New York must have been jealous of Californians homophobic tendencies when confronted with a vote to legalize same-sex marriage.

Gay Marriage had already cleared one half of the New York legislature, the state assembly. It had the support of Governor David Paterson, and a majority of New Yorker’s, in a recent poll, approved of legalization for gay marriages.

So what happened?

The New York Daily News reports that…After a historic debate that lasted close to three hours, the Senate today rejected a bill that would have made New York the sixth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage.

The final vote was 24-38. Eight Democrats voted “no” – Addabbo, Aubertine, Diaz Sr., Huntley, C. Kruger, Monserrate, Onorato, Stachowski – while not a single Republican voted “yes.”

It was held up and eventually defeated by a sharply divided New York state senate. Although Democrats are in the majority, they lost the support of some of their conservative members. All the Republican state senators voted against the bill.

The New York state senate leaders wouldn’t even allow debate on the gay marriage until now,because there was no actual will by the Senator’s to acknowledge or affirm same-sex marriage.

New York also doesn’t allow civil unions, but has several laws, executive orders and court decisions that grant many of the rights to gays long enjoyed by married couples. What it does not grant is equality, setting up an apartheid like system for gays in New York, and most of our great nation.

This action by the New York Republicans and weak Democratic leaders will reflect what I predict will happen to Healthcare reform in the United States Senate.

Even though we all voted in a majority of Democratic Congressman, there seems to be a naive belief by the Democratic Congressman that if they move toward a middle ground, and compromise with the homophobic racist American freedom hating neocons in the Republican party, that they will be seen as moderate to the Republican voters in their district, which is crazy.

No matter how oppressive the Democrats are to the American’s that voted them in to office, the Republicans still will hate you. You have not impressed nor have you gained any ground with the Republican voters, but what you have done is proven to the Republicans just how much of a hypocrite you really are.

There is no compromise when it comes to personal freedoms, and the freedom of choice.

We all as people have a right to pursue any legal and non-violent form of happiness that we so choose. The fact that same-sex marriage is not legal is a failure of our society.

I am not gay, so if a million gay men and women choose to marry each other, …it will not have any affect on my life at all, other than the fact that I might have to decide on what wedding gift’s I should give to each couple, as I would anticipate attending a lot more weddings.

But any action to stop them, will lead to a slippery slope of amendments to restrict all of our personal freedoms, and that will directly hurt many of us, straight or gay. I am for freedom,I am against fascism.

I say this to my gay Americans out there, these laws that citizens have to vote on remind me of the outcome of some of the very first Civil Rights legislation that was voted on right after the Civil War, and all bills that related to the freedom and full rights for black Americans, were all defeated soundly in both houses of Congress.

The American people, given a chance to vote on freedom, will always vote against it. Republicans are trained from a very young age to vote against their own self-interest, and this legislation is no different.

The ugly cloud of homophobic hatred now stretches out from coast to coast…making California just as bad as the haters in New York.

Call and write all of the backwards state Senators in New York, listed in this article linked here,from the New York Daily News… http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/12/gay-marriage-fails-24-38.html

The State Assembly had earlier approved the bill, and Gov. David Paterson, perhaps the bill’s strongest advocate, had pledged to sign it.

Immediately after the vote, gay rights advocates chanted: “Equal rights now!” Many said they weren’t surprised by the decision. Most, including Paterson, said they at least wanted a floor debate and vote.

Senate sponsor Thomas Duane, a Manhattan Democrat and the Legislature’s first openly gay member, vowed not to give up his life’s goal.

“I’m like a dog with a bone,” said Duane in his closing remarks on the floor, when defeat was becoming clear. “I wouldn’t let go of anyone … Because I don’t give up. I don’t know how to!”

The message should be clear to gay rights advocates, the time for civil unrest is here. New York and California set the pace for the rest of America, so the tactic of using the ballot has ended, and the time is now for civil disobediance…or forget about getting married legally.

Choose one….

SOURCE-

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hRfgezF0Cr4Z-4GqQaP9vio3k_gQD9CBCVJ00

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/12/new_york_senate_kills_gay_marr.html

Everyone has to know the alphabet song. I remember when I was a kid that’s how I learned how to say my ABC’s. You should teach your child how to sing the alphabet first. Most kids talk before they can walk, right? You need to just teach your child four letters at a time. After they get those down you can add on more.

Example:

Alphabet

A is for Apple

B is for Ball

C is for Cat

And D is for Dog

E is for Elephant

F is for Frog

G is for Guitar

And H is for House

I is for Ice cream

J is for Jet

K is for Kite

And L is for Lion

M is for Monkey

N is for Numbers

O is for Octopus

And P is for Pig

Q is for Queen

R is for Rainbow

S is for Snake

And T is for Tiger

U is for Umbrella

V is for Vet

X is for X-rays

Y is for Yarn

And Z is for Zebra

There are tuns of different techniques you can do to help them remember letters. Such as, making flashcards. Put the letter on the front side and draw what is stands for on the back side with the word underneath the picture. Show your child the front side first and when he tells you what the letter is then ask, “And that stands for what?” (turn the flashcard over to the back.) And once they get that down then you can switch it up and do the back side first. You can get the refrigerator letter magnets and ask them to show you where the “__” letter is. Don’t forget to tell them how good they are doing and reward them. You have to keep it fun or your child may get bored with it. Another learning tool I have found very affective is to get a piece of paper and just write the letter A and draw a few picture that start with that letter. Ask your child what letter that is and point to it. Then ask them, “What does this letter start with?” While your child looks at the picture he/she will also see the word under the picture, that will help with their reading. Off to the side write just the words that start with that letter. Point to the word and ask them, “What is this word?” They will see the word and match it with the picture. Kids love it when you play games with them. To them this this is a game, but to you they are learning and you are spending some quality time with your child. Just don’t push them away from learning. Smile, laugh, play, learn.

Flashcards Front

Flachcards Back

Lesson A

Lesson B

Lesson C

Lesson D

Lesson A-D

Teaching your child how to spell his/her own name can become frustrating for you or a bit overwhelming for them. Here’s a thought, try singing it. For example: Who doesn’t know the B-I-N-G-O song? Well I taught my little nephew to spell his name at four years old using that tune. It was so easy and no one got frustrated or overwhelmed. He loved it. And yeah when you get a song stuck in your head it sometimes drives you crazy, but in this case it’s a good thing. We want their name spelled in their head. Y’all can sing it together driving down the road, going for a walk, while you’re cooking, or even bath time. At first your child might not try to sing it, but if you just keep on singing it out loud and do some silly little dance they will see how much fun you’re having and soon enough they’ll join in. After they can sing the song on their own you should start asking them, “How do you spell ______?” For example: “How do you spell Tyler?” After they sing their song make sure you tell them what a great job they did and you can even reward them by giving them a piece of candy or letting them finger paint. Soon they will not even have to sing the song and will be able to tell you how to spell their own name. Below is the song I sang to teach my nephew:

Tyler

There was a kid who liked to play

And Tyler was his name oh

T-Y-L-E-R

T-Y-L-E-R

T-Y-L-E-R

And Tyler was his name oh

If you can’t find a tune that fits your child’s name try making a cheer.

Example:

Addison

A double D-I-S-O-N

That’s how you spell Addison

Well I hope this helps you teach them to spell their name while having fun.

Fill free to comment on this post. I will try to answer any questions you may have and I would love hear how your child responded to this spelling technique.

Vaudevillains NYB are happy to announce that we will be one of the cheer zones at this Sunday’s Philadelphia Marathon.

You can find us cheering and dancing about in all of our spandex and sequin glory in Fairmount Park on King Drive and the Disabled Rowers Boathouse, sorta past the zoo.

Good luck to all of our running friends and we will see you bright and early in the morning on Sunday, November 22nd!

All cheer zones are listed here.

Thousands of Algerian football fans are celebrating on the streets of London after their team beat Egypt to qualify for the World Cup…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: indoor soccer shoes. The blog is also related to: english football scores.

I heard a preacher talk about this once.  He asked the question – who are we really cheering for?

Tonight when I watched the world series, I fixated on the idea that Johnny Damon 5 years ago won the World Series with the Red Sox.  In 2004, he had a couple homeruns, one a grandslam against the Yankees to win the ALCS, and then taking the World Series.  I actually had to look it up cause I’m not that big a baseball fan, but tonight Johnny Damon wins the World Series as a Yankee.  He was interviewed after the game and the one interviewing asking which World Series was better.  He said that they were both sweet.

But back to the question, 5 years ago the Red Sox won and Damon was on that team.  Tonight, the Yankees win and Damon is on that team as well.  How are the Red Sox fans feeling about Damon – well, that’s another post.  But here’s the idea that the preacher was trying to make.  The teams change every year.  Damon can be on a different team next year and win again.  The loyalty of fans is to the team, but they cheer for a certain group of guys one year and a different group of guys the next – same team though.  So why do we cheer? Or more specifically, who do we cheer for?

We cheer for ourselves.  We cheer for me.  It’s about me identifying with the team.  It might be the people on the team-individual team members, but at the end of the day, who are we really cheering for?  Simple: Ourselves.  We cheer for us.  It makes us feel good to win.  It’s about me.

By Mirjam Donath

One minute and 50 seconds. That’s how much time Laszlo Jozsa and Borbala Nanai needed to engage on November 1, 2009. The 31-year-old Hungarian television producer went up to her girlfriend at the corner of 1st Ave and 60th street and asked her if she would marry him. Then he ran away.

See you at the altar! (Photo: Borbala Nanai)

It was 11.50 a.m. that Jozsa, who had run the marathon in Berlin, Copenhagen and Budapest before, spotted Nanai at the 25th kilometer. She was cheering for him, one amongst the 2 million spectators who egg the runners on in the world’s biggest marathon. Jozsa hunted out Nanai, hugged her, and proposed out of the blue.

“She was crying so she couldn’t say ‘yes’. She just nodded, moved her head but there were no words uttered,” Jozsa said, who did not go to his knees as it would have been hard for him to get up after 25 kilometers behind him.

Following the proposal Jozsa had to force himself to forget about his emotions to be able to continue the race. “It is not easy to run while you cry. It was another battle within me, just to make sure that I can continue the race,” he said.

Jozsa finished the race in 3 hours and 46 minutes, 9 minutes behind his personal best. The proposal took 2 minutes of it. But Jozsa said he did not want to blame his time on that. “It was a day of achievements,” he said.

]]> http://cadantine.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/applause/ Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:24:49 +0000 Aventoe http://cadantine.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/applause/ http://bartik.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/my-failed-moment-of-nationalistic-pride/ Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:17:56 +0000 John Bartik http://bartik.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/my-failed-moment-of-nationalistic-pride/

[The opening illustration from my sermon last Sunday night]

I found myself witnessing the emergence of a champion, a sporting messiah, at the Sydney Olympics. And everything about it was unexpected. The man, the sport, and even my participation in the event.

Here I am at the athletics on my own. I have a great seat about 6 rows back from the very front of the field. The night is pretty much uneventful until suddenly, to my left the crowd erupts. I’m not much of a sporting person, I just don’t really care that much. I have only been to a few sporting events. But thousands of voices started shouting in delight, the atmosphere became electric.Apparently there was an Aussie winning the long jump. Jai Taurima.

Jai Taurima  was an unexpected champion. He was unknown (to me at least), he came from the central coast – a place not really known for it’s champions, he was way too old – in his 30s, and he smoked. The other thing was that Australians are not at all known for long jump.

So for the first time in my life, my heart beat for an Australian sportsman. I jumped to my feet and I shouted and I clapped and I got caught up in the moment… the Cuban guy ended up beating him by 6cm, but Jay Taurima was the new Australian champion of long jump.

And after all the jumps are done, Jai does a victory lap. This is where it starts going weird for me. As Jay passes, for some reason I decide that you ought to shower a champion with praise. I don’t really know what I should shout, so I pick the first thing that came to mind, which was ‘Go Australia’. That’s what I shouted at Jay Tourima. Anyways, he hears me…. And he stops. “What?” he mouthed. I shout “Go Australia” with a little less gusto, “huh?”. I was a little horrified. This is shouldn’t happen. I just wanted to show my support. Maybe he thinks I’m insulting him! I’m not insulting him. I’m just trying to be a good crowd member! And so I give him the thumbs up to let him know that I’m not talking about his mother… and on he goes… [phew].

That was weird. I didn’t expect that to happen.

Everything was unexpected. The event was unexpected, Australians don’t win at long jump. He was unexpected himself. Athletes should be young and healthy, and he was old and had unhealthy habits. And my interaction was unexpected. I thought I’d interact with the champion as a voice from from the sidelines, but instead he engaged me personally. I didn’t really expect the champion to interact with me, but he did.

He looks funny here. But when you are 19 and on your own, and you think he thinks you are saying something about his mother...

Image from http://www.foxsports.com.au/thesideline/hotshots/0,28116,5058464-3,00.html

My 12 year old daughter is in Pop Warner football cheering….well, she was in Pop Warner football cheering.  She is a great child but the late nights and all day Saturday cheering, practicing, pictures, et. al., were just too much to overcome when school tests came about.  The grades have suffered greatly.

I had been praying about how to handle it.  I know for most of you ….. easy decision.  Bad grades = out of cheering.  In my old age, however, and with girls,..I have realized that what a dad says and what a dad does is so important…..but most of all…..HOW he does it is the pinnacle of being a dad.  So, I have been praying about it first.  Figure that.  Instead of just doing it….I sought God.  Not always my style!

She has been praying about her grades and her study habits too.  God has been speaking to my daughter also.  As I went to her last night…going to pull the plug on the cheering deal….I began to ask her had God been speaking to her about her struggling in school.  She said that He had been speaking to her.  He was telling her that cheering was too much.  She felt overwhelmed for weeks.  Man, for weeks she has felt overwhelmed!  Why had I not acted sooner…?

So, now she has this big test on Friday…..she has not studied because cheering took all of her time this last month…..  She might fail the test, but when I know that God has been speaking to her……and she listens…but more importantly, she wants to obey…  Well,….  She has passed the test…….

louie

Jennifer & Aaron had a rocking wedding at the Loring pasta bar and Varsity Theater in Dinkytown. Here is a quick preview from the day!

Maybe its because I still look out on a soccer field and just see kids running back and forth – enjoying themselves  and their sport…pushing themselves to the limit for the pure enjoyment of playing together.  Who cares about the game and the rules and the plays??  I mean, the boy has ONLY been playing the game for eleven years and  I JUST figured out the off sides rule last spring.

Maybe its because I have a hearing loss and am generally oblivious to the calls of the refs….and the taunts of players themselves.  I enjoy watching the expressions of the players.  Determined.  Focused.  Daring. 

Maybe its because I am a Teacher and deal with children learning and modeling behavier on an every day basis.

Maybe its because the Prince has had a rocky start as a soccer referee based totally on this particular fear.  

Parents.

And adult spectators.

Please.  I can get as enthusisatic as the next parent.  I can scream and holler and clap and cheer along with the best of them.  My kids are relatively good at the game.  And its fun to watch them play.  Its exciting. 

I know that I complain alot.  The early morning or late evening or far away games are a pain.  The cold and the wet and the heat are uncomfortable at their worst.  Injuries have become more frequent as they learn to kick harder – and more accurately – at each age level.  Goodness knows the cost has changed over the years.  Costs for coaching and camps and equipment.  But not the game.  The game has stayed the same. 

Watching little kids trip over themselves as they learn to get their bearings on a smaller soccer field is a hoot.  Catching pre-teens as they dance along the burbling limits of energy on a grassy field, squirt each other with orange slices that you paid dearly for and gobble down expected snacks after each game is a pleasure.  Enjoying the fluid motions of your teenagers as they come into their own in a sport that has become like second nature to them is pure heaven.  But that’s the beauty of the sporting world.

Something not so beautiful  happened last night.

I was sitting in the middle school bleachers with a friend whose child was sitting on the bench of the opposite team.  Our children were teammates with another club for two years.  It has been almost as long since we have seen each other.  What a nice surprise.  What fun to casually watch the game and talk about our kids and how things have been going for them since we last talked.  I was sharing the fact that we loved the new club.  That my child had made some good friends.  That the team had a real ‘family’ feel to it.   That they were a considerate and happy group of families.

Maybe I missed a few rough calls during our conversation.  I noticed that there had been some rather loud cheering after a goal.  I even clapped myself as MY child had been a part of that goal.  My friend had to leave for a bit but assured me she would be back at the end of the game so our kids would have some time off the field to chat before going home.  I was content in the bleachers – watching the game and waiting for my friend.  The next thing I knew the opposing coach turned around and told parents in the bleachers to quiet down or they would be asked to go to the other side of the field behind our team. 

What?  So now I am sitting with stunned adults who were used to cheering.  The next goal, they literally screamed…and stamped their feet on the aluminum bleachers….and whistled…..and cheered.  I was sharing the score with my husband on the phone at half time when our manager approached the bleachers.  Our parents were instructed to move off the bleachers behind the opposing team to the other side of the field for the rest of the game.  Disgruntled, they did as they were told.

Now, I was in a quandry.  I was waiting for my friend to return.  I hadn’t been yelling during the game.  I decided to stay put…along with another parent…..who eventually got up and moved to join our parent group a little later.   More goals…more calls….and the din from across the field was even louder and more….determined?   So I moved as well….off the bleachers….with a rueful smile at the small group of parents from the other team.  I stood at the fence surrounding the field.  And watched the rest of the game.   Watched my child and her friends.  Running, shooting, bumping…determination filling their faces.  All the while contemplating – and worrying – how my little ’stance’ would be interpreted by the parents who had moved across the field. 

My child and her team mates won the game.  They lined up in the center of the field – as is the customary show of sportsmanship – to high five and hand shake the hands of their opponents.  I was so proud to see all of  our girls  race toward the bench to high five a player who had been injured as well.  Good sports.  GREAT players.  Short meeting with their coach and mine headed across the field to me…and to talk to the old friend.  As we headed back to the car, a mom from the bleachers stopped me to compliment the players on our team – and particularly my child – for their ‘talent.’   Said they played a very good game.

Now, I am not one to really listen about what players choose to say to one another on the field.  My children know that we expect them to be good sports in a game.  We expect them to treat other players with the same consideration they would anticipate for themselves.  We expect them to always listen to and respect their coach.  Luckily for us, their coaches have always been deserving of that respect.   My only interest in after the game talk is if they enjoyed playing.  If not, we talk about why.   My husband handles the logistics of the game…..all the whys and the wherefores of each referee call….all the moves and the plays.   That’s their thing with him.  I could care less.

I think that’s why the incident on the benches is so very troubling to me.  Why should a coach have to tell a team to ‘not pay attention’ to their parents??  Why would people who are paying for their children to learn and enjoy a sport choose to go beyond what they would expect from their own children?   Its troubling.

Maybe I missed something while I was talking to my friend.  I hope so because for me…..it’s still about the tripping  over the ball and the orange slice wars and the fluidity of teenage confidence and motion.  I am pretty passive when it comes to sports….especially kid sports.  Its all about having a good time.  I just don’t get the rage that causes conflict  there.

Its just a game after all.

Enjoy it for what it is.

Right?

Das ist im gleichen Maße beeindruckend, wie es beunruhigend ist.

Cheerleading doesn’t seem to be what everyone thinks it is. It’s not a lot of girls running around with high pitched voices or mean girls plotting to run the school. We’re actually very nice, and we work hard for everything we do and achieve. Practicing everyday after school, running, conditioning, eating right, lifting weights, and pushing ourselves is just a minor part of the entire cheerleading experience. Here’s the basics of cheerleading:

1. Cheering

2. Dancing

3. Jumping

4. Stunting

To cheer to the crowd, you have to be loud and use your diaphragm, while also trying not to lose your voice. You need to be sharp with your motions and hit every move with a pop. All while keeping a charming smile glued to your face. When it comes to dancing, you also have to keep your movements sharp and work on learning the material at fast pace so you can go home and practice more.  While of course keeping your smile. Jumping is on a completely different level than cheering and dancing. To be a good jumper, you have to be flexible and have good abdomen and leg strength. If you want good jumps, you have to practice more than anything else, because you never get any better if you don’t try. A stunt group is composed of four people; two bases, a back spot, and a flyer. The two bases lift the flyer into the air by her feet, while the backspot offers support to her ankles. Stunting requires a lot of strength in your triceps and good communication with the rest of the group, because the flyer’s life is in your hands. Since i’ve given you the basics, hopefully it’ll be easier to understand whenever we talk about these things. Here’s the video of the week:

This has a little of everything, cheering, stunting, dancing, jumps, and even tumbling. But that’s it for today, have a good day tomorrow!

9/11 should be a time for every American to ponder the events of that fateful and horrific day in 2001.

We had just suffered more casualties from a foreign enemy in an act of war than had ever been sustained by America on its own soil in its entire history – including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Most Americans were angry and demanded action.  Fully 90% supported George Bush as he laid out his plans to respond to the attack.  And that support was still above 70% when President Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq in March, 2003.  We passed the Patriot Act with wide margins in both branches of Congress in October of 2001.  Only ONE Senator – Russ Feingold – voted against it.

And then, slowly at first, and then precipitously, Americans began to turn against the president they had supported, against the wars they had supported, and against the Patriot Act they had supported.

You can see in collections of quotes from Democrats regarding Iraq and the underlying justifications of the war how Democrats were “for that war before they were against it” as declining American support made undermining the war effort itself more and more politically advantageous.

Truth or Fiction
Freedom Agenda
Snopes

Democrat Jack Murtha denounced as war criminals and murderers Marines who were later proven to have been innocent.  Democrat House Majority Whip Representative James Clyburn said that good news in Iraq amounted to a problem for Democrats.  Democrats openly attacked Bush’s “surge” strategy that proved to be the difference in turning the war around and providing victory for the United States.  And Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, “Now I believe myself that this war is lost” even as our military was valiantly fighting on foreign soil to win.  Barack Obama joined Democrats in voting to defund the troops fighting overseas as a means of politically undermining George Bush.  Democrats denounced the credibility of General Petraeus even as liberals ran a New York Times ad entitled, “General Betray Us?”

Today, as we pause to reflect over 9/11, we no longer have a “war on terror.”  Now we have an “overseas contingency operation.”  We no longer want our Central Intelligence Agency to aggressively pursue terrorists and seek out any and all information to help us prevent the next attack.  Now we want to criminalize those operatives who tried to keep us safe as a warning to any future CIA personnel who might be so foolish as to violate liberal morays.  Better to lose a city or two than to waterboard a terrorist.

As I reflect on the hours of that terrible day of 9/11, I remember Palestinians cheering and dancing in the streets and holding up ‘V for Victory’ gestures.  I remember people leaping to their deaths from the top floors of the skyscrapers rather than endure the heat that would have murdered them even more agonizingly.  I remember Democrats and Republicans arm-in-arm singing “God Bless America” on the steps of the Capitol Building – at least until Democrats determined to undermine virtually everything they had previously supported.

On the anniversary of 9/11, I just wonder what will happen if we are attacked again.  How will we respond?  What will we want?  How will we demand our president act?

Will Americans say, “We agree with President Obama.  Let us hasten our dismantling of our intelligence apparatus to show the world our good will.”  Or will there be a dramatic swing back to the strategy envisioned and implemented by former President George Bush, based on aggressively taking the fight to the enemy, remaining in those fights, and winning them?

I hope that Americans soberly reflect how they would respond to the next massive terrorist attack today.  Because virtually every expert agrees that another such attack is surely coming.  And rather than swing wildly and frankly psychotically between extremes, perhaps we might come to a considered and committed path based on the real will of the American people.

Ask yourself this: if we are attacked again, would you want a President Bush, or would you want a President Obama?  Would you want to handled the next massive attack in which thousands, or tens of thousands (or even more) Americans die to be handled as an act of war, or as a law enforcement investigation?  Would you prefer to go to war against any nation that threatens us, or would you prefer to talk and negotiate instead?  Would you prefer a president who fights our enemies, or a president who voted against fighting and who in fact voted for undermining the war effort in order to stop it?

Just what is it you want your commander in chief to do in response to a massive terrorist attack?  What is it you expect your commander in chief to do in order to prevent such an attack from ever happening in the first place?

Let us realize that the next “Iraq” is rushing toward us in the form of a nuclear-weaponized Iran.  Is such a country a threat?  Should we allow them to develop their weapons of mass destruction, or should we use all means – including military power – to stop them?  The media first reports that Iran’s nuclear weapons program has been dramatically slowed down, then reports that they can literally make a bomb whenever they want within the space of a couple of weeks’ time.  One thing seems quite sure: Iran is inexorably working toward nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them.  What do we want our president to do about it?  Everything?  Nothing?

To the extent that the American people are even capable of genuine self-reflection and wise contemplation of the future, I hope we take this opportunity to do so today.

I also hope that every single American – regardless of political party – takes a moment to thank God for our troops and pray for their safety and for their victory.

the structure beneath stomping feet sways
a byproduct of the crowd’s movement
noise that rings with an electronic sound
rattles eardrums and surges adrenaline
then by the commanded wave of a fireman
mounted on the shoulders of another
the roar falls to a hush of anticipation
only to erupt in a synchronized cheer
spelling out the the name of the team
with swinging arms all in unison
then back to the mayhem of fanaticism
guttural explosions unrestrained
supporting warriors dressed in green
in search of the blood of the opposition

I heard voices. Who are they? I don’t care. I wanted some more sleep. (Be quiet!)

Until the echo of voices became clear. They were talking about cheering. Cheering? And someone’s telling the other person to wake me up. (Heller?! I’m finished with cheering already. That was two consecutive years and I don’t want to perform anymore.) And then I heard about taking a bath and eating breakfast. Come on, please…I need more sleep. Can’t you just go out of the room and conduct your business there? I don’t have any intention of listening to your business girls.

But they didn’t go out.

When I opened my eyes, I saw them and a friend asked for a cologne.

She told me to take a bath because the cheering might start anytime from that moment. Then the idea just snapped out.

Oh yeah, today’s the cheering competition! How could I forgot that? Maybe because I’m still sleepy. I slept at 4:30 am because of wifi.

After I took a bath, I heard the emcees from the covered court and I was like “Oh my god, it’s starting so we just go there straight. It was one of the awaited event here in UPV Iloilo. The cheering competition is one of the highlights of “Pahampang.”

When I entered UPV, my academic organization, the Redbolts is the currently holder of the title as the winner of last year pahampang. They held the title for 4 consecutive years. In our time, we won the cheering competition. And Redbolts was still the defending champion.

I participated twice in cheering because the batch 2008 lacked cheerers.  But we lost the competition and the title. From being first we became the six in overall. I am devastated that I’d cried.

Today, our standing is fourth but cheering is not part of the scores yet. There’s a big possibility that we may become the champion or second in rank. But you konw, it’s not bad. After all, we’re at six place last year. When the cheerers performed, I literally held my breath because I’m nervous and I’m afraid they can’t meet my expectations on their performance. It’s the first time that I have seen it. We don’t go to CUB to watch them practice because polsci people live a busy life.

After the performance, I didn’t wait for the announcement of winners. The back of my legs was aching. Imagine, we stand there for four hours!

Back at our dorm, I went to our room to steal some sleep for one hour. When I woke up, the first thing that come to my mind is who is the winner. I asked my roommate and she said that Skimmers was the winner. No wonder. It’s their legacy after all. Then I asked if Redbolts won. She said yes.

OMG! Thank God!

This is it! “Ang simula ng pagbangon ng Redbolts!”

Watch out for mga pula nga linti!

Signups for WAA basketball cheerleading for the 2009/2010 season are online at the WAA website

Registration open 9/19/09 – 10/17/09

Here is more about the program:

WAA Cheerleading Program

The mission of the WAA cheerleading program is to be part of an athletic team, learn to be a great team player, grow as an athlete, learn to be a good or better cheerleader, practice good sportsmanship, and most importantly to have fun.

Our program is designed for girls aged 6-14. Your daughter will learn everything she needs to know to be a great WAA cheerleader. Whether or not she has cheered before, she will learn all the basics of cheerleading including cheers, chants, jumps and possibly some introductory stunts. She will be challenged athletically and will grow as a team player. She will learn the importance of team spirit and lead the team and the audience to have more spirit, cheer louder, and get the team excited. Your daughter will learn to stretch properly and be challenged to do splits, cartwheels and roundoffs. She will do bench and floor cheering.

To watch videos of the cheerleaders from last year, take a look through this web site.

Your daughter will practice 1-2 evenings/week and will cheer on Saturdays from Mid December through Mid March. We try to work around other activity schedules. Sign up now!

Lately I’ve had moments of “Am I still working on this? Why?” or “Why do I feel like everything in my life gets shifted around, but nothing really changes?” I wrote a friend of mine an email that touches on the topic.

From: AimeeLovesYou
To: XXXX
Sent: Aug 8, 2009 8:52 AM

I woke up with this feeling that I’m still so behind on everything. Still; not losing weight, not making enough money, not selling (or making) new  artwork, not running regularly, haven’t gone back to see XXXX, haven’t paid off my debt, haven’t re-designed my art studio, haven’t settled on what the  next art career is going to be, etc., etc.. Then I thought, “How fabulous!” This morning I am happy that I have something to work on. I also have lots of love & support. I have a huge cheering crowd that wants me to accomplish everything that is important to me. How cool is that?! Life is exciting when it is unpredictable, risky, challenging & limitless. Having everything ‘all together’ or ‘all wrapped up’ would not be fun. I want to work for my dreams, I want to learn along the way, I want to make ‘mistakes(?)’. It’s all OK. It’s all part of the process, and we are all here for the process. That is living.

Xx..
A.

There is no end. There is no, “Oh my art career is all settled now” or “Wow, my body is in perfect shape, now I can stop eating healthfully & exercising regularly”. There is no end. Things feel like they are shifting around because they are! Life is supposed to be lived in the moment, not in the future. Everything is perfect IF we see it that way. The whole point of my life is to live it fully. To know that it is not mine, that it is a gift & that I have a responsibility to share it with others. My life is about being creative. It’s not about meeting some ideal in my head (or in the media’s programming of us).

I remember working on a project for a client in 2002. The project was a series of sculptures that would take me a year to build. I put a little note on the wall to remind myself of something as I worked. It read; “It will never be finished, it will never be good enough”.  Every time I felt overwhelmed with deadlines, opinions & self-criticism I read that little message on the wall. This afternoon I read something that really clicked with me. It was from John U. Bacon’s book, The Spark. It read, “To me, creativity is first and foremost about courage -a willingness to take risks, to try new things, and to share the experience with others.” Why then would my life need to about about being perfect? Or finished? Or changed? Would it not be more fun to make it about being creative? About being in a state of joy, bliss, self-love & acceptance? Or how about excitement, wonder & enthusiasm? For anyone that is afraid of trying something new or taking risks I definitely think getting over the fear is the fun part. Being afraid to fail, having to try again, or to not see results right away is part of the process. (Brian Tracy has a great interview on YouTube [interview link] about failure & success. Check it out.) Trying again or figuring it out as you go is a good thing. 

If you ever need anyone to cheer you on in your dreams, and in your life being perfect just the way it is, in this moment, I’m here for you. -Xo!

With estimates of 30 to 40 million children participating in organized youth sports in the U.S., you will likely be attending your fair share of athletic events this fall. You know you have to drive your child to and from practice and make sure his or her jersey is washed for game day, but your support of your student athlete goes far beyond that. From proper nutrition to early bed times, you are a key factor in your child’s athletic success.

In addition to the physical support you offer your child, your emotional support is important as well. Student athletes are faced with a number of issues such as the question to use performance enhancing drugs, maintaining good grades, and being a productive member of a cohesive team. There are a number of things you can do to guide your child to make sound decisions as a student athlete this year.

Support the Balancing Act
As your child gets older and her sport gets more competitive, the time spent involved in that sport increases. Practices are usually every day after school or in the evening and often on the weekend as well. Some sports, such as hockey, practice in the mornings before school because of limited availability of practice facilities.

In addition to the hours spent on the field, your child needs to maintain the hours spent in the books. Creating a schedule for your child will help her find time for both school and sports. Write all practices and games on a calendar in a common area of the house. Encourage her to map out her week by writing important homework assignments or tests on the calendar so she gives herself enough time to study.

It’s easy for families to procrastinate long-term projects and class assignments after a long day at work, school and practice. Remember that studying a little bit each night, even when she is tired, will benefit your child in the long run. Be wise about how you spend what little down time you have. This may mean saying no to weekend parties or gatherings in order to give your student athlete some rest. School always comes first and many athletic programs have rules regarding minimum grades in order to participate in sports. Discuss the school’s policy with your child and communicate with her teachers to make sure she is maintaining her grades. If her grades drop, you need to re-evaluate her participation on the team.

Be a Good Sport
There has been lots of press on this topic and you may think you already show good sportsmanship while watching your child’s game. Keep in mind that your child hears everything- even things you think you said under your breath. Stay positive- even if your team is losing or another athlete makes an error on the field. Be the first to yell “That’s OK, Johnny. Here we go, bears!” Set the tone for the team and for other parents by helping your athlete shake off a mistake and get back in the game. This also applies to the car ride home after the game. If your child is upset about losing or making a mistake, remind him that any team can win on any day. It’s certainly acceptable for your child to want to better his skills, but focusing completely on the negative or being angry with others is not a productive way to grow as an athlete.

Communicate With the Coach
There may be times when you disagree with the coach’s decision or a play he called. It is not your place to call the coach after every game to recap the play-by-play. If there is a situation that is on-going, such as a teammate targeting your child or your child not getting any playing time, approach the coach in a calm fashion at an appropriate time. Ask to schedule a meeting with the coach and let him know what you want to discuss. Approach the coach in a respectful manner and ask for his opinion. You can certainly ask what you can do to support your athlete at home, particularly if the issue is your child’s skills. Show the coach, and your child, that you want to be part of the team that supports the team! It is also important that your child communicates with the coach. If there is a conflict with the schedule or your child has a question about the team, encourage him to approach the coach himself. This shows his maturity and desire to make the most of his experience on the team.

Encourage Off-Season Workouts
It is important for all children to engage in healthy activities. It is necessary for student athletes to maintain their strength and skills in the off-season to avoid injury when they return to their sport. Make fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy protein a part of every meal. Most schools have a weight room that your child can take advantage of for free. Private instructors are available for most sports and some offer small group discounts. Check with your child’s friends about taking semi-private lessons to enhance skills in the off-season. Encourage healthy habits by limiting TV time and making family walks or pick-up games routine.

Be a Cheerleader
Be a visible supporter of your student athlete by attending as many games as possible. Seeing your face in the stands and hearing you yell her name will make your athlete feel really good. If work prevents you from being there, try and get a video of the game from the coach or another parent. Watch the game with your child and cheer her on- even if you know the final score. Your support means the world to your child and whether she is the star athlete or warming the bench, she will appreciate you cheering her on. You can also show your support by participating in fundraising events and other team activities. Many sports have a tradition of having a pasta dinner before a big game. Offer to host a dinner or contribute something to the meal.

The most important thing for you and your student athlete to remember is that participating in a sport should be enjoyable. Of course there are times of disappointment or discouragement, but your child’s overall experience should be positive. You are your child’s first and best teacher so supporting him through something he is passionate about will help him in all areas of his life.

Jennifer Cerbasi teaches at a public school for children on the autism spectrum in New Jersey. As a coordinator of Applied Behavioral Analysis programs in the home, she works with parents to create and implement behavioral plans for their children in an environment that fosters both academic and social growth. In addition to her work both in the classroom and at home, she is also a member of the National Association of Special Education Teachers and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.