Results for "Anneke Hobson"

By Anneke Hobson

I have three friends (the real kind) who do not have Facebook accounts. I know this because we sometimes discuss it at informal gatherings in actual physical locales (they’re adamant about old-fashioned methods of communication). We talk in person and on the phone and occasionally swap texts, but can’t tag photos of each other, comment… Continue reading The risks of social media and teenagers

By Anneke Hobson

Remember the olden days, when Vikings ruled Western Europe through piracy? With a lack of any real centralized power in Europe, the Vikings found freedom (as Jack Sparrow would say) in their pirate ships. A millennium later, Somalia presents pirates with a very similar opportunity to medieval Europe. The country has been without an effective… Continue reading Fund a free and safe Somalia, not piracy

By Anneke Hobson

Eunice and Owen Johns are Pentecostal Christians of Derby, England and no longer adoptive parents. Their problem: homophobia. After applying to adopt a child, Mr. and Mrs. Johns mentioned casually that they were unaccepting of “homosexual lifestyles” and were quickly turned away from the agency. They asked judges at the High Court to rule that… Continue reading Adoption programs are right to be choosy

By Anneke Hobson

Although I’m not usually surprised to see the sex scandals of politicians making headlines, this week had a different ring to it: the focus of two such stories was on women, not men. From huge feminist protests in Italy, to a much quieter suggestion of a sex strike in Belgium, women’s bodies have become contested… Continue reading Political sex can be a useful tool

By Anneke Hobson

Let’s agree that reading is a solitary activity. Aside from the exciting and emotional journeys we take with our favourite fictional characters, reading is best experienced alone (preferably during a quiet evening with a glass of wine or a cup of tea). That said, the connections we make with other readers of shared texts are… Continue reading Bookstores and the case for community

By Anneke Hobson

I’m often surprised at the reactions my vegan diet receives. Sometimes it’s annoyance at my tainting someone’s lunch or sometimes it’s amusement at my presumed sentimentality or idealism (almost always accompanied by cracks about PETA), but most of the time it manifests in a mild or even defiant defensiveness. “Well, obviously the present state of… Continue reading Not all vegans are crazy (just some)

By Anneke Hobson

It seems like every day there is a new species that needs saving. While many need to be pulled from the brink of oblivion and nurtured back to health, some of the pleas for help are more captivating than others. Author Douglas Adams and zoologist Mark Carwardine were saving the planet long before it was… Continue reading The hunt is on to save the white rhino