Damn I love a good debate...
Be sure to read the comments on the previous post.
The movie "Hounddog" premiered at the Sundance Movie Festival this week - a tale about a 12-year old girl (Dakota Fanning) who is neglected and abused. One of the scenes depicts the girl being raped – note there is no nudity, the scene is very darkly lit, and all you can see of the girl is her hand and face. Now, here's what pissed me off:
Even before the first screening of "Hounddog" at the Sundance Film Festival this week, a Christian film critic, citing Fanning's age, decried the movie as child abuse, and Roman Catholic activist Bill Donohue called for a boycott.If that wasn't bad enough --
Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission and publisher of the Web site movieguide.org, claims "Hounddog" breaks federal child-pornography law. He said the law covers material that "appears" to show minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.It is very apparent Mr. Baehr knows absolutely nothing about Dakota Fanning, and shows a complete disregard for the competence of the movie's director, Deborah Kampmeier. Anyone who has ever seen an interview with Ms. Fanning knows she is a very intelligent girl. On this issue she said of the scene "It's not really happening. It's a movie, and it's called acting. I'm not going through anything. Cody and Isabelle (two other young actors in the film) aren't going through anything, their characters are. And for me, when it's done it's done. I don't even think about it anymore."
"Even if they're not actually performing the explicit act, we are dealing with a legal issue here," he said.
Baehr said Fanning is being exploited in the film, and that it should be considered an outrage.
"Children at 12 do not have the ability to make the types of decisions that we're talking about here," he said. "If we're offended by some comedian's racial slur, why aren't we offended by somebody taking advantage of a 12-year-old child?"
Many will recall that on July 8, 1947, witnesses claimed that an
LONDON, Jan 14 (Reuters Life!) - A court in East London is expected to decide this week whether poker is a game of skill, chance or a combination of both.
"Define irony: a bunch of idiots dancing on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash."
But this has been driving me crazy for a long time. I was on my way to watch my nephew wrestle in a tournament this morning when I hear a PSA (public service announcement) from the anti-smoking campaign The Truth. It was extremely thought provoking as they all are. HOWEVER – The Truth is primarily sponsored and funded by the tobacco industry. I am not saying the opinions expressed aren't valid because of this fact, as we all know what is said in their ads is (pardon the pun) the truth. My problem lies is the sheer hypocrisy of their position.
Associated Press -
OK, by definition I fall into the category of a "geek". I am a computer lover who enjoys computer games; I enjoy playing role playing games a'la Dungeons & Dungeons; I have both used and laughed at the concept of TCP/IP as a punchline of a joke (Note: anyone who gets that qualifies as a geek as well); I enjoy sitting around with friends and playing board games for hours on end; and I can quote vast passages of Monty Python. All of these quirks or qualities paint the stereotypical picture of one who carries a pocket protector and memorizes 37 digits of Pi.
Happiness, Content, Joy.
The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.
Young, healthy, new, fresh. The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way.
The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon's Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
Labels: Tarot
This was one of the first (and best) cartoons of my childhood - The Mighty Heroes. Few of my friends actually remember this short-lived series, but it was very memorable to me. I hope you enjoy!
I normally don't spend much (read -- ANY) time on these, but I was asked to do this, so --
Now that I am sleeping at night, I actually have energy during the day so this morning was the first day back in the gym. My goal is to swim for 45 minutes to an hour each day...
and it was year that brought the following changes to my life: I got a new job, moved to a new place, had a good romance (then lost it), was diagnosed with sleep apnea -- resulting in many, many sleepless nights -- then received a machine to counteract it, and I played Santa Claus for the first (and hopefully not the last) time. My exercise regime was non-existent due to the apnea, my car needs a pretty serious tune-up, my hairline laughs at the concept of a comb, and I still haven't won the lottery. But hey, at least I spent New Year's Eve alone watching National Lampoon's Vacation.
Sorry for my absence. I have a lot to say in the coming days and will be updating real soon. I was "chastised" in a roundabout way about the lack of personal insight recently. Rest assured that will be corrected. I will be back with my opinions in the next several days.