Category Archives: Culture

Link Dump from Recent Days

Posted on Wednesday 13 December 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Catching up on links from the past week, in no particular order. Subjects are: Another take on why people are pessimistic about their economic futures; Trump’s dictatorship: “History shows that autocrats always tell you who they are and what they … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Culture, Economics, Links, Morality, Politics | Comments Off on Link Dump from Recent Days

Christmas Presents and Consumerism; Beauty in the Universe

Posted on Monday 11 December 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Christmas presents, consumerism, and Adam Lee’s take on minimalism; The idea of ‘beauty’ in the universe, as another component of science fiction’s “consilience”; First take on the new Peter Gabriel album. Like many people as we get older, when Christmas … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Mathematics, Physics, Religion | Comments Off on Christmas Presents and Consumerism; Beauty in the Universe

Bathing, Evidence, Control, Dating, Social Security

Posted on Wednesday 29 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Why daily bathing (just like trying to kill every germ in sight) may not be healthy; Items about Republican admissions they don’t have evidence for their claims; how they take credit for what they voted against; how the party of … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Culture, Evolution, Politics | Comments Off on Bathing, Evidence, Control, Dating, Social Security

Last Questions and Possible Answers, 4

Posted on Tuesday 28 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

This is my fourth and likely last post, following this one in March and this one in June, and this one eight days ago, in which I consider the John Brockman book The Last Unknowns, in which he gathers deep … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Human Progress, Philosophy, Religion, Science, science fiction | Comments Off on Last Questions and Possible Answers, 4

Last Questions and Possible Answers, 3

Posted on Monday 20 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

This is my third post, following this one in March and this one in June, in which I consider the John Brockman book The Last Unknowns, in which he gathers deep unanswered questions about “the universe, the mind, the future … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Evolution, Human Progress, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, Religion, Science | Comments Off on Last Questions and Possible Answers, 3

Things that are True about the World, despite Human Intuitions

Posted on Sunday 12 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

After three posts about that Jonathan Rauch book, let’s post some items about conclusions made by the reality-based community. Veritasium on Euclid’s Fifth Postulate, and how there is more to reality than human intuitive thinking; Neil de Grasse Tyson on … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Mathematics, Science | Comments Off on Things that are True about the World, despite Human Intuitions

UBI, Shopping, and San Francisco

Posted on Monday 16 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Another take on the idea of “universal basic income”; About conservative supermarket shopping habits; San Francisco’s ranking among world cities. Another take on the idea of “universal basic income,” the counter-intuitive (and anathema to conservatives) notion than the government simply … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Culture, Economics | Comments Off on UBI, Shopping, and San Francisco

Numerous Items From Recent Weeks

Posted on Monday 9 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

How the worldwide migration crisis is about civil wars and climate change, but also about the internet and smartphones; How the Luddites were not what we think, and why it might be appropriate to be one now; About the new … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Numerous Items From Recent Weeks

Murdoch, Azarian, Reich, and Scientists

Posted on Friday 22 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today: The retirement of Rupert Murdoch, who became wealthy by degrading American politics and appealing to many Americans’ worst instincts; Republican hypocrisy example: John Fetterman vs. Lauren Boebert; with a classic definition: “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Politics, Psychology, Science, Social Progress | Comments Off on Murdoch, Azarian, Reich, and Scientists

Today’s Items about Politics and Culture

Posted on Thursday 21 September 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Is the attempt to impeach Biden an example of tit for tat, or something else?; How attendees at the Dreamforce conference this week didn’t recognize the right-wing media depictions of San Francisco, and other cities, as ‘hellholes’. Here’s a piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Politics | Comments Off on Today’s Items about Politics and Culture