Another amazing week. US Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned amid the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal. Pressure mounted against Acosta as news trickled out that he'd allowed an incredibly lenient plea deal to go forward under his watch in Epstein's Florida trial years ago. And then an accusation of rape! Rape. The allegation of rape by a then, 14-15 year old girl, trumped Acosta's fall from grace. In a TODAY interview with Savannah Guthrie, included here, Jennifer Araoz shared … [Read more...]
Do you know 10 key things about whiteness?
This quiz testing your knowledge of key things about whiteness gives you the answers. So, don't cheat. I'm posting this because my recent blog about privilege and whiteness showed there's a lot of interest in the topic. Since Aussie Luke Pearson and Sophie Verass put the following post together, you'll encounter some Down-Under spelling and examples. What's interesting is that Australia, as well as many other countries, wrestles with the same issues and problems as the US … [Read more...]
Criminal injustice? R. Kelly & Other Celebrities in Court.
Among the big news stories this week, one's got crim injustice" written all over it in my humble opinion. Criminal Injustice R&B singer R. Kelly turned himself in to the Chicago police last night after being indicted. He did so to answer charges of 10 counts of aggravated criminal sex abuse against four victims, three of them minors. Criminal sex abuse is the term for the what's also been called statutory rape. Robert S. Kelly, a native of Chicago, is a singer, songwriter, record … [Read more...]
Most privileged celeb of all – Mirror, mirror on the wall? A Scorecard
Which of these most privileged celebs are you following to see if justice is done—Ryan Seacrest, James Franco, Gerard Depardieu, Aziz Ansari, Dustin Hoffman, Asia Argento, or Sylvester Stallone? They're among the over 250 people accused of sexually inappropriate behavior since #MeToo started. Who will be the most privileged of all as 2019 moves forward? Thanks to mighty help from Vox, a trendy-left-leaning ezine, I can provide you a scorecard. Use the background info and basics Vox … [Read more...]
How to boost the CLEFT HEART book and reap rewards.
Thought some of you Cleft Heart book fans might get a kick out of seeing a photo (top right of the collage below) of politicians Pelosi and Schumer under an umbrella in D.C, back in the day. Actually, it's my sister Barbara and me in front of the U.S. Capitol after my dad mustered out of the military as a journalist in Washington, D.C. for the Navy's All Hands magazine. My loving sis wrote last year about growing up with a brother with clefts here and here. She wanted to add to the book I'd … [Read more...]
‘Seven Deadly Sins’ paintings: Blow-ups & Interpretations.
Deadly sins in some faiths today refer to behavior outside the norm, acts that estrange people from "being right with God." (Catholics also call these less serious transgressions "cardinal" or "capital" sins, the latter because they engender other sins or vices. "Mortal" sins, by contrast, are much more serious and include such acts as murder and other felony crimes.) Paintings — Bad people, according to some Faiths. The Deadly Sins series. A Public Relations message about a recent … [Read more...]
McCain—Survivor, hero, villain, family man.
I've been thinking about Senator John McCain—survivor, hero, villain, family man? In mourning the passing of a one-of-a-kind U.S. senator, I've concluded he was a complex character, defying pigeon holes. McCain—more than a survivor, hero, villain, family man. I get the impression that McCain was inventing himself as he went along. —1st. A rebel and later a poor student at Annapolis, frustrated that his family pigeon holed him as a Navy Man given that his dad and grandfather were … [Read more...]