Times are Scarry

maybe there is hope for us yet

If there is ever a time that I feel optimistic about our chances of avoiding our own self-destruction, it is at the thought of the potential to teach our children not to be horrible people. It is difficult not to be wondered and romanced by the efficacy of new, unspoiled life.

Parenting, I imagine, is the most difficult and terrifying profession. Similarly, it provides an unparalleled opportunity to influence change. Let us not waste it.

Cynicality couldn't comfort me again.

For the first time ever, women earn more PHD's than men.

Reading this made my morning. Then I remembered I'm a cynical curmudgeon. Women earn less than men; we all know this. So it occurred to me that a woman might pursue extended education to increase her chances of gaining employment and to command a larger salary, to counteract the prevalent and well-known marginalization of women in this area. It's a sore spot for folks married to patriarchy, so it is unsurprising that Time Magazine would rush to print a recent study which shows that FULL STOP women actually earn more than men. Don't worry yourself that these results only apply to single, childless women, under 30 who live in urban areas. There is one additional caveat in this article that goes unmentioned and the news of the increase in doctorates earned by women brought it all together for me.


In order to earn a proper salary that might rival the men in her community, a woman must possess significantly greater skill, experience and education. Heather Boushey beat me to the punch.

Yes, I'm an asshole and so are you.

How much would you spend on a sick pet?

The value of an animal is intrinsic and universal, in-so-much as it is the value of life. While it is hopelessly romantic to profess an unyielding devotion to the health and happiness of a pet, the practice highlights the disparity between the application of value to one creature over another. Actual monetary value in this case is subjective and irrelevant. The application of that value, however, demonstrates the selfish nature of humanity.

We choose to value the people and things in our lives, to value one species over another, to value individuals we share identity with over those we do not; everyone does this. We place a value on people and things for a multitude of reasons, but that value is never applied universally. I would pay for an expensive surgery for my dog, but probably not my good friend's, and definitely not a stranger's. I would sell my car to help pay my father's medical bills. I might contribute a small sum to a charity aimed at stopping honor killings. I will not give that pan-handler my change. I am the only commonality among these decisions. And I make all of these choices based on selfishness; a desire to feel good about myself.

The true (un)value of life is made resolute each and every day. The grotesqueries of factory farming and commercial fishing in food production, the destruction of natural environments that will forever change the life and climate systems of the entire planet, are both clear indicators of how much we value life. Claiming to be in opposition to such things would be to claim opposition to breathing. Each of us is invariably connected and thereby supportive of these systems.