100 Years of Photo-Shop!

It's the hundred year anniversary of the first photo-shopper, an artist named Frida Kahlo of Mexico. Overlooking her communist leanings we can still appreciate her work and life's struggles.

Pity Vote!

Rather than a timely dignified announcement of his wife's cancer, presidential hopeful John Edwards decided on a dramatic press event to make the most of the potential exposure to breathe life into his ailing campaign. I won't use any allegories out of respect for his wife and her struggle, but indeed she is just a pawn in his goal - but is that any surprise from a trial lawyer?

I wish his wife Elizabeth the best in her struggle, may its conclusion be more private than its current state.

















RIP Calvert DeForest (July 23, 1921 - March 19, 2007), also known by his character Larry "Bud" Melman

Hats Off!

An example of pure genius!

This vidy clip demonstrates the power of the internet in a creative hand. Hillary Clinton is superimposed into a 1984 Apple commercial leaving the viewer with a not-so-warm feeling for her, then the closer: Apple's logo in the shape of an 'O' for Obama. Gotta love it! So many subtleties, for example a woman throwing the hammer of truth into the face of our first female candidate (remember Ferraro?).

We must recognize pure genius regardless of our affiliations!

Before the clip even finished Hillary denounced it as another example of the vast right wing conspiracy!

Has Bill Clinton ever seen 'Taming of the Shrew?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3G-lMZxjo

Actual Censorship!

Spain definitely has a point with the Dolce & Gabbana ad, my first thought was gang-rape! But this is the first cry of censorship I've heard in a long time that actually is censorship - by Spain's government!

But that may be a prerogative in a country where uxoricide is more common that other countries.

This is an interesting debate because it pits those who oppose censorship against those who promote the protection of women - it just may leave the media speechless!

Omit the serious onlookers and your left with sexual submission, that can be evocative and not negatively provactive.

Multi-Culturism at its Best!?

As we celebrated St. Patrick's day at work today I once again shocked people by commenting that I was Irish. How can you be Irish, your name is French?!?

Their suprise is akin to people asking Shakira how she can be light complected and blonde when all our textbooks showed pictures of dark skinned indigenous people.

It all boils down to exposure, it's not unusual for Americans to be ignorant of other cultures because of the expanse of our country and people's limited experience outside their community. Americans are derided for this by many indignant immigrants. The same indignant immigrants who don't understand how I can be a European mutt (Euro-trash) because they came from relatively homogenous countries such as Mexico, Middle East, Japan, etc.

Anyone can argue the point, but it just shows me that people are the same all over the world; some are narrow, some are more open. That's all, no condemnation.

Reminds me of when I went to Brasil, everyone wanted to know about the beautiful topless women! Sorry, never saw a single topless woman in 17 beach-bound days....in Northern Brasil.

But the Hiring Was Political Too!

Why the big fury of the terminations of several US Attorney Generals by Bush's lackey Gonzales?

If they are polictal appointees, they serve the interests of the person who appointed them - G.W. Bush. If they no longer please him - out they go. In California we call it 'At Will' Employment.

If the appointing of attorney generals is wrong, then do away with the process, otherwise they get the same expectation of longevity that an ambassador would get.

By being appointees they are really hired guns who's goal is to target the other team.

This is why Clinton replaced ALL 93 when he was elected, to ensure they did his bidding, not his predecessor - Bush Sr.

Hillary's got an angle, the media loves it.... it's a yawner!

Stereotypes = Racism?

Another ethnic-theme party has resulted in the calls for expulsion of the students. There's something ironic about fostering a school environment that seeks expulsion rather than education when someone displays their ignorance!

www.racialicious.com/2007/02/22/santa-clara-university-students-mock-latinos-with-south-of-the-border-party

Regardless, is it really an issue? Is the hand-wringing really necessary? Would anyone speak up if it were a red-neck theme party, no wait that would be turned into a TV show.

There's not shortage of examples from which to draw stereotypes, but most won't admit the simple truth: "Stereotypes don't happen by accident". So are people drawing from TV or from actual - but limited experience? Due to the attention span of people and their disdain for analysis, we choose to draw conclusions from a single instance, whether positive of negative. How many times has someone you know come back from a foreign adventure and had the culture summed up in a few quick scenarios?

For every ignorant white person, there's an equally challenged non-white person asking the same dumb questions, or making the same dumb assertions.

Below is a pic from a Halloween party in 2006, this particular Latina chose to come as an unwed pregnant Mexican teen. Today she is 4 months pregnant - almost prescient?

Are these themed parties about the callousness of the the participants, or is the real issue the self-imposed weak constitutions of the ever expanding pool of victims?

You won't see this pic anywhere else!

Exploited - or Updated Image?

Much ado about Newsweek's placement of Marissa Strock on their cover since she didn't endure much suffering at Walter Reed, certainly in comparison to others.
But was she exploited, were readers exploited, or does it give a lift to the cause of vets?

Think about this, what is your image of a vet? Probably the Vietnam vet we once saw stumbling around shell-shocked, ragged, and perhaps inebriated. Am I generalizing? No. Am I being disrespectful? No. Put simply we remember shocking images and it allows us to be less concerned.

I've taken a 'lost' vet to the VA once or twice when I was a teen, it reminds me that the Vietnam vets were ill-treated by many and by the VA hospitals. I don't think Walter Reed is isolated or new.














Marissa puts a better face on what it means to be a proud vet, an American vet. It facilitates people rallying behind the rest of the vets, recognizing their contributions, suffering, and needs - regardless of how you view the war or Bush.

F-Word Coulter Style!

Howard Dean is wringing his hands, no - screaming, about Ann Coulter's indirect use of the word FAGGOT in reference to Democrat Presidential wannabe John Edwards.
Dean claims the rhetoric is out of bounds and the debate should be restricted to the issues. What debate? Ann is a writer who makes a living out of being outrageous, kind of like Al Franken in his pre-whining days.
When are pols gonna stop getting upset over what writers, celbs, DJ's say? Their only goal is attention as it translates into sales.

But where did she come up with FAGGOT anyway - you tell me?