THE TEST: ARE YOU RACIST?

Are you paranoid, sleeping with your finger on the trigger?

In 1999, four NYPD officers fatally shot Amadou Diallo, a black immigrant from Guinea, when they mistook his wallet for a gun. In the officers' criminal trials, they asserted that anybody could have made this mistake and that race had nothing to do with their decision.

If you had been one of the NYPD officers involved in the shooting, could you honestly say that race played no role in the fact that you pulled the trigger?

Now you can find out.

The University of Chicago has created a simple and effective online psychological test. In just a few minutes, you will be presented with a series of photos of 100 white or black men who will be holding either guns or what appear to be wallets or phones. Using your keyboard, your goal is to shoot the armed men as quickly as possible and holster your gun for the others.

Click here to take that test.

See if you, like Nicholas Kristof, are forced to declare yourself a racist.

Enter scores and reaction times in the comments.

(Credit: Mama Shih)

--Junichi

NAILED!

Back Up In Yo Azz With The Resurrection

Good Friday is now scarier than Halloween.

During high school, I played piano for my local Catholic Church's choir. I spent much of the time staring at the bloody, crucified Jesus on the wall, pondering how strange it was that such a gory sight has served as the source of inspiration and divinity for centuries. Eventually, I became accustomed to the image and absorbed the concept.

What I don't get, however, are actual reenactments of the crucifixion.

With real nails. And real whipping.

The above pictures are from today in the Philippines. The photo below is from Argentina.

Here is video, to boot.

The above image is so frightening to me that it makes torture porn look like the Hallmark channel.

If I happened to be walking through a park at night and, by chance, saw people being hung on crosses, I don't know what I would do. I would probably call the police while screaming hysterically about the rapture and soiling myself several times over.

Regardless, I'm impressed with the devotion and grateful for the reminder that I'm due for a tetanus shot.

In terms of Easter weekend activities, my local pastel egg hunt is looking pretty weak next to other people's town whippings and community crucifixions.

--Junichi