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Feb 9
2 min

The Amazing Wool Blankets of Momostenango, Part of Guatemala's "Cultural Heritage"

We are now offering traditional handmade wool bedspreads from Momostenango [Momo], Guatemala in the Illuminate Fair Trade store. The wool blankets from this village were recently designated as part of the "National Cultural Heritage" of Guatemala. The artisans of "Momo" have been making them for centuries. Momostenango, in the department [state] of Totonicapan, has been the center of wool textile production in Guatemala since the late 1700s. Sheep, which were introduced by th

Jun 8, 2020
3 min

WVU Study Finds that "Modern" Racism Was the Most Important Factor in Trump's 2016 Victory

As we have noted before, there has been quite a bit of academic research into the underlying reasons for the election of Donald Trump in 2016. What motivated Americans to elect a scandal-ridden, reality show host and real estate developer as their President? Numerous studies have identified three prominent factors that influenced Trump voters, racism, sexism, and nationalist attitudes. However, the three are interrelated so it has not always been easy to identify the unique c

May 26, 2020
2 min

New Study Shows that Individuals Expand Their Notion of Community as Diversity Increases

Some in the United States and elsewhere see increased racial, ethnic and cultural diversity as a problem to be solved by policy-makers, but new research suggests that it's more of a problem for those that fear it happening in their community than for those that are experiencing the change. People adapt quickly to a more diverse environment by expanding their view of "community." The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that "people li

May 20, 2020
1 min

US Birth Rates Fell to a Record Low in 2019, Driven by a Sharp Drop in Teen Pregnancies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] reported yesterday that births fell again in 2019, to their lowest level in 35 years. American women are now projected to have just 1.71 children over their lifetimes, substantially below the rate of 2.1 needed to replace the prior generation. America has now been consistently below replacement level since 2007, and it's part of a trend impacting almost all highly developed nations. The report also noted the continued decli

May 5, 2020
1 min

Marriage Rates Continue to Decline as Young People Feel Less Pressure to Marry & Raise Children

The National Center of Health Statistics [HCHS] issued a new report on US marriage rates yesterday and it showed that fewer Americans are getting married, dropping to its lowest level since 1900. In 2018 there were just 6.5 new marriages per 1,000 Americans, down from 6.9 per 1000 in 2017 and down from its peak of 16.4 in 1946, right after WWII ended. The rate at which we get married has varied since 1946, but never approaching today's low. CDC/HCHS: "Marriage rates increased

Apr 25, 2020
3 min

15 Things the Covid-19 Crisis May Change Forever

The Covid-19 crisis is modifying how we live, work, shop and learn, and many of those changes may quickly become the new normal. In some cases the crisis is simply accelerating an ongoing trend, but in others we were forced to adapt and found we liked it, or, at least, could live with it. Don't get me wrong, most of us are looking forward to getting back to the old normal; concerts, jobs, sports, and vacations abroad, but some of the changes we have experienced will reshape s

Mar 28, 2020
2 min

Sam Fender's Wonderful Cover of "Back to Black,"68 Virtual Museums & Dozens of Streaming Concerts

Lots of wonderful virtual entertainment choices as you "shelter in place" this weekend. 1. BRITs Critics' Choice Award winner, Sam Fender released his cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" this week and it's wonderful. He is a unique talent. 2. The Smithsonian magazine has compiled a list of 68 online culture, history and science collections, and 10 of the world's best virtual museums you can browse in the coming weeks. Smithsonian: "For those in search of armchair travel

Mar 26, 2020
2 min

The Amusing, Odd & Creepy Amazon Online Dating Parody

Amazon Dating is a parody of what dating might look like if Jeff Bezos got into the business. It's not a real Amazon project, but it sure looks like one. It was created in association with Thinko, an animation studio that’s done other parody sites before, such as ScamDaddy and WhoPaid99Cents. Instead of finding a compatible mate, on Amazon Dating you purchase them for a listed price with a 30-day money back guarantee. Many are available on "Prime" with one-hour free delivery.

Mar 19, 2020
2 min

Americans Love their Furry Friends; Pet Spending is Exploding

Americans love their dogs and cats...and rabbits and gerbils. There are now more households with a pet than there are with a child. Almost 70% of all U.S. households own a pet, with dogs being the most popular, and we spent about $72.1 billion on them in 2017. The largest portion of that was spent on food and health care, but a lot was spent on "pet care" services, those extra things we do to make their lives [and ours too] more comfortable. Norman OK Transcript: "In a report

Mar 14, 2020
1 min

Stuck in the House This Weekend: This Dick Cavett Interview Series on Youtube is Amazing

With most St. Paddy's Day events cancelled and no basketball to watch, most of us will be looking for something to do this weekend. It would be a great time to check out the Dick Cavett interview series on Youtube. For those who don't remember, the Dick Cavett Show, ran from 1968 into the 1980s, and Cavett was known for his ability to put his famous guests at ease and get them to discuss the important and interesting topics that defined the era. Here are 5 examples: 1. Ronald

Jan 1, 2020
10 min

10 Issues and Trends that Will Define America's Public Policy Debate in the 2020s

Predicting the future is fraught with difficulties, and it's especially hard today because the pace of innovation is at an all-time high and new technologies have a broader impact on our culture and public policy than at any time in history. However, there are demographic, social and political trends that are a bit easier to predict with some precision and they will have a substantial impact on America in the 2020s [20s]. Moreover, there are also some long-term public policy

Dec 4, 2019
3 min

The Cost of Child Care is a Major Reason We Aren't Having More Kids, But Maybe We Have a Solution

As we reported last week, America's birthrate has fallen below the replacement level over the last decade and it's becoming a public policy concern. Illuminate: "Falling birthrates are concerning because they signal that the nation will not be replenishing its workforce and will face declining tax revenue to support baby boomers as they continue to retire." In the coming years, we could replace some of these missing workers by increasing immigration ceilings, but that would

Oct 28, 2019
2 min

Living in the Old Confederacy: SC Car Dealership Offers AR-15 & a Bible With Every Sale

For a northerner, living in the old confederacy can take some getting used to. Superficially, things aren't so different than living in Central Pennsylvania or New Jersey, but every once in a while you are reminded that some elements of Dixie culture survive. You start to forget the differences and then Pat Robertson will say something crazy about gays and hurricanes, a neighbor will complain about having to "press 1 for English", or a pick-up truck will pass you with large

Oct 27, 2019
1 min

Catholic Bishops Endorse Plan to Allow Married Men to Serve as Priests in Remote Areas of S. America

Yesterday, a summit of Catholic bishops meeting in Rome endorsed a potentially historic plan to allow the ordination of married men in the Amazon region of South America to address the scarcity of priests. The change in policy would end a restriction which has lasted for close to 1000 years. The bishops only voted to allow the change in the Amazon basin, but it could well set a precedent for other areas where the Catholic Church is finding it difficult to attract the next gen

Aug 22, 2019
2 min

More Couples Meet Online Than Anywhere Else Today

Stanford sociologist Michael Rosenfeld is curious about how technology is changing how we interact with one another. In a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Rosenfeld found that more heterosexual couples met online than through friends, family, church or the other methods earlier generations typically employed to find a mate. Stanford.edu: "Rosenfeld, a lead author on the research and a professor of sociology in the School of Humanit

Jul 4, 2019
2 min

Thoughts on American Patriotism

America, warts and all, is a great country, perhaps the greatest man has ever produced. We have our skeletons, plenty of them, but our trajectory has always been toward fulfilling those aspirations Thomas Jefferson provided in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...." It's

20th Century Fox Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Alien With Fan-Made Short Films

Mar 11, 2019
2 min

8 More Cool, Helpful and Funny Websites You Should Visit

Humans are so creative. Here are some websites to check out. They run the gamut from funny, to helpful, to interesting. All are worth a look. 1. Imgur: Everything viral from memes, to GIFs and videos, to photography. It's quite easy to get addicted to this site. 2. Unplug The TV: The site has a single video window which you can click to play informative videos, one at a time. You can skip to the next video if the subject doesn't interest you. 3. DontEvenReply.com: If you have

Mar 7, 2019
1 min

New Research Shows that Teens are Growing up More Slowly These Days

New research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] shows that today's youth are much less likely than their parent's generation to have engaged in risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol use and smoking. They are also putting off their first sexual encounters. Earlier research has shown that teens are also less likely to have engaged in adult activities like dating, driving and working. And, they are also getting married and having children later. They don't see

Jun 8, 2018
1 min

Though Whites Benefit Most From Social Programs, Racial Resentment Fuels Safety Net Opposition

A recent study conducted by Stanford University sociologist Robb Willer, and Rachel Wetts, a sociology researcher at UC Berkeley, found that white opposition to social welfare programs has risen sharply since 2008. Via Julia Conley, Common Dreams: Mistaken beliefs about who benefits most from the social safety net has led white Americans to oppose programs like Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps), and other government assistan

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The Amazing Wool Blankets of Momostenango, Part of Guatemala's "Cultural Heritage"

WVU Study Finds that "Modern" Racism Was the Most Important Factor in Trump's 2016 Victory

New Study Shows that Individuals Expand Their Notion of Community as Diversity Increases

US Birth Rates Fell to a Record Low in 2019, Driven by a Sharp Drop in Teen Pregnancies

Marriage Rates Continue to Decline as Young People Feel Less Pressure to Marry & Raise Children

15 Things the Covid-19 Crisis May Change Forever

Sam Fender's Wonderful Cover of "Back to Black,"68 Virtual Museums & Dozens of Streaming Concerts

The Amusing, Odd & Creepy Amazon Online Dating Parody

Americans Love their Furry Friends; Pet Spending is Exploding

Stuck in the House This Weekend: This Dick Cavett Interview Series on Youtube is Amazing

10 Issues and Trends that Will Define America's Public Policy Debate in the 2020s

The Cost of Child Care is a Major Reason We Aren't Having More Kids, But Maybe We Have a Solution

Living in the Old Confederacy: SC Car Dealership Offers AR-15 & a Bible With Every Sale

Catholic Bishops Endorse Plan to Allow Married Men to Serve as Priests in Remote Areas of S. America

More Couples Meet Online Than Anywhere Else Today

Thoughts on American Patriotism

20th Century Fox Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Alien With Fan-Made Short Films

8 More Cool, Helpful and Funny Websites You Should Visit

New Research Shows that Teens are Growing up More Slowly These Days

Though Whites Benefit Most From Social Programs, Racial Resentment Fuels Safety Net Opposition

Images of the Week

Follow Us

Please visit our Friends at Feline Design: Making superior quality cat furniture in the US since 1986.