Monthly Archives: February 2018

Ray Bradbury: THE OCTOBER COUNTRY

Posted on Thursday 22 February 2018 by Mark R. Kelly

Ray Bradbury’s THE OCTOBER COUNTRY (TOC) was published in 1955, part way through the publication of what I think are Bradbury’s three essential, classic books: THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES (abbreviated in future as TMC; first published 1950), FAHRENHEIT 451 (F451; 1953), … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Ray Bradbury | Comments Off on Ray Bradbury: THE OCTOBER COUNTRY

Desert Trip: Stars and Planes

Posted on Sunday 11 February 2018 by Mark R. Kelly

This Sunday evening I am concluding a weekend trip to the high desert of southern California, to an area where I grew up as a small child and subsequently spent many family weekends and subsequent summer weeks and weekends throughout … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal history | Comments Off on Desert Trip: Stars and Planes

Ray Bradbury Reread, Introduction

Posted on Thursday 8 February 2018 by Mark R. Kelly

In January 2018 I began a grand, systematic, plan to revisit the books by the core authors of science fiction. I’ve explored some of the books by these authors in recent years, and have posted reviews and comments about them … Continue reading →

Posted in Ray Bradbury, science fiction | Comments Off on Ray Bradbury Reread, Introduction

Trek Season 1 Rewatch, Introduction

Posted on Wednesday 7 February 2018 by Mark R. Kelly

In April 2017 I sat down, having planned for many years to do so, to systematically rewatch Star Trek, the original series, that ran from 1966 to 1969. I was 11 years old when the series debuted, and I saw … Continue reading →

Posted in Star Trek | Comments Off on Trek Season 1 Rewatch, Introduction

Link and Comments: Hollywood and Liberals

Posted on Saturday 3 February 2018 by Mark R. Kelly

NYT: Neil Gross, Why Is Hollywood So Liberal? Best guess: There is, however, a third explanation worth pondering: that the emotional requirements of acting are conducive to progressive politics. “The overwhelmingly liberal orientation of actors,” Professor Ross has written, “can … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Social Progress | Comments Off on Link and Comments: Hollywood and Liberals

Links and Comments: Sports and Trump; Pinker and Gates; Tribal Allegiance and Actual Progress

Posted on Saturday 3 February 2018 by Mark R. Kelly

NYT, 3Feb18: Trump’s Blood Sport Politics. The writer recalls “”The Sporting Spirit,” an essay written by George Orwell in 1945 that sought to reckon with the rise of our modern athletic-industrial complex.” For Orwell, the rise of sports was bound … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Social Progress, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Sports and Trump; Pinker and Gates; Tribal Allegiance and Actual Progress