Monthly Archives: March 2026

Bobby Azarian: THE ROMANCE OF REALITY

Subtitled: How the universe organizes itself to create life, consciousness, and cosmic complexity. (BenBella Books, June 2022, 306pp, including 26pp of acknowledgements, notes, and index) This is the third of three books I read this past January, all with vaguely … Continue reading

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Again, Living in History

How America has become a dangerous nation; How Christian Nationalists really do want to destroy their political enemies; What that poll about MAGA supporting Trump 100% really means; Brief items about the Supreme Court, a quote from Kurt Andersen about … Continue reading

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Morality Wars

Trump declares Democrats as the greatest enemy of America; Trump demands election rigging plan be approved “for Jesus”; Why do MAGA keep supporting Trump? Perhaps some kind of selective, “vertical”, morality; How Trump has cultivated the ugliest passions within the … Continue reading

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Skiffy Flix: It Came from Outer Space

Returning to our ongoing series. It Came from Outer Space is a 1953 film directed by Jack Arnold (who did some similar movies in the same era) and based on a story treatment by Ray Bradbury (not a published short story). … Continue reading

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What It Means to Think That God Is On Your Side

Concerning Hegseth, Trump, and Rubio; Also, how do religious sects decide when to reinterpret their scriptures? Items about 100% approval, teleportation, church/state separation, and uncounted COVID deaths; FBers compare reactions to Charlie Kirk’s death to Trump’s reaction to Robert Mueller’s … Continue reading

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Ziya Tong; THE REALITY BUBBLE

Subtitled: Blind Spots, Hidden Truths, and the Dangerous Illusions that Shape Our World (Penguin Canada: Allen Lane, 2019, 366pp, including 15pp of acknowledgements and index.) This is a pleasant enough book by a Canadian journalist. Her broad point is that … Continue reading

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Misconceptions about Science and Predictions

How Jeffrey Epstein, obsessed with eugenics, was wrong; How Paul Ehrlich was not a villain, even though his predictions failed; John Pavlovitz wonders why anyone still supports Trump; I have another idea; Tom Nichols on no Plan B; the disappearing … Continue reading

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Donald Hoffman: THE CASE AGAINST REALITY

Subtitle: Why evolution hid the truth from our eyes (Norton, 2019, 250pp, plus color plates, including 45pp acknowledgements, notes, and index.) This is the first of three books I read in January, all with ostensibly similar themes, but actually quite … Continue reading

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Latter Day Skiffy Flix: STTNG: Encounter at Farpoint

A couple evenings ago I rewatched the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, called “Encounter at Farpoint,” for the first time since I watched it as the series premiere back in 1987.

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Increasing Willful Ignorance and Intolerance

How energy independence, which even Fox News once thought could avoid the quandary we now face in the Strait or Hormuz, is now regarded as a scam by the likes of JD Vance; How Trump and MAGA are all for … Continue reading

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