Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

False Equivalences

Posted on Wednesday 26 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Frank Bruni on people who excuse Trump’s outrageous behavior for the relatively minor sins of the previous administration, unable to tell the difference in magnitude; Briefly noted items about Mark Kelly and Benedict Arnold; NYT on Trump’s fatigue and Trump’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Nature, Lunacy, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on False Equivalences

Principles vs. Loyalty

Posted on Tuesday 25 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

More about the ad that advised soldiers they don’t need to carry out illegal orders, with threats against Senator Mark Kelly; The demise of DOGE, which accomplished nothing; Tom Nichols suggests the Sen. Mark Kelly should be secretary of defense; … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Morality, Politics | Comments Off on Principles vs. Loyalty

Be Careful What You Wish For

Posted on Monday 24 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

What a no-immigration economy looks like; A profound psychological question: why is RFK Jr. so convinced he’s right? A thought for the day about childhood religion; Briefly noted items about an administration of liars; how MAGA is tearing apart following … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Psychology | Comments Off on Be Careful What You Wish For

Getting the Joke

Posted on Sunday 23 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Family in town this weekend, a pre-Thanksgiving get-together to avoid busier plans next weekend. Michael and Honey and baby here; trips to Alameda and Foster City and Berkeley; I put 100 miles on my car in three days, driving back … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Morality, Politics | Comments Off on Getting the Joke

The Retreat from the Enlightenment

Posted on Friday 21 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

The key theme of our age, at least in the US: the retreat from the aspirations of the Enlightenment, both political and scientific. Reverting to tribalism and intuitive superstitions. Actually, these forces have probably never gone away. The difference now … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Decline, Lunacy, Politics | Comments Off on The Retreat from the Enlightenment

Now It’s Calls for Execution

Posted on Thursday 20 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Several Democrats advise the military that they don’t have to follow illegal orders; Trump orders their trials for sedition, punishable by death; More about Trump and Piggy; And more about Trump and the Crown Prince; Items about the CDC reinstating … Continue reading →

Posted in Lunacy, Music, Politics | Comments Off on Now It’s Calls for Execution

What Meaning Means, and if AI Gods Provide That

Posted on Wednesday 19 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

What the search for meaning actually means; How AI apps fulfill religious needs; Reasons why math scores are falling; Short items about Nick Fuentes, people fired for criticizing Charlie Kirk, Trump and the Saudi crown prince, and RFK Jr.’s miasma … Continue reading →

Posted in authoritarianism, Meaning, Politics | Comments Off on What Meaning Means, and if AI Gods Provide That

Greene and Pinker, and “Piggy”

Posted on Tuesday 18 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

A conversation between Brian Greene and Steven Pinker, two of the current greatest scientists/writers; Heather Cox Richardson on how Trump “cares,” and his “piggy” comments; Briefly noted items about how the GOP destroys, not builds; how the Trump administration uses … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Science | Comments Off on Greene and Pinker, and “Piggy”

Christopher Hitchens, god is not Great

Posted on Tuesday 18 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled “How Religion Poisons Everything” (Twelve, May 2007, 307pp, including 24pp of acknowledgements, references, and index) Here is the fourth, and last-published, of the four books by the so-called “new atheists” published in the mid-2000s. While Sam Harris was an … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Religion | Comments Off on Christopher Hitchens, god is not Great

Richard Dawkins, THE GOD DELUSION, post 6

Posted on Tuesday 18 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

(Houghton Mifflin, Oct. 2006, 406pp, including 26pp of appendix, books cited, notes, and index) (Post 1; Post 2; Post 3; Post 4; Post 5) * Here are glosses on the Preface and 10 chapters of the book, followed by some … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Book Notes, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Richard Dawkins, THE GOD DELUSION, post 6