I learned of Nelson Mandela’s passing just after I had awoken from a nap while I was studying for finals. In the middle of neglecting to follow any developments around…
Why Skipping the Red Buckets is a Good Thing
If someone had told me a few years ago that I’d be advocating for people to not support the Salvation Army, I would have thought they were crazy. Salvation Army…
Paralyzed Man Chooses Death
Should we be allowed to choose when we die? This is not a new question. Oregon has faced it for years. The Death With Dignity Act, passed in 1997, allows terminally…
Fifty Shades Too Much?
Fifty Shades of Grey, an erotic romance novel by British author E.L. James, has been proclaimed a guilty pleasure for women across the world. It’s explicit, it’s erotic and quite…
Bicycle Responsibility, Not Entitlement
I recently got my first real bike since the Barbie bike I had as a kid. My new one is still bright pink, albeit in a much more adult kind…
The Perspective Hierarchy
The criticisms of the HBO series Girls that really bother me aren’t the ones made by crass tweeters about Lena Dunham’s naked body. Internet message boards are full of belligerent…
Locker Room Language
If you’ve been following the NFL Miami Dolphins controversy at all, you know that what happens in the locker room and usually stays there has now been splashed everywhere. And…
Gun Skepticism, Not Gun Fanaticism
I started following the news a bit more closely a few months ago. And you know what I noticed was the overarching theme, story after story, day after day? Guns….
One of these things is not like the other
Nothing bothers me more than finding a book grouped with titles of obviously different genres. I’m not talking about the books on someone’s bookshelf, but rather in places where people…
ENDA and Governmental Power
For the first time ever, the Senate passed a piece of legislation that protects people from being fired based solely on their sexual orientation. There are multiple reasons to have…
No Excuse for Boredom
When I was a kid, I really hated waiting rooms. I’m just old enough to have grown up without the constant presence of smartphones and iPads and all that. We…