Archive for the ‘All’ Category
Dressing Like a Woman
It's just another resonance with my research. As I was reading about the lavender scare and intense, non-comprehending homophobia in the nineteen-fifties — and before and after — here in the US, I ran across plenty of mentions of laws making it illegal for one gender to wear clothing "generally regarded as appropriate for the […]
In: All, Faaabulosity, Plus Ca Change...
Homos & Other Perverts
I have more research notes, if you'll forgive me. These excerpts are from the report of a Senate subcommittee hearing in 1950; the short form of the title is "Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Perverts in Government".* It reported on the results of an investigative subcommittee hearing chaired by Senator Clyde Hoey (D-NC), an […]
In: All, Faaabulosity, Plus Ca Change...
Get Free Books
I happened across this nice blog post by "the frugal panda" (pace, Chris), called "17 Ways to Get Free Books". Of course, to an impoverished but avid reader like myself — with a friendly but not quite adequate public library — this title was like catnip to a cat. Such fun and a nice summary […]
In: All, Books, Briefly Noted
Therapy or Torture?
While doing some research for a story that I'm writing, I came across this fascinating paragaph describing the use of the drug succinylchloride in "therapy" for "sex perverts", a category that included gay men and straight pedophiles — the latter generally being typically described as "homosexuals" in the first half of the twentieth century. Apparently […]
In: All, Plus Ca Change..., Reflections
Norwegians Vote to be Nice, Kind Of
The Scandinavians continue to seem rather sensible, particularly compared to the Anglican Communion. However, I have to admit that — when it comes to a matter of church doctrine — this business of "we won't ban it but you can not do it anyway" is rather wishy-washy, not to mention undermining to the idea of […]
Buttery Sweet Potatoes
One year for our traditional pot-luck Thanksgiving meal I was asked to provide "the sweet potatoes". Naturally, given my proclivities towards non-traditionalism, I did not want to make anything usual or familiar. About that time I happened to receive, via a cooking group, a recipe for "Sweet Potatoes Anna". Sounded good! Now, I was long […]
Conservative Obsessions
This story may be at least third hand by now, but it provides an amusing factoid. I read it at Jim Burroway's Box Turtle Bulletin ("The Obsession Of Social Conservatives", 21 November 2007). He relates the facts succinctly, and I'm tired, so I'm going to let Jim tell the tale: Andrew Sullivan noticed this. If […]
In: All, Faaabulosity, Laughing Matters
One Spray Fits All
Der Spiegel Online has good news on the sex-technology front (although it's not quite teledildonics): Good news for men whose penises are either so large or so small that they can't find a condom to fit them: A German inventor has come up with a sprayed-to-measure system that should ensure a snug fit for even […]
Partners or Pets?
Pam* alerts us to this interesting story about the Palm Beach Community College, which has apparently just decided to offer its employees the option of buying health insurance for their pets, having just this past August declined to offer employees the option of buying health insurance for their partners. Here is an excerpt from a […]
In: All, Faaabulosity, Laughing Matters
On Luis Alvarez
From this week's Physics News Update* a note about physicist Luis Alvarez, to whom all things were interesting. In case you've ever wondered about the source of the hypothesis that the dinosaurs were wiped out by a meteorite, read on. EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS, DINOSAUR EXTINCTION, THE JFK ASSASSINATION: all were studied by Berkeley physicist Luis Alvarez. […]
In: All, It's Only Rocket Science, The Art of Conversation
Tutu on Church Priorities
"Our world is facing problems – poverty, HIV and Aids – a devastating pandemic, and conflict," said Archbishop [Desmond] Tutu, 76. "God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. "In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost […]
A Brief Hiatus
For the next week I will be in Kansas City, visiting my father. Blogging may or may not be possible — depending on whether I have anything to say,* of course. In the meantime, do feel free to talk among yourselves, provided you can think up some nonsense on your own. I plan to be […]
Dog-Day Dialog
Isaac is bent double over his computer keyboard, giggling uncontrollably. This was what he was reading at that moment: Dog: I am starving. Me: Actually, no. You aren't starving. You get two very good meals a day. And treats. And Best Beloved fed you extra food while I was gone. Dog: STARVING. Me: I saw […]
Leakey: How Stupid Can You Get?
The centerpiece of the exhibit at the Nairobi National Museum is Turkana Boy, the remains of a boy who died 1.5 million years ago in Kenya. The fossil, the most complete specimen of homo erectus found so far, has been kept in a bomb-proof vault. […] "I do not dispute that as humans we have […]
Election Night Blues
That's "blues" as in "blue states" and Democrats trouncing Republicans in key elections tonight. It's some nice news. It's way past my bedtime but I had a quick look for results from the election results for governor in Kentucky, because I had read those reports for the last few days about Republican-sponsored robocalls in which […]
The Myth of Journalistic Balance
Andy* relates a little, but telling moment with Al Gore revealing some wisdom. He (Gore) was talking to some news-type person on some morning news-type program when she confronted him with an anti-global-warming editorial by a well-known global-warming critic/denier — well-known to the audience and tiresomely well-known to Gore. Here's the part of Gore's response […]
In: All, Current Events, Splenetics
Episcopal Bishop: "Refocus on more life-or-death issues"
The bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States says church members unhappy with the ordination of a gay bishop [Eugene Robinson] in New Hampshire [in 2004] should worry about more pressing world problems. "Obviously a handful of our church leaders are still upset and would like to see the church never ordain and […]
Less Successul at English
From the fractured English file: I'm a pretty successful young man, as are most of my girlfriends. [Tony Alcindor, "PSA: The Numbers You Must Have", Huffington Post, 2 November 2007.]
In: All, Briefly Noted, Such Language!
Cheeseburger Metaphysics
Years ago I was visiting a Roy Roger's establishment for lunch, when I overheard possibly the most interesting metaphysical argument I'd ever heard in a fast-food restaurant. As background, it's useful but not essential to know that Roy's sold only cheeseburgers, no hamburgers. When I arrived there was in progress already a vigorous, if not […]
In: All, Hermeneutics, Reflections
Park on Torture
An item of historical and current-events interest from Bob Park's What's New for 26 October 2007: INTERROGATIONS: BUSH DEFENDS INTERROGATION METHODS. Earlier this month there was a remarkable reunion at Fort Hunt, VA of surviving members of the group responsible for interrogating Nazi prisoners of war. All in their 80s and 90s, they are shocked […]