Cool Aid Program
COOL AID PROGRAM gets fans and air conditioners to needy individuals. On hot, hot days and nights, this ministry saves lives. If you need a fan or air conditioner, contact Dwight Ogleton at 615-818-2459 or 615-895-8555. If you would donate an air conditioner or fan, contact Dwight Ogleton (same phone numbers). If you wish to make a financial contribution to the COOL AID PROGRAM, go by FirstBank (615 Memorial Blvd.) and tell them you have a gift for COOL AID. READ MORE »

Dan Whittle photo exhibit at Arts Center of Cannon County
May 25-June 30, 2012 Dan Whittle's photo art is on display at the Arts Center of Cannon County (1424 John Bragg Highway in neighboring Woodbury). Admission is free to the Marly Berger Gallery. This well known journalist-photographer-author has creative nature photos and captures life in action through the lens of his camera. In addition to the exhibit, the public is invited to a reception honoring Mr. Whittle on Friday, May 25, 2012, from 5-7PM at the Cannon County Arts Center. For more information, phone 615-563-ARTS (2787). READ MORE »

Dance Camp
Mon-Fri (July 9-13, 2012) Summer Dance Camp at the Springhouse Worship and Arts Center (14119 Old Nashville Highway; Smyrna, TN; same as Lamplighters Theatre). Fee is $150 per student, if you register before July 2nd. ($170 after that date). On site registration is also available. Phone 615-852-8499 for more information. READ MORE »

Greenway 100 (walk 100 miles in 1-year)
any day (between now May 19, 2013) sunrise-sunset GREENWAY 100 with a walk, run, bike, hop or crawl the Greenway Get a cool T-shirt and more by walking 100-miles in one-year. This year long campaign is created to help you get fit. There is a $10 application fee. Phone 615-893-2141. READ MORE »

International FolkFest
Sun-Sun (June 10-17, 2012) INTERNATIONAL FOLKFEST as our own Cripple Creek Cloggers and founder Steve Cates welcome dance groups from around the world to Murfreesboro and the mid-state area. This year Martinique, Belgium, Austria, and the Czech Republic will be in the Heart of Tennessee. There are numerous volunteer opportunities. See the FolkFest website: http://www.mboro-international-folkfest.org 7PM Wed. (6/13) at Central Christian Church 404 E. Main St., Murfreesboro); 7PM Thu. (6/14) at Manchester Arts Center (128 E. Main. St., Manchester) admission $10; 7PM Fri. (6/14) at Patterson Center (521 Mercury Blvd., Murfreesboro) $5 admission; Sat. (6/15) 8:30AM-1PM stage on the east side of historic Murfreesboro square, free performance, opportunity to talk with visitors and learn about their country. READ MORE »

Middle Half Marathon
Sat. (Oct. 13, 2012) 7AM 6th Annual Middle Half Marathon and Murph's Fun Run. The 13.1-mile course starts and stops at MTSU's Dean Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium and the course is around the beautiful flat and tree-lined Murfreesboro historic district. The Murfreesboro Half Marathon course has been certified as accurate in measurement according to the standards adopted by the USATF Road Running Technical Council. Remember, last years 2,500 max was reached in 11 days. NOTICE: Registration begins 8AM on June 1st (nothing before that). Go to www.themiddlehalf.com. READ MORE »

Phone "811" Before You Dig
Reminder, before you dig--phone 811. With one phone call to 811, someone will come to your property and mark all burried phone lines, cables, pipes at NO CHARGE. Please allow 2-3 business days. READ MORE »

Primary Care & Hope Clinic SPONSORSHIPS

The Primary Care & Hope Clinic serve the healthcare needs of uninsured and under-served persons in our community. During this organization's 20th annversary year, there are two upcoming major events in which sponsorships are available.
Sat. (June 16, 2012) 6PM 20th Anniversary Luau at the Stones River Country Club.
Sat. (Aug. 25, 2012) 4-8PM Taste of Stones River at the Avenue of Murfreesboro.
For more information, contact Bette McFarland (phone 615-893-3930, extension 207) or e-mail her at bette.mcfarland@hopeclnc.org

Ready Family Reunion (ENTIRE community welcome)
Sat. (Aug. 11, 2012) READY FAMILY REUNION at the Woodbury Senior Citizen Center. THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS INVITED. Activities will include a social on Friday night at the Cannon Inn. On Saturday there will be breakfast at the Readyville Mill, a family history exchange and the reunion that evening with live entertainment, all you can eat buffet, drawings and prizes. You and those interested (local non family residents are invited) can contact Larry Ready (10th generation from Richard Ready) at the address above or at ReadyFamily@webtv.net or phone at: 256-303-2380. READ MORE »

Southern Girls of Rock'n Roll Camp
Mon-Sat (July 23-28, 2012) 8:30AM-5:30PM 10th Anniversary of YEAH's Southern Girls of Rock'n Roll Camp. This is a summer day camp for girls ages 10-17. It is held at MTSU's Wright Music Building. Camp tuition is $300 (scholarships are available along with monthly payment plans). For information or to register, go to their website: www.sgrrc.com READ MORE »

Airbrush

By: Dr. Larry Burris, MTSU Professor of Journalism Published: August 1, 2011

I won’t ask how many of you ever wondered how much the Playboy centerfolds were airbrushed, but I bet you have wondered if you could ever look like those airbrushed, drop-dead models in all of those personal care ads.

Let me put your mind at rest, by telling you, “No you can’t, at least not without a lot of money.”

In the Untied States, no one seems to care a lot about those models in magazines and on television. But in England some recent ads featuring Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington were banned because they “breached the advertising standards for exaggeration and being misleading.”

What’s also interesting is that L’Oreal refused to let people see the pre-manipulated photographs of Roberts.

Of course, in the United States there are different standards for what is acceptable. The Federal Trade Commission uses something called “false, deceptive and unfair” when deciding which ads are appropriate. On the surface those three descriptors seem pretty clear-cut. But the F-T-C, and the courts, have added another layer called “puffery,” which says that no one really believes the ads anyway, so what’s the harm?

In other words, the ad has to be either absolutely accurate, or so outlandish that one could possibly believe the ad content is true.

But back to the airbrushing.

It’s not just human models that are manipulated. Look at food ads. That hamburger sandwich with the leafy lettuce, the just-so drops of water and the perfect dollop of sauce probably took several hours to prepare, and then several more hours of digital enhancement.

You know, of course, that movies use all sorts of digital tricks, usually under the title of Computer-Generated Imagery, or C-G-I. So now I have to ask, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, was Julia Roberts maybe airbrushed into all of those movies? And if she was, would they be banned in England as well? The possibilities boggle the mind.