Happy Valentine’s Day people! If you have yourself a Valentine in the form of a person, well, that’s great. Happy Heart Day to you both. In fact, happy everyday to you all. But that’s not what I’m asking about today. There is a lot to love in this world, today and everyday. And everybody loves all kinds of things for different reasons. Things I’ve never heard of, t... »
A while back I posted an Afternoon Inquisition about Michael Vick and his 2007 felony conviction for running a dog fighting ring. The question I asked was about the emotional side of punishment, and if serving his sentence within the justice system ameliorated general ill-will people have for him. I was feeling the cognitive dissonance of “yes he did what penance and rehabilitation was asked... »
Last May, I had my stomach removed. Well, not all of it. There’s a small portion, smaller than a small egg, left. But the rest was taken away. Short story: I was supposed to just go in for a regular old gastric bypass but then they found a tumor and instead of bypassing the organ, my doctor removed it completely. And now I live in this weird world where I had a surgery I wanted and am gettin... »
When I was in the fifth and sixth grade, Ruth Katz was my teacher. She was fearsome and effulgent to this timorous eleven year old. I now know she was daring and dedicated and delighted in the wonder of watching her students grow. But back then? Hoo. She once made us collect little bits of trash so we could make “found art” mobiles out of our collected bottle caps, sea glass, driftwood... »
Are you busy? I sure as hell am! Sometimes I wonder how I manage to get all the things done that I need to. Time has a way of disappearing. But as busy as I am now, I realize that it’s only going to get worse as I continue to build a career in academia. As an undergrad, I thought 18 hours of coursework was, like, sooooooooo busy. As I matriculated into graduate coursework, I realized that I ... »
Being a skeptic can be overwhelming, especially when you’re a skeptic who wants to make things happen. You want to fix the world, but there’s so much to fix, and there’s only one you and there’s so many of them. Cancer quacks, anti-vaxxers, psychics, ghost hunters, Oprah, Republicans, your mother-in-law… where do you even start? Some days, I’m burnt out before I... »
It’s cold here in Southern California this week. Yes, I know it’s not cold cold compared to the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, but still cold enough to remind me my house doesn’t have heat. And yes, I know that also sounds ridiculous, but as a matter of practicality, when it’s thirty eight degrees at night, having no heat in the house is a bit overwhelming. It kills my p... »
Earlier today, an MRA site posted a list of the 9 Ugliest Feminists in America. Don’t bother clicking because… yeah… also because the site is currently crashed. Basically, a dude who is so handsome he can only be depicted as a cartoon lest everyone die from orgasm should his actual photo ever be published, took a list of outspoken feminists and declared them ugly and the world wa... »
