Daily Archives: November 17, 2025

White Paper: Logistics and Feasibility of a Singapore-Style Food Rating System for American Grocery Foods

1. Introduction Singapore is well known for its highly visible, government-run hygiene grading of eateries (the “A/B/C/D” grades at hawker stalls and restaurants). Adapting something like this to packaged foods in American grocery stores raises a big question: Is it … Continue reading

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White Paper: The Challenges of Defining the Distinction Between “Language” and “Dialect”

Executive Summary Determining where a “language” ends and a “dialect” begins is among the most persistent challenges in linguistics. While popularly framed as a purely linguistic matter, the distinction is deeply entangled with politics, identity, history, and administrative decision-making. Though … Continue reading

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White Paper: Portrayals of English-Based Pidgins and Creoles — Convergence, Confusion, and Cultural Erasure

Executive Summary Across global contexts, English-based pidgins and creole languages arise from specific social, historical, and cultural conditions. Yet their portrayals—especially in written form—often collapse distinct languages into stereotyped spellings or caricatured “non-standard English.” This paper examines why readers sometimes … Continue reading

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White Paper: The Short- and Long-Term Harms of Dehydration Clauses in Professional Boxing

Executive Summary Dehydration clauses—sometimes labeled rehydration limits, rehydration caps, or next-day weight restrictions—have become increasingly common in professional boxing contracts. Under these clauses, fighters must weigh in at the official weigh-in (often 24–36 hours before the fight) and again on … Continue reading

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White Paper: Preliminary Steps Residents of Federally Subsidized Housing Can Take to Address Mold in Their Apartment Buildings

Executive Summary Mold infestation in federally subsidized housing is both a public health problem and a structural governance problem. Tenants often face a complex intersection of health risks, bureaucratic systems, and legal constraints. Unlike private-market renters, residents in subsidized properties … Continue reading

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