A type of quasi-marriage some places (in the US) offer for gays and lesbians. Its marriage, but not quite marriage. It is like 'seperate but equal' in that it is inherently discriminatory.
One drinking fountain was for whites, the other was for blacks, but the one for blacks rarely worked right.
In most places in the United States only straight people can marry. For gay people, civil unions are the 'seperate but equal' answer.
In most places in the United States only straight people can marry. For gay people, civil unions are the 'seperate but equal' answer.
by Ryan Thompson August 02, 2004
An older gay male, usually over 35 or so, who hits on younger guys who aren't interested in him. When they tell him they aren't interested, the troll will often flip out and get angry. Trolls are not just something seen in chat rooms but can be found just about anywhere people hang out/gather. Many trolls are secretly into underage guys but don't talk about it unless they are talking to another troll who is into the same thing, or if they are talking one-on-one with an underage guy.
Some guys are perpetually undeservedly hit on by nothing but trolls. Just because I like classic rock doesn't mean I want to date somebody my dad's age. Get over it.
by Ryan Thompson July 07, 2004
by Ryan Thompson January 10, 2004
The Lincoln Contintals of 1961 - 1970, the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, and the upcoming Lincoln Continental retro car (yes, you read that right).
by Ryan Thompson August 11, 2004
When a black celebrity/athlete gets into trouble and his teamates/black commentators/BET media say he's "Keeping it real", as if it were assumed he is supposed to act like that. It is more or less a black-on-black racist term. (White people don't use the term and are largely unaware of what it means.) It says that black people are supposed to get in trouble with the law, thusly "keeping it real"; being true to their race.
A lot of people probably said Kobe Bryant was "keeping it real" when he got into trouble, or when insert name basketball player got busted for marijuana possession, not realizing they are perpetuating the racism they try to fight at the same time.
by Ryan Thompson June 16, 2004
by Ryan Thompson July 15, 2004
Cubic zirconia (sometimes called simply 'cz') is the most popular diamond simulant in the world today. It is an oxide of the metallic element zirconium, ZrO². It has a hardness of about 8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, as opposed to diamond, which is 10, sapphire/ruby which is 9, topaz which is 8, and so on. The refractive index of CZ is 2.42. It can be made in nearly any color and can be faceted into many cuts.
CZ occurs naturally but in pieces too small for jewelry purposes. It wasn't until the 1970s however when Soviet scientists learned how to grow this mineral in the laboratory, at which time jewelry designers first took notice of cubic zirconia. For the first few years it was on the market it was often sold for as much as $20 per carat (!!) and was only available in a few colors.
CZ is more dense than diamond -- it weighs more for its size than diamond does. Sapphire and ruby, both of which are the same gemstone, just different colors, are also more dense than diamond. CZ is about 75% heavier than diamond. As such, a CZ's size is referred to in carats usually in comparison to diamonds. CZs are more accurately measured in millimeters, referring to the width of the stone. A 6.5 mm cubic zirconia is equal in size to a one-carat diamond and actually weighs about 1.75 carats.
CZ isn't grown/created like any other imitation gemstone in the world, either. A high radio-frequency "skull crucible" system is used, in which the melting zirconia powder actually creates the sides of its own container during its formation. Cooling this extremely hot molten ore becomes the most crucial step in the entire process. A carefully programmed cooling procedure is required to form the flawless crystals -- metal pipes in a coil-shape with water running through them are used to cool down the material, in the center.
CZ occurs naturally but in pieces too small for jewelry purposes. It wasn't until the 1970s however when Soviet scientists learned how to grow this mineral in the laboratory, at which time jewelry designers first took notice of cubic zirconia. For the first few years it was on the market it was often sold for as much as $20 per carat (!!) and was only available in a few colors.
CZ is more dense than diamond -- it weighs more for its size than diamond does. Sapphire and ruby, both of which are the same gemstone, just different colors, are also more dense than diamond. CZ is about 75% heavier than diamond. As such, a CZ's size is referred to in carats usually in comparison to diamonds. CZs are more accurately measured in millimeters, referring to the width of the stone. A 6.5 mm cubic zirconia is equal in size to a one-carat diamond and actually weighs about 1.75 carats.
CZ isn't grown/created like any other imitation gemstone in the world, either. A high radio-frequency "skull crucible" system is used, in which the melting zirconia powder actually creates the sides of its own container during its formation. Cooling this extremely hot molten ore becomes the most crucial step in the entire process. A carefully programmed cooling procedure is required to form the flawless crystals -- metal pipes in a coil-shape with water running through them are used to cool down the material, in the center.
CZ is often spoken of negatively because it is a synthetic gemstone. It is durable, very bright, can be grown in a varity of colors and when well cut it is a very convincing diamond substitute.
See related:
diamond
gold
platinum
bling
bling bling
jewelry
See related:
diamond
gold
platinum
bling
bling bling
jewelry
by Ryan Thompson September 26, 2004