Early in the morning of February 28th, 2015 Moscow time, unknown assailants gunned down Boris Nemtsov – physicist and strong supporter of liberal democratic reforms – on a popular bridge just down the hill from the Kremlin and Red Square. This is the same bridge where, in 1993, Boris Yeltsin positioned tanks in an attempt […]
Boris Nemtsov’s Untimely Death and the Ongoing Threat to Dissidence in Russia Read More »
What else do we have to understand about Ferguson, the NYPD, and Trevon Martin? Look at it this way. There’s a commercial that consists of videos of different species of animals frolicking together. These are an Internet staple. Cats with birds, dogs with fish, lions with gazelles, and countless other unusual pairings from YouTube fill
Why Ferguson Still Matters Read More »
Wow! My measles essay “The Natural Consequences of Unvaccinated Children” really struck a nerve among anti-vaxxers. They raised enough questions and counterarguments that it will take more than 1,200 words to answer all of them. But with the help of the Internet, I will cover some basic research that everyone should know. First of all, thank
E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey continues to leave confusion in its path, especially given the buzz over the film adaptation. The first in a trilogy of novels often referred to as “Twilight for grown-ups” and “mommy porn,” these soulless works have boomed in popularity, a fact that surprises many recreational readers. But a handful of vague, dismissive, or morally alarmist cultural assumptions won’t
Fifty Shades of Grey: Pop Goes Erotica Read More »
An eponym is a human name that has been turned into a word. There are many examples of eponyms in the English language. A boycott, for example, comes to us via Charles Boycott. Leotard comes from Jules Leotard. One of the great things about English is its great adaptability. It adds, subtracts, and changes word
Anti-Science Foolishness and the Face of Conservatism Read More »
The conflict spreading throughout East Ukraine is an extension of a history defined by ongoing dispute. Over the past century, vast expanses of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimea, changed hands from one country to the next until the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. For instance, up until the 1950s, contested land was given to
Ten Reasons to Pay Attention to Ukraine Read More »