I recently bought Clare Cherry and Claire Ridgway’s new book, George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier & Diplomat, and I was very glad I did. The blurb for the book promises a lot of information: “George Boleyn has gone down in history as being the brother of the ill-fated Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry… Read more Review of George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier & Diplomat
Recently, a newspaper reported that 800 dead babies were found “dumped” in a septic tank in a Catholic Home for Unwed Mothers. That kind of article is know as “clickbait”, because people will click the link to read more details, generating more page views and thus money from advertisers. People, for what ever reason, can… Read more Using 800 Dead Babies as Clickbait
There has lately been some contention about Bowe Bergdahl, an American POW recently released in an exchange for Taliban detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay detention camp. I am still trying to sort out fact from fiction. In June of 2012, an amazingly in-depth article by Michael Hastings about Bergdahl appeared in Rolling Stone which… Read more Facts About Bowe Bergdahl
Is it just me, or does this appear to imply that forensic psychologist Dr. Brian Russell said that girls, as a function of their gender, are more likely to have hateful little minds than non-girls (AKA boys)? I was all set to flay Dr. Russell for his sexist, misogynistic, inaccurate, unfounded accusations about little girls… Read more No. That’s not what he said.
When Elliot Rodger killed his roommates and random people in “revenge” for the fact women “denied” him the sex he felt he was entitled to, the #YesAllWomen was formed to explain how the normalization of misogyny in culture means that women face danger. Moreover, because it is seen as normal it becomes a “valid” avenue… Read more In Praise of Sweet Babou
Have you seen the blaring headlines about how the brains of men who watch more porn are rotting/smaller/inadequate? Well, those headlines are a fine example of misstating and/or overstating scientific findings in order to get people to read the article, AKA “click bait”. I’ve groused about this before, and will again in the future I… Read more Porn rots your brain?
I have to be honest — myths that people accept as facts drive me bananas. I think it may be a function of my Asperger’s syndrome. I am made completely insane when commonly held beliefs have no basis in fact because 1) I like my facts to be factual and 2) I feel like people… Read more Obesity Myths
I have Asperger’s syndrome. My eldest daughter is an Aspy as well. We are lucky she got accurately diagnosed. When Bubbles was three, her preschool teacher told us, “Look, I think there is a problem. I think she is on the spectrum. Let’s get her tested.” The local school system tested Bubbles, for free and… Read more A Girl With Asperger’s Syndrome
May 19, 1536 was the day Anne Boleyn was murdered by her husband, and it is generally considered a tragedy. The next day, Jane Seymour became engaged to the killer, and I think that should be generally considered a travesty. In my book, Blood Will Tell, I make no secret of the fact I find… Read more Third Weddings and a Funeral
Odds are good that anyone reading this has heard of Beyoncé’s sister Solange physically attacking Beyoncé’s husband, Jay-Z, in an elevator a few days ago. It has been parodied on Saturday Night Live and the mainstream media has reported on it. NPR justly pointed out that “This happened — literally — behind closed doors. If… Read more Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Mary Boleyn Carey were in an elevator …