One is a social system and the other is a demographic within that — Many Americans find it difficult to see themselves as a part of social dynamics. They’ve been fed a steady diet of faux individualism their entire lives, and they consequently have a difficult time imagining that they are anything other than an island, with no impact on or responsibility for anything…

Is it just political expediency or do Cheney and Kinzinger truly deserve to be punished by conservative metrics? — It’s no secret that politicians on both sides of the aisle often do things of questionable integrity in order to achieve the results that they want. Sadly, this type of rationalization almost seems to be a part of the job. However, the Republican National Committee (RNC) may be seen by…

I only see them once a month, but it’s enough — On my way to book club yesterday morning, Lynyrd Skynyrd came on the radio. Immediately my mood is boosted and I turn up the volume and begin to sing along. Gimme three steps, give me three steps mister, give me three steps towards the door… I’m having fun, but for…

Or does change also takes place in response to the conditions in the environment? — I don’t know about you, but I grew up being taught that evolution was essentially one big accident. Genetic mutations that were adaptive gave an advantage to those lucky enough to have acquired them, allowing them to better survive in the environment. Then those new traits compounded themselves until we…

And more about other aspects of the myth of male promiscuity — Over the past couple of months, I’ve written about various aspects of the popular assertion that men are somehow biologically programmed to be much more promiscuous than women. It’s a long-standing cultural belief often used to justify certain male behaviors or to point to certain social dynamics as being inevitable. …

That at least is good to hear.

Going boldly where we haven’t gone before — Imagine a world where everyone has equal opportunities and is treated with the same basic sense of fundamental respect, no matter their world of origin or their gender presentation. Imagine a world that has outgrown war and prejudice in favor of scientific exploration and cultural exchange. This is the world…

She is either a maternal helper or the bringer of death — or both — Baba Yaga is a fundamental character in Eastern European folklore. She is a ferocious Crone who flies around in a mortar, propelled by a pestle. Her house in the deep dark woods is often depicted as being elevated on chicken legs (so she can move it around). …

Would so many men still think that women were out of line? — The purpose of this exercise is not to make equivalencies between racism and sexism. While some certainly exist, I acknowledge that there are other places where it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate that what is often considered inflammatory and disruptive language when it…