Take one down, Pass it around, 89,000 times!

You got that right.  A **LOT** of this common image "doesn't make sense".

If I see that image one more time, I think I am going to shit myself blind.

My intent is not to battle the pot issue. My purpose IS to provide accurate and enlightening information, and in the form of these facts:

Fact #1: I'm a nurse, and I was the valedictorian of my college class with a 103% (no, not a typo). In fact, since the computers wouldn't take a score greater than 100%, I made the college print out my transcripts, I then had the College president **hand write** in the "103%", and he signed the paper, himself. Legally, I have to stick with a 4.0 GPA our of 4.0.

One with the business at hand:

Anna Nichole Smith:
It was reported that 8 of the 11 drugs found in Smith's system were prescribed to Howard Stern - not Anna (Indicating an illegal use). When combined with a high dose of choral hydrate (and if you know what I'm talking about, 'nough said!), it killed her out-right.
Summary: Illegal use of prescription drugs not prescribed to her.

Michael Jackson:
If you know *anything AT ALL* about Propofol, you will know that it's use outside an operating suite almost always indicates an illegal use. It also indicates *GROSS* negligence on the part of "Dr." Conrad Murray, and a court case against him proved him to be an embarrassment to the entire medical community. Propofol has no indications for use outside the operating room environment, and is NOT available at a common drug store. The Propofol that was found in Michael Jackson's system was both obtained illegally and administered illegally. If you look into the doses of the other 'legal', more common medications that were wound in Michael Jackson's system, you will probably find gross negligence there, as well.

Amy Winehouse:
Her blood alcohol level was more than five times the legal drink-drive limit. According to the coroner, "The unintended consequences of such potentially fatal levels was her sudden death.
C'mon, Amy! REALLY?
A glass or 2 of wine? Go ahead, you deserve it!
I don't think a single glass of wine - or even TWO - ever killed anybody!
Drinking the contents of the whole damned liquor store store? Probably not a good idea. It's a 'bit' too late for YOU, but those surviving around you can use this as a prime opportunity to learn about the consequences of a very bad decision.

Whitney Houston:
I quote:
"On March 22, 2012, the Los Angeles County coroner's office reported the cause of Houston's death was drowning and the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and COCAINE use. The office stated the amount of cocaine found in Houston's body indicated that she used the substance shortly before her death. Toxicology results revealed additional drugs in her system: Benadryl, Xanax, marijuana and Flexeril.[251] The manner of death was listed as an "accident".
I really don't think I have a single soul left 'on board' with me, but I firmly believe that Whitney's use was **FAR** beyond 'recreational', and did you, dear reader, catch the "Cocaine" in that last statement?
Oh, OK! (:::WHEW!:::) I thought it was just my imagination! You can't imagine how relieved I am to find out that it was not my imagination - but it was more liberating than that. It was the FACTs

The moral of this saga: NONE of these people died by ingesting NORMAL, and for the most part - LEGAL - levels of *anything*.

There you have it.
I did my homework.
No go froth....er...forth....and do your own!

Love and peace to ya'all.

- Michael

Everybody say CHEE-Z-Z-Z-Z-Y!

To catch you up, dear reader, a comment concerning this photo was made on a very popular social media:

Commentator:  "Green dress. Third from the end in the back. Her face is everything!"

One response to this comment:
"Bright flashes emphasize the difference in color on stage. Plus the lighting on stage was not the brightest, so many of the entertainers painted accordingly show highlight and shadow."

I say, "True, dat, lady boy!"    :)

Because I do tend to look like Satan's Little Sister, just for a brief moment, I will play Devil's advocate and say that it is difficult to tell from the comment whether the poster was pointing out the general look on "3rd from the end in the back"'s face, or whether the comment was based on the MAKE UP on her face.

That difference notwithstanding, I do have to quote RuPaul in saying, "We're born naked. Everything else is drag."

Over 20 yrs ago (!!), I was a size 0 - 2.
I didn't weigh over 100 lbs until I turned 30.

I had - and I still have - high cheek bones, bright blue eyes and SMOOTH skin.  (I still get regular comments like, "OH, I love your theatrical color contacts!"  I kindly thank the observant person, and tell them that I am not wearing color contacts.)

I was skinny, young and cute. Now, I'm fat, old - and still cute! :)

I look exactly like I do in my profile pic when I am going shopping on a Wednesday morning as I do when I go out to a bar on a Saturday night. Today, I do an entirely different form of drag as I did 20 years ago.

Having experience in both drag / stage make-up AND photography, I can vouch for the fact that using a flash in photography, in general and without well-staged ambient lighting is like the "Hoochie Mamma" of photography. Whether or not the subject of the photography is human or a still life, etc, is unimportant.  The results are the same.

I often compare the use of an unprepared, general quick flash as the "Hoochie Mamma" of photography because it creates rude, loud, and garish glares and shadows, and washes out anything that is unfortunate enough to come into contact with it.   A perfect example of my point is "3rd from the end in the back".  In the light for which she intended, her make-up is most likely flawless.

Just once in my life, I would like to see a 'group drag shot' taken in the proper lighting for which it was originally intended, and without the aftermath of a a hideously washed-out and glaring general flash.  Using a flash while photographing a drag queen(s) totally ruins the illusion of the art of female impersonation (and does it's fair share of damage to any other non-drag queen subject!)

- Michael