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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Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly
It Can Happen Here
I’m not the first to make this observation. Trump’s rise echoes a famous 1935 novel called (ironically) It Can’t Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis. Wikipedia: The novel describes the rise of Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip, a demagogue who is elected President … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, science fiction, Social Progress
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More About Regression Toward the Mean
Thought for the day. On the other hand, rather than thinking we must be living in the worst of times (see last Wednesday’s post), perhaps we are merely experience regression toward the mean. I’ve mentioned this notion several times. The … Continue reading
The Debate, and the Continuing Christian Insurgence
Comments about the debate between Biden and Trump three days ago, on Thursday; Items about Christian Insurgence in Oklahoma schools, and David Barton; And how humans are wired to believe anything their parents or culture tells them to believe, up … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Religion
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Hectic Week
In my retirement I’m getting very accustomed to routine days with no urgent tasks awaiting me. I read the paper, I do a chore or two for Locus Online or sfadb.com, have lunch and take a nap, then read a … Continue reading
Posted in Personal history
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You Are Here
If you know how to look, you can see amazing things, far vaster and more impressive than anything imagined by our ancient ancestors. But you have to know how, and be willing to. This is an image from an article … Continue reading
Are We Living in the Worst of Times?
Or is it only human nature to think so? A Scientific American piece about the denial of reality. Maybe the evidence suggests we *are* living in the worst of times. Short pieces about MAGA infighting and accusations, economists warning about … Continue reading
Posted in conservatives, Culture, Politics
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Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 4
Another five chapters, mostly addressing the fears people have with the idea of an innate human nature, as opposed to the idealized blank slate: concerning inequality, imperfectibility, determinism, and nihilism. Earlier posts about this book: post 1, post 2, post … Continue reading
Posted in Book Notes, MInd, Science, Steven Pinker
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How Language Changes, Sometimes for Political Purposes
Three items from the news the past few days. First, some quotes from a piece about how climate change deniers have refined their game. TNR, The New Republic, Genevieve Guenther, 24 Jun 2024: The New Climate Denial Is Based on … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Science
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Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 3
Summaries and comments about three more chapters of Steven Pinker’s THE BLANK SLATE; And YouTube tracks from one of my favorite film scores: Richard Robbins’ for The Remains of the Day. I’ll try to get through the rest of book … Continue reading
Posted in Book Notes, MInd, Music, Science, Steven Pinker
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Understanding Human Nature
Ultimately, everything in the daily news makes sense through an honest understanding of human nature. (It is not there are two legitimate “sides” to every issue.) Two thought pieces for today, then a bunch of shorter items. About how macaques … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Evolution, Human Progress, Humanism, Philosophy
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