Schools and houses of worship are two of the most revered places in our society. They are also among the most vulnerable since—unlike many places of business, transportation centers and the like—they've generally lacked guards and security. That's changing for schools, and sadly now, for places of worship. Yes, there've been other shootings and bombings at sacred places (to show the range, Charleston, SC in 2015; Birmingham, AL in 1963). But there've rarely been calls for armed protection for … [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...]
Golden State Killer suspect arrested. Victims & timeline.
Do we finally know the identity of the Golden State Killer who likely killed 12 people and raped 50? Golden State Killer suspect arrested. DNA and other forensic tools—as well as a working group of amazing crim justice personnel—are the heroes of the hour. (In recent days, we've also been blessed with news of a hero during the Waffle House killings and a heroine pilot who safely landed a Southwest Airlines plane that lost a passenger 'cuz it lost an engine.) The Sacramento County district … [Read more...]
Scariest Horror Villains of all time? Halloween edition.
It's Halloween season, and so why not have some scary villain fun? It's appropriate here, too. My site is dedicated to heroes, villains, and fools... as well as to the more abstract notions of discrimination and preferential treatment in the justice system. Scariest horror villains of all time. Thrillist.com has put together a list of the 33 scariest horror villains of all time. Scott Weinberg at Thrillist has left politicians and Hollywood producers off the list. Wonder … [Read more...]
“Angel of Death” serial killer. Going to heaven?
Not exactly an Easter story, but a prison inmate* just killed serial killer Donald Harvey. The inmate's motive, probably, was revenge. King Herod and governmental and religious authorities also wanted revenge for Jesus stirring up trouble.** Unlike Jesus, tho, "Angel of Death" Harvey won't be going to Heaven.Harvey, a 64-year-old, was serving multiple life sentences after admitting in 1987 to killing three dozen hospital patients in Ohio and Kentucky. Harvey claimed he killed even more than … [Read more...]
TV’s 10 most evil villains today.
This site is about faces and heroes, villains, and fools. I've looked at asymmetrical faces—due to cleft lips and palates often—a lot. However, I haven't written many blogs about villainous faces which often feature asymmetry. For that matter, I've given villains short shrift, favoring heroes. Villains are key. Villains are important in storytelling. Without villains, we cannot have heroes. If everyone in a story is good, it's difficult knowing whom to root for. This is doubly important for … [Read more...]
Facial symmetry & why some clowns scare us.
Stephen King's It— a 1000 page epic of a shape-shifting evil from beyond time— features a clown named Pennywise. The clown doesn't This dancing clown grins through all the horror and gore in It and exudes malevolent wit. While King’s villains are often frightening, Pennywise's wit approaches camp without really being funny.Zach Handlen describes It as "set largely in a single small town in Maine. [W] hile it spans decades, the main action takes place in two distinct time periods.—1958, which … [Read more...]