I worked hard on it and it showed. All day people would stop me in the street and in school and tell me how much my hair was a perfect Farrah look alike. I loved Farrah. I do not think it was something I told many people.

 In Charlie's Angels Farrah was strong, athletic, funny, intelligent, adorable and gorgeous. Not many young girls did not admire her and wish they could be exactly like her. I sure did. She seemed to be a normal woman and someone to whom I could relate. Her problems in life also made her more real, lovable and vulnerable.

I watched her tv special Farrah's Story a few weeks ago. It really hit me hard. Very compelling. She allowed the world to see her pain, suffering, fear and sadness.  Farrah, although very sick, was strong and funny and all those qualities that I fell in love with as a child. Great memories. Here is a photo gallery of favorite Farrah photos I found.

Farrah Photo gallery

"The life of Charlie's Angels star Farrah Fawcett was celebrated on Tuesday at a private funeral in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

Her longtime companion, Ryan O'Neal, was among pallbearers who accompanied the casket, covered in yellow and orange flowers, into the Roman Catholic cathedral.

Fawcett's friend Alana Stewart and Charlie's Angels co-star Kate Jackson were among early arrivals before the hearse pulled up, accompanied by 10 motorcycle officers.

Fans and news media watched from across a street. The service was closed to the public.

Fawcett died Thursday at age 62 after a public battle with cancer. O'Neal and Stewart were at her side.

"After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away," O'Neal said in a statement last week. "Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world."

Diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2006, Fawcett's battle with the disease was documented in Farrah's Story.

Stewart, a producer of the documentary, said Fawcett was "much more than a friend; she was my sister."

"Although I will miss her terribly, I know in my heart that she will always be there as that angel on the shoulder of everyone who loved her," Stewart said in a statement.

Fawcett and O'Neal, 68, have a son, 24-year-old Redmond, who has been jailed since April 5 on drug charges.

Last week, a judge granted his request to attend Fawcett's funeral. The order by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jane Godfrey allows Redmond O'Neal to be released for three hours and wear street clothes to attend the funeral."AP

Cheerleading safety efforts have led to modest reductions in the number of serious injuries in recent years, according to a new report about college and high school sports and cheerleading mishaps.

But cheerleading continues to cause more serious and deadly injuries by far than other sports. 

"Trust me, I never dropped a 50 pound dumbbell on myself and I never received a cheerleading injury, but I do fall off my bike all the time."

girlsgotlegs

more photo galleries

Researchers have long known how dangerous cheerleading is, but records were poorly kept until recently. An update to the record-keeping system last year found that between 1982 and 2007, there were 103 fatal, disabling or serious injuries recorded among female high school athletes, with the vast majority (67) occurring in cheerleading. The next most dangerous sports: gymnastics (nine such injuries) and track (seven).

Today, the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill released its 26th annual report on the topic. The latest figures are from the 2007-2008 academic year for college and high school sports, male and female. The report defines catastrophic injuries as any severe or fatal injury incurred during participation in the sport.

The new numbers are for the 26-year period from the fall of 1982 through the spring of 2008:

• There were 1,116 direct catastrophic injuries in high school (905) and college sports (211).
• High school sports were associated with 152 fatalities, 379 non-fatal injuries and 374 serious injuries. College sports accounted for 22 fatalities, 63 non-fatal injuries and 126 serious injuries.
• Cheerleading accounted for 65.2 percent of high school and 70.5 percent of college catastrophic injuries among all female sports.

The number of cheerleading injuries fell slightly in the 2007-08 academic year.

"Progress has been slow, but there has been an increased emphasis on cheerleading safety," said the study's author Frederick O. Mueller. "Continued data collection on all types of cheerleading injuries will hopefully show that these safety measures are working to reduce injuries." link

17th Annual NYC Dyke March

The 17th Annual NYC Dyke March steped off at 5 pm sharp on the evening of Saturday June 27th 2009. Everyone assembled at Bryant Park, located at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue. The march went down 5th Avenue to Washington Square Park.

[Reportedly heard at the parade, although I was not there.] "It's time to hit the streets! Make some noise. Be visible. Be heard. Demonstrate, agitate, liberate at the New York City Dyke March. Bring signs, banners, drums, giant puppets, flags, hula hoops or just be there!"

[the purpose of the parade]"The New York City Dyke March is a protest march, not a parade -- we don't ask for a permit, because we have the right to protest. As queer women, we recognize that we must organize amongst ourselves to fight for our rights, our safety, and for visibility. Thousands of dykes take over the streets every year in celebration of queer women everywhere and to protest against ongoing discrimination, harassment and anti-women violence in schools, on the job, in our families and on the streets."

"As always, the Dyke March is open to all women, biological or otherwise - no sign-up or registration required. Just come out with your banners, signs, noisemakers, and beautiful dyke selves, and joi n in the march!" link