Category Archives: Culture

Odds and Ends from Recent Weeks

Posted on 11 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today I’m catching up on numerous items from recent weeks that I want to note even though I haven’t had time to thoroughly read or comment about them. A couple of them, at least, I will revisit, because I need … Continue reading →

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Community, Conservatives, and Cynics

Posted on 6 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

A round of assorted links from the past couple weeks. The yearning for community, and how the churches are failing that yearning; Adam Lee on the Supreme Court and how conservatism is focused on privileging wealthy, white, male Christians; Thom … Continue reading →

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A Crisis in Cosmology?

Posted on 2 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

NY Times, Adam Frank and Marcelo Gleiser, 2 Sep 2023: The Story of Our Universe May Be Starting to Unravel This is a piece about some of the fall-out of the photos from the James Webb Space Telescope, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Culture, Physics, Science | Leave a comment

Vivek Ramaswamy as Prototypical Republican Candidate

Posted on 30 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Vox’s Andrew Prokop on how Vivek would “simply just solve American’s tough problems”; NYT’s Michelle Goldeberg on why that some people find Vivek insufferable is exactly why his fans are drawn to him; WaPo’s Paul Waldman on how Republicans are … Continue reading →

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The Outsized Perception of the Danger of Minority Cults

Posted on 26 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Two pieces for today. A Salon essay that suggests that the “mainstream media” has a far wider effect on the US population than the fringe, Trump/Fox-supporting media, than most of us realize (and how that’s a good thing); and how … Continue reading →

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The Obsolete Ideal of the Nuclear Family?

Posted on 26 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Two pieces about how the idealistic nuclear family beloved by conservatives has been an aberration in human history and is perhaps no longer suited for the modern world; Pondering the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and Cain and Abel; Items about Trump and … Continue reading →

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Insecurity and Inequality

Posted on 19 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

A long NYT piece about the US economy, feeling bad, inequality, and insecurity; Shorter items about hearing dialogue in movies; the latest anti-woke tantrum; and that “First they came for…” poem. Here’s a big piece in NY Times, that could … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Decline, Psychology | Leave a comment

Veritasium, Star Talk, Sapiens

Posted on 18 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

There is so much nonsense on the web — and so much news about nonsensical, irrational people — it’s refreshing to find occasional pockets of knowledge and wisdom. I should try to pay more attention to these, and less attention … Continue reading →

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Why I Hate Pop Concerts

Posted on 14 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today’s lead article is about those of us who dislike attending pop concerts, even of singers and bands we otherwise admire and adore; Then, about PragerU; the “lost boys” on the American Right; and Lukianoff & Haidt’s book about Coddling, … Continue reading →

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The Slow Death of Lawns in Deserts

Posted on 13 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Major item today about the slow death of lawns in deserts, especially in the US southwest; Then a few quick items, about the decline of Christianity, and Scientology’s psychological torture; And a musical piece by Ludovico Einaudi. – – – … Continue reading →

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