The overall theme of this website is Heroes, Villains and Fools, tho admittedly I concentrate on the heroics of kids (and their helpers) who overcome bullying and facial differences stemming from, say, a cleft lip and palate. So, it's no wonder that I've been intrigued by the Beach Boys' song "Heroes and villains" over the years. Turns out it's got a complex history, not unlike that of Brian Wilson whose battle against mental illness was told in the biopic "Love & Mercy" which hit theaters … [Read more...]
Boy hassled by bullies in film has new life.
Bullies got more than they bargained for when Alex Libby, one of the students in the 2001 "Bully" documentary, flowered and began to thrive in a new school. Tho Alex still has the flattened nose and Asperger's that triggered much of his earlier bullying, he's a confident happy kid these days.Columnist Tony Leys of the Des Moines Register wrote this follow-up story on Alex recently. Here it is in its entirety: Bullies find unintended consequences of their acts. Alex Libby, who was featured in … [Read more...]
Facebook gives $200K to study cyberbullying, dating violence.
This story is an important development, given that Facebook is clearly a major vehicle for cyberbullying. An Indian-American researcher is heading up the study.It's fitting, or karmic, to post this story since I've just finished visiting Delhi, Varanasi, Agra, and Jaipur in India. Wonderful country!"Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., a cyberbullying expert, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Florida Atlantic University has received … [Read more...]
What ideal body type do men favor? Science is no help.
According to this review of recent studies, studies are all over the place regarding men's preferences for a woman's figure:Mannequins in store front display. Ideal body type. America has become obsessed with women like Christina Hendricks, Beyoncé, and Kim Kardashian for their voluptuous body types à la Marilyn Monroe. Although these women have been glorified for their curves by men, science suggests men are initially drawn to women who look more like Kate Moss did in the 90s. According to … [Read more...]
Facial profiling technology for Pretty-Wannabes.
Oh no. I've written blogs about facial recognition here (and facial discrimination too), but never anything specifically about facial profiling. While facial profiling sounds 1984ish, it also completes the analogy I've been slowly drawing between those sound-alike concepts of "face" and "race." What's even harder to take, is that this effort to "to identify [facial] areas which conform less to the ideal proportions" and improve them comes from my home-away-from-home, Manchester, England. I … [Read more...]
Best looking candidates win? Lookism research says yes.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Sept 17 that science suggests why certain politicians win election to the highest offices in the land. Might this come into play in the GOP primaries here in the US? 'You betcha,' to use one of the fave expressions of Sarah Palin, a veteran of a recent campaign for VP (along with Senator John McCain for POTUS).Lookism research findings apply to America as well as Australia.A former beauty queen, Palin watched as lookism reared its ugly head recently when … [Read more...]
Cleft lip and palate for Dummies.
Am pleased to announce I've added an important new resource to my website. It's Wikipedia's latest info about clefts which is useful for Dummies—people who know next to nothing about clefts. But, wait, there's enough info that cleft-afflicted people like me, and even experts on the subject, can learn a lot. Plus, there are wonderful diagrams, a list of famous people through history with clefts, and a segment regarding animals with clefts. So, read on. And if you ever need to find info in the … [Read more...]