I’m not anti-makeup in any way, but I do buy into the feminism in her words. There are expectations heaped onto female appearance — makeup, hair, body hair, clothing, foundation garments, shoes, accessories, scent — that do not apply to men. Some of us reject them, some adore them, but others feel pressured to adhere…

What a beauty! We always had dogs when I was growing up but my parents’ biggest failure was our one husky. Dad fell in love with them on a trip to Alaska and figured that our acre and a half in NY State would be cool and roomy enough for one. They really weren’t prepared. His shedding meant that he became our first…

My husband is a Lee descendant (not in Robert E.’s direct line, but Lee’s grandfather is also my husband’s ancestor). These statues are literally his heritage, not just figuratively in the-racist-south-will-rise-again sort of way, and he’s disturbed that they’re still standing. Hell, he’s sitting across from me right…

I’m not pro-violence, however...

Saw them live last year when they were opening for The Arcs. I won tickets, had no idea what we were going to see... and they were fantastic. They stole the show.

I’d like to pass along some free training videos that a friend of mine, a professional peacemaker and Baptist minister/missionary recently shared publicly. He travels to some of the world hottest zones to help people transform conflict into peace and while his methods are based in Christianity, as an agnostic I still…

Yeah... my husband pointed out that at least I don’t have to pay for a flight or hotel like most attendees, but it’s still a stiff price (for something that isn’t underwritten by an employer or contributing to my academic life or career, like most conferences I’ve ever attended). Nevertheless, I understand that…

Yes! We have bubbles of insider discourse and if someone who isn’t fully inside asks a question, it could be a snarky attack or it could be a legitimate attempt to understand. Sadly, there are so many of the first variety that wariness and weariness have taken a toll and honest questions are often met with mockery.…

Yep, I didn’t think you sounded defensive, but many people who ask the same question do. :)

Dude, chill. I’m a white woman and I feel a twinge of what you’re talking about, now and then. I want to protest that the alt-right is an itsy bitsy minority, I want to point to my United Colors of Benetton Facebook friend list, I want to help without being mocked as an ally by the people I thought I was supporting.…

Thank you for responding in a clear, thoughtful way. Honestly, I think this is a question that a lot of people have, not just those who ask it with a defensive tone.

Non-American citizens who attempt to flee through the US and claim asylum in Canada are covered under the Safe Third Country Agreement. That means that they are obligated to seek asylum in the US unless they meet one of a limited set of exceptions (generally, they have a family member living legally in Canada or they…

It’s my birthday today. Seriously. Talk about lousy timing.

I drove down 12th Street in Detroit — ground zero in 1967 — this morning. It’s now Rosa Parks Boulevard. Locally, saying “Detroit ‘67" is enough.

Fuck Robert Moses.

Thongs the shoes (US: flip flops) or the undergarments? Makes all the difference in how brilliant I think that machine is, and why the towel may be required.

I had a breast reduction 27 years ago. My breasts refused to stay a nice compact C and now, they’re back to a G cup. At least they’re awfully perky for a middle-aged, busty broad.

You know, Ford took a lot of shit for pardoning Nixon — as that stat shows — but after this administration I think we’re going to need a Ford. Someone to tread water, slap bandages on the wounds that the orange one caused, and simply not fuck up too much. No big progressive or regressive agenda, just a babysitter…

Reading all the comments about avoiding edibles... what if you don’t smoke? Outside of breathing the blue haze at concerts, I’ve never smoked anything and I don’t want to. Still, someday, I’d like to try cannibis, especially as I’m hoping it might be an option as my chronic pain (no pun intended) gets worse.

I, like most Americans, am also a descendant of immigrants who arrived not knowing English. Just because the timeline has changed — my ancestors arrived between 115-175 years ago — shouldn’t mean that our values have.