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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Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly
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book that was popular in its time but is probably not really recommendable now, simply because it’s 50 years out of date in … Continue reading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 Movies, 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
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The Psychology of Trump and His Supporters
Robert Reich channels George Lakoff, about Trump as an abusive parent; More examples about how Trump is a clueless idiot, and wondering why his supporters don’t care; A bit about Linus. – – – Robert Reich channels George Lakoff. Robert … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Psychology
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The Clueless Conservative War on Reality
MAGA’s war science: Ignorance is Strength!; Trump doesn’t understand the separation of church and state; Trump doesn’t understand how trade deficits worth; Trump thinks Veterans Day should be only about veterans who won wars; Trump doesn’t understand even the Declaration … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Economics, Science
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Conservatives, Conspiracies, and Reality
White evangelicals still see Trump as ethical and honest, which to me calls into question their moral compass; Trump’s 2026 budget is more for the military and less for everything else, a typical Republican proposal; Separation of church and state … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Psychology, reality
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