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)
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Recent Posts
- The Dystopian Portrait of America Is Not True
- “We think and dream and fuss and project entire worlds into existence”
- Human Limitations and Potential
- Religious Presumption and Denial of Reality
- The End of Reading?
- Falling Birthrates as Tribal Panic
- The New Commie Threat
- Toby Ord, THE PRECIPICE
- A Muted July 4th
- The 250th, Patriotism, and the Sin of Pride
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Meta
Category Archives: Music
“We think and dream and fuss and project entire worlds into existence”
A new NYT newsletter called Gravitational Pull; Remembering Roger Williams, an early American advocate of religious liberty; And about early American philosophers Jonathan Williams and Benjamin Franklin; And revisiting Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light, after 30 years; it’s still beautiful. … Continue reading
Posted in Music, Philosophy, Religion
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Are the Best Years Behind Us? No.
The US is better off than 50 years ago, yet people feel worse (another version of this recurring story); Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto Grosso no. 1. – – – Yet another story on this general theme. It’s about human nature, not … Continue reading
Posted in Human Nature, Music
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As Others See Us
How World Cup tourists are impressed by the US; And an earlier piece about tourists were impressed by San Francisco, in both cases despite right-wing apocalyptic propaganda; Amanda Marcotte on why MAGA buys Trump’s reflecting pool hoax; Hegseth reverses the … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Economics, Music, Science
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Trump’s Self-Created Crises
Robert Reich on four messes that Trump created; Items about Hegseth undoing military progress; Tim Barton cites a quotation that doesn’t exist; the news spy chief fires intel experts; Trump’s preoccupation with the number 22; Nancy Mace thinks transgenic means … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Lunacy, Music
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Memories of Green
Trump’s surrender; Trump can’t sell his lies in Versailles; Why people see scientists as oddballs; Vangelis’s “Memories of Green.” – – – Some of us have memories of the before time. Before all this. The Bulwark, Jonathan V. Last, today: … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Lunacy, Music, Politics
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America’s Continued Decline
Michelle Goldberg on the garish spectacle at the White House; Will Leitch about its absurdity; Conservatives are trolls; US science is also in decline; Paul Krugman’s theory of the vulgar class; And music: Hans Zimmer’s “Chevaliers De Sangreal”, a great … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Lunacy, Music, Politics
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Meaning, Purpose, Science, Science Fiction
Kevin Kelly’s take on a meaning of life: be the most improbable person you can be; And my provisional ideas about meaning and purpose; Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar. I mentioned Kevin Kelly yesterday, and so I checked out his blog, his … Continue reading
Posted in Meaning, Music, Science, science fiction
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Is Consensus History Possible?
The Atlantic’s Yoni Applebaum on the idea of consensus history; A review of Steven Spielberg’s film history; How conservatives don’t understand how California voting works, and imagine conspiracies; Ennio Morricone, Marco Polo, and Canzone di Mai-Li. Activity today. – – … Continue reading
Fixes for Elections Are Available, and SF Fans Have Been Using Them for Decades
Voting patterns and conservative conspiracy theories; Trump pardons a GOP Rep, because as a conservative he must have been “unfairly treated”; Elections fixes, which sf fans have adopted, and which Republicans would resist, since they currently have an advantage; How … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Culture, Music
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Tear-Downs and Demons
Trump’s cancellations, which I can’t keep up with; How Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill will impact public schools; How UFOs are interpreted by the religious as demons; Preisner’s “Silence, Night & Dreams” – – – I’m not sure I’m keeping up … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Lunacy, Music, Politics, Religion
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