And really, were they ever? They are, and have been, at the root of so many problems. Today, dealers in Zimbabwe began selling rough diamonds mined from a territory where human rights activists say soldiers killed 200 people, raped women and forced children into hard labor.  But even these stark facts barely qualify as news, now that the blood diamond trade has been flourishing for years. In fact, it seems the world forgot about blood diamonds until Naomi Campbell was subpoenaed to testify against former...

If you walked by any sort of newsstand this past week or spent any amount of time on the internet, you’ve seen the newest cover of TIME Magazine. If not, you should.The story at its most basic is this: 18-year-old Bibi Aisha ran away from her Taliban-connected husband’s and in-laws’ home, where she lived in a barn with livestock and was treated like a slave. About a year ago, her husband found her in Kandahar, and in the seemingly opposite of Pashtun tradition in which...

That building would be the Catholic Church.  Rice was never exactly the follower the Catholic Church dreams of.  She’s known primarily for either the seriously sexual Vampire Chronicles (the first of which was written the year Stephanie Meyer was born), or the seriously soporific Sleeping Beauty Trilogy (a BDSM series that never gets any more BDSMish than repetitive spankings).  Then there’s also that series on witches in there somewhere. But in 1998, Rice had an epiphany, returning to the Catholic Church she’d left as a teen,...

Today, in a huge win for gay rights, Federal Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Prop. 8, ruling that it was indeed unconstitutional. Like many advocates of gay rights, I have been waiting all morning to learn the outcome of this decision.  This is a great victory for civil rights, and for all people who believe in equality. Supporters of Prop. 8 have claimed that they will work to appeal the ruling. Rachel Maddow says it best: [video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6ZdE08wcCU 425x344] ...

…Or what should have been seen as such, but...no, not so much for Ye Haiyan. The single mother, sex worker and activist has been detained by Chinese authorities for the organization of a mass protest of people carrying red umbrellas, banners, petitions, all promoting legalization of prostitution. According to non-profit publication  The China Development Brief, this protest was a first for China.It seems that the last anyone has heard about Ye, also known as “Hooligan Sparrow,” is that she “cannot use the internet or talk”...

I really like lists. I also really like The Frisky. So when I saw this article pop up in my newsletter a couple days ago, I couldn’t help but click. Kinda just thought I’d send it along to my boyfriend, make him chuckle a bit, maybe I’d get a few laughs out of it myself. Hmph.Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you…my inner monologue:“Hm…Oh…Ha ha…That’s clever…Oh, that’s silly……Uh…Hm.Um, no.…Nope.…Wow, nope, not even close.”And so on and so forth.Clearly, I was not too stoked about this...

Our own Lisa Hix has graciously shared this blog with us that she has posted over at CollectorsWeekly.com. Enjoy!   Our Bodies, Our Stilettos By Lisa Hix (Copyright Collectors Weekly 2010) A writer explains the reasons behind her love-hate relationship with high heels. Behold the power of the stiletto heel. Despite all the advances women have made, it’s one fetish we can’t seem to escape, a paradox epitomized by “Sex and the City.” The characters embodied a late-’90s vision of independent women, enjoying the spoils of feminism: They had the...

The Colour of Beauty is a short documentary that follows aspiring model, Renee Thompson, as she attempts to take on New York City's fashion industry.  The video uncovers that the fashion industry still lacks true diversity.  Designers and casting agents still believe that black women won't sell magazines, products or clothing.   From casting calls where black models are told not to even bother to the horrendous scrutinization of their slightly wider hips or noses, this film exposes the underbelly of the discouraging industry that we buy into...

Chelsea Baker, a 13-year-old Floridian, has beat the boys with her killer 65 mph knuckle ball. Being the only girl on a boys-only sports team can't be easy but Baker certainly makes it look that way. Her team has been undefeated the past four seasons, due to her perfect pitch (2 of her games were actually perfect, striking out every batter). You go, girl! However, I'm not surprised that she kicks ass at baseball, only that she has managed to make it this far. I...

A fatwa (basically a Muslim ruling by a religious official, not necessarily a grand scheme death threat ala Salman Rushdie) has been issued by an important Saudi cleric that says that women may respect declarations in certain countries (ahem, France) that forbid the wearing of the niqab or burqa. Sheikh Aed al-Qarni has said that it is “illogical and unreasonable” for the French government to be going through with this basic removal of religious freedom since it is a secular state that claims to secure...