Revisiting Antioch's "Ask First" Policy 23 years later
Over 20 years ago, Antioch College was pilloried nationally for its "Ask First" sexual consent policy that it adopted in 1991. In response to two campus rapes that year, it was the first college that required ongoing verbal affirmation at every step of the encounter for it to be considered consensual. Most colleges at…
Update to Philadelphia School Situation
Teachers are prepping for next week's school opening. Because of the dismal financial picture and ongoing uncertainty, 81 positions have been eliminated, though 64 of them were already vacant. 17 people central office staff have lost their jobs.
Philly Schools already strapped and bracing for deeper cuts
The Philadelphia school system has been notoriously underfunded, in part because our governor Tom Corbett has slashed state support to the school district because reportedly he wants to crush the teacher's union and move the school system to using primarily privately run charter schools and other types of …
Is Taylor Swift's less sexualized image helping her career?
Defining why certain musical artists have staying power and others don't almost seems like an impossible endeavor. It certainly isn't talent. I learned that when Madonna clearly won out over Cyndi Lauper in the female pop singer battle of the early 80s. But there is often this indefinable substance that…
Will Maine have the first openly Gay Governor elected in the US?
Mike Michaud, the democratic candidate who currently serves as a US representative for Maine's 2nd congressional district is in a dead heat with incumbent Tea Partier, Paul LePage for the 2014 governor election. Maine's politics are a little more complicated than many states in that the governor has been elected by…
Female celebrities' images are easy to tarnish
Recently, Lana Del Rey stuck her foot in her mouth and she knew it. She admitted to dreaming of an early death, not a surprising musing of a woman whose music centers around all sorts of dark tropes of early loss and passionate love with difficult men. But the press wasn't so enamored of this interview and she was…
Experiencing Father's Day without a Father
I never remember when it is Father's Day —it's always a surprise. It just creeps up on me and reminds me that I've never really had a father. Well, one worth celebrating anyway. I didn't meet my father until I was 17 years old and by then, I felt like I didn't need him anymore or maybe he was just a disappointment,…
Why should kids be tried as adults?
I was recently having a conversation with a few relatives about the young girls who were involved in the recent stabbing that was inspired by the Slender Man. I had a discussion that I've had with so many people throughout my career. I really believe that these girls need to be tried as juveniles because as…
Which Duggar is most likely to break free from their family?
As we await two significant Duggar events, Jill's pending nuptials and Amy Duggar's special, A Duggar Leaves Home (something that is eagerly anticipated by almost no one), let's get together to participate in the favorite activity of any true Duggar fan. No, it's not pickle-making or styling the perfect wavy…
Adam Carolla says rich people are "better than poor people"
In a recent interview with right wing website, The Daily Caller, Adam Carolla was quoted as saying that rich people are "better than poor people. They just are." After spending years alongside the incisive wit of Dr. Drew, we'd expect no less from Mr. Carolla. He added to his complex analysis of the causes of poverty …
Why does Gwyneth Paltrow make me sympathize with internet haters?
With almost any celebrity, I could sympathize with the pain of hearing cruel things said by anonymous internet posters. But it's just different with Gwyneth. All bets are off. Maybe it's her pretentiousness, her entitlement and her utter cluelessness about how rarified her world is. Maybe the essence of Goop is…
How are the Duggars dealing with the Gothard sex scandal?
If there is anything that the Duggars love more than tater tot casserole and Aussie Instant Freeze Hairspray, it is the Institute of Basic Life Principles (which is the umbrella organization that runs, among other things, the Advanced Training Institute, providing homeschoolers with a Bible Based curriculum,…
The Pernicious Nature of Voter ID Laws
I was recently perusing the news, when I noticed this little blip from MSN.com about the GOP candidate for governor in Arkansas:
Why is dependency seen as a problem?
If there is any type of construct that is quintessentially part of the dominant American culture, it is the concept of independence. The idea of independence has led us down some questionable paths as a country. You should look no further than how our national dialogue is focused more on "dependency on welfare" than…