Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

What People Know, Think They Know, or Believe, vs. How They Act

Posted on 26 July 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

In particular, about a GOP congressman’s hypocrisy concerning his son’s gay marriage, how the Republican witnesses at the Jan. 6th hearing abandoned their jobs only at the last possible minute, and how people in red states have a distorted view … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on What People Know, Think They Know, or Believe, vs. How They Act

David Brin, POLEMICAL JUDO

Posted on 25 July 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

This is a 2019 book, self-published, subtitled “A Brazen Guide for Sane Americans to Bypass Trench Warfare and Win Our Life or Death Struggle for Civilization.” This is a book full of sound and fury, an expression of Brin’s rage … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Conservative Resistance, Politics | Comments Off on David Brin, POLEMICAL JUDO

Imposters

Posted on 24 July 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Imposter Christianity, imposter conclusions, imposter patriots, imposter politicians. CNN, John Blake, 24 July 2022: An ‘imposter Christianity’ is threatening American democracy A take on the obvious observation that so many Christians say they believe one thing while in fact doing … Continue reading →

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Shatner on Trek Since Him, and What That Might Mean

Posted on 23 July 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

The Hollywood Reporter, Ryan Fish, 21 July 2022: William Shatner Sounds Off on ‘Star Wars,’ Latest ‘Star Trek’ Shows During Lively Comic-Con Appearance Heavy.com, Eric Pesola, 22 July 2022: Is Shatner right? Is Roddenberry ‘Turning In His Grave’ Over New … Continue reading →

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Greatest Fictional Deaths

Posted on 22 July 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Slate posted this long list and several sidebar articles/interviews on Wednesday. (I’m guessing they compiled it a while back and waited for a relatively slow news day to post it.) Slate, Dan Kois, 20 July 2022: The 50 Greatest Fictional … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Narrative, Personal history | Comments Off on Greatest Fictional Deaths

Admitting When You’re Wrong

Posted on 21 July 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Here is something that honest journalists (and scientists) understand and do, but which conservatives and the religious never do: admit they were wrong, and change their minds. That’s intellectual honesty. Today’s NYT has a set of eight essays by its … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Technology | Comments Off on Admitting When You’re Wrong

Played by Evolution

Posted on 20 July 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

The motivations of those who think most harshly of abortion, homosexuality, transsexuals, and so on, are enacting the harshest strategies for species survival and growth of a process they don’t believe in: evolution. Happiness and well-being of actual living individual … Continue reading →

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World Views and Cosmic Views

Posted on 19 July 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Two items today by Adam Lee. OnlySky, Adam Lee, 17 Jul 2022: How to tell if you’re in a bubble OnlySky, Adam Lee, 19 July 2022: My humanism comes from the stars

Posted in Cosmology, Morality | Comments Off on World Views and Cosmic Views

Government Propagandizing and Proselytizing

Posted on 18 July 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

NYT, 16 Jul 2022: Putin Aims to Shape a New Generation of Supporters, Through Schools, subtitled, “Sweeping changes in the curriculum will soon cast the Russian president as a pivotal historical figure and mark an end of openness to the … Continue reading →

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Polarization and the Pace of Change

Posted on 17 July 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

The New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert, January 3 & 10, 2022 issue: How Politics Got So Polarized Subtitled: “In a new era of hyperpartisan identities, can anything bring ‘us’ and ‘them’ together?”

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture | Comments Off on Polarization and the Pace of Change