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|The Write Space and Time
Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale will spend her summer leading Team USA's World University Games women's basketball entry, a team that includes Sooner senior-to-be Aaryn Ellenberg. Follow her exploits with her daily journal in a special edition series of The Write Space and Time.
|Team USA Official Page
July 16, 2013 -- USA! USA! USA! Earning a gold medal by beating Russia in Russia is a beautiful thing. What an experience this has been!
Today has been ridiculous. We had a meeting this morning at 10:30 a.m. before practice, then we had shootaround at noon ... then we packed our bags so that they could be loaded on the truck at 6 p.m. ... then we left for the gym at 7 p.m. ... and we're at the airport now and it's 2:45 a.m. Somewhere in the middle of all that we played really well and won a gold medal at the World University Games.
Our team played our best game together at the most important time. We shared the ball on offense, we ran in transition, and we got down and guarded a Russian squad that can shred you if you're not all on the same page. We defended their ball screens and adjusted to their adjustments while flooding the paint and daring them to launch three's. And we had a counterpunch for every punch they threw. That's what great players do on big, bright stages.
I am so proud of our team's approach to this game. They knew personal tendencies and played them appropriately, and they were way more worried about winning the game than who would get the credit for it. That's the only way you get a gold medal.
I would be remiss if I didn't write a bit about my two assistant coaches, Coquese Washington from Penn State and Brian Giorgis from Marist University. Both are excellent basketball coaches and both completely and totally invested themselves in their roles, preparing thorough game plans for our opponents and being everything that I needed them to be. Becoming an assistant coach for a month is not an easy thing when you're accustomed to calling all the shots. But they were tremendous. Giving up a month of summer and a significant period of recruiting evaluation is an enormous personal and professional sacrifice that I am indebted to each of them for making.
The same is true of our 12 players. Lots of things tug at collegiate players in the summer--being selected to participate in USA Basketball is obviously an honor but accepting is a choice. And it's a choice that puts the players who make it in a completely different place. It's an adventure that stretches young student-athletes in ways they never imagined. If they pay attention they can learn a lot about themselves and the game. If they really invest, they come home with a chance to shove their university teams up a notch. Every kid I have ever had participate in international play has done that--from Stacey Dales to Caton Hill to Danielle Robinson. Oklahoma Basketball got better because one teammate came home and re-drew the boundaries.
As I stood on the medal stand with my team and staff watching the American flag rise slowly to the top of the pole, I felt an enormous sense of pride and I wondered how Olympians' hearts kept from popping right out of their chests. In the weeks before the competition I had thought a lot about how it might feel to be there dripping in that moment. And then the competition began and all I thought about was trying to score more points than the other guys, so the moment actually snuck up on me. What I discovered was that I felt way more like a proud American than I did a basketball coach. Once again the game was just the vehicle. And what a ride this was!
Bringing home the gold,
July 14, 2013 -- Whew! Wow. That flag got HEAVY. We survived the semifinal game against Australia, though I felt like I was holding on to a rope while all the threads were popping. Thank goodness for a day off--it takes a bit to recover from escaping from the jaws of death. It took us until this morning to realize for sure that we were alive.
These games are challenging because most of our competitors have been together for long periods of time. Most are very experienced in international play (Australia had 26 years of experience on their roster), and most have logged hours and hours and hours making the same cuts, delivering the same passes, and running the same counters. In short, their parts are good; their whole is better.
We're just the opposite. Our parts are very good. Our whole is a definite work in progress. We had eight days of practice before traipsing across the world together to live on top of each other for three weeks and attempt to play team basketball. Nothing easy about any of that.
With 10 minutes to go against Australia, we had a 16-point lead. At seven it was 10. At four it was 5. Then it was gone. And we had to score on our last possession to get it back. What followed was a 14-second defensive stop that lasted forever and a day. But we got it! And we live to play for gold.
Our lead dissipated for obvious reasons. We took bad shots. We turned it over. We committed silly fouls. And we didn't block out. That alone can do it. But add to that the fact that you can't call a time out unless the other team scores. If you call a set and kids are confused, too bad. You won't get to stop and talk about it. If you score and want to change your defense, sorry Charlie. You can't take a timeout to make that happen. So players have to think on their feet and they have to be able to communicate and that's were eight days of prep versus eight years rears its ugly head.
So here we are: a day to pinch ourselves as a reminder that we're alive. And a day to prepare for the Russian machine. Less than 48 hours from now we'll be on a plane to Istanbul with the rest of our lives to talk about the 40-minute game that awaits us.
God Bless the USA!
Working for Gold,
July 11, 2013 -- Ok, so I just spent 20 minutes trying to figure out what day it is before writing my journal. Somehow I've missed one. Somewhere after the three days of mush spent traveling, I went from labeling my entries as days to labeling them as dates. And now I have no idea where I am. But I do know one thing: we're two wins away from gold.
We took full advantage of our day off yesterday with a shopping trip to a pedestrian street in downtown Kazan. We took the metro, which was easier, cheaper, and way less harrowing than the cabs, but it s best utilized with the assistance of an interpreter. This language is so indecipherable; it gives you no clues, so you can't figure out street names or read signs and you sure can't ask anybody a question. Luckily for us, Beth was our Savior. Getting there and back was a breeze.
The girls bought Russian dolls and Tartar dolls and postcards and Kentucky Fried Chicken! And they took lots and lots of pictures. Some rode in bicycle carriages, some tossed pennies in the fountain, and some held an owl on their arms (strange but true--they have the claw marks to prove it). It was a good morning--but Sweden never left the back of our minds.
When we returned to the village, we rested a bit and then had a meeting and film session to prepare for our quarter-final game vs Sweden before our practice. The Swedes do lots of things really, really well. They play hard. They move intentionally and with high intensity away from the ball. They screen and cut and space and they do it all for one purpose: to break you down off the dribble. And they all do that incredibly well. So the game plan was simple: keep the ball in front. Easier said than done.
We watched their sets on film; we practiced defending their tendencies when we went to the gym and in between and all around we talked about playing together as if it were the only that mattered in the world.
I've been really impressed with our athletes. They have been respectful and responsible, and they're trying really hard to make this the special sort of experience it can and should be. Great players generally are so because they understand how to focus. That's really started to show here in this competition as the ante is upped.
Sweden was really hyped for our game. They had a high energy warm up and over the top spirited introductions; and despite our early 10-2 lead, their energy did not wane. They attacked and we fouled. They missed jumpers and we didn't block out. So we fouled again. And before we knew it, via lay ups and freethrows, we were down by 3.
Then our great players decided it was a big game and they took over. We got a couple of stops, kicked it up the floor in transition, and promptly went on a 14-0 run to take an 11 point lead in at halftime.
In the second half we did a much better job of keeping the ball in front and flooding the lane versus the dribble. Rashanda Gray did a terrific job of keeping the ball out of the post and of blocking out, and Odyssey Sims ran the show. Trish Liston went 3 of 4 from 3 and Crystal Bradford made things happen in the open floor and on the glass. Next thing I know, I look up and we're up 26. It happened in the blink of an eye and we never let it slip away.
Our guys can sense the importance of every possession. They have a sense of urgency about them. They get it.
Off to scout the game that will determine our semifinal opponent. Two to go...
Working for Gold,
July 10, 2013 -- Today we had our final game of pool play. We beat the Czech Republic last night and then had a really quick turnaround in facing Brazil. We did a verbal scout in a tiny classroom, then boarded a bus and left for the game. The Czechs had beaten Brazil, we had beaten the Czechs, it was three games in three days, and we had no shoot around or formal walk through -- a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, Vegas hit four 3's in the first quarter so we blazed to a 22-5 start that would carry us for the length of the game.
I said `fortunately' because the game got uglier and uglier as it went on. I'm not sure if we were already in the medal rounds in our heads or if we were still in bed, but we certainly weren't where we were supposed to be. The game was crazy physical - crazy -- like tackling and full-out lineman blocking where normally one would screen. But we survived. And while we certainly weren't as engaged as I'd hoped or as sharp as we wanted, in the great scheme of this adventure, I'm thinking it's wise to concentrate most on the present. So we moved on.
After the game we came back to the village for a while before taking our team out into the city of Kazan for dinner. Tomorrow we have a day off so this was a perfect opportunity to immerse ourselves a bit into the culture of this place. We left the village gate at 5:45 p.m. and returned some time around 10. That was dinner. Consider us immersed.
We took taxis -- which is an unexplainable and inconceivable nightmare to anyone who has ever tried to travel by taxi in almost any city in the world. They're not on every corner. You don't just jump off the curb and wave one down. It's an ordeal (and trust me when I say that word does not do the situation justice).
The World University Games do not provide team transportation for anything other than practice or competition. So if you want to go to dinner, or to other sporting events, or to visit the Kremlin, you have to figure it out. It's hard enough moving 22 people around in a foreign land if you have a bus at your disposal 24/7. Doing it without it is almost impossible.
Fortunately, our leader, Jamie, is smart and quick on her feet and perseverant. So we made it there and back unscathed. However, she's gonna need a vacation that involves a lot of sitting on the beach and staring, just to get back to center.
Our opponent in the quarterfinals is Sweden. They lost to Russia tonight, but they shouldn't have. They are talented. Very athletic. And very sure of one another. They are really skilled with the dribble and their post guy is tough and smart and versatile. But what impressed me most was just how hard they play. They do not take possessions off. So we have our work cut out for us.
Tomorrow is a day off. Another chance to explore Kazan (while also exploring a different sort of transportation!) And a day to prepare to play a really good team.
Part of me wishes they weren't quite so good, and yet a part of me knows how much more a win would mean because they are. What is it Tom Hanks says in "A League of Their Own:"
"It' supposed to be hard. If it weren't, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great."
I'm counting on it.
Working for Gold,
July 9, 2013 -- Every afternoon I try to take a little jog around the village. It's therapeutic. And there is always plenty to see. I find it funny that the outdoor courts that join flag alley in the median of campus are a magnet for athletes from all countries. There are nets and goals and hoops, but by and large people gather there to shoot baskets. Plain and simple. Sometimes boxers shadow fight themselves in the corners and occasionally people hit a volleyball back and forth, but mostly athletes gather just to hoop. It's so funny. Most are ridiculously awful and yet seemingly unashamed--I suppose their prowess in their own respective venues more than tides them through.
We actually had a game plan for today's second contest vs. the Czech Republic. We saw them play live and we had a game tape, so we were able to prepare a scout and have an organized walk through. I think it helped a lot.
Our kids were focused and intentional about what they did on both ends of the floor. The flip side of the Czech team's precise, methodical execution is their predictability. When they guard a screen, they guard it one way. When they run a set play, you can count on a blueprint pattern. So we took advantage of a little of that by taking away their bread and butter actions and exploiting their defensive tendencies. But mostly we just made them play fast.
It occurs to me that styles of play so often reflect the homelands of the players. Eastern block teams enter the gym in military like likes. They warm up surgically. They rarely smile. They wouldn't dare laugh. They play to the beat of a drum on offense and they defend with a constant urgency. I can't remember seeing one ever out of a defensive stance.
But they are so rigid. Don't get me wrong, they know how to play. They click through offensive counters like Tom Brady clicks through his reads, and they'll bite you if you slip. But they want to dictate pace. They want to control tempo. They want you to conform to them.
And we weren't having any of that. So we jumped their ball screens and gambled in their passing lanes. We picked up their point guard in the back court, and we ran off every basket make or miss. They got open shots--quite a lot of them actually. But they were in such a hurry when they took them that hardly ever went in. In essence, we made them seem way worse than they were.
But that's what good teams do I think. And it's what we'll have to be able to continue to do if we want to leave here with what we came after. Two down in pool play and one to go.
Working for Gold,
July 8, 2013 -- The athlete's village has a countenance that morphs with the ebb and flow of competition. The first day it was sort of park-like -- not too crowded, everybody trying to find his way, a quiet hush of equal parts awe and sleep deprivation.
Then the pace quickened as more delegations arrived and flag raisings began to occur on a regular half hour basis. Then we had opening ceremonies and the place had a bounce seeping with anticipation and pent up energy. And as quickly as it bubbled, it froze into an almost steely resolve to attend to the matters at hand.
This place has a lot of Disneyland in it: you never see trash--even the street cracks are continually swept--except that you never see it happen. It's just perennially clean. Like the drink coolers that are continually stocked. And the sea of volunteers who never seem to sleep.
In a melting pot like this it would seem logical that countries might stick together and move in droves, but that doesn't really happen. It's certainly comforting to be able to sit down beside an American in the dining hall to share conversation and learn about respective roads to this place, but the desire of people from different lands to connect is intriguing. I've not met anyone unwelcoming.
I think the practice of pin exchange in the village is one of the ties that bind. Athletes who are separated by fortresses of language can tunnel through via the offering of pins. It becomes sort of a game to see who can acquire the most...or who can gather the most unique collection. And it gets pretty competitive.
On the way to the bus for shoot around today, our players were all comparing and lamenting the one that got away or the one they couldn't find. We loaded and up and just before the bus door closed, Vegas jumped off and ran toward three passing Australians. As aggressive as I have ever seen her be, she pointed to her USA pin on her lanyard and asking the three mates , "Pin? Pin!?" The guys looked at her sort of oddly, so she said louder and more slowly, "PIN???" As they handed her theirs and took hers, their faces reflecting sheer amusement, our fearless leader (with all the straight face she could muster) asked Vegas, "You know they speak English, right?"
It's just so hard to help yourself sometimes.
Today was Game 1 of pool play. Mali was completely overmatched. We were bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled. After we spotted them 5-0, it quickly got out of hand the other way. But it was a fun game nonetheless. Everybody played almost equal amounts and our guys really got lost in the process of making each other look good. Shoni Schimmel put on a show in full court distribution and everybody got in on the scoring act. For the most part we were disciplined and attentive to detail in a game that could have easily become recess. And it's always good to be 1 -0.
Tomorrow's game vs. the Czechs won't be so easy. In many ways they are a mini-Russia: machine like, very good perimeter shooters, disciplined defenders. So we'll have to be on our toes. Wouldn't want it any other way!
Working for Gold,
July 7, 2013 -- We have officially reached the point where I have absolutely no idea what day it is. Actually, I know very little for certain right now, but I do know this one thing: I am really, really grateful that we do not open pool play today based on the length of our night last night.
As `once in a lifetime fabulous' as the Opening Ceremonies were, they were not created with the athletes in mind. We returned to the village around 3 a.m. this morning, at which time approximately 10,000 starving athletes and their coaches descended upon the cafeteria before making their way to bed. The sun was already on its way up and our bodies had already shifted to the next day. Sleep would prove impossible. Try as we may, there was little any of us could do about it.
We had previously scheduled a friendly with Japan for noon. We had a 12 p.m. practice slot; they had a 1 p.m. practice slot at the same location, so Japan had requested the day before that we combine our time and scrimmage. We agreed and the concept was run through all the appropriate channels. Permission was granted and all seemed a `go'. We thought it was both a lovely and a logical idea. So, we all met up at our bus stop at 11--the Japanese and our team. We exchanged pleasantries and began to attempt to board only to find that the host committee workers weren't having any part of it. They apparently didn't find it to be such a lovely idea at all.
It made too much sense. We were all in agreement. No additional work by anyone would be required. It was simple. Except it wasn't. Because we were in Russia.
Here's what I mean by that: formal permission had not been given to the paid workers whose job it was to man the bus stops. The girl working there would not be swayed despite the most earnest pleas and logical explanations. Her job was to follow the exact line of her orders and not to vary from them. She would be out of work if she deviated. She was intense and adamant and the Japanese were not allowed to board.
We made it work-- Japan came a little early on their bus, we stayed a little late after our practice, and we got in about 35 minutes of scrimmaging anyway, which was probably as much as either of us needed.
But the take away was this: repression leaves residue. This is a country in which its workers are not empowered to make decisions. Creative solutions to unexpected problems do not arise, because they're not allowed. That was eye-opening for me. It seems quite obvious how America rose to dominance as a world power at lightening speed: freedom. Freedom to think and act and collaborate raises the collective intelligence and advancement of a society, period. Our constitution removes the lid. What a beautiful and taken for granted thing.
Tomorrow it begins. Pool play for us starts at 8:30 p.m. We face off against Mali in round one. The first game is always a toss up. We go in blind in terms of personnel preparation, so the goal is to make them far more worried about adjusting to us than we have to be about adjusting to them. It will be good to compete. This is what we came here for -- to measure ourselves against the best in the world. The best news of all: we're all way too tired to be nervous!
Working for Gold,
July 6, 2013 -- I always tell our team that the most important thing about a loss is how you react to it. We reacted well. We scrimmaged Canada today and shot off one pass way less often and talked on defense way, way more. Our play was feistier. We did more things for each other and discovered that we got a lot more in return. We looked like we were choosing to try to become a team. A big step in the right direction.
The day had a good beginning but it had an amazing end! Tonight was Opening Ceremonies for the 2013 World University Games. Trust me when I say, no expense was spared. While I can't say what happened while we were outside of the arena meandering through the world's longest serpentine line, I can speak to what occurred once all the athletes were inside. It was absolutely magical.
Getting to that point, however, required all the patience, poise and sinew we could muster.
We lined up to board buses to travel to the arena at 8 p.m. -- the festivities were to begin at 9:30. We bused the 15 minute drive, and then stood in line as the sun slowly dropped to dusk.
Once night began to fall, fireworks from the arena top signaled the official start of the pomp and circumstance. The athletes broke into intermittent chanting, they exchanged Olympic pins, they took photos with one another (especially popular were those in fine regalia), and every American in line had his or her phone camera out and running. Each country's delegates, outfitted in their own patriotic paraphernalia, repeatedly rode the wave of anticipation to fervor only to flat line in exhaustion, like a roller coaster drop. This happened over and over and over again for almost three hours.
When they finally handed the American Flag to Luke Hancock, member of our men's basketball team who would lead our delegation around the track, we all roared! We were punch drunk and we were starving, but mostly we could not wait to see what was going on inside!. As we made our way to the tunnel waving flags and chanting "USA! USA!", I was buried in the magnitude of this event. Goosebumps turned to tears and just when I thought I couldn't stand the confines of that tunnel -- figuratively and literally -- anymore, we rushed onto the track. And I want to write about what that felt like but I do not have the words. I will some time -- probably in the near future. But I simply cannot find them right now.
The ceremonial walk around the track was surreal. The crowd was a little tired --they'd been there since 7:30. We rationalized that they were all out of exuberant cheers by the time the announcer got to the "U"s, but when the host country marched in last, it was obvious that the crowd was not weary, only focused. We were three-quarters of the way around the track when the passion was unfurled. The roar came quickly and was deafening. And it did not die away.
Once all of the athletes were seated, it was Show Time! We each had waiting on us in our chairs, a backpack full of props for the performance. As is often protocol at large arena productions, the crowd is involved at respective junctures. We had a globe that glowed neon green when switched on; we had two flashlights, one white and one red; we had 3D glasses; and we had a bell. The large videoboards in the corners cued us in our roles. It was overload for the senses!
There were videos with accompanying voice overs....there were dancers in the water and dancers in the air....there were props rolling endlessly in and out and around the center stage and every single movement had a purpose. The show was designed around Russia's past, present, and future, and each "chapter" of production was accompanied by a live Opera performance by some of the most talented artists in the country. I learned so much, yet I'm certain that my basic lack of knowledge of Russia's history caused me to miss so much more.
When the performances ceased, four Russian Olympians ran in the torch. Together they made a lap and then, in their second, they stopped at their four respective platforms around the track. We were then led in the athletes' oath. We observed the judges' oath. Then we watched and listened to Putin (yes, he was there -- 50 yard line in a very royally roped-off area, wearing a dark suit and a red tie) welcome us all and officially open the World University Games. In an explosion of pent-up anticipation coupled with delirious exhaustion, the crowd erupted as the four torch bearers lit the lead that ignited the official games' torch on top of the arena.
Fireworks rained down and I felt like a voyeur with a really great seat for somebody else's life.
Working for Gold,
July 5, 2013 -- Today was exposure day! We had a "friendly" scrimmage with the Russians, and, unfortunately, we got caught with our pants down. It was doomed from the get go. And a lot of that was my fault for not setting the tone. There's a lot of unknown here: How much warm up time do you get? Is there a whiteboard in the locker room? Can you move the cardboard guardrails they keep in front of the bench in order to gather for a timeout? The list goes on and on and on. And that is why we do it.
Supposedly it was a closed scrimmage, a chance to get a feel for how a FIBA game goes and a chance to face some competition other than ourselves. I'm assuming somebody forgot to tell the TV camera that was lodged under my armpit during every time out. So we kept it vanilla just in case the world was watching. We also kept it ugly. The vanilla was part of the plan; the ugly was not.
What transpired over our four quarters tonight was an exhibition of chemistry versus lack thereof. It was obvious that the Russian squad was a well-oiled machine. They had a system and they were puppeteers of it. They exposed us on ball screens. They exposed us on double-down screens. They exposed us when we switched. They curled us to the rim when we stayed. They were intentional with every single thing that they did. And they read each other like a book.
We, on the other hand, looked like we had only been together for ten days. Our timing was off. Our spacing was worse. We didn't cover for mistakes with either effort or communication. We settled and we splintered and it was all exacerbated by the fact that we could not make an open shot.
Russia was bigger than us (so that was an obvious problem), but only at positions one through five. That discrepancy hurt us at times, but it really wasn't the maiming blow. Lack of awareness was. Our away from the ball defense was observatory and our help of the sleeping defender was nonexistent.
We just don't trust yet. And that's such a tough thing to build in 8 to 10 days. A squad can survive without it, perhaps, given that the squad is immensely more talented than it's opponents. But if you're evenly matched, forget it. We are not supremely talented in comparison to the people we will play. So we have to find a way to construct some togetherness in a very short amount of time.
As is always the case, this could serve as a wake up call--a friendly reminder that you do not win just because you walk in the gym with USA on your chest. Victory has to be earned.
We have a lot of work to do. And most of it is between our ears. Competition is so revealing. It almost makes your skin see through. We'll see if our guys were bothered by the version of themselves they displayed tonight. If so, we `ll have a fighting chance. Tomorrow is a really big day.
Working for Gold,
July 4, 2013 -- What the city of Kazan has done to prepare for these games is truly unreal. Our village is a collection of apartment complexes that surround a landscaped two-laned median they call flag alley. Inside of the village is a cafeteria--an enormous tented space that houses restaurants from every area of the world. There is even a McDonalds. Also inside are lines of seven foot coolers seemingly always full of row upon row of soda, water, and juice. This Taj Mahal of eateries has nice hours too--it's only closed from 2 to 5 a.m.
And volunteers are everywhere.
Twenty-thousand of them to be exact. And they were selected from three times that many who applied. Each team is assigned an "attaché" who works directly with them to translate, help organize outings, and generally simplify life in the village. Ours is a tiny little American from North Carolina who teaches English at the University. Her name is Beth and she's fantastic.
There are roughly 10,000 athletes living at the village from around 170 countries. Everyone is extremely friendly and we have all learned quickly that utilizing the native language of the person to whom you are speaking is flattering--even if you only know one word. It's amazing how quickly the eyes of a stranger warm when an effort is made to meet them on their turf.
As each delegation's athletes all arrive, a formal flag raising takes place in the median. It's complete with traditional Russian dance, a parade of athletes into the square, and Olympic caliber pomp and circumstance. The only oddity is no country's anthem is played. The same song is played for each--I assume it is a FISU rule. They say anthems are not played at the medal ceremonies either. The victory tribute remains generic. This is the second largest world athletic competition, the only one bigger being the Olympics, and yet the defining moment is neutered a bit. I find that really strange.
The other thing that's a bit on the wild side here is the amount of time that it's dark, which isn't much. The sun goes down around 10 p.m. and it comes back up between 2 and 3 a.m. That little scenario is not helping our jet lag one bit.
This excursion will no doubt test our maturity. It will measure our mental toughness and it will ultimately be a barometer of our pride. A lot is on the line and the circumstances are less than ideal. We're still just getting to know each other and yet we face off with teams that have in some instances have been together for years. That's a recipe for exposure. Our warts will be hard to hide.
So the challenge awaits. And I can't wait to see what competition holds. Today is our country's birthday and I've never been more proud to wear the colors. Happy Independence Day America!
Working for Gold,
July 3, 2013 -- Whew! Three days at once because all three, 24-hour periods bled mercilessly into one another. So we might as well treat them as one. We left the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs at 10 a.m. Monday morning. We checked into our rooms at the Olympic Village in Kazan at 5 a.m. on Wednesday. The time in between the two is mush in all our minds.
We flew from Colorado Springs to Washington Dulles, the first leg of the journey, where we all split to find our favorite American food before the overseas travel began. Then we boarded for Istanbul, Turkey. Ten hours and two lousy airplane meals later, we landed. We were half way here.
The five hours we spent in the Turkey airport really passed by pretty quickly. It had a Burger King and a Popeye's -- so all the players were pretty pleased. And it was clean and air conditioned and flooded with a constant train of people from all corners of the earth. I walked every inch of the place twice -- partly for exercise and partly because I was just enamored by the people.
In what appeared to be the newest wing of the airport, an urgent young man from Mali made a beeline toward me (it said "Mali" on his shirt). "201", he said with imploring eyes. Three or four times, "201!" as both palms and shoulders went up in the universal signal for, "I don't know". I felt badly for him that he was asking someone as clueless as me to help him navigate. But, since out of the hundreds of people milling, I was chosen, I would not disappoint.
I had no earthly idea where gate 201 was, nonetheless, I went - urgently -- on my own to find out. I figured he chose me because I was a walking billboard for America, so I certainly had to rise to the occasion. He continued pushing his bags in a cart, frantically, as I sprinted off in a different direction in pursuit of the missing gate.
I found it -- down the corridor whose numbered gates began at 518. Go figure. As I sprinted back to find him, we crossed paths. I pointed with great animation in the direction of 201 and smiled really big. He nodded, with returned vigor, and smiled even bigger. And he was off!
Little, tiny interaction; big reminder. Though we look and sound and seem as different as the day is long, people share a common bond that distance and culture just dance around. My new friend from Mali reminded me that at the end of the day, we're really all just trying to find our way.
The ensuing flight to Kazan was an experience. The plane was full of athletes from several different countries -- France, Turkey, Canada -- lots of energy, lots of long legs, a less than adequate air cooling system. To add insult to injury, the distance between seat rows was the slimmest I've ever seen. Our men's team was absolutely folded into their spaces. For three and a half hours it was complete and total mayhem. The French players sat in the aisles, they congregated in the exit rows, and everybody played their own music and sang. It was nuts. We asked our stewardess for water, she said "five minutes". We asked her how much longer the flight was, she said, "five minutes." I didn't know if it was the only English she had a handle on or if she had been on a road trip with small children before thus finding that the best answer to questions you have no control over is often a lie.
However, the flight was smooth. My 6-foot-9 neighbor from Iowa reminded me of that as we landed to a beautiful sunrise at 2 a.m. I liked Aaron, the power forward with whom I shared my Nutter Butters, immediately. If he could find the good in that mess, he would be somebody I'd like to be around.
There is a country song that says, "If you're going through Hell, keep on going..." Tremendous advice, as the next three hours would try a saint's soul.
It began with customs: lines that move slowly and lots of folks who don't believe in standing in them. Subsequently, Team USA was the last to leave baggage control. Though I was really, really tired, I was kind of proud of that. Unnoticed by many though it may have been, we were leaving our mark already.
On the bus ride to the village our liaison was explaining village entry -- just like an airport. (Only worse.) No liquids, no weapons, no snacks. Metal detectors. Scanning tubes. It's serious. He said they would dump your food -- and they would find it no matter where you had it packed, so you had two choices: fill the trash bins when we arrive or consume. We must have set a record for Pringle and Oreo consumption at 3 o'clock in the morning. The United States of America had a `Junk Food Partay' on the road to Kazan.
Arrival at the village gates gave us more opportunities to reveal patience and exercise that sense of humor we so deliberately packed. Looking back I am absolutely amazed by our kids. There was no whining, no complaining, no rolled eyes, no heavy sighs. They did what great kids do: they turned it into an experience!
We laughed as Theresa Plaisance hid her Cheez-Its in her socks and spread her sack of Green Apple Suckers all across the contents of her bag. Kaleena Lewis hid Sour Straws in her water bottle and the whole group ate peanut butter crackers by the boxfuls. Lots got busted. Some made it to the other side. When Vegas went through they said, "Food!". So she opened her backpack and gave them a couple of Power Bars. She's always been a step or two ahead of the competition -- her Oreos and Skittles survived unscathed.
In all seriousness, security here is really high. The city of Kazan has done an amazing job preparing for these games. It's an honor to be here and it's humbling to be the recipient of the Russian's detailed preparation and sincere hospitality.
The whole experience has already been entirely surreal. More on the Village tomorrow...got to try to get my body and my mind on Kazan time.
Working for Gold,
June 30, 2013 -- So, just like that, training camp is over. It went by so fast! Today at our last practice, we polished some things that we know will be hugely important and we introduced some things that we think we might need. It's hard to know, now, what to expect or what to prepare for, so we do our best to cover bases and yet not do so much that our players get overwhelmed. It's a fine line.
Though our guys were a little tired and stiff today from yesterday's scrimmage, it was obvious that they know what's on the line. The anticipation of measuring themselves against the best the world has to offer is growing. You could feel it in our gym.
Tonight was a farewell to all that's familiar as we treated the team to dinner and a movie. Tomorrow is the beginning of two days of airplanes and airports where day will turn to night and night will turn back to day again while we will seemingly be running in place. International travel is never easy -- it's best broached with a backpack of snacks and a strong sense of humor. I feel certain our team will be armed with both.
Thanks to all who are following our adventure! We'll keep you posted once we get there. And be sure to check ESPNU as the semis and finals will be carried live.
We all feel honored and blessed to represent the United States of America. We'll do our best to make you proud!
Working for Gold,
June 29, 2013 -- Today was Olympic Day at the USOTC. I'm not exactly sure what that means except that throngs of people were touring the campus. We were in essence part of the experience as our intrasquad scrimmage was open to the public. So I worried a bit that our performance, with only six players per side, would get raggedy. The old saying, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all" kept rattling around in my brain. And that is so not the display you hope to present at a place like this. So I approached our game with baited breath.
But our team didn't disappoint. We went for an hour in a spirited exchange showing some toughness and some resolution, and even some moments of passion. We finally found some cadence, after going way too fast against the guys the previous two days. Our post guys decided to post and we decided to reward them for it -- the result being much better basketball (duh). And we took two handfuls of charges and had some pretty offensive exchanges that elicited oohs and ahhhs from the crowd. Up until this scrimmage I had seen a bunch of good players, afterward I felt like I had begun to see a team.
At the close of the scrimmage, we had the unique opportunity to hear from a couple of decorated Olympians. TC Dantzler is a Greco-Roman wrestler who came to train for the Olympics in 1995, but didn't win a title for a decade. He won bronze in the 2000 Olympics in Beijing. TC spoke to our kids about seeking out challenges, about being careful what you measure yourself against, and about competing for people you care about--how playing for others will stretch you far further than you would ever go for yourself. His reverberating theme: it's not what you did, it's what you're doing. Our guys were glued to him. They watched him like the kids who lined the windows of the gym watched them. It was the proverbial ladder to the sky. Pretty cool to see.
Joey Cheeks, five-time Olympian in speedskating, also shared his story with our team. An avid rollerblader, Joey decided to be an Olympian while laying in the living room floor watching Dan Jansen catch the world by storm,. So he left home at 15 and did.
He talked to our team about leaving a legacy, making the point that somebody's going to always break your records and people will eventually forget who you are. What's important is the good you can do while you're here. His proverbial theme: when you get a stage use it to impact, that's really the only part of it that matters or endures. By the way, he didn't tell us this, but he donated his gold medal winnings to refugees in Darfur. All of it. And in case you aren't aware, speed skating is not a lucrative profession. Talk about walking the walk and talking the talk.
Olympic day got us on both sides--we were able to inspire and we were the recipients of inspiration. Really neat to live in the middle for a bit. Tomorrow is our last day of training. Monday morning we board a plane for a couple of days (literally) and when we land it's on.
Working for Gold,
June 28, 2013 -- We've been here just long enough for the personalities to start to come out. That's when it gets fun. We took the team out for dinner last night and I couldn't tell if they were more excited about the chance to order whatever they wanted at a restaurant or the opportunity to wear "regular" clothes. But they were wound up. They're a happy bunch and they seem to all enjoy each other immensely. We'll see if that holds true after about 20 more days of attachment at the hip!
We've had two scrimmages--both against collegiate men's players-- and, as we knew would happen, we found out we're not as good as we thought we were. Their speed and size were large loads to handle in and of themselves, but they also had several guys who could really, really shoot it. But we adapted. Our performance the second time was much better than the first. We didn't back down and in the process of it all we were able to get a glimpse of what certain kids do when faced with adversity. And I think finding who can handle adversity and keep going is important because it will come at us in waves the next three weeks.
I don't know a lot about our team yet because we're just starting to become, but so far they have been great responders. Mistakes can be fixed. Schemes can be altered. Mismatches can be overcome. But only if kids respond. Part of the objective of training camp has to be ascertaining how to get to whom. And then, ultimately, how to move the group as a whole from wherever they are to wherever they need to be.
That's where we are now. Only a public intrasquad scrimmage, and a culminating "fix everything" practice, then we're gone! Gone to the land where all those personalities are going to come in handy!
Working for Gold,
June 27, 2013 -- At the USOTC the air is rare. And it has nothing to do with the altitude. Just walking from the car to the gym every day is sobering because excellence assaults you at every turn. Pictures capture the extraordinary. Boldly printed quotes urge greatness. And each and every facility begs to be the whetstone for the elite athlete's blade.
I think it's really hard to settle here. The steady drum of discipline is deafening, making this a place where good enough never is. If you train here, exceptional is expected. Honestly, I half expect Michael Phelps to peek in and glare at us when we don't get back on defense. The presence of the elite hovers over you as you work, and while that might seem heavy to some, I think the great ones love it. The air here stretches them at every turn.
There is much to be gained from lofty expectations.
Today, in between our two sessions, we took a short road trip to the Air Force Academy. Talk about a place that makes you want to stand up a little taller and walk a little straighter! The campus is gorgeous--understated elegance nestled in the arm of the Rocky Mountains. The cadet's chapel is breathtaking, and the people who study and serve there are my heroes. Their determined spirits permeate the place. They're made of a sinew I can scarcely understand.
We took our team there to help them understand what this whole adventure is really about. We took them there so that they might be able to connect the privileges we enjoy with the genesis of their possibility. We took them there to reiterate that the jersey comes with a standard that does not bend.
I was reminded as we drove away that what we're doing is a tiny little spec on an enormous canvas of things that really matter. But acts add up. And how we do what we do matters on every level. That's always the case, whoever you are wherever you are, but there are layers when you wear the red, white, and blue.
So we press on...with miles to go before we sleep.
Working for Gold,
June 26, 2013-- Great players love to compete and they detest losing. It doesn't matter if people are watching or if they get something tangible for a triumph--and it doesn't matter if It's a shooting game or a wind sprint or a four minute interval. Great players want to win. Period.
Being in the middle of that has been my favorite part of Day 2 in the Springs.
We went twice today. The first was really, really good and the second was a bit like trying to push a string. Our guys are a little stiff, and a little sore, and a whole lot tired. But that's as much of what training camp is about as anything.
Because nothing is easy in international competition. The women we'll play will be seasoned. They'll be physical and skilled, and it would make their year to beat Team USA. Consequently, we have to be tough enough for everybody's best shot.
So we push--the minds even more than the bodies. We work to sharpen focus and hone decision making. And we keep score.
And that's the part I love. Because these guys could care less about what happens to them if they lose. Consequences don't mean squat. It's the not winning that pierces them.
Tomorrow night we'll have a scrimmage against a local men's team, so we'll get a glimpse of what that competitive juice looks like when it's all in the same pot. My gut is that it will probably be a train wreck for a while and that our ultra-talented squad will probably get humbled a bit.. But that's ok. I just want us to compete our way through it. Can't wait to see what happens.
Working for Gold,
June 25, 2013-- Day one of our USA Basketball journey began with all kinds of pomp and circumstance for Vegas and me -- red, white, and blue balloons, confetti cupcakes, really creative good luck signs, and a rousing beat box patriotic medley by a bunch of guys who shoot better than they sing. We snapped a bunch of pictures and hugged everybody a couple of times before the grand finale landed the two of us covered in silly string. But what a way to go.
I'm not sure it gets any better than that.
I was impressed with our team's first practice. Kids had been traveling all day from both coasts and many spots in between, yet they were energetic and tuned in and they all seemed really, really excited about being here. Because of their approach, we got a lot done in two hours.
We have six days--five now--to prepare before competition. Six days. So success hinges so heavily on mindset and selflessness and an intense desire to get to the Promised Land by doing whatever needs to be done to get there. It will be way more about our willingness to play for each other than it will be about what defense we're in or what inbounds play we run.
We have really, really good players. And if they're willing to bind their hearts together, we'll have a really, really good team.
What an opportunity.
Working for Gold,


text:
Security in the virtualised world
Practical Matters
Webcast If virtualisation is creeping across your organisation you've presumably ticked some of the security boxes, right? Well, whether you have or not, you may still want to tune in the next webcast in our virtualisation series: Virtualisation and Security: Practical Matters.
This particular gem is running live from the Reg Towers on Wednesday the 10th at 10am and it's going to explore the big question of whether virtualisation makes security considerations easier to address.
This isn't just going to look at the easy bits – whether it's cost effective for AV licenses – it's aiming to explore the whole gamut. From securing your systems, to high availability. Systems recovery and the myriad of challenges therein and of course security and VDI.
It's a cracking subject and we've got just the people to make sure they explore it in detail. Reg impresario Tim Phillips will be steering the show in his own inimitable style. Joining him on the couch will be our old friend Neil Sanderson and Tony Lock from Freeform Dynamics.
The three of them will explore the following areas – and more, depending on which questions you throw at them:
-Security is all about context
-How does virtualisation affect security
-What could go wrong
-What are the options
-Securing systems
-High availability/ systems recovery
-Data and virtual machine backup and recovery challenges
-Software licensing
-Security and VDI
We know you're now positively chomping at the bit to get stuck into this lot, so mosey on here and get yourself registered.
If you can't make it on the day, just register now and we'll send you the recorded version of the event to watch at your leisure.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Joseph Taylor
As Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Joseph Taylor oversees the College's Alumni Affairs and Resource Development Programs and serves as Emory & Henry's Chief Development Officer. As a member of the College's Executive Council, he plays a role in helping to formulate institutional priorities and strategies to achieve the mission of Emory & Henry College.
Previously, Mr. Taylor served as Executive Director for the Miller Center Foundation, the supporting arm of the Miller Center of Public Affairs, a prominent government policy and presidential history institute situated at The University of Virginia.
Before that, Mr. Taylor was Vice President for Development at the Montpelier Foundation, an affiliated organization of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which oversees the Center for the Constitution and Montpelier, the historic home of James and Dolley Madison in Orange, Virginia.
Mr. Taylor has also held executive positions at Albany Law School of Union University and University at Albany/State University of New York.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Manhattan College and pursued graduate study at University at Albany and the College of St. Rose.


text:
Extroverts inevitably have an easier time in business.
But a new book, The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master The Art And Science Of Personal Magnetism proves just how huge an impact charisma has on one's success.
Its author Olivia Fox Cabane, who has taught Stanford, MIT and Berkeley business school students on the topic, recently spoke with Fast Company's Arnie Cooper about what she's found in her years of scientific research and teaching on the topic.
She said that "no matter what their position, charismatic people also receive higher performance ratings. They tend to enjoy higher salaries and get more promotions." Charisma can be taught, but it's extremely nuanced, she told Cooper:
There are two critical things you need to know about body language. First, we can't fake charismatic body language. Even when we control the main expression on our face, if what's deeper inside is anti-charismatic, that will come out. That's because, no matter how well we think we're controlling our facial expression, micro-facial expressions will still appear. And even if they're as short as 17-32 milliseconds, people will be able to detect them.
Finally, you control your subconscious mind, which is why so much of this book is actually Jedi mind tricks, like doing visualizations. For example, one way to both feel and broadcast confidence is by imagining yourself puffing up like a big gorilla. Because of the way visuals hit our limbic brain faster than our cortex, it's one technique that can get your body language instantly to a charismatic state. The secret is to get you into the right charismatic mind to teach you to get a charismatic brain so you then exhibit the right charismatic body language so that then you are charismatic.


text:
Harry Styles Hangs With Cindy Crawford's Kids [PHOTOS]
When your mom is beloved supermodel Cindy Crawford, you tend to stumble upon great opportunities. Like, you know, hanging with One Direction hunk Harry Styles and taking a photo with the hottie.
Crawford's incredibly good-looking offspring Presley (her son) and Kaia (her daughter), both of whom resemble their stunning mother, posted pics of themselves bro'ing down with Harry on Instagram.


text:
Browsing by Author "Wilkins, Hazel"
Now showing items 1-1 of 1
An investigation into factors influencing the production and degradation of microcystins. Graham, Douglas J. L. (The Robert Gordon University School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 2007-06)Microcystins (MCYST) potently inhibit protein phosphatases and these cyclic heptapeptides are powerful hepatotoxins. They are known to be secondary metabolites produced by several species of cyanobacteria. The release ...


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Friday, August 19, 2011
Focus problems with list rows and ImageButtons
Click here to download the example program.
The example program as it is works nicely. If you click the row, you will get one sort of Toast message. If you click the ImageButton within the row, you will get another Toast message. Now let's observe this XML attribute in res/layout/item.xml:
Try removing this attribute and notice, that selecting list items does not work anymore. What happened? As explained previously, ImageButton steals the focus from the view group (the list row) it is in. This means that when you click the list row, it is always the ImageButton that captures the event but as it is outside of its screen area, the event is discarded. Therefore we prevented the ImageButton to capture the focus.
Previously I recommended preventing the capture of the focus by making the button non-focusable (android:focusable="false"). Curiously, it does not work in this example so I had to find another way. That's why I shared this example.
21 comments:
- Darth Beleg said...
There is a feature of the ImageButton in Android: it cannot be set to non-focusable using xml attribute, because someone explicitly calls setFocusable(true) in the constructor: see the sources. There is an issue submitted, but it seems that the Android team will not fix it: https://review.source.android.com/15203
- August 20, 2011 at 4:11 AM
- Gabor Paller said...
Thanks for the explanation, Darth.
I hesitated a bit whether to publish this post - it seemed to be a variation of an old post. But now it is evident that this ImageButton issue needed to be mentioned. :-)
- August 22, 2011 at 10:50 AM
- Android apps development said...
Well that's very Nice work! I would like to appreciate the great work done by the web master and would like to tell everyone that they should post their interesting comments and should make this blog interesting. Once again I would like to say keep it up to blog owner!!! i enjoyed to read this post.
- October 4, 2011 at 12:23 PM
Thanks a ton for this post! I had the same issue with a checkbox. If I used focusable=false it caused problems with onCheckedChangedListener. This cleared it up.
- January 27, 2012 at 3:35 AM
This is a good article, thanks.
But I would be inclined to put this logic into the code, instead of the layout as this is more of functionality issue then a layout issue.
So I did:
on the inflated view.
- March 14, 2012 at 4:55 AM
- vivek singh said...
Thanx a lot for this Great Post...!! yo yo...my code works robustly...
- July 24, 2012 at 2:22 PM
- pramod said...
Thanks buddy my code is working fine now..
- October 1, 2012 at 8:10 AM
Duuuude, you're a life saver, thanks so much for this, we've been trying to make this work for hours and the solution was a simple line.
- April 29, 2013 at 12:37 AM
- Harteg said...
Thanks man !
- June 4, 2013 at 2:00 PM
now i dont need to take an advil
thank u
- October 27, 2013 at 5:17 AM
- Ramiro Madriaga said...
thanks dude, it was very helfull
- January 27, 2014 at 6:13 AM
- Ronel Gonzales said...
Thanks.. very helpful
- July 4, 2014 at 7:18 AM
Boss you are genius !!
- September 11, 2014 at 12:20 PM
- Amit Das said...
Thank you
- April 7, 2015 at 8:28 AM
Thanx bro...got wat i was looking for...
- May 16, 2015 at 5:10 PM
many thanks!
- June 19, 2015 at 12:06 PM
- Ganesh Kumar said...
Good fix!
- July 9, 2015 at 4:17 PM
- gayan said...
Thanks buddy...
- March 14, 2016 at 7:54 AM
- Christian said...
Great effort sorted my listview problem!
- November 25, 2016 at 12:35 AM
Amazing thanks for help it worked
- August 14, 2017 at 12:08 AM
Thank you! Very helpful post!
- May 3, 2018 at 2:32 AM


text:
New Policies for Examination and Supervision of Insured Financial Institutions: Hearing Before the Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, Second Session, January 3, 1992, Volume 4
U.S. Government Printing Office, 1992 - Business & Economics - 277 pages
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Bowsher Charles Comptroller General accompanied by Donald H Chapin
Clarke Robert L Comptroller of the Currency
Comptroller of the Currency Banking Circular entitled Troubled Loan
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accepted accounting principles accounting accrual status administration AICPA appeal process appraisal appropriate balance Baltimore bank and thrift bankers banking industry borrower's Bowsher capital cash flow Chairman charge-off clarify Clarke collateral commercial real estate committee Comptroller concerns conference Congress credit availability credit crunch credit to sound December 16 depository institutions disclosure discount discuss documents economic evaluation FASB FDIC federal bank Federal Reserve financial institutions French Hill going guidelines hearing Hubbard income institution's Interagency Policy Statement interest July 30 March mark-to-market National Examiners nonaccrual assets nonaccrual loans nonaccrual status partially charged-off payments portfolio preferred stock problems prudent question real estate loans real estate markets regulators regulatory agencies repayment reporting Ryan Schumer sound borrowers standards supervision Taylor Thank things Tier 1 capital Treasury troubled loans Troubled Real Estate ubox valuation Vento


text:
Mixed Status Infection Odd's
Dear Dr. Bob,
I have read many of your answers on this site for the past 4 years. Not only are they informative with basic information, they provide many of us with the type of treatment that goes beyond just taking HAART medications. Your honesty, caring, and sincerely loving attitude towards so many people is something no pharmaceutical company can ever patent or distibute.
I tested positive a little over 4 years ago. I started my medications immediately upon discovery. I take one Atripla pill per day and consider myself extremely healthy in every regard. I have consistently tested undetectable since I first started taking my medications ( some changes over the years as different and better options became available ). My T-Cell count has always been around 600 with a CD4 percentage of 32 %. I have never had any other STD's . I do not smoke, do drugs of any kind, and my alcohol consumption is basically nothing per year. Honestly, other than being HIV positive, I am probably far healthier than most guys - and especially those my age ( 60 ).
In the past year, a younger male and I fell very much in love. We dated non-stop for 6 months and I have honestly never been happier in my life. That situation has recently changed though due to some major concerns he has about being involved with someone who is HIV positive. He is negative, much younger, and is still not out to his family or close friends. I am fully aware those basic fears by themselves, the fact that he only dates older men, are enough to handle in explaining to his family - much less also disclosing the fear of contracting HIV by itself. I have tried to be as supportive emotionally in all of his coming out issues and other events as if I would even if we were not dating. I love him deeply and am having huge depression and other emotional issues over our relationship change. I cannot deny that I have not thought many times about suicide as the loss of my happiness and relationship with him has left me with a huge hole in my heart that I am sure will never be filled again. It isnt like this is puppy love for me at some young age and that I will have many other opportunities like some younger guy. We fell in love by talking on the telephone for hours at a time a full month before we ever met in person. I only disclosed my HIV status at the time when we met and prior to any sexual activities that would have ever infected him. Once I told him my status, although he was scared, he cared for me so much -he continued to date me for the following six months. We have recently attempted to maintain or build a friendship only. However , my heart will not allow me to just go back to that status, especially when I know he is attempting to have his sexual needs fulfilled with people that may not care for his long term physical or emotional needs or health.
We have always practiced safe sex during the time we have been together. He has expressed that since he is far more sexually pleased by being a bottom in a male to male relationship, ( somewhat of a change in priorities or attitude since we originally met ) that since I am the HIV positive person, he would always be so concerned over possibly being a top and infected that he is not sure he could ever relax enough to enjoy it with me. He has been a long term sufferer of both ADD and OCD. He finally went to a therapist a few months ago to discuss his fears of being in a relationship with me due to the ongoing panic attacks and stress he was feeling. He did not discuss this increased stress or panic situation with me prior to informing me that - although he loved me deeply - he thought he needed to change the relationship to allow him to seek fully satisfying sex from others that were not HIV positive. He has been now placed on Lexapro for stress and anxiety issues. His therapist made him have that discussion with me ( about his stress and possible change of our relationship ) as a condition of the therpaist increasing his dosage to overcome the stress and anxiety. Although that medication helps him with those issues, he now has serious sexual side effects from that medication.
I have read and furnished to him many stories and articles you have written or that were on the site about pro's and con's of mixed status couple dating. I have given him as much information as I can regarding my status as a form of education and to try and educate him as much as possible that the risk of HIV infection for him is significantly reduced due to my undetectable viral load and strong t-cell count. He may read or acknowledge what I am saying, but his fear from HIV infection is so strong at this stage, that I am not sure much of anything will ever change his mind. I have pointed out to him the fear of catching HIV, hepatitis, herpes, or many other STD's from guys that would never disclose their correct status honestly is a much higher risk of long term male relationships than having someone that loves him as much as I do and who has been totally honest with him from the beginning. I am sure those things scare him also, but like far too many people, just thinking about HIV by itself seems to mean something else to them in terms of fear. I have explained to him that as long as I continue to take my medications as religiously as I do, the likelihood of me ever dying from some OI is pretty rare. I have even explained that by me using a latex condom, and by me not even ejaculating into the condom ( by use of a constriction ring to prevent that from occuring ), the risk of him ever being infected by me was virtually nil. After all, it is the virus in my fluids that can hurt him - and as long as no fluids enter his body - he has got to be pretty safe in my opinion. No ejaculate and use of condoms every time would certainly be a pretty low risk event by me looking at things from a logical standpoint. Sadly, we both know that Fear of any kind, regardless of whether it is concerning HIV, or other things - is not always controlled or helped by using logic.
I fully understand his fear and more than anything, I want him to have a full loving relationship with someone that does not scare him. I am also fully aware that many men will either cheat on their significant others or have unsafe sex behind his back. Hence, there is no long term guarantee that just by changing sexual partners or any action he takes will produce a non threatening situation to him. He can either choose Love now with someone whose character and honesty and trust he totally knows, or he can hopefully Look for love with someone that he may never know how their future actions with them may affect him. Although I love him with all of my heart, and it is killing me to think he may not be in my life the way I want him to be, I am just trying to give him all of the correct information as much as possible in order to make sure he is making the best decision based upon facts - not out of uninformed Fear alone.
I am sorry for having taken so long to explain what my basic question is. I have seen in your comments many times, where you have used certain odds or statistics or things to explain certain risks that all of us must take each and every day as we go through life. I have seen you use the facts that driving in a car has its risk, flying, lightning strikes, etc. etc. I have tried to find different places for statistics of this sort but have not had much luck so far.
Can you help by furnishing some statistics as to what types of relative risks there are for someone negative having sex with someone positive - when that positive person is undetectable, they use condoms all the time, etc....versus other types of risk in the world ? i.e. risk of hepatitis, herpes ( even when using condoms ). Risk of getting killed by drunk driver, motorcyles..etc. etc. Just a good solid overview of how anyone should assess the risk they take in everyday life versus how they might be taking a risk having protected sex with a HIV positive person that is undetectable and using condoms all of the time ? I know you have indicated many times how you and your partner have a super sexual relationship of many years although you are of mixed status. Not that you would be trying to convince someone they are being totally irrational about their fear ( which I know is real ), but what types of information of thought provoking data could you provide to someone if you were in my shoes and trying to keep a wonderful love for both of us from just totally being destroyed forever ?
God Bless you always - Bob
I'm sorry to hear your relationship is not working out. Unfortunately I strongly doubt facts and figures related to estimated statistical risk are going to be at all helpful in resolving this problem.
Your young buck has a lot to deal with at the moment. He's not out to friends and family; he has ADD, OCD, panic attacks and stress; and he's on Lexapro, which has resulted in "serious sexual side effects." Despite his obvious affection for you, it's not difficult to understand that his irrational HIV fears are at this point just too much for him to handle. My advice would be that rather than overloading him with facts, figures and logic, you step back and give the guy some space to sort things out. I realize it may be difficult for you just to be a supportive friend, but that's what your buddy needs at the moment. He's not rejecting you; he's rejecting the virus! Sure, he may make some mistakes along the way as he navigates the coming-out process and meets some less-than-honorable characters along the way. But you can't come out for him any more than you can protect him from every mistake. He needs to work with his therapist on many issues and find his own way. Only then will his irrational and largely unwarranted fears come into better perspective. If you remain a steadfast and trusted friend, there is a chance that when he's ready, your relationship may once again be rekindled. But to try to force this issue before he's ready will mostly only cause him to resist and perhaps even run for the hills.
As it turns out, he's not the only one in your relationship who could benefit from counseling. You report you are experiencing "huge depression and other emotional issues . . . and have thought many times about suicide . . . ." These are clear indications you should see a psychologist or psychiatrist for evaluation and management of your clinical depression as well as for help in dealing with the emotions resulting from your breakup. Bring a copy of your post and my response to your first visit with your therapist. It will help focus your treatment. In the long run, gaining better perspective on your entire situation may help you transition into the friendship role with your buddy without driving him away. Remember, many long-term successful relationships evolve from strong supportive friendships.
As for the facts and figures you request, they are indeed in the archives of this forum (search for "Swiss Report", an example is reprinted below); however, as mentioned above, I wouldn't use them at this time in an attempt to change your partner's mind. At best, I would suggest you point out that many times our worries are way out of proportion to actual risk. For instance, most people worry more about being murdered than committing suicide. Yet twice as many Americans commit suicide each year than are murdered. Similarly, folks worry more about being struck dead by lightening bolts than falling out of bed. Yet 10 times as many Americans die from falling out of bed as from lightening strikes.
Good luck to you and your buddy. You both have work to do in confronting psychological issues. I urge you to focus on that and on forging a strong supportive nonthreatening friendship for now.
Dr. Bob
What does undetectable accually mean (SWISS REPORT) Apr 18, 2008
I'm a woman with HIV and my virus load is undetectable now. My husband wants to start having unprotected sex again ( we had unprocted sex for a year before I got tested) He is HIV negative and not worried about getting the virus. Is it okay for us to have unprocted sex as long as I'm undetectable?
Response from Dr. Frascino
Here's what we know. The risk of transmitting HIV is significantly decreased if the HIV plasma viral load is suppressed to undetectable levels using antiretroviral drugs. Everyone agrees on that. What we don't know for certain is that the HIV-transmission risk under these circumstances is completely nonexistent. There has been ongoing controversy about the "Swiss Report," which suggested that HIVers whose plasma viral load had been suppressed on antiretrovirals for six months and who did not have any concurrent STDs were in essence noninfectious. The report was based on a retrospective analysis of several published reports (see below). Personally I feel the jury is still out (way out!) on this subject. Also HIV plasma viral loads can suddenly and unexpectedly increase for a whole variety of reasons concurrent infection, development of resistance, vaccinations, etc. As the viral load goes up, so does the risk of viral transmission. Consequently I would not recommend unprotected sex, even if one's viral load is suppressed. In my opinion, the risks are at this point still too high and the consequences too great.
Dr. Bob
Pos to neg transmission (SWISS REPORT AGAIN) Feb 9, 2008
I recently saw two Swiss study's cited and indicating ( Under certain simple circumnstances) that if a poz man is "undetectable, being adherent on protease inhibitors, that there would be virtually no chance of hiv transmission to a neg monogamous partner. Can you comment on this? Thanks,...Jim
Response from Dr. Frascino
Hey Jim,
I have commented! See below.
Dr. Bob
Sex With Undetecable People Is Safe Feb 8, 2008
Will the Body Post Update Information on Undetectable Poz Sex?
Experts Say Positive People on Effective HIV Meds Arent Sexually Infectious The Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS has issued the first-ever consensus statement saying that HIV-positive people who are effectively on antiretroviral therapy, and who do not have any other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), cannot transmit HIV during sex, reports Aidsmap.com. Read More
For more news from POZ please visit POZ.com.
Response from Dr. Frascino
"Will The Body post updated information on undetectable poz sex?"??? Darling, apparently you haven't been paying attention to recent posts in the archives. See below.
Dr. Bob
Unprotected sex (SWISS REPORT) Feb 6, 2008
I am currently working as a Community Health Educator...I work directly with MSM and PWP clients on individual level interventions. The goal is to have MSM and PWP implement risk reduction practices in their sexual behaviors. One of the greatest challenges that I am presented with, is that many of my clients who are HIV + are practicing unprotected sex with other HIV + individuals. Most of my clients are aware of the risk in becoming exposed to the different strains of HIV. But because most of them are in treatment and have increased their CD4 counts as well as reached an undetectable viral load, hence they have no concern about safer sex practices among other HIV+ partners. I have noticed that many of the men who practice these behaviors are constantly sick with allergies, colds, fatigue, aches, and side effects to their medications. Because a large percent of the population I work with are positive long term survivor aging men: they affiliate their conditions to these factors. Has a study been conducted in respect to unprotected sex among seroconcordant partners? Are these men compromising their health in other ways other than the possibility of STDs or by contracting a different strain of HIV? How can I elaborate on these two issues if so? Today one of my clients presented me with an article from the swissinfo.ch that heads, Patients with HIV could have sex without condoms Is this information accurate?
Thank you
Response from Dr. Frascino
Hello MM,
Seroconcordant partners practicing unprotected penetrative sex are placing themselves at risk for STDs, including possible dual HIV infection, as you point out. However, there is no evidence to suggest they are compromising their health in other ways. In particular there is no evidence to suggest or reason to believe that sex would cause "allergies, colds, fatigue, aches and side effects to their medications."
Regarding the Swiss study, see below.
Dr. Bob
Swiss study in POZ Magazine sayingExperts Say Positive People on Effective HIV Meds Arent Sexually Infectious Feb 3, 2008
Hi, I think your great and I read your forum as often as I can ... I just read the Jan 30th update of POZ and they published a Swiss study that says..an HIV-infected person on antiretroviral therapy with completely suppressed viraemia (effective ART) is not sexually infectious, i.e. cannot transmit HIV through sexual contact. I wonder if you have seen this and wht you think.. Does this mean if there is a condum break or god forbid forgetting the protection in the throws of passion - we ( I don't need to freak out- I'm a female who's positive)? Let me know what you think of this study
thanks so much
Response from Dr. Frascino
See below.
Dr. Bob
Positive People on Effective HIV Meds Arent Sexually Infectious (SWISS REPORT) Feb 3, 2008
What do you think about the news (published in POZ.com yesterday, January 30, 2008): Experts Say Positive People on Effective HIV Meds Arent Sexually Infectious?
This is especially significant for people like me, which happen to be in a sero-discordant relationship, Not for the sake of letting go of safer sex practices during intercourse, but for the sake of feeling more relax during foreplay and the occasional unprotected nibbling or oral sex. Is oral sex with an HIV positive person, taking HAART and testing undetectableconsidered safe now???
Response from Dr. Frascino
We've known and preached for some time now that having an undetectable HIV plasma viral load significantly decreases the risk of HIV transmission. That's excellent news for folks like you and me, because of our magnetic coupling (sero-discordant relationships). However, based on the scientific data presented to date, I'm not yet ready to make the quantum leap to claim that "positive people on effective HIV meds aren't sexually infectious." (See below.)
Dr. Bob
Transmission where viral load is undetectable (REALLY A NEW QUESTION, I PROMISE!) Feb 2, 2008
Hi Dr. Bob,
Have you seen the story, reported today, that Swiss researchers are saying that HIV "cannot" be transmitted from an HIV-positive sex partner to an HIV-negative sex partner -- at least when they are in a stable relationship? There are a few caveats, of course, but on its face it sounds like a pretty bold and nearly absolute statement.
Here is a link to the story:
I would love to hear your opinion!
Response from Dr. Frascino
Oh yes, I've seen it. In fact, the phone has been ringing off the hook since it hit the broader media markets. The statement in the Bulletin Des Médecins Suisses was made by the Swiss AIDS Commission after careful review of four studies that focused heavily on heterosexual couples and vaginal sex. The report suggested HIV-positive folks on potent and effective antiretroviral drugs who are adhering to their treatment regimen and who have suppressed their HIV plasma viral load to an undetectable level for at least six months and who do not have other concurrent sexually transmitted infections, are not sexually infectious, i.e., they cannot transmit HIV through sexual contact. This really is not such astounding news. We have been saying for quite some time that suppressing the HIV plasma viral load reduces the risk of HIV transmission significantly. To say that it completely eliminates this risk is still premature in my opinion. The current report did not provide information about anal sex. Also how does one know with certainty that his HIV plasma viral load is suppressed to an undetectable level at the time he/she wants to have commando fusion sex with a horned-up hottie? Viral loads can very quickly rise for a variety of reasons, including non-adherence to anti-HIV therapy, concurrent illness, vaccinations, emergence of drug resistance, etc. Are these risks an HIV-neggie is willing to take to avoid using a condom? In other words it will be very difficult to "certify" that your sex partner actually meets all the criteria listed by the Swiss report.
Certainly this report will generate much discussion as to its implications for doctors, magnetic couples, HIV-positoids, HIV-prevention efforts, the legal system, etc. I welcome the discussion, but I'm not looking forward to the flood of questions related to this story that are this very moment cramming their way into my inbox.
Dr. Bob
SWISS REPORT Feb 5, 2008
Dear Dr. Bob,
Thanks for your prompt response. I understand your caution about such a "controversial" consensus statement by The Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS. However, this latest international news about HIV/AIDS is especially significant for people like me, which happen to be in a consensual serodiscordant relationship. Not for the sake of letting go of safer sex practices during intercourse, but so we can feel a little more comfortable during foreplay and the occasional unprotected nibbling during oral sex. During my 20 years of surviving AIDS I have had a couple of consensual monogamous relationships with HIV negative men and met several serodiscordant couples that have been together for 10, 15 and even up to 20 years, without the HIV negative partner ever testing positive. Like the article clearly states: "The situation is analogous to 1986, when the statement HIV cannot be transmitted by kissing was publicized. This statement has not been proven, but after 22 years of experience its accuracy appears highly plausible.
I am aware this fact has been well known for years by the scientific community working on HIV research, as well as many Physicians specializing on HIV/AIDS & Infectious Diseases in big "gay meccas" like New York City and San Francisco and their respective AIDS Service Organizations, but fear of controversy and loosing essential federal founding (most specially during this past 8 years of republican dictatorship) has kept this information in the dark in the United States. I do agree more studies are needed in the US to better understand this subject, but to label the conclusions of the Swiss expert researchers as "premature" is condescending and naive from our part, to say the least. Lets not forget that historically, the USA has not been on the forefront of HIV research (even though we will like to believe so) the Europeans are. In the US, we have been successful at developing treatments (through our money hungry Pharma-Industry), but not at researching the cause and effects of HIV itself.
I think this new information should be taken into account, most specially when providing testing and face-to-face counseling to people with questions about serodiscordant relationships and safer sex practices.
Mahalo for your time and efforts working to understand and serve our HIV+ community.
Much aloha,
Response from Dr. Frascino
Hello Fernando,
I disagree with your statement that "fear of controversy and losing essential federal founding has kept this information in the dark in the United States." What???? As an HIV/AIDS physician, educator and activist, I can assure you we are not afraid of controversy in either the medical or activist communities! Federal funding for some excellent HIV-prevention programs has been cut to help fund Bush's wrong-minded abstinence-only programs, but that has nothing to do with the information in the Swiss report. That report is nothing more than a review of four previously published and readily available studies resulting in a consensus statement from one group. Within hours of the group posting their statement, I and many other HIV experts were flooded with questions about it. There is no cover-up or suppression of this data or information.
Regarding my opinion of the Swiss report, I expressed concern, because the research focused heavily on heterosexual couples and vaginal sex as opposed to anal sex. Consequently, to make a definitive statement that "positive people on effective HIV meds aren't sexually infectious" is, in my opinion, premature. I stand by my opinion and assure you it is not based on fear of controversy or fear of losing federal funding (or, as you call it, "federal founding").
Fernando, be reasonable. We are all on the same side here. I too am HIV-positive and in a serodiscordant relationship.
Below I will print some "hot off the press" reactions to the Swiss report from several international HIV/AIDS groups (UNAIDS and WHO). I agree with them. (Or should I say their just-published opinions agree with my previously stated position?)
Dr. Bob
UNAIDS, WHO React to Swiss Claim About Antiretrovirals, HIV Transmission
February 4, 2008
UNAIDS and the World Health Organization last week responded to a claim by a Swiss state commission that HIV-positive people taking antiretroviral drugs cannot transmit the virus during sex under certain circumstances, AFP/Google.com reports. The organizations said that they "strongly recommend a comprehensive package of HIV prevention approaches, including correct and consistent use of condoms" (AFP/Google.com, 2/1).
The Swiss AIDS Commission on Wednesday in a report based on four studies said that couples with one HIV-positive partner do not need to use condoms to prevent HIV transmission provided that the HIV-positive partners are adhering to their treatment regimens, have suppressed HIV viral loads for at least six months and do not have any other sexually transmitted infections. Several HIV/AIDS advocacy groups and scientists expressed concern following the release of the report, noting that the research was focused on heterosexual couples and vaginal intercourse rather than anal sex (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/31).
UNAIDS and WHO in a joint release said that HIV-positive people "who are following an effective antiretroviral therapy regimen can achieve undetectable viral loads" at certain points during treatment and that research "suggests that when the viral load is undetectable in blood, the risk of HIV transmission is significantly reduced." The organizations added that despite these findings, "it has not been proven" that suppressed viral loads "completely eliminate the risk of transmitting the virus. More research is needed to determine the degree to which the viral load in blood predicts the risk of HIV transmission and to determine the association between the viral load in blood and the viral load in semen and vaginal secretions." In addition, further research should "consider other related factors that contribute to HIV transmission," including coinfection with other STIs, UNAIDS and WHO said.
According to the groups, a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy also includes:
Delaying first sexual activity;
Decreased number of sexual partners;
Avoiding penetration;
Safer-sex practices, including the use of male and female condoms; and
Early and effective STI treatment (UNAIDS/WHO release, 2/1).


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Cadrius levels his gaze at the bard and his bizarre offer. He draws in one breath and exhales loudly causing a faint echo.
"Are you serious? You came down into the sewer, risked being seen consorting with a criminal simply because you want to come along?" He asks, more than a little puzzled. The dagger remains extended hilt first toward him. He looks down at it for a moment and sighs again.
"Well?" he asks, turning to Shade, "You know him better than I. Can we trust him?" Cadrius seems unconcerned at the man's prescence. The longer they debate the harder it will be to flee.
Shade frowns invisibly behind her veil, one hand reaching up to touch the scar hidden behind it.
"I'm not the best judge of character but he saved Maeko's life and helped me when I needed some help. Yes, I trust him."
As far as I can trust someone I don't really know.
How many deaths shall serve to break at last
This heritage which wraps me in the grey
Apparel of ghosts?
Cadrius cocks his head to the side and looks at Shade for a moment before asking, "No?"
Turning back to the man, Cadrius reaches out and takes the offered dagger. Wrapping one large hand around it, he tests its weight. He'd prefer a sword, but the small blade would do in a pinch.
One certainly worked well enough before.
"I suppose you know these sewers, bard?" He asks, gesturing to the catacomb, "And if we allow you to come, you will guide us on the swiftest route to the blacksmith?"
He levels his gaze at the man and considers him one more time. There's something out of place about him, something's not right. He must have an alterior motive, he can't simply want to come along because of the adventure. While some of the bards Cadrius has met are fools, none saw much glory in trapsing about in filth.
"Very well. Shade says I can trust you. Do you have a name, or shall I simply call you bard?"
Nodding once at the response Cadrius says, "Lead on Nicos, we have some work yet before we are free."
Standing there with a smile stuck on his face, and eyes widening to the point where it would be credible to question his sanity, Nicos watches as the duo debate over wether to allow him to accompany them.
These two positively extrude the smell of a tale, an opportunity such as this happens only once in a bards life - if he is lucky
Once it is decided, Nicos turns and leads them off into the dank and pungent catacombs of the citys underground.
"I won't lead you astray, I am not the most knowledgeable person about the citys underground. I've been down here more then most people, but the majority of my knowledge comes from tales told by my father."
The journey is conducted in silence, none of the travellers seeming willing to partake in unnecessary conversation Indeed there is little or no need for it, as the next several minutes are uneventful. Twice they had to double back when they came upon dead ends, cave-ins that looked fresh.
Cursing softly at the second dead-end, the bard moves on to a fork on the tunnels, stopping and peering down each of them before confronting the pair following him.
"Those cave-ins we encountered are fresh. Probably from the ground-shakes we experienced the other day. The problem now is this. There are two ways to get where you are heading."
Gesturing down the left tunnel
"This is the quickest way. The problem is that is will take us though a rats nest. mean rats."
Motioning the right tunnel
"This one is safer, but the problem is that it takes three times as long. By the time we get to where we are heading, and attempt to leave again the guard will have likely closed the gates."
Pausing and taking a good look at the pair.
"The only other exit out of this place that I know of is a 40 foot drop off the cliff. People have survived it before, but not many."
@}-`-- Coffee + Hate = itches
"The answer is simple," Cadrius says, looking at Shade for confirmation, "we take the shorter route and hope we do not run into any of these...'mean' rats. I do not fancy leaping forty feet to my death."
He is, however, nervous. Time is running out, he's unarmored and relatively unarmed. With any luck the bard is merely spinning another local legend about the ferocity of the rats beneath the city's surface. Still, his grip tightens slightly on the blade and he is more careful as they advance through the sewers.
"Rats it is."
She eyes the dagger Cadrius is weighing uncertainly and then reaches behind her back and unhooks the scabbard of a short sword. She looks questioningly at him before handing it over.
"Sorry, I forgot you were unarmed. This ought to feel a little better in your hand."
How many deaths shall serve to break at last
This heritage which wraps me in the grey
Apparel of ghosts?
He nods once, hefting the short blade and feeling its weight. He can use it, all squires trained under Heironeous receive rigorous martial instruction and as a result there are few weapons he is not capable of wielding. "A knight must be deadly with any weapon at any time," his armsmaster used to say. Unfortunately, he always favored the larger blades. Still, this would have to suffice and it certainly feels better in his hand than the dagger.
Not a bad sword, he thinks, but still small.
Keeping the blade in his hand, he peers down the dark tunnel. He can make it out faintly from the strands of daylight filtering through the grates, yet they would likely need a torch by the time they were through. Shade must have one, he thinks, she is always prepared. "Be prepared," his armsmaster's voice echoes again in his head, "a warrior of Heironeous must always be prepared."
"Lead on, bard," Cadrius says, pointing the sword at the darkness.
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Previewing his primetime speech tonight at the Democratic convention, former President Bill Clinton tells NBC's Brian Williams that he will explain why President Obama's economic approach "is right" and will "pay off" if he's re-elected.
Clinton also says in the interview that no president, in four years, could have restored the current economy "to full health" after the financial collapse of 2008.
Former President Bill Clinton, who will address the Democratic National Convention tonight, told NBC's Brian Williams why he feels President Obama needs to be reelected.
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Cover of Newsweek, "Why Barack needs Bill." Why do you think Barack needs Bill? What do you have to offer?
BILL CLINTON: I really don't know. I've always been mystified by that. I was honored when he asked me to nominate him. I hope what I can do, because we did have a good economy, because we did have the longest expansion in history, is explain why I think his approach is right and it'll pay off if we renew his contract. Explain why the economy he faced was much weaker and different than the one I faced, so that there's no way any president, no president could have restored it to full health in just four years.
The rest of Brian Williams' interview with Clinton will appear on NBC "Nightly News" beginning at 6:30 pm ET.


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PERSONALIZATION: More Info
Personalization is FREE! Please provide personalization information in the BOX BELOW. Example: "To Jared: Thanks for being Garfield's #1 fan! Best Wishes, Jim Davis"
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A concept sketch drawn by Jim Davis featuring Garfield.
Each sketch comes matted with an acid-free black mat and is mounted on an acid-free foamboard.
Sketch Dimensions: 8 1/2" wide x 11" highOverall Dimensions with Black Mat: 11" wide x 14" high
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Every night of the week you can enjoy live music from both local and big-name artists. Check our calendar regularly to stay up to date on live music performances and upcoming events!
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: December 22Live Music - Natalie Rose
Later Event: December 26Live Music - Open Mic Night


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"Come on guys, we need one for the cover of the calendar!"
Little hard to read, but prolly true:
"Come on guys, we need one for the cover of the calendar!"
Very,very good to know
When nerds marry:
Slow news day
This thread is great!
5 stars!
Thanks!Originally Posted by jetstream23
I'll remember that the next time Im in Lexington....
Jesus. My co workers are starting to ask me what the hell is so funny. The myspace "ninja" comment was just way too much
You've been warned!
Does it come with spray paint remover?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha...
Speaking of morons...
First - a tribute to puppies everywhere:
Now a few random shots that have made the web circuit:
and just because my wife is, at this moment, doing laundry:
I took mine today!
Originally Posted by Fishooked
Thats awesome. I hear he's Reche Caldwell's nephew. Hard to tell cause he's wearing sunglasses.
Talk about an All-Star line-up.
That would obliterate all box-office records held to date.Originally Posted by PatsFanTX
Originally Posted by Fishooked
Hope it's ok I steal this for my sig. I laughed for twenty minutes.