Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

“We think and dream and fuss and project entire worlds into existence”

Posted on Saturday 11 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

A new NYT newsletter called Gravitational Pull; Remembering Roger Williams, an early American advocate of religious liberty; And about early American philosophers Jonathan Williams and Benjamin Franklin; And revisiting Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light, after 30 years; it’s still beautiful. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Philosophy, Religion | Comments Off on “We think and dream and fuss and project entire worlds into existence”

Human Limitations and Potential

Posted on Friday 10 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Rethinking categories and provisional conclusions; XKCD on holes; A new Atlantic column on The Wonder of Everyday Life; A Star Talk video about the limits of human intelligence. – – – Rethinking again the categories of posts I do here, … Continue reading →

Posted in reality, Science | Comments Off on Human Limitations and Potential

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 →

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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