to lure Jimmy away from his current agent. Jimmy is torn as he feels a responsibility to his present agent who has orchestrated his career. Ted overcomes that "objection" by saying, "This is Hollywood. Don't expect loyalty except from a Golden Retriever." As in almost all the sketches, there is a final surprising "gottcha!"
One of the most amusing sketches is "The Big Lie" which centers on an older man named Harry (Phil Proctor) married to Babette, his trophy wife (Darrin Revitz.) Harry orders a salad with no croutons and the dressing on the side. Babette is clearly very angry and is working up a head of steam. She spurts out that she wants a divorce. Why? Because she found out that Harry is much younger than he told her and she snarls, "I married you because I thought you were old, adding "You cannot build a relationship on lies or deceit." Her original plan was to become a young rich widow, but now, with him living longer than she expected, she would be an old rich widow! She chastises him for taking such care of himself and in a desperate attempt to save his marriage, Harry promises to stop going to the gym and is willing to change his eating habits by eating cheeseburgers and French fries. She is adamant in her decision and ends the lunch with, "Sorry. I can't count on you to die soon!" Any first wife who was dumped for a bimbo, trophy wife, will derive special joy in seeing the tables turned.
In "The Funeral," two friends stop by the deli after attending a funeral. Brian (Jeffrey Landman) and Marty (Scott Kruse) discuss the fact that, "No one cried." "Can you blame them? He was head of Disney!" The cause of death? "It wasn't suicide. He had a knife in his back." As the conversation continues, very colorful words are used to describe the deceased, illuminating the hypocrisy that is part and parcel of the Hollywood scene.
Some of the other sketches include an outrageous pitch for a movie called "Jane and the Beanstalk" with Angelina Jolie as Jane, but in the event she's not available, it was suggested Oprah could play Jane climbing up the beanstalk. It was also suggested that the Kardashians could play the munchkins because "They'd do anything for money."
Other themes include a meeting between a contract killer and a husband who wants to get rid of his wife; (Phil Proctor and Jeffrey Landman;) an aging actress who tries to stay young through multiple plastic surgeries; (Rachel Boller, Jeffrey Landman, Scott Kruse, and Phil Proctor;) and the firing of a studio head, (Rachel Boller and Phil Proctor.)
Perhaps the most poignant sketch is the last one, "The Waitress" with Kathleen, (Gail Matthius) and Bob (Phil Proctor) wherein she recalls her former life as Rosie, when she was married and had children whom she left to become an actress, and the resultant disappointing Hollywood experience. To riff on that iconic theme from the television show "Naked City," "There are thousands of stories like this in the City of Angels."
Most of the twelve sketches are tightly written and director Painter, working with his very talented ensemble, moved the evening along at a brisk pace, while fully servicing Bobrick's take on Hollywood. Each of the versatile actors, except for Kathleen the waitress, plays multiple roles and smoothly transitioned into each character in virtually a split second, creating a totally different person. Their uniformly remarkable virtuosity is a fabulous acting lesson for actors in the process of learning their craft.
Although Bobrick's script is hysterically funny, shooting off barbs in rapid succession, at its heart is a searing send-up of the entertainment industry. It's clear that the playwright has experienced some of these incredulous, rather heartbreaking moments himself, but in choosing a comic approach to illuminating the fads and foibles and disappointments inherent in the industry, he leaves us laughing, but at the same time, makes us aware of the ends to which one must go in the pursuit of that elusive brass ring and the elusive nature of staying in the winner's circle.
Marilyn Monroe Theatre
Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
7936 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA
(one block west of Fairfax)
Run: Friday and Saturday - 8:00pm
Saturday and Sunday - 3:00 pm
Closing: Sunday, April 27, 2014
Tickets: $30
323- 960-7738 or
Published on Mar 31, 2014


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Welcome to Station TN
Tolland County Mutual Aid Fire Service Inc. is a Regional 911 center located in Tolland, Connecticut on the historic "Green". The center provides 911 answering and dispatching services to sixteen towns encompassing twenty-four emergency service organizations within Tolland, Windham, and Hartford Counties. The center is known as "TN" on the radio with the call letters KCD-346.


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Posted by Mackenzie on Sunday, May 31, 2009
I hope everyone had a great weekend! I'm looking forward to a busy week of designing, gardening, and traveling. To start off, I thought I'd share these adorable purses I found over at Nelle. These would be the perfect gift for a very lucky group of bridesmaids!


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- Claudia Astorino (FFA)
Intersex activists, in general, are fighting for the following:
1) Awareness of what intersex is, what it is not, and that intersex individuals exist.
2) Understanding that intersex bodies are healthy, natural, normal bodies that don't need "fixing." Intersex is thus not a medical issue, and shouldn't be treated like one.
3) Intersex individuals must have a right to consent to anything done to their own bodies, especially since such "treatment" is not for medical/health purposes. No one else - whether guardians and/or clinicans - can truly consent for each intersex individual. (So, for example, there's no argument that an infant that needs a heart transplant shouldn't get one because that infant doesn't understand what a heart is, or the complications involved in transplant surgery. On the other hand, an individual doesn't incur any health risks if their clitoris is enlarged, or if they happen to have a vulva and XY chromosomes. These aren't medical concerns, and therefore don't require medical treatment.)
4) Intersex individuals are normal people, even if we possess less typical suites of biological traits. The only reason these suites are considered atypical is because they aren't so easily shoehorned into one of two acceptable bodily forms - "male" or "female." They still fit into the normal ranges of human biological variation. Thus, intersex individuals' bodies shouldn't be shamed, fetishized, and exploited.
5) The shame, stigmatization, isolation, and trauma many intersex individuals feel result from medical "treatment," and not from knowledge of one's intersex. One must stop such treatment in order to end lasting emotional and psychological harm.
6) Intersex people shouldn't shut up and eat their shame. Intersex individuals are prevented from connecting with one another, and from decrying abuses against them by the medical community because we're told that one's intersex is a personal issue that shouldn't be discussed for fear of being shamed. Really, our shame comes from being told, whether directly or indirectly, that our conditions are shameful; conversely, reaching out and advocating for ourselves would allow us to empower ourselves and generate change. Our voices need to be heard and not silenced.
7) Intersex doesn't necessarily have anything to do with one's gender identity, gender role (including presentation and performance), sexual orientation, sexual behavior, or anything other sex-and-gender variables. Intersex is biological in nature, even though it's considered a social emergency, because some individuals expect that based on one's sex, all those other variables have to line in in a particular way according to "male" or "female" standards. Even if sopme of these other variables are at least partially informed by biology, you can't make predictions about how someone will identify with regards to any of them just by knowing that they're intersex. (Really, you can't do this for anyone, whether they're intersex or not.) After all, lots of people who are not intersex identify in ways that are considered not to "match up" to other aspects of themselves (e.g., a male-identified person that wears skirts).
It's important to note that not all activists are fighting for the same things, though. Many activists would add a 8th condition:
8) Repealing the use of "disorders of sexual development (DSD)" as a replacement for "intersex." While the term "intersex" itself is problematic, and some have no issues with changing it to something else (as I've previously posted), DSD is a poor choice for several reasons. DSD really came into being through ONE intersex person (Cheryl Chase) working with medical doctors and academics (notably, Alice Dreger). Can one intersex individual speak for how all intersex individuals wish to identify? Likewise, can an outside group (here, the medical community) determine how another group must identify, even if it's not how that group prefers to identify themselves? I would strongly argue no to both questions. DSD is also a term that falls in step with how other medical jargon sounds ("So science-y!"), further reinforcing the flawed view that intersex is a medical condition requiring treatment. (As well as allowing for eugenics. Some estimate that as methods of pre-natal screening become cheaper, less invasive, and more accurate, it may be more common to "diagnose intersex" and subsequently abort fetuses simply for being intersex.) Furthermore, DSD is not able to be used as an identity; one can identify as intersex, but one would be very hesitant to identify as a "disorder," which absolutely carries negative connotations in English. Hida Viloria states that in other languages, translations of "disorders of sexual development" misrepresent intersex as transgender or having a queer sexual orientation or something non-intuitive and confusing, which simply violates the first objective of intersex activists. You can read more about DSD here.
Not all intersex activists are on board with repealing DSD, however. Some individuals that have worked closely with Chase and ISNA in its earlier, progressive days feel ambivalence about the term, or feel that since some parents and doctors like DSD, that using it is okay. I would definitely question, though, whether this term has gained widespread support among intersex individuals themselves, and if not, whether using it is still acceptable. I would also question if those intersex individuals supporting it do so because they have inherently always felt that their bodies are disordered and need fixing without outside influence, or whether they feel this way because of the shame induced by clinicians, parents, and mainstream society at large.
It's also important to note that not all intersex individuals are supportive of what intersex activists are fighting for. Many individuals view their intersex as a medical "condition," as it was very very very likely described to them by the medical community. Those that have never been exposed to alternative perspectives may never have questioned whether intersex is truly medical in nature, and whether it is ethical to alter one's body without consent if such alterations are not medically necessary. Some intersex individuals feel an affinity with the queer community, even if they don't identify as queer themselves, because queer activism targets attempts to repress autonomy based on perceptions of what they are supposed to be and do with their bodies - something in line with intersex activism. Others don't want to have any involvement with queer communities, and greatly oppose inclusion, as I've posted previously.
Finally, it's important to note that activists not engaged in intersex activism may confuse the efforts of intersex activists with other movements'. For example, some assume that all intersex activists want to repeal sex-and-gender binaries for good. I am all for allowing for full sex-and-gender expression, whether individuals wish to use traditional "female" or "male" identifiers, or with other more complex, fluid, and non-static identities. However, I do not advocate for these goals specifically as an intersex activist because right now, the immediate concern must be ending harmful "treatment" practices that cause psychological, emotional, and even *actual* health problems (!) for intersex individuals. Other individuals are going to be less receptive to questioning the utility of the sex-and-gender binary, and how well it actually resonates with others' lived experiences than they will be to simply consider whether it's ethical to poke, prod, and lop off parts of healthy bodies without consent. If we tried to go from that angle, we'd probably be waiting much much longer to end the very immediate, very real trauma intersex individuals are undergoing now. Focusing on the human rights issues at hand are where our priorities must lie, regardless of whether intersex activists ALSO support others' expression of their sex and gender identities.
So, despite the fact that there isn't total consensus, there are a lot of things intersex activists are collectively fighting for. Let's work toward meeting intersex individuals' needs, thus gaining equal rights soon.


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Questions and Answers
Migrant Workers
Why are migrant workers in the News?
In May 2004 the first "accession" states were integrated into the European Union. Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (known as the "A8″) joined. The media has highlighted the numbers of migrant workers from these countries who have traveled to Britain since then.
How many have come?
On 22 August 2006 the Home Office published a review of migration from outside Europe and from the A8 countries. Its "Accession Monitoring Report" indicated that between May 2004 and June 2006, 447,000 A8 workers had registered to work here, of whom 62% came from Poland, the largest country by far among the A8. This was many times higher than government had estimated would come here.
Who are coming?
Most of the new A8 workers are young and single - 43% between 18 and 24. A further 39% of all these registered workers are between 25 and 34.
Did the government impose any restrictions?
In May 2004 Cyprus and Malta were given full membership of the "Free Movement of Workers Agreement" but the other 8 countries were subject to a 7-year transitional period. This means that the 17 "full member countries" can impose restrictions on the access of A8 workers to their national labour markets up until 30 April 2011. Sweden and Ireland are the only two countries allowing complete freedom to work. The UK require workers to register within one month of finding work (at a cost of £70) and does not allow any claim for unemployment benefit within the first twelve months of working here. Restrictions in France and Germany are much tighter.
What has been the political reaction?
The government has given out mixed signals. On the one hand the Home Secretary, John Reid told colleagues (according to the Independent): "I don't believe in the free movement of labour: I believe the situation should be managed. You could hear the same from ethnic minorities. There's nothing racist about it. On August 7 he issued a statement saying that the capping of immigration was a way of taking the issue of immigration "away from the party political football" to "get away form this daft so-called politically correct notion that anybody who want to talk about immigration is somehow a racist." New Labour has announced plans to introuduce restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians to limit their rights to work here when their countries join the EU in May 2007. Many view the proposals to introduce work permits as unworkable (partly due to monitoring difficulties and partly because of loopholes such as the exemption for self-employment).All this contrasts, however, with comments from Ed Balls, the secretary to the Treasury, who said that, the influx of workers: "helped to keep the lid on wage growth".Public opinion has tended to be concerned about the demands on resources due to the large numbers involved and increased competition for work (particularly low-paid and agency work).
What about the Bosses?
Many employers favour migrant labour. They favour "unlimited" immigration from the new EU states. Many are associated with the "Business for a New Europe" group. Among the supporters of this line are the UK chiefs of Sainsbury, Centrica (which owns British Gas), Merrill Lynch and the Wall Street bank, with support form Boots, Carphone Warehouse, BP and the National Grid.
How are migrant workers treated?
Migrant workers are being exploited. There have been many reports on the terrible and often unsafe conditions which A8 workers have been subjected to. There are many instances where they have not even got the minimum wage due to spurious deductions made by employers for transport or accommodation.
Shouldn't we try to recruit them and raise their standards?
Most unions have adopted this policy. For example Alan Ritchie the General Secretary of UCATT (a construction union) has said: "I think that for the future we have to protect and raise the standards so that there is no more of the naked exploitation that we have found over the past few years."
What does Solidarity think of this?
We feel that this policy is unlikely to succeed. It is difficult to persuade the new migrant workers of the benefits of union membership. Many Unions have problems recruiting workers generally but migrants pose a particular problem for the following reasons: -
First, they know that if they lose their job before they have completed the 12 months qualification period for any kind of rights or benefits, they often have to go back home. During this 12-month period what a Union can do for them is also limited.
Second, half of all registered workers say they do not intend to stay in the country for more than two years. These workers are likely to want to earn money, send it back and go.
Third, 49% of those registered are in casual jobs, often as agency temps. Agency temps do not have full employment rights.
Fourth, the main advantage to employers in hiring such labour is that it is cheap. By joining a Union and asking for higher rates migrant workers are losing their main selling point.
In Construction an estimated 10 per cent of all workers are A8 migrants. UCATT have recognised the negative effects of this: "every time workers on union-negotiated rates were laid off in favour of low-paid migrant workers it was a propaganda gift to the BNP" (Willie Whalen - Northern Region). Yet there is little evidence that their policy of attempting to recruit migrants has substantially countered or even affected these trends.
What should Solidarity do then?
Our main focus is on the bosses using and exploiting migrant workers. We must oppose any attempt to use migrant workers as a means of holding down or undercutting wages. We must resolutely enforce safety standards in the workplace (including issues surrounding English language comprehension and communication), minimum wage and other legislation. Where employers seek to use non-unionised migrant labour to damage the interests of our members we should aim to expose them and shut them down till they alter course. If Solidarity decides to establish a political fund we should consider how best to use this to lobby against firms who routinely support policies such as "unlimited" immigration which might depress the wages or otherwise harm the interests of our members.
Our Brothers and Sisters in other Unions who are failing to implement realistic policies to counter this threat must be persuaded either get their policy changed or defect to us.
Solidarity will speak out and act on behalf of British Workers.
(c) Copyright Patrick Harrington, 2007. All rights reserved.


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SATO Corporation Celebrates 50 Years Of Success In Marking Solutions
CHARLOTTE, NC – SATO Corporation, a pioneer in Marking Solutions and a leader in barcode printing, labeling, and EPC/RFID solutions, celebrates 50 years of success providing handheld labelers to customers worldwide.
In 1962, SATO introduced one of the first handheld labelers and established operations as an international supplier of labeling machinery. To date, SATO remains at the creative forefront for marking solutions and its product line for handheld labeling solutions has evolved over the past 50 years to satisfy the changing demands of the marketplace.
The SATO product line offers a variety of one, two and three line Handheld Labeling Systems ideal for low- and high-volume users. They allow for the marking of thousands of items quickly and reliably. Used for most merchandising and coding applications, they are available in a variety of choices that will suit every customer need. Complete A-Z character sets are available affording users the ability to print customized messages, price options and international characters. Additional stock print bands allow for tool customization to meet special requirements of SATO customers.
Engineered for durability and impact resistance, SATO Handheld Labeling Systems provide years of dependable service for:
- Retail, distribution and quality assurance applications
- Myriad combinations of pricing and promotional communications
- Inventory and product identification
- Enhanced comparative shopping
"Year after year, SATO presents the right solution for the right application to customers around the world," said Gary Krause, Marketing Director of SATO America. "Our dedication as a worldwide leader in marking solutions for 50 years is an amazing feat by any standard. SATO is and will continue to be a trusted and respected name in the industries we serve."
SATO – Delivering Ceaseless Creativity for a Sustainable World.
About SATO Corporation
SATO is a pioneer and leading global provider of integrated Automatic Identification and Data Collection solutions that leverage barcode and RFID technologies. SATO manufactures innovative, reliable auto-identification systems and offers complete solutions to businesses by integrating hardware, software, media supplies and maintenance services. Customers rely on SATO for accuracy, labor and resource savings.
Founded in 1940, SATO is publicly listed on the first section of Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan. It has sales and support offices in over 20 countries and is represented globally through a world-class network of partners. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012, it reported revenues of JPY 80,536 million (US$ 1.0187 billion). More information about SATO can be found at www.satoworldwide.com.
* Conversion is based on an average exchange rate of 1 US Dollar = 79.06 Japanese Yen.
For more information about SATO America, visit www.satoamerica.com.
Source: SATO America


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Gilligan wrote:Another question cairns -
1 each of accused and accuser / 1 rev and 6 landowners - can these be stacked?
stacked...unfamiliar with that term gilligan
If you mean 2 each of accused and accuser +4
2 rev and 12 landwoners + 6
- i am thinking yes. there will have to be ovverrides for each one up to the max possible.
What do you think?


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Tim Tebow's parents teach you how to raise your own divine child
With Tim Tebow likely trading his biblical eyeblack (now banned by the NCAA) for sitting on an NFL bench, how are we are mere mortals supposed to get our divine guidance as to what He (Tebow) would want us to do (unless he can plop a Bible verse on the back of a clipboard)? How can we learn to be more like Him?
Fear not, my sheep. A few hundred tickets remain if you want to learn from Joseph and Mary themselves about how to raise and nuture your child to become Tebow-like.
On Sat., April 17, David Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., is hosting Bob and Pam Tebow to host a parenting seminar called "Bringing Up Tim Tebow." Sure, Bob and Pam have four other kids, but can they run for a touchdown and heal the sick in one motion?
So what can you expect from Bob and Pam? Probably something heavy on the homeschooling, considering all the Tebow kids were homeschooled (and Tim's allowance to play on his public school football team has inspired states to pass what are called "Tim Tebow laws" to allow other homeschoolers to play on school teams, which also makes him the only person not kidnapped and murdered to have state laws named after him). Lots of talk about their missionary work and ministry, given Bob is a minister himself, and both have traveled the world to spread their faith.
And, definitely, their No. 1 piece of advice in raising your own little Tebow: don't abort him.
[youtubevid id="PDwHywPk4kI"]
If you're among the 5,000 or so plunking down $50 apiece to hear Bob and Pam Tebow tell you how to raise your own golden child, your money might be better spent elsewhere. After all, the chance of your child being a Heisman Trophy winner/walker-on-water is probably pretty small.
If you want a parenting seminar that might be more practical to your child's more likely future, I would advise you to sign up for "Bringing Up Ben Roethlisberger."


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About the book
The book contains many previously unpublished photographs, and beautiful, high quality reproductions of a number of better known images. It includes a guide to the structure of the locomotives and detailed histories of each of them. The differences between the Small England class (Mountaineer, Princess, Prince and Palmerston) and the Large England Class (Little Giant and Welsh Pony) are explained and each locomotive's history is detailed with copious photographs to show their evolution.
The stories
The book also includes the stories of the men who built the Englands. A biography of George England describes his rise from the banks of the River Tyne to Gold Medal inventor at the Great Exhibition, to well known locomotive manufacturer. You'll hear the story of how Robert Fairlie wooed England's daughter, eloped with her and was then sued by George England. And how, after all that acrimony, Robert took over from George as the owner of George England & Co. and built his famous Little Wonder Double Fairlie locomotive at the works at New Cross in South East London.
Other interesting stories you'll find in the book:
Samples from the book
Three sample pages from the book, taken from the locomotive histories. You can also preview the first 15 pages of the book.
First, a double-page spread on Welsh Pony
The introduction to the section on Little Giant
3D Scanning and Printing
This book was originally produced as a reward for people who supported the Kickstarter project to laser scan and print models of the four remaining George England narrow gauge steam locomotives. In February 2013, the team spent three days at Boston Lodge shining lasers at the locos to get the most accurate and complete record of their shape yet made. These "point clouds" were then converted to 3D CAD models which can be printed out, at any scale, on 3D printers. This means that you can get models of the individual locomotives in scales from Nn3 up to 16mm and in theory even at 1:1. The book contains a chapter detailing this exciting new modelling process.
Copies of the book are available in 2014 at the following fine establishments:
In illustrious company on the shelves of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway bookshop
Buy your own copy of the book, all proceeds go to the restoration fund for Welsh Pony.
I'm delighted that 325 copies of the book have now been sold, raising over £1100 for Welsh Pony


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H.J. Phelps Collection
H.J. Phelps Collection
Collection Number:
Collection Length:
Geographic Coverage:
Finding Aid:
This collection consists of photographs, photo albums and diaries belonging to a Mrs. H.J. Phelps from Newton Center, MA. The diary entries chronicle the every day happenings in Mrs. Phleps' life. The majority of the photos are both dated and described. One of the photograph albums consists entirely of formal portrait photos while the other album is of candid and landscape shots. An undated, but quite old, copy of the King James Bible is also part of the collection.


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|Blind date with a book by Sengkang Library
There were books underneath wrapped with a beautiful gift wrapper and there was a hint on top of the wrapper to tell what kind of story the book inside filled with. It could be romance, thriller, horror, mystery, sci-fi, or fantasy.
|Pick me up!!! - Blind date with a book! :)
These were what being written on the board:
"Feeling adventurous this Valentine's Day?
Check out our new display full of wrapped 'presents' and go on a blind date with a new book!
1. Pick the mystery 'present' that appeals to you!
2. Borrow it (still wrapped) as usual at our borrowing stations.
3. Unwrap and see what adult fiction novel it contains.
4. Enjoy your blind date! :*)
5. Return via the bookdrop as usual"
Haha... It's interesting and creative, wasn't it? Very great idea!! I picked two books that I was curious about while my son followed me picking one ;)
|Before :)
|After!!! My blind dates for Valentine's Day ;)
Dadadada.... There they are!!! Well, let's see! Just hope that they won't disappoint me!!! ;)


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This dataset contains information about the number of tax returns filed by various attributes (such as type of tax credit received, type of preparer, sum of refunds received, type of form used, returns based on adjusted gross income, etc.) by city.
Data Considerations
No modifications have been made to the data set from its original form from the source.


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Hello and welcome to the Stamp It! 3 Ways Blog Hop! Have you seen the latest must-have special issue from Paper Crafts magazine? It features 40 different stamp sets and 3 unique interpretations for each, helping you to stretch the mileage of those stamps in your stash.
I'm absolutely thrilled to be one of 12 designers featured on today's hop:
Julie Masse
Laura Williams
Heidi Van Laar
---> Emily Leiphart <---
Mariana Grigsby
Julia Stainton
Sarah Moerman
Karen Baker
Laura O'Donnell
Kelley Eubanks
Kimberly Crawford
One of the stamp sets I had the pleasure of working with for this issue was Hello Friend by Avocado Arts. Shortly after I got the exciting news that I was going to be on the cover of this issue, I was asked to join the Avocado Arts design team. I was ecstatic...still am! My card today once again features the lamp used on the cover card.
This time I used only the base of the lamp to create the balusters for the railing. The tiny orange hearts are from the lamp's on-off chain. No coloured cardstock was used in the making of this card. All I did was take my ink pad and drag it across white cardstock to create the top rail and base of the banister as well as the rust colour on which I stamped the bird and trimmed a border to separate the image from the sentiment. I love that this technique gives the paper a textured look. I hope you've enjoyed this out-of-the-box approach to using the lamp and just how versatile this stamp set can be!
Be sure to leave a comment at Paper Crafts Connection for your chance to win every single stamp set featured in this issue! That's 40 stamp sets!!
Each designer is also giving away a copy of Stamp It! 3 Ways so be sure to leave a comment at each stop along the hop. The comment deadline is Sunday, January 29th at midnight MST. I will announce my winner on Monday, January 30th so be sure to check back then. Thanks so much for hopping by today!
Sources: Gina K Designs pure luxury white cardstock; Avocado Arts Hello Friend; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Tim Holtz for Ranger Rusty Hinge & Pumice Stone distress inks; foam tape


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Whenever I see Peter photographing a new exhibition or in his studio capturing images of the permanent collection, I think, "And he gets paid to do this…" Here's Peter, a real LACMA vet (twenty-eight years here and counting), on his very cool job.
How does one enter the field of museum photography?
Well, I was working in advertising as a photographer and was pretty fed up with it. Computers were just coming onto the scene, so I began taking night classes at a local community college. I saw a posting on a job board there for an entry-level photographer and I thought, I could try that out for a couple of years…
So you have a commercial background—did you have an area of expertise within that realm?
I shot a lot of fitness, bodybuilding stuff for magazines, as well as one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's exercise books.
What was Schwarzenegger like back then?
He was an extremely pleasant gentleman who knew what he wanted. He was focused during a shooting session but would always joke around between shots. I photographed him at Gold's and World Gym, or in Santa Monica on the track, as well as in the studio. He was usually on time and sometimes Maria would accompany him. This was before his career in the movie business really started.
What's the best part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is seeing the individual objects up close and determining how to best document the art, installations, or project. Sometimes we do really unusual permanent collection shoots that require devising equally unusual solutions. One example is the Ardabil carpet shoot we just completed. [Ed. note: The Ardabil shoot was unlike anything I've ever seen. Tune in tomorrow for a post all about it.]
I'd be interested in a photographer's favorites from our photography collection—what images really resonate with you?
These are two of my favorites—Jan Saudek's Train Passing and Edward Weston's Prologue to a Sad Spring.


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Hey TSB!
I hope you all are enjoying this spring riding weather like us!
We have some cool things planned for May and hope you'll ride out and join us.
Our service classes this month are on the BMW K1600 & Ducati 749/999. Our 2015 Ducati Day is May 16th featuring the all new Scrambler, Multistrada 1200, & 1299 Panigale! If you have the need for speed join us at our private track day May 17th! For all you MotoGP fans, we will be hosting a LIVE watch party for the Italian GP on May 31st right here at the dealership.
As many of you have seen already, we have the 2015 BMW S1000RR and the 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S IN STOCK and in DEMO service! If you are curious about these new superbikes, give us a call and schedule a test ride!
2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S Red (3)-r45.jpg2015 BMW S1000RR Black Storm Metallic (3)-r45.jpg
Anybody you know who might be looking for a new ride? Check out these excellent pre-owned sport models here now!
2014 Honda CBR1000RR Pearl White | 13,650 miles | DSRP: $10,995
2014 Honda CBR1000RR Pearl White (3)-r45.jpg
Collector Special: 2003 Aprilia RSV 1000 Mille R Haga Replica #158 | 19,350 miles | DSRP: $7,495
2003 Aprilia RSV 1000 Mille R Haga Replica #158 (3)-r45.jpg
Classic: 1982 Honda CB750 Cafe Racer | DSRP: $4,995
1982 Honda CB750 Cafe Racer (3)-r45.jpg
Thank you for your continued support of local small business! You rock.
Euro Cycles of Tampa Bay


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Current Opportunities
AARP is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all job seekers. If you are an individual with a disability and are unable to use our online tools to search and/or apply for jobs, please send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com, include "Applicant Accommodation" in the subject line of the email, and indicate the specifics of the assistance needed in the body of the email. This dedicated mailbox is reserved for job seekers to request accommodations. It is not intended for other purposes or inquires.


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THIS WEEK'S GUESTBIANS: Malaya Rivera Drew sheds her skin; Jane Lynch makes a deal; Clementine Ford gawps at the natives; Alicia Leigh Willis and Elizabeth Keener take their gloves off; Kate French questions authority; Wendy Glenn and Angela Gots play dumb; Cybill Shepherd gets wild; Wallace Shawn laughs his trademark laugh.
No less icky the second time around — Oh, boy: a Lez Girls rehearsal. Nina is peeing on an ovulation test stick.
Ack! She might shoot it?! I guess Carmen taught Jenny to appreciate pee streams. And clearly Jenny wants to make Lez Girls the darling of the festival circuit. I can see the blurb now, peppered with Sundance-y words like "edgy," "carnal" and "no-holds-barred."
Bev enters the scene, expressing her excitement about the ovulation and giving Nina a little kiss.
Jenny tries to show Bella just how that works.
And then Jenny does a finger-pointing, tongue-clicking thing that's almost worthy of Joyce Wischnia. Ha ha!
Apparati. You know, the plural of apparatus. Kinda like bogi is the plural of bogus.
So Bella tries to do as she's told, but Jenny's not impressed.
Jenny's shrug is surpassed in hilarity only by Adele's pursed lips in the background.
Bella keeps trying, but Jenny says it looks more like she's trying to sew up a hole in Gretchen's jeans.
Isn't that precious? Isn't it adorable when straight actresses have no clue how to play gay? Because, gosh, they've just never imagined it! They wouldn't know the first thing about kissing a woman or what two women get up to together!
Jenny tells Adele to schedule some workshop time for all the actresses who are clueless on this point.
Well, at least something good will come of all this. Uh, so to speak.
Hey, wait a minute: How would Jenny even know anything about Bette and Tina's activities — finger-f—ing or otherwise — while Tina was trying to get pregnant? She wasn't in that scene in Season 1. If you needed proof that Jenny is Ilene Chaiken, I think you just got it.


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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Happy Australia Day - Free Colour in Page
Download this months FREE colour in page here for the kids, featuring the southern cross, sun, sand and sea, its perfect for Australia Day !
Sarah xx
Posted by Style Me Gorgeous at 3:05 AM
Labels: Australia Day, colour-in
5 comments:
Gorgeous - thank youReplyDelete
Thanks Sarah, just printed a few out for my bbq today!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 29, 2011 at 2:14 PM
I just discovered your lovely blog. I'm just new into blogging & have just finished off my own blog on fashion & interior design.ReplyDelete
I had a lot of fun putting it together maybe you would like to check it out if you have a spare minute.
I love that you do this!!!! Thank you from me and my 3 little people who love it aswell, Jane xReplyDelete
This is so cute, Sarah!ReplyDelete
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Former President George H.W. Bush Honored During State Funeral
By Bill Galluccio
December 5, 2018
President George H.W. Bush was warmly remembered by family, friends, and dignitaries from around the world in a state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
Presidential historian Jon Meacham said that Bush was the last "soldier-statesman" who was always devoted to public service.
He "made our lives and the lives of nations freer, better, warmer and nobler. That was his mission. That was his heartbeat. And if we listen closely enough, we can hear that heartbeat even now, for it's the heartbeat of a lion, a lion who not only led us but who loved us."
Meacham said that Bush lived by the "the most American of creeds:"
"Tell the truth. Don't blame people. Be strong. Do your best. Try hard. Forgive. Stay the course."
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said that when Bush was president "every leader in the world knew they were dealing with a gentleman."
He credited Bush with helping to get the Americans with Disabilities Act signed and his work helping to unify Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
"There's a word for this: They call it 'leadership'."
Former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson said that Bush treasured his family and friends, who helped him navigate the ups and downs of life.
"In George Bush's theme of life through the highs and lows, he would say, 'What we would do without family and friends?'"
Simpson said that Bush was fiercely loyal and his loyalty inspired others.
"His epitaph, perhaps just a single letter: The letter 'L' for loyalty," Simpson said in his eulogy for Bush. "It coursed through his blood. Loyalty to his country, loyalty to his family, loyalty to his friends, loyalty to the institutions of government."
Bush's son and 43rd President George W. Bush said that his father "showed me what it means to be a president"
"Your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever. So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man. The best father a son or daughter could have."
After the funeral, the coffin carrying the former president will be flown back to Texas aboard the plane normally known as Air Force One, but renamed Special Air Mission 41 for the flight. Bush will lie in repose at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston from 7:45 p.m. Eastern until Thursday at 7:00 a.m. He will be laid to rest on Thursday morning during a private funeral service.
Donald Trump declared that December 5th will be a National Day of Mourning in honor of the 41st president.
Bush died on November 30th at the age of 94 in Houston. His last words were "I love you, too," which he said to his son George.
Photo Getty Images


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Recent thinking about the economics of climate change has concerned the uncertainty about the upper bound of both climate sensitivity to greenhouse gases and the damages that might occur at high temperatures. This argument suggests that the appropriate probability distributions for these factors may be fat-tailed. The matter of tail shape has important implications for the calculation of the social cost of carbon dioxide (SCCO2). In this paper a probabilistic integrated assessment model is adapted to allow for the possibility of a thin, intermediate or fat tail for both (i) the climate sensitivity parameter and (ii) the damage function exponent. Results show that depending on the tail shape of the climate sensitivity parameter the mean SCCO2 rises by 29–85%. Changes in the mean SCCO2 due to the adjustments to the damage function alone range from a reduction of 7% to a rise of 12%. The combination of both leads to rises of 33–15%. Greater rises occur for the upper percentiles of the SCCO2 estimates. Given the uncertainties in both the science and the economics of climate change different tail shapes deserve consideration due to their important implications for the range of possible values for the SCCO2.
Comments and Questions
I really like the way of author to analyse the cause of environmental destruction and The relationship of the SCCO2 to Pigouvian taxation makes it an important figure for policy maker. this paper also clear the facts about the uncertainties in the economics of climate change different tail shapes deserve ...[more]
and consideration due to their important implications for the range of possible values for the SCCO2.
Paper was developed on technical tools and also make a transparacy about Catastropes