Author Archives: Guest Writer

Aunt Linda and Uncle Frank were playing on easy mode back in 1966

Posted on November 5, 2020 by Guest Writer

Guest post by Brendan Wright I just found another scintillating read– the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditures 2019. There’s some very interesting take-aways. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that think I understand why many well-meaning … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and the like | 31 Comments  

Spring (or Fall or Summer, But Never Winter) is a Time for Change

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Guest Writer

Guest post by J. Squid Some of you in my meatspace have known this for some time. And a couple of you in my cyberspace have known as well. For the last year and a half, plus or minus, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Transsexual and Transgender related issues | Comments Off  

Giles Coren: Garbage Human, Fatphobe and, Horrifyingly, Father (Guest Post)

Posted on November 12, 2017 by Guest Writer

[This post is by Ragen Chastain, reprinted with her permission from Dances With Fat.] Giles Coren writes a column for Esquire about fatherhood. His most recent piece is titled: “I Don’t Care What My Son Becomes… As Long As He … Continue reading →

Posted in Fat, fat and more fat | Comments Off  

The Absolute Basics of the US-China-Taiwan Relationship

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Guest Writer

(A post by Ben Lehman, who many of you will recognize from “Alas” comments. Reprinted from Ben’s facebook, with Ben’s kind permission. The illustration, an 1985 1865 map of China and Taiwan, was chosen by Amp.) PREAMBLE: I’m going to … Continue reading →

Posted in International issues | Comments Off  

An obligatory Nevada WTF post

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Guest Writer

[This is a guest post , reposted from Now Face North with Lirael’s kind permission. –Amp] As I’ve mentioned before, I am a Bernie Sanders supporter! I also have some thoughts, regarding different subsets of people, about the mess in … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections and politics | Comments Off  

Anti-Trump protests and the free speech argument

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Guest Writer

[This is a post by occasional “Alas” comment-writer Lirael, reprinted with permission from their excellent blog NowFaceNorth. Thanks, Lirael! –Amp] There’s a lot of interesting arguments going around in the wake of the cancelled Donald Trump rally in Chicago. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Free speech, censorship, copyright law, etc. | Comments Off  

No, The Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Sexual Assault Is Not Bogus

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Guest Writer

This is another guest post by Carla, which originally appeared on her blog Writing in Water, and appears here with her kind permission. For more than 20 years, the idea of a crisis of sexual assault against women has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Rape, intimate violence, & related issues | Comments Off  

No, Surveys Do Not Use Overly Broad Definitions Of Sexual Assault

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Guest Writer

This is a guest post by Carla, which originally appeared on her blog Writing in Water, and appears here with her kind permission. A favourite tactic of critics of sexual violence surveys is to claim they inflate their results by … Continue reading →

Posted in Mary Koss controversy, Rape, intimate violence, & related issues | Comments Off  

If you want to take the first step towards a kinder, gentler, more tolerant discourse, start by putting down the “SJW” label.

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Guest Writer

(A guest post by Alexandra Erin, quoted from her comment on another person’s blog. Thanks to Alexandra for her permission, and visit her blog Blue Author Is About To Write.) Joshua, I appreciate both where this post is coming from … Continue reading →

Posted in Civility & norms of discourse | Comments Off  

The idea of a cure doesn’t offend me. The idea that I ought to be waiting or looking for that cure is offensive.

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Guest Writer

In another thread, Ender left this comment: I’m planning on going into neurocognitive/computational research, which has or could have medical applications (amongst many other computer technology applications). My question then is, do people that are called “disabled” or “handicapped” not … Continue reading →

Posted in Disabled Rights & Issues | Comments Off