Quickies
Skepchick Quickies 10.8

- I’m demanding better representation for black girl nerds in geek culture – “I’m tired of not seeing faces like mine in my comics. I’m sick of the notion that a black female character is a rare treat, a special occasion.”
- Religion is not funny: Censorship at the London School of Economics – LSE held a student organization fair at which members of the humanist society were told to cover up their Jesus and Mo t-shirts. From criticaldragon1177.
- Cheerleader to be suspended for taking SAT – From amberjoy.
- Russian meteor explosion might mean Earth gets hit more often than we think – “The latest analysis of the bollide that burst over Chelyabinsk, Russia in February suggests that the risk from such airbursts — which occur when friction in our atmosphere heats up a meteor — may be greater than previously thought.”
Regarding demands for minority representation in geek culture, I have a link:
http://eschergirls.tumblr.com/post/30604112152/damnlayoffthebleach-sorry-about-submitting-this
This is super-old, obviously, but the anecdote relates the terrible effects are of rarely-or-never seeing someone who looks like you (who could be you) as a hero, as a strong and capable individual. When “your people” are only visible as sidekicks, victims, criminals, then you grow up with aspirations that are walled in, and/or with a rejection of a core part of yourself.