Oh, I could eat you up. Hi, Sugar. Sweetheart. Give me some sugar. Lips like sugar, sugar kisses. We frequently express love and desire in food terms. Hi honey! You’re the apple of my eye. Sweetpie. Sweetpea, a personal favorite. All sorts of baked goods are turned into endearments. My little muffin, cupcake, cookie, buttercup.… Continue reading All Consuming Love Language
What Happens to Florida’s Critters in the Cold?
Iguanas plummeting to the ground in Miami is an indelible winter in Florida image. What happens to all of the other semi-tropical creatures when it gets cold? Where do the alligators go in chilly weather? Are there cold weather shelters for manatees? There are, to a degree, cold weather shelters for manatees. Hot springs, water… Continue reading What Happens to Florida’s Critters in the Cold?
Boiled Angels, Serial Murder, and the Obscenity Trial of Mike Diana
There are some things we may not want to look at. Drawings of dismembered children. Drawings of those children being sexually abused. Monsters ruining Christmas by sucking a family’s innards out. In 1994 those drawings and others gave Pinellas County an unhappy first – the only trial which convicted a comic book artist of ‘artistic… Continue reading Boiled Angels, Serial Murder, and the Obscenity Trial of Mike Diana
The Internet’s First Amendment: Section 230’s Freedom of Digital Speech
Section 230 has significantly shaped the internet as we know it today. Understanding its history can help to understand how to, and how not to. improve it.
The Epiphany Insurrection(s)
Last January 6th’s storming of the Capitol wasn’t the only Epiphany Insurrection. At the end of 1399, England’s King Richard II had lost the throne to King Henry IV. Richard’s supporters planned to attack Henry at a tournament on Epiphany, 1400. They would kill Henry, and restore Richard to the throne. Forewarned, Henry didn’t show.… Continue reading The Epiphany Insurrection(s)
Sunscreens -save the ocean
(and your skin)
4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen land on coral reefs every year. 5.4 million skin cancers are diagnosed every year, and this is increasing. Two facts that are related – ever increasing cases of skin cancer and ever decreasing health of the oceans – revolve around sunscreen. Can we use sunscreen to prevent cancer without harming… Continue reading Sunscreens -save the ocean
(and your skin)
Are we running out of sand? Do our beaches imperil the Gulf?
Yes. We are running out of sand, and time. Things look limitless when you stand on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. The horizon dips away, maybe with a lovely sunset alighting it. Water, wind, and sand: the essential beach elements. There have been decades of activism and battles with development about clean water and… Continue reading Are we running out of sand? Do our beaches imperil the Gulf?
QAnon & Media Bias
Did the coverage of the QAnon phenomenon illustrate a partisan bias in the US media? QAnon is one of the latest conspiracy theories that Americans have embraced. The pandemic in 2020 may have accelerated that embrace. We wondered if there were any differences in how QAnon was covered in the media according to partisan lean. Below… Continue reading QAnon & Media Bias
Methodology of QAnon Study
Sourcing We wanted to look at how Q and QAnon were addressed across the digital news media from its inception in 2017 through March 2021. Our definition of news site was that it covered current events was not one person’s blog (had multiple contributors) (possibly) had a corrections/clarifications policy. Partisan lean of 80 different news… Continue reading Methodology of QAnon Study
Don’t Panic (yet)
Financial & other resources for artists, arts organizations, and small businesses (Originally published on WMNF.org on April 5, 2020.) There’s financial and other help available. It won’t fix everything, but you might qualify for help. Local arts councils and arts organizations are posting a lot of helpful resources. You can keep up with options through… Continue reading Don’t Panic (yet)