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?
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
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
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
Albanian culture has something it calls “besa”, which is concept that “obligates Albanians to provide shelter and safe passage for anyone seeking protection, particularly if there has been a promise to do so. Failure to act results in a loss of honor and standing. “It involves uncompromising protection of a guest, even at the point… Read more Besa is Best! How Albania Saved Thousands from the Holocaust
I have a guest post up over on Saints, Sisters, and Sluts regarding the ancient Israelite queen Jezebel and the feminine personification (or hypostasis) of God. This is not a topic that brings joy to my friends and relatives who have a more orthodox view on theology. In sharp contrast, I am fascinated by it… Read more Hagia Sophia
Obviously, not all powerful and dynamic queens are slut shamed. Even when they develop reputations for other wretched things, it does not QED lead to rumors of sexual deviance. Mary I of England got the moniker Bloody Mary for her strong-arm attempts to re-establish Catholicism in England, but she was never called ‘Slutty Mary’. No… Read more What About the Strong Queens Who Were NOT Slut Shamed?
Jessa Duggar Seewald, reality TV ‘star’ and fundamentalist evangelical Christian, recently posted a screed on Facebook explaining why she was ‘saved’ from Hell but liberal (i.e. tolerant) Christians like me were headed straight into perditions flames. According to her, that fact that not-real-Christians like me “believe in a loving God, not one who would send… Read more From Jezebel to Jessa
Obviously, The Jezebel Effect contains historical and cultural analysis of the ancient Israelite queen Jezebel. She is the epitome of a slut shamed queen. Even though other queens are reviled as harlots, only Jezebel has a place in major religions as a uber-harlot. In fact, Jezebel has been upgraded from a strumpet to a demon… Read more Would Jezebel like Thin Mints or Samoas the best?