The trouble with a mystery is that while it piques curiosity, It also invites suspicion. Imagining bad motives on some other person’s part makes compromises difficult and erodes a sense of community. Anyone who’s followed these blogs, even occasionally, has encountered one of my d

Confronted by an avalanche, the best a person can do is run like hell. The current pandemic feels like it may bury us but instead of running, we are advised to shelter in place. So, today I’ve decided to spend time reflecting upon some curious aspects of human society.  No small ta

Having lived through the Asian flu epidemic in the late 1950s, I’m pretty sure the coronavirus will eventually wend its way out of our system. For one thing, science knows a good deal more about how to mount a viral defense than in those earlier days. A vaccine may arrive sooner rat

On Monday, March 5, Katie Porter, Democratic congresswoman from California, disagreed with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Speaker had earlier commented that because a candidate was a woman it was no reason to vote for her.  Porter disagreed and so do I.  All things being equal, wo

As news outlets reported the final count in the South Caroline primary, I wrote on my Facebook page, “not a single woman,” suggesting neither Elizabeth Warren or Amy Klobuchar *would survive after Super Tuesday.  Certainly, they picked up no delegates in South Carolina, putting a

Here’s another patriarchal hangover that is affecting the 2020 election. According to several studies, likeability is optional to voters if the candidate is male, but is a requirement for a female. Also true is that people view forceful women as lecturing but give a thumbs up to a m

  If some people can’t handle the truth, it may be because the truth is hard to find.  Too often there’s an understory. A number of understories appeared in the February 14 edition of The Week. Because they are amusing, I’ll share them, starting with male myths: A man driv

Recently, I had a meeting with a woman about her upcoming presentation at the free summer workshops I give each year. She’s an expert on ways to use video to promote book sales. As we talked, I mentioned the title of an old film, then slapped one hand to my face after I’d done so.

Recently, a Bernie Sanders supporter floated a conspiracy theory on Facebook: U. S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deliberately delayed delivering the  Articles of Impeachment to the Senate in order to keep Sanders in Washington D. C. for the trial, away from the Iowa campaign, and to le

Recently, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). People rejoiced and slapped one another on the back, forgetting that when the provision was introduced in the 1970s, it had a 7-year expiration date. No matter how good it felt, the ratification of ER