The New York Post, April 1, 1997:

Rev. Chris Korda and his bizarre Church of Euthanasia are heartily applauding the mass suicide of the Heaven's Gate cultists. The "church"—which advocates cannibalism, abortion, and suicide to reduce population and restore the earth's ecology—will honor the 39 dead on April 13 on the Boston Common. At the service, the Heaven's Gate victims will be made honorary members of the self-styled church and Korda ... will release 39 earthworms into the grass to commemorate them. The male Heaven's Gaters will receive special honors for having undergone surgical castration to avoid procreation.

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The Washington Times, March 30, 1997:

The National Park Service has been forced to suspend all hiring of seasonal workers for the summer—not for lack of money or resources, but because the Interior Department is concerned about the workers' diversity.

A March 4 memo to all Park Service regional directors said the Interior Department asked for a breakdown on prospective summer hires "because concern has been expressed about the diversity composition of our seasonal work force."

"Therefore, effective immediately, no hiring for seasonal positions (including rehires) may be done for the 1997 summer season until the information requested by the department has been received ... and reviewed by the department," the memo said.

"Park officials throughout the country have been ordered to compile data on the "race/national origin and gender composition" of all applicants. In addition, they are required to submit a description of their seasonal recruiting program, "including efforts to achieve diversity in the candidates."

[Ed.: A form distributed to all Interior Department employees adds: "Your furnishing [racial] information is voluntary. Your failure to do so will have no effect on you or your federal employment. If you fail to provide the information, however, then the employing agency will attempt to identify your race and national origin by visual perception."]

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From Love Your Looks: How to Stop Criticizing and Start Appreciating Your Appearance, by Carolynn Hillman:

If you have trouble identifying positives about your weight, have a dialogue with your fat. Ask your fat what it does to help you and what positive image it projects. Whatever it says, listen to it nonjudgmentally and empathetically, so that you can really learn more about its role in your life.

If you are doing this in writing, first write out your question, then your fat's answer, your response, its response, and so on, the way a script for a play is written out. Write as fast as you comfortably can, and let whatever comes out come out, even if it doesn't make sense to you or you don't agree with it.

If you're doing this out loud, place two seats facing each other. Start by sitting in one of them, as you, and ask your question. Then shift seats and be your fat and answer. Again, just let it flow, as if you're an actress in character, feeling the part. When you're done, thank your fat for talking to you. Here's a sample dialogue:

FREDA: Fat, what do you do for me?

FAT: I protect you.

FREDA: How? And from what?

FAT: I protect you from being sexually harassed by projecting an image that says, "I'm big and you'd better not mess with me."

FREDA: But why do you do that? I'm not so afraid of being harassed.

FAT: Sure you are. Think about it.

FREDA: (thinks about it) You're right. I really do hate and dread the comments, leers, and touching or grabbing that some men do. I've always known that I can't stand it, but I never realized the extent to which it intimidates me. Thanks for helping me.

FAT: No problem.

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