Via Hyperallergic.com: The visual of the witch on a broomstick is so ubiquitous as to be benign. Before the Wicked Witch of the West or Harry Potter took flight on the spindly cleaning tool, the image first appeared in the 15th century. Two women in marginal illustrations of the 1451 edition of French poet Martin Le Franc’s Le Champion des Dames (The Defender of
READ MOREI rarely, if ever, watch horror movies – unless it’s October. Perhaps it has something to do with the season or Halloween lurking around the corner. Whatever the case, during October I enjoy nothing more than devouring spooky movies of all kinds—psychological thrillers, slasher films, campy B movies, etc. This year I rewatched four movies
READ MOREAs Intellectual Takeout recently noted, Americans are embracing bad government because they don’t know history. If you don’t believe it, just ask Professor Duke Pesta. According to The College Fix, Professor Pesta has long been concerned about the decline of general knowledge in America’s student body, and the informal surveys he conducts suggest there is
READ MOREPeople across America and beyond will dress up for Halloween on Monday, either to ask strangers for candy or as an excuse to imbibe ample quantities of spirits at a party. But before anyone dresses up, a little attention must first be paid to ensure proper Halloween protocols are observed. First, as Yale University made
READ MOREIn case you missed the memo, yoga pants are now one of the sacred elements of self-expression which must not be condemned. At least, that’s what Alan Sorrentino recently discovered. According to the Providence Journal, Sorrentino wrote a letter to the editor suggesting that yoga pants aren’t always the most flattering choice of dress for
READ MOREHave you ever wondered how it is that some people lie with such ease? A recent academic study confirmed what might seem an obvious truth: lying becomes easier the more one does it. “When you lie or cheat for your own benefit, it makes you feel bad,” Sophie van der Zee at the Free University of
READ MOREThis is being acclaimed as the best TV advertisement of the 2016 election. Not for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate for the US Presidency. Not for Donald Trump, the GOP candidate. For Gerald Daugherty, the incumbent County Commissioner for Travis County, Precinct 3, in Austin, Texas. County Commissioners do boring stuff like keeping down taxes,
READ MOREIf there is truth in Ben Franklin’s precept that “tyranny begins” with “ignorance,” a poll commissioned by Just Facts shows that the U.S. may be in deep trouble. While most polls measure public opinion, this unique poll measures voters’ knowledge of issues that affect their lives in tangible ways. These include education, taxes, healthcare, the
READ MOREThe political discourse over education in the United States consists mainly over arguing about funding and how best to “prepare students for the workforce.” These are certainly important matters to discuss, but what if our national conversation about education is too limited? What if the scope of our discussion on education were wider than merely
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