Quickies
Quickies: “Boosted” Immune Systems, Probiotics, and Rebel Virgins

- Why bingeing on health foods won’t boost your immune system – “These are tempting prospects at this time of year, but ones that are foiled by an inconvenient truth: they don’t work. The idea that any dietary supplement can boost your immunity makes very little scientific sense. And because of the way your immune system works, even if they did what they say they did, you definitely wouldn’t want them to.” From Veronica.
- SNL Skewers the Oscars’ Overwhelming Whiteness in This Great Award Show Sketch
- Oxford Dictionaries tweets ill-advised comments about feminism – “Whether you identify as a feminist or not, most of us who use the platform are very aware of what happens to brands who underestimate the movement and poke fun at it. Today, Oxford Dictionaries fell into that very trap.” From Rachelle.
- “Our Hands Are Tied Because Of This Damn Brother-Sisterhood Thing” – “For decades, students at Spelman — the elite historically black women’s college — have spoken out about instances of sexual assault committed by students from Morehouse College, their unofficial brother school. Now, in the wake of a petition, protests, and a federal investigation, their messages are ringing louder than ever. Why haven’t we heard them?”
- Christian Conservative State Bans Women From Testifying In Court Unless They Obey ‘Modesty’ Code – “Sen. Mitch Holmes is the Republican chairman of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee in Kansas, and has included his new rules in an 11-point code of conduct. He argues that women in court, and in the Senate, dress provocatively to distract men – and he wants to bring an end to this. Women will not be permitted to give testimony if they do not abide by the rules.” From mrmisconception.
- The Rebel Virgins and Desert Mothers Who Have Been Written Out of Christianity’s Early History – “Many of the female leaders of Christianity—in the Catholic Church in particular, with its 1.25 billion followers around the world—are barred from being fully ordained and are closely overseen by men. But this was not always the case. Scores of early Christian women—like Marcella, the desert-dwelling Susan, or the scholars Melania and Paula—embraced radical lives, helping the young religion fan out across the Roman Empire and beyond.”
- Probiotics come with bold health claims, but the science is shaky – “Based on the smaller-scale studies done so far, there’s no indication that probiotics can treat obesity, autism, diabetes, or high cholesterol. Nor do they seem effective against the flu or common cold.”
BONUS: Tips for how to walk on the ice (especially if you just got a bunch of snow this weekend).
BTW, if you’re ever caught in a blizzard or other disaster, and power fails, you want a landline. Also, a barbecue if you have a balcony or porch.
In a world where you’re expected to get married and have children and that’s all your worth, virginity becomes radical. Seems strange at a time when conservatives are the ones advocating virginity, but so goes.
Oh, apparently Hillary’s now working with David Brock to discredit Sanders. David Brock, you may remember, for calling Anita Hill “a little bit nutty and a little bit slutty”.