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20 Protest Songs That Matter: No. 18 {Spinner}
Dec 12th 2007 9:08PM Where is Sly and the Family Stone's "Stand"? -
"Stand for the things that you know are right,
it's the truth that the truth makes them so uptight..."
Heck, even the Jacksons recorded it.
Worst Airbrushed Celebs of 2007 ... So Far {Switched}
Sep 2nd 2007 2:06PM Are you kidding me here? Virtually since the advent of photography, photos have been retouched to flatter the subjects. Portrait painting had it over photography in that the "editing" happened the moment brush was touched to canvas. But with photography, you have to start with the truth, THEN edit. The famed photographer Edward Weston had a successful portrait photography business, but grew tired of having to retouch the photos of people. These photos are no more extreme that those of the movie stars of the 30's and 40's where lead pencil and etching were the means to edit the negatives before printing. I did this kind of retouching for a lab in Los Angeles doing entertainment retouching and often the celebrities themselves had a hand in dictating how much retouching to do. Photoshop just makes it easier.
Is Homosexuality Genetic? Ask the Ancient Greeks {News Bloggers}
Jun 28th 2007 2:18PM You have made one critical error. You have equated genetic homosexuality with a cultural practice which was akin to pederasty. The Greek practice of a younger male with an older male is a form of training and education not unlike some cultures where a male family member "deflowers" the female. This training tradition is not as strong in the Romans, although there are numerous well known male-male relationships such as that of the Emperor Hadrian. The source of homosexuality cannot be justified simply by the mythology or we would also be dealing with women mating with bulls or turning into trees. Homosexuality is not a voluntary practice, it is genetic. In my family there are are actually numerous gay members, all within the maternal side, and none on the paternal side. Surely you aware that secondary features like eye color and hair color are genetic. Additionally, left-handedness which had long been seen as a changeable trait is also genetic. Like homosexuality, the problem with left-handedness was that it was considered a sign of the devil; a behavioral quality condemned because of judeo-christian tradition, without any scientific evidence to substantiate it as a mark of a socially destructive personality. The problem is not homosexuality, but insitutionalized relilgion-based fear and ignorance.
Florida's Multiple Personalities {Gadling}
Oct 14th 2006 11:31PM I visited Florida twice in the past five years and to tell you the honest truth, I went there especially in search of the kitsch. I live in Los Angeles - near Universal Studios and Hollywood. I KNOW KITSCH. What I think you are missing here is that in this modern age of Computer Generated Imagery and laser effects, that we have lost the ability to appreciate the innocence of an earlier generation which many Florida tourist attractions still, thankfully, offer.
I feel grateful to have experienced Cypress Gardens before they closed. I didn't make it to Wikki Wakki Gardens, but would have loved to. I only hope that for every person who has had the misfortune to have been injured on a state-of-the-art roller coaster or thrill ride there is another, like me, who is thrilled at Gator farms and the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine. I went to Orlando and saw the sites there, and it was no different than CA. With both kinds of attractions available, Florida is a great vacation destination.
