Talking white: Black people’s disdain for proper English and academic achievement is a myth.

Talking white: Black people’s disdain for proper English and academic achievement is a myth.

By contrast, “acting white” accusations were least common at the most segregated schools, a finding echoed by a 2006 study from Harvard economist Roland Fryer, who found “no evidence at all that getting good grades adversely affects students’ popularity” in predominantly black schools. Across schools, the general pattern was this: “Acting white” accusations weren’t attached to academic performance and rather were a function of specific behaviors. If you hung out with white kids and adopted white fashions, you were accused of “acting white.” Smart kids were teased, but no more than you’d see in any other group.

Worth a read.

New study shows that the savings from ‘tort reform’ are mythical

New study shows that the savings from ‘tort reform’ are mythical

“Tort reform,” which is usually billed as the answer to “frivolous malpractice lawsuits,” has been a central plank in the Republican program for healthcare reform for decades. The notion has lived on despite copious evidence that that the so-called defensive medicine practiced by doctors merely to stave off lawsuits accounts for, at best, 2% to 3% of U.S. healthcare costs. As for “frivolous lawsuits,” they’re a problem that exists mostly in the minds of conservatives and the medical establishment. A new study led by Michael B. Rothberg of the Cleveland Clinic and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association aimed to measure how much defensive medicine there is, really, and how much it costs. The researchers’ conclusion is that defensive medicine accounts for about 2.9% of healthcare spending. In other words, out of the estimated $2.7-trillion U.S. healthcare bill, defensive medicine accounts for $78 billion.

Justice Antonin Scalia: Constitution allows religion to be favored over secularism

Justice Antonin Scalia: Constitution allows religion to be favored over secularism

I think the main fight is to dissuade Americans from what the secularists are trying to persuade them to be true: that the separation of church and state means that the government cannot favor religion over non-religion

The American Taliban in action.

Scalia told the group, which included lawmakers and other public officials, that Americans honored God in the pledge of allegiance and in “all our public ceremonies.”

That was added in 1954. The pledge wasn’t even in common use until the 1920s and wasn’t official until the 1940s. And there is nothing in the Constitution about pledges and oaths for citizens, only for elected and appointed government officials.

Trainer gains 70 pounds, then loses it all

Trainer gains 70 pounds, then loses it all

Manning says he didn’t realize the effects of his weight gain would be more than physical. It altered his relationships and his self-confidence. Returning to the gym after the Fit2Fat portion of his journey made him nervous. The fact that he had to do push-ups on his knees was almost humiliating. “The biggest thing [I learned] is that it’s not just about the physical. It’s not just about the meal plan and the workouts and those things. The key is the mental and the emotional issues. I realized those issues are real.”

The goal of fat acceptance should be to help people feel comfortable enough that they able to make changes without feeling overwhelmed, shamed or hopeless. It shouldn’t be about being ok with what isn’t ok.

Denying Climate Change ‘Will Cost Us Billions Of Dollars,’ U.S. Budget Director Warns

Denying Climate Change ‘Will Cost Us Billions Of Dollars,’ U.S. Budget Director Warns

“From where I sit, climate action is a must do; climate inaction is a can’t do; and climate denial scores – and I don’t mean scoring points on the board,” Donovan said. “I mean that it scores in the budget. Climate denial will cost us billions of dollars.”

The Strange History of ‘Mad Honey’

The Strange History of ‘Mad Honey’

The dark, reddish, “mad honey,” known as deli bal in Turkey, contains an ingredient from rhododendron nectar called grayanotoxin — a natural neurotoxin that, even in small quantities, brings on light-headedness and sometimes, hallucinations. In the 1700s, the Black Sea region traded this potent produce with Europe, where the honey was infused with drinks to give boozers a greater high than alcohol could deliver.