Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

Now is Greater Than the Whole of the Past

Posted on Tuesday 9 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Three items about how conservatives resist solving problems if those solutions would benefit the Democrats; A survey of readers, books they’ve read, books they own, and some of my own statistics; And R.E.M.’s song “She Just Wants to Be” which … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Music, Personal history | Comments Off on Now is Greater Than the Whole of the Past

Philosophy of Government, and other matters

Posted on Monday 8 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

How that DeSantis/Newsom debate revealed “the space between red and blue states”; Short items about folding paper to reach the Moon (the answer is 42), and Christian ideas about good and evil, beating up gay children, and Trump as God’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Politics, Religion, Science | Comments Off on Philosophy of Government, and other matters

Addendum to Yesterday; Daily Dressing

Posted on Sunday 7 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Two items today. First, I added a few paragraphs to my philosophical speculations at the end of yesterday’s post. Second, another life hack post (following the one yesterday about phone call etiquette). Slate, Fortesa Latifi, 7 Jan 2024: Wear the … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal history, Philosophy | Comments Off on Addendum to Yesterday; Daily Dressing

Phone Calls, Denials, and Reading Philosophy

Posted on Saturday 6 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Phone call etiquette; Denial of the Jan. 6 Insurrection, despite receipts; How denial of evolution resembles current efforts to deny democracy; And some thoughts about reading philosophy. Still under the weather; perhaps by Monday I’ll have the energy to get … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Personal history, Philosophy, Politics, The Book | Comments Off on Phone Calls, Denials, and Reading Philosophy

Basic Principles of Politics, Economics, and Zealotry

Posted on Friday 5 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Three items today. How the Republican strategy has changed; Zero-sum thinking (by conservatives) vs. division of labor and our modern complex society; And fringe items about God-believers and how God made Trump. There’s a commonly understood explanation for the long-time … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Lunacy, Politics, Religion | Comments Off on Basic Principles of Politics, Economics, and Zealotry

Watching Movies in Theaters; UBI; Reality; Why Everyone Thinks They’re Losing; and Epistemology

Posted on Thursday 4 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today: How watching movies in certain theaters (AMC) is a bloated experience; Why UBI studies are not making traction into political policy; A New Yorker graphic essay about how reality might exist only because we’re observing it; E.J. Dionne … Continue reading →

Posted in Epistemology, Movies, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Watching Movies in Theaters; UBI; Reality; Why Everyone Thinks They’re Losing; and Epistemology

Slavery and Abortion; Prophets and Psychics

Posted on Wednesday 3 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Under the weather for a couple days now; I finally caught the cold that Y caught end of last week just as we finished in Las Vegas. (Congestion, sniffling, sneezing, some coughing — like the colds I’ve had a couple … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Lunacy, Politics | Comments Off on Slavery and Abortion; Prophets and Psychics

Living in Space; Detox and Cleanliness

Posted on Tuesday 2 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Today some more substantial links from the past week or so. Going into space for art; Why detox treatments are nonsense; Our obsession with cleanliness. There have been thoughts recently about the very plausibility of mankind living in space, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetics, Culture, Music | Comments Off on Living in Space; Detox and Cleanliness

Thinking About Narratives

Posted on Monday 1 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

A way in which the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story makes sense; Contemplating the range of all human activities, including playing games and telling stories; The Mojave Desert, and Apple Valley as a portal between two worlds. Posted on Facebook … Continue reading →

Posted in Narrative, Personal history | Comments Off on Thinking About Narratives

Leaving Off with 2023

Posted on Monday 1 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

It’s 2024! Let’s see where 2023 left off, based on links I collected over the past week while traveling. Twenty-two items below, including these topics: Thom Hartmann on GOP scams; Roger Rosenblatt on New Year’s Resolutions; Mike Johnson’s alliance with … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Politics, Religion | Comments Off on Leaving Off with 2023