dkostas

The DJs were interviewing this guy (Charles) who didn't want to let his 9y/o daughter play on a girl's sports team 'cuz he was afraid it would turn her lesbian. His reasoning was that more and more "female sports stars" are looking more masculine and "lesbianish" these days and he wanted to "protect" his daughter from that fate. He also has an adolescent son who he doesn't want to let play in the school band 'cuz it would de-masculinize him. Fortunately, the DJs and other callers had this guys number and challenged his homophobia in an intelligent and thought out way. My heart goes out to those kids though. Any thoughts?

Congratulations Narcimund! If only the City of Chicago would follow suit!!! I hope your union (and hopefully, soon to be 'legal' union) strengthens the committment the two of you already have. Kudos to those of you who are able to see through Base's hostility for what it is: ignorance and hatred. DK

Hey there-- try some of these tricks; they've worked for me-- 1. No caffeine at all (coke/coffee, etc.) during the day or night. 2. Exercise a maximum of 2 hours before you want to go to bed. Not any closer to bed time. 3. Take a hot shower/bath 1 hour before bedtime. As our body temperatures decrease, we are more naturally inclined to go to sleep. 4. If, after 30 minutes, you are not asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing (with dim lights, low noise) for 20minutes. Then try again. DON'T STAY IN BED IF YOU'RE NOT ASLEEP. 5. If this fails, try talking to your doctor about a medication that has few side effects. Hope this helps.

I recently bought the Sony-P8 after spending a bit of time researching some of the better 3.2 dig. cams. It really came down to the Canon A70 and the one I bought. The cool thing about the Sony is that it takes LONG movies (quality is not as good as a camcorder, but decent) and it has a lithium battery. The A70 takes AA batteries and goes thru them quickly if you use it alot. Check out CNET.com and look at their reviews. Also, bought a HP7960 photoprinter---way cool. Happy holidays-DK

I'll check into it. I thought they stopped jumping in November. Thanks all for your thoughts. Getting a Starbucks buzz as I write...time to get up and make some plans. Maybe I can get it done before the end of the year. Dino

Hey all---winter is slowly approaching in this cold, but othewise great city. Got hooked on jumping late in the summer and decided to get certified, didn't, and have now run out of time. Hoping to hold onto the amazing feeling I felt after my 2 jumps this summer. Drinking a strong cocktail...waiting for summer....

Great discussion so far. So, what do you think is fostering what seems to be a broader "social" acceptance of alternative (i.e., gay, bi, trans) lifestyles in the US? It seems that parades (or street fairs like Halsted Days in Chicago) put sour lifestyles out there, but we've been doing that for 2 decades. My thought?:: untapped expendable incomes > media attention > advertisers endorsements, etc.....

Wow. What an irrational spin on a sadly misunderstood concept. I think it's safe to say that this marks the end of this part of the thread.

Nice. Very nice.

{Blacks cant help being black...Mexicans cant help being hispanic, and Anglos cant help being white, but gays and lesbians choose to be gays and lesbians. Racial Remarks are based on color...not choice...If you get tired of those remarks you can flip the coin...If I get tired of racial remarks I cant just change color} I think you're in need of some edumacation 321seeya. Take a look at some work that has been written about homosexuality after 1950 and you may find that "choice" is not a part of the equation. Then again, if it's safer for you to think of those who are homosexual as being responsible for their orientation, why not have a conversation with one and check your theory out. You might be surprised by what you learn. Geez, I thought this was 2003, not 1953!

You have a great command of the language. And yes, hopefully this bantering will remain light, but most of all, informative.

Geez, try not to get so defensive DShiznit...your true colors are shining through--

Although I've been blocked from opening your link at work, I have a feeling you've got the semantics right PDS. Whew.....

Hmmm...I'm confused. By "gay" do you mean that the movie was bright, well-educated, had a decent income and happened to like people of the same sex? So, you're complimenting the movie? Because you certainly couldn't be one of those ignorant people who still use the word "gay" to mean something "less than" (or otherwise demeaning)...right?

Noticed you did your jumps at CSC--did my first one there about a month ago and my second 2 weekends ago. Second time around was more cerebral (learning how to turn, pulling the chute, doing the safety check, etc.) but just as amazing as the first. Great group of people out there. Trying to decide if I want to go for the certification course now or wait for the spring. Totally bites that winter is just around the corner! -Dino