Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

Weird Ways Some People Think

Posted on Wednesday 7 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Whatever VP candidate Harris would have picked, Republicans would have attacked him — and her motives for her choice; Most conspiracy theorists who claimed at one point that Biden had died and was replaced by a body double… have either … Continue reading →

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Brian Greene: UNTIL THE END OF TIME, post 2

Posted on Wednesday 7 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

More summary of this Brian Greene book. Earlier: post 1. 3, Origins and Entropy: From Creation to Structure, p44 If the universe began with a big explosion, how has so much order, with complex structures, emerged? Because, consistent with the … Continue reading →

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Subhumans, Deference, Bluster

Posted on Tuesday 6 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

JD Vance blurbs a book that says progressives are subhuman; Trump is hostile toward women and non-white people who are not sufficiently deferential to he who is destined to rule; Trump blusters about bitcoin, about which he has no idea. … Continue reading →

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Today’s Examples of Tribal Antics

Posted on Monday 5 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Sometimes the antics of the tribalists are on the front page of the New York Times, two days in a row. Though that shouldn’t be surprising, given that they’re half the population. Today’s topics: Trump’s latest attacks against Harris; How … Continue reading →

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Things Change, Necessarily

Posted on Sunday 4 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Seen in passing on Facebook today: Understand science, and you’ll understand religion. (In particular, I’d say, cognitive sciences, and human evolution.) \ Today’s topics: How Republicans accuse Democrats of being anti-family, while voting against programs to help families; How about … Continue reading →

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Long-Term Considerations

Posted on Saturday 3 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

It’s a basic provisional conclusion on this blog that conservatives deal with short-term matters, corporate profits and so on, without concern for long-term effects, like climate change. They’re concerned about their children — but not enough concerned about how climate … Continue reading →

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Brian Greene: UNTIL THE END OF TIME, post 1

Posted on Saturday 3 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

I’ve mentioned this book several times over the years (it was published in 2020), most recently here in early June, when I sat down to read it all the way through. I finished in mid-July. Subtitled: “Mind, Matter, and Our … Continue reading →

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Tribal Antics, Racism, Misogyny

Posted on Friday 2 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Thought for the day. It occurs to me that — at the risk of tossing out another simplistic dichotomy — the OT is pure tribal morality, while the NT, parts of it anyway (Jesus, maybe, though not Paul), presents a … Continue reading →

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Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 10

Posted on Friday 2 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Finally: the last topic chapter, about The Arts, and then the final chapter. Earlier posts about this book: post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4, post 5, post 6, post 7, post 8, post 9. – – – –Ch20, … Continue reading →

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How Name Calling, Unfortunately, Seems to Work

Posted on Thursday 1 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Preoccupied today with Larry matters. The estate sale finished last weekend, and went well, according to the sellers. But now the sellers of Larry’s house are charging *me* for things I kept, as if I stole things they think I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Morality, Politics | Comments Off on How Name Calling, Unfortunately, Seems to Work