Category Archives: Human Nature

Does Human Morality Progress, or Not?

Posted on Saturday 10 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Apropos of nothing else in this post, but anyone following social media will understand. \\\ The big story of the week, which I’m not quite letting go. This could be a growing story that actually has consequences. Unlike so many … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Nature, Morality, Politics, The Gays | Comments Off on Does Human Morality Progress, or Not?

Our Outlaw Nation

Posted on Wednesday 7 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

This popped up on Facebook, but I don’t subscribe to the magazine and can only see this much of the article. It’s about the new book by Johan Norberg, which came out in September. It’s on my TBR shelf. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, History, Human Nature, Philosophy, Tribalism | Comments Off on Our Outlaw Nation

Five Years Since a Day that Will Live in Infamy

Posted on Tuesday 6 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Articles about the anniversary of January 6th. MAGA cognitive dissonance. Loyalty over expertise — CBS Evening News. Headlines about whether narrative defeats reason, conservative hysteria over Chick-fil-A and a gay couple, and the Pentagon’s petty attack on Sen. Mark Kelly. … Continue reading →

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Where We Are, 4 Jan 2026

Posted on Sunday 4 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Several headlines about America’s attack on Venezuela; Trump’s peculiar animosity against the Kennedys; And two ideas about patriotism. – – – The State of the Union. Just some headlines. American seems never to overcome its historical sins. The Guardian, Tiago … Continue reading →

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Frogs, Religion, the Ballroom, Bigotry, and Dictators

Posted on Saturday 20 December 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Trump’s relative isolationism: big frog in a small pond. The obvious reasons people are walking away from organized religion; Short takes on the White House ballroom, surging bigotry on the right, and Trump’s alignment with history’s worst dictators. – – … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, History, Human Nature, Religion | Comments Off on Frogs, Religion, the Ballroom, Bigotry, and Dictators

Kindergarten Anthropology, and Ordering Things Into Existence

Posted on Friday 19 December 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

A Facebook response to the question of where morality comes from; Franklin Graham admits that God is a God of War; Trump thinks he can order nuclear fusion into existence, and order a Moon landing in 2028. – – – … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Nature, Morality, Religion | Comments Off on Kindergarten Anthropology, and Ordering Things Into Existence

Documenting My Reading; Holiday Shopping; and Tr*mp

Posted on Thursday 18 December 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Infrastructure note: I’ve updated all the pages under the “Nonfiction Books” tab in the menu above. I set up those pages a year ago, in December 2024, and updated a few of them in May 2025, and now have updated … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Nature, Personal history, Politics, Website Issues | Comments Off on Documenting My Reading; Holiday Shopping; and Tr*mp

Narcissists and Simpletons

Posted on Monday 15 December 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Trump’s vile comments about the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife, and wondering what kind of people still support him; How the MAGA right succumbs to the bias of believing in an ideal past; Short takes on Ron Johnson; … Continue reading →

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Moon Status; Dormant Bigotry

Posted on Monday 15 December 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Just two items today. First a think piece. Slate, Joel Achenbach, 9 Dec 2025: Moondoggle, subtitled “Officially, America is supposed to land on the moon again in 2027—and Mars thereafter. Ask anyone inside NASA under Trump, and you will hear … Continue reading →

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Rituals and Routines, and Fonts

Posted on Friday 12 December 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Personal health updates; Big Think on the need for everyday rituals; Boing Boing on the origins of Calibri and Times New Roman, and stupidity; Short takes on approval ratings, European leadership, earning more, and Trump’s image. – – – It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Nature, Lunacy, Personal history | Comments Off on Rituals and Routines, and Fonts