The new year is upon us. Last night, many people drank to excess, placed too much significance on where their lips were as the clock struck midnight, and woke up with their heads feeling like some epic battlefield of yore. Some of those same people, along with countless others, are at this moment shaking off the hangover and proceeding to attempt weight loss under such euphemisms as “getting... »
A pale, wrinkled face approaches. Its owner clears his throat and proceeds to tell what he calls a true tale of absolute horror: Once upon a time, in a place very like this one (but not quite — plate tectonics and all), there was a community of people dedicated to reality-based thinking. All they talked about was how Bigfoot doesn’t exist, psychics are frauds, and homeopathy doesn̵... »
Warning: Some images and links might be considered NSFW. In addition, I use the term “Western” for a lack of a more convenient one to refer to European, Canadian, and American people and audiences. EDIT: A commenter rightly pointed out that the title, which originally contained “Razor-Thin” instead of “Fine,” could be taken for a very insensitive pun. I was thin... »
As I wrote last week, people who do not identify as allies cause undue and often unintentional distress in marginalized groups. Some of them might be indifferent, some might not. Either way, in their case, it’s a simple lack of awareness. Presumably, one would expect more from fellow activists or self-identified allies, right? Wait, do I hear a mass eye-rolling from Internet-land? Indeed, if... »
There are lots of really great, in-depth guides to being an ally, as well as some written to aid specific allies in specific contexts. They make the rounds every once a while, but often don’t seem to reach the people who need them. That’s why it didn’t surprise me that, at Eschaton this past weekend, one of the questions asked of the gender panel was, in essence, how to be a goo... »
Last year, study results allegedly indicated that, as a LiveScience title put it, “College Students Don’t Judge Women For Hooking Up.” college students often harbor a sexual double standard around dates that is relatively relaxed when it comes to in-the-moment hookups. In hookup scenarios, the study found, students are open to a woman taking the sexual lead. This year, results of... »
Note: Some parts of this may have actually originated from the scintillating mind behind BlagHag. We are hivemind, after all. That, or we discussed how to spot bad science journalism together at our workshop on blogging at Skepticon. If you’re an American and don’t live on the West Coast, chances are that by this point, you are slowly digesting copious quantities of nutritionally-bankr... »
The more pressing question, to me, is “where haven’t I been other than here?” Some updates for my Kickstarter project, A Skeptic’s Guide to Islam, after the jump. »
