It’s difficult to imagine, in an era when an African American is the leader of the free world, that racism would rear its ugly head in two very different incidents during the past two weeks. First, the heartbreaking story of Trayvon Martin, a young African American who took a shortcut through a gated community on […]
Singer-songwriter Jewel shines a spotlight on childhood hunger
Jewel, who experienced hunger and homelessness as a child, volunteers at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank Recording artist Jewel is no stranger to success. Her albums have gone platinum, and she’s been a household name for over a decade. What few realize is that Jewel is also no stranger to food insecurity. Growing up, […]
Simpsons, Barbie, a “social danger,” banned in Iran
America’s first family of TV, the Simpsons, is banned in Iran They are irreverent. They are self-absorbed. And now, they are banned in Iran. The Iranian government recently announced that it’s banning the sale of all Simpson dolls from its shelves, like Barbie before them. Clearly, the Iranian government is having a cow. Mohammad Hossein […]
You’ve heard of the f-bomb: well, how about the “j-word”?
I’m not a fan of the f-bomb. These days people toss it into everyday conversations like an overzealous Olive Garden waiter dumping cracked pepper on a wilted Caesar salad. We’ve become a nation of gutter mouths. But times change. Believe it or not, back in the 1940s, the “j-word” was the one the enforcers of […]