Conservatism is a feeling.
You have it too. Even if you don’t subscribe to the political philosophy that shares its name, I suspect that you feel the desire, the urge to conserve the surroundings …
Humans are animals.
We’d be happier if we embraced that fact and lived by it. I’m not asking you to spend more time in nature, eat organic food, or take breaks from modern …
Dichotomous monsters
Perhaps ghosts are so pervasive in horror because they make definite the blurry line between body and spirit. They fascinate us because they characterize the soul. They do what we …
Avatars of evil
Most people want to be doing good things for the world. We’re keen to join the fight against greed, discrimination, and the other pandemic evils. But many of us are …
Tough love
On the issue of raising children, I believe in tough love. But there’s more to that concept than “be tough, but for loving reasons”. The way I see it, the …
Pigeons we know
My partner Hanna and I have befriended a pigeon flock near the supermarket. They fly into our hands when they see us, hungry for the buckwheat and lentils we bring. …
Identity, then and now
Twenty years ago, it was cool to be laid-back about identity. “Some people are white, some are black. Some are straight, and some gay. Let’s not make a big deal …
Horror got too good
It’s the 2020s, and horror is becoming a respected genre of film. Scary movies aren’t a guilty pleasure now, they’re celebrated for their direction, acting, and subtext. For a horror …
Body positivity
I’m not sure that body positivity works for everyone. It may well be that some people never learn to love the body in the mirror. I’m speaking to those people …
Intellectual civilians
Most of us know that human-made climate change is real. But how do we know? We’re not out there, measuring ice caps or CO2 levels; most of us don’t even …