The Pew Research Center’s annual State of the Media Report underscores recent developments which suggest that American journalism is in the midst of a seismic transformation. Much of the discussion surrounds the ways in which people consume news, and the need for news producers to be able to respond to increasing consumer demands if it […]
It’s depressing that women in America are the target of hate and suspicion simply because they possess wombs. Suppressing the rights of women is morally wrong — whether it’s the Taliban or Christian fundamentalists doing the suppressing. America appears to be entering a new dark age where women’s reproductive rights are once again a political […]
Are we heading for Judgment Day? Whether you believe it or not, some very powerful people are doing everything they can to bring about the end of the world. It might come sooner than we think if recent events in the Ukraine and the Middle East are any indication. Do we need to prepare for […]
My wife and I have been married for 32 years, and we have remained childless by choice. We decided long ago that we did not want to bring any children into this world. I realize now that not having a child is one of the most radical acts of defiance one can commit in our […]
You gotta hand it to Bibi Netanyoohoo: his genocidal policies toward the Palestinians sure have made his country more secure, haven’t they? You betcha! He should be real proud of himself for making everyday life so safe and secure for the people he pretends to care so much about. Yep, Israeli citizens can sleep safely […]
When describing the horrors associated with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, one of the primary concerns – especially as a writer – is the realization that words alone are wholly insufficient when trying to convey human pain and suffering on this scale. The hibakusha authors were confronted with many torments in trying to […]
Americans sure do love their fucking GUNS! No doubt about it. The gun nuts in Oregon were out in force last week to protest president Obama’s visit to meet with families of the dead students from Umpqua Community College. It was the 45th school shooting of the year. “Prayers not politics” proclaimed one of the […]
PART ONE Knowledge of secret magical techniques and the search for hidden wisdom were frequent concerns for the ancient heroes in the Norse pantheon of Gods. The “Seeress’s Prophecy,” also known as the “Prophecy of the Völva,” is one of the most famous epic poems from pre-Christian Norse mythology; part of an ancient text referred […]
PART TWO According to scholars, eight of the nine known worlds consist of: the gods, the Aesir and the Vanir (Asgarth); the Wanes (Vanaheim); the elves (Alfheim); men (Mithgarth); the giants (Jotunheim); fire (Muspellsheim); the dark elves (Svartalfaheim), and finally, the dead (Niflheim). Presumably a world of dwarfs exists, although the ninth world is uncertain […]
PART THREE All known versions of the Völuspá end with a final, cryptic phrase uttered by the völva: “Now I must descend.” By this the seeress indicates that she has finally said enough, and it is time to sink back into the underworld; back to the land of the dead. These final passages in particular […]
Jason Darensburg's Blog-o-rama 