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826 Idlewood Drive
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This home has great bones! Channel your inner Chip & Joanna and make this home your own! With dramatic 18' ceilings, over-sized rooms and an open floor plan you'll have plenty of space to entertain friends and family. Family room with gas starter fireplace opens to kitchen and breakfast room. First-floor master suite has a sitting area and enormous master closet. Downstairs you'll find a 5th bedroom or private office. Upstairs a huge game room and three spacious bedrooms await. This home has so much to offer, with a little imagination this home will be a stunner! Great location with easy access to Hwys 75, 121 and George Bush, schools, shopping, Celebration Park. Located in acclaimed ALLEN ISD. 24-hr noticed required for showings.
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**Assumes 4.25% APR, 20% down payment, and conventional 30-year fixed rate first mortgage. Rates cited are for instructional purposes only; current rates are subject to change at any time without notice. You should not make any decisions based simply on the information provided. Additional required amounts such as taxes, insurance, home owner association dues, assessments, mortgage insurance premiums, flood insurance or other such required payments should also be considered. Contact your mortgage company for current rates and additional information.Listing Agent:Wendy Herran
Broker:Ebby Halliday, Allen-Fairview-
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3 Beds 3.1 Baths 2,941 Sq Ft
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Vance Westhusin and Shelly Westhusin, Hays, announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Anna Marie Westhusin, to Blake Allen Schonthaler, son of Leland and Lesley Schonthaler, Zurich.
The bride-elect is a graduate of Fort Hays State University with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education. She is a substitute teacher at Hays USD 489 and is employed at Paisley Pear.
The prospective bridegroom is a graduate of FHSU with a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting. He is a staff accountant for Midland Marketing.
An Aug. 24, 2013, wedding is planned at First United Methodist Church, Hays.

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My new blog – http://stephanielanesays.wordpress.com/
Posted in Uncategorized |
This blog has taken many forms over the years. When I first started it in 2008, it was a sex advice blog. Like I knew what the fuck I was talking about. In the following year, it served as a place for me to post academic papers and responses I was writing for various women & gender studies-type courses I'd been taking, then subsequently a blog for sharing music by independent female artists I like (which got the original URL banned), then, upon respawn, it became what it is now — a collection of my political thoughts, most often feminist, and always engaging in whatever was happening around me.
This blog also changed when I started my career in professional writing. It served as a profile of my work, and helped me get a couple of awesome gigs. Through working in professional writing, I gleaned an education about how to successfully run a blog, and for a while, I utilized SEO and other ways of promoting this blog to promote myself. When I stopped doing paid blog gigs and ghostwriting, this blog seems to have lost its way a little bit.
I was 18 then. I'm 22 now. So much has happened in that time that has caused me to grow up, a lot of which has been written about here. At its final stage, this blog became a healing tool for me. I'd grown up to experience many of the issues that I so vehemently had already formed opinions about — abortion, rape, misogynistic jerks, and so on and so forth. The best part of all of this is the fact that I've been able to reach so many people, strangers or otherwise, who were helped by what I'd recorded here. Problem is not so much that I don't know what the fuck I'm trying to do here (I don't), but I've been trying to use this blog for things it isn't actually good for — part-diary, part-self promotion, part-release from being a cog in a capitalist machine — you get the picture. I don't feel like I've ever been able to reconcile what I wanted this blog to be with what it actually is.
My friend Amelia has an awesome blog that I love to read. She's also a feminist, but unlike this blog here, hers is not restricted to just feminism — it's about her life in general. And it just so happens that, like me, she tends to take a stance a lot too, and she doesn't keep her mouth shut about it. I also have somewhat of an artistic envy of her, because she treats her blogging (and all her writing in general) like literature. It's an indescribable quality, and probably is rooted in her over-all awesomeness and ingenuity that I will never match, but I can't help but want, right?
Anyway, point being, since this is a blog post and they're always supposed to have points, I've decided to stop updating Fires Underground. It's something I've considered for a long time, and my last post being what it is, I feel I've said all I have to say here. That's not to say that I don't have anything left to say about feminism, or poetry, or even any of the specific issues I've written about here. But something about this blog, after four years, seems very contained, and I'd like to be able to broaden my horizons to write about other things. When and if I start a new blog, I will definitely post about it here. But for now I'm going to continue to attempt to observe, to focus on my poetry, as well as my personal health, and see if something new can emerge from that.
In the past year, I've learned that speaking out is no form of inaction, as what I've written about my experience here or shared publicly or organized around has helped many people (while simultaneously offending perhaps just as many). But I do feel that blogging can be a form of slacktivism, can cause us to neglect ourselves, to merely "speak into the void" about issues we should be taking to the classrooms, the streets, the round tables and our work places. It's easier to take a stance while sitting in front of your computer and to shred the faceless opposition apart. More horrifyingly, facebook, twitter, and tumblr have made it so that you barely even have to share your own opinions rather than just co-opt those of others.
As a writer, I do feel that writing, art, and self-expression in general can be both very tangible and very effective tools of implementing political change. However, now it seems silly to expect this blog to grow into anything other than what it already is — a collection of second- and first-hand knowledge, opinions and experiences. A facsimile of myself. I'm a firm believer of "the personal is political" when it's done well, but somehow it seems like what I want to do conflicts with how this specific blog presents itself. I'm not in school anymore, so I'm not actively writing 500 reading responses. I'm still organizing, but for the time being it's related entirely to my poetry career. I'm no longer sucking metaphorical dicks in the professional writing field, so I no longer turn to this blog for release after spending days hacking away at some mind-numbing assignment. I work in a used bookstore now. And I teach. Those things are great! But I have a whole nother life outside of the incredibly politicized one I've recorded here. The shoe doesn't quite fit anymore.
So, I hope you enjoy the work that's already up here, if it's new to you. I'm quite proud of a lot of the things I've written here, most of which were a labor of love. If you know me, I hope you'll keep in touch, and hope that when I start this new blog, it will interest you. Until then, you can keep up with my portfolio blog and my art collective's blog. See you around!
Posted in Uncategorized |
I've been wanting to write this blog post for a while. Even as I sit here now beginning to type, I can feel my stomach tying up in knots. I've written at length about my sexual assault on this blog, but most of it has been in relation to some political rant or another. Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer in "the personal is political," but this is a different type of post here.
I've decided to write this post today because the 1-year anniversary of my sexual assault is approaching. And so much has happened and changed in the past year. The truth is, though, it's all been for the better. If you had told that to myself in October, 2010, I wouldn't have believed you. I was at the lowest low in my life. The fact of the matter is, when a sexual assault happens to you, it's like a domino effect of your entire world being shattered. It's not just the assault–it's the way others treat you because of it (no wonder so many choose to stay silent). My assailant was my best friend and a collaborator. I lost all of our mutual friends. I broke up with my boyfriend despite him being my biggest support system, because I couldn't fathom the idea of being romantic with anyone ever again. I barely had the strength to go to school and complete my homework, despite my being just a few credits away from graduation. Literally, my entire world had been shattered.
And the assault couldn't have come at a stranger time in my life, either. I had just gotten back from New York City a few hours before, where I'd seen my all-time favorite band, Pavement, perform the last leg of their reunion tour from the front row in Central Park (which, at that time, was probably #1 on my list of coolest experiences). I was set to perform in The Encyclopedia Show, one of the world's (let's be honest, probably the only) fastest-spreading literary variety shows, in the coming days, and I'd just finished writing the perfect poem on my topic: somewhat ironically given the events to come, "Bare Naked." The same night I got back, I jet-laggedly rushed to meet up with my musician to show him the piece and finish writing the song–after all, the performance was just in a few days. When he offered me an adderall, I accepted, even though I'd never tried it before and had no idea what to anticipate, because I wanted to stay up all night to perfect the piece. How could I have known his intention would be to wait until I passed out, drugged out of my mind, and take advantage of me?
It was a Friday night. The show was on Tuesday. I won't focus on the event of the assault here, because that's not what's important. What is important to me, today, is that I decided to do go through with the performance. Despite the fact that I had spent all weekend in a hospital room getting a rape kit done and talking to various authorities about the event, despite the fact that for at least an entire month after the event I was so depressed I literally did not get out of bed, I had to make a decision about what was important to me. And that decision was whether or not I would let my assailant take away an important opportunity in my life, or be strong, and find a way to perform my piece without the way I had practiced and prepared it with the man who had taken advantage of me. I asked my sister, a musician, to help me, and we came up with something the night before the show.
It's strange for me to watch this video. The trembling in my hands and legs, the sadness in my eyes, seems all so obvious to me, although there were only a few people in the room who knew what had happened. I remember the moments while reciting that poem when my mind would wander back to what had happened to me just a few nights before–and I remember pushing those thoughts away to stay focused on my performance. There were several moments when I almost started crying, and didn't. And in the end, when I crack a smile and look back at my sister, who smiles back at me–I can see the shared moment of trust and triumph. Needless to say, I feel very blessed to have this video as a relic of this small victory.
What's more, this performance was a very important moment in my life for another reason–not that I knew it at the time. Like I previously mentioned, I lost all of my close friends in the wake of my assault. But today, I have something even more valuable–my sister, the people in the room, the poets who performed and came out to support me, would come to be my lifeline in the coming months, although they would be almost completely oblivious to it. Who would have thought that something like a sexual assault and the loss of all my close friendships would come to be the event that propelled me forward in my passion? Who would have thought that the utter despair and loneliness I experienced would send me somewhere completely unexpected, into a poetic community, that would welcome me with open arms and a type of love and understanding that I would never have to question or doubt?
There was another moment that came a little later that was very important in my recovery as well. Like I said, I spent literally months so depressed I couldn't get out of bed. Then, one day, instead of choosing to do nothing about my emotions, I decided to write a poem. I've often said that I write a poem when I feel so much of a certain way that I can't do anything else–this was precisely the moment when that first happened. I wrote a poem that contained all of my sadness and struggle from the past year. I made all of my emotions small enough to be contained in letters on a page. And then, a few months later, I performed again, in the Louder Than A Bomb College Indy Slam.
To be honest, I didn't score that well in the slam (well, in my opinion–my goal was to win the whole thing of course). I was more interested in getting involved in LTAB for the opportunities to work with high school poets than to compete. I'll be the first to admit that my competitive side isn't pretty, and I'm a pretty sore loser. I cried a lot after the competition. But getting on stage and sharing a poem I'd worked so hard on, both in terms of literariness and performance, was incredibly important to me. As Robbie Q. Telfer, the co-founder of the aforementioned Encyclopedia Show and director of LTAB, says frequently: "The point is not the points, the point in the poetry." And although I didn't know it at the time, and certainly wouldn't try to perform that poem again, opening up about my experience to a room full of strangers, unafraid of their judgment, was a profoundly empowering experience, and one that's propelled me forward in the aftermath.
I'll get to the point, here. A year ago, I was a senior in college, the president of a student poetry organization, oblivious to the fact that school was going to be over soon and I'd have to figure out how to make this whole "being a career poet" thing work. My priorities lied in getting drunk with my friends and having a boyfriend at all times. Of course poetry was important to me–it always has been–but it wasn't my life. And for most people, it probably shouldn't be their life. After all, everything I'm trying to say is that it took a life-changing, post traumatic stress-inducing event for me to get to that point.
But that's not it, exactly. Yes, I threw myself into my poetry as a way to get my mind off of what had happened. But I did something else, too–I threw myself into the community here in Chicago as well. I surrounded myself with people who were poets, a couple of whom were my age and had merely been friends through association, who now are my very best friends in the entire world and have my back in a way no friend has ever had before. What's more is that the poetry community in Chicago is a very special place where things like sexism, ableism, homophobia, and the rest won't fly or get politely golf-clapped off stage when performed (unlike in New York where I watched a guy perform a poem about how "all women are whores" and "gay marriage isn't in the Bible" get wild applause at the Nuyorican Cafe). I've become more than just a poet, but an organizer–someone who has given back to the community a hundred fold what it's given to me–because I wanted to surround myself with intelligent people who had the strength to share their pain the way I did, but also the strength to just keep trying to be better. I think about the people who have become important in my life in the past year and scoff at what was important to me a year ago–people who held me back and distracted me from my dreams.
It's weird how, a year later, I can look back at something like my own sexual assault and subsequent depression and see it as such a valuable and life-changing experience. I can't say I wouldn't have found my way to the 24/7 poetry lifestyle if it weren't for my assault, but I do know that my life would be profoundly different. I wouldn't have the good, supportive friends I do if I didn't have a good reason to forget about the old ones. I wouldn't have had the balls to compete in a slam if I didn't write a poem that I thought was good enough for it. My life and work as an artist has taken a dramatically different turn–from organizing SlutWalk Chicago to having the opportunity to work with some of my most idolized poets–if I hadn't had the hard life experience to propel me in that direction. And I certainly wouldn't have had the opportunity to speak out about my own experience and help others who are going through similar situations if I hadn't lived it.
So, here's a final video: me, today, performing a new poem that addresses my beliefs as a feminist in a different way than the videos above. I wouldn't have had the strength to do this, either, if I hadn't let go of the pain that haunted me for so long.
Posted in Feminism & Art, Poetry | Tagged feminism, feminist, feminist poetry, gender, performance poetry, Poetry, rape, sexual assault, sexuality, slam poetry, slutwalk, survivor, women, women's health, women's rights | 5 Comments »
For a long time, dating was kind of the center of my life. I always had someone I was interested in, usually someone I was emotionally invested in to some degree, but I haven't even gotten laid in close to six months. This is an all-time record for me. Honestly? I had never counted more than a couple weeks between hump days since losing my virginity. Between December 2009 and February 2011, I started and ended four separate relationship with people I cared deeply for. And actually, as I begin to type this, the reasons for my not getting any should become more and more glaringly obvious–dating was the center of my life. And I needed to fix that, fast.
I'd like to think that this is a realization most people will come to at some point or another. Forgive me as I go on something that will undoubtedly sound completely jaded, like it's being written by someone who has been single for way too long (which it probably is): I see a lot of people, regardless of age, who have their lives built around and subsequently destroyed by a constant goal of receiving romantic attention. When things are good, they're great, but when the going gets tough, well, the world is over. And I get it. I've been that person before and I can't say I won't be that person again. But, I can't help but feel that it gets a little frustrating to see people I care about get hurt over and over again for the same reasons (often by the same people). And, again: I get it. I've been that person before. But honestly, I hope a lot of people get their wake up calls before I did, because it took a lot of time wasted for me to reach the six-month mark–and to be quite honest, I have never felt more fulfilled, confident, and less alone ever before in my life. How the fuck does that work?
Step 1: I stopped putting up with bullshit. Easier said than done, right? And, well, this isn't a fool-proof rule, either. Sometimes it's hard to tell when to draw the line, whether it's a long-term partner or a friend bearing benefits. No one is perfect. However, I did come across this quote from The Crunk Feminist Collective recently which I will probably reference from here on out in life as my words to live by when it comes to dealing with lover's haterade:
"Patriarchy conditions men to use emotional extortion and passive aggressive behaviors –saying hurtful things and then claiming them as innocuous opinions … then accusing the woman of picking fights or being emotional; demanding your silence in the face of offensive behaviors in exchange for love and affection–as a way to gain control over women who intimidate them."
Okay now, this quote in context relates to a much more complex issue of WOC with educations dealing with egos, but I think that a lot of people–regardless of gender, race, or education–can relate to the above sentiments. You know when someone gets mad at you, even though they're only mad as a reaction to your emotions and their anger serves as a means to manipulate you in place of a legitimate apology? Yeah, that's what I'm getting at. That's some Bullshit with a capital B.
Step 2: I claimed my body as my own. This is probably usually where the Pop Psychology blogger will start talking about the glories of masturbation, physical exercise, and getting in touch with some sort of spiritual obligation that involves meditation and consuming copious amounts of tea. I'm not knocking any of those practices, but my approach was a little more straight forward–I got over the pressure to have sex, and I stopped measuring my worth by how recently a dick had been inside me.
I think this is something that a lot of people–especially those around my age–struggle with. Sex is everywhere, and when we're not seeing it on TV or in magazines, we're listening to our friends disclose their recent erotic adventures. Even in the feminist community, there is so much going around about being sex positive and not letting anyone judge you for making your own choices that it's easy to forget that you can choose to be choosey. It's not about who you should and shouldn't sleep with or how often–it's about what feels right, acceptable, and deserved.
Step 3: I got over my fear of rejection… that is, rejecting other people. This goes into Step 2 to some degree. Sometimes it's easier to be compliant and say "yes." Avoiding confrontation is often the easier option, especially if it's someone with whom you already have a sexual history. And I'm not going to lie, denying romantic attention to those who wanted it in the past couple months has often led to some really uncomfortable situations. But here's something that sounds simple yet is easy to forget: You are never obligated to sleep with anyone, or go on a date, or indulge someone's flirtations. You have the right to call them out on causing your own discomfort. And even if it's not a matter of feeling uncomfortable or objectified, if it's just a matter of it not being the right time/place/person, you are entitled to your feelings moreso than the other person is entitled to your compliance.
Step 4: I learned how to be patient. This is probably the most important thing. It's not that I want to be single, or think love is a waste of time, or don't enjoy dating. Based on my previously stated history, it should be pretty obvious that I find all of these things to be important in my life. However, especially after going through so many serially-monogamous relationships, I've come to accept that holding out for someone who fits my standards is going to have a way bigger pay off.
I have found myself seriously crushing on a couple people during my sex drought. But even when I knew the attraction was mutual, I've come to recognize that you can't really fall in love with someone if you don't know them all that well. And often times, taking the time to get to know some of these objects of affection has proved that they weren't right for me or had different expectations. If someone isn't willing to meet you in the middle and make some effort before jumping the gun into sexual or romantic territory, chances are it isn't going to be worth it.
It's not that I'm not totally awesome and have a body I love and kick ass at everything I attempt and couldn't get it in every night of the week from someone totally delicious and equally as badass if I wanted. I just got over that and decided that I had done enough of rushing into things before feeling out the situation enough and getting totally burned (or doing the burning) because of it.
Instead, I remembered how the best relationships I ever had happened when I least expected it or, more accurately, felt that I needed it. RuPaul's twist on the old cliche rings very true: "If you can't love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?" What's more, the most important thing to remember is that this expression goes both ways–and unfortunately, not too many people are often in a place in their life where they are willing to love as freely as they can.
In the end, remember when enough is enough, when it's time to say no, and that no matter how much you want it, you have to prioritize your own needs, boundaries, and standards if you want to find happiness. That way, it won't matter if you're alone or not–you'll have your own happiness to keep you satisfied.
Posted in Sex & Dating Advice | Tagged abstinence, dating, sex, sexual objectification, sexuality, women | 3 Comments »
I've never felt like I was good at turning guys down. In the past I've definitely been the person to feel obligated to flirt back, give out my number, go on dates or even sleep with someone out of a feeling of empathy and obligation. It's been years since I felt this way, however, I still feel equally as awkward when dealing with a guy who is interested in me but cannot take the hint.
Then, I had the epiphany–Why do I feel awkward? Shouldn't he feel extremelyawkward? Awkward and embarrassed enough to stop?
Why isn't that the case? Last night I was dealing with two guys who were perfectly sweet when sober but became relentless once the party took a turn for the drunk. The prying questions began, particularly of the realm of "Do you think I'm cute?" or "Am I too old for you?" They continually offered me beer and cigarettes, which, you know, doesn't go unappreciated, but is also a pretty passive aggressive way of hitting on women (again, trying to build up that sense of obligation, especially as the drinks keep pouring on). Eventually it got to the point where the guy insisted I pose in pictures for him, which I really didn't want to do. It wasn't like he wanted to take one picture of me having fun at the party, it was like he wanted to take as many as possible as a way of, I don't know, not so subtly letting me know what he'd be looking at during the pants party later on, not to mention he'd be sure to make plenty of comments on my appearance after each one. He even started taking pictures of me after I said "no" and started ignoring him. (I'm sorry, but I don't care how drunk you are — you know you're being creepy when you explicitly continue to do something after being told to stop, and if you don't, hey, reality's ready and waiting for your arrival.)
I feel bad bashing these guys since he did ply me and all my friends with a cab ride to the bar and a round of cocktails, and obviously he is friends with one of my good friends. However, I can't help but feel enough is enough. My night ended early because I didn't want to keep accepting free rides and free drinks from this guy who was clearly trying to get in my pants. I was not attracted to him at all — and even if I was, it was the first time I met him, and that's just coming on way too strong for me. Because I've been treated shitty both systematically and by individuals, I don't trust men right off the bat — much less a man who's trying to convince me to go to a strange bar far away from home so he and his friend can supply me with as much alcohol as I want.
And yet, I'm the one who feels shitty about it. I feel inadequate because apparently my polite "no thank yous" were not enough to make him stop. Even when I tried to stand up for myself, my concerns lied in not coming off like a bitch or being rude or making the party awkward for everyone else. But in retrospect, he came off like a total creep, was totally rude, and was making the party awkward for me and our mutual friends. So why am I burdened with this overwhelming feeling of insecurity?
I can't necessarily say he doesn't feel like shit this morning either, having literally driven me away earlier than I wanted to — but by flirting with someone, shouldn't you goal be to make someone feel good about themselves, not guilty?
There seems to be this idea in our culture — that dating takes a huge amount of effort, and that you need an over-abundance of self-confidence to get to that person that seems ideal to you. But here's the reality: dating is a two-way street. If someone isn't attracted to you, that should mean that it's time to move on. But the reality is, while women are taught that being aggressive is not ladylike and will keep them from finding a man, men are taught the exact opposite — that, as a male, it is their duty to be as aggressive as possible — physically, verbally, etc. And sometimes passive aggression can be just as violent.
When you become an adult, you start to see how these binaries aren't true. Women realize that they'll have more of a chance of getting with a guy they're interested in if they make a little effort. Men realize that women aren't property and can't be simply physically claimed. Or at least, I hope they do.
To be honest, all my recent attempts at dating men have gone way south because of this issue of aggression/passive aggression. If someone ever figures out a way to coyly and maturely let someone know that you're a survivor of rape and that their behavior is mimicking that of a rapist, let me know. Until then, I can only hope that more men start making an effort to differentiate themselves from rapists, because it's the same logic of "if I try harder, she'll be with me" that a lot of men use to perpetrate rape in the first place. And, when it comes to my experience trying to date, that attitude becomes a complete deal breaker. Yeah, some women are sexually into being submissive and can be turned on by being "forced" into certain things; but there are also a lot of women who are like me–survivors of assault. There's also, you know, plenty of women who aren't necessarily survivors of assault but don't like being pushed around either.
In short: Dear passive/aggressive men of the world — start taking into account a woman's comfort when you're trying to date her. Remember that there are boundaries in place that you shouldn't try to cross without permission. Instead of trying to guilt women into coming home with you or even going as far as to make a commitment to you, why don't you go the route of respecting the person you're attracted to? I promise you'll have 100% more effective results, and no one will be left waking up with a bad taste in their mouth the next day.
Posted in Sex & Dating Advice | 2 Comments »
Let the backlash begin.
More and more "articles" seem to be popping up opposing SlutWalk. You get the typical Fox News conservatives, right-wing bloggers, and proud anti-feminist women who miss the point completely. I can understand the argument that the term "slut" is problematic and people may not want to identify with it; however, about five minutes of research on any official SlutWalk website will explain why the term was chosen — it was taken right from the mouth of a victim-blaming police officer. There's the misconception that SlutWalk is about dressing as scantily as possible; in reality, the wardrobe of protestors gets the least attention from those who are actually involved. Despite preconceptions, there's absolutely no dress code for SlutWalk — the whole point is that the label "slut" is what others use to describe women, and that therefore being a slut cannot be defined by what type of clothes you wear or any other choices — only misogynistic point of views. So why not reclaim the word and say that we're all sluts, regardless of attire, gender, nationality, age, or anything else? I tend to think it's quite empowering, both for victims and allies working in solidarity. Sure, the message is radical and unpleasant to some — so is the harsh reality of the treatment of sexual assault victims.
So the articles are one thing. I tend to ignore them because, as of yet, any time I have actually looked into the opposition's statement, it always goes a little something like "I agree that rape is always bad, but, [insert victim-blaming, sexist and/or judgemental rhetoric in here]." As a victim, this type of shit gets me mad real fast, not to mention sometimes boarders on triggering.
However, now the opposition's rhetoric has begun to sink into my facebook newsfeed, meaning it's less avoidable. I feel a certain responsibility to defend SlutWalk to friends or mutual friends since I'm helping to organize the marketing campaign for SlutWalk Chicago (June 4th, y'all!). And unfortunately, now I've come face to face with the fact that people are still ignorant as fuck.
I guess it still baffles me that people aren't as educated about rape as I am. Then again, I've had the privilege of a college education at a notoriously liberal school, as well as the privilege of being a self-identified feminist since the age of 14. It doesn't take being a victim to know that rape is all-too common. Every two minutes, someone in America is raped. One-in-four college-aged women will be sexually assaulted, making this issue especially relevant to my peers. Most rapists (15 out of 16, in fact) will never spend a day in jail. And also, police are often completely unsympathetic or unwilling to help victims of sexual assault. Case in point: I've been waiting for my rape kit results for seven months, and haven't heard from my detective in five. While tons of friends, family, teachers, etc etc etc, have been supportive of me in the wake of my assault, no one in the position of authority has been cooperative in bringing my perpetrator to justice.
And I'm supposed to believe that this is my fault, somehow? That I'm not doing enough to prosecute him? That I didn't do enough to stop my own rape in the first place?
One news article that's started a recent facebook status debate that's got me pulling my hair out states, "The attitude that rape victims bring it on themselves has largely (though not entirely) disappeared from mainstream society. When a Manitoba judge recently blamed the victim in a rape case for leading her attacker on, he was universally ridiculed. Everybody was amazed that any judge today would be so ignorant." The sad truth is (other than the fact that this article is written by a clearly self-loathing woman) that this isn't true. Rape occurs so often, if only it were possible for everyone to be universally ridiculed for their victim-blaming comments! And wouldn't it be AWESOME if the amount of judges putting a rapist behind bars was proportionate to popular attitude against rape? Hell, lady, with such statements as "[N]o fewer than 62 per cent of female students say they've been sexually harassed at university – a figure that is credible only if you include every incident of being groped by some 20-year-old drunk," you have to wonder where all these ridiculous victim-blaming attitudes have gone off to — oh wait, that's right, they're ingrained into how our fucking society views women, and you think you're some great exception, right? In the same breath as you both undermine rape statistics and basically state that interpreting groping as sexual assault is overreacting. RIGHT! Victim-blaming attitudes have TOTALLY disappeared from mainstream society! (Hint: no they fucking haven't, what a giant hypocrite.) As pro-wrestler Mick Foley would say, "The world gets an F in their treatment of women, but we're getting a C-minus and we're bragging about it."
I wish people would just shut the fuck up about bashing SlutWalk already. It's a protest to end RAPE, for god's sake, don't you want to fucking END RAPE? Okay, okay, so you think it's morally irrephensible for women to be half naked in public… okay, fine, whatever, the cordgial invitation to the 21st century is still here, but seriously… what the fuck are you actually trying to say? Seems to me that most of the opposition to SlutWalk is either unwilling to do five seconds of research or completely, blatantly sexist. And if that's the case, I guess I don't want you on my team anyway.
It just seems silly to me… shouldn't everyone be universally for the cause of ending rape? Isn't it far more immoral to prefer that no one take any action against rape than to dress like a "slut?"
I guess this is why I've been avoiding the backlash for so long. It just doesn't make any fucking sense, and if it doesn't make any sense, it can't be worth much of my time. All I'm saying is, before you write your poorly researched editorial or blogpost about why SlutWalk is counter-productive, do five minutes of research on the statistics of rape. I can guarantee that someone close to you has been assaulted. Why don't you ask someone in your life what happened in the aftermath of their assault? How about reaching out to people with love, understanding, and compassion, instead of judgement, for once in your life?
Posted in Political Rants | Tagged assault, backlash, chicago, mick foley, rainn, rant, rape, sexual, slutwalk, statistics |
How many times have you heard a guy say this: "Women like you better when you treat them like shit." Or: "I never get the girls I like because I'm too nice." Or: "I'm a functioning alcoholic, and a complete asshole. Let's date?" Okay, maybe that last one isn't so popular (outside of my world, at least) but really, now, I'm sure all of us have heard the first two from multiple sources, usually men fresh from a break-up or another form of rejection. Really, it's surprising that, being as gung-ho about gender equality as I am, that I've known so many men so eager to explain this rational to me.
The fact that many men categorize themselves/their behaviors toward dating women, unconsciously or not, as being "bad boys" or "nice guys" speaks less to the idea that women actively seek out men of either types and more to how society views women. "Bad boys" treat women like shit because they're either to subdued or too stupid to know any better, while "nice guys" treat women well and get dumped because women are sex-starved bitches who do better when they're treated like objects or children. Never does it cross their minds that they may not be treating their partner with respect. To avoid making sweeping generalizations as much as possible (since, after all, it's these types of generalizations about women that really piss me off), it seems like, all too often, these guys are one in the same. These men never recognize or admit to their own flaws when it comes to dating; when a woman leaves, it's always because "all women are whores," "all women are bitches," etc etc etc, instead of "maybe she has her reasons." It's always the "nice guys" claiming that women get turned on by being treated disrespectfully. Turns out they're not really "nice guys" at all.
Now, again, this is with avoiding generalizations. As WhatEmbersConsume, a self-proclaimed "former Nice Guy," points out, there are key differences between "nice guys" and "nice people." A "nice person" will genuinely care about you, but also respect your boundaries and limits, and take responsibility for their faults and actions. On the flip side, here's a few tell-tale signs that you're dealing with a "Nice Guy:"
- Often clingly. May ask you far too frequently where you are, who you are with, what you are doing, etc. out of a supposed regard for your safety. In reality, the Nice Guy™ wants to know where you are because he wants to keep tabs on you, like any other one of his possessions.
- Easily prone to jealousy. Doesn't like you hanging around other people of your preferred gender and age group (or even your friends outside of your preferred gender). This is because he is afraid of loosing you.
- Will likely be upset when you try to put up healthy boundaries when it comes to personal time, space, etc.
- Will often want to get involved with your family/friends as soon as possible if you have a good relationship with them. This is because he thinks – subconsciously or not – that if he forges relationships with those close with you it will be harder for you to break things off. The same goes for the reverse of this: he will likely want you to meet his friends and family for the same reason.
- Will often talk about how important you are to him, how he couldn't live without you, etc. especially as things get more serious. He either really believes this, in which case it is because he has become dependent on the ideal of you; or is deliberately using it to manipulate you emotionally.
- Will affirm you/praise you for your physical characteristics and accomplishments. This is because these are the only things he cares about: things that others will notice and things that he can take advantage of.
- Easily put off by arguments; not inclined to initiate serious conversations. This is because he views differences between you two as freedom from him he does not want you to have.
- Is not willing for you two to be anything less than he wants you to be. If you maintain your boundaries, he will hightail it out of your life or seek revenge.
- Will try to make you feel special.
- Will never admit to making mistakes unless you threaten him with something. He is always right, and even if your threats get him to concede that with words he will maintain that he was right in his own mind.
Looking over this list really startled me, because not only did it remind me of dating patterns I've witnessed, but also those my friends and I have experienced first hand–more than once. And, what's even scarier, is this lists' similarity to that of an abusive relationship. In fact, many abusive relationships–physically, emotionally, verbally, or otherwise–start off in the realm of the self-proclaimed Nice Guy and get that much more extreme as possessiveness worsens. The fact that so many men self-identify as "nice guys" is quite startling–even the OP recognized this trend in his dating choices (although he claims to be reformed now–we shall see).
So what's the fucking deal? Why do so many men equate possessive behavior to genuinely caring? And why do so many guys think that they can't get a date because they're "too nice" when really they completely fail at seeing a woman as a human person with autonomous feelings and decision making capabilities?
It makes me really sad, to be honest. Some of these guys have serious issues. This type of misogyny can often be a product or a side effect of other problems such as alcoholism, poor self-esteem, post traumatic stress disorder, or other serious mental/emotional limitations. Really, who's to blame? The guy who thinks he's supposed to treat women like shit, or the culture that says if he doesn't manipulate her into submission, he's not masculine enough?
Either way, it's not an issue to brush over, and what's most important is who this outlook affects the most—women. Ladies, how many times have guys tried to guilt into dates, sex, or staying in a relationship, just because someone was "nice" to you? Probably a lot. Probably all the time. And chances are, when you reject these guys, it's probably not pretty. He probably gets mad. He might use misogynistic language to describe you, like "bitch," "cunt," or "whore," whether it's to your face or behind your back. And a lot of times, he probably won't back down after the first rejection.
What's most important is to remember that you have control over your body and decisions first—no one else. I know a lot of times it doesn't feel that way, but we must keep reminding ourselves. By owning ourselves first, before any ideas or cultural standards, we are taking a giant step against oppression every day. Don't let anyone tell you whether or not they're a "nice guy"—leave that to your own judgement calls.
Posted in Political Rants, Science & Sexuality, Sex & Dating Advice | Tagged abuse, advice, dating, dating advice, feminism, feminist, feminist rant, gender, gender theory, misogyny, rant, reproductive rights, sex advice, sex education, sexuality, women, women's rights | 10 Comments »


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- New York Musicians Perform in Basel's "Konzert-Galerie Pianofort'ino"
New York Musicians Perform in Basel's "Konzert-Galerie Pianofort'ino"
Soprano Amanda Sidebottom and lutenist Erik Ryding formed Well-Tuned Words in 2011 to explore the rich repertoire of Renaissance and early Baroque lute songs. Based in New York, they have also performed fringe concerts at the Berkeley and Boston Early Music festivals and toured in Europe, with concerts in Milan (Sforza Castle), Paris and Amsterdam. Recent recitals have featured collaborations with harpsichordist Rebecca Pechefsky and the ensemble Brooklyn Baroque.
This trio of musicians will appear on Friday, October 18, at 8 pm in the "Konzert-Galerie Pianofort'ino" (Gasstrasse 48, Hinterhof) with a programme of songs and instrumental pieces by John Dowland (1563–1626) and harpsichord works by Bach's pupil Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780). Both composers celebrate anniversaries this year.
The concerts in Pianofort'ino are organized by the American musician Sally Fortino, whose collection of historical keyboard instruments is at the heart of the programming.
One Response to "New York Musicians Perform in Basel's "Konzert-Galerie Pianofort'ino""
Always a memorable treat at Piano Fortino with the lovely wooden beamed ceiling and wooden floors on which sit a museum-quality collection of keyboard instruments.


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"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him."
(1 Samuel 1:27)
I personally can attest to the fact that a mother's love and prayers go way back, sometimes even before our beginning. So today, I'd like to share with you one such prayer, spoken twice, that I didn't even know I had in me. ("Hmm, I wonder if Hannah had felt the same way.")
There was a time not all that long ago, when I could not call myself "a mother". Some of this was self-inflicted, and sometimes not. (I'd spent a couple of decades crusading that I would never get married or have children. I have learned now to never say never.)
The History and the Pain
I had lived through and learned enough in my life to know better, and that I didn't ever want to revisit "Hell" (divorce, bitterness, fear, isolation, poverty, abuse, addiction- Mom's, mine, or anyone else's, etc.); nor go to "war" (the world of abnormal rearing) once again, or lead others through there either. (Sadly at this point in the post, it appears I've failed all the way around.)
God's still Bigger!!!
"Thank God!" He tells a different story with a totally different ending for us all, and I can prove it!!!
The Lord has blessed me with two God-sends in the form of a daughter and a son (in that order). And although I could say the same about them, having to walk through Hell (subject to divorce, bitterness, fear, isolation, poverty, etc…), they also, wear it differently with Jesus. They both have far exceeded my expectations, especially when they have grasped His. They may not be perfect, but they are close to Him. ♥
The True Giver and Comforter
Let me remind you once again, I didn't do this. He did! And I'm not talking about their dad here, either. (Although, he's a good one.) I'm referring to our Father who art in Heaven.
Amazingly, the answered prayers had taken place years before either of them were born, unbeknownst to me; so to hear for the second time that my pregnancy would end in miscarriage- "there's no heartbeat", it didn't crush mine. And although my first miscarriage was by far the most painful and lonely experience I had ever encountered in my life by that point- this second time, it was a beautiful breeze from God in comparison.
The Foundation
I'd been driving down the road leading to Lowville, listening to one of Dr. Charles Stanley's c.d.'s on Eternal Security- Can you be sure? (I'd miraculously found Dr. Stanley and In Touch Ministries when I was flipping through the TV channels just before my first miscarriage had occurred.) When I seemingly, had drifted into a deep prayer to the Lord. And at that moment, He reminded me of a prior conversation, when I'd finally abandoned my own mission (to never have children), but instead, made heartfelt petitions to be blessed with one. I surrendered at that time, my fear of childbirth, parenthood, and all the mistakes I could make. And for the first time in my adult life, I began to trust in Him for all of it.
The Prayer
So on that road to Lowville (truly a Damascus experience) leading to an ultrasound that would determine the life of my child, I asked the Lord one more time, but this time- with one exception. As much as I wanted to have a baby (to add purpose to my heart, life, and my marriage), I didn't want one unless it was His baby first.
"Lord, you know my heart, what this means to me, and how much I want this baby to make it. But- if it is not Yours and always will be, who will join You and me in Heaven someday, please don't let it happen."
I knew even then, there was absolutely no way I could do this, raise a child, unless He was with me and them. (It would crush me sometimes even after the children were born, when I'd gaze at them, and plead with the Lord that one short lifetime here with them and Him, was just not enough for me.)
The First Blessing…
As I had already given the spoiler in the beginning of this post, the prognosis from the doctor when I'd reached my destination that day, was a second miscarriage. The difference this time, though, was a peace that transcended beyond all my understanding and surrounded me with an unexplainable joy. I'd felt remarkably good about it. And within two months of the miscarriage, although the doctors told me not to try so soon, I was pregnant again. My beautiful daughter, Hannah, had made her debut a few days shy of Christmas. "God is so good!!!"
… and the Second!
As for my son, I can tell you an equally blessed experience. I'd had a third miscarriage between my daughter and son (and it was shortly before I'd become pregnant for him- a month this time). And it was also suspected after the fact, that my son was probably a twin (they run in my family on my Dad's side). The other apparently didn't survive the rollover accident I had in my vehicle trying to get to work in a blizzard. The same accident that totaled my car and I walked away without a scratch on the outside of me. It was a miracle that anyone found me in the first place. But "thanks" to Nancy Robbins, and the Old McDonald's Farm farmhands that were driving by in a farm truck with broken windows that made them unable to roll up, I was. (God's plan totally trumps anything we've got!)
On the road again…
Now back on that broken road which leads to Lowville, I was praying my heart out to His once again, that familiar prayer…
"Lord, you know my heart, what this means to me, and how much I want this baby to make it. But- if it is not Yours and always will be, who will join You and me in Heaven someday, please don't let it happen."
And even though I was sure that I'd miscarried a fourth time (as I'd felt like an expert by then), the same doctor looked at me and said… "I can tell by just looking at you that you are still pregnant." ♥
Hearing his (and His) heartbeat, proved it!!! (And what a beautiful sound <))) the heart of God, and all who are in it, makes!)
In his due time, my son was born… "Praise the Living God!!!"
The Blessing Continues…
As great as all this sounds, I can speak now of a greater blessing. I can look straight into the eyes and heart of both of my children and say with absolute certainty…
"You would not be here right now
if you were not God's child, first!"
Sure! They are attacked ferociously by the enemies of the Lord as children of God, suffer periodic doubt as they see the circumstances around them, feeling the pinch from their surroundings, knowing this is not our home— just like the rest of us. But rest assured, they know exactly whose child they are, and that He, their Heavenly Father, is with them always.
♥ ♥ ♥
You just can't put a price on the peace, and eternal security, that transcends all understanding.
Please keep in mind that I had nothing (or at least nothing divinely significant) to do with the series of miraculously ordered events that took place. I could not have dreamed any of this up if I'd tried. And also worthy of mention, I am thoroughly blessed that He did not allow me to mess it (them) up, also.
The Prayer Continues…
I pray today, the same for you… Whether you are a mother (parent) already, so want to be, or are blessed right now to be carrying His child and yours…
Pour out your heart to the Lord our God, our Creator, the One who loved us first (we were His first)! And when "it's time", you can bless them with Jesus and tell them how they are His, too.
The Conclusion
I can share with you now something that I, or the doctor, could not at that time. We were unaware of a probable condition of mine that involved hormone levels, preventing my pregnancies to progress and the fetus to grow. It appears that the failed pregnancies just prior to the live births had a hand in making it possible for my children to make it to term and thrive still today.
Who knew? Only God! And now, I've shared with you two of the many reasons I love, praise, and worship the Lord my God with all of my heart.
And as for you and your house, I pray…
May the Lord bless you indeed,
and enlarge your heart, your faith, your life, and your family. That His amazingly gracious hand be upon you,
and that He'd keep you from all evil.
No more unbearable pain!
"God Bless YOU!"
Hannah's Vow
8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"
9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head."
12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!"
15 But Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 "Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now."
17 Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him."
18 And she said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Samuel Is Born and Dedicated
19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the Lord."
21 Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever."
23 So Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord establish His word." Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, "O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord." So they worshiped the Lord there.
(1 Samuel 1)


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Welcome to the training on Newborn Screening provided by Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
The goal of this module is to equip Texas Health Steps providers and other interested health-care professionals to actively engage in the state's newborn screening program, correctly interpret and act upon the results, educate parents, and provide appropriate follow-up and referral when necessary.
Target Audience
Texas Health Steps providers and other interested health-care professionals.
Specific Learning Objectives
After completing the activities of this module, you will be able to:
- Summarize the timeframe within which newborn screening must be conducted.
- Select procedures that ensure satisfactory collection and handling of newborn dried blood spot specimens and avoid delay in results.
- Determine signs and symptoms that can occur from disorders for which Texas newborns are screened.
- Differentiate among the six broad categories of disorders covered by the Texas Newborn Screening Program.
- Employ the information sheets on each screened disorder created for health-care professionals and for parents and caregivers.
- Evaluate how to communicate with parents about positive newborn screening results, follow-up testing, and available services.
- Employ resources provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services Newborn Screening Clinical Care Coordination staff to ensure timely follow-up.
Please note this module expires on 8/10/2019.
Accreditation Statement
Continuing Medical Education
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service is accredited by the Texas Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Continuing Nursing Education
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service is an accredited provider (P0180) of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has awarded 1.50 contact hour(s) of Continuing Nursing Education.
Social Workers
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service under sponsor number CS3065 has been approved by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners to offer continuing education contact hours to social workers. The approved status of The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service expires annually on December 31. The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has awarded 1.50 contact hour(s) of Continuing Social Work Education.
Certified Health Education Specialists
Sponsored by The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive up to 1.50 total entry-level Category I contact education contact hours.
Certified Community Health Worker
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Promotor(a)/Community Health Worker Training and Certification Program has certified this course for 1.50 contact hour(s) of continuing education for Certified Community Health Workers and Community Health Worker Instructors.
Certificate of Attendance
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has designated 1.50 hour(s) for attendance.
One of the requirements of continuing education is disclosure of the following information to the learner:
- Notice of requirements for successful completion of continuing education activity. To receive continuing education credit the learner must successfully complete the following activities:
- Create a Texas Health Steps account.
- Complete on-line registration process.
- Thoroughly read the content of the module.
- Complete the on-line examination.
- Complete the evaluation.
- Commercial Support.
The THSTEPS Web-based Continuing Education Series has received no commercial support.
- Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships.
The THSTEPS Continuing Education Planning Committee and the authors of these modules have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
- Non-Endorsement Statement.
Accredited status does not imply endorsement of any commercial products or services by the Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service; Texas Medical Association; or American Nurse Credentialing Center.
- Off-Label Use.
Using a disclosure review process, the THSTEPS Continuing Education Planning Committee has examined documents and has concluded that the authors of these modules have not included content that discusses off-label use (use of products for a purpose other than that for which they were approved by the Food and Drug Administration).
The following are policies and definitions of terms related to continuing education disclosure:
The intent of disclosure is to allow Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service the opportunity to resolve any potential conflicts of interest to assure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all of its Continuing Education activities.
All faculty, planners, speakers and authors of Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service sponsored activities are expected to disclose to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service any relevant financial, relationships with any commercial or personal interest that produces health care goods or services concerned with the content of an educational presentation. Faculty, planners, speakers and authors must also disclose where there are any other potentially biasing relationships of a professional or personal nature.
Glossary of Terms
Conflict of Interest: Circumstances create a conflict of interest when an individual has an opportunity to affect Continuing Education content about products or services of a commercial interest with which she/he has a financial relationship or where there are any other potentially biasing relationships of a professional or personal nature.
Commercial Interest: Any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients.
Financial Relationships: Those relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit. Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities for which remuneration is received or expected. Relevant financial relationships would include those within the past 12 months of the person involved in the activity and a spouse or partner. Relevant financial relationships of your spouse or partner are those of which you are aware at the time of this disclosure.
Off Label: Using products for a purpose other that that for which it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- American College of Medical Genetics.
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Committee on Genetics. (2015). Committee Opinion No. 616: Newborn Screening and the Role of the Obstetrician-Gynecologist.
- Baby's First Test. (2013). Find a Condition.
- Davis, T. C., Humiston, S. G., Arnold, C. L., Bocchini, J. A., Jr., Bass, P. F. III, Kennen, E. M., &hellip Lloyd-Puryear, M. (2006). Recommendations for effective newborn screening communication: results of focus groups with parents, providers, and experts. Pediatrics, 117(5 Pt 2): S326–40.
- Gurian, E. A., Kinnamon, D. D., Henry, J. J., & Waisbren, S. E. (2006). Expanded newborn screening for biochemical disorders: the effect of a false-positive result. Pediatrics, 117(6): 1915–21.
- Karadag, N., Zenciroglu, A., Eminoglu, F. T., Dilli, D., Karagol, B. S., Kundak, A., Dursun, A., Hakan, N., & Okumus, N. (2013). Literature review and outcome of classic galactosemia diagnosed in the neonatal period. Clinical Laboratory, 59(9-10): 1139–46.
- March of Dimes. (2014). Issue Brief: Newborn Screening Saves Lives and Money.
- Marsden, D., Larson, C. & Levy, H. L. (2006). Newborn screening for metabolic disorders. The Journal of Pediatrics, 148(5): 577-584.
- Raghuveer, T. S., Garg, U. & Graf, W. D. (2006). Inborn errors of metabolism in infancy and early childhood: an update. American Family Physician, 73(11): 1981–90.
- Tarini, B. A., Christakis, D. A., & Welch, H. G. (2006). State newborn screening in the tandem mass spectrometry era: more tests, more false-positive results. Pediatrics, 118(2): 448–56.
- Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). ACT sheets.
- Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Case Management for Children and Pregnant Women.
- Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Children With Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Services Program.
- Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Newborn Screening Laboratory.
- Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Newborn Screening Program.
- Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership. (n.d.). Comprehensive Care Program.
- Tluczek, A., Orland, K. M., Nick, S. W., & Brown, R. L. (2009). Newborn Screening: An Appeal for Improved Parent Education. The Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, 23(4): 326–334.
- Zytkovicz, T. H., Fitzgerald, E. F., Marsden, D., Larson, C. A., Shih, V. E., Johnson, D. M., &hellip Grady G. F. (2001). Tandem mass spectrometric analysis for amino, organic, and fatty acid disorders in newborn dried blood spots: a two-year summary from the New England newborn screening program. Clinical Chemistry, 47: 1945–55.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children. (2015). Recommended Uniform Screening Panel.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. (2014). Perinatal/Infant Health—Annual Report—Texas.
- March of Dimes: A Parent's Guide to Newborn Screening video (English)
- March of Dimes: A Parent's Guide to Newborn Screening video (Español)
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Newborn Screening guides and other publications for families. Available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
- Parent Companion First Five Years, a bilingual website focusing on young children with disabilities. It was created to comfort, inspire, and connect parents to helpful disability resources.
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Parent FACT sheets for 29 core conditions screened through blood spots in Texas. Parent FACT sheets for an additional 24 secondary conditions.
- Texas Department of State Health Services Newborn Screening. Resources for Parents.
- Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas Health Steps, information about preventive medical checkups, finding a health-care provider, and getting a ride to a checkup.
The medical definitions provided in this module were adapted or obtained from American Family Physician, Medline Plus, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Related courses
Related courses
Genetic Screening, Testing, Treatment, and Referral
Learn best practices and ethical guidelines for genetic clinical evaluations, screening and testing, appropriate referrals, and ongoing care in a primary care practice.
Specimen Collection
Implement best practices for collecting and handling specimens in a clinical setting as well as requirements for submitting specimens to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Developmental Surveillance and Screening: Birth through 6 Years
Integrate validated developmental screenings and ongoing surveillance to meet Texas Health Steps requirements for preventive medical checkups.
Critical Congenital Heart Disease
Learn about state-mandated newborn screening for critical congenital heart disease, the screening process, and appropriate follow-up.
Culturally Effective Health Care
Promote effective communication and improve health outcomes for culturally diverse patients and their families. Includes guidelines for obtaining informed consent and using interpretation services in the medical home.
Case Management Services in Texas
Integrate case management services to support patients and families dealing with special health-care needs or chronic conditions. Includes information about eligibility for Case Management for Children and Pregnant Women.
* Required course for MCO service coordinators. A certificate will be provided upon course completion.
Texas Health Steps Guidance
Texas Health Steps Guidance
Anticipatory Guidance
Anticipatory guidance—age-appropriate education and counseling—is a required component of every Texas Health Steps preventive medical and dental checkup. Texas Health Steps offers age-appropriate education and counseling topics so providers can assist patients, families, and caregivers to understand growth, development, and healthy practices. Texas Health Steps recommends that health-care providers personalize anticipatory guidance depending on the needs of their patients. Anticipatory guidance topics should be individualized and prioritized based on questions and concerns of the child or adolescent and their parent or guardian. Specific guidance should also be based on findings obtained during the health history and physical exam.
Texas Health Steps offers Anticipatory Guidance-A Guide for Providers, which includes guidance topics for every age group birth through 20 years. It mirrors anticipatory guidance topics included on the Texas Health Steps Child Health Clinical Record Forms.
Care for Caregivers
Families and caregivers of children with chronic medical conditions face complex challenges and extended stress. Providing long-term care for a child with a disability or chronic illness can take a physical, emotional, and financial toll. It also requires a time commitment that can be difficult to achieve.
As a pediatric health-care provider, you "have a responsibility to recognize caregiver burden (Adelman, Tmanova, Delgado, Dion & Lachs, 2014). Research has shown that caregivers are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, and other negative health effects of what can be a crushing responsibility. At each pediatric checkup, make it part of your routine to inquire whether family or caregivers have questions or concerns about their roles, their own health, or navigating the health-care system.
The health of your young patients and the health of their caregivers are interwoven.
Caregivers who feel overwhelmed may not be able to provide appropriate care for a child in need. You must be alert to outcries for help or signs of health problems related to caregiving, including loss of sleep and diet imbalance. Open communication allows you to be a sounding board for caregivers who are struggling with their duties. At the same time, be on the watch for signs of fatigue or stress in caregivers who try to project an "all's well" attitude even when they are having problems.
Your role includes providing practical counseling about stress and offering resources designed to help families and caregivers cope.
Top 10 Caregiver Coping Skills
Sharing this Top Ten list of coping skills can help caregivers learn strategies that may reduce stress:
- Understand your feelings.
- Express your emotions.
- Educate yourself about your child's illness or condition.
- Keep communications open.
- Talk to other parents.
- Focus on the strengths and goals that are achievable.
- Believe in your child.
- Establish routines.
- Maintain your sense of humor! There is no co-pay for laughter!!
- Remember that taking care of yourself is caring for your family.
Source: Parent to Parent of New York State
Resources to share with families and caregivers
Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) operated by Texas Health and Human Services (Texas HHS). The centers are welcoming and offer information about state and federal health benefits as well as local programs and services. The trained staff can connect caregivers with services such as home care, meals, transportation, legal help, attendant care, respite support, and housing. Visit the ADRC website for a list of resource center locations in Texas.
Family Support Services, a program to help families care for children with special health-care needs at home. Services are provided by the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Services Program, a branch of the Texas Department of State Health Services.
National Alliance for Caregiving.
Navigate Life Texas, a multilingual website created by parents for parents of children with disabilities and special health-care needs. This unique site offers comprehensive, relevant, and reliable information for families, professionals, advocates, and anyone working with children who have disabilities and their families. Sponsored by the Texas Interagency Task Force on Children with Special Needs.
Take Time Texas, a website offered by Texas HHS that includes a state inventory of respite services.
Texas Parent to Parent offers peer support for parents of children with special health-care needs.
Case Management Services (how to make referrals)
Provider Referrals
All Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) provide case management services (called service management for STAR members with special health-care needs). In the other Medicaid managed care programs, everyone gets some level of case management. Patients should first be referred to the plan's service coordinator and then referred to Case Management for Children and Pregnant Women if patient needs cannot be met by the plan's services. Health plans are also required to make appropriate referrals to case management services.
For patients enrolled in STAR Medicaid, STAR Health, or Fee-For-Service (FFS) Medicaid, providers can make a referral by one of these methods:
- Calling 877-847-8377 (877-THSteps).
- Contacting a case manager ("Find a Case Manager" web page accessed from the Resources for this module).
- Submitting the Case Management Referral Form (the form is also accessed from Resources).
For patients enrolled in STAR Kids:
- Health Plan service coordinators and others can refer by submitting the STAR Kids Case Management Request Form (the form is also accessed from Resources).
Early Childhood Intervention
Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) is a statewide program for families with children birth through 35 months who have disabilities and developmental delays. All health-care providers are required by federal and state regulations to refer children 35 months and younger to the local ECI program as soon as possible but no later than seven days after the suspicion or identification of a developmental delay.
To qualify for ECI services, a child must have:
- A qualifying medically diagnosed condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay. For more information, visit the ECI Qualifying Diagnosis Search web page.
- An auditory or visual impairment as defined by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) rule at 10 TAC Section 89.1040.
- A documented delay of at least 25 percent in one or more of the following areas of skills and development: gross motor, communication, cognition, fine motor, social, emotional, or self-help. Or, a documented delay of at least 33 percent when the delay occurs only in expressive language.
- A qualitative determination of delay, as indicated by responses or patterns that are disordered or qualitatively different from what is expected for the child's age.
To refer a child, providers should use the ECI Provider Referral and Feedback form. The form, which requires a parent or guardian signature, helps ensure that ECI's evaluation results and service plan are shared with the referring provider.
To refer families for services, providers can call the local ECI program.
Medical Checkup Documentation
Texas Health Steps requires that all federal- and state-mandated checkup components be documented in the medical record in order for the checkup to be considered complete and to qualify for provider reimbursement. Any checkup component that is not completed must be noted in the medical record, along with the reason it was not completed and a plan to complete it. The medical record must also contain documentation of all screening tools used, screening results, and referrals. Texas Health Steps child health clinical record forms are optional but are recommended to assist providers with documentation of all required checkup components. Providers should be aware that Texas Health Steps checkups are subject to retrospective review and recoupment if the medical record does not include all required documentation.
Medical Home
A medical home is the patient's primary point of contact when accessing health care. The medical home concept was developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and is promoted by Texas Health Steps. A medical home is defined as one in which care is accessible, family-centered, continuous, comprehensive, compassionate, coordinated, and culturally effective. It is a partnership between a child, the family or caregiver, and the child's primary health-care setting. The primary health-care setting can be a physician's office, a hospital outpatient clinic, a school health center, a community health center, or a health department clinic.
Extensive medical home information and resources are available from AAP's National Center for Medical Home Implementation.
Referral Resources
Providers who need assistance finding a specialist or subspecialist who accepts patients enrolled in Medicaid can find a specialist or subspecialist by using the Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) Online Provider Lookup or by calling the Texas Health Steps toll-free help line for providers at 800-964-2777 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time. Select option 3 to speak with a representative.
Required and Recommended Forms
Providers can access a set of child health clinical record forms to document Texas Health Steps preventive medical checkups. The set includes a form for each checkup under the Texas Health Steps Periodicity Schedule, for patients from up to 5 days old through 20 years. Providers can save or print the forms.
Each form includes the required components for that age's checkup, along with space for documenting routine, non-required components of a medical checkup. The backside of the form includes a helpful list of suggested anticipatory guidance topics and checklists such as the Hearing Checklist for Parents and Lead Risk Factors.
Download these forms on the DSHS Texas Health Steps Provider Forms web page.
Download the current Periodicity Schedule from the DSHS Texas Health Steps Provider Information web page.
Role of Texas Health Steps
Texas Health Steps is the preventive care services program for children birth through 20 years who are enrolled in Medicaid. Texas Health Steps provides regular checkups and screenings as part of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment program, also known as EPSDT.
In Texas, EPSDT is known as Texas Health Steps, which includes the preventive care components—or Early and Periodic Screening (EPS)—of the total EPSDT service. Required medical checkups and preventive care services are provided in accordance with the latest Texas Health Steps Periodicity Schedule, which is modeled after the one developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Additional checkup components are required in Texas to meet federal and state guidelines, and checkups are encouraged as part of the medical home. The Periodicity Schedule specifies when each of the checkup components is due. Providers should always refer to the latest schedule available. To download a PDF of the Periodicity Schedule online, visit the Texas Health Steps Provider Information web page.
Texas Medicaid Providers Policy Manual (TMPPM)
The Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) updates the TMPPM monthly. The policy updates are published on the TMHP website and in banner messages, which appear weekly on a provider's Remittance and Status Report as well as on the website. Providers can find updates on the web page in two ways:
Release Notes—Changes to the TMPPM arranged by date, with most recent at the top of the list.
Change History—Changes to the TMPPM arranged by chapter. (If a chapter has not changed, it will not appear on the list).
NOTE: Providers should always check the TMHP website for the current TMPPM, banner messages, and policy and procedures updates. Archived versions of the TMPPM will remain online for reference purposes.


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El Centro, Calif. –
Local artists will have a chance to unite and showcase their work for an audience that can have a great impact on them.
The California Arts Council (CAC) is coming to Imperial Valley for the first time, thanks to the efforts of Rosemarie Wood, Executive Director of the North County Coalition for the Arts.
"I want every single artist, from small groups to individuals to profit to non-profit, including schools, to come and support us. And to tell the arts council that we're here," said Wood.
Wood says the CAC is a state agency that funds the arts and this will be an opportunity for them to see how much art and talent is in the community.
Rudy Robles, project manager for the arts showcase organized at Imperial Valley College for the arts council representatives, said the event is very important for all local artists. If it's successful, it could convince the CAC representatives to funnel funding to the area.
"In the last ten years we have not gotten any type of funding from them. Which is very disappointing. A lot of the art that you see here is done on just a few pennies, whatever we can scrounge up," Robles said.
Randy Galvan, local graphic artist, talked about the struggles and limitations that local artists face.
"There's only so much we can do ourselves with our funding. There's only so much we can put into our own work," Galvan said.
According to the CAC official website, this year's general fund for the arts will reach 8.3 million dollars. And Galvan wants some of that for Imperial Valley artists.
"We've been overlooked. I think now it's time for them to see how much Imperial Valley is growing," Galvan concluded.


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NYU Langone Orthopaedics at Westchester Adds Services, Weekend Hours
Rheumatology, Plastic Surgery and Saturday Pediatric Orthopaedic Services Added
NYU Langone Medical Center's Orthopaedics at Westchester recently expanded services to include rheumatology and plastic surgery, as well as access to pediatric orthopaedists on Saturdays. Rheumatologist Gary E. Solomon, MD, and plastic surgeon David A. Staffenberg, MD, are now also seeing patients at the facility located at 311 North Street in White Plains.
"Today, patients want expert medical care that also fits into their active lifestyles and busy schedules," said Joseph D. Zuckerman, MD, the Walter A. L. Thompson Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center. "We welcome Dr. Staffenberg and Dr. Solomon to the practice and know their expertise will expand the world-class service that we already offer our patients in Westchester and the surrounding area."
David A. Staffenberg, MD, professor. Department of Plastic Surgery, is chief of pediatric plastic surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center who specializes in adult and pediatric plastic surgery, including craniofacial surgery, female and male breast reconstruction and reduction surgery, skin malignancies, liposuction, maxillofacial surgery & trauma, cleft palate, ear reconstruction as well as botox injections. Gary E. Solomon, MD, is a clinical associate professor of rheumatology in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone specializing in immune disorders, spondylarthropies, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatology and other arthritic conditions.
First opened in 2010, Orthopaedics at Westchester provides general and specialty orthopaedic services for a variety of conditions including hip and knee arthritis; back and neck pain; scoliosis and spinal deformities; hand, foot, ankle and shoulder conditions; sports injuries, fractures and pediatric orthopaedic conditions.
NYU Langone is one of the nation's premier academic medical centers and ranked among the top 10 in the country – and the only hospital in New York – for musculoskeletal specialization in orthopedics, rheumatology, and rehabilitation by U.S. News & World Report's 2012-2013 "Best Hospitals" in America.


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Aaron takes a first look at the metallic blue HTC One, available exclusively at Best Buy on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. Internally, it's the same as the original HTC One, with a 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 CPU, 4.7-inch 1080p HD display, 4-ultrapixel camera with 1080p HD recording, 32 GB of internal storage, 2 GB of RAM, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (or 4.2 if you're on Verizon). Externally, the metallic blue offers a nice little difference from the more traditional black and silver - and it's a Best Buy exclusive, so the chance of seeing it in the wild versus the other colors is lower.
What's your favorite HTC One color? Give a shout in the comments below!


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....dates have been announced on Lori's Blog HERE.
Let's have some fun and sign up on February 9th - ONE DAY ONLY! Mark your calendars! And only ONE reveal date!
Start looking through your stash or think about the awesome FOCAL, that special CLASP & some filler beads that you will send your partner to make that special jewelry piece.
Hope to see you on the list!
Thanks for stopping friends...


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One of the biggest races of all time, the Nascar Daytona 500, doesn't come cheap. Fans scrimp and scrounge for months in order to be able to save up enough to buy these hard to get seats. But in all the effort of actually saving up money to buy the tickets, fans tend to forget to actually lock in their tickets in advance. The key to finding good Daytona 500 tickets is buy tickets at the right time. If you now have the money and want to buy the tickets, here are some ways of going about.
No better place to begin with than the Nascar track itself. Call the Daytona International Speedway and speak to the ticketing agents there. You may actually be lucky enough to find that there are tickets still available. Be sure to purchase them immediately. The advantage of Nascar Daytona 500 tickets being bought at the source are that they are the genuine and authentic. If you happen to be new to the area, let the ticketing agent know and he will also send along some maps with directions, details on official accommodations in the area as well as any other activities you can do when you are there. All it takes is a request and smile while on the phone.
Keep in mind there is a strong chance that the ticketing office is out of tickets, especially for a race of this level. This does not mean you lose your chance to go. There are several other ways of getting yourself some fantastic seats. To start with, get online and get a list of all the Nascar approved organizations that are selling the tickets. Approach each one of them and you will be surprised at the number of genuine tickets you will be able to find. Should this be another dead end, then scout around forums to see if there are fans out there who have extra tickets.
There are strong chances that some fans will have tickets they need to sell simply because a friend or relative couldn't make it. Try and find someone in your vicinity whom you can visit and pick up the tickets from, just to make sure you are not being duped. The problem with such popular sporting events is that they are like a magnet for fraudsters who try and make a quick buck.
The final option is to wait outside the track on the day of the race. If your patience pays off, you will find someone with an extra Nascar tickets just waiting to get their investment back. Miss one or two laps and you will get tickets for less than the printed price. No matter which way you look at it, you are sure to get able to watch the Daytona 500 in style on a perfect day in February in North Florida.
Welcome to Nascar Tickets – provide safe & reliable way to purchase Nascar cup tickets. Check out our store to know more about Nascar tickets. Get best deals on Nascar sprint cup Tickets. Read my Blogs at Aden Grady's Blogs


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100 Years Ahead Of Its Time !
Yet here we are in the start up phase, at the very beginning of the university structure. We have the 501c3 nonprofit status and we have been developing the core curriculum since 1996. Now we need help to grow the university. Below are our equipment needs for University of the Universe.
Equipment is fundamental to our existence as a university to produce and market the university programs. Podcasts, Webinars, Online Learning, Advanced Programs and Events, utilizing audio and video recording equipment, will be offered.
PayPal.me is a quick and easy way to support these leading edge programs that are contributing to the awakening consciousness of the 21st century.
Tax Status
- University of the Universe is a Nonprofit 501(c)3 Educational Organization
- Donations to University of the Universe are Tax Deductible, EIN is 76-0788962
Podcasting Requirements
We need $2,000 to begin producing the University Podcasts
- Hardware: Quality microphones (3), digital recorder, headphones, mixer, cables, adapters
- Software: Media hosting, audio/video-editing, plugins, image-editing
- Education: Interviews: university programs, research, events and faculty announcements
- Services: Hosting, website and graphics design, professional support
Video and Audio Equipment
Estimate $5,500 for initial equipment and additional costs for editing and post-production
- Hardware: Professional camcorder, microphones, recorder, webcam, tripod, lighting, accessories
- Software: Adobe Creative Cloud, live-streaming, conferencing, plugins
- Education: Courses, transcripts, course materials, advanced programs, events, forums
- Services: Hosting, editing, production, conferencing, membership, forum, website, graphics design, professional support
Other Links
- Other Ways To Contribute
- Become An Affiliate – forthcoming
- Become A Sponsor – forthcoming


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Dairy Queen Franchise
Interested in starting a Dairy Queen Franchise? You'll want to read this !
From its humble beginnings in Kankakee, Illinois, Dairy Queen's promise has always been "We Treat You Right."
Dairy Queen began in 1938 with a 10 cent sale of a soft frozen dairy product that was then unnamed. This new dessert had been concocted by a father and son who then asked a friend in the ice cream business to offer an "all you can eat" trial at his store.
Dairy Queen Franchise InformationThe first Dairy Queen restaurant was opened in June of 1940. Today there are over 5,700 Dairy Queens around the world.
These franchises offer a wide variety of products. Although they focus on frozen treats, many Dairy Queen locations have a full menu to offer their customers a complete restaurant.
Dairy Queen Franchise History
Dairy Queen took off after World War II, skyrocketing to 1,446 franchises by 1950. Today, this franchise is one of the largest fast food companies in the world.
Dairy Queen started with a soft frozen dairy product, adding malts and shakes in 1949 and banana splits in 1951. Blizzard treats were introduced in 1985.
Today the company offers possible franchisers two great restaurant concepts. One is the DQ Orange Julius store, which serves DQ frozen treats and Orange Julius' fruit drinks and smoothies. The DQ Grill and Chill restaurant offers a full menu alongside the traditional frozen treats.
Support and Training
If you are interested in starting your own Dairy Queen, you will find that the company is more than helpful. As you go through each step of setting up one of your own franchises, they will guide you and be there to answer any questions that you might have.
The company is eager to discuss this opportunity with you to see if opening a Dairy Queen restaurant is the right choice for you.
What They're Looking For
Dairy Queen is looking for people who love ice cream and other frozen treats and want to share that love with others.
They want people who will embrace their goals of a family friendly and customer oriented culture, both in America and in their other locations around the world.
If your love for ice cream matches your love for people, you might find that owning a Dairy Queen is the perfect fit for you.
If you would like to learn more the opportunity of owning a franchise and find out Dairy Queen Franchise costs, you can get the newest information there.
By Jenn Fraiser
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Runtime: 13:14
Today's video update is a bit of an experiment. We have a number of clips from the Prague shoots that were done in a very small format, so we're using new software to up-rez for web viewing.
In this case, Faith and Tina are interesting enough I thought you'd enjoy seeing what their famous girl-girl scenes were really like during the photo sessions, no matter what the format. It takes them a while to warm up, but then there are some pretty hot moments. (more clips in this series coming up shortly)
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