Cards Against Humanity sued SpaceX for allegedly trespassing on and damaging its property in Texas. The company behind the card game is asking for $15 million in damages, according to its complaint against SpaceX, filed in Texas state court on Thursday, but has also […]
Category: Society
Online trolls enjoy trolling, but not being trolled – PsyPost [2024-07-26]
A recent study has explored the intriguing relationship between dark humor, online trolling, and certain dark personality traits. The findings reveal that individuals who enjoy dark humor often possess traits such as sadism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Furthermore, these traits are linked to a greater […]
Barbie movie “may have spurred interest in gynecology,” study finds – Ars Technica [2024-07-26]
This post contains spoilers—for the movie and women’s health care. There’s nothing like stirrups and a speculum to welcome one to womanhood, but for some, the recent Barbie movie apparently offered its own kind of eye-opening introduction. The smash-hit film ends with the titular […]
Woman sues Bell, customer service rep who allegedly shared phone number with harassers – CBC News [2024-07-25]
A Cape Breton woman whose video defending a transgender rights advocate made her the target of online vitriol and threats is suing her cellphone provider and a customer service agent she alleges shared her number and home address with harassers. Richelle McCormick said the […]
Why going online is no longer fun – ComputerWorld [2024-07-24]
For many years, using a computer was a carefree pastime. Not anymore. Before roughly 1999, internet privacy wasn’t a concern; most people didn’t worry about cybersecurity; content was almost completely free; freeware, shareware, and open-source software were plentiful; and Big Tech wasn’t running the […]
Conrad Black, who battled Chrétien over British peerage, removed from U.K. House of Lords – CBC News [2024-07-10]
Former media baron Conrad Black, who famously tried to sue then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in his fight to secure a British peerage, has been removed from the House of Lords over his lax attendance. House of Lords Speaker Lord John McFall announced Wednesday that […]
Fact checking Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s claims about trans athletes – Global News [2024-02-02]
During Wednesday’s videotaped announcement of policies targeting Alberta’s trans community, Premier Danielle Smith said one of those policies would prohibit trans women from competing in womens’ sports. Smith suggested a trans athlete has “advantages” over their cisgender counterparts. “There are obvious biological realities that […]
Does Religion Get You High? – Psychology Today [2024-01-31]
Karl Marx once said religion is the opiate of the masses. His metaphor may have a whiff of literal truth, even if it was intended as a hostile attack on religion from an atheistic perspective. It may be worth considering the possibility that religion […]
4 million Canadians have a criminal record. Companies not hiring them are missing out, say advocates – CBC News [2024-01-31]
During her time in prison, Emily O’Brien came to the conclusion that it would be difficult to find a job after her release, so she developed an idea for starting her own business. Now as chief executive of her company, Comeback Snacks, O’Brien makes […]
Doubling social assistance rates would make ‘life-changing difference,’ recipient says – CBC News [2024-01-25]
Whether she’s riding the bus to an appointment, packing her son’s school lunch or taking courses so she can get a good job, Tia is constantly running numbers in her head. “I crunch numbers all day long to figure out what I have, what […]
Council urged to support permanent funding for public washrooms downtown – CTV News [2024-01-18]
Coun. Skylar Franke said a movement towards ‘needs-based budgeting’ at city hall must include support for basic human needs like public washrooms. “A lot of places require that you purchase something like a coffee or a bagel to use their washrooms and that’s not […]
He slept on night buses and in a storage locker to avoid homeless shelters – CBC News [2024-01-04]
Three days before Christmas, John Grant Yusak was evicted from the closest thing he’d had to a home in months. It was a storage locker. At six feet tall, he could barely squeeze into the space. He piled up his bins, laid an air […]
How does Ontario enforce its accessibility legislation? It doesn’t, advocates say – CBC News [2024-01-04]
In her years of advocating for people with disabilities, Alex Wilding says complaints to the province about organizations failing to comply with its accessibility law have gone nowhere. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was meant to remove barriers for those with […]
Stigma of criminal record ‘is massive,’ say advocates who want to reform pardon process – CBC News [2024-01-02]
When Steven Deveau describes his frustration with the process to suspend a criminal record, he keeps coming back to two women. The women were hoping to attend a nursing program. But because of their records from past convictions — and small unpaid fines related […]
Quebec City looks to Finland’s successful approach to ending homelessness – Global News [2023-12-31]
As Quebec faces a worsening homelessness crisis, some politicians, including Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand, have suggested the solution may be a Finnish model that aims to give everyone a home. But while Finland has managed to massively reduce the number of people experiencing […]
Expert says number of police shootings in Canada ‘spectacularly unrelenting’ – CTV News [2023-12-30]
The family of a woman shot by an officer in Edmonton during a wellness check says her death was unnecessary, as the number of police shootings across Canada show little sign of relenting over the past four years. “I see my daughter’s death as […]
Trigger warnings do not work, according to recent meta-analysis – PsyPost [2023-12-28]
Trigger warnings are statements designed to forewarn viewers about potentially distressing content. A recent meta-analysis of 12 studies concluded trigger warnings have no effect on emotional responding to negative material or educational outcomes. This research was published in Clinical Psychological Science. While some advocate […]
Why Bad Grammar Activates Our Fight-or-Flight Response – Psychology Today [2023-12-14]
Does grammar matter? And did you have a teacher in your youth who insisted on drumming the rules of good grammar into you—and was that teacher on the stern and grumpy side of the instructional continuum? My anecdotal research into these questions over the […]
Woman who threw hot burrito bowl at Chipotle worker sentenced to fast food job – CBC News [2023-12-06]
A woman who threw a hot burrito bowl in a Chipotle worker’s face because she didn’t like the way it was prepared may soon learn what it’s like to be on the other side of the counter. An Ohio judge sentenced 39-year-old Rosemary Hayne […]
Musk uses expletive to tell audience he doesn’t care about advertisers that fled X over hate speech – CTV News [2023-11-29]
Billionaire Elon Musk said Wednesday that advertisers who have halted spending on his social media platform X in response to antisemitic and other hateful material are engaging in “blackmail” and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away. “Don’t advertise,” Musk said. He […]
Developmentally Disabled People Are Being Pushed into Homelessness – The Tyee [2023-11-28]
Just before the summer started, Jon Harry was told he’d have to leave his room at a Duncan motel because the owner planned to renovate. ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVENTS & MORE FROM TYEE AND SELECT PARTNERSThe Tyee Is 20. So We’re Partying by Debating the Fate […]
After 151 years, Popular Science will no longer offer a magazine – The Verge [2023-11-27]
After 151 years, Popular Science will no longer be available to purchase as a magazine. In a statement to The Verge, Cathy Hebert, the communications director for PopSci owner Recurrent Ventures, says the outlet needs to “evolve” beyond its magazine product, which published its […]
Why several big-box stores have ditched their self-checkouts – CBC News [2023-11-22]
After Dwayne Ouelette took over the Canadian Tire in North Bay, Ont., last year, he decided to buck the trend and ditch the store’s four self-checkout machines — which had been there for a decade. “I’m not comfortable using them and I don’t think […]
Loneliness is as bad for you as smoking, research shows. But the stigma stops people getting help – CBC News [2023-11-21]
Top health officials say loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking, but one doctor warns that the stigma around feeling lonely still stops people from reaching out for support. “Just like thirst is a signal you need hydration, loneliness is a signal […]
IBM, EU, Disney and others pull ads from Elon Musk’s X as concerns about antisemitism fuel backlash – CTV News [2023-11-18]
Advertisers are fleeing social media platform X over concerns about their ads showing up next to pro-Nazi content and hate speech on the site in general, with billionaire owner Elon Musk inflaming tensions with his own posts endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory. IBM, NBCUniversal […]