Good things come to those who, uh, subscribe.* The Proverb used to be Good things come to those who wait. In other words, a patient seeker will be satisfied in due time. Hence, patience is a virtue. Now, if you subscribe to my website via email, you'll get a free pdf "explanation" of our current political crisis... and much more. You'll become a VIP entitled to advance notice of giveaways, book publication launches, and free tutorials. ___ *Sorry to change things up on you, Nayobe. … [Read more...]
Announcing the Criminology Research Tutorials series.
I’ve expanded the original scope of this site from bullying and discrimination to include criminal justice, starting with this Criminology Research Tutorials series. I am a criminology professor, so I have a lot of great info to share. Today I’m excited to announce a new series of tutorials on criminology research. Expect genuinely useful tips for writers, journalists and criminal justice students...mixed in with gallows humor from time to time. Not sold? Here are seven reasons you should … [Read more...]
#MeToo blinding us to reverse discrimination in the justice system?
Women in the #MeToo movement calling out sexual assault is big news now. That's great. But is there reverse discrimination in the justice system that favors women? Clare Foges claims there is. She recently wrote about its presence in the crim justice system in Britain. Foges was a speechwriter for former PM David Cameron at 10 Downing Street. As a result, she earned the title "The Prime Minister's larynx/voice." (Interesting factoid—After university studies, Foges drove an ice-cream truck . . … [Read more...]
Male privilege, sex, and the fall of a cleft icon.
An op ed piece in Friday's Washington Post helped make up my mind re former congressman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.). The op ed author described a classic case of male privilege in action. The writer Melissa Richmond* is currently vice president of Running Start, an organization that encourages women to run for political office. Richmond wrote that she thought she'd lost out on a career in politics after an encounter with Rep. Franks eight years ago. In her own words: I’ve always been proud … [Read more...]
White economic privilege impacts crim justice system.
White privilege statistics. I've been writing a memoir of late about how four murders seriously changed my career as a criminologist. So, how do white privilege statistics come into play? Well, among the many reasons the murders changed my worldview was the fact that the crim justice system treated the killers well. They were all white and given remarkably light sentences in comparison to black killers who committed similar crimes. This was back in the late 1960s and 1970s, … [Read more...]
Villains you sort of root for—Russell & Rhys in “The Americans.”
One of the few TV shows that's got its hooks in me is The Americans. Maybe it's because I grew up during the cold war. Or maybe it's because the villains often seem like heroes. Keeping bad guys and good guys straight is fun. Watch, esp if you think Russians are channeling Soviets now.The new season of the show starts this Wednesday on FX (10pm PST). This season is bound to resonate even more deeply than in the past four seasons because Russia and the Trump administration seem to be … [Read more...]
Beware villains who work for “The Greater Good.”
We're in a dangerous political time when everyone seems to be an advocate of "The Greater Good." World history has been rewritten by leaders/demagogues/villains who believed they were doing everyone a favor.The United States is divided now into almost two equally-sized camps, each trying to outshout the other. Both believe they have a lock on "the truth." That's why the following article caught my eye.Villains who work for "The Greater Good."In the story below, Johnny Galecki says his favorite … [Read more...]