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silverfoxesclub-digest
Monday, October 16 2000
Volume 01 : Number 015

In this issue:

-Happy Halloween
-Embarrassing moments
-Goodnight
-A groaner
-Dancin' Dubya!
-Court Defends Tolerance
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Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 18:15:57 -0700
From: "Tonka"

Subject: Happy Halloween

http://users.1st.net/wscott/Holidays/Halloween/m_halloween.htm

Happy Halloween everyone.
The site isn't gay but its got some funny jokes on it

:o) Tonka
....................................
Check Out My Web Page
http://www.tonka41.coolhere.com

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Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 10:43:44 -0700
From: "Ben Boxer"

Subject: Embarrassing moments

Embarrassing moments -- we all have them The cute story on this list yesterday sent in by Dennis O about the college girl embarrassed in front of the class when the impulsive question she asked the professor, about why doesn't semen taste sweet, backfired and everybody realized she had been a cocksucker (like some of the rest of us)!

I have suffered from many embarrassing moments in my long life, but Dennis's story brought vividly to mind an experience I had in a history class when I was a freshman in college.

The professor was a lady, a very stern and serious-minded character who never cracked a smile. She was a brilliant historian as well, and her husband was even the director of the U. S. National Archives in Washington.

She was also Dean of Women on campus and put the fear of God into every young lady who crossed her path, meaning the girls who got into enough trouble to be summoned to her office.

So on this particular day in class (120 other students and me), the topic of the origins of European banking came up, a totally boring subject for most people, but not for nerds like me. I had read somewhere that a great Italian family in the Renaissance had something to do with it.

That usually conjures up visions of the Borgias and Machiavelli and other sinister types of the period, and those were names that students were tossing into the discussion that ensued. Being the type who is always onstage, I was in the middle of it, throwing bits of knowledge around.

At some point near the end of the class period, the professor started reeling in the bits and pieces in order to make her final points. She was a bear on giving quizzes, so we all took copious notes on everything she said.

"I think Mr. Boxer has made a point about the DiMedicis and how they started the banking business by lending out their vast wealth at high interest and in the process inventing banks. Now, Mr. Boxer, I have a project for you to bring next time we have this class. I have heard that the globes that hang outside every pawnbroker's shop derive from the DiMedici family crest. Can you check that out for us, please?"

I did, and found that she was right. The next class period, I came with all sorts of notes and pictures for a sort of show-and-tell to share with the others. It was a great opportunity for me to show off. I needed as many of those as I could get because I was running for freshman class president and, like Gore and Bush, you gotta strut to win the votes!

As was usual, the din of students' voices was like a mob scene, with people milling everywhere in the huge classroom, but as soon as the professor hit the door and strode into the room, there was a scramble for seats, notebooks unfolded, and were poised in the air as the great silence fell.

Not a breath. All ears. There she stood, ready to address with words that would doubtless be on a later quiz. She folded her hands and walked around to lean on the front of her desk. Poised for action, she opened her mouth and uttered the words, "Mr. Boxer, how did you make out with the pawnbroker's balls?"

A slight pause, then the roof fell in. Raucous laughter flooded the room. Some fell in comic hysteria to their knees. Not me. I tried to shrink out of sight, infinitely distressed in those early days by anything that vaguely hinted at my terrible secret, that I was gay.

The staid professor, realizing then what she had said, grew even redder than I. Without a smile, her gaze cast down, she picked up her satchel and hurried from the room, shouting over her shoulder as she walked out the door, "Class dismissed!"

She never mentioned the pawnbroker's balls again, nor did I. But it somehow worked for me. The story spread all over campus, and the following week I was elected president, a lot of the voters choosing me because the pawnbroker incident had made mine a celebrity name.

Yeah, I rode to glory on my fame, but I still blush even today when I remember my embarrassment that awful day.

I hope some of you guys will share your embarrassing experiences with us. I'm all ears. Well, not quite. I guess I'm mostly butt, as in head, that is!
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Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 14:22:35 -0700
From: "Ben Boxer"

Subject: Goodnight

Goodnight, Gents!

I am going to bed after a hard 24 hours.

But I got results. I created 12 Halloween cards for you to send to lovers and friends when the right time comes.

Then I made another dozen new General Purpose cards. Only three of the old ones are still on the site, one of them being a shot of Joe Kelly, the Desert Rose, which has been there for more than a year and is still popular, like him!

Go have a look.

http://www.pisgahweb.net/maturemen/cards/

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Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 18:52:31 EDT
From: Nils1935@aol.com

Subject: A groaner

Two brooms were hanging in the closet and after a while they got to know each other so well, they decided to get married. One broom was, of course, the bride broom and the other the groom broom. The bride broom looked very beautiful in her white dress. The groom broom was handsome and suave in his tuxedo. The wedding was lovely.

After the wedding at the wedding dinner, the bride broom leaned over and said to the groom broom "I think I am going to have a little whisk broom!!!

"IMPOSSIBLE !!" said the groom broom.

"WE HAVEN'T EVEN SWEPT TOGETHER!"
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Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 06:46:41 -0700
From: "Ben Boxer"

Subject: Dancin' Dubya!

Somebody sent me this great page. Enjoy!

http://george-w-dance.homepage.com/

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Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 09:35:32 -0700
From: "Ben Boxer"

Subject: Court Defends Tolerance

Ben Boxer comments: "I said it yesterday, and I say it again, "Judges may be our best friends."

Headline:
Court Defends Tolerance Event (PlanetOut. 10/12/00)

Text:
A religious right group uncharacteristically argued for church-state separation in its effort to block a school district's participation in a gay-positive interfaith program.

The American Family Association (AFA) was in the unfamiliar position of arguing for separation of church and state as a federal judge rejected its effort on behalf of a group of Lexington, Massachusetts, residents to block their school system's support of an interfaith community program for National Coming Out Week. The attorney for the Lexington School Committee couldn't resist pointing out that Donald Wildmon's Tupelo, Mississippi-based organization has a contrary position and is usually fighting to get more religion into schools. In the case of Lexington's "Respecting Differences: Creating Safer Schools and a More Inclusive Community for Gay and Lesbian People and Their Families" events, no school funds or facilities are being used, but the Lexington School Committee is listed as a co-sponsor because teachers attending the tolerance workshops can earn professional development credit. The Committee's attorney also said there are no religious message, content or activities in the program, although some events will take place on church grounds and involve clergy. U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro concluded October 12 that, "The weight of the evidence before me is that this is a secular event without any religious purpose or activity."

Attorney Stephen Crampton of the AFA Center for Law & Policy argued that the school system's name should be removed from the sponsorship list and schools should be barred from distributing flyers about the event. Referring to the extended controversy earlier this year about an AIDS prevention workshop at a privately organized weekend conference for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/questioning youth held at Tufts University, Crampton called homosexuality "a topic that both politically and religiously divided the town of Lexington" and "turned this state upside down." The failed lawsuit pitted five Lexington residents against the Lexington School Committee members, superintendent and high school principal.

"Respecting Differences" is a privately-funded program open to the community featuring a documentary film showing, panel discussions and anti-bias workshops October 14 -15. All local congregations were invited to participate, and four local churches and a synagogue signed on as co-sponsors -- as did the Lexington Board of Selectmen and the community group No Place to Hate. One discussion panel composed of clergy will be held at First Parish Unitarian-Universalist Church, which is also displaying a photo exhibit of lesbian, gay and transgender families. The clergy panel, along with gay Congressmember Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and gay Massachusetts state Representative Jay Kaufman, will be discussing how Lexington can become a more tolerant community.

The School Committee took its own first step towards developing a more tolerant community with a public meeting October 4 to explain how "sensitive" issues are taught in Lexington's public schools. A big crowd of interested parents turned out and wrote down many more questions than could be answered in two hours. In particular the school district wanted to dispel myths and rumors about the diversity and human sexuality curricula and the general approaches teachers use to respond to questions students raise and incidents on the grounds such as name-calling. Superintendent Patricia Ruane said, "We want a dialogue with the community about this. We want to provide some sort of guidance. We see mixed practices and we need to get on the same page."

School personnel described the state-mandated health curriculum and parents' option to have their children excused from it, as well as describing in detail the materials used in teaching about diversity (of race, religion and sexual orientation), intolerance and hate crimes. The youngest children learn about families around the world and many of their questions they're advised to take home to their parents. Fifth graders, it was noted, are most puzzled by "where twins come from." One parent asked specifically if "Heather Has Two Mommies" or "Daddy's Roommate" had been read to any kindergarten classes, and the answer was no -- they're not even in the school libraries. Bridge Elementary School principal Barbara Manfredi was heartily applauded for a powerful speech that included, "The children of gay and lesbian parents deserve to be in a school where their families are accepted. This is not teaching homosexuality. It is doing our job."
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End of silverfoxesclub-digest V1 #15 ************************************