He looks like any other buff boxer. He’s got massive shoulders, lean muscle and a bald head almost completely covered in tattoos. He looks tough, rugged, unquestionably masculine. In other words, it wouldn’t surprise you to find out that this man is a 44-year-old British boxer of more than 30 years. But what may surprise you about him is that he’s not planning on being this for much longer. In fact, he’s not planning to be any of this, well, all except the boxing part.
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08.04.09 @ 9:00 am
Twitter has officially taken over.
07.20.09 @ 9:00 am
Years ago, I used to listen to a radio “Shock Jock,” as they were called, named Bubba the Love Sponge. His show was probably the most entertaining way to spend the morning drive anywhere in Central Florida, and even in other states where his show was syndicated. It was borderline crude and blessed with gratuitous amounts of controversial topics, often skirting the line best displayed by cable TV and HBO. It was refreshing in its own way. All the things that may or may not have been important were discussed, but they were talked about in a way that made sense and at least made you think a little about a topic, sometimes making a listener more interested in something thought to be obscenely boring at first.
07.17.09 @ 9:00 am
America was founded on the basis of tolerance for all. We would welcome the thoughts and ideals of massive groups of people and blend them within our grand population. Assimilation into the American culture was the way things went for years. And as all things once built on grand ideas and a better way of life, people began to feel more entitled than others, either through their own successes, or the hardships they and theirs had faced during their ethnic history. As time went on, the culture as a whole mingled without slavery and later segregation, a new breed of discrimination has risen. This discrimination hides itself behind “fairness” and “tolerance,” but it is actually the greatest form of social oppression possible in a free country. Political correctness is a disease that cripples creativity and free thought. It represents the chains that hold our society back from evolution, all while keeping the population from completely melding together as a whole. Racism, sexism and religious intolerance are all reinforced by the politically correct, while people believe it is an effective means at proving they aren’t.
07.10.09 @ 3:00 pm
It’s been more than 50 years since the start of the Civil Rights Movement. So much has taken place in those short decades, but it’s hard to imagine, for me, a world much different than today, with so many opportunities for so many different people. I was born in the ’80s, so I really have no perspective on what took place in those crucial years. I thought it might be interesting to take a look back and interview some people who actually experienced the movement to see what they have to say after all these years, paying particular attention to the the black movement and the idea of racism. (What I found may surprise you. I know it did me.)
06.29.09 @ 9:00 am
Everyone always says that we’re all looking for the “quick fix.” The connotation is almost always negative, but what if it didn’t have to be? The July/August edition of The Atlantic has suggested 15 ideas on “How to Fix the World.” These 15 ideas, submitted by different contributors, suggest some ideas that seem crazy but just might work. Their 15 include: 1. Renting out your home instead of watching it go into foreclosure.
06.21.09 @ 3:00 pm
When one thinks of pregame rituals for football, many people would consider the prayer part of it. It has been seen in movies like “Varsity Blues,” “The Replacements” and “Remember the Titans.” No one can dispute that it has taken place, and many embrace the practice, but the question has come up in recent years about legality. The Constitution specifically states that we are to be a country forged not under a single religion, but that we are to embrace those that come from many. Even with Christianity in all of its forms being the majority religious belief, according to a study done in March 2009 reported by the Christian Post, the number of non-religious Americans has doubled in every state from 1990. On top of the decline in Christian believers, the total non-believer population has gone form 8 to 15 percent in the time frame. This includes atheists (no God) and agnostics (not sure), as well as deistics (belief in a higher power, but not necessarily God). The study also shows that mainline Christianity and Catholicism are on contraction, shedding numbers overall (some minor sects showing small gains, however) while a generic brand of Christianity has begun to consume a good portion of the non-denominational believers. With prayer still being commonplace in sport, there are even some that wish to have public prayer before games for the crowd to take part in as well. Given the data on the contraction in religious Americans over the last two decades, for us to uphold the rights granted to the populace by our government, this would be an offense against those who are of a non-Christian faith.
06.14.09 @ 9:00 am
Rearing its ugly head only occasionally in the headlines throughout recent years only makes this social issue more serious and difficult to confront. Sexism is one of the most covert social problems of today, yet it can be found in just about every aspect of life; from television to books and films, and from clothes to toys and even cereal boxes, this matter invades the lives of American people day in and day out, whether we’re aware of it or not. This is precisely why it is such a big deal. This issue attacks us from all angles, something like buck shot, almost impossible to avoid. From the moment we come into this world we’re given a set gender role, or behaviors considered appropriate for whatever particular sex we are. For example, it is common for a girl to be given a very feminine name and to be dressed in a commonly accepted color for newborn girls – pink. The same thing goes for boys, who are commonly given masculine names and dressed in blue outfits, a stark contrast from the girl’s pink. Even celebratory items such as balloons and decorations make it definitively clear what the infant child’s sex is, like banners that read, “It’s a boy!” or “It’s a girl!” It’s plain to see that society is very interested in making sure that these gender roles are set into motion from the very start.
06.02.09 @ 9:00 am
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