WHAT’S UP? WHAT’S GOING DOWN? FACTS ABOUT MASTURBATION*

As promised, here are the answers to the quiz posted earlier this week! How many did you get right?

1. Many infants and young children discover that touching their genitals feels good.
TRUE. Masturbation, or self-pleasuring (as the behavior is generally referred to in childhood), is common throughout childhood, beginning to occur from the age of six or seven months onward. Research shows that many one-year-olds have touched their own genitals for the pleasurable feelings this touch brings. Later in childhood, some children continue to masturbate, some begin to do so, and some stop and start again later. Young children may not understand the adult sexual meaning of this behavior, but they do learn from adults’ reactions, which likely affect their future feelings about the behavior.

2. Many boys and girls report masturbating during puberty.
TRUE. During puberty, adolescents begin developing a strong sense of how their bodies function, including their sexual feelings and physical responses, and may begin masturbating more purposefully. In the United States, about one-third of adolescent females and about one-half of adolescent males have masturbated by age 13; three-fourths of males and 44% of females have done so by age 15; by age 18, the rates are 80% of males and almost 60% of females. On average, those who masturbate begin around age 13 (some earlier, some later, some never).

3. Masturbation can help people learn about their own bodies.
TRUE. Masturbation can help people learn how they like (and do not like) to be touched, how physical and emotional feelings are connected, and how they can reduce tension and stress. It can help people feel more confident with their bodies and less anxious during sexual interactions.

4. For most females, masturbation involves deep vaginal penetration.
FALSE. People report many different ways to masturbate. While some women prefer vaginal penetration during masturbation, female masturbation rarely resembles vaginal intercourse. Most masturbate by gently stroking the clitoris (the only body part whose sole purpose is sexual pleasure), the labia, vagina, and/or the breasts. As for males, most masturbate by stroking the shaft of the penis.

5. Masturbation always leads to orgasm.
FALSE. For people of all ages, masturbation can be a pleasurable activity whether or not it causes a person to reach the stage of arousal called orgasm with its peak in blood pressure, breathing, heart rate and rhythmic muscular contractions. A person can begin and stop masturbating whenever he or she wishes; there is no goal or end point that a person must reach or always reaches.

6. Masturbation can make males run out of sperm.
FALSE. This myth has been a cause of much worry in the past. If a male ejaculates several times close together, he may notice a slight decrease in the amount of semen (which is 99% of the fluid). However, there are still millions of sperm in the semen. A healthy male continues to produce millions of sperm daily from puberty throughout his life. Likewise, for females, masturbation does not affect fertility.

7. Married people sometimes masturbate.
TRUE. Many married people, people who live with their partners, and other people who have regular sexual partners, masturbate, as do people without sexual partners and/or who live alone. Among young married men and women about three-fourths (70%) reported masturbating in the past year; in another study, 85% of males and 45% of females living with a partner reported masturbating in the past year. Researchers conclude that married people are not masturbating to make up for frustrations in their relationships, but as an additional means of enjoying their sexuality.

Masturbation can play a positive role in a relationship when partners’ orgasms occur at different times in a sexual experience. When couples have discussed masturbation, it can reduce the pressure one partner may feel about the need to provide satisfaction for the other partner. Masturbation can also help when one person is busy, sick, tired, pregnant, or simply not interested at a given time.

8. Masturbation is a behavior that occurs in societies throughout the world.
TRUE. Masturbation has not been studied in every country in the world, but it is rare to find a culture in which no one has ever masturbated. According to current studies in 32 countries outside the United States, the range of people who report masturbating varies a great deal. For example, 16% of young Chinese women students report masturbating compared with 87% of young women in Australia; for young men the figures are 59% in China and nearly 100% in Sweden.

By comparison, in one U.S. study among adults ages 18 to 59, about 60% of men and 40% of women report having masturbated in the preceding year; in another, 90% of males and about half of females report masturbating from time to time. Research in the United States shows this incidence has not changed much for men in the past half century, but more women, including younger women, are reporting masturbating in recent years. However, it is important to note that most of this research relies on self-reporting. Since not everyone is comfortable being honest when reporting about masturbation, some percentages may be higher or lower in reality.

9. Some families and religions oppose masturbation.
TRUE. Masturbation is not for everyone; some people will choose not to masturbate because of the beliefs and attitudes of their family, religion, or culture, or because of their own beliefs and attitudes. In the United States and in many other countries, attitudes and beliefs about masturbation can range from taboo to enthusiastic approval; however, attitudes are generally becoming more accepting of masturbation, at least for some parts of the life cycle.

Interestingly, the written teachings from each of the traditions of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism do not hold single unanimous positions about masturbation, although religious leaders of the first four have historically discouraged the behavior. As a result, there has been, and there continues to be, much debate about masturbation in some religious groups.

10. In the United States, education about masturbation can be controversial.
TRUE. Although experts say that the topic of masturbation should be included in comprehensive sex education, in 1994 the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Joycelyn Elders, was fired after she said that masturbation “is something that is a part of human sexuality and… it’s a part of something that perhaps should be taught.” This firing happened even though Dr. Elders clarified that she was advocating educating about masturbation, not educating how to masturbate.

11. Masturbation is an example of safe sex.
TRUE. Masturbation has been described as “having sex with the only person whose sexual history you can trust completely.” A person cannot give or get a sexual infection or get pregnant just by masturbating.

12. Too much masturbation can cause health problems.
FALSE. Frequent masturbation does not cause health problems. Generally people stop when they feel their bodies are sexually satisfied. In fact, research indicates that there may be many health benefits to masturbation, such as:
Reducing stress and tension
Avoiding sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy
Relieving menstrual tension and cramps
Making blood and hormones pump through the body faster, which helps the body produce cells better
Helping prevent disease by increasing the flow of white blood cells and building up resistance to infections
Strengthening muscles in the pelvic and anal area
Helping prevent breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other prostate problems

From Making Sense of Abstinence by Bill Taverner & Sue Montfort.
© 2005 by The Center for Family Life Education.

Massa-bation in the Colbert Nation

By Bill Taverner

Last night on The Colbert Report, comedian Stephen Colbert provided some much needed comic relief to the endless news coverage of the story of U.S. Representative Eric Massa (NY) and his inappropriate…um...“tickling” behavior. Colbert reported on the tongue-lashing U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy (RI) gave the media for its preoccupation with the story, while important legislation about Afghanistan can’t get a moment’s notice on the news.

During his mocking monologue, Colbert referenced a Talking Points Memo report that describes Massa observing a bunkmate masturbating while he was serving in the Navy during Desert Storm. According to the report, Massa said to his bunkmate, “You need any help with that, you let me know,” to which Colbert quipped, “Technically when someone else helps, it’s no longer masturbation.” See the video clip here.

Technically, Colbert was wrong. In his Dictionary of Sexology, Robert T. Francoeur described mutual masturbation as “sexual activity in which the partners handle each other’s genitalia and bring each other to orgasm.” And in The Big Book of Masturbation, Martha Cornog said that shared masturbation “involves masturbating as part of a sexual encounter with someone else, who may also be masturbating.”

Don’t get me wrong, Colbert’s joke was still funny, and the humor derives from the public’s continued treatment of the subject of masturbation as taboo. Sixteen years after former U.S. Surgeon General, Joycelyn Elders, lost her job at the White House for suggesting that education about masturbation might be a good idea, we continue to giggle about masturbation.

In the teaching manual Sue Montfort and I co-authored, Making Sense of Abstinence, we included a lesson called “Masturbation: A Touchy Subject,” in which students learn about myths surrounding this common behavior, from going blind to hairy palms. The lesson also discusses some of the historical “remedies” for masturbation, such as corn flakes and Graham crackers, advocated respectively by 19^th century nutritionist John Harvey Kellogg and Reverend Sylvester Graham.

Below is a simple quiz included in the lesson, and you’d be surprised at how many statements young people continue to get wrong – evidence that masturbation myths and misinformation are alive and well! Only four of the statements are false – guess which ones! (Answers will be posted later this week.)

1. Many infants and young children discover that touching their genitals feels good.

2. Many boys and girls report masturbating during puberty.

3. Masturbation can help people learn about their own bodies.

4. For most females, masturbation involves deep vaginal penetration.

5. Masturbation always leads to orgasm.

6. Masturbation can make males run out of sperm.

7. Married people sometimes masturbate.

8. Masturbation is a behavior that occurs in societies throughout the world.

9. Some families and religions oppose masturbation.

10. In the United States education about masturbation can be controversial.

11. Masturbation is an example of safe sex.

12. Too much masturbation can cause health problems.

Having "The Talk", Role Reversal: A Sex Talk With my Dad

by Colleen Lord, Education Manager for Union County, CFLE

“I know you’re not ready yet. At least, I hope you’re not. But when you are ready to have sex, I really hope you’ll come to me first.”

My dad and I are sitting at his dining room table for this “less-than-comfortable” conversation. One might think that I was on the receiving end of “the talk.” You’d be wrong.

“I won’t take a shower with a raincoat,” he grumbles. I sigh and shake my head. I wasn’t expecting that reaction when I started this talk, but I guess I should have known better. My father isn’t one to mince words.

Having the sex talk with my dad is difficult on many levels. My poor father lost the love of his lifetime just a month ago. My folks met in Catholic school in Newark, NJ when he was 13 and my mom was 12. He took her to the movies on their first date. He paid full price for my mom and a child’s fare for himself on account of his height. Life wasn’t always easy for them, but they stuck together for 59 years and enjoyed a deeply loving and intimate marriage.

Damn cancer.

My dad shared with me not too long ago that through my mother’s illness, their connection to each other was strengthened exponentially. It figures. Just when they reached new heights in their relationship, her cancer would spread and we would lose her.

It’s hard to think about my dad starting over. I don’t know that he’ll ever find that same magic he had with my mother with someone else. But I know that eventually he will be ready to share his life with someone again. And with that, and as a sexuality educator, comes my need to prepare him for the world of dating and safer sex. My 72-year-old dad has never had to think about getting an HIV test, didn’t really use birth control (I was raised Catholic and I am one of six) and he probably still thinks that condoms are for sailors.

Perhaps this view about condoms and the lack of sexual education for the retired set are some of the reasons we’ve seen increased rates of HIV/AIDS among seniors. I recently read in our new manual, Older, Wiser, Sexually Smarter, that about a quarter of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the United States in 2005 was age 50 and over, representing a 17% increase from 2001.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, persons over 50 accounted for 15% of all new HIV/AIDS cases. It is projected that the majority of those living with HIV/AIDS by 2015 will be 50 and older. Additionally, persons over 50 account for 35% of all deaths from AIDS. Often, this age set is less knowledgeable or does not practice safer sex, and health care professionals may underestimate the need for education among this age set. But, seniors, like the Sexually Smarter website says, still want to be fulfilled in the second half of their life.

I’m sure the statistics and words have passed through my lips in my career as a sexuality educator, but looking at my dad at the dining room table gave all those numbers a face.

“I think you’ll find that condoms have changed a whole lot over time, Dad,” I say. “I bet I can help you find some that you like when the time is right."

I wish that this talk wasn’t necessary. I wish for a miracle cure for cancer and a rewind button. But, I’m also grateful to be in a position to help my Dad navigate this new world. I have my work cut out for me—he’s a tough cookie.

But I’m up for the challenge. I’ll be breaking out a copy of our new manual and hoping that others will have “the talk” with their loved ones. I know it’s important for my dad to have this information – to be prepared and have information on protection. Despite the level of discomfort it brings, I hope more people like me, whose parents experience a loss, can have this talk with their parents and find the resources, like our manual, to move past the discomfort. For more information on sexuality education that blasts through the age barrier, see our website.

From Older, Wiser, Sexually Smarter: “Throughout our lives the need for touch sends us searching for satiation. Although the skin shows the most visible signs of aging…our need for touch does not diminish. If anything, it tends to increase.”

For more information on sexuality and aging, the CFLE encourages you to visit the Consortium on Sexuality and Aging. We are dedicated to enhancing the sexual health, knowledge and well being of people in mid and later life by providing quality sexuality education.

Yes, Virginia, There Is Discrimination

Finding Teachable Moments in the News
by Bill Taverner, CFLE Director

A. “I’m sorry, sir, we can’t hire you. Your skin is just too dark.”

B. “I’m sorry, ma’am, we can’t hire you. You’re in a wheelchair and all our professors are able-bodied.

C. “Your resume is very impressive, but you’re just too darn old. We’re trying to go with younger folks.”

D. “I’m sorry, but we're only hiring people who are sexually turned on by the other sex.”

In most Virginia universities, it was against school policy (not to mention deeply offensive) to say any of these things to a person applying for a job. But, one of these responses has recently been suggested not just to be acceptable, but the only legally appropriate response. Can you guess which one?

State Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli instructed Virginia universities and colleges to remove language from their anti-discrimination policies that would protect people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender as they seek jobs. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reports that there are 21 states (plus the District of Columbia) that have laws protecting people from discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. See their map here. Wikipedia reports that there are 30 states (plus Washington D.C.) with anti-discrimination laws. Though it is a less reliable resource, Wikipedia has a cool, animated history of these laws since 1972. Click here. The animation provides a virtual study in protections being enacted, then taken away. For example, watch Louisiana, as civil rights emerge and depart in presidential election years. 1992: protected; 1996; unprotected; 2004: protected; 2008: unprotected.

And so this gay political football is passed ‘round and ‘round, while citizens wonder whether their gender and sexual interests, not their job qualifications, prevent them from getting an interview. If they are lucky enough to be employed, they must worry about their job security. Will their bosses, at some point, be legally entitled to say, “You’re gay! You’re fired!” as in some twisted episode of The Apprentice?

In Virginia, and in 28 other states, a boss can do exactly that. There are a million possible responses to this action. Some applaud the governor’s action; others shake their heads. Some cry; others celebrate. Many feel helpless as basic human rights continue to erode; others feel these rights were never legitimate to begin with. As we all wrestle with this very emotional subject, and more importantly what to do about it, I am reminded of several very smart sexuality educators who taught me the essential use of current events in sex ed.

Deborah Roffman (Baltimore, MD) wrote about this topics years ago in the SIECUS Report; Peggy Brick (Kennett Square, PA) trains teachers on how to use newspapers as a sexuality education text; Martha Roper (Manchester, MO) routinely incorporates current events to teach about topical sexuality education subjects with her high school students; and Susie Wilson (Princeton, NJ) maintains the Sex Matters blog for the New Jersey Newsroom, where she frequently comments on current events as “teachable moments” for parents and teachers. In a recent blog, I discussed the apology Tiger Woods gave for his infidelity. Wilson discusses how the revelation of Woods’ affairs might be used as a teachable moment here.

So how might you use the recent decision in Virginia as a teachable moment for students? The CFLE has a few suggestions. You might read a short article about it to your students, such as the one from the New York Times. Or show the Wikipedia page mentioned earlier, and discuss the history of discrimination. Or read excerpts from this blog! Once you’ve equipped your students with some information about the subject, you might ask students to debate the issue. Divide the class into three large groups: one group defending the merits of the anti-discrimination laws; the second opposing anti-discrimination laws, and a third group serving as a jury to decide upon the merits of each set of arguments.

You could also simply raise some discussion questions. Some basic ones might include:
Why do you think states want to make laws that protect individuals against discrimination?

· What groups of individuals ARE protected from discrimination? Why might this be?

· What groups of individuals ARE NOT protected from discrimination? Why might this be?

· What criteria should there be for laws that protect groups of individuals from discrimination? (E.g., is it based on groups that have historically faced discrimination?)

· When, if ever, should the government allow discrimination in hiring practices?

· What consequences should there be for employers that discriminate in violation of the law?

· What do you think you would do if someone refused to hire you because of your gender or because of the gender of the person you were sexually attracted to?

And, you might also read the statements at the beginning of this essay and ask students which type of discrimination, if any, are to be deemed permissible by society?

Quick! Call the Police! There's an Indecently Exposed Snowperson Outside!

And What About the Naked Snowman...

By Bill Taverner, CFLE Director

Question: What is the difference between

snowmen and snowwomen?

Answer: Snow balls.

Newsflash! That’s not the only difference. The other way to tell them apart is that police will leave a naked snowman alone. But a naked snowwoman? Call 911!

I’ve seen plenty of snowmen in my life, all of them naked. None of them have ever been fully dressed, at least where it counts. Your typical snowman sports buttons, a scarf, and maybe a top hat, but who's ever seen a snowman with a pair of pants? And that’s probably the most critical piece of clothing a snowman would need in sub-freezing temperatures. Right, guys?

I admit to not having seen many "snowwomen" in my life, but a family of gifted artists, capable of replicating art normally reserved for the Louvre, treated their neighbors to a delightful surprise - their rendition of Venus de Milo. Eliza Gonzalez, of Rahway, NJ, and her 2 children, ages 21 and 12, created a snow sculpture that would rival the best work of Phil Connors (Bill Murray) in Groundhog Day.

Don't get me wrong - the statue was not without flaw. It wouldn't be much use in a class on sexual anatomy, as it lacked detail in the nipples and vulva. But, then again, I probably shouldn’t be critiquing snow art. I've never been able to construct a snow figure that didn’t end up looking like "snow lump".

But, Ms. Gonzalez had at least one set of neighbors who were more severe critics than me - they called in the police. Oh, how I wish I could have been on the Gonzalez doorstep to hear that exchange.

Imagine if you will...

Officer: “Uh, excuse me, ma’am. We received a complaint about your snow lady out front. The one without the head…”

Ms. Gonzalez: “Yes, officer, it’s a rendition of the work of Alexandros of Antioch from about the first century B.C. Is there a problem?”

Officer: “Well, uh, she doesn’t have any clothes on.”

Ms. Gonzalez: “Yes, well, she doesn’t have any arms either. Is that a problem, too?”

Officer: “No ma’am. The severed arms and decapitation are fine. It’s just the nakedness.”

Ms. Gonzalez: “I don’t understand. What is it you want me to do?”

Officer: “If you could, uh, dress her, that would be great, ma’am.”

Well, we know at least that last part actually happened. A green bikini top and a blue sarong now adorn the snow figure (see the picture above). Suddenly the armless, headless Venus de Rahway is headed for the beach in 30 degree weather.

“I thought she looked more objectified and sexualized after [we] put the bikini on,” said Ms. Gonzalez.

Why is it that instincts tell us (in this case - the police) to cater to the most erotophobic among us? Why couldn’t the officer visit the neighbor’s home instead and say, “Uh, look…I think you may have the problem here?" For goodness sake, the snow figure replicated a piece of classical art - it was not intended to outdo Larry Flynt!

It seems only fitting to conclude this essay with one of my favorite comics that I’ve sent to friends with my “Season’s Greetings” messages. The comic shows two "snow parents" lovingly building their "snowchild."

“Would you look at that? They’re making a baby right in the front yard!” cry the snow neighbors. “It’s disgraceful!”

Oh, and I am definitely calling the TV networks the next time I see a pantless Frosty prancing around my TV.

See the story in the news.

SEX: Exciting New Technologies, Same Old Stereotypes

By Bill Taverner, Director CFLE

This past weekend I attended the Sex::Tech conference in San Francisco, CA. This was one of the more fascinating conferences I’ve attended in my professional life – one in which all things sexual merged with the latest and greatest developments in technology. I learned more than I ever knew about SMS & MMS, when and how to use Facebook, and when to "tweet". Also, I learned what a “hash” key was. In my generation we called it the “pound” button. (Sidebar: I must say I never, ever thought I would find myself using the phrase “In my generation…”)

I was fascinated by STD partner notification programs via inSpot.org (which allows people to anonymously tell their partners they might be infected); captivated by the use of digital media to teach sex ed in Nigeria and research using cellular texting in the Philippines; impressed with a group of peer educators at Brandeis University who decided to launch a sex advice and referral service via text messaging.

Mostly, I was mesmerized as participants tweeted their impressions of the sessions in real time. I was a little bit disarmed when I learned - long after my own workshop presentation - that participants had tweeted the URLs for YouTube clips I was showing to an audience of 2,000 who were watching the conference through live streaming. (Watch the archives - www.SexTech.org.)

All this was utterly fascinating to me. You have to understand that while most of the audience was highly advanced on the technology side, this was a whole new world to me. As I told my audience, when I think of text messaging, I imagine data floating in and out of my BlackBerry, much like the way Willy Wonka transported a chocolate bar, with data molecules hovering overhead.

However, in the midst of all this progressive excitement was an alarmingly regressive video. We were shown a video clip from the website www.SexReally.com, sponsored by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The video, “What’s A Threesome?” features men talking about their girlfriends in a most vulgar way. What it features is a misogynistic rant, with more “bleeps” than I could count. Then one of the girlfriends was shown naïvely talking about “what a great father” her boyfriend would make. The video attempts to conclude with a responsible message at the end: “Guys are a@#$%^&. Be safe. Every time.”

See the video

Some of the audience erupted in laughter. Many of us sat in stunned silence, with our jaws hanging much lower than jaws should hang.

“Talk about offensive!” said my friend and colleague Rob Curry of Planned Parenthood Upper Hudson. “Is this what safer sex messages have come down to? I don’t appreciate safer sex messages that continue to insinuate that men are all jerks.”

The video insults women, too, portraying them as dumb, naïve, and needing protection from men. It insults boys who learn the key script that bad behavior is to be expected. It really insults everyone and it is surprising that it would pass muster with the National Campaign. The video does a disservice to much of the progressive work that sex ed leaders – such as Wayne Pawlowski and Elizabeth Schroeder have done to involve males in healthy sexual decisions. (See, for example, the exceptional chapter “With Boys in Mind – Teaching to the Minds of Boys” in Sexuality Education: Past, Present, and Future, vol. 3.)

While the new technology is very welcome as an ally in sexuality education, the old stereotypes are not. Let’s all take several steps back and recognize boys and men for their potential in responsible decision-making.

Tiger Woods Bogeyed His Televised Apology

The news of the day appears to be critical evaluations of an apology given by golf star Tiger Woods for his sexual infidelity. Newspapers and blogs ask, ''Is Tiger out of the rough?'' as they reflect on his ''bad outing,'' musing that his wife ''still holds the score card.'' Who knew we could have such fun with golf metaphors?

The bigger question is not how well did Tiger do with his apology, but what does it say about us as a society that we care so much? Why do we allow news about health care and wars -- news that truly affects us all -- to be pushed to page 12? Why are we so interested in reading about the apology grades given by a panel of experts? For that matter, how does one become an expert in apologies?

Don't we all have a bit of expertise after having invested so much time in the sordid details of the extramarital affairs of David Letterman, Gov. Mark Sanford and (insert our own favorite celebrity here). I was going to add more names myself but there are just too many to list. I Googled the phrase, ''celebrity affairs,'' and the first result was an article at http://www.foxnews.com titled ''Celebrity Affairs to Remember,'' documenting 13 pages with all the recent affair developments we'll want to remember for posterity. There were even some entries I did not know! How did I miss Marily Manson's affair? (''The blogosphere went wild,'' according to Fox News.) Country music star Shania Twain's ex-husband ''rocked her world!'' Oh the clever metaphors never cease! Then there was Brittany Spears, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts - are you all keeping score?

For some reason, we do care about the details and we want to evaluate the apologies when we hear them. Personally, I don't know very much about Tiger Woods except that he seems to be an exceptional athlete and I find it very difficult to compete against him with my Wii console.

I gave him an ''F'' for his apology because this is what I really wanted to hear him say:

''To the members of the media and the listening and viewing public: As nearly everyone knows, I have engaged in extramarital affairs. I am not here today to apologize to you for that. There are some people that do deserve an apology, and a whole lot more than just an apology for that matter, but those individuals are not here today, and I will do my best to make amends privately."

"I am sorry that you are so interested in the personal details of my life. I realize that I have brought some of that on myself by trading on my positive reputation in return for corporate sponsorship. Perhaps that gives the illusion that I owe the public an apology when I have personal failures. But the truth is I was just selling golf equipment and clothing, and you were buying them. That does not entitle you to an apology. My wife deserves an apology. So do my kids. So do the women with whom I had dishonest relationships. These are the only people that deserve an apology.''

"I am grateful to have been given an athletic gift that has allowed me to excel in the game of golf. I am also grateful to my fans who praise my achievements. I hope the public will recognize that more than one-third of men and women have cheated in their marriages. I am not proud to be part of that statistic, but I do hope the public will come to realize that, as in your own families, this is a private matter for me and the people I have wronged.''

Now that apology would be a ''hole in one!''

This piece by The CFLE Director Bill Taverner was published in The Morning Call on February 26, 2010.