August 8, 2015

The Lion, the Myth, and the Morality Tale

Hype and myth are loaded themes that go hand in hand. Once something is mythologized, it’s easy to go overboard about it. Meanwhile, look at something that garners a strong reaction, and you may be able to explain it with myth. Enter Cecil t...

May 12, 2015

Issa's Truth

U.S. Representative Darrell Issa of California was the target of much anger Friday for his CNN conversation on income inequality in America. He admitted the problem but noted that “America is the richest country on Earth because we...

February 14, 2015

Labor Unions: Effective. Political. Necessary?

I work for a school. Last week there was a board meeting, and as communication coordinator I was there to stay current on new business. Unbeknownst to me, the teachers had decided to attend as well. They came in large numbers filling the library a...

February 7, 2015

The Difficulty of School Behavioral Policy

This week at my job at a Twin Cities charter school, I was asked to review their new discipline policy. In accordance with the state of Minnesota, and also the school's own standards, the document stretched 17 pages, addressing everything from wh...

January 19, 2015

Is Race Real?

Two books; two smart, well-educated writers; two entirely different opinions on race. Nicholas Wade is a former science writer for the New York Times. He released his latest book last year called A Troublesome Inheritance, and it deals with geneti...

September 18, 2014

The NFL and Domestic Violence

My father is an auto mechanic with only an employee or two. One time one of his workers got a DUI for the 2nd or 3rd time. What did my dad do to punish him? Nothing. The courts did. But if the guy couldn't get to work because he lost his license,...

September 10, 2014

Ferguson -- Bringing out the Fear in America

A situation like Ferguson gets so much attention in the U.S. because it strikes at the root fears of roughly two-thirds of the American ideological pie. Those who react strongly to racism -- the liberal-minded crowd. And those who react strongl...

July 17, 2014

Kendall Jones vs. the Internet

Kendall Jones, a young woman from Texas, is a big game hunter and proud of it. Recently, her pictures and tales of conquests via her Facebook page made her the target of the Internet spotlight. That many find her actions off-putting, I t...

April 12, 2014

Piketty's 'Capital': 21st Century Problem, 20th Century Solution

Economic blogs are abuzz with French economist Thomas Piketty's new book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century.  It has been heralded by fans as the defining work in economics of this era. In it, the researcher of income inequality provi...

March 22, 2014

A Harmful Fad

American society is seeing a resurgence of a movement to encourage females to take on roles they haven't historically had.  This effort to see more female scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers, leaders, etc. has been largely wonderful....