Monogomy is for homely, insecure traditionalists and neophobics. Identifying myself in this group is a daily struggle.

On a more reasonable day I might temper that by saying that these sets are not mutually inclusive, and offer some theory of a loose correlation between the incidence of monogamy and homeliness or neophobia. I might even offer that secure, monogamous relationships offer men and women a secure base from which to pursue other endeavors. These endeavors may have been background noise during the period in which a mate was being selected and attained. In a monogamous relationship all the time and energy that was being spent on pursuing a mate can be directed into other efforts. How would society advance otherwise?

I might even offer that monogamy in the most common, physical, sense does not always require a mind-numbing monogamy of spirit and intelligence. The best relationships are probally not at all monogamous in the latter sense.

But not today. It's oppresively cloudy and I'm on page one of my brobdignagian accounting textbook for an online summer class. I'd much rather be ruminating on Billy Collins's witty, quirky collection of poems called Sailing Alone Around the Room, or blogging, or doing a crossword puzzle. Procrastination is only a temporary fix, belligerency is the only way of coping with statements from accounting textbooks like, "Fortunately most individuals in business are ethical."

Polarization, then amalgamation.