Monthly Archives: October 2023

More Items from Recent Weeks…

Posted on Tuesday 10 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Hemant Mehta’s summary of the “Project 2025” plan by conservatives to turn the nation into a Christian theocracy; The trend in the US of the nonreligious; How drug use doesn’t cause homeless; it’s usually the other way around; and conservative … Continue reading →

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Numerous Items From Recent Weeks

Posted on Monday 9 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

How the worldwide migration crisis is about civil wars and climate change, but also about the internet and smartphones; How the Luddites were not what we think, and why it might be appropriate to be one now; About the new … Continue reading →

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The Shifting Sands of Religious Dogma

Posted on Sunday 8 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Ross Douthat on the swings of dogma within the Catholic Church; Politicians who “textjack” the Bible; Valerie Tarico on 10 thought processes that trip up Christians. The pieces today echo other recent items: the Veritasium piece (posted on the 5th) … Continue reading →

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Deep Questions and Tribal Answers

Posted on Friday 6 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Science fiction and philosophy; The next frontier of book bans; Ken Ham rues the difficulty of indoctrinating children; Paul Krugman on voters, and why conservatives still think the economy is bad. Big Think, Jonny Thomson, 3 Oct 2023: Apocalypse philosophy: … Continue reading →

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Evens and Beginnings

Posted on Thursday 5 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Veritasium on cognitive ease; How the world views the US’s disarray (due invariably to Republicans); How a century ago in France, smelling bad was a good thing; how standards about hygiene have changed; Two WaPo pieces about the decline of … Continue reading →

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An SF “Quiz” from 25 Years Ago

Posted on Wednesday 4 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a “quiz” I composed way back in 1996 or so, inspired by an earlier list by Connie Willis of quotes and names from classic (1950s and 1960s) works of SF, that she read off at some convention in 1995, … Continue reading →

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MAGAs and Ukraine; Trust in Science

Posted on Tuesday 3 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Paul Krugman on why MAGA supports Putin rather than Ukraine; An essay on why Americans increasingly distrust science; And in tribute the late Larry Kramer, the greatest track I heard when he introduced me to the rock band U2. NY … Continue reading →

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Psychology and Ostranenie

Posted on Monday 2 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

What psychology is good for, and its recent accomplishments; The idea of Ostranenie, a kind of defamiliarization, which of course is one of those things science fiction does at its best. Big Think, Elizabeth Gilbert and Nick Hobson, 1 Oct … Continue reading →

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How Politics and Religion Are All About Human Psychology, Chapter 5,271,009

Posted on Sunday 1 October 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

How dumb fascists can be dangerous, re: the Biden impeachment hearing; About The Shepherd of Hermas, an obscure Christian text, once popular, now forgotten; Why Trump wants Gen. Milley to be killed, and Trump’s belief in his superior genes; David … Continue reading →

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