Mark R. Kelly
» Founder in 1997 and site-runner for 20 years of Locus Online (Hugo Award winner in 2002). Founder in 2012 and still site-runner of sfadb.com (Science Fiction Awards Database). Retired in 2012 after 30 years as a software engineer for a certain rocket engine factory.
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Meta
Monthly Archives: July 2024
Life carries on and on and on and on
Heather Cox Richardson taking a future historian’s perspective on recent political events; The irony of Republicans accusing Democrats of staging a coup; Paul Krugman on how Republican accusation of immigrants taking away “black jobs” is wrong in so many ways; … Continue reading
Far, Far Better Thing?
So this is the week that President Joe Biden, under fire by everyone since his lame debate performance last month (which I wrote about here), stepped down from his candidacy for a second term as president. This is virtually unprecedented … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, progress
Comments Off on Far, Far Better Thing?
Subjective Worlds
First of all, I updated yesterday’s post to include the initial list of falsehoods in Trump’s RNC acceptance speech as compiled by CNN, and read off on TV by its fact-checker in the minutes after the speech ended. For today, … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Politics, Psychology, The Gays
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Lies and More Lies, and Fans Who Don’t Care
Many many comments about Trumps RNC speech on Thursday, accepting his third nomination to become president. He had promised — after his near-death experience the week before — to throw out his earlier combative speech, and instead give one that … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives
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The Incoherency of Religious Rationales
It’s generally considered impolite to point out the irrationality and incoherency of religious faith, but sometimes the examples are so blatant, you wonder if they aren’t signs of some mental disorder. Like those cases where brain damage causes one side … Continue reading
Never Mind Policy or Principles, Conservatives Need Only Stories
Politics and the Narrative Drive converge in items today. Robert Reich about how the GOP is courting unions; How J.D. Vance emphasizes his personal story rather than conservative principles; How Republicans cling to the myth of migrant crime; And how … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Narrative, Politics, Religion
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We tell ourselves stories in order to live
Yes, recalling Joan Didion, captured here. I’m not the only one who suspects this is true. Facebook, Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, friends-only post, 16 Jul 2024: I have spent… …a lot of time trying to figure out exactly what is inspiring the … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Nature, Politics
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Perhaps There Is Only Story
Now right-wingers are blaming the Trump assassination attempt on women; Those who come out and say that want to impose Christian Nationalism on the nation; Paul Krugman on Project 2025, and it would reverse measures established in the 19th century … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Narrative, Politics
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What Democracy Is For
It’s time for another batch of short items. NYT and LAT (before the assassination attempt) think Trump unfit; items about the Ten Commandments, Fly Me to the Moon, conspiracies, a comment on TV about how democracy should work; and how … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Human Nature, Politics
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There Is No Other Place
Cue the Conspiracy Theorists and Projectionists. Items today about yesterday’s assassination attempt against Donald Trump, and which side is the one that actually promotes violence. * Well, I didn’t suspect that so many on the right would blame the *left* … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Culture, MInd, Politics
Comments Off on There Is No Other Place