Maybe he considers transgender folks to be the gender they identify with and thus didn't feel the need to put them in a separate category apart from men and women?

I addressed that in the article. I've specifically tried to raise the voices of people from the trans* community where possible, and lamented that I don't have ways of knowing how to do more yet, due to technology restrictions. (Except of course in cases where a trans* person chooses to not have that be part of their…

That's the funny thing about the internet, because for some Jezzies, Russia is home. I know that the Gawker network leans annoyingly NYC, but that doesn't apply to the larger picture.

my friend's a guidance counselor and she gets kids telling her day in day out they're going to be an actress/singer/dancer despite never having done any classes.. and sadly also game developers. we're in Australia, we don't really have an industry anymore for said developers.

I worked with older youths and while the NBA dream had long since died, if these kids spent as much time in school as they did the studio they'd all be at Harvard on full scholarships.

Oh, for sure. I wasn't excusing/endorsing the behavior by any means, your comment just reminded me of the person. His was a case of literally being 7 feet tall at age 16, which obviously influenced his situation, and he didn't work hard at much of anything (that I or anyone else could see) because he figured his path…

I'm biased because it was my major, but I just seriously do not understand people who don't like history. I mean, it's not like it's one monolithic entity-so much shit has happened, and there are so many different ways of examining it that there's bound to be something for everyone.

I once talked to a kid in high school who was planning to drop out and couch-surf, because he was mad at his parents and school was like, such a drag or something. I asked him what the hell he planned to do without a high school education or a home to live in; I shit you not, his answer was to look me dead in the eyes…

You know, my mother in law actually makes 100K PER MONTH working from home!

We get few supreme talents in our lifetimes. Whitney was one of mine.

It seems to come from constantly being told how awesome they are at [fame-making talent] and nothing else. There was a guy at my high school who refused to march (at military school) and actually challenged our Drill Sergeant to a shootout because he was convinced that he would go to the NBA and didn't actually need…

If ever meet that fucking author of The Secret I'm going to choke her out, I swear. That vision board garbage has done more damage then she'll ever know. (Check out Sophia Coppela's The Bling Ring. The only visible adult homeschools her teens using vision boards and encouraging them to focus on their destiny.)

There are tons of people out there waiting for lottery winners who have not studied history, and are hoping to convince said winners to repeat it.

I hear this multiple times a year from people IRT to fame or extreme wealth. Writers I've mentored, a guy I dated who truly believed he would own his own island by age 40, two friends who are trying (separately) to become "personalities" - one who wants to get a book and TV show for her psychic abilities, one who…

When my brother was in elementary school, he told his teacher he didn't need to do his history homework because when he grew up he was going to win the lottery.

Just here to verify that high school students tell me this all the time. And yes, they really do believe it.

Yes. They are sure of it. Also, their parents are paying for expensive coaching/ camps/ etc for baseball/football/rugby/basketball, etc. These kids are sure of it.

Every damn time I have a student who pulls that, "I don't need to know math, I'm going to be a famous (insert famous person job here)." I pull out the old, "Did you hear what happened to (insert famous person who just got taken advantage of by an accountant/manager/friend, etc)? You need to educate yourself to keep…

Sheesh, at least she didn't mistake him for Lawrence Fishburne.

Couldn't agree more.