Category Archives: Social Commentary

Thanks In Advance

I wonder why people say “thanks in advance.”  I get that they’re trying to be polite, and to thank someone who has not yet been able to help them or do something for them.  Any time I see courtesy on … Continue reading

Posted in Social Commentary | Comments Off on Thanks In Advance

Reasons And Excuses

I’ve often felt annoyed, even angry at people who offer bullshit reasons for not wearing a mask.  They cut down your oxygen.  They harbor germs.  They show that you’re living in fear.  They show that you’re afraid to use your … Continue reading

Posted in Rants, Social Commentary | Comments Off on Reasons And Excuses

Masks

One of the ways to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus is to wear a mask over the nose and mouth.  For some reason, this has resulted in many people losing their shit and in many cases becoming … Continue reading

Posted in Rants, Social Commentary | Comments Off on Masks

Settled Science

Occasionally I will hear that some issue is “settled science.” Often it’s in the context of a controversial topic such as climate change. The consensus among climate scientists is that climate change is real and man-made. They tend to dismiss … Continue reading

Posted in Science, Social Commentary | Comments Off on Settled Science

Generational Hostility

There are a lot of snide comments about people who, because of their age, don’t know things, or can’t do things. Older people natter on about “kids these days,” while younger people often dismiss elders as being technologically clueless. It’s … Continue reading

Posted in Rants, Social Commentary | Comments Off on Generational Hostility

Disagreement Is Not Bigotry

Some years ago, a woman asked me whether I was in favor of gay marriage. I said that I was not. This led to her becoming angry with me over my obvious homophobia and bigotry. Clearly I gave the wrong … Continue reading

Posted in Rants, Social Commentary, Wokism | Comments Off on Disagreement Is Not Bigotry

The Dunning-Kruger Effect

Briefly, the Dunning-Kruger (DK) effect is the erroneous self-assessment of skill, knowledge, or other qualities in a field that is not the person’s area of expertise. This can be laymen grappling with an unfamiliar discipline, or experts who have strayed … Continue reading

Posted in Social Commentary | Comments Off on The Dunning-Kruger Effect

Conspiracy Theories

Bielefeld Conspiracy theories strike me as an attempt to hold on to a cherished idea when there is insufficient evidence to support it. Rather than consider that the idea is wrong, a person clings to it and invents reasons to … Continue reading

Posted in Social Commentary | Comments Off on Conspiracy Theories

Cottingley Fairies

Before There Was Photoshop In 1917, two girls borrowed their father’s camera and took some photos in their back yard. When the photos were developed, they showed several fairies dancing and playing in the yard as the girls looked on. … Continue reading

Posted in Social Commentary | Comments Off on Cottingley Fairies

The Sphinx

The Sphinx Until recently, the Sphinx wasn’t considered much of a mystery. There it sat, right by the Great Pyramid, a large but ordinary-looking sculpture located close to one of the most mysterious structures ever built. Sure, the Sphinx might … Continue reading

Posted in Social Commentary | Comments Off on The Sphinx