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The New York Times Would Like You To Know That There is a Chess Prodigy in Bed-Stuy

Each day, we open our digital copy of The New York Times to absurdly mock it (and ourselves) for its insanity. Today we learn that kids everywhere are all the same.

Kids are taught that they’re all different, that they’re all special little snowflakes who will one day change the world. Lies! Children are all the same. Case and point: James Black Jr. is a mere “three or four” games away from becoming a national master in the eyes of The United States Chess Federation (Federation? Sounds communist!), but, you know what? All he wants to do is play video games and stay up late! His brother went to jail for killing some guy, his sister got kicked out of the house and still he asks why he can’t have more freedom. Why? Because kids are all the same. Continue reading →

Nerd News Roundup: Pink Slips and Star-Spangled Underpants

Nerds from around the globe (especially Nerdopeans), gather round and feast your eyes on this week’s tales of tragedy and  triumph. This week comicdom lost one of it’s pioneering artists and a the studio that dared to lead us into the uncanny valley is hell to work for. Meanwhile, a Superhero icon shows us her bloomers and a director put his money and explosions where his mouth is. This is the Nerd News Roundup!

Continue reading →

Arizona Still Has Nothing on Florida’s Brand of Crazy

Living in Florida is, how do I put this, interesting. On the one hand, I am 45 minutes away from the beach (Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean), I have access to tons of lakes, and there are tons of Latinos (my people!). On the other hand, you have Casey Anthony, the astronaut lady that drove for over 24 hours with an adult diaper on, and Rick Scott.

Rick Scott, our esteemed governor, has a 29% approval rating. He’s been in office for less than a year, and in his short tenure has cost the state over 100,000 jobs, high-speed rail funding, and any attempt to rein in urban sprawl.

Since Mr. Scott is so unpopular, I guess he’s been feeling lonely and unloved. So what did he do? He posted a letter on his website that you can copy/paste and send to the editors of your major (or hometown) newspapers, telling them what a swell guy Rick is. Continue reading →

The Devil’s Playground

Look at them! Look at them in their bare legs poking out from beneath shorts and flowing skirts, feet exposed in sandals, arms soaking up the sun in short sleeves and halter tops, saying to each other: What a beautiful day! Isn’t the sun lovely! It’s so warm!

Then look at me. Continue reading →

Did Home Schooling Contribute to the Murder of Christian Choate?

The answer seems to be pretty darn easy. After reading the horrible story about the death of Christian Choate, the thirteen year old who was beaten to death by his father and spent most of his time locked in a dog cage, I wondered just how easy it is to home-school a child.

Christian’s stepmother, Kimberly Kubina, took her stepson out of school reporting that he was to be home-schooled, but after what unfolded in the household, it seems quite evident that the real reason behind the move was to cover up ongoing abuse.

Speaking as a former teacher, one of the first bits of instruction you learn is how to identify potential abuse in the homes of your students. You’re told to look for obvious bruises especially around report card and parent teacher conference time. You’re also instructed to look for odd behavior, acting out, withdrawal, and copious sleeping in class amongst myriad other things, and if suspected, to tell your school’s response team immediately. However, this only works if you can witness and interact with students. There is some leeway for students who are enrolled, but suddenly go missing. You can then send a truancy officer to their address to find out what the story is, but when a student is home-schooled there are literally no options. Continue reading →

Should You Care About Pet Sales Bans?

Yesterday, it was announced that the Humane Pet Acquisition Proposal would be making its way back to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Last year, the city attempted to pass legislation making the sale of dogs and cats illegal within city limits.

The proposed legislation takes it one step further this time: San Fran wants to ban fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds from being available for sale except as food. Continue reading →

New York City Shows Its Pride


Well New York Pride was as festive as expected. The passing of the gay marriage bill by the New York state legislature added an extra dose of celebratory elation. The Crasstalk investigative team of BooBoo Kitteh, Rowan, ILovesYouPorgy, Gender Fender Bender, Pssshwhatever, and myself watched the festivities from Madison Square Park in Midtown Manhattan. The parade was epic, lasting four hours, but the energy level was through the roof the entire time. Here’s a slide show of some of the more fun marchers. Continue reading →