Sociology

Politician parents

Image credit. Check out this intriguing article from The Economist – “The Gruffulo Years: A striking number of Britain’s senior politicians have young children. That is a good thing”. The world changes much more rapidly once its leaders are personally… Read More ›

Sunrise of the Dinosaurs

I really should listen to my good friend and work colleague who tells me not to watch Sunrise because it makes me angry. But as I was watching the tennis last night, that was the program on this morning when… Read More ›

Quicklink: Tim Lambert zings Andrew Bolt

Yes, Andrew: a pdf labelled ‘Chapter 4’ is never ever going to be the “whole report” now, is it? So perhaps your pronouncement that “not once did it mention floods” was rather courageous (in the Sir Humphrey sense) on your part.

BFTP – Friday Hoyden: Pippi Longstocking

Pippi is everything I wanted to be as a child but didn’t know how – outrageous, loud, anti-authoritarian, strong, free-spirited, messy, generous, powerful, and brutally honest. She is self-sufficient, thinks “ladylike” is a loud of hooey, and is an efficient dispenser of justice to bullies. Her shoes are too big, her clothes are a mess, she can lift a horse over her head, and nobody knows what to do with her. What’s not to like?

BFTP: Slash and Teh Magick Testicles of Perspicacity

Like all good evolutionary psychologists who focus on gender, Don hasn’t bothered to talk to any actual *whispers* women. Especially not to any women who write and/or study this, erm, *whispers* smut. Because women can’t define their own experience, can’t tell their own stories, can’t have any useful insights into their own motivations. Because women’s fan academia doesn’t really exist in any meaningful sense, not until chest-beaters come along and put their stamp of Knowledge onto it. Because women’s culture is there to be picked apart with tweezers and analysed with a touch of distanced fascination, a modicum of distaste, and a whopping serve of wilful ignorance. For lo, he has Teh Magick Testicles of Perspicacity. Here, let him show you them.