Monthly Archives: July 2026

Religious Presumption and Denial of Reality

Posted on Thursday 9 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Dale Partridge wants the white race to again subdue and enslave the Africans; Red Joseph thinks gays are impossible; Recalling Howard Zinn, who told the history conservatives would deny; Will conservative historians 50 years from now erase MAGA, as an … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Racism, Religion | Comments Off on Religious Presumption and Denial of Reality

The End of Reading?

Posted on Wednesday 8 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

The decline of reading, and all that that means; And how MAGA folk don’t understand why the rest of us aren’t pretending anymore. It’s about conscience. – – – Things that generations take for granted can change and be gone. … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Politics, Technology | Comments Off on The End of Reading?

Falling Birthrates as Tribal Panic

Posted on Tuesday 7 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Another examination of the roots of falling birthrates, a global reality; I see the concern about it as tribal panic; Briefly noted: make gun violence great again!; more about the latest GOP scare tactic; more about those who spread false … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Human Nature, Psychology | Comments Off on Falling Birthrates as Tribal Panic

The New Commie Threat

Posted on Monday 6 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Robert Reich on the Commie threat, a tired Republican charge, recalling McCarthy; Lazy Republican thinking about communism and current kids these days; Twisted thinking about religious liberty; A video of Paula White, presidential spiritual advisor; Stephen Miller, divine providence, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Human Nature, Lunacy, Politics, Religion | Comments Off on The New Commie Threat

Toby Ord, THE PRECIPICE

Posted on Monday 6 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity (Hachette, 2020, 468pp, including 225pp of resources, acknowledgements, appendices, further reading, notes, bibliography, and index.) Here is book about existential risks, a topic on which I have several books, though this one … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Evolution, Human Progress | Comments Off on Toby Ord, THE PRECIPICE

A Muted July 4th

Posted on Sunday 5 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

San Francisco fireworks hidden by fog; Trump’s July 4 speech. Last night, the DC fireworks being delayed, and the SF fireworks obscured, we were left watching Trump’s July 4th speech. The fireworks shot off the Golden Gate Bridge were yet … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal history | Comments Off on A Muted July 4th

The 250th, Patriotism, and the Sin of Pride

Posted on Saturday 4 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

On the bright side, 25 reasons to be optimistic about the future; 5 questions that will determine America’s next 50 years; Connie Willis relates some potential optimism in the decline of MAGA; Why Americans are living longer; Nicholas Kristof on … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Nature, Human Progress, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on The 250th, Patriotism, and the Sin of Pride

About the Appeal of Stories

Posted on Friday 3 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

How the great books appeal both to literary standards and our lizard brains; With my speculations about the appeal of science fiction; July 4th. The Guardian on how the US is a global citizen gone rogue; how the stain on … Continue reading →

Posted in Narrative, Politics | Comments Off on About the Appeal of Stories

What Is This About Democratic Socialists?

Posted on Thursday 2 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Jonathan Chait thinks they’re bad; Jerry Coyne echoes his animus; Robert Reich sees a different trend, more exciting than democratic socialism; While Paul Krugman thinks “most of us are social democrats”, which seems to exhibit the way these words are … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Religion | Comments Off on What Is This About Democratic Socialists?

Lost Potential

Posted on Wednesday 1 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

The families conservatives want; Heather Cox Richardson on the Republican motives to strike down the Fourteenth Amendment; Brief items about mandating the Bible in class; yet another study finds no link between Tylenol and autism; a conservative wants to sterilize … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Psychology, Religion, Science | Comments Off on Lost Potential