"I am not gay. I have never been gay."

Puppets from the Broadway show Avenue Q have a little fun at the expense of soon-to-be former Idaho Senator Larry Craig:



I don't think Larry Craig should resign because he's gay, or because he likes to have sex with men. I think he should resign because he's a hypocrite who has been voting against other people who share his sexual preference. I also think he should resign because he needs time out of the public spotlight to look closely at his behavior during his adult life. The rumors about Larry Craig are longstanding. He was identified in the page scandal in the early 1980s (when he also made the statement that he was not gay) and six months later he married his congressional aide and adopted her three children. Nice beard.

A grown man who's still having anonymous sex in public bathrooms needs to do a little soul searching.

Foudy Induction Speech Video

It's excerpts filmed by someone who was there, with a little clip at the end of Mia Hamm being introduced onto the field as a sub during the Hall of Fame Game.

hat tip to USA Women's Soccer

Kanye West Was Right

Hurricane Katrina hit two years ago today:



Heckuva Job Bushie and his Republican band of heartless cronies kill an American city:



And of course, Bush lied. He was warned about the levees:



Kanye West calls it:

All Hail the Wombat

The Women's World Cup starts on September 10, 2007 in China (ESPN TV schedule), and the US is led by Rochester's own Abby Wambach. She had a chat on washingtonpost.com last week, and they also had an article about her journey to becoming one of the world's best. Here are some videos for you Wombat fans:

Anti-makeup. Gotta love her. (hat tip to Bolt Girl on the Loose)

Her 2004 goals

At home with her family

Kinetic Sculpture

Someone on a listservice I belong to fowarded this cool kinetic sculpture video:

glumbert.com - Kinetic Sculpture

The sculptor's name is Theo Jansen.

2007 Soccer Hall of Fame Inductions

National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum, Oneonta, New York


National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction 2007 Julie Foudy Highlights Video

National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction 2007 Mia Hamm Highlights Video



Coach Mom & I got to see the induction of Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy to the Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, New York on Sunday. We got there about 11:00 a.m. for the noon time ceremony and the Hall of Fame was mobbed. In 2004 we attended Michelle Akers induction(the greatest player in the history of women's soccer -- Mia Hamm described her as the best ever in her speech), and got there at the same time & sat in the front row of the lobby where it was held then.

This year it was held outdoors on the grounds. We brought chairs and set up in the 10th row amid a bunch of grumbling people who were standing behind the last row of chairs. I wasn't going to set Coach Mom's chair behind a bunch of people standing up! One woman behind us asked, who's that other woman being inducted with Mia? Julie something? So I didn't feel bad about encroaching on their space.

Unlike Akers, who was inducted first in her class, the Hall of Fame did it right and inducted Foudy & Hamm last. Former National Team head coach Tony DiCicco & retired National Team captain Carla Overbeck inducted Julie Foudy, who then gave a great speech. Anson Dorrance inducted Mia Hamm, and they were both very inspiring. Julie Foudy talked about her daughter Izzy and the cameras panned over her while the crowd oohed. Mia Hamm thanked her husband Nomar Garciaparra and talked about their two daughters, Eva (Ava?) and Grace, but the cameras did not show them. I don't think those kids have ever been photographed and apparently Mia intends to keep it that way. Good for her.

But as usual it was a disorganized mess from an event planning perspective. The Hall of Fame was blocked off during and before the ceremony for the VIPs. You could get into the gift shop, but there was a long line. And they weren't selling Foudy and Hamm shirts. Or if they were, they ran out early. Morons. They should have had a stand up OUTSIDE and they would have sold at least 1000. They were selling David Beckham's Galaxy jersey and many girls appeared from the gift shop wearing those. But what a missed opportunity. Thousands of people there, soccer in their hearts, money in their pockets, and kids tugging on their sleeves. (The crowd was estimated at 5,000.)

The game was supposed to start half an hour after the ceremonies ended. I walked back to the car to dump off our chairs. We walked towards the field. Now it is after 2:00 and Coach Mom has to eat. But there are only two food concessions open. Two ines total. I got in the shorter line (the one that didn't sell french fries). After waiting 45 minutes in line (and missing the entire first half of the Hall of Fame game, when Hamm and Foudy played) they ran out of everything but nachos. So I got Coach Mom a plate of nachos, cheese crackers and a candy bar (so she wouldn't keel over) and told them they had to let me cut the line when they got real food. Luckily an old friend of ours spotted us as we got into line & I sent Mom to talk to her while I waited. Again, event planning 101, if you expect a crowd of thousands, more than half kids, you'd better have plenty of food concessions. The line I was in was being serviced by 6 women using an extra large home sized grill. A dozen burgers and a dozen hotdogs at a time. To feed thousands of people. Planning, people, planning!

So, we saw part of the second half of the Hall of Fame game, saw Christie Welsh score two goals, but missed Hamm, Foudy, Overbeck, & Tiffany Roberts play though. We saw a few more of Coach Mom's former players and students. Coach Mom won the Oneonta Soccer Club raffle and got a big basket of soccer shirts and ephemera. We left the game with 20 minutes left & went to Brooks's BBQ where we just got our takeout chicken before the hordes from the game descended.

Oneonta Daily Star: 5,000 greet soccer greats

Oneonta Daily Star: All eyes on Hamm and Foudy

Hall of Fame Magazine.com: Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Has Record Attendance

NYTimes: Hamm and Foudy Join Hall

Red Sox - Yankees Series Begins Tonight

8 games up on August 28th. Nice way to start the last month of the season. The Red Sox feasted on Chicago White Sox pitching over the weekend, and are primed for the Bronx bombers. Who gave up more than 16 runs twice last week. Ouch.

NYTimes: Tigers 16, Yankees 0
Ugly Outing by Mussina Casts Cloud on Future