No one knows who smuggled Symphony No. 7 out of Russia. But in an inspired flourish Dmitri Shostakovitch wrote it, start to finish, as the Nazis invaded Leningrad. The siege lasted almost 900 days and wiped out some 600,000 residents – almost a third of the pre-war population. Shostakovitch’s composition runs almost 80 minutes long …
It’s true, not all heroes wear capes. And not all linguists use their powers, or their white male privilege, for good. But then there’s Jackson Katz. Right out of the gate he cites feminist linguist Julia Penelope. I didn’t even know there was such a thing nor had I heard of her. But his TED talks …
When white people hear the words privilege or privileged they almost always react negatively to the implication that they have not earned what they have or where they are in life. In a highly meritocratic society ‘privileged’ can only be taken as an insult meaning that you didn’t work hard. That you’re spoiled. Yet we …
A weary nation is grateful to Matt Damon. After the spoiled scion of Ivy League American elitism showcased his even temperament, bipartisan level-headedness and respect for the Supreme Court by throwing sneering tearful tantrums for the duration of the Senate Judiciary hearing, Matt Damon helped us laugh at what we weren’t totally sure we had …
I’m not saying that Chris Janson is the Brett Kavanaugh of country music. But non-consensual sex is NOT a rite of passage. It is not an inevitable mistake boys can’t help but make as they come of age. Non-consual sex is a crime whether you remember committing it or not, whether the victim was drunk …
There’s a scene from that Aaron Sorkin show* that everyone loved. With Bill Pullman? I never saw it but have seen it discussed with an almost nostalgic reverence, like our own favorite childhood memories. This clip is posted with great aplomb, and frequency, on my newsfeed. A middle-aged white man sits center stage at what …
The left and the right have long accused each other of hypocrisy, disrespect and a lack of patriotism. And both sides are correct, according to their own ascribed values. When Robert De Niro introduced Bruce Springsteen at the Tony Awards this week he could have used his fame for good. But instead he used a …
The Paseo Santa Lucia is an urban revitalization project come to life in Monterrey, Mexico – a river walk stretching some two miles between the Parque Fundidora to the sprawling Macro Plaza downtown. Tree-lined and flanked by restaurants, apartments, offices, green spaces, outdoor gyms, shops, museums and a massive convention center, it is a city …
The BBC posted a video intended, I believe, to further inform and educate viewers about global poverty by illustrating it with a very specific example from the Philippines. “Some of the poorest people in the Philippines capital, Manila are eating meat salvage from rubbish tips.” But for all their objectivity and journalistic integrity, the BBC …
I fear we will never agree on a solution because we can’t even agree on what the problem is. What is the root cause of American mass shootings? If you post that question on facebook you’ll never stop getting answers. Guns. People. Mental health crisis. School bullying. Entitled millenials raised by pumpkin spice latte sipping …