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 (2010-2013)
» Blogspot Views from Medina Road (2003-2010)-
Recent Posts
- Retreat and Hypocrisy
- Detached from Reality
- Retreat from Civilization
- Strategies of Reality Denial
- Steven Pinker, THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE, post 7
- The Trembling Present
- Steven Pinker, THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE, post 6
- The Fog of War, Hurricanes, and Cave Man Mentality
- Steven Pinker, THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE, post 5
- The Human Struggle to Overcome Tribalism and Superstition
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Meta
Category Archives: Conservative Resistance
Getting the Joke
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
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
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MAGA Doesn’t Understand What Makes America Great
Nicholas Kristof on the three fundamental ingredients of America’s greatness that Trump and MAGA are undoing. Short items about Elon Musk, D&D, and racism; Christian presumption about church and state; how easily Nick Fuentes has been endorsed by many Republicans; … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, History, Politics
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Conservative Principles vs. Reality
Paul Krugman on the decline and fall of the conservative Heritage Foundation, and how it’s always been a fraud; Heather Cox Richardson on how the ideology of MAGA is smashing against reality; Short items about Republicans destroying the safety net, … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Social Progress
Comments Off on Conservative Principles vs. Reality
Cruelty, Nonsense, and Reality-Checks
Paul Krugman says Trump knew full well how his Great Gatsby-themed party looked just as millions of Americans were about to lose federal food assistance — the cruelty is the point; Short items about church/state separation; how “God’s authority” is … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Psychology
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Troubled Children, Cognitive Collapse, Cave Man Morality
Paul Krugman about how Trump has ceded the future to China; Tom Nichols on how the Trump administration resembles a bunch of toddlers, and what Americans who care about democracy should do. Salon’s Sophia A. McClennen on how the Trump … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Psychology
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Democratic Erosion, SNAP, and God-Sized Holes
A NYT Scale of markers of democratic erosion; Heather Cox Richardson’s even-handed assessment of the SNAP crisis; Jerry Coyne dismantles Arthur C. Brooks’ arguments for not dismissing the idea of God; (And my take on how the common conceptions of … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Religion
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Useful Categories
Five ideas to tell when America has become a dictatorship; A Jesus and Mo cartoon that reflects my discussions of secular awe and religion; Phil Zuckerman on how social justice is secular; Short items about worries of American’s impending population … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Morality, Politics, Science
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Drizzly
Intro; Are religions by their nature fascist? Latest on the Republican war on science; Peanut allergies go away when infants are exposed early on; Takes on what socialism is. – – – It was drizzly all weekend. Yesterday we attended … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Religion, Science, Social Progress
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Demolition
Trump demolishes the East Wing, after promising not to; Michelle Goldberg about MAGA; Robert Reich on options to challenge the right’s “hate America” rhetoric; Short items about how Christians should be in charge of everything, how MAGA hates people from … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Lunacy
Comments Off on Demolition
