WE IN THE LAND OF THE LITTLE

Science Daily just published a credit warning to all husbands: "When women are ovulating, they unconsciously buy and wear sexier clothing."

That's not a joke. Well, unless you find science in the cause of pairing ovulation with consumption a joke. That's the result of a new scientific study by researchers at the University of Minnesota working with 100 women at different stages in their menstrual cycle. Their conclusion, explains study author Kristina Durante: "If you look more desirable than your competition, you are more likely to stand out."

One can only pause in breathless amazement at the power of such stunning data.

Power, though, comes in all different shapes and sizes. Consider for instance the power of our fellow citizens in places of great prominence. Judges...members of Congress...university scholars...religious leaders....celebrity performers and athletes. What they say and do casts long influential shadows across the land of the little.

It has been rightly said, to those whom much has been given, much is expected. However, even the researchers at Minnesota won't advise you hold your breath when it comes to these rich and famous!

If one feature stands out among them, it must be: Hypocrisy. Why else are sin-condemning politicians repeatedly being found in compromising hotel rooms? Why else are gay-bashing preachers consistently being discovered with gay prostitutes? Why else does a sin-damning church constantly hide sin-committing members? Why else are star athletes charged with skill-enhancing drugs in their bulked up bodies?

On the other hand -- for there is always another hand to these matters -- could even the researchers at the University claim hypocrisy is a monopoly of our times? Not likely. All throughout the history of humanity's alphabet, the H of hypocrisy stands right alongside the H in hate, heartache, harm and hell. Perhaps those same researchers can question Genesis, but really weren't all these H's spelled out by those ancient writers? Weren't they trying to express the inexpressible creator and the flawed created right then at the get-go?

I'll tell you this. If the good nuns had not put such a loving spin on that first sorry story, I might have realized much much sooner how sad sad is the tale of our species. But fortunately for me, H is also for the hope I still feel, because of their happy happy spin.