I receive the census form, which asks for my demographic information. "Is this person of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin?” "Yes, Mexican American." Next question. "What is this person's race? White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, or some other race." I pause for a second. Should I select "some other … [Read more...] about UNCATEGORIZED SHADES OF BROWN
The Invisible Epidemic: Needy Streamer Overload and Gamified Resistance to Celebrity Commodification in the Streaming Industry
Needy Streamer Overload, a 2022 visual novel (or text-based adventure game) created by Japanese developer Xenomo, offers a rare look behind the scenes of a typically glamorized industry: Internet live streaming ( Gematsu, 2022). The game focuses on the main character, a mentally unstable female streamer named Ame, while the player takes the role of her significant other and … [Read more...] about The Invisible Epidemic: Needy Streamer Overload and Gamified Resistance to Celebrity Commodification in the Streaming Industry
The Housing Crisis: Criminalization of the Homeless and its Duality with Incarceration
The multidimensional nature of homelessness extends beyond “selected episodes of rooflessness;” rather, it involves “deprivation across several different dimensions—physiological (lack of bodily comfort or warmth), emotional (lack of love or joy), territorial (lack of privacy), ontological (lack of rootedness in the world, anomie), and spiritual (lack of hope, lack of … [Read more...] about The Housing Crisis: Criminalization of the Homeless and its Duality with Incarceration
Cash Cows, Golden Geese, and American Livestock Production: The Case for Restraint
American livestock cultivation is on an unsustainable course that will destroy the planet. Currently, the United States devotes 592,000,000 football fields or the landmass of Alaska, Texas, California, and Arizona combined just to raise livestock. That’s 41% of all its land, and in 2019 alone those animals produced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the weight of 12,540 … [Read more...] about Cash Cows, Golden Geese, and American Livestock Production: The Case for Restraint
The Digital Democracy of Music: Is Artistic Freedom Still Alive?
The music industry is notoriously unfair to artists. It's become a tragic love story: slimy executive meets young, hopeful artist - someone is bound to get hurt. Without direct industry experience, the general public suspects that record labels are greedy and take unfair portions of artist revenues. Over the years, the music industry has attempted to rectify these inequalities … [Read more...] about The Digital Democracy of Music: Is Artistic Freedom Still Alive?