His books and plays are about the power of ordinary people to affect history.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Rules of supermarket deportment
Jan 29th, 2010 1:00 pm | By Ophelia BensonA brief frivolous interlude to consider one small aspect of daily life.
A Tesco store has asked customers not to shop in their pyjamas or barefoot…A spokesman said Tesco did not have a strict dress code but it does not want people shopping in their nightwear in case it offends other customers.
Or not so much offends them as makes them feel sick. That’s how it affects me. The sight of people outside in the world in their bedroom slippers, or with bed hair, or in their pyjamas, makes me feel very queasy indeed. It’s much the same if I see people flossing their teeth or cutting their toenails in public; or picking their noses, or applying unguents to … Read the rest
Iran Executes 2 Mohareb or ‘Enemies of God’ 
Jan 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The prosecutor’s office said nine other detained protesters have been condemned to death as Mohareb.… Read the rest
Orthodoxy Enforcement at Wheaton College
Jan 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Wheaton is nondenominational, but has a detailed statement of faith that all at the college must follow.… Read the rest
Ogling Teaches Women to Self-objectify
Jan 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
When a female believes her body is being sized up by a male, she’ll diminish her presence by speaking less. … Read the rest
Questioning Homophobic Pseudoscience
Jan 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘That a child needs a male parent and a female parent is so taken for granted that people are uncritical.’… Read the rest
Roeder Convicted of First-Degree Murder
Jan 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It took jurors 37 minutes to convict Scott Roeder of first-degree murder in the death of George R. Tiller.… Read the rest
Blair is Sorry the War Was ‘Divisive’
Jan 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He acknowledged ‘things obviously look quite different’ now given the failure to find any weapons.… Read the rest
Tesco Says No Shopping in Pyjamas
Jan 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Buffoon doesn’t see why, she only wanted a packet of fags, she would have worn clothes for a full shop.… Read the rest
Johann Hari on Corruption in America
Jan 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It has reached the point that lobbyists now often write the country’s laws. Not metaphorically; literally.… Read the rest
A Common Problem in Science Journalism
Jan 28th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Science reporters tend to avoid looking hard at research that produces interesting conclusions.… Read the rest
Panel Finds MMR Scare Doctor ‘Acted Unethically’
Jan 28th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Wakefield’s Lancet study caused vaccination rates to plummet, resulting in a rise in measles.… Read the rest
Televangelist Accused of Fraud Over Haiti Relief
Jan 28th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Six televangelist ministries are being investigated by Senate Finance Committee for possible tax law fraud.… Read the rest
‘Europe Must Assert its Religious Identity’
Jan 28th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Italian Foreign Affairs Minister laments lack of ‘common European identity’ which he takes to be Xian.… Read the rest
Russell Blackford on Complexities of Free Speech
Jan 28th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
What if speech with real social value seems very likely to lead to violence?… Read the rest
Village life
Jan 27th, 2010 5:14 pm | By Ophelia BensonA 16-year-old girl who was raped in Bangladesh has been given 101 lashes for conceiving during the assault. The girl’s father was also fined and warned the family would be branded outcasts from their village if he did not pay. According to human rights activists, the girl, who was quickly married after the attack, was divorced weeks later after medical tests revealed she was pregnant. The girl was raped by a 20-year-old villager in Brahmanbaria district in April last year…Muslim elders in the village issued a fatwa insisting that the girl be kept in isolation until her family agreed to corporal punishment.
Her rapist was pardoned by the elders.
No, I have nothing to … Read the rest
Ben Goldacre on Animal Research
Jan 27th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A lot of it is flawed; it’s stupid to make animals suffer to do flawed research. Do it right.… Read the rest
Christianity Explained for Pesky Militant Atheists
Jan 27th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Christianity is based on the Bible, as read in the light of reason under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, OK?… Read the rest
More Warnings on ‘Bomb Detectors’
Jan 27th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Speaking as a professional, I would say that is an empty plastic case,’ said explosives expert.… Read the rest
Pope Calls for More Evangelism
Jan 27th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Urges ‘shared witness’ against secularization, relativism, abortion, euthanasia, science.… Read the rest
