It’s Saturday, and that means it is time to clean out the refrigerator and make some tasty link chum stew. Lots of meaty stuff this week, with just a hint of onion:
- Passing Out. A fascinating study about what is means to “pass” in terms of interracial couples. The article reminds us of the privileges gained by being in marriages that society chooses to recognize. Speaking about discovering privileges you tend not to think about: This American Life this week alerted me to a real neat blog: The Real Housewife of Ciudad Juarez. It is about a woman, married to an illegal immigrant, who opted to move to Mexico to be with her husband for the 10 year waiting period.
- Religion and Corporations. Here’s an interesting question that’s come up since Obamacare: Do corporations have relgious beliefs? If they do, can they impose them on their employees. The conclusion appears to be “no”: the beliefs of the corporation are distinct from the beliefs of the legal owners.
- Placebo Buttons. Ever been ready to cross the street, and pressed the button to get the light to change. The button might not have done anything; the light would have changed anyway. Same thing is true for “Close Door” buttons on elevators. This article explores placebo buttons: buttons placed there primarily to make you feel better.
- Madam, I’m Adam. Here’s a neat one: There may be a genetic basic for Adam and Eve. Well, to be more precise, there may be a basis for the claim that all men can track back to a single male ancestor, and all women can track back to a single female ancestor. No guarantee they actually knew each other, mated, or were the only ancestors.
- Oregon Trail. We’ve all played it: the game Oregon Trail. Here’s the story of how it came to be. I love the fact that it started on a teletype time sharing system. HP 3000C BASIC anyone?
- Railroads. Lastly, the Union Pacific is going to restore the Big Boy locomotive currently at the Pomona Fairgrounds.
Music: Jews With Horns (The Klezmatics): “Romanian Fantasy”
