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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- The Overton Window of Deviance
- Shocked, Just Shocked
- Continuing Our Studies of Human Nature…
- Here’s a New One: Terrain Theory
- A Little Knowledge… Is a Dangerous Thing
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- This Is What Dictators Do
- Other Shoes Falling
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Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly
The Overton Window of Deviance
Amanda Marcotte on how Christians seem not bothered by the immorality of Trump nor his Cabinet picks; Bret Stephens on defining deviancy down; Timothy Snyder on how Trump is actually a fascist — and how fascists use narratives; David French … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Human Nature, Lunacy, Politics
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Shocked, Just Shocked
The broad trend, perhaps, is the discomfort of tribal human beings living in multicultural liberal democracies. How some people (who weren’t paying attention) are shocked that Trump is actually setting out to do what he promised to do; How Trump … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Culture, Human Nature, Human Progress, Politics, Tribalism
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Continuing Our Studies of Human Nature…
Today’s evidence. How MAGA is a gang mentality for white men who feel powerless; Adam Gopnik considers the difference between a mob and a righteous protest; (And I wonder about the American revolutionaries); Short items about Robert Reich and overereaching … Continue reading
Here’s a New One: Terrain Theory
Busy day today so just one item. We’ve had the flat-earthers, the chem-trailers, the vaccine deniers, and now there are those who deny the germ theory of disease. Boing Boing, Jennifer Sandlin, 10 Nov 2024: Germ theory denial is dangerous … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Lunacy, Religion, Science
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A Little Knowledge… Is a Dangerous Thing
Imagine that you work for a company that does any kind of specialty work, anything at all — urban planning, furniture making, aerospace design — and for some reason the company’s owner dies and his aunt inherits the entire company … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Science
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Politics and Psychology
Politics is as much about human psychology as about policy or ideology. Politics succeeds via simple sound-bites, “feels,” not policies or facts; It’s all about perception; How what has led evangelical Christians to follow Trump is rooted in racism; And … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Psychology, Religion
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There Is Always Long Term Progress and Short Term Retreat
An essay that proposes that the idea of progress is a myth; I disagree; Quick takes on politics, and crackpots. OK, I can’t help but follow the political news, but for today’s post I’m sinking links about that to the … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Progress, Politics, progress, Religion
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Rogue’s Gallery
A Fox News host for Secretary of Defense. Stephen Miller. Matt Gaetz for…. anything. We shouldn’t be surprised. Evidence that Russia is playing Trump; Trump’s picks for his cabinet are surprising even many Republicans; Why does it take two guys … Continue reading
Posted in Morality, Politics
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This Is What Dictators Do
Many topics today. Trump plans to fire generals who are not “yes men”; RFK Jr. plans to fire scientists who do not subscribe to his anti-scientific ideology; Federal scientists anticipate firings, and the parallel with the Soviet Union and Lysenkoism; … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Politics, Psychology, Reviews
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Other Shoes Falling
The pundits (and the Democrats) have been warning people about the potential consequences of Trump’s planned policies for months, if not years. Most people see higher grocery prices and don’t care about all those theoretical consequences. Paul Krugman explains why … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Economics, Politics
Comments Off on Other Shoes Falling
