Featured articles
No, customer service workers do not have it easy
Every once in a while, one of my fellow Americans blows my mind with her assumption that customer service workers get insurance, paid sick days and paid vacation, and at least $10/hour. These assumptions are often of no consequence, but on some occasions they're offered in justification of why no one should be...
Criticism, hostility and non-support: three different animals
If you find yourself in agreement with a dominant belief - the most popular religion in your culture, a love of the favored local sports team, or the belief that life is mostly neat and people are mostly good-hearted - you may occasionally have trouble distinguishing someone who doesn't lick your butt in agreement...
College has become a barrier for smart poor kids
ETA: This post is US-centric, and I should have made that clear. How much or little it applies to other countries, I can't say.
As soon as employers made college a necessity for jobs of any significant income (and even some of shockingly low income, such as "receptionist") back in the 80s or 90s, college started...
White Trash Blues: Class Privilege v. White Privilege
If you blog about white privilege, you're probably sick to death of people playing the "white trash" card in your comments. Their argument usually goes something like this:
"Being white didn't give me all these privileges you're talking about."
"I know plenty of [minority] people who are better off than I...
Extroversion privilege
(This post has a definite US slant, simply because that's the only country whose culture I've experienced firsthand. I suspect it's different elsewhere - feel free to comment.)
This all started from a comment made by DNi on my post, Personal Privilege List. I started thinking about it, then some stuff happened,...
by Jennifer Kesler
Every once in a while, one of my fellow Americans blows my mind with her assumption that customer service workers get insurance, paid sick days and paid vacation, and at least $10/hour. These assumptions are often of no consequence, but on some occasions they’re offered in justification of why no one should be trying to improve working conditions for minimum and near-minimum wage employees, or why we should feel free to take out our frustrations on $6/hour clerks. That’s when … READ MORE
by Jennifer Kesler
ETA: This post is US-centric, and I should have made that clear. How much or little it applies to other countries, I can’t say.
As soon as employers made college a necessity for jobs of any significant income (and even some of shockingly low income, such as “receptionist”) back in the 80s or 90s, college started increasing tuition costs into the stratosphere. The cost for a four year degree at even a modest state school is now, in technical economic terms, … READ MORE
by Jennifer Kesler
Three states passed bans on gay marriage in the national election a few days ago. Regardless of where you fall on gay rights’ issues and the definition of marriage, this should frighten you because it is, plain and simple, the beginning of theocracy. Neo-Christian fascism. Sieg heil, Fred Phelps.
I was so livid about this for 24 hours, I couldn’t write on the topic. Now I’m calmer, but I’m glad gays are angry, and I hope a lot of other people … READ MORE
by Jennifer Kesler
I grew up Christian (I’m now an atheist, or more specifically, an anti-theist). This didn’t mean back then what it has come to mean today. I wasn’t taught we were being persecuted because public schools didn’t include a Christian prayer, and fuck the non-Christian kids who had to sit through it politely. I wasn’t taught I had a right to judge people who lived differently from me – in fact, I was taught the opposite. I wasn’t taught that Jesus … READ MORE
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