Amy Licence and I are now inviting proposals for papers to be included in a multidisciplinary edited volume entitled Envisioning the Tudor Woman: Historical and Modern Representations of Women from the Tudor Era. The deadline for submitting a proposal is December 1, 2015. Papers must be between 8000 – 10,000 words in length and focus… Read more Call for Papers on Tudor Women
Five biker gangs made up of mostly white dudes had a brawl yesterday in Waco, TX. Nine men were killed and at least 18 were injured in the affray. This was not a little rumpus. These were armed criminals shooting and stabbing each other in broad daylight next door to innocent families. Moreover, the gang… Read more White on White Violence is a “Melee”
Well, I’ll be darned like a sock. Astrologers are at least partially right; a new scientific study published today in the peer-reviewed journal Comprehensive Psychology shows it turns out people actually ARE influenced by the day of their birth. The article, “Astrology as a culturally transmitted heuristic scheme for understanding seasonality effects: a response to… Read more The Science Behind Astrology?
A few years ago, great brouhaha ensued when mystery writer Robert Galbraith was “outed” as none other than JK Rowling by the best friend of a wife of one of Rowling’s solicitors. Considering the massive fallout for the solicitor over this, I am assuming that best friend is no longer welcomed in his home. I… Read more Robert Galbraith’s Mysteries
In case you weren’t on the planet and hadn’t heard about it yet, the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a daughter named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. The little girl is fourth in line to the throne of England, and unlike heirs of the past has no need to worry about the violent and murderous… Read more Royal Babies and Remembrances
I am obsessed with fairness. I admit it. I am a “social justice warrior”; I want everyone to have the same rights and protections both legally and socially. Mea Culpa. I am also obsessed with accuracy and facts: AKA the truth. It drives me bananas to see either truth or justice subverted. Needless to say,… Read more Shoddy Reporting, and Media Messaging
My little Chinese crested powder-puff dog is lost. The silly fluff-ball found a way out of the backyard last night and zipped away into the dark. I’ve called the animal shelters and animal control to report him as missing, looked on Craig’s list to see if anyone had found him, and posted it on Facebook… Read more Oh Where Could My Little Dog Be?
The real value of minimum wage – in terms of buying power for a minimum wage employee working 40 hours a week – peaked in 1968 and has eroded steadily. If costs of living had remain level with dollar inflation, todays minimum wage employee would need to make $10.55/hr. Nonetheless, even raising the hourly wage… Read more Minimum Wage Needs to Be Almost $22/hr to be Equal to 1968 Wages
Look, there is no ‘debate’ about whether or not there is global warming and if it is the result of human activity. A whopping 97% of climate scientists agree that there is global warming and humans are the reason. There are a few outliers who are also scientists who argue against it — they usually… Read more Global Warming is Real and Manmade
I am constantly irked by the mantra that “poor people don’t pay takes” since “almost half of all Americans don’t pay income tax”, a misleading bunch of bologna that is almost always followed up by lamentations of how unfair this is to the wealthier Americans. This needs some reality, stat. First, notice how careful talking… Read more The Reality of Taxation in Low Income Families