Monthly Archives: January 2017

Thought Leaders

Posted on Saturday 28 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

A couple days ago I was dipping into Peter Singer’s latest book, Ethics in the Real World: 82 Brief Essays on Things That Matter, and saw him mention something about his being a “thought leader” according to some German outfit … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Links, Philosophy, Thinking | Comments Off on Thought Leaders

Links and Comments: Science, Abortion, Trump v Reality

Posted on Friday 27 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a great statement by Neil deGrasse Tyson: What Science Is and How and Why It Works The scientific method can be summarized in one sentence, which is all about objectivity: “Do whatever it takes to avoid fooling yourself into … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Science, Abortion, Trump v Reality

The Stars Have Names

Posted on Saturday 21 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s an interesting article from the December 6th, 2016 New York Times, Twinkle, Twinkle Little [Insert Name Here], by Dennis Overbye (the print title was “Twinkle, Twinkle, Who?”), about how the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has finally sat down to … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Personal history | Comments Off on The Stars Have Names

Not a Facebook post about Trump

Posted on Friday 20 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

I am not watching the inaugural this morning. I can’t bear it. I’ve even stopped watching most TV news, in the last week or two. For decades, I have watched the Today Show every morning, on NBC, for at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Not a Facebook post about Trump

Links and Comments: Right-Wing Prediction Failure; Why to Doubt; Culture Can’t be Rational

Posted on Thursday 19 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Conservatives, especially religious extremists, seem given over to paranoia and prophecies of doom, and they never learn. 10 Right-Wing Predictions About Obama That Never Came True Among those implicated: Michele Bachman, Sarah Palin, Joseph Farah, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Larry … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Right-Wing Prediction Failure; Why to Doubt; Culture Can’t be Rational

Fb review of The Girl on the Train

Posted on Wednesday 11 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

We saw THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN today, an excellent thriller, starring Emily Blunt. It’s a mystery about a murder that Emily Blunt’s character, an alcoholic who has blackouts, fears she might have committed. It’s a complex story about several … Continue reading →

Posted in Films | Comments Off on Fb review of The Girl on the Train

Fb review of Moonlight

Posted on Wednesday 11 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

So we saw Moonlight today, the low-budget art-house film that’s been getting lots of media coverage in the past couple weeks, about a young boy struggling with his identity as he grows up in a drug-infested ghetto of Miami. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Films | Comments Off on Fb review of Moonlight

Fb Review of Manchester by the Sea

Posted on Wednesday 11 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Yesterday we saw Manchester by the Sea, the new film written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, and Lucas Hedges, about a distraught man (Affleck) returning to his hometown after the death of his brother, where … Continue reading →

Posted in Films | Comments Off on Fb Review of Manchester by the Sea

Film Reviews: La La Land and Hidden Figures

Posted on Wednesday 11 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

A couple belated capsule film reviews, from the holiday week — La La Land and Hidden Figures. I loved La La Land, for its charming cheerful songs, its tour of LA locations — especially Griffith Park, that freeway ramp along … Continue reading →

Posted in Films | Comments Off on Film Reviews: La La Land and Hidden Figures

Some Links from Facebook: Asimov; California; Google Sky; Haidt

Posted on Wednesday 11 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

I keep ‘saving’ links or posts on Facebook that I don’t get around to right away, to read or post. Here are a few from the dozen I’ve saved in the past month or so. NPR: Adopting a Sci-Fi Way … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Some Links from Facebook: Asimov; California; Google Sky; Haidt