Life Beyond Derby

Ray Baranowski, husband of Holly Go Hardly of the Charm City All-Stars, designed and painstakingly hand painted the team's helmets with a portion of the state flag 3 years ago. The MD Terrapins, University of Maryland's football team, are sporting almost exactly the same design. Coincidence? You be the judge.

You can read the roster on DNN, or go congratulate them on their facebook page!

We talk a lot about "revolution" in derby. Right now, this morning, this very minute, an amazing revolution is taking place in Libya. Take some time today to witness history in real time!

I’m a rollergirl. No, I don’t skate on a team anymore, nor do I go to practice anymore, but when you cut me, I bleed derby. I always will. And if you cut me, get ready to have your ass kicked, because you just cut a rollergirl.

It happened. Witness, the evolution of our sport in print.

Here at Derby Ranch, we are fortunate to get to see lots of things before they are finished and presented to the derbyverse. This here video in it's various pre-release formats has been making me laugh for a few weeks now. I thought I'd share in case it brings a LOL to your day, too!

Breaking news! Wayne's Western Wheels has figured out a way to make skating fun.

This article on IPS reveals new data about maternal mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa, but the most startling numbers come from South Africa, a country that spends more on health than its neighboring areas.

"HIV is a big factor in maternal mortality in South Africa," says Odhiambo, adding that improved reporting means deaths that might have gone unrecorded in the past have also been added to the total.

A new study of "sexual economics" was presented by Roy Baumeister of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida on Sunday at the American Psychological Association meeting.

"If women don't have many opportunities to make money on their own, they need the value of sex to be as high as possible," Baumeister says. "When women don't have other opportunities, sex is the main thing she has to offer."

2010 was been a record year in roller derby for so many great reasons. Unfortunately, it was also a record year for assaults and attempted assaults on skaters and staff. So many of us in derby feel empowered and strong – some of us even have self-defense or military backgrounds. Sometimes our individual and collective strength and power leaves us feeling a false sense of security. Any of us can be a target when we are stragglers.