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 (2003-2013)
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- Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 5
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- Far, Far Better Thing?
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- The Incoherency of Religious Rationales
- Never Mind Policy or Principles, Conservatives Need Only Stories
- We tell ourselves stories in order to live
- Perhaps There Is Only Story
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Meta
Category Archives: Conservative Resistance
Far, Far Better Thing?
So this is the week that President Joe Biden, under fire by everyone since his lame debate performance last month (which I wrote about here), stepped down from his candidacy for a second term as president. This is virtually unprecedented … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, progress
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Never Mind Policy or Principles, Conservatives Need Only Stories
Politics and the Narrative Drive converge in items today. Robert Reich about how the GOP is courting unions; How J.D. Vance emphasizes his personal story rather than conservative principles; How Republicans cling to the myth of migrant crime; And how … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Narrative, Politics, Religion
Comments Off on Never Mind Policy or Principles, Conservatives Need Only Stories
We tell ourselves stories in order to live
Yes, recalling Joan Didion, captured here. I’m not the only one who suspects this is true. Facebook, Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, friends-only post, 16 Jul 2024: I have spent… …a lot of time trying to figure out exactly what is inspiring the … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Nature, Politics
Comments Off on We tell ourselves stories in order to live
Stories, and Change
Miscellaneous items today, including a few from a couple weeks ago. Oklahoma, insisting the Bible be taught as an historical document, seems intent on mis-educating its children and ill-preparing them for life in the 21st century; How conservative attacks against … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Religion, Social Progress
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So we cheated and we lied and we tested
Trump’s dementia; The Heritage Foundation’s threat of violence unless they get their way; And a graphic from Fb: “If you don’t scream, I won’t hurt you”; Trump disavows Project 2025; And a song by Crosby, Stills & Nash. Continuing from … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Lunacy, Music, Politics
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The Supposed God-Shaped Hole, and Others
Via Jerry Coyne, a long piece at Quillette by Matt Johnson: Liberalism and the West’s ‘Crisis of Meaning’, subtitled “Many liberals are strangely eager to concede that liberal societies are morally and spiritually bankrupt without religion to give life meaning.” … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Religion, Tribalism
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On This July 4th
It’s worth paying attention from time to time what conservatives really want, and more importantly, their rationales. NY Times, Ruth Graham, 4 Jul 2024: Why a New Conservative Brain Trust Is Resettling Across America, subtitled “Pro-Trump professionals aren’t just talking … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Psychology, Religion, Social Progress
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It Can Happen Here
I’m not the first to make this observation. Trump’s rise echoes a famous 1935 novel called (ironically) It Can’t Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis. Wikipedia: The novel describes the rise of Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip, a demagogue who is elected President … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, science fiction, Social Progress
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The Debate, and the Continuing Christian Insurgence
Comments about the debate between Biden and Trump three days ago, on Thursday; Items about Christian Insurgence in Oklahoma schools, and David Barton; And how humans are wired to believe anything their parents or culture tells them to believe, up … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Religion
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How Language Changes, Sometimes for Political Purposes
Three items from the news the past few days. First, some quotes from a piece about how climate change deniers have refined their game. TNR, The New Republic, Genevieve Guenther, 24 Jun 2024: The New Climate Denial Is Based on … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Science
Comments Off on How Language Changes, Sometimes for Political Purposes
