Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

Just ’cause you feel it / Doesn’t mean it’s there

Posted on Saturday 25 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Comments about that article that distinguished between “liberals” and “progressives”; Yet another piece about how “voters feel one way about the economy but act differently”; An historical overview about how the US economy is no longer the greatest in history; … Continue reading →

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November Links

Posted on Thursday 23 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Catching up on unused links from the past three weeks. A couple of these I’ll return to in detail. Salon, Nicole Karlis, 23 Nov 2023: The case for bringing a dish of gossip to Thanksgiving this year

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Authorities, Mythology, and Doing Your Own Research

Posted on Wednesday 22 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Thomas Bulfinch on mythology vs. Scripture; How PragerU dismisses climate change; My advice: do note “do your own research”; find an authority to trust that does not lie about reality. I own books that I’ve had for decades and have … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Religion | Comments Off on Authorities, Mythology, and Doing Your Own Research

About UFOs and other perplexing matters

Posted on Tuesday 21 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a provisional thesis (not even a provisional conclusion). The mysteries that most perplex us scientifically — like, say, the nature of consciousness, or what happened “before” the Big Bang — or that attract the most wild, often conspiracy-driven, thinking … Continue reading →

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Another Clear, Crisp Day in the Bay Area

Posted on Monday 20 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

A companion to yesterday’s post about politics. Because I’m sure people are as interested in my religious takes as they are in my political takes. (What is the reason religion and politics are never discussed around the dinner table? Because … Continue reading →

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Last Questions and Possible Answers, 3

Posted on Monday 20 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

This is my third post, following this one in March and this one in June, in which I consider the John Brockman book The Last Unknowns, in which he gathers deep unanswered questions about “the universe, the mind, the future … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Evolution, Human Progress, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, Religion, Science | Comments Off on Last Questions and Possible Answers, 3

A Clear, Crisp Day in the Bay Area

Posted on Sunday 19 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Going through today’s links, and earlier backlogged links, and today focusing on political matters. Are there better things to do with an hour or two of my life, a couple times a week, than to pay attention to the crazies? … Continue reading →

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A Rainy, Foggy Day in the Bay Area

Posted on Saturday 18 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

We got our walk in today during a break in the rain; when it started again, it turned to fog. (Meanwhile, making significant progress on the next expansion of sfadb.com today. Real soon now.) Various items for today; catching up … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Conservative Resistance, Narrative, Politics, Religion, The Gays | Comments Off on A Rainy, Foggy Day in the Bay Area

Liberals vs. Progressives; What’s the Difference?

Posted on Friday 17 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Pamela Paul in NYT distinguishes progressive from liberals; the answer is, the former are driving cancel culture from the left; How I’ve changed my mind about threats from the right, vs. those from the left; Jerry Coyne, who follows university … Continue reading →

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Decency, Bias, and Superstition

Posted on Thursday 16 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Over and over, Trump and his team, unable to win arguments on the facts, resort to ad hominem — character assassination; The contrast between conservative insistence on women taking a child to term, rather than abortion, with the mild inconvenience … Continue reading →

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