Hollywood Celebrities and Pop Culture

Hollywood Celebrities and Pop Culture - The Rape of the Mind

Fame, fortune, and power stand at the top of the heap when it comes to what we call success. Most peculiar of these is fame. It seems the rule, which is rarely spoken out loud is, anyone who is very well known didn’t get that way because they did everything wrong. Oh really! Who hasn’t heard the names of some famous criminals like John Dillinger or Al Capone or John Wayne Gacy? Many of these criminals were even trusted and held hero status in the minds of some people.

Actors after all only portray the very worst human behavior so they are held above any level of culpability. Ignoring the power of suggestion and the force of example they are generally held guiltless. That thousands of youth, weak minded individuals and those with a penchant for criminal activity may be directly influenced by actors is not supposed to be addressed. How easy it is to portray those who decry this evil influence as extremist, right wing extremist, bible thumpers, self righteous or a few other appellations I can’t mention here. Does fame change the standards of morality, sadly for many Americans the answer is, yes?

Faith in God is among other things a call to get rid of the influence laid upon us by the rich, powerful or famous. It is addressed many times throughout the Bible with admonitions like this one. “Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the righteous.” Deuteronomy 16:19 For those deeply influenced by celebrities, it requires a lot less than a gift but only a glimpse or a word from their favorite star can get them onboard some perverted or twisted secular view or cause in the proverbial New York minute. This is the rape of the mind. These minds are not weak minds but according to the Bible they are blind minds and are easy prey. 2 Corinthians 4:14

In his brazen and irreverent style as a political humorist Bill Maher has caught the attention of millions of American minds. That these minds were largely suspended in mid air by absolutely nothing made them easy prey. His show “Politically Incorrect” which ended in 2002 won several Emmy awards during its run. In the summer of 2006 Mr. Maher appeared on the Jay Leno show and in his usual pompous style espoused a good bit of his liberal hype to the enthusiastic applause of the audience. The most excited applause was elicited from the audience when Mr. Maher decried the resistance to stem cell research that Maher attributes largely to the Bush administrations policies.

He raised the audience to the heights when he said that what stifle the good efforts of stem cell researchers are men like George Bush who have decided all on their own when exactly life begins. He inferred that it was Mr. Bush’s religious persuasions that have brought him to resist the great high priests of the secular world, the scientists. To the average couch potato trying to relax in his own home this may have gone unnoticed but perhaps a few good folks may have wondered how Mr. Maher decided when life does or does not begin. Why should his view of it be any more valid than the presidents?

If the beginning of life takes place at some unknown point after conception that is arbitrarily determined by just anyone then how easy it would be to make a mistake. Those that say it’s after the first trimester could be wrong by a month, a day or even a minute. What reasonable person would like to take a chance on that deadly error? Do the math, those that say life begins at conception could be dead wrong but that would still leave no one dead. The proponents of abortion have no such assuring outcome to their beliefs.

According to Mr. Maher and others who aren’t so sure when life begins, the Chinese who are attributed for stating the following proverb must be wholly incorrect. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” I suppose if we’re really to know if the proverb is true or not we could just start traveling to Hollywood from wherever we are. When we get there we could knock on the door of some celebrity and ask them if our trip started on the first mile of the journey or at some other point along the way. Oh, by no means takeoff for Washington D.C. because we already know what that dumb old president is going to say. He is going to tell us our journey began with the first step and with the first mile. Who could trust that nonsense?

The priests of ancient Baalism offered children as sacrifice to appease their gods. The Bible says these gods were actually no more than demons. Is the offering of our unborn to the priests of science and secularism all that much different? Has the end justifying the means now become an acceptable substitute for doing what is natural, right and obviously moral and humane? Humane? What would the animal rights activist do if they got wind of a group of veterinarians who were pulling out whole litters of puppies from their mothers bodies for some experiment? How many animal hospitals would get picketed, burned or worse?

Mr. Maher and his enthusiastic audience may not be as sure as Mr. Bush about when human life begins but there is one place they may want to visit to help them in their decision. Instead of the Hollywood tour of celebrity stars maybe they should travel to Wichita Kansas to see the building that Operation Blessing recently purchased. The building was formerly used by Central Women’s Services as an abortion clinic. On August 7th of 2006 it was reported by several news agencies that the people of operation Blessing sprayed the walls ceilings and floors of the building with a substance known as luminol. They took both still photos and videos of the inside of the former clinic that would curdle the blood of anyone regardless of how heartless or hardened they may be. The room glowed like something out of the worst horror movie of the decade. From the floors, walls and even the ceilings an eerie glow of death filled the room and one photographer grew so sick they had to flee the room before fainting.

Visiting this former clinic may not answer the question of when life begins but it would go a long way to show how and in what manner life ends. After that, the first question may be given a great deal more attention and thought. For most of us with an average measure of common sense we don’t need the Bible, the President or Hollywood celebrities to tell us that most things begin…at the beginning.

Rev Bresciani is the author of two books and has hundreds of articles both online and in print. Over a quarter of a million people have enjoyed his articles on faith, inspiration, practical living, politics, current events and much more. Please visit his website at americanprophet.org

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Cat Lover's Gift Basket
Speaking as a quintessential cat lover, receiving a "Cat Lover's Gift Basket" is second only to receiving an actual cat!

Next time you're shopping for someone who is as wild about cats as you and I are, consider the following suggestions. You'll all be happy, including the feline of the group.

First of all, decide upon your "Basket". It can either be a medium-sized wicker basket (cats love to nestle inside of them) or it could be a fairly deep cat bed. Inside, on the bottom, lay out sheets of colorful tissue paper, or even a pretty baby blanket.

Following are some ideas for treats to fill the basket or bed. Customize the list appropiately for the lucky person who is receiving the present.

-A CD of light jazz that he/she and their feline friend will enjoy listening to together. Cats love jazz. They have such exquisite taste.

-A great looking set of water and food dishes.

-A coffee mug with a cat on it.

-A Garfield book of comic strips and/or a Garfield calendar.

-Cat Nip-filled toys or balls.

-A ball of yarn. Stereotypical, sure....but oh so much fun!

-The Video Version of the musical "Cats".

The possibilities are as endless as your imagination and your desire to bring a smile to this person's face.

Visit: Cat Pause.com

About the Author

Cat Pause.com is a perfect site for cat lovers! It features tons of articles, product reviews, information, tips, and lots more. E-mail the author at joi@cat-pause.com

Tripods: Staying Still For The Perfect Photo
When it comes to buying a tripod there are a few things that need to be looked at and checked out. All tripods will come with a replaceable head or a fixed head. Some of the tripods on the bit more expensive side will come with a replaceable head that allows the photographer to select the size of the head that will fit your camera. Some of the tripods that are great for amateurs come with a fixed head and in compact style for easier use and carrying ability. Most tripods that have the fixed heads will come with the tilt and pan handles.

Tilt and pan heads have two different handles attached to them from the sides or bottom. One is used to move the camera up and down and the other is used for the side-to-side direction. These types of heads are vital to the movie industry and anyone wanting to take mpegs with a digital camera. The ball and socket heads work well with still photography and it is needed for a firm locking and an easy give for the use of one or more camera that may need to be changed during photo shoots.One of the most popular types of tripods are tabletop or mini tripods.

It is quite simple to mount a camera on to a tripod; all you need to do is screw the camera on it. Yes, it really is that simple! Tripods are used to keep your camera steady and extremely still. In the photography world there is an unwritten rule of thumb on when one should be used, 1/focal length s. For an example if you have a 200 mm lens, the slowest speed that you should use without a tripod is 1/200 s. Anything over that your camera should be mounted on a tripod for a more clear and steady picture.

Albreht Moy has many photographs for sale at his website.

Amazing Teleconferencing Services for People
Individuals and business now have an efficient and economical way of communicating by using specialized teleconferencing services for people.

Reduced travel expenses and business productivity increases with this form of communication.

Teleconferencing services for people and businesses accommodate the following:

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Teleconferencing services for people are a tremendous and economical way to communicate.

Hurry and visit for a directory for cheap conference calling news and products at our website. Reduced travel expenses and business productivity increases with this form of communication.

Go for low-cholesterol diet
Question : I HAVE numbness in my hands especially the fingers. Could it be due to hypercholesterolemia? My total blood cholesterol is slightly above 200mg/dl and I just had my gall bladder removed last month. Please advise.

Answer : NUMBNESS is often associated with or preceded by abnormal pain-like sensations often described as pins and needles, prickling or burning sensations. Any numbness requires prompt medical advice as it could be a sign or symptom of other diseases. This condition may be caused by several factors, including lack of blood supply to the affected area, nerve injury and metabolic disturbances such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, alcoholism and malnutrition. Numbness can be a result of high cholesterol levels in blood. If plaque is blocking the flow of blood to your feet and legs, a fairly common condition called peripheral vascular disease will occur.

Since you have a high cholesterol level and had your gall bladder removed, you should cut down the intake of oil. A high-fat diet can stimulate bile acid secretion and this can irritate the gut. Additionally, a high intake of unsaturated fat can increase the cholesterol levels. Supplementing your diet with lecithin would be beneficial. Its main constituent, phosphatidyl choline, has the ability to increase the solubility of cholesterol and break down the fatty deposits in the bloodstream. This reduces the risk of cholesterol plaque formation.

You should incorporate cholesterol-lowering foods into your diet, such as oats, fish, vegetables and fruits. Although your diet should be free from oily foods, a small amount of essential fatty acids -- omega-3 and omega-6 -- are needed to maintain good health and normalise total blood cholesterol levels.

Increase your dietary fibre because it will combine with and deactivate excessive bile acids in the bowel. Herbs like red yeast rice and guggulipid may also be used to lower serum triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol, and increase HDL cholesterol.

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