No Win
So, as the Golden Globe Awards became a political arena to address racism and sexism and female empowerment instead of, say, excellence in film and television (you know, like the Golden Globe Awards were intended to be), Oprah Winfrey did a speech about female empowerment and sexual harassment. Hailed as inspirational by many, Ivanka Trump weighed in on Twitter. "Just saw @Oprah's empowering & inspiring speech at last night's #GoldenGlobes. Let's all come together, women & men, & say #TIMESUP!" Oh, that was a mistake. Bashed by the likes of Alyssa Milano and Chrissy Teigen, it is clearly a mistake for a Trump to say anything, in agreement or in opposition. (You know that's how it works. Hey, Ivanka's the one that got in trouble for wearing her own line of clothing.)
Speaking of "No-Win"
Drexel University's George Ciccariello-Maher has resigned from his position as a professor there. He says his personal situation there is "unsustainable." You may not remember him; he's the one that tweeted in 2016 "All I want for Christmas is white genocide." Said the white guy in Florida. Go figure. He's been harassed and smeared and can't take it anymore. That a university would retain a professor advocating the murder of himself and hiss white students is a bit surprising to me, but, hey, who knows these days what universities will and will not do?
How Should This Go?
The pastor of a Memphis megachurch has admitted to a sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl 20 years ago. The pastors over him apparently knew about it and "dealt with it", but she doesn't think so. He asked for forgiveness (but apparently will not receive it). It was 20 years ago and no further allegations.
It is what we would refer to as "unforgivable", except in the context of Christianity it isn't. Or is it? Is a pastor who commits an act like this permanently out of office? Is it good and right for God to forgive but we do not? I ask because I don't know.
Misplaced Affections
This is what happens when we forget Who's in charge. I will just copy the first sentence from this amazing story. "The Swiss government has ordered an end to the common culinary practice of throwing lobsters into boiling water while they are still alive, ruling that they must be knocked out before they are killed." That's right. It is inhumane to throw it in hot water; if you're going to kill it, do it nicely.
"Oh, Stan, you're just being silly." Am I? They banned those devices that teach dogs not to bark. They required that lobsters being transported live to be eaten must "always be held in their natural environment", no ice or cold water. Seriously. You can't make this stuff up. If you're going to boil a lobster alive, you must first stun it so it doesn't feel it. It is against the law to boil a conscious lobster. Because, as we all know, lobsters are people, too.
I'm sorry. Yes, there is more news of the week, but that lobster thing just got me. When we live in a world that demands that we keep it legal to murder babies but cries for the pain of a lobster, there's just so little sanity left that ... well, this will do for this week's entry.
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