February 24th 2008

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Assistant Editor

Suzy isn't available this week so I am taking over the newsletter for today.

The Oscars are tonight and as usual I have no intention of watching it. Celebrity gazing and buzz is not my thing, and apparently a lot of other people feel the same way. The Oscars have been going downhill in recent years due to poor ratings and a lot of people dissatisfied with the results.

I'm not surprised. The Oscars are basically a gimmick to sell movies to the mass populace. Movies that win big at the Oscars get bragging rights that boost their profits and sales. But most of the movies that win I don't really care for.

Lets take the example of The Aviator (which won a tonne of Oscars several years ago). I've watched it 1.5 times and I have no intention of watching it again. It may have won awards but I couldn't care less about it. The Oscars tend to give awards to artsy flicks, those that are perceived as such at least, but that doesn't mean the movie is actually any good.

In contrast to The Aviator I've watched The Hulk over twenty times, but it didn't win a single award and had horrible movie reviews. True, most of the movie was CGI, but the same can be said about a lot of blockbuster movies these days. There is no Oscar for Best CGI.

Conclusions? Just because it wins an Oscar doesn't mean the movie is worth watching again and again. I'd rather watch any of the Indiana Jones movies a hundred times than watch an Oscar winner once.

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
Assistant Editor of the Lilith eZine


The Art History Archive
The History of Zimbabwean Artists: Marshall P. Baron, Charles Fernando, Joseph Muzondo, Thakor Patel, Robert Paul and Kingsley Sambo.
The Group of Seven - Canadian Landscape Artists
Franklin Carmichael - Canadian Landscape Artist
Lawren Harris - Canadian Landscape Artist
A.Y. Jackson - Canadian Landscape Artist
Frank H. Johnston - Canadian Landscape Artist
Arthur Lismer - Canadian Landscape Artist
J.E.H. MacDonald - Canadian Landscape Artist

Frederick H. Varley
- Canadian Landscape Artist
Tom Thomson - Canadian Landscape Artist

The Automotive eZine
Recession Hits the Automotive Sector

The Canada eZine
Should Canada peg the loonie to the US dollar to boost exports?

The Entertainment eZine
Boycotting 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons

The Environmental eZine
Home Energy Saving Tips
The Theory of Rapid Climate Change: Is there a real threat?

The Fashion eZine
Supermodels and Fashion Models: History, Health & Controversy
The World's Top Supermodels

The Health eZine
i'm fat and lovin' it: McDonald's and Obesity Rates

The Politics eZine
Afghanistan's Terrorist Warlords: No Peace in Afghanistan

The Technology eZine
The Next Generation of Computer Processors: 5 to 6 Ghz

February 17th 2008

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

I think my favourite article this week is "Get Great Abs - The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Abdomen", which was a collaborative effort of several writers and myself. It details not only the health benefits of a muscular abdomen, diet, methodology and over 20 different abdomen exercises.

I've been doing ab exercises for several months now, in addition to my weightlifting routine (see Weightlifting for Women), and I've seen some remarkable changes and made a discovery: Girls with six-packs are hot and I am now one of them.

It happened last week when I looked in the mirror and realized: "Damn! I look hot!" Ever since then I've been riding a wave of giddy emotion, as if I had just climbed Mount Everest AND won the lottery. I can't stop smiling.

Six years ago when I was in university and overweight from too much junk food and lack of exercise I would have never thought it possible. So to me helping to write "Get Great Abs" was part of a personal journey and a completion of that journey, but not the end. I feel as physically fit as I have ever been in my life. I have never felt stronger, faster or more flexible than I do right now, and I know if I keep this up my life will continue to improve.

Now that I have reached my goal I want to help other people to realize theirs. I encourage everyone to at least read Get Great Abs - The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Abdomen, and try to set a schedule for doing some of the exercises mentioned within and change your diet. If you stick with it you will be as happy as I am with the results.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine


The Art History Archive

Bosnian and Herzegovinian Artists

Mersad Berber, Braco Dimitrijevic, Gabrijel Jurkic, Kosta Hakman, Nesim Tahirovic and Darmin Veletanlic.

The History of Pin Up Art
Olivia De Berardinis - American Pin Up Artist


The Automotive eZine
The Hottest Cars in the History of Television


The Canada eZine
Smoking Bans working in Toronto


The Environmental eZine
Jellyfish Swarms caused by global warming and over fishing

The Fashion eZine
Supermodel by Heidi Klum

The Feminist eZine
High Aspirations for Women

Misogynists being left in the Gutters



The Health eZine
Get Great Abs - The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Abdomen
Inuit Women Birthing Practices and Midwives

The Sex eZine
Sex Jokes and Cartoons

Funny Hatemail to the Lilith eZine

Check out some of the hatemail we've received over the years:

http://funnyhatemail.blogspot.com/

We get a lot of hatemail to the Lilith eZine and the Feminist eZine.

Mostly from people who call us "stupid liberal dykes" and "jew lovers" and "communist terrorist sympathizers".

To all those idiotic bigots who send us their hatemail, our sincere thanks. We laugh every time we read your nonsense.

Especially at your horrible spelling, punctuation and poor sentence structures. It is really amazing how many computer literate bigots are out there who can't even use spellcheck.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin

PS. We didn't post any of the death threats we receive. They're not as funny.

The Canadian Art Survey

The Canadian Art Survey

Can you pick your 10 favourite Canadian artists?
Fill out our survey.

Kenojuak Ashevak Eleanor Bond Jonathon Earl Bowser Claude Breeze Bertram Brooker Florence Carlyle Emily Carr Alex Colville Emily Coonan Martha Fleming/Lyne Lapointe Henry George Glyde Lawren S. Harris Robert Harris Prudence Heward Edwin H. Holgate Jack Humphrey A.Y.Jackson Cornelius Krieghoff Joseph Legare Jennifer Linton Arthur Lismer Attila Richard Lukacs Laura Muntz Lyall J.E.H.MacDonald Pegi Nicol Macleod Charles Alexander Moffat Norval Morrisseau Kathleen Munn Lilias Torrance Newton Lucius O'Brien Paul Peel Alfred Pellan Bill Reid George Agnew Reid Carl Schaefer John Scott Michael Snow Tom Thomson Frederick H. Varley Victoria Van Dyke Homer Watson Colette Whiten Joyce Wieland Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun

February 10th 2008

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

We take a lot of things for granted in our western culture. Freedom of speech for example.

You may think nothing of your ability to read things on the internet, but in some countries (depending on what you are reading) you can be sentenced to death.

That is what has happened to Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, a journalist from Afghanistan who downloaded a feminist report about women's rights. He's been sentenced to death for supporting women's rights, which the Afghan government claims is a form of blasphemy.

I'd like to know where it is written that women's rights is somehow blasphemous, but it does remind me of how low our own culture can sink sometimes. The Anti-Feminist movement (mostly made up of deadbeat dads who don't want to pay spousal/child support) who want to take away a woman's right to get a divorce, get child support or even make decisions like when or if to have an abortion.

Imagine for a moment if the father had the right to decide if his sexual partner should have an abortion? To essentially force her into it.

I am sure it happens already, wherein boyfriends force their girlfriends to have abortions, but what if she refused and somehow the man got the legal right to force it? That would be, essentially, slavery.

And that is the problem some countries still face. Women's rights in Afghanistan is like emancipation from slavery, and trying to help free slaves or even reading about it, punishable by death.

People think or say that feminism and women's rights are over, that we've won, but frankly we haven't even scratched the surface of the globe. We may have women's rights guaranteed by our western governments, but the global fight has only barely begun.

And don't think for an instant that we ourselves have had much success either. How many female heads of state have we had in western culture? Kim Campbell of Canada was Prime Minister for a mere 6 months and Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain was Prime Minister for 11 years. That is it.

Pretty pathetic when you think about it.

Margaret Thatcher did prove however that women could be very successful as leaders.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine


The Art History Archive
Frank Frazetta - Fantasy Art Legend.


The Canada eZine
Privatization of Canada's Schools, Electricity and Two-Tier Healthcare.

The Entertainment eZine
Ani DiFranco - Biography, quotes and mp3s by folk legend.

The Environmental eZine
The War on Plastic Bags - The world is banning the lowly plastic bag.

The Fashion eZine
Fashion Waifs Disappearing - Designers going for more voluptuous and busty models.
Laetitia Casta - Fashion Supermodel

The Feminist eZine
Wombs for Rent - Hire a womb for $2500.


The Gothic eZine
Gothic Bikinis and Swimwear


The Health eZine
Anorexia on the Internet - Yahoo! Bans Pro Ana Websites.


The Politics eZine
America's Retail Economy Worst in 40 Years.
The Afghan who dared to read about women's rights - And was sentenced to death.

The Religion eZine
An Easy to Understand Introduction to Numerology

The Sex eZine
Teen Sex Obsession - Are Teenagers Really Obsessed with Sex? Opinion and Statistics.

The Technology eZine
Statistics about the rate of Internet Growth around the world.

February 3rd 2008

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

Of all the silly things people in North America do, I think Groundhog Day (which was yesterday, February 2nd) is one of the silliest. It apparently dates back to German Mennonites living in Pennsylvania and a folklore tradition that if the groundhog pops out of its hole in the ground on February 2nd and sees its shadow it means there will be 6 more weeks of winter. And if not, its a month and a half... Whats the difference?

By the time March 21st (the Spring Equinox) rolls around does it really make a difference? By that time we're all sick of winter anyway. Plus there's the whole March "In like a lamb, out like a lion" superstition. More nonsense to get people excited about Spring.

Here's another one from Germany: Spring Fasching (it means festival). You dress up like monsters, run around the neighborhood and make tonnes of noise all in order to scare away the evil spirits of winter (and get candy from your grandparents). It is a lot like Halloween in many ways. It is also an excuse for teens and adults to get rip-roaringly drunk.

I guess wherever you go you're going to see people having silly festivals (and getting drunk). Tis human nature to wanna have a good time!

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin



The Art History Archive

Neo-Pop Art of the 1980s and onwards. Pop Artists of the last 30 years.



The Canada eZine

What is happening to Canadian television? The CBC sucks this year.
A overview of Canada's Political Spectrum, Parties and their Policies.


The Environment eZine
How high will the sea level rise if the antarctic and arctic ice caps melt? Check out our section on Rising Sea Levels.


The Fashion eZine
Arm Warmers: Hot and Sexy
A Guide to Long Gloves and Fingerless Gloves: Keep your hands Warm and Fashionable
Classic gowns and dresses and who wore them: Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn.
The best of European Ecofashion and where to find it.
Rusty Joiner - Male Supermodel
Andrew Stetson - Male Supermodel
Mark Vanderloo - Male Supermodel


The Feminist eZine
Russian Women after the Communist Revolution


The Technology eZine
Microsoft bids $44.6 billion US for dinosaur Yahoo. Will Google bid too?

January 27th 2008

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

It isn't very often the Lilith Gallery adds new artists, the curator Charles Moffat adds new people once/year and it is a strenuous screening process. The Lilith Gallery started back in the Summer of 2000 and has since grown to 15 artists. We therefore would like to invite you to browse our artists, both old and new.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine


The Art History Archive
The History of Fantasy Art and Fantasy Artists.
The Artwork and Biography of feminist artist Barbara Kruger.
Underwater Condos: Ever wanted to live under the sea?
The Artwork and Biography of Symbolist artist Gustav Klimt, famous for "The Kiss".
The Artwork and Biography of German Symbolist artist Franz Von Stuck.


The Lilith Gallery
New Artist: Alicia DeBrincat
New Artist: Annie Naseem


The Automotive eZine
Fun and informative car trivia. Care to test your knowledge of automotive history?


The Fashion eZine
A History of the World's Greatest Fashion Designers, from A to Z.
Tyson Ballou - Male Supermodel
Will Chalker - Male Supermodel


The Gothic eZine
The Gothic Fashion Directory has compiled a list of all the best gothic fashion shops:
Accessories, Clothing, Corsets, Footwear and Makeup.


The Health eZine
With scientific advances in genetics and cloning, will man become extinct?


The Politics eZine
We take a close look at the new American recession and economic downturn and how we will be effected.


The Sex eZine
Sex, Money and the City: Are too many women marrying for money?

January 20th 2008

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

More art, fashion and sex stuff for you this week, but the one I am most interested in is the census of Native Canadians. Apparently they are the fastest growing minority group in Canada due to an extremely high birth rate. Their population has gone up 45% in the last 10 years alone. Approximately 1 in every 30 Canadians is Native or Metis (mixed).

For me it is difficult to think of Canada without thinking of our Native population. First we slaughtered them in the largest mass genocide in known history. Prior to Jacques Cartier arriving there was over an 100 million Natives living in North America and when we were done there was less than a couple million left. It is nice to see the population is growing back finally. (Incidentally it is our slaughter of Natives that apparently gave Hitler his inspiration for his final solution.)

Not a proud moment in Canadian or American history. Then again, neither was the slave trade, McCarthyism, the Vietnam War (which Canada didn't fight in) or America's choice to attack Iraq looking for WMD (which Canada wisely avoided again).

These days Native Canadian culture is all over the place. Inuit sculptures, Native art, not much for fashion unless you count my father wearing moccasins and Natives finally winning important diplomatic issues like Ipperwash being returned to Native hands. The political landscape has lots of room for Natives to grow I think. We need more Natives running for parliament and speaking up on issues like environment, health care and providing an unique perspective on international affairs.

I got a fan email a couple months ago from a Native woman who was concerned that we don't have much news or info about Native Canadians or Americans. Frankly, I agree. We only publish those things people send us and get past the scrutiny of my editorial eyes (that or things our staff writes).

So if anyone knows any Native writers out there who like to talk about controversial issues please tell them about us. We'd love to read what they have to say.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine



The Art History Archive
Canadian abstract painter Jack Bush paved the way for colour field painting in Canada.
Canadian artist Ken Danby died in September 2007. Take a look at his life's work.

The Canada eZine
Canada's First Nations is undergoing a baby boom that may revolutionize Native culture.

The Fashion eZine
True Haute Couture is no more, according to designer Pierre Cardin (plus a biography on the designer).
Tila Tequila Nguyen - Female Supermodel
Travis Fimmel - Male Supermodel

The Sex eZine
YouTube has completed changed the way the porn industry does business, or lack thereof.

January 13th 2008

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

I think about fashion surprisingly a lot. Almost every day in fact.

I get dressed to work at a high school 5 days per week for 10 months of the year and I've become rather conscious of my fashion sense and what I am wearing. After all, I don't look much older than my students. I'm a good 10 years senior most of them, but I still get asked for ID when I order alcohol in a restaurant.

As a teacher we are expected to look professional and to some extent not stand out in the crowd. Depending on the school there are degrees of acceptability.

A few years back I was working at the first high school I was contracted to. It was in a snobbish neighborhood of Richmond Hill north of Toronto. One weekend I decided to spike my hair and dye it green.

My students of course loved it and I got the usual comments and jokes from fellow teachers.

No less than two days later I was called to the administrative offices where several school trustees, the principal and several "very concerned looking" parents were waiting.

Apparently they had problems with my hair and were trying to find a way to get rid of me (or at least convince me to dye it back to normal). The parents thought I was "a potential bad influence" and that their children or other people's children might try to emulate me and become involved in crime somehow.

I pointed out that numerous students and teachers in the school already had all sorts of unusual hairstyles. Spikey green hair was not that unusual.

Still the parents were adamant that their children might become suicidal, violent or outright crazy if they were influenced somehow by some "goth chemistry teacher". (For the most part I tried to keep my gothic aspect looking very professional.)

The principal, thankfully, was on my side. As was the contracts thankfully.

And the law for that matter.

I said that if they fired me I would sue the school board for sexual discrimination. On what grounds? I'm bisexual. My hair is part of my sexuality.

Well now... maybe I shouldn't mentioned that. That was one moment I wonder if I should have hid in the closet.

Several of the parents in question suddenly did an about turn and back peddled on the issue. Others took a turn for the worse: They didn't want a "flaming green lesbian" teaching their kids...

I'm not going to go into the details, but needless to say I stayed until the end of my contract and then promptly found work at a more liberally minded school that caters to more artsy students. I won the battle, but I decided that I didn't want to go through a confrontation like that again so I decided to pick a battlefield where my fashion statements would be more welcome.
So when I'm getting ready to go work I'm not so much worried about looking professional these days. I'm trying to make more outrageous fashion statements.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine


The Art History Archive
Abstract Expressionism: What is it, who was involved in it and what were the major art pieces?
What are the most popular artworks of all time? We reviewed several sources.


The Automotive eZine
General Motors announces they might start selling self-driving GPS cars by 2018.
A Hitchhiker's Guide to getting a Ride and Hitchhiking stories.


The Canada eZine
How soon can we expect gas prices to skyrocket? Maybe this year.


The Fashion eZine
Want to do Yoga and look fashionable? Make sure you're equipped properly so you're comfortable.
Adriana Lima - Female Supermodel
Ajuma Nasenyana - Female Supermodel
Alex Lundqvist - Male Supermodel
Aline Nakashima - Female Supermodel
Carla Bruni - Female Supermodel
Chad White - Male Supermodel
Marcus Schenkenberg - Male Supermodel
Want a washboard stomach and nice pecs? Try Marcus Schenkenberg's Workout
Mario Lekkas - Male Supermodel
Selita Ebanks - Female Supermodel


The Sex eZine
A review of the top Topless Beaches from around the world.

January 6th 2008

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

2008 is here at last. Let us all take the time to reflect on 2007, laugh about our follies and imagine a better future in 2008.

Peace!

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine



The Automotive eZine
Automotive News of 2007
Carburetor Efficiency - Building a more efficient internal combustion engine.


The Canada eZine
Ontario's Untapped Oil Reserves - Is Ontario ignoring a huge source of income?

The Canadian Loonie in 2008
- Where will our dollar go?
Canadian News of 2007


The Entertainment eZine
Entertainment News of 2007
Sports News of 2007
Video Games News of 2007


The Environmental eZine
Weather News of 2007 - A Year of Climate Change


The Fashion eZine
Fashion News of 2007
Brand Name Fashion - Should you buy brand names? And if so, who can you trust to be quality?


The Feminist eZine
Dealing with Anti-feminism - Bigotry, deadbeat dads and ex-husbands.
Are Women Second Class Citizens? According to young women, yes, we are still not equal.
Globalization, Sex and Profits - What is the world doing (not doing) to stop prostitution and sex slavery?
Gender Trouble - Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, by Judith Butler

Twenty Biographies of Great Feminists


The Health eZine

Health News of 2007

How America Aids and Abets AIDS Worldwide

The Politics eZine
The Race for Arctic Oil
Hundred Dollar Oil - High oil prices are here to stay. It may drop down for the interim, but now that $100/barrel has been breached it is likely going to stay high.
Politics News of 2007

The Religion eZine
Religion News of 2007
Americans get 'F' in Religion

The Sex eZine
Sex News of 2007

The Technology eZine
Science News of 2007
Computer News of 2007

December 28th 2007

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition (on Friday)

Letter from the Editor

New Years is upon us and there won't be a Sunday edition this Sunday so we're sending this early.

And in the spirit of New Years I want to stop and take this opportunity to talk about alcohol. According to anthropologists beer dates back to approx. 10,000 BC (and we have the stone beer mugs to prove it). For as long as there has been alcohol we can only presume there has also been hangovers. We're not going to preach at people and tell them not to drink however (we're going to be out there with the rest of drinking champagne too).

But we do want to remind people to drink safely, designate a driver, call a taxi or take the subway. Drink hearty and don't overdo it.

For more about the history of alcohol.


Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine

The Art History Archive
Caveman art and the Venus of Willendorf is just the beginning when we discuss Prehistoric Art.
The Father of Abstract Expressionism: Arshile Gorky


The Automotives eZine

The car industry is gearing up to declare dominance in new green technology. Who will come out on top? The Eco-Car Battleground.


The Entertainment eZine

A review of rock celloist Jorane singing, plus a biography, quotes and mp3s.

The Sex eZine
We take an indepth look at the history of kissing, both anthropologically and artistically.
Kissing tips for amateurs and pros alike.

The Technology eZine
Our new Tech / Science eZine is up and running, and includes a new article on the science behind Becoming Invisible.

December 23rd 2007

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Happy Festivus and Merry Christmas from the Lilith eZine

We wish you all a happy and safe holiday season!

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Charles Moffat
& Victoria Van Dyke


The Canada eZine
Immigration to Canada is soaring as more people flock to Canadian cities.
Ipperwash Park is returned to the Natives, but questions remain about who murdered three Canadian police officers.


The Entertainment eZine
Charles Moffat reviews The Golden Compass and dismisses the atheist ideas about it.


The Feminist eZine
Suzanne MacNevin argues that young girls need to develop more active and tomboy lifestyles.


The Technology eZine
Google announces it is getting into the online encyclopedia business.

December 16th 2007

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

We don't teach religion in schools any more. We preach tolerance, acceptance and multiculturalism and we celebrate the festive season, but theological debate in schools in almost non existent.

The problem is that there is so many religions, so many view points that people think our kids will either not be able to grasp the fundamentals of idealogical debates (in other words we think our kids are too stupid to figure it out for themselves) or we're desperately afraid that our kids will come home brainwashed into believing in some new religion, cult or Satanism.

Parents simply don't want their kids coming home with "new ideas" about religions and faith. And they certainly don't want their kids questioning the existence (or honesty) of God, Jesus, Santa Claus, Buddha, Muhammad, the Bible, the Torah, the Quran or whatever you happen to believe or not believe in.

Jack and Jill went to school.
And learned about evolution.
Jack and Jill came back from school.
And Mom and Dad got a lawyer.

It is common knowledge that public schools are expected to be ivory towers of atheism, where science and knowledge are preached in one class and freedom & multiculturalism is taught in another. 85% of the world's population still believes in the existence of a higher power. The other 15% either don't worry about it or are active atheists who point out the flaws in religion.

But there are flaws in the Big Bang Theory too. As a chemistry teacher who studied my share of physics in university, I'm sorry but even I don't buy into the big bang theory. The theory states that there absolutely nothingness. Nothing at all, not even dimensional spaces... and then suddenly, somehow the universe exploded outwards creating atoms and molecules and eventually forming life.

It doesn't offer any explanation for how this happened or what the initial cause was beyond the idea that nothingness cannot exist and therefore there must be something. The Bible also states that in the beginning there was nothingness, only god, and through his conscience and deliberate actions created the heavens, the earth and all creatures upon it.

I am sorry, but I just can't buy into this theory that nothing existed. SOMETHING must have been there and always was there.

Even Einstein, the great 20th century physicist saw flaws in this way of thinking.

I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it. - Albert Einstein, 1954.

I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings. - Albert Einstein.

And frankly I agree with Einstein. There must be some kind of guiding force in the universe (similar to the Phoenix Force mentioned in X-Men comic books) which guides both creative and destructive forces. Scientists know that gravity draws atoms together and is directly related to how stars are born, die and collapse into black holes, but we don't understand WHY gravity does what it does.

Gravity, that most elusive of energy sources, is so far away from our understanding that we simply cannot explain it. We can't see gravity, only its results. We can measure its power, but cannot understand how or why it does anything. It is the driving force of the universe.

Yet I don't see anyone worshiping the power of gravity, because gravity lacks consciousness.

Religion tends to concern itself with more mythological ways of explaining why things happen. The universe acts in mysterious ways and we explain these things as "acts of god" or "miracles" or sometimes "deja vu". Events effect us emotionally and we can't blame the universe or gravity so we blame god instead.

I could rant about this all day, but my point is that we should be teaching religion and philosophy in school. We should be allowing children to develop their own ideas about the universe, its origins and where the human race is going. We do offer philosophy in high school and university, because at that age students should be able to grasp the concepts.

But what's wrong with allowing kids to study the basics of these issues sooner? Philosophy is an important part of learning logical thinking and you can't have a solid religious understanding without the philosophical knowledge to back it up. Far too many lazy people point to the bible as if it really is the "word of god", a factual document and don't bother to actually learn more about the universe and around them and question WHY.

And that is truly sad when people fail to even question why they are here.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine



The Art History Archive
Charles Moffat compares the trends in http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/architecture/Contemporary-Architecture.html and where it is going.
Charles Moffat brings back to life the art of Frida Kahlo, the Mexican Surrealist.
If you are Canadian please feel free to fill out this survey about Canadian artists.

The Environmental eZine
Urban myths about solar power and advice on how to install solar panels on your house.

The Feminist eZine
Sophie Ares Pilon and Suzanne MacNevin write about sex in advertising.

The Health eZine
Victoria Van Dyke talks about the Catholic Church, Sex and AIDS in Africa.
Fiona Bramzell discusses and compares diets that simply don't work.

The Religion eZine
Our new Religion eZine is up and running. Mythology, philosophy, atheism and more.
Festivus is coming up on December 23rd. Celebrate and share your grievances.
The Canadian Zodiac
The Chinese Zodiac
The Greek Zodiac

The Technology eZine
Suzanne MacNevin and Charles Moffat talks about why Wikipedia is a poor source of info.

December 9th 2007

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

Tis the season for sleigh bells jingling and I just noticed something.

There is quite a number of holiday songs out there that are played on the radio that make no mention of Jesus (or Santa Claus sometimes), and these songs are one's that are increasingly played in public places such as shopping malls, etc. Why? Because everyone enjoys the festive music and appreciates it, and it doesn't offend people who are either another religion or are simply non religious.

After all if we played Christian music that is more specifically about Jesus then other religious groups would want their religious music played during their holidays. Fair is fair after all. But can you imagine the uproar if we started playing Jewish or Muslim religious music during the relative holidays? It would happen, but it would be muted. I imagine and hope some places already make an effort to play more of a multicultural mix.

A similar issue came up not that long ago here in Ontario when the conservative party leader John Tory suggested creating separate publicly-funded schools for different religious groups (and therefore segregating people). The issue was rather controversial, it was election time and John Tory lost the election in a horrible defeat due to that one issue.

Obviously people want multicultural schools and tolerance, so it then becomes a matter of how do we share that multicultural attitude in schools and other public places and make everyone feel welcome. For me I think it is time we (people in North America) learned more about other religious events and traditions in an effort to be more welcoming and accepting. Sharing music with other cultures is an easy and understandable way to do it.

If we don't then we are limiting ourselves to the politically correct festive songs, which we atheists may enjoy, but frankly are rather boring.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine


The Art History Archive
Charles Moffat talks about ancient architecture, its origins and the mankind's urge to build skyward even in the early stages.

The Health eZine
Suzanne MacNevin talks about the issue of high suicide rates for breast implant patients.
Fiona Bramzell explains the benefits of detox diets and cleansing your body from toxins.

The Sex eZine
Natalie Jones discusses college relationships, roommates, long distance love and Facebook stalking.

December 2nd 2007

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

Politics, economics and the environment is our theme this week. It is strange how those three are constantly entwined on the social level.

Business people are always looking to make a quick buck off by raping our natural resources. Conservationists are concerned about the damage we are doing to our water, our air and the world around us. Politicians try to keep both sides happy and frequently fail to do so.

The issue I want to bring up however is the difference between the words "conservationist" and "environmentalist". Environmentalists have developed a bad reputation that has resulted in people calling them radicals, when in reality they are pioneers. The word conservationists in contrast is less threatening and people aren't worried about changes, but rather conserving what we already have.

So here's the two words I want to promote: "Pioneering Conservationist"... so much better than radical environmentalist.

Feminists have been dealing with this "radical stereotyping" for decades now. The phrase "radical feminists" is used far too often. Many left wing causes are called "radical" by the right wing and it is a sad fact that it boils down to verbal jousting.

So perhaps the word I am most interested in, and the one I hope you readers will consider using more often, is pioneer. We need to recapture that spirit of innovation and say things like: "Solar panels is not radical. It is pioneering for the future."

Because it is, it really is.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine


The Environmental eZine
The sky is the limit as Charles Moffat details the future of condominiums and living high in the sky.
Janet Ho mixes science, the Simpsons and statistics to show us where bio-diesel (aka biofuel) is going.


The Politics eZine

Charles Moffat concludes that the American economy is outsourcing too many manufacturing jobs.
Suzanne MacNevin gives some friendly advice on how to deal with telemarketers, plus videos and cartoons.

November 25th 2007

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

Winter is upon us, call the army!

Yes, it is snowing in Toronto. Like it does every year. Torontonians will never live down the shame when former mayor Mel Lastman called in the army for help in 1999.

But frankly if you look at the statistics it is no surprise. The Blizzard of 1999 (as it now called) dumped 118 cm (over 3.5 feet) of snow on the city of Toronto over January 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The temperature dropped to -30 Celsius and -70 with the wind chill. The Blizzard was so huge it hit six American states, Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario. Most places got less than 55 cm (22 inches) of snow, but Toronto got a whopping 118 cm.

It was the third and hardest of three blizzards to hit the city in less than a month. The blizzard killed 73 people in the USA and Canada. Damages were estimated to be about $300 to $400 million. Then President Bill Clinton declared parts of Indiana and Illinois to be federal disaster areas.

The city was admittedly in complete disarray as its meager supply of snow plows simply could not keep up with the sheer amount of snow and transportation (the life blood of any city's economy) was next to impossible without a dog sled or snowshoes.

Given time Toronto could have dug itself out, but Mayor Lastman was getting angry calls from Bay Street financiers worried about the economic issues and panicked. Under the circumstances it is perhaps not surprising he called in 400 troops to help dig the city out.

But Toronto will never live down the shame.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine

PS. I'm not sure if it is the weather outside or if our writers are just taking a breather. Bit of a shortage this week. Maybe they're outside enjoying the last remnants of warmth before winter fully sets in.


The Art History Archive
Charles Moffat outlines the life and successes and near fatal shooting of Andy Warhol.
Brandi Leigh details the art of Native Canadian painter Daphne Odjig.

The Entertainment eZine
Angela Crockett shows why Stephen King is the King of Horror.
Abhishek Saxena shows that Bollywood has a long history and isn't all song and dance.

The Health eZine
Fiona Bramzell explains why sitting, thinking and meditating about nothing is harder than it sounds.

The Technology eZine
101 of the most basic and complex inventions which have changed the course of human history.

November 18th 2007

The Lilith eZine Sunday Edition

Letter from the Editor

We're going through some exciting changes at the Lilith eZine and it is starting to show. Normally we have between three to five new articles to brag about but today we have thirteen. That is because we're adding more staff so that during 2008 we can triple our fan base (currently a little over 300,000/month).

What does this mean to you, our faithful fans? It means you're going to be seeing a larger variety of writers posting on regular themes. Your favourite writers will still be here, but we're being joined by a band of new writers who are just learning the ropes. These new writers have a lot of potential and we look forward to what they have to say.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine


The Art History Archive
Brandi Leigh puts a lens on Man Ray and shows us the life of the pioneering surrealist photographer.
Eleanor Bond is famous for her futuristic paintings of cities transformed by green landscaping.

The Automotive eZine
Andrew Wyatt reviews the Hydrogen Equinox sedan from General Motors and tells us what Daimler, Ford and Mazda are doing.

The Canada eZine
Charles Moffat predicts the Canadian dollar could hit $1.20 US in 2008 if America's economy continues the way it is.

The Entertainment eZine
Suzanne MacNevin reviews The Savage She-Hulk and concludes this super-heroine deserves a closer look.

The Environmental eZine
Emily Salzburg is worried about farming demographics and the number of young farmers leaving the family farm for the city due to drought/lack of pay.

The Fashion eZine
Natalya Lobov gives us the scoop on the latest trends on pants and that silly saggy pants ban.

The Feminist eZine
Mel Castillo tells us how feminists are organizing themselves in the Philippines.
Laleh Bakhtiar's new translation of the Qur'an stirs up the question of how disobedient Muslim women should be treated.

The Gothic eZine
Monique Bellamont teaches us how to look dead sexy with the gothic makeup to match.

The Health eZine
WORTH REPEATING: A lot of people last week really enjoyed this article about Smokeless Cigarettes so we're going to mention it again.

The Politics eZine
Maira Mir gives us a glimpse inside Pakistan's politics, one of the world's fastest growing economies and the center political turmoil.

The Sex eZine
For fun we've uploaded some interesting sexual facts and trivia about both animals and humans.

Archived Items

In the past we have been posting the Sunday Edition on our WebRing Blog.

Starting in February 2008 we shall start posting identical copies on this blog for those people who don't get our newsletter or new fans who want to read the older Sunday Editions.

Sincerely,
Suzanne MacNevin
Editor of the Lilith eZine and the Feminist eZine