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Mother of girl sexually assaulted by grandfather says 'despicable crime' is too horrifying for others to hear – ABC News
The mother of an Adelaide girl sexually assaulted by her grandfather has told a court his "despicable crime" is too horrifying for people to hear and her family now lives isolated and silenced.
The man was found guilty in 2020 of sexually assaulting his granddaughter
The victim and her parents read impact statements in court, labelling the assault an "atrocity"
His lawyer requested home detention, as the man no longer has sexual function due to prostate cancer
The man, who is a retired teacher and former church pastor, was found guilty last year of indecently assaulting his granddaughter when she was six years old.
The girl was at his home and in his care at the time of the offence.
The South Australian District Court heard her grandfather did not recall the historical offending but had accepted the judge's verdict.
During sentencing submissions, the victim — who cannot be identified — told the court she was an impressionable young child at the time who did not know what was going on.
"The only reason I didn't say anything then was for some reason I thought it was something that just happened," she said.
"And you took advantage of that and that's actually disgusting.
"I honestly think you're pathetic for not saying guilty to the charges, since I'm 1,000 per cent sure you didn't forget what happened.
"How can you believe, as a man of God, that you can be forgiven for doing this to me, a family member, a young child, ruining her childhood?
"I know I'm related to you, but you aren't family anymore and that changed a long time ago."
Crime the 'ultimate betrayal of trust'
The victim's mother said she was shocked and horrified when she found out that a grandparent could commit such a crime.
We offer tailored front pages for local audiences in each state and territory. Find out how to opt in for more SA news.
"Seeking support from friends is near impossible as this crime … is too horrifying for others to hear," she told the court.
"People can't cope with this atrocity; so I live silenced and isolated.
"I'm also haunted thinking about how to save all the other children out there from this despicable crime."
The victim's father said he had now withdrawn from his extended family and had been let down by the man he should have trusted the most — his own father.
"This crime is the ultimate betrayal of trust that my father could possibly have committed to my daughter and me as his son," he said.
"I don't understand how he could have been so selfish; he has done something that can never be undone.
"If you imagine a beautiful vase, a precious family heirloom that is more valuable than any amount of money, he smashed it and it can't be repaired and put back together."
Man's remorse 'very late', judge says
The man's lawyer, Samuel McDonough, told the court home detention should be considered instead of jail because he had only committed the crime once and no longer had sexual function as a result of prostate cancer.
"That's a permanent infirmity that goes to the heart of this offending, if he suffered from that medical condition at the time of the offending, this offending would not have been able to take place," he said.
"Despite potentially thousands of hours of opportunity to offend again, it never occurred again.
"That is a relevant consideration and may put it somewhat at odds with the normal circumstances of this offending being committed.
"It's a total affront to decency and we don't think to say this isn't a serious offence or that it won't have serious impact, but to sentence [him] to prison is not your honour's only option."
Judge Adam Kimber SC said the man had written to him since the guilty verdict, saying he was "deeply remorseful".
"His remorse has come very late in the piece," he said.
"It's still the case that he used a child in his care to advance his own sexual gratification … with whom everyone would agree there was a significant position of trust.
"It's tragic to hear but, sadly not at all surprising that this has had a devastating impact upon the family unit."
The man faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and will be sentenced at a later date.
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Hacking of a senator's card 'immediately' attended to – BusinessWorld Online
Overall crime in Cincinnati was down in 2020 – The Cincinnati Enquirer
Hate crimes and treason | Letters to the Editor | gvnews.com – Green Valley News
Coronado Crime Report (January 9 through January 15) – Coronado Times Newspaper
Remembering Tara Baker: A savage crime remains unsolved after 20 years – Online Athens
The Internet Is a Crime Scene, And After the Capitol Riots We Need Better Information Governance Rules for Treating It Like One. – Foreign Policy
Signal and Facebook Messenger let hackers spy on you: What to do – Tom's Guide
Crime Stoppers of Stephens County seeking suspect | Community – Duncan Banner
Hackers smash into Beximco Group's IT infrastructure – Dhaka Tribune
State report: Gorham's crime rate crept up in 2019 – pressherald.com
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I'm celebrating! I just signed a contract for my 6th title, Shadows Fall, so I kind of officially have a backlist. Did you miss GRL? Would you still like a signed copy of one of my books? I'm offering a giveaway of a signed paperback of any of my titles, winner's choice, even the latest release! You can visit my books page to check out all of the choices. To refresh your memory, I have one m/f paranormal romance series, and one m/m contemporary romance series. Thanks and good luck!
Oh, and the question for the comments is what is your go-to comfort read.
Smutty fanfic is my go-to comfort read these days. Otherwise, fairy tale retellings are always good too.
So what characters are we talking?
I seem to go to new adult a lot more lately.
Comfort read is usually a contemporary sweet novel or a paranormal one that isn't too angsty.
Comfort read for me would be a sweet romance.
Normally smutty M/M romance reads, which may be paranormal, with cops or historic, full of angst, so what ever takes my fancy 🙂 Thank you for this giveaway.


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Press ReleasesPeople For the American Way Applauds House Vote to Impeach Donald Trump, Again
People For the American Way Applauds House Vote to Impeach Donald Trump, Again
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2021
Contact: Press Department at People For the American Way
Washington, D.C. — Following the House of Representatives' vote, for a second time, to impeach President Donald Trump, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous released the following statement:
"Today, the House of Representatives once again carried out the grim but necessary duty of impeaching Donald Trump. While 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump, the votes should have been unanimous. Trump's dangerous disregard for our nation's highest office and his role in inciting the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead, including a police officer, is unconscionable and unacceptable. The Senate must now move swiftly to convict Trump, to pave the way to ensuring that he never occupies federal office again."
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: http://www.pfaw.org

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Fashion in film and TV
Home / Editorial / Fashion in film and TV
Kirsty Posted on May 22 2019
Today's Topic?
In the office we often talk about the TV shows, films or books that we have been reading recently or can't wait to start. We also enjoy recommending each other different things to start watching or reading. From all the conversations that we've had about these topics, we've found out that we've watched a lot of the same things and enjoy the same kinds of genres. The topic of this week's discussion is fashion in TV and film.
Killing Eve:
When I think of Killing Eve, Jodie Comer wearing the big, beautiful pink Tulle dress by Molly Goddard is the first thing that immediately comes to my mind. I remember first seeing the pictures and loving them because of how the photos showed her walking around and she's wearing a beautiful and elegant outfit as if it's the most normal thing.
Comer plays a Russian assassin called Villanelle and along with all the discussion about how amazing the show is, Comer's fashion in the role is also the talk of the town. I have found that a lot of people have even taken the iconic Goddard dress and used it to create their own Villanelle Halloween costumes. I really love the outfits that she wears in the show because of cool they are and she has such a variety in what she chooses to wear.
Game of thrones:
Game of Thrones is quite possible one of the most talked about TV shows since it was first aired back in 2011. As we have been watching the 8th season, we often come into the office to talk about what has been happening in the episodes and what we would've liked to see. The show was developed from a series of books (A song of Ice and Fire) written by George R. R. Martin. I love this show because of all the unexpected things that happen and when I first watched the show, I was always on the edge of my seat. I have even already rewatched it a few times since it's started because I love it that much! It's incredible to be able to watch so many characters developing over the years.
One of the great things about the show is the fashion; you can see the development and changes in the stories of the characters in the show being subtly hinted at through the clothes. For example, Cersei at the very beginning of GOT used to dress in quite a feminine way, but after her troubles during the fifth season and having her hair cut extremely short, her fashion changed to one that was considerably more masculine. You can tell that the fashion in the show has definitely had an impact on some designer's collections.
Some of my favourite aspects about the costume design from the show is the amount of details that are in the clothing when it comes to things like embroidery and I also loved seeing the garments that were a combination of a feminine silhouette mixed with masculine, more structured details too. The more structured garments are some of my favourite from the show.
Outlander:
Outlander is another historical show that Anjelica and Amy have both watched. The show was developed from a series of books by the author Diana Gabaldon and is set in 1743 and 1945. Each of the different seasons are inspired by the different book adaptations. As the show is set in two different periods of time, it's important that the fashions of the two different times are portrayed correctly.
Even though I myself haven't watched the show properly, Anjelica showed me a clip from one of the episodes in the first season where the main character Claire is travelling and she ends up spending some time with a group of women who are dyeing fabric. Anjelica told me about how plaid fabrics that were made for the show weren't as bright as Plaid fabrics are today because in the 18th Century fabric could only be dyed with natural materials such as vegetables.
Vegetable dyes
Forsythia, Honeysuckle and Horseradish would produce the colour green
Walnuts produce a rich brown
Ragwort and Saffron produce yellow
Madder would produce the colour red
and Indigo the colour blue
I read an interview with the costume designer for the show and found out that they started making garments a year before they started filming for the second season and they made about 10,000 garments which is incredible. I also found out that they didn't use clothes that were from runways and edit them but that they had to do a lot of research about the clothing from the time and make absolutely everything themselves, including things like buttons and corsets and shoes. All of this was done to make sure that everything was authentic as possible.


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The portrayal of ralphs society in william goldings book lord of the flies
The more they are becoming addicted to kill pigs the more they developing their way of living towards savagery and it becomes so extreme when they manage to involve Ralph and Piggy to their nasty dances, whereas both of them are strongly represent the civilized morality throughout the novel.
Estella was treated badly by Drummle and he died. Jack suggests that the boys fend for themselves, Jack would find it very easy to fend for his self but would the younger boys and who will become the true leader will it be jack who thrives on control. The story is written very well and I was interested the whole time.
All of them are humans that killing the other humans. The Lord of the Flies. When Ralph encounters the officer on the beach at the end of the book, he is not relieved at being rescued from a certain grisly death but discomforted over "his filthy appearance," an indication that his civility had endured his ordeal.
Estella rewards Pip with a kiss this is a sign that violence is being encouraged and enjoyed by Estella like Jack from Lord of the Flies.
The setting of this book was an unfriendly island. The copyright date is This shows how Pip has not properly looked at the people he wants to join in high society.
Soon after, the tent they use as shelter falls inwards, displaying a shadow of light towards the trees.
They do not appreciate his intelligence and do not note it as important although they practically use his advice. There was something moving behind its head-wings.
After graduating from Oxford, he worked briefly as a theater actor and director, wrote poetry, and then became a schoolteacher. Jack thinks he can kill anything, if he can kill anything then what about the boys.
The theatre of absurd. Piggy, Ralph Sam and Eric all spend there time on keeping the fire going as they still have hope and want to be rescued.
Pip now changes, he is for the first time angry at Miss Havisham because of making Pip and her relatives believe she was his benefactor. Pips dreams of Miss Havisham being the benefactor are smashed.Ralph's Allegorical Portrayal Ralph is one of the main characters in the novel, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding.
Ralph has many personality traits that show who he is as a person.
Published inWilliam Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies exemplifies man's capacity for evil which is revealed in his inherent human. Get free homework help on William Golding's Lord of the Flies: book summary, chapter summary and analysis, quotes, essays, and character analysis courtesy of CliffsNotes.
In Lord of the Flies, British schoolboys are stranded on a tropical island. In an attempt to recreate the culture they left behind, they elect Ralph to lead, with the intellectual.
5) William Golding writes: "The theme (of Lord of the Flies) is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable.".
Get free homework help on William Golding's Lord of the Flies: book summary, chapter summary and analysis, quotes, essays, and character analysis courtesy of CliffsNotes.
In Lord of the Flies, British schoolboys are stranded on a tropical island.
By the standards of the society he's left behind, Ralph is a gentleman. words - 4 pages William Golding's Lord of the Flies is a novel about a group of boys who are lost on a deserted island and must do what they can to survive. At the beginning of the novel, two of the boys, Ralph and Jack, become leaders.
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Depression can be a heavy fog that blankets you in sadness day after day. Or, it can come in dark waves called episodes that wash over you and keep your head underwater for two weeks or more at a time.
More than 16 million adults in the United States — or nearly 7 percent of the population—have had at least one episode of major depression. Even if you've dealt with depression before, a new episode can blindside you and leave you unsure of how to cope.
Here's a look at what sets off depressive episodes, how to recognize them when they appear, and the best ways to manage them.
If you have any of these symptoms for an extended period of time, see a psychologist, psychiatrist, or your primary care doctor for an evaluation. If the episodes start up again even once you're on treatment, you might need to adjust your medication or try a different approach.
What triggers episodes of depression?
Depression doesn't always need a trigger. Sadness can arrive without any unpleasant event or warning.
Some of these triggers are under your control. For example, you can avoid drinking alcohol or using drugs if they make your sadness worse. Others, like a chronic illness, are more difficult to avoid.
When you can't avoid depression, your focus should turn to managing it. You may not be able to change your circumstances, but you can work with a psychologist or counselor to help you cope with your sadness.
When depression arrives like an unwelcome visitor, you don't have to give up your quality of life. Medication, therapy, and at-home coping techniques can all make the symptoms more manageable.
Antidepressants are the main medication therapy for depression. They increase levels of brain chemicals like serotonin and norepinephrine to relieve symptoms.
There are several different classes of antidepressants.
Antidepressants can take up to three months to start working. If after that time, they still haven't controlled your symptoms, your doctor can change your dose, switch you to a different class of medication, or add another drug.
The second element to treating depression is psychotherapy — or talk therapy. Research finds that combining antidepressants with therapy works better than either treatment alone.
There are several different kinds of therapy for depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is very effective because it helps reverse the negative patterns of thinking that contribute to sadness. CBT is done over a series of 8 to 16 sessions.
Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is another approach. IPT focuses on issues in your relationships that contribute to your depression. Therapy sessions can also involve your partner or other family members if your relationships are problematic.
Exercise. Run, ride a bike, swim — whichever activity you choose will boost levels of brain chemicals that make you feel better. Try to be active on most, if not all, days of the week.
Get enough sleep. Try to get seven to nine hours of rest a night. Sleeping too little can accentuate depression symptoms like irritability and mental fatigue.
Stay connected. Loneliness can worsen depression. Try to get out with friends, or connect with them by phone or computer.
Eat well. Avoid sugar and carb-heavy foods like chips and cookies. They cause blood sugar spikes and dips that can make you feel worse. Instead, nourish your body and mind with nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains.
Limit alcohol. Drinking a few glasses of wine might make you feel better in the moment, but it's not an effective coping strategy. Alcohol acts as a central nervous system depressant, and it can worsen depression symptoms.


I unlocked the door to my house my lips pressed up aganst Zoeys. i moved my hands up and down her shoulder as i pressed her up aganst the wall of the liveing room. i kissed your neck up and down.
i held onto his forarm. she was kissing up and down his shoulder and lips. she was glad that he was alive and that he wasnt in any danger.
I kissed you moveing my hands up your back.
Zol kicked off her shoes and shrugged off her blue raincoat, still kissing mist as she went.
I moved my hands up the back of your shirt i keept kissing you runing my lips over your neck.
i pushed away slightly. "we shouldnt, the kids could wake up any minute."
i stoped kissing you and layed my head back on the floor with a sligt sigh.


Today at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, we attended a live panel for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Huge announcements included Star Wars 'Land', Toy Story Land, and Pandora being added to Disney Parks. I was able to attend this event as part of an all expenses paid press junket sponsored by Disney. All thoughts and opinions shared on this blog are my own.
Let's just start with the most exciting news of the decade. STAR WARS is being brought to life by the only places that could handle a task of this magnitude: Disneyland and Disney World.
Star Wars 'Land' will consist of 14 acres of truly out of this world experiences. With employees in full character every step of the way, it will really be like you're traveling through the galaxies.
No dates were mentioned as to when we can expect Star Wars 'Land' to be complete, but new enhancements to Star Wars attractions are currently under way.
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue Later this year, Star Tours will include a new adventure featuring locations and characters from the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens giving guests a new adventure in the galaxy.
Star Wars Launch Bay – This interactive experience will take guests into the latest film with special exhibits and peeks behind-the-scenes. This will be located in the Animation Courtyard at Disney's Hollywood Studios and in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park.
Jedi Training Academy – Reimagined with a new experience that includes new characters and a new villain.
Season of the Force – This new seasonal event, beginning early 2016, brings new experiences to both coasts. Climb aboard Hyperspace Mountain–a spin off of the classic Space Mountain attraction–in which guests will join an X-Wing Starfighter battle.
Family-friendly roller coaster – All on the back of Slinky Dog, you will zip, zoom, plunge, and coast throughout the new land.
Alien saucers – The famous little green aliens will take guests on a spin in their very own flying saucers.
Toy Story Mania! – Glide into the Toy Story Midway Games Play Set and take aim at 3D objects in a variety of fast-paced games, with an expansion that adds a third track to this popular attraction.
After Dark at Disney's Animal Kingdom will be the largest expansion in the park's history. The entire park will transform after dark with new nighttime entertainment experiences, offering longer days than ever before.
This world will include floating mountains, a bioluminescent forest and the winged creatures known as Banshees.
AVATAR Flight of Passage – This E-ticket attraction, the centerpiece of Pandora, allows guests to soar on a Banshee over a vast alien world. This birds-eye view of the beauty and grandeur of the world of Pandora will be unforgettable.
The excitement of these announcements had over 8000 D23 Expo attendees screaming with glee. My heart was pounding the entire time! Especially when Stan Lee made a surprise appearance!
Which attraction are you most excited to visit?
This really sounds incredible, and a fun way to learn about Star Wars, and to see the excitement of these rides and exhibits. I would love to go to the Star Wars in Disney World!
Your Post is highly informative and well written. Love Star Wars, but we don't get crazy over it. We enjoy the imagination of the writer and the smile of my hubby's face when we watch it.
Fun things planned for the parks. Have to get back.


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Роберт Дуглас Финлейсон (9 ноября 1909, Милтон-Кинс, Бакингемшир, Англия, Великобритания — 11 января 1999, Энсинитас, Калифорния, США) — английский  театра, кино и телевидения,  и .

Биография

Родился в семье потомственных военных. Его отец и дед были командирами полка Западного Сассекса. С ранних лет интересовался театром. Дебютировать на сцене в 16 лет. С 1927 г. два года обучался театральному искусству в Королевской академии драматического искусства в Лондоне. Играл в театрах Лондона, иногда в Бродвейских театрах.

С 1931 г. снимался в кино.

В 1947 году переехал в США. В Голливуде конца 1940-х — начале 1950-х годов, быстро нашёл свой путь в мир американского кино. За свою карьеру сыграл более 60 ролей в кино- и телефильмах США и Британии. Часто играл отрицательных героев, злодеев.

Как режиссёр поставил 40 телефильмов и сериалов.

Дважды был женат.

Избранная фильмография

 1930: P.C. Josser
 1931: Many Waters
 1933: The Blarney Stone
 1935: Death Drives Through
 1937: London Melody
 1937: Our Fighting Navy
 1938: The Challenge
 1939: Over the Moon
 1939: The Lion Has Wings
 1940: The Chinese Bungalow
 1947: The End of the River
 1948: Похождения Дон Жуана — герцог де Лорка
 1948: The Decision of Christopher Blake
 1949: Убийство — лейтенант полиции Майкл Лэндерс
 1949: Источник — Эллсворт Монктон Тухи архитектурный критик Бэннера
 1949: The Hasty Heart
 1949: The Lady Takes a Sailor
 1950: Buccaneer's Girl
 1950: Barricade
 1950: Шпионская охота — Стивен Параду
 1950: По эту сторону закона — адвокат Филипп Кэгл
 1950: The Flame and the Arrow
 1950: Kim
 1950: Mystery Submarine
 1951: Target Unknown
 1951: Thunder on the Hill
 1952: At Sword's Point
 1952: Айвенго — сэр Хью де Бреси 1952: Узник крепости Зенда — Михаэль, герцог Хенцау
 1953: Мятежный дух Кракатау — Пуло Бесар/святой Эбенезер
 1953: Крысы пустыни  — генерал
 1953: Flight to Tangier
 1954: Saskatchewan
 1954: King Richard and the Crusaders
 1955: The Virgin Queen
 1955: The Scarlet Coat
 1955: Good Morning Miss Dove
 1956: Елена Троянская — Агамемнон
 1959: Молодые филадельфийцы — Мортон Стирнес
 1959: Tarzan, the Ape Man
 1961: The Lawbreakers

Снимался в телесериалах «Королевская семья Бродвея», «Альфред Хичкок представляет», «Коломбо», «Человек-невидимка», «Мэверик» и других.

Примечания

Ссылки

Актёры телевидения США
Актёры телевидения Великобритании
Киноактёры Великобритании
Киноактёры США
Театральные режиссёры Великобритании
Кинорежиссёры Великобритании
Кинорежиссёры США
Телережиссёры Великобритании
Телережиссёры США
Театральные режиссёры США
Театральные режиссёры Великобритании

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The last time I plopped down on a brown vinyl bench at Mellos it was for a Matthew Carmichael pop-up dinner. Before that, it was for bacon and eggs with some son-or-other's soccer team — the full breakfast works, fabulously greasy, with a bottomless cup of thin black coffee, served with clucky no-nonsense charm by long time waitress (and manager) Leisa Bell (RIP).
That was ages ago — back when Mellos didn't serve things like the thing I had for lunch: Singapore Noodles, with tofu, presented like the queen had ordered it. All arranged just so.
Wide rice noodles — still with bite — carrots, daikon, bok choy, cilantro in a coconut-galangal-lime leaf-lemongrass broth with some chilli spirit, logs of fried tofu laid on top with a wedge of lime for some extra zing.
I read my book while I slurped and gave silent thanks for the eclectic face of the modern diner, still gnarly, still nostalgic, still serving all sorts, meeting all kinds of needs, but now with better food.


Cyber Education – What Is It?
Distant learning or correspondence courses and schools have been around since the early 1900's. However the new buzz words are cyber, cyber school, cyber education and online learning. So what does this actually mean?
Many higher education colleges and universities offer courses or certificate based programs online, for its students. This provides a flexible option for students to attend school on their time and not have to worry about losing days off from work and sometimes these classes are more affordable than going to an actual campus. The programs can vary from just submitting correspondence to the professor, to participating in a live online class debate.
The Kindergarten through 12th grade population became a part of this education movement approximately 15 years ago. In Pennsylvania, there are fourteen (14) state approved Cyber Charter Schools serving around 42,000 students (2014-2015 school year data).
Cyber Schools follow an instructional model that's similar to homeschooling, without the responsibility of purchasing curriculum and designing lessons. Teaching in a virtual environment is very different from teaching in a traditional classroom. Cyber education offers a flexible approach to teaching and encourages forward thinking. Teachers spend their day inspiring creativity in their students, creating fun and exciting assignments, as well as holding interactive live class sessions.
Cyber schooled students are required to log attendance every day, submit assignments, attend online live lessons and complete the state mandatory testing.
Using different types of programs, Moodle, Blackboard, etc students receive their education through an electronic device and the internet. Many cyber schools offer socialization opportunities including field trips, international travel and local community gatherings.
While cyber school may not be the right fit for all families, it does afford families the safety of schooling in a home environment. Many students choose cyber school due to its flexible but structured approach to learning. Not all students learn the same, so it's important to find a model of education that works for your family.


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The Arizona Immigration Law
Dave Schuler April 27, 2010
Generally speaking, it is not my practice to comment on the laws or politics in states other than the one in which I live and in which I have lived all of my adult life (Illinois) or the state in which I spent my childhood, in which my family has lived for five generations or more, and in which my mother lived until her death (Missouri). I don't feel that I know enough about the conditions in other states, the history, law, and politics, to comment reasonably. And I feel that people in other states are free to do any tomfool thing they care to within the constraints of the federal constitution.
However, the furor over Arizona's recent law on illegal immigration has become sufficiently national that I thought I ought to comment on it. To the best of my ability to determine the text of the law is here. From my semi-casual reading it would be better described as an immigration enforcement law than as an immigration law.
The bulk of the text is devoted to two subjects: preventing Arizona jurisdictions from becoming sanctuaries for illegal immigrants and laws making it more difficult for employers to hire illegals. The context of the former section appears to be that both Tucson and Phoenix have enacted ordinances which prohibit police officers from inquiring into the immigration status of those they apprehend. The state law would strike down those ordinances and enable any legal resident of the state to seek action from the courts against jurisdictions that attempted to implement sanctuary laws.
The employer enforcement provision includes an attempt to prohibit the commonplace practice of driving to places where illegal immigrants congregate to seek work, e.g. street corners or mall parking lots, and picking up workers for day labor. The remainder puts the burden of proof on employers to establish that they have exercised due diligence in determining the immigration status of employees.
Requiring foreigners in the United States to produce their documentation has drawn quite a bit of criticism and mockery, inviting comparisons to the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany. Those raising that objection don't seem to take into account that federal law already requires foreigners in the United States to keep their passports or visas on their persons at all times. In other words it has been the law for some time. To will the end you must will the means and some level of enforcement is a reasonable method of enforcing the law.
The main objection to the Arizona law to my eye appears to be to this clause:
E. A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, WITHOUT A WARRANT, MAY ARREST A PERSON IF THE OFFICER HAS PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THE PERSON HAS COMMITTED ANY PUBLIC OFFENSE THAT MAKES THE PERSON REMOVABLE FROM THE UNITED STATES.
with the main complaint being that the provision may be subject to abuse with legal residents and citizens being harrassed by law enforcement officers. That a law might be abused is a pretty high standard as the sole reason for opposing it; I doubt that any law can live up to that standard. Many of those raising that objection had no problems with, for example, the healthcare reform law or the ARRA, both of which raise possibilities of abuse.
My knowledge of conditions in Arizona is insufficient to determine whether police officers there are likely to abuse the provision or whether the problems in Arizona are sufficient that they outweigh the harm done by the possibility of abuse.
I haven't mentioned my views on immigration in a while so I'll summarize them here. I don't think we have a problem with illegal immigration writ large in this country. I think we have a problem with illegal immigration from Mexico, hardly a surprise since we share a 1,500 mile land border with a country with a per capita income a quarter of what it is here. We are unique among developed countries in that regard and comparing our situation to that of the United Kingdom, France, or Germany is specious.
I don't think we are likely to have a longterm problem with illegal immigration from Mexico for demographic reasons cf. this graph.
I think we need a number of immigration reforms. I think we ought to increase the number of work visas available to Mexicans by an order of magnitude and implement substantial substantial border and workplace enforcement, not dissimilar to the provisions in the Arizona law in the case of the latter. I also think that we ought to have policy of reciprocation with Mexico. How can Mexican citizens in the United States who support their country's approach to U. S. citizens in Mexico object?
I also think that immigration policy in the United States should be tailored more closely to our actual needs. We don't have a crying need for larger numbers of unskilled workers in the United States. If you think that we do, you really should study up on the meaning of the words "market clearing price for labor". With an unlimited supply of unskilled workers employers will tailor jobs for workers of that type and I think that has undesireable consequences for the country and particularly for state and local governments. I think that state and local governments should be able to sue the federal government for the cost of providing federally-mandated services to illegal immigrants and their children.
Immigration policy isn't a fault line in U. S. politics. Views cut across the political parties, largely separating the elites who apparently want open borders without a concommitant willingness to pay the costs of open borders from ordinary people, the greater number of whom would like to see less immigration, generally, and less illegal immigration in particular.
Maxwell James Link
From my semi-casual reading it would be better described as an immigration enforcement law than as an immigration law.
As a former Tucsonan that's my understanding as well. I'm against the new law – I think any attempts at increasing enforcement without also implementing meaningful reforms is going to lead to an unacceptable level of social upheaval. That said, I can't really blame the state for doing this – they're just stepping in because the Feds have been so negligent on the matter for so long.
I agree with the thrust of this post, though immigration is obviously a national issue, so a Midwesterner's opinion on this can't be disregarded. I support a national i.d. card, which I suspect many of the people opposing the Arizona law, would also consider some sort of fascist device.
My mother-in-law's family were early settlers in Arizona and like many, their extended family is a mixture of gringo and hispanic, and from past experience their views do not conform to ethnic stereotyping. It will be interesting if I hear any more. But I would add that from my past visits, I believe the parking lots where you can find illegal immigrants are not necessarily a state secret.
Rob Miller Link
I hope all's well.
This is not an 'immigration' issue. Immigrants are legal migrants with permission to enter the country and settle.
The people in question are illegal aliens, and it is just as important to call things by their right name as it is not to demonize people who are mostly trying to find a better life for themselves.
The real issues are how to enforce our borders, find out who's here and decide who stays and who goes.
I especially reject the 'path to citizenship' meme, because it is manifestly unfair to reward people for essentially jumping the line ahead of thousands of people who have obeyed the law or simply married a foreign national and are trying deal with the outrageous obstacles ICE puts in their way just to get them into the country.
If this were my problem to solve, here's how I'd do it
Rereading your post this morning, I think you are fundamentally wrong about this:
There is a substantial difference between a law enabling abuse by private citizens (such as the ACA) and a law enabling abuse by government officials – especially police officers, who already have considerably more leeway than others to infringe upon individual rights. And a major externality of this law is that private citizens who may "resemble" an illegal immigrant – i.e., Mexican-Americans – will also be vulnerable to harassment due to the law.
I still agree with most of the rest of your post.
Models, Computer Models, and Fantasies (Updated)
USA Today's Economists Predicting U-Shaped Recession-Recovery


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refers to Japanese women who followed Westernized fashions and lifestyles in the 1920s.
This term was revitalized in Yulia's S/S18 collection which was appropriately presented in a historic western-styled building founded in 1927.
The first look of the show unveiled the artisanal, limited edition HYDRA Sartorial Latex coat in an exclusive colour produced for Growing Pain's S/S18.
We captured candid moments and meetings with the designer before Yulia revealed her playful world where modernity rules.


Does the internet feel more professional nowadays? One-off blogs have given way to Medium, brands have become extremely digital-savvy, and regular people are feeling increased pressure to scrub social media profiles of objectionable content. It's no surprise, then, that web users are craving more informal, less public spaces where they can be authentic with one another. The result? The return of chat.
You can see it in the memes. At the time of this writing, this meme is taking over Twitter. (By the time this is posted, 300 more memes will have exploded and died off. Such is the internet.) The question: "Without giving a number, how old are you?" A fair number of respondents cite their grade-school use of AOL instant messenger—or AIM, colloquially—as a way to signify their status as twenty-something Millennials. But chat rooms, and chat features more generally, may not be relics of the past. In fact, all signs point to chat making a comeback.
This isn't just a theory based on a few Twitter replies. As of a year ago, Messaging apps like Whatsapp and Facebook messenger collective boasted over five *billion* active monthly users. Which is to say, the majority of people on Earth are using some kind of chat or messaging tool to communicate with one another.
Sure, okay, people use messenger apps. That doesn't necessarily mean that chat rooms—a tool popularized during the internet's infancy through Bulletin Boards and AOL that had largely died off by the start of the first Obama administration—are making a comeback, right? Wrong! So, so wrong.
Besides Facebook Messenger's 1.2 billion users and Twitter's group DM feature being heralded as "the new chat rooms," one of the internet's other largest social networks has recently relented to user demands and entered the chat game. Get ready for the rollout of chat groups on Reddit.
Reddit is essentially a collection of countless message boards, or subreddits, itself a throwback to a platform most widely used online during the 90's and early 00's. But message boards lack the immediacy of a group chat, and redditors wanted a way to communicate more easily with other users who were online, on the same particular subreddit, at the same time.
Now subreddits can host multiple chats for more "off-the-cuff" conversations than a message board post might generate. "Reddit's chat feature hopes to reintroduce some of that early web spirit," says the report from WIRED. True, though the chat rooms also serve to keep users on the platform, rather than moving offline to chat services like Slack, Discord, or competitor Facebook, to message one another in real time.
The internet began as a space for nerds and misfits to connect in a fun and informal way, so it's no surprise that we're straining against the limits of "professionalized" social media. But we haven't seen a full-on return of old school internet just yet — platforms like Facebook are beginning to introduce ads in messenger, so we'll see if users stay on chat, or forge new spaces where they can connect. Who knows—maybe this is AIM's chance to make a comeback.


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Ursula Mellin (* 7. Januar 1938 in Kiel) ist eine deutsche Schauspielerin und Synchronsprecherin.

Tätigkeiten
Sie synchronisierte u. a. Selma Bouvier in der ersten Staffel der Simpsons. Bekannt wurde sie Ende der 1960er Jahre als sie in den Fernsehserien Kommissar Brahm (1967) und Rinaldo Rinaldini, der Räuberhauptmann (1968) in mehreren Folgen eine Hauptrolle übernahm.

Filmografie
 1960: Sie schreiben mit (Fernsehserie, mehrere Folgen)
 1966: Perlenkomödie (Fernsehfilm)
 1967: Studenten (Fernsehserie, mehrere Folgen)
 1967: Von Null Uhr Eins bis Mitternacht  –  Der abenteuerliche Urlaub des Mark Lissen (Fernsehserie, Folge 1x02)
 1967: Dreizehn Briefe (Fernsehserie, Folge 1x09)
 1967: Kommissar Brahm (Fernsehserie, 5 Folgen)
 1968: Helga und Michael
 1968: Zimmer 13 (Fernsehserie, Folge 1x09)
 1968: Rinaldo Rinaldini (Fernsehserie, 13 Folgen)
 1969: Meine Schwiegersöhne und ich (Fernsehserie, 12 Folgen)
 1969: La Celestina
 1970: Ludwig van Beethoven: '...in allem streng die Wahrheit'
 1971: Deep End
 1971: Mache alles mit
 1972: Pater Brown (Fernsehserie, Folge 5x10)
 1973: Der Bastian (Fernsehserie, Folge 1x09)
 1973: Im Auftrag von Madame (Fernsehserie, Folge 1x13)
 1974: Gemeinderätin Schumann (Fernsehserie, 3 Folgen)
 1976: Die Mädchen aus dem Weltraum

Sprechrollen
 June Whitley Taylor (als Mrs. Epstein) in Der unglaubliche Hulk (1977)
 Lynda Bellingham (als Helen Herriot) in Der Doktor und das liebe Vieh ab Staffel 4 (1988–1990)
 Paula Prentiss (als Dianne Webber) in Auf und davon (1983)
 Hope Lange (als Cheryl Walsh) in Nightmare II – Die Rache (1985)
 Daria Nicolodi (als Frau Brückner) in Phenomena (1985)
 Julie Kavner (als 'Selma Bouvier') in Die Simpsons (1989 ff.)
 Deborah DeMille (als Estelles Mutter) in Carrie (2002)

Weblinks

 Ursula Mellin in fernsehserien.de

Einzelnachweise

Filmschauspieler
Synchronsprecher
Deutscher
Geboren 1938
Frau


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Mississippi State's new "Splash Brothers" offensive mentality: "We're always looking to shoot the 3"
Doug Samuels
New Mississippi State running backs coach and run game coordinator Charles Huff had a special player, and arguably the best player in college football, in Saquon Barkley the past few seasons at Penn State.
Beyond Barkley's physical gifts, and along with the scheme that Joe Moorhead installed at Penn State, running backs coach Charles Huff also brought a unique approach to his position group and that is coming with him to Starkville.
As Huff explains in his introductory presser here at Mississippi State, he wants his guys to have a "Splash Brothers mentality."
"You've got to have a big play mentality. One of the core values in our running back room is we're going to have a Splash Brothers mentality."
"Everyone watches the [Golden State] Warriors play. The Warriors are looking to shoot the three. They're not looking to shoot the two. Now, they'll take the two, but they're looking to shoot the three. Well, we've got the be looking for the home run. A two yard run is great, don't get me wrong, there are times when you need that, but when you get the ball you're looking to hit the three-pointer."
Hear more from coach Huff on that philosophy in the clip (starting at about the 2:30 mark).
https://youtu.be/obtE-iS5CjI
Charles Huffrunning backsMississippi State
Doug has been with FootballScoop for over a decade and currently serves as Director of Content. A former small college football player and college assistant, Samuels now serves as the head coach at Comstock Park HS (MI). He's married with two kids and lives just south of Grand Rapids in Byron Center, MI.
The Jim Harbaugh saga continues
Harbaugh reportedly has a contract offer on his proverbial desk at Michigan. So, why hasn't he signed it?
Florida gets creative with "GameChanger coordinator" title for new hire
Billy Napier and Florida hop on emerging hiring trend in college football with their new special teams point man Chris Couch as "GameChanger coordinator"
Derek Mason leaving Auburn as Bryan Harsin continues staff shakeup
Harsin has responded to a disappointing 6-7 debut by replacing both coordinators.
Deion Sanders calls his shot as NSD2 approaches
With No. 1 player Travis Hunter already in the boat, Coach Prime isn't done fishing.
USFL 2.0 continues filling out coaching roster
Skip Holtz and Kirby Wilson joined the startup's coaching roster on Thursday.
Sources: Central Michigan adding veteran defensive coordinator to staff
Veteran defensive coordinator Tom Mason is joining Jim McElwain;s staff at Central Michigan, sources tell FootballScoop.
Sources: June Jones a strong candidate at Hawaii
With morale at rock-bottom following Todd Graham's disastrous 2-year tenure, Jones would be an embrace of Hawaii's culture, rather than a rejection.
Sources: Napier beefing up Florida special teams with expected addition of Couch
The two coaches worked previously together at Louisiana
By John Brice
READ MORE FOOTBALLSCOOP


text:
DenG Wins Big At Liberian Awards Ceremony
Julu Johnson | March 5, 2018
DenG was named Artist of the Year at the 2018 Tunes Liberia Awards. The event was organized by one of Liberia's better known websites Tunes Liberia and supported by Orange Liberia.
Winners were rewarded for contributions to the Liberian music industry, and announced from a list of nominees that "were selected based on hard work and consistency through the year and your tireless contributions to the growth of the Liberian music industry. The selection was based highly on merit rather personal friendship or any kind of preference".
Along with winning the ceremony's top award Artist of the Year, DenG (real name Daniel George) was also the winner of the Song of the Year award for his hit single 'Grateful'. DenG is no stranger to awards, having made history as the first artist from his country to be nominated for an MTV Africa Music award in 2016. He recently released a song on the occasion of the election of George Weah as president of Liberia.
DenG first shot to limelight on a song with R&B singer Emma Smith titled 'I Want to Go', but later became an artist in the hipco and Afropop genres.
Revoluxon Rocky, who has signed a record deal with a Nigeria-based label, was named Best New Artist and Best Trapco Artist. CIC won the Best AfroPop Artist award and Christoph was named Best HipCo Artist. The awards honorary Legendary Award went to the late Quincy Borrow popularly known as Quincy B. He passed on last year, following a car accident. Quincy B also won 'Best Video of the Year' for 'My Pledge' featuring Sweetz.
His trophies were collected by his mother, who urged her compatriots to help contribute to the upkeep of the late artist's two children and their mothers.
The website Tunes Liberia features music, videos and entertainment news from the country. "I realised how popular Liberian music had become," Elvis Juasemai, who founded the website, has said. "But despite the growing demand, I could hardly find them on the Internet, which severely limited their reach.
"We were trying to solve the massive problem of lack of access to Liberian music and lack of digitalisation for the music's record keeping, situations in my mind that devalued musicians and their music. But the thing has gradually changed since Tunes Liberia was established because no matter your location, you can easily access Liberians music."
At the event, Juasemai dedicated the overall ceremony to the memory of Quincy B. He later told the media that besides a few issues, the first edition of the awards was a success.
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Justin Timberlake plays Prince and takes selfies at Super Bowl show
Pop star Justin Timberlake paid tribute to Prince and took selfies with fans during hisRead More


text:
Innovation High School gets its first 5 year charter renewal!
March 15, 2021 March 15, 2021 Innovation High School
During a meeting of the State Board of Regents today, Innovation's success over the past 3 years was honored with a full, five year charter renewal and Stephen Falla Riff, Innovation's Executive Director, is very proud.
"We could not have achieved this success without the outstanding performance of our entire staff, the inspirational efforts of our students, the support of their parents, and the guidance provided by our Board of Trustees."
Stephen Falla Riff, Innovation's Executive Director
Mr. Falla Riff added that Innovation is very excited about the coming charter term, including the expansion of its CTE (Career and Technical Education) culinary arts program, enhancing its many special programs and partnerships, and redoubling its commitment to social and emotional learning, educational equity, and literacy.
Innovation was founded in 2009, and has had two prior, short-term charter renewals. This is Innovation's first five year renewal.
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text:
tail (n.1)
"hindmost part of an animal," Old English tægl, tægel "a tail," from Proto-Germanic *tagla- (source also of Old High German zagal, German Zagel "tail," dialectal German Zagel "penis," Old Norse tagl "horse's tail," Gothic tagl "hair"), from PIE *doklos, from suffixed form of root *dek- (2) "something long and thin" (referring to such things as fringe, lock of hair, horsetail; source also of Old Irish dual "lock of hair," Sanskrit dasah "fringe, wick").
According to OED, the primary sense, at least in Germanic, seems to have been "hairy tail," or just "tuft of hair," but already in Old English the word was applied to the hairless "tails" of worms, bees, etc. But Buck writes that the common notion is of "long, slender shape." As an adjective from 1670s.
Meaning "reverse side of a coin" (opposite the side with the head) is from 1680s; that of "backside of a person, buttocks" is recorded from c. 1300; slang sense of "pudenda" is from mid-14c.; that of "woman as sex object" is from 1933, earlier "act of copulation" with a prostitute (1846). Of descending strokes of letters, from 1590s.
Tails "coat with tails" is from 1857. The tail-race (1776) is the part of a mill race below the wheel. To turn tail "take flight" (1580s) originally was a term in falconry. The image of the tail wagging the dog is attested from 1907. Another Old English word for "tail" was steort (see stark).
"limitation of ownership," a legal term, early 14c. in Anglo-French; late 13c. in Anglo-Latin, in most cases a shortened form of entail.
tail (v.)
1520s, "attach to the tail," from tail (n.1). Meaning "move or extend in a way suggestive of a tail" is from 1781. Meaning "follow secretly" is U.S. colloquial, 1907, from earlier sense of "follow or drive cattle." Related: Tailed; tailing. Tail off "diminish" is attested from 1854.
tail-hook (n.)
1861, in angling, from tail (n.1) + hook (n.).
tail-gate (n.)
1868, back panel on a wagon, hinged to swing down and open, from tail (n.1) + gate (n.). Extended by 1950 to hatchback door on an automobile. The verb (also tailgate) meaning "to drive too close behind another vehicle" is from 1951 ("Truck drivers know the practice of following too close as tail-gating" - "Popular Science," Jan. 1952); as an adjective, in reference to the open tail-gate of a parked car as a setting for a party or picnic, from 1958. Related: Tail-gating.
white-tail (n.)
type of North American deer, 1872, from white (adj.) + tail (n.).
tail-pipe (n.)
also tailpipe, 1757, "small pipe fixed at the swell of a musket to receive the ramrod," from tail (n.1) + pipe (n.). From 1832 as "suction pipe of a pump;" 1907 as "exhaust pipe of an automobile."
tail-end (n.)
late 14c., from tail (n.1) + end (n.).
coat-tail (n.)
c. 1600, "flaps formed by the lower back of a coat," from coat (n.) + tail (n.). In 17c., to do something on one's own coattail meant "at one's own expense." Meaning "power of one person," especially in politics, is at least from 1848 (in a Congressional speech by Abraham Lincoln); expression riding (someone's) coattails into political office is from 1949.
But the gentleman from Georgia further says we [Whigs] have deserted all our principles, and taken shelter under General Taylor's military coat-tail, and he seems to think this is exceedingly degrading. Well, as his faith is, so be it unto him. But can he remember no other military coat-tail under which a certain other party have been sheltering for near a quarter of a century? Has he no acquaintance with the ample military coat-tail of General Jackson? Does he not know that his own party have run the five last presidential races under that coat-tail? And that they are now running the sixth under the same cover? Yes, sir, that coat-tail was used not only for General Jackson himself, but has been clung to, with the grip of death, by every Democratic candidate since. [Lincoln, speech in Congress, July 27, 1848]
fish-tail (n.)
1840, "the tail of a fish," from fish (n.) + tail (n.). As a verb, also fishtail, 1927, originally of aircraft, later automobiles. Related: Fishtailed; fishtailing.


text:
Search - Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition) on DVD
Two-Disc Special Edition
Actors: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Genres: Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy
PG-13 2009 2hr 2min
Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn?t expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)?a boy who?s hiding a dark secret: he?s a ... more »vampire. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as a coterie of undead that would make Bella their prey. Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling sensation by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight adds a dangerous twist to the classic story of star-crossed lovers. « less
Sub-Genres: Love & Romance, Fantasy
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Format: DVD - Color,Widescreen - Dubbed,Subtitled
DVD Release Date: 03/21/2009
Original Release Date: 01/01/2009
Theatrical Release Date: 11/21/2008
Run Time: 2hr 2min
Screens: Color,Widescreen
SwapaDVD Credits: 2
Total Copies: 50
Members Wishing: 0
Edition: Special Edition
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Languages: English, Spanish
Twilight [Blu-ray]
The Twilight Saga New Moon
Single-Disc Edition
PG-13 2010 2hr 10min
Director: Chris Weitz
The Twilight Saga Eclipse
Director: David Slade
The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part I
Director: Bill Condon
The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2
DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet
Similarly Requested DVDs
Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl
Two-Disc Collector's Edition
Director: Gore Verbinski
Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
G 2003 1hr 40min
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
R 2008 1hr 31min
Member Movie Reviews
Callie K. (ballofglitter) from GRAND ISLAND, NE
Reviewed on 3/30/2014...
Love this movie and the entire series! I love the way they work the vampires in with a romance against werewolves and then action. So you get it all!! Romance and action.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Jessica S. (Jessie2369) from BEAVER FALLS, PA
This movie was good. Great for kids and teens.
Katherine C. (babyangel2820) from FORT CAMPBELL, KY
Love The Movies! Hate The Acting! I Loved Robert Pattinson In Remember Me, Water For Elephants, And The 4th Harry. Was Very Disappointed To See His Acting In This Movie. The Rest Of The Cast Is Horrible And So Is The Acting. But I Love The Story And Whatnot. :) And I Can't Wait Til The 2nd Part Of The 4th One Comes Out. :D
Chad B. (abrnt1) from CABERY, IL
My gf wanted to see this film so in order to keep her happy I took her. Man talk about the worst film I've seen in ages. If you are a guy, or a fan of vampires, stay away from this film. This film is pointless beyond belief.
Here's an interesting thought that I don't think anyone has brought up: If Edward is about 100 years old doesn't his romance with a High School girl make him a pedophile?
Nicole N. (Nicoucgrad) from AMELIA, OH
Reviewed on 3/4/2012...
I own all three Twilight movies out on DVD right now (and can't wait to get the fourth one;)Hint/Hint). Need I say more???? I have always been a fan of Kristen Stewart. Was so happy when she received the main role. After watching the first Twilight I then became a huge fan of Cam Gigandit, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. It's just a great movie with great actors/actresses. Personally this is my favorite of all Twilight Movies. (even though the other one's are my favorites for different reasons. I'll explain later in my other reviews). It was just amazing to see the connection on screen between Edward & Bella. The love story is what made this movie so great, "love at first sight". To see how each character comes to life from the book to the movie. I think the best part about this movie is that it's based off a book. Applause for the director matching up the movie to the book. I know Twilight gets alot of negative comments but all in all you can't deny that Stephanie Meyer did an excellent Job coming up with this story. It's very entertaining and I can't say anymore how much I really enjoy TWILIGHT!!!
Jonathan H. (bigjohn84) from WILLIAMSTOWN, KY
Reviewed on 12/29/2011...
Celena R. (Ayronsmom)
This movie was an excellent representation of the book. If you are not a Twilight fan then don't expect to like it. Very few people who have not read the books find it a good movie. If you are looking to replace the act of reading the books by watching the movies don't. There is so much more that is in the book than the director had time to show. PS. I am a fan and I am not 13 years old.
Eleni S. from DERWOOD, MD
This was a present from a family member, and I am NOT a Twilight fan, so I wasn't really set up to like it. The acting is way below par and there just isn't much depth to the characters or the plot line, but then again it wasn't really based on a deep novel.
Tara S. from LAWRENCEVILLE, GA
Okay, I'm not a rabid fan. I've read the books and they were pretty entertaining, but when I saw this movie I was like, "What MORON cast Kristen Freaking Stewart as Bella?!" GAWD she's horrible. I get it. They were looking for a "plain" type of girl and she's that, for sure. But her lack of personality and/or talent was a real problem for me.
I kind of felt bad for everyone else in this movie because she really blew it. I like this movie the most out of the three that are currently out. But still... Come on. Kristen Stewart? Really? Yuck.
Laura E. from CHARLOTTE, NC
Awkward. And awkward. But mostly awkward. The screenplay sounds like it was written by a 13 year old girl. Try to count all the "like"s "huh"s and awkward pauses and you will fail. In defense of the film, it's my understanding that the books are that way. So, if you liked the books and/or are a 13 year old girl (maybe those two things are one in the same) you should love this movie. If you just want to see what all the ruckus is about, watch one of the later films. At least they have some action scenes.
Became a fan after the movie...
Tyrisell | Vancouver, WA USA | 01/09/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I had heard about the fantasy books by a friend when they first came out but didn't have the time to look into them. By the time the movie came out, I'd nearly forgotten about the book referral, but asked my hubby to take me as it looked like a good vampire romance flick. The scenery of the Pacific Northwest forests, rivers, and coastline was breathtaking and as a native to this area, it was like going out into my own backyard which made the film that more appealing. I was so captivated by the actors portrayal of the characters (the facial expressions and emotions brought out of the characters by Rob, Kristen, Peter, Nikki, and the rest were mesmerizing) and the depth of the back-story left me desiring more! The very next day after viewing the movie in the theater - I raced to the bookstore to grab the first book. I was hooked, read through all four books (plus went to the authors website to read the extra materials she had posted there) in a week. Then, still not satisfied, went back and saw the movie several more times - IN THE THEATER, something I've never felt compelled to do before - because I was so drawn to the characters and the story. This may have been written for the young adult audience but I'm 32 and a parent of four children, and still found the story to be well worth my time.
If you haven't read the stories, I encourage you to do so. Regardless, this film will be a treasured part of your movie collection and one you'll be sure to watch several times before you'll feel satisfied."
Oh so terrible, but amazingly addicting. Love it, but wonder
A. King | 03/22/2009
"If I were rating this movie solely on quality of the film, it would get one star. if i were rating it solely on how much i love to watch it even though it's awful, it would get 5 stars. SO I averaged it and got 3.
The dialogue is horrendous, the effects cheesy, the music (not the soundtrack which is great, but the score) indescribably awful. It looks like a made for TV movie.
However- I can't stop watching it. i saw it 3 times in the theater and pre-ordered my own copy. It entertains me. Plus, Edward is nice to look at... oh, James too. LOVE James.To me this movie is absolutely hysterical- where it doesn't intend to be. The scene where Edward first sees Bella in class and he looks as if he may throw up on her??? Great! The look that Billy Black and Edward exchange as they pass each other in their cars? Priceless. I love the baseball scene! But the crouch down and prepare to fight stance they take at the end... Can anybody say Power Rangers? But just mentioning all this makes me want to watch it again. I know it makes no sense. It just has that power.
I should be embarrassed to like this, but I'm not. I will watch it over and over again proudly. I will recommend it to anyone I can. Watch it and love it. But know that it's terrible and know that it can't compare to the book and that all of it's charm is due to it's cheesiness.
E. Ambrose | CA, USA | 08/21/2009
"The only people on earth who are allowed to sparkle are as follows...
1) Drag Queens. A Drag Queen who does not emit sparkly fabulousness from the core of their being is a very sad thing and should be given a hug.
2) David Bowie. Need I say more?
Someone needs to explain the why's and wherefore's of this whole "sparkly vampire" business to me. I really don't understand it at all. Going out in daylight... OK, Dracula could do it if he were well fed, so why not? But sparkles?
Anyway on to the meat of this review... (which will likely get thoroughly ignored as there seems to be so much hype over this flick)
As far as I can tell, Twilight has no plot. At all. There aren't any conflicts until the last 20 minutes or so. There isn't any drama. This is a vampire movie with no conflict among the main characters, only teen angst and Bella and Edward mooning over each other. The dialog between Edward and Bella would be better if it were done with semaphore flags. Thank goodness I had rifftrax going during those awkward silences. The really sad part is that neither of them really seems to have any real reason to angst over their boring lives. Nothing's really keeping them apart. The few glimpses of indistinguishable backup high schoolers didn't have anyone telling Bella what a horrible person she was and no one went to torment "the new girl."
Anything that could be remotely called interesting would have been centered around Bella's sheriff dad and the "maulings" (read: vampire attacks) he's investigating. But the script instead goes to focus on Bella and Edward's wangsting.
Anyone who thinks of Bella as a Mary Sue, I agree. This is perhaps the worst case of published marysueitis I have ever run across. Everyone likes her. She always gets her way. People drop everything to save her even if they have utterly no interest to do so. To make things worse, I found her to be a horrible character in general. There's one scene where one of the indistinguishable backup high schoolers is asking her out to the prom and she isn't paying the poor bit character the slightest whit of attention, preferring to gaze longingly at Edward in the distance. I'm sorry, but that's just rude and under most circumstances would probably make someone a bit miffed. I don't care if the poor guy is a bit character, I'd rather a small look at any of the their small dramas, because I could at least see that they had things going on in their lives from the tiny glimpses shown in the film.
Speaking of small bit characters, the best one is some poor construction or engineering guy in a hard hat who finds himself hunted by the "OMG bad vampires." I'll give the redshirt credit, the shadowplay on the screen says that he gave them a fight and with an iota more depth, he would have fought them off. :) Go redshirt, go! I'm told that scene was not in the books. It makes me lose all desire to ever read them.
As seems to be the trend for this movie, the villains aren't developed at all. They are clearly "OMG EVOL!!!1!!" because they act like, well, normal vampires and because they see Bella as an interesting snack. Were they given more depth or a motive at all, I probably would have started to root for them. As it was, I was bored silly.
Aesthetically speaking, the film wasn't terrible, although I could have done with less cool toned lighting. Kirsten Stewart is a pale deadpan enough without the camera making it even more obvious. Also, the soundtrack has a rather pretty piano piece in the middle, supposedly composed by Robert Pattinson. I hope he manages to get himself fired from the sequels before his entire career goes down the drain. He played a good Cedric in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
I wouldn't recommend Twilight to anyone. No amount of pretty camera work or tiny scene additions could save this movie from a script that would have been better used as toilet paper."
Obsessing over Twilight and can't wait for the DVD!!
Marcy Gomez | Kansas City, USA | 01/10/2009
"I came into the Twilight series not expecting much. The books were, after all, marketed to the teen crowd, so I originally dismissed it. I didn't expect much from the film. I wanted to see it not for the story, but because I knew Robert Pattinson from "Harry Potter" and enjoy the vampire book/movie genre.
4 books and 7 viewings later, I am happy to report that I am now a happily obsessed "Twilighter."
Going into the movie, I found myself hooked within the first 10 minutes. As soon as the Cullen siblings walked through the cafeteria door, I knew I was in for the ride. And by the time Edward and Bella were sitting together at the restaurant in Port Angeles, I was smitten. The love story, the beautiful vampires, and the amazing chemistry between leads Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, made this film - for me - utterly irresistible. I knew I wanted to see it again as soon as it was over, and the female relatives that I went to see it with couldn't agree more.
7 viewings later, I am still obsessed. Like "Titanic" and all the wonderful Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell tv/movie adaptations before it, I was enthralled by the love story of Edward and Bella. Edward Cullen, a 108 year old vampire trapped in the body of a 17 year old, falls in love for the first time...to a human - a young unsuspecting girl named Isabella Swan. Bella becomes equally fascinated by Edward, and this mutual fascination soon grows into yearning and love. Theirs is a Romeo & Juliet like love story but this time it's not a family feud that keeps them apart, but the fact that Edward is a vampire and Bella is a human - the predator and the prey fall in love (or as Edward puts it, "...and so the lion falls in love with the lamb"). Within the story are some other conflicts, as Edward and his family's true nature must remain a secret, and as other vampires threaten Bella's life.
Author Stephenie Meyer has crafted an irresistible tale, and screenwriter Rosenberg Melissa Rosenberg does a fine job of staying faithful with the novel. Some scenes and plotlines are changed around or omitted in order to make it work on film, but the essentials are there. Director Catherine Hardwicke does a superb job of bringing all the elements together and guiding her young cast through the journey, so I was saddened to hear that she will not be helming the sequel.
The major breakthroughs in this film, however, are the young and talented leads - Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. What started out as a small independent film has now become a worldwide phenomenon and has catapulted Rob and Kristen to the brink of superstardom. And this is no accident. The charismatic and versatile Robert Pattinson is brilliant as Edward. He properly conveys the internal conflict that rages within Edward and brings it out in full force. When he's onscreen, you couldn't take your eyes off him. His Edward can be gentle, loving and tender, but also fearsome and dangerous. Kristen Stewart brings a beautiful and nuanced performance. She is exactly how I pictured Bella and she does an excellent job of bringing the character to life. The supporting cast is also wonderful. Of the supporting roles, Billy Burke (Charlie Swan), Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen), Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen) and Peter Facinelli (Carlisle Cullen) are standouts. I think everyone - with the exception of Nikki Reed's Rosalie Hale/Cullen (who I feel just doesn`t fit Rosalie physically) - are perfectly cast.
I am also a fan of the soundtrack and Carter Burwell's amazing score, and I highly recommend purchasing these as a companion to the dvd. I am thrilled that the dvd is finally coming, and I although the final specs are not yet available, I hope that Summit Entertainment will release a dvd version filled with extras, deleted/extended scenes and behind-the-scenes footage. I'm a huge fan of the books and I feel that the cast and crew of Twilight has done an amazing job of bringing one of my favorite books to life. I'm looking forward to New Moon, and I hope that it will be as good as, if not better than, the first film. This film is a gem and one of my favorite love stories ever. Bella and Edward has joined the ranks of Elizabeth and Darcy, John Thornton and Margaret Hale, Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester, Cathy and Heathcliff, Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, and yes Romeo and Juliet, as two of my very favorite romantic couples that has ever graced the big and small screen.
C. BIRD | 05/13/2009
"I just got my Ultimate Blu-ray edition in the mail and it isn't entirely what I was expecting. The blu-ray disc, the photos, and the soundtrack are awesome, however, the jewelry box is made out of cardboard and the bookmark is nothing special. The bookmark just says Twilight on it. I have seen better bookmarks on other websites sold separately. The bracelet is decent. The watch looks like a kids watch that you can purchase out of a gumball machine. I am mostly just happy to have the dvd, but for $80, I was expecting the quality of the other items to be much, much better than they were. Overall, it probably would have been better to buy the blu-ray disc separately and then shop around at other websites, like Etsy.com, for the other items made from better material."


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A Pregnant Pause on the Way to Tampa
I'm a University of Maryland grad and a big women's college basketball fan so that means I'm pretty darned excited about the Terps playing in the NCAA tournament. They had a great game on Saturday (finally) after looking a little raggedity in the first two wins. On to the Elite Eight tonight against Stanford.
If you are a women's basketball fan, it would be impossible not to know that Maryland Coach Brenda Frese spent most of the season pregnant with twins. They were finally born five and a half weeks ago so Brenda is back on the sideline coaching the team.
I bet you are wondering where I am going with this. Patience, please.
During the Maryland game with Vanderbilt on Saturday, the male commentator ( I can't remember his name) seemed to me to be obsessed with the idea that Brenda was actually back coaching after giving birth to twins 5 ½ weeks ago. I have never given birth to one baby let along two at once, so it is conceivable that I have no idea what I am talking about, but it seems to me that Brenda is probably a lot more comfortable now. I bet she is much more able to concentrate on coaching than when she was still carrying the twins and sitting on the sidelines in an office chair looking like a very uncomfortable Joba the Hut. Now that must have been difficult. From the comments of this guy, you'd think Brenda had made a miraculous recovery from a life-threatening disease.
In addition to his nattering on about how amazing it was that Brenda could stand, walk, shout instructions to the team for the whole entire game, we saw footage of Brenda telling the team she was pregnant, shots of Brenda and her husband bottle-feeding the twins, shots of Maryland players holding the twins and her husband watching the game and also an interview in which he raved about how wonderful a mom Brenda is.
I think it is great that Brenda Frese is married and gave birth to the twin boys during the season and that she is now back on the sidelines to coach the team during the tournament. I think it is wonderful that her husband is supportive of her as a coach and a mother. I love it when we get personal profile stories about coaches and players and their lives off the court. I do wonder if there would be the same whoop-dee-do if a male coach became a new parent during the season. If we would see stories about him and his wife feeding the babies, the players holding the babies. Maybe we would. I'm just wondering.
Still wondering where I'm going? Ok, here it is. Let's imagine that a woman coach is a lesbian. Let's imagine that she is pregnant and gives birth during the season and that her wife (we'll say she lives in Massachusetts and can get married) is also supportive of her as a coach and a mother. What kind of coverage would we see? I know it is difficult to imagine such a scenario in the first place because all the lesbian coaches are in the closet so it would be quite a moment to have one announce that she is a lesbian let alone a pregnant one.
My point is that heterosexual coaches, women and men, get to share their personal lives – their husbands, their children – and it is a fun side story. Lesbian and gay coaches rarely do. When they do it is considered brave or risky. Many still perceive identifying themselves as lesbians or gay men, let alone sharing anything about their personal lives, a professional threat. And it might be. Will it become grist for the negative recruiting mill? Will their sexuality become the focus of media attention rather than their coaching record? Will it be a distraction for the team? Will it be perceived as "flaunting their lifestyle?"
Profiles of heterosexual coaches in media guides often include references to their spouse and children: Coach Straight lives in East Happy Valley with her husband and two children. Profiles of lesbian and gay coaches are devoid of family information: Coach Queer lives in East Closetville with her cat, Sneakers. The contrast is sometimes used as a clue to parents and recruits trying to figure out where the gay coaches are and maybe the straight married coaches include this information on purpose as a way to announce their heterosexuality.
Here's an ESPN side story I'd like to see:
"Coach Comfortable Shoes gave birth to twins 5 ½ weeks ago. Her wife, Susie Shorthair, sitting prominently behind the team, tells us that they are sleep-deprived but so happy to be moms. The team is ga-ga over the new members of the family and happy that Coach Comfortable Shoes is courtside again with a recent 5 year contract extension. After having landed the top high school recruit in the country last week, the future looks bright for the team and for the Comfortable Shoes-Shorthair family."
Posted by Pat Griffin at 1:56 PM 14 comments:
ESPN on Negative Recruiting
Sunday morning ESPN Outside the Lines featured a short segment on negative recruiting based on perceived sexual orientation in women's sports. Negative recruiting, for anyone who doesn't know what this means, occurs when coaches tell prospective athletes and their parents negative things about other coaches and teams who are also trying to recruit that athlete rather than focusing on the positive qualities of their own school and team. In women's sports negative recruiting based on sexual orientation can be used against any woman coach, regardless of her sexual orientation.
Negative recruiting based on stereotypes and fears about lesbian coaches is a persistent and shameful practice in women's sports. It is sometimes mixed with religious overtones when coaches also claim that the "Christian" or "family-oriented" atmosphere on their own teams contrast with the implied immoral and threatening "lesbian"atmosphere on another school's team. The message sent is that "your daughter will be safe from lesbians here." Unfortunately, negative recruiting still works with many young women athletes and their parents.
The ESPN segment made the link between homophobia and the decline in the number of women coaches. Commentator Doris Burke noted that SEC schools have hired married men for two women's basketball coaching positions in the wake of LSU coach Pokey Chatman's resignation last March. Unfortunately, the segment did not note that hiring a male coach for women's team is by no means a guarantee that the coach can maintain a professional boundary between himself and the women or girls on his team. A visit to Badjocks.com any day of the week tells us this. It's too bad that some parents and athletes are still more frightened of the big bad lesbian bogeywoman than they are of practically any guy coach.
Kudos to ESPN for featuring the segment. Negative recruiting needs more attention. However, the segment left me with a sense that nothing can be done about negative recruiting. Doris Burke opined that you "can't legislate right and wrong." I am assuming that Doris was referring to negative recruiting here, but it was a little unclear to me whether she was referring to homosexuality or negative recruiting when she made this comment.
Let's assume that she was talking about negative recruiting (I certainly hope so). I'd like to know why we can't legislate against negative recruiting. The NCAA, athletic conferences, coaches associations and individual schools legislate against certain practices all the time. Other recruiting violations are reported and sanctions applied. Coaches lose their jobs for breaking other rules, why not negative recruiting?
I know it's tough to do an in-depth story in six minutes, but the segment missed an important opportunity to make the point that initiatives against negative recruiting are gaining some ground. The National Center for Lesbian Rights sponsored an historic national "think tank" on negative recruiting based on sexual orientation in October, 2006 at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. The resulting two part "white paper" is available on the NCAA web site. Part one outlines the issues and part two outlines best practices for coaches, administrators, athletes and parents. I am proud to be the lead author of this document. Sample policies are included too. It's a start. Now it is up to all to all of us to follow through.
It's time for sport governing organizations, coaches associations, athletic conferences and individual schools and coaches to take a leadership role in addressing negative recruiting. Ask if sport organizations or coaches associations you belong to have a policy. How about your school? If you are a parent, athlete or coach who is on the receiving end of negative recruiting, what do you do about it? Don't just assume, like Doris Burke, that nothing can be done.
Perhaps the most important change will occur when negative recruiting based on sexual orientation no longer works. That change is coming. It is coming slowly, but it coming. I have talked with parents of young women athletes and their daughters who have been offended by a coach's use of this tactic and, as a result, crossed that school off their list. They believe that playing on a team coached by an ethical and successful lesbian is preferable to playing on a team with an unethical or prejudiced coach of any gender or sexual orientation. I think coaches who assume that negative recruiting always works to their advantage do so at their peril. Parents and high school athletes are more open-minded and becoming more so. Their numbers will only increase. This is the nature of social change.
"Coach Reprimanded, School Sanctioned for Violation of Negative Recruiting Rule"
"Top High School Prospect Rejects Scholarship Offer, Cites Negative Recruiting by Coach."
Now there are a couple of headlines that would get coaches' attention.
Posted by Pat Griffin at 6:19 AM 29 comments:
Making the Connections
I've avoided writing about last month's murder of Lawrence King, a fifteen year old gay middle school student in California. Partly it is because I am so sad and angry about it that I hardly know what to say and partly because it does not directly relate to sport. If I start blogging about all of the incidents related to LGBT people in schools, I fear I would be blogging 24/7.
However, two other news events in the last few days prompted me to make some connections that I think need to be talked about: the anti-gay comments of Oklahoma state legislator, Sally Kern and the opposition to an anti-bullying program that includes sexual orientation in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools.
On February 12, Larry King was shot twice in the head by another student in a classroom at E.O. Green Middle School in Oxnard, CA. Larry was gay. He liked to wear make-up and jewelry. Not surprisingly, Larry was the target of anti-gay bullying and harassment from other students and, according to the few friends he had in school, he spent much of his school time trying to avoid the bullies who found his gender expression and sexual orientation unacceptable.
Brandon McInerney, the 14 year old student who shot Larry, will be charged with murder and a hate crime. He will be tried as an adult. This shooting is a double tragedy for Larry and his family as well as for Brandon and his family. Larry is dead and Brandon has had the rest of his life irrevocably changed.
Sally Kern's anti-gay tirade was audio-recorded and posted on YouTube. You can listen for yourself. I don't want to put the link on my blog. She has defended her comments by wrapping herself in the Bible and free speech to justify her ignorance and careless slander of all lesbian and gay people. Her stunning display of bigotry in the name of Christian belief is an outrage. There is no love in her words, only fear and hate.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools' anti-bullying proposal is opposed by some community members because they believe the program is a front for the "pro-homosexual agenda in schools." I assume, because the language is so typical of anti-gay Christian rhetoric, that these community groups are led by people, like Sally Kerns, who have religious objections to non-heterosexual people. They don't want the policy to "promote the acceptance of homosexuality" or encourage "respect for homosexuality."
If a "pro-homosexual agenda" means making schools a place where gay and gender non-confirming kids are safe, then count me in. If the "pro-homosexual agenda" includes the demand that all students, including those who are or are perceived to be gay or express their gender in non-conforming ways, are treated with respect, then let me be the first to support the "pro-homosexual agenda."
Unfortunately, people like those who oppose the anti-bullying program in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and state rep Sally Kern are offended by any positive portrayal of, support for, or legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of any age. They are so driven by their own irrational anti-gay fears and prejudice that anything other than silence and invisibility poses a threat to their fragile and narrow view of the world.
I think people who oppose programs that try to eliminate bullying in schools because they include protection for gay students and elected public officials who proudly spew anti-gay nonsense should some bear responsibility for hate crimes and the violence against LGBT people in and out of school. Where do they think Brandon McInerney and other child perpetrators of anti-gay violence learn this hate and fear?
This is not about a "pro-homosexual agenda." It is about decency and humanity. It is about protecting all children who are perceived to be on the margins and therefore targeted by bullying. People who oppose anti-bullying policies apparently would rather see a child taunted or even killed than permit a program to explicitly protect LGBT students from bullying. Maybe Larry King would still be alive if someone in his school had stopped Brandon McInerney and others from tormenting him day after day.
It is not so far from North Carolina to Oklahoma to California. We need to make the connection. We need to stop the hate.
Posted by Pat Griffin at 11:22 AM 3 comments:
A Funeral for the N-Word
The Student Athlete Advisory Council at Mount Olive College recently held a funeral for the N-word to "to celebrate a death – the death of a hurtful and offensive word." The funeral included a hearse, casket, obituary and euology to educate the campus community about the history and negative impact of the N-word. At the end of the service, everyone was invited to write on a small slip of paper why they were burying the N-word. The casket was opened and everyone tossed their slip of paper into the casket to symbolically bury the N-word.
Wow. What a great idea. What an original and creative way to educate people and invite them to reflect on the language that they use. How refreshing amid the stories of sports fans screaming racist, sexist and homophobia names at athletes on opposing teams.
We might be closer to achieving a social consensus (at least in the public discourse) that the N-word is hurtful and offensive than we are on the use of sexist or homophobic epithets. It's difficult for me to imagine fans shouting the N-word at opposing teams without an immediate reaction from school officials. This doesn't mean that racism isn't lurking in the stands. It just means that white fans are more likely to self-censor when it comes to the public use of the N-word.
Piggy-backing on the Mount Olive funeral, what if student-athletes at other schools followed the example set by the Mount Olive SAAC and held a service to "bury" all name-calling and taunting at athletic contests. Hearing student-athletes and coaches speak out could have an impact on fans' behavior. That coupled with a more forceful response by school administrators to offensive fan taunts could be a great way to "take back the stands" for all fans.
Student-Athlete Advisory Councils are community service-oriented groups on college campuses that enable student-athletes to work with community groups and take leadership roles within the athletic department. Planning a funeral for name-calling and taunting of all kinds at games, in the locker room or anywhere on campus would certainly be a community service that would benefit everyone.
Posted by Pat Griffin at 6:59 AM No comments:
Returning to Penn State: A Journey of Hope
Last week I spent two and a half days in State College, Pennsylvania at Penn State University. Lea Robinson, my friend and colleague from Suffolk University and I were invited by the Penn State LGBTA Student Resource Center to make an all campus presentation on homophobia in sport. Allison Subasic, the director of the LGBTA, also contacted the Penn State Athletic Department to see if there was interest in having me make a presentation to athletic staff and student-athletes in addition to the all campus talk.
Athletic Director, Tim Curley, agreed and two sessions were set up for Friday morning – one for athletic staff and another for student-athletes. As most followers of women's basketball know, Penn State was embroiled in a lawsuit for the last two years filed by a former player on the women's team over allegations that former coach, Rene Portland, discriminated against players she perceived to be lesbians. Rumors about Portland's "anti-lesbian" policy have circulated among women's basketball fans and players since the early 80's. Last spring the lawsuit was settled and Portland resigned a few weeks later.
In 1992 I was invited to do a presentation for the Penn State athletic department as part of the university's response to public criticism resulting from media attention to Portland's policies. As I described in my book, Strong Women, Deep Closets, that session was one of the most painful of my career as an educator committed to making athletics safe and respectful for LGBT coaches and athletes. Not many athletic departments had, at that time, made serious efforts to address LGBT issues and working with any group of coaches was challenging. Working with coaches at Penn State in 1992 was especially challenging given the controversy raised by allegations about Portland's treatment of lesbian athletes.
So here I was sixteen years later at Penn State again anticipating another presentation with Penn State athletic staff. The session was voluntary so there was no way to tell how many people would come. The room was huge and, before people came, I made a mental note to ask everyone to sit on one side of the room since I thought we'd probably have lots of empty seats.
As the time for the session to begin approached, people kept coming in. The room was abuzz as everyone enjoyed the breakfast buffet set up in the back of the room in the Bryce Jordan Center. Several people came up and introduced themselves to me. By the time Tim Curley started the session by introducing me to his staff, about eighty people filled the room.
We had 90 minutes together. Later Tim and I agreed that was not enough time, but it was a productive time nonetheless. I set up small group discussions about such issues as athletes coming out to staff, conflicts between religious values and lesbian and gay athletes on teams, romantic relationships on teams, negative recruiting based on perceived sexual orientation, and anti-gay name-calling in athletics. As I moved around the room "eavesdropping" on these conversations, I had the sense of educators who are committed to making athletics at Penn State a place where every athlete is respected and treated with fairness. Perhaps there was also a sense of feeling freed from the burden of negative attention and publicity that Penn State athletics has borne for some time. Whatever the source of the energy in the room, it was gratifying. The issues being discussed are not always simple and I enjoyed listening to and talking with good people working to find fair and practical responses to the discussion topics.
I'm a firm believer in the importance of the active and visible support of department leadership to make athletics safe and respectful for LGBT athletes and coaches. That leadership was present during the sessions on Friday at Penn State. I hope that, among all the pressing business of running a Division 1 program, attention to the importance of addressing LGBT issues will not be left in that room in the Bryce Jordan Center.
There is reason for optimism - Penn State athletics has instituted a diversity and inclusion committee whose mission is to continue to address these issues over the long term. Allison Subasic also provides a yearly orientation program for new student-athletes in which she helps incoming athletes to be better prepared to respond positively to lesbian or gay teammates. These initiatives give me hope that change is in the wind at Penn State. It's been sixteen years since my last visit to Penn State athletics, but it feels like a new generation of leadership and programming at State College and the possibility of renewal for everyone, including LGBT coaches and athletes.
Posted by Pat Griffin at 11:59 AM 1 comment: