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)
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Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly
Most Beliefs Aren’t About What’s Real, They’re About Conforming to Tribal Mythology
Three more core principles today, illustrated by an essay by a “former creationist” and how she found “following the science” clashed with her culture — and how this conflict is borne of ancient biology; How universities would like to teach … Continue reading
Posted in Evolution, Psychology, Religion, Science
Comments Off on Most Beliefs Aren’t About What’s Real, They’re About Conforming to Tribal Mythology
A Core Theme: The Mismatch of Human Nature
One of the emerging themes on this blog over the years is the idea that human nature evolved over millions of years to enable survival in an ancestral environment that most people no longer live in. In my own reading … Continue reading
Posted in Evolution, Human Nature, Politics
Comments Off on A Core Theme: The Mismatch of Human Nature
More Cautionary Traits
How the right sees enemies everywhere; How Trump depicts immigrants as monsters; Remember what Charlie Kirk said about Simone Biles? Brief items; NYT’s Ross Douthat tries to explain the conservative principles behind the Kimmel suspension. – – – Perhaps … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Politics
Comments Off on More Cautionary Traits
How Transgenders Trigger Conservatives
Some psychological traits are considered to be conservative, others progressive, even though the individual traits themselves don’t necessarily have much to do with one another. NY Times, opinion by Lydia Polgreen, 19 Sept 2025: The Fallout From Charlie Kirk’s Killing … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Politics, Psychology
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And Now It’s Jimmy Kimmel
And so the authoritarian playbook continues. Latest victim: late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel. (Whom I’m aware of though I’ve never watched his show.) Salon, Heather Digby Parton, 18 Sept 2025: Jimmy Kimmel is the latest casualty in Trump’s war on … Continue reading
Posted in authoritarianism, Lunacy, Politics, Religion
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MAGA and the Charlie Kirk Cult
Apparently “leftist” means not demonizing gays and transgender people, as Christians do; How Charlie Kirk’s discourse favored conflict, not informed debate; Some MAGA guy wants to perhaps kill 500,000 people in response to Charlie Kirk’s murder; And Karoline Leavitt thinks … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Nature, Lunacy, Politics, Psychology
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Delusional, or Lying
The DOJ deletes a study showing that most domestic violence is from the right; Trump et al knew this, but still pursue vengeance against the left; The attorney general thinks hate speech is not covered by free speech; The vice … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Human Nature, Lunacy, Politics
Comments Off on Delusional, or Lying
Splits, Hypocrisy, and Bad-Faith Arguments
The themes today are about the continued demonization of “the Left” despite the identification of the Charlie Kirk shooter; and how the Right (as did Kirk) claims to valorize “free speech” while quelling anyone who says anything not nice about … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Lunacy, Politics
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Jerry A. Coyne: FAITH VS. FACT, post 5 and last
Subtitled “Why Science and Religion are Incompatible” (Viking, May 2015, xxii + 311pp, including 46pp of acknowledgements, notes, references,and index) (Earlier: post 1; post 2; post 3; post 4) Comments first this time: The final chapter of this book asks, … Continue reading
Posted in Book Notes, Religion, Science
Comments Off on Jerry A. Coyne: FAITH VS. FACT, post 5 and last
So Many Villains
More to the transgender-roommate story? Media Matters summarizes the situation up to a couple days ago; Despite the right’s affirmation of free speech, they are compiling lists of people critical of Charlie Kirk, and getting them fired; How SF/F writer … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Lunacy, Politics
Comments Off on So Many Villains
