San Francisco Art Music Style Fashion Culture - Jungle Life

Removing everything from veins to armpits, elbows, knees, body fat, stomach size, cellulite, wrinkles, and any trace of aging, to enlarging breasts, removing or diminishing various articles of clothing, tattoos and any sort of natural contour or shape, the women pictured in this portfolio are presented as a series of professional accomplishments.

In several cases the models (most of them musicians or celebrities) look better and more human in their natural form (especially in the faces of Alicia Keys, Vivica A. Fox, Halle Barry, and Erykah Badu), but this gallery really sheds light on the industry as a whole. It tells us quite clearly (assumed to be inadvertently) that what you see in the magazines is quite far from reality. While admittedly beautiful, most of these women don't actually look like this in real life. If a person twists to the side or bends at an angle, skin will invariably overlap. If they smile you will see a change in their forehead or cheeks, and if they are standing in any position whatsoever they will be sure to have both elbows and knees.

I've been clicking through this gallery very intently and can see quite clearly that every detail of these women's bodies have been altered so that not even the slightest trace of "imperfection" can be seen. Most of the women's breasts have been augmented, all of the women's natural creases have been removed, their blemishes hidden, and everything from the slightes wrinkle of the elbow to the lack of an ample rear have been accounted for. It's truly odd and explains a lot - how come I've never seen a women like this in my entire life? Because they simply do not exist...

Spend some time checking out the gallery. I consider it educational.

Glen Feron Gallery - The Art of Retouching

Update July 21, 2006: Looks like the portfolio has been removed. The main page has a Glen Feron logo placeholder. Perhaps a redesign is in the works... http://www.glennferon.com/

AskQuestions.org is a project of the Public Interest News Gate, a California nonprofit corporation founded in 2003.

AskQuestions.org's mission is to gather and disseminate information about public opinion so that media organizations may become more responsive to public interests. They collect popular questions and report them to the media - to tell them what's on YOUR minds.

Submit your own question or vote on user submitted questions such as: "All of the state lotteries in existence were promoted to the public with the promise that the funds would go directly to support public education. Why are our schools STILL in such dire shape when we see multi-million dollar jackpots being paid out? Are the schools actually benefiting from lottery money?"

User comments provide more insight and links to suggested reading on each the topic.

AskQuestions.org

Culture Indie Media

The purpose of the Stay Close Campaign is to remind you that a GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered) loved one is the same person that you knew before they disclosed their sexual orientation -- the same person that you loved unconditionally.

If someone in your life is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, it's important to stay close to them: listen, keep talking, and ultimately -- find the way to understanding. Staying close means staying involved in the lives of GLBT friends and family.

What makes this campaign particularly beautiful (besides the message) are the different celebrities involved. The advertising campaign features each celebrity hugging their GLBT family member. Participating celebrities include; Cyndi Lauper, Barbara Cook, Congressman Gregory Meeks, Ben Affleck, and Congressman Dick Gephardt.

Stay Close Campaign

All My Life For Sale, is a project that explores how identity is shaped by every object a person owns.

Brian Thompson has emarked on this journey by selling each and every personal posession he owns.

Each item is described and then sold in an on-line auction. By telling the story of an item and selling it to the highest bidder, its true emotional and financial value is discovered.

So what is the relationship between what we own and who we are?

Do the things we buy really reflect who we want to be?

Will changing what you have change who you become?

Does having less stuff make you less of a person?

All My Life For Sale

According to a new study conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers in Boston, lycopene has been shown to significantly reduce a woman's risk of heart disease—the Number 1 cause of death in women.

Researchers analyzed nearly 1,000 blood samples, approximately half from women who developed cardiovascular disease and the remainder from women who did not. Lycopene, a carotenoid and antioxidant that is found in tomatoes and other red-hued members of the World's Healthiest Foods, has also been shown to offer men significant protection against prostate cancer and atherosclerosis. This new study demonstrates that lycopene is just as important for women as it is for men.

Lycopene: A Woman's Heart's Best Friend

In 2005:

-- 46 counties have reported WNV activity in California this year.
-- 64 individuals from 15 counties have been infected with WNV in 2005.
-- To date in 2005, there have been two WNV-related fatalities.
-- 48 horses have tested positive for WNV in 15 counties, of these 24 have died or been euthanized.
-- 828 dead birds in 42 counties have tested positive for WNV.
-- 487 mosquito pools from 21 counties have tested positive for WNV.
-- Five sentinel chickens from three counties have tested positive for West Nile antibodies.

There are three ways you can reduce your risk of becoming sick:

-- Avoid Mosquito Bites
-- Mosquito-Proof Your Home
-- Help Your Community by Reporting Dead Birds

California West Nile Virus Website

Sometimes the right health choices aren't always obvious, so Real Simple consulted experts on everyday dilemmas, such as: Vent your anger or cool your head? Order another glass of wine or a piece of cake? Spend 15 Minutes in the Sun Without Sunscreen or Two Hours in the Sun Wearing SPF 30? Sleep an Extra Hour or Get Up and Exercise?

Each of the 12 questions are answered realistically, with an edge of humor and followed up with a "but". For instance, it's better to eat a doughnut for breakfast than nothing at all but "To offset some of the doughnut's shortcomings (it's loaded with trans fats and sugar and contains few nutrients), drink a glass of low-fat milk with it."


Real Simple's Everyday Health Dilemmas Solved

It's a bit difficult to determine which came first - the investment in the rapper, or the rapper's investment in the water - but it's definitely clear that there's a business agreement; I saw a billboard advertising the water with 50 Cent dressed in a leisure suit. Prior to that I'd had the drink (tasty!) and read the clever label - "inspired by today's most talked about artist, hottest record producer, and soon-to-be movie star, this not-so-hypnotic tonic contains (hint, hint) 50 percent of many of the important vitamins that you need every day."

Quite an an accomplishment for a man which such a rich history

While a lot of reviewers complain of of the misinformation speckled throughout the book, many note that it's humorous and read in context of the author worthy of your time.

Quoting James Randi: "As with all of my books, I dropped in a few jokes. I had a hard time getting these jokes accepted by St. Martin's Press, the original publishers. However, now that it's on the Internet, I not only can make sure that the full force of my wit is felt, but I can add new ones in response to my latest whims.

This Internet version will contain many more illustrations than the printed one, and as time goes on we intend to add more categories and definitions, as well."

Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural - now available online.

The printed version is available from Amazon.com