Globalization, Wokeness, and Trek

New York Times, David Brooks, 8 April 2022: Globalization Is Over. The Global Culture Wars Have Begun.

Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Psychology, science fiction | Comments Off on Globalization, Wokeness, and Trek

LQCs: Regression

One has to wonder, why now?

New York Times, front page 7 April 2022: The Growing Religious Fervor in the American Right: ‘This Is a Jesus Movement’, subtitled, “Rituals of Christian worship have become embedded in conservative rallies, as praise music and prayer blend with political anger over vaccines and the 2020 election.”

Continue reading

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Religion | Comments Off on LQCs: Regression

LQCs: Orientation and Gender; Life at Beginning and End

When you are certain of your position on some controversial issue, it’s worth considering the counterpoint to that issue, and how you would justify your position on that, to see if your positions are logically consistent.

Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Science | Comments Off on LQCs: Orientation and Gender; Life at Beginning and End

Carl Sagan, PALE BLUE DOT (1994), post 2

I posted about my favorite two parts of this book a week ago, in this post, and today will post a complete outline of the book based on my notes as I read, somewhat edited and slimmed down.

Continue reading

Posted in Book Notes, Science | Comments Off on Carl Sagan, PALE BLUE DOT (1994), post 2

LQCs: False Flag Fact Checking

Slate, Andrew Moshirnia, 31 March 2022: Russia’s Diabolical New Approach to Spreading Misinformation.

Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on LQCs: False Flag Fact Checking

LQCs: Hyperbole, Ridiculous Lies, and Anti-Liberalists

A few items from recent days.

Continue reading

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on LQCs: Hyperbole, Ridiculous Lies, and Anti-Liberalists

LQCs: Symmetry and Simplicity

Here’s a science item from the New York Times a couple weeks ago that presents what seems to be a mystery or conundrum about nature (and evolution) that turns out to have a simple answer that, once pointed out, seems obvious.

Continue reading

Posted in Psychology, Science | Comments Off on LQCs: Symmetry and Simplicity

LQCs: Doomism

OnlySky, Adam Lee, 4 March 2022: Against doomism, subtitled, “Don’t confuse ‘more dramatic’ for ‘more likely'”

Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Psychology, Science | Comments Off on LQCs: Doomism

Little Free Library

We have one of these near our house — a block and a half away. It’s been there for a few months now. We pass it frequently when doing short neighborhood walks. The contents are not impressive — mostly thrillers and romance novels, a very occasional literary novel (e.g. Annie Proulx) or semi-science fiction book (Lois Lowry). And not much change-over, that I notice, from week to week. In the photo here it’s at the right edge.

Continue reading

Posted in Personal history | Comments Off on Little Free Library

LQCs: Moral Turpitude and Government Bureaucracy

On Facebook today, the science fiction author David Brin posted an article from the UK paper Guardian (actually, from its US edition), with this comment:

“For all their posturing about defending children from abuse, their record tells another story.” At last! A point I raised in Polemical Judo. The GOP hurls slurs to cover the pure fact they are VASTLY worse in every metric of turpitude. The long list includes far, far more sexual perverts and predators, including several who were TOP leaders of the party. One of the top reasons you can assume at least 25% odds any high level Republican is being blackmailed.

FINALLY someone with a megaphone is saying it.

And here is the article.
Continue reading

Posted in Morality, Politics | Comments Off on LQCs: Moral Turpitude and Government Bureaucracy