“The widespread support for Polanski shows the liberal cultural elite at its preening, fatuous worst. They may make great movies, write great books, and design beautiful things, they may have lots of noble humanitarian ideas and care, in the abstract, about all the right principles: equality under the law, for example. But in this case, […]
Katha Pollitt Moneyshot Read More »
I saw the initial row over this, but somehow the resolution totally passed me by (I don’t spend nearly as much time on the internets these days). There are lots of stories about SF/F publishers whitewashing covers. So even if you’ve got a heroine who’s a far darker shade of pale, it’s unlikely it’ll be
Someday I Will Be Famous Enough to Fix My Covers Read More »
I’ve read Binyavanga Wainaina’s essay How (not) to Write About Africa a few times, but here’s a great spin on it: How (not) to Write About Africa read by Djimon Hounsou. (via deadbrowalking)
How (not ) to Write About Africa Read More »
Moscowitz is founder of the International Security Coalition of Clergy, whose mission is to train Jews in self-defense and advance fighting techniques in the event of a terrorist attack on a synagogue. He says business was slow for his Coalition until May, when the FBI arrested a group accused of plotting to blow up synagogues
You can bet this is showing up in a GW book or two…. Read More »
One of the things I always thought odd about American taste in fiction and cinema is our aversion to tragedy. Filmmakers, in particular, are constantly changing movie endings for American audiences to “lighten” them up. Many British books just aren’t carted over the ocean for the simple fact that they’re just “too depressing.” I had
The Importance of Tragedy Read More »
“After months of committee meetings and hundreds of hours of heated debate, the United States Congress remained deadlocked this week over the best possible way to deny Americans health care.“ I love The Onion.
I do love it when somebody has one of those, “Oh, shit, we totally missed something incredibly obvious” moments. The mere act of physically approaching their potential romantic partner, behavior far more typical of men than women, makes people more confident and increases their attraction to their potential partner. In other words, by acting more
When Your Results Confirm Existing Biases, Check Your Controls Read More »
This was a tidbit of particular interest to me from the article I link to below: Indeed, some scholars say they believe the reason Muslim countries have been disproportionately afflicted by terrorism is not Islamic teachings about infidels or violence but rather the low levels of female education and participation in the labor force. Like
Another Interesting Tidbit Read More »
In many poor countries, the greatest unexploited resource isn’t oil fields or veins of gold; it is the women and girls who aren’t educated and never become a major presence in the formal economy. With education and with help starting businesses, impoverished women can earn money and support their countries as well as their families.
It’s the Women, Stupid Read More »
History suggests that major social policy unfolds on a continuum. The Social Security Act of 1935 disappointed liberal New Dealers because what was called “old-age insurance” covered only about half the adult population. It excluded farmhands, domestics, employees of small businesses, and most blacks. That was because FDR needed the votes of Southern Democrats, the
Change has Always Been Bloody, Yo Read More »