Mark R. Kelly
» Founder in 1997 and site-runner for 20 years of Locus Online (Hugo Award winner in 2002). Founder in 2012 and still site-runner of sfadb.com (Science Fiction Awards Database). Retired in 2012 after 30 years as a software engineer for a certain rocket engine factory.
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» Previous Views from Medina Road (2010-2013)
» Blogspot Views from Medina Road (2003-2010)-
Recent Posts
- Are Trump and MAGA intending to ethnically cleanse Democrats? Signs Point That Way
- Say Black Is White, and Some Will Believe You
- Trump and MAGA’s War on California
- It’s Not Even About Deportation
- Dr. Christopher Evans, CULTS OF UNREASON
- It’s Not About Law and Order
- Knowing vs. Believing
- The Insurrectionists Within
- Clooney’s Murrow; Trump Calls Out the National Guard
- Meltdown; Reign of Errors; People Trump doesn’t want to exist; Harari on humans in 1000 years
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Monthly Archives: May 2025
Tim Urban, WHAT’S OUR PROBLEM?, post 1
(Wait But Why, 2024, 584pp, including 112pp of characters, acknowledgements, notes, bibliography, and bio) I wrote about this book back in December, before deciding to buy it. Which I did despite some cautionary signs: it’s apparently self-published, it’s enormous, it’s … Continue reading
Posted in Book Notes, conservatives, Culture, Human Nature, Human Progress
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Palace in the Sky, For the One
Several items today about the Trump administration’s acceptance from Qatar of a $400 million luxury 747, for Trump’s personal use; How Trump shrugs off intelligence briefings; he knows what he knows because he’s smart; How the story of a woman … Continue reading
Posted in authoritarianism, Conservative Resistance, Culture, Decline, Politics
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Disconnects from Reality, and a Couple Positive Notes
On the one hand, A Truth+ movie about ‘Lizard People’; RFK Jr vows to stop chemtrails; Democrats have a ‘dictatorship mentality’? Texas Christians presume to spend a month celebrating God’s promises; Tom Nichols on a witch hunt at the State … Continue reading
Posted in authoritarianism, Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Politics
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How the US is retreating into tribalism
The White House press secretary, addressing the firing of the head of the Library of Congress, is either ignorant, stupid, or lying; How the natalist movement, perhaps led by Elon Musk, relies on endless growth, which is not plausible; To … Continue reading
Posted in authoritarianism, conservatives, Politics
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J. Bronowksi: THE ASCENT OF MAN
(Little, Brown, 1973, 448pp, including 9pp (in tiny print) of bibliography and index) This is a substantial book that was popular in its time but is probably not really recommendable now, simply because it’s 50 years out of date in … Continue reading
Posted in Book Notes, Culture, History, Human Nature, Human Progress, Science
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The US Is Becoming a Demon-Haunted World. Not Necessarily Again.
The National Science Foundation abolishes its 37 divisions; Yet another Trump sycophant from Fox gains a top position, as DC’s top prosecutor; Loonies: Loomer on witchcraft, Hegseth on homosexuality; How wacko conspiracy theories are now affecting the highest levels of … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Human Nature, Lunacy, Politics
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Shades of Baseless Certainty
Sean Hannity thinks the new pope is too liberal, and Hannity (of course) lies about crime; MTG thinks Catholics are evil; how RFK Jr thinks that the new Surgeon General being unqualified makes her a perfect choice; MAGA’s “soft eugenics” … Continue reading
The Conservative War Against Liberals, and Cat Toys
Trump’s war against Harvard isn’t about anti-Semitism, it’s about a war against being liberal; And how this fits into my running theme on this blog; The US is trying to impose its anti-DEI values on other countries; Crime is down, … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Lunacy, Politics
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Academic Freedom, Good Citizens, and Moving Forward
Alan Lightman on academic freedom; Alan Lightman and Martin Rees on how scientists can be good citizens; Rewatching Conclave, and recalling two key quotes, about certainty, and moving forward. – – – The very idea of academic freedom, of freedom … Continue reading
Posted in progress, Religion, Science, Social Progress
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Cory Doctorow on Project 2025 and Long Knives
Cory Doctorow on how the Project 2025 document is an anthology of often contradictory right-wing fantasies; How Europe is recruiting American scientists, since America under Trump doesn’t want them; Short items about tariffs, tariffs on movies made outside the US, … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Lunacy, Politics
Comments Off on Cory Doctorow on Project 2025 and Long Knives
