Category Archives: Culture

No Escaping Tribal Warfare

Posted on Monday 12 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today about Hasidic yeshiva schools, “common good constitutionalism,” the root cause of violent crime, and the increasingly despicable Elon Musk. We like to think modern society is more advanced than societies of thousands of years ago, and it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Politics | Comments Off on No Escaping Tribal Warfare

Ancient Apocalypse, Odds and Ends

Posted on Wednesday 30 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

The “Ancient Apocalypse” nonsense; Movie trailers; Political headlines.

Posted in Culture, Politics, Religion, Science | Comments Off on Ancient Apocalypse, Odds and Ends

Change and Survival: A Refined Conception of Science Fiction

Posted on Tuesday 29 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

A couple items today have perhaps led me to a new formulation of the idea of “science fiction.”

Posted in Culture, Religion, Science, science fiction | Comments Off on Change and Survival: A Refined Conception of Science Fiction

Extreme vs. Necessary Solutions

Posted on Monday 28 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

To the imminent destruction of the planet. Allow the human race to go extinct? Cut back on capitalist consumption? (Which would be worse?)

Posted in Culture, Evolution, Human Progress | Comments Off on Extreme vs. Necessary Solutions

Stories People Tell

Posted on Saturday 26 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Why pecan pie is quintessentially American; how Thanksgiving is supposedly about free enterprise vs. communism; why people don’t believe crime rates are down in big cities; how the TV show Yellowstone appeals to the conservative narrative about big government; why … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Narrative | Comments Off on Stories People Tell

Readings: The 8 Billion and Climate Change

Posted on Tuesday 22 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

More on the 8 Billion, from Vox. And Elizabeth Kolbert’s “Climate change from A to Z.”

Posted in Culture, Science | Comments Off on Readings: The 8 Billion and Climate Change

Links and Comments: 20 Nov 2022

Posted on Sunday 20 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Martin Rees on science v. catastrophe; the fine-tuning argument; why the expanding world population is a good thing; the latest mass shooting and Republicans. (I try to think of more interesting blog titles, but given time constraints just give up … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Science, The Gays | Comments Off on Links and Comments: 20 Nov 2022

Post-Election Blue, not Red

Posted on Monday 14 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Context; Where we are; Connie Willis; Christian dictatorships; More MAGA than ever; Russian delicacy; Lagniappes.

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Politics | Comments Off on Post-Election Blue, not Red

The Day After Election Night, 2022

Posted on Wednesday 9 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Short version: The Republicans won a few races, but there was no ‘red’ landslide as some, not just Republicans, had predicted. Though of course a few key races are going down to the wire, so control of the House and … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Politics | Comments Off on The Day After Election Night, 2022

Ari Wallach, LONGPATH: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs

Posted on Saturday 5 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

This is a modest little book with great ambitions to change the way people think. And more power to it if it does. But for anyone who reads science fiction, for example, or is familiar with big issues and long-term … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Evolution, science fiction | Comments Off on Ari Wallach, LONGPATH: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs