Social Commentary
The Overturning
Jun 25, 2022
The CBC was showing live coverage from outside the American Supreme Court building because the court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade had just been officially released, and many...
Girls on Film
Feb 4, 2022
CBS, the NFL, and the FCC all have very strict “decency” codes, and I put the word in quotation marks because its definition broadens or narrows depending on...
You Don't Own Me
Sep 25, 2021
The feminist movement has been active for over a half century now, and yet I notice that there are still an alarming number of girls and women who are treated horribly by the men in their lives...
I'm Back, Baby!
Sep 14, 2021
The peculiar phenomenon of the antivaxxers is foremost in my mind this morning, and the certainty and intractability of their stance has led me to an over-arching conclusion...
Picture a Scientist
May 1, 2021
James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins won the Nobel prize in 1962 for their ground-breaking work in discovering the molecular structure and chemical makeup of DNA...
Fame
Mar 6, 2021
I was out for a walk the other day when a lovely young woman came around the corner towards me. It is general etiquette these days when you’re about to pass someone...
The Eighth Deadly Sin
Feb 20, 2021
This entire process got me thinking more deeply about the nature of hatred. The Buddha spoke extensively of the suffering it causes, but I couldn't...
Boys Don't Cry
Oct 17, 2020
I am a secular humanist. I don’t really understand the appeal of religion - all the ritual and rigamarole - although I can see that believing in God could be comforting. I firmly believe...
Black and Blue
Oct 3, 2020
HBO produces excellent television. Their series and movies are extremely good - imaginative, well-written, and superbly cast. They also make informative and artful documentaries...
She Blinded Me With Science
Sep 19, 2020
Human beings are such a mystery. They can be breathtakingly smart and unbelievably stupid. Scientists can often demonstrate both of these traits simultaneously. Throughout history...
The Ghost in the Machine
Sep 12, 2020
“The Social Dilemma” explores the many ways in which individuals, as well as societies at large, have suffered due to the proliferation and practices of social media platforms...
Walking in My Shoes
Aug 22, 2020
Earlier this week a woman was attacked in the park where I regularly walk. It was a bright, sunny day, and at 9:30 a.m. there were lots of people in the area jogging...