Category Archives: Culture

James Morrow: We’re not tourists on this planet, we’re citizens

Posted on Wednesday 24 June 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Many thoughts resonate with me in the James Morrow interview in the June issue of Locus, which I excerpted here. E.g., That’s the great gift of the 18th-century Enlightenment, that insistence on a conversation that must never stop, a conversation … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Culture, Evolution, Personal history, Quote at Length | Comments Off on James Morrow: We’re not tourists on this planet, we’re citizens

The Sixth Extinction and the Pope’s Encyclical

Posted on Monday 22 June 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Weekend Facebook post, amended: The Sixth Extinction: Curious this topic is in the news suddenly, all over the past couple days, since the idea has been recognized for years and the latest Pulitzer Prize winning nonfiction book, by Elizabeth Kolbert, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Evolution, Religion | Comments Off on The Sixth Extinction and the Pope’s Encyclical

Upon Returning from a Wedding

Posted on Tuesday 2 June 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

I’ve tweaked a few passages in my Provisional Conclusions today, in light of attending a family wedding in a socially conservative state and observing first-hand a community that obviously thrives in the context of a traditional religious narrative. What my … Continue reading →

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A Month’s Worth of Links and Comments

Posted on Friday 1 May 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

New York Times, March 20: In the Age of Information, Specializing to Survive The Internet makes it easy to learn almost anything. And yet And yet, even as the highbrow holy grail — the acquisition of complete knowledge — seems … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Culture, Economics, Evolution, MInd, Morality, Narrative, Psychology, Religion, Science, The Gays | Comments Off on A Month’s Worth of Links and Comments

Interesting items from Sunday’s New York Times

Posted on Monday 27 April 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Frank Bruni: The G.O.P.’s Gay Pretzels Bruni imagines a letter from the RNC to the Republican presidential candidates on their handling of the question, would you attend a gay wedding? From Bobby Jindal We do not recommend the tint picked … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Narrative, Science, The Gays | Comments Off on Interesting items from Sunday’s New York Times

Links and Comments: Emperor’s New Clothes, Presidential Piety

Posted on Thursday 23 April 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Salon has been running essays by a contributing editor for The Atlantic [n.b.: ‘contributing editor’ might only mean, as it does in the case of Locus, that he is a regular contributor — he submits a column once a month; … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Religion | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Emperor’s New Clothes, Presidential Piety

Links and Comments: Republican analogies; Hugo Awards trolling; Religious freedom laws

Posted on Thursday 9 April 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

I’m way behind with day to day links and comments, so let me spend an hour catching up, if with minimal commentary or alignment into general issues. First, one of many examples of Republicans unclear on the concept of analogies … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Culture, Religion, science fiction | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Republican analogies; Hugo Awards trolling; Religious freedom laws

Links and Comments: Religious Freedom and Gay Animus

Posted on Friday 3 April 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

I’ve been busy the last couple weeks unpacking books and arranging the house, and so am backlogged with links and comments, including this past week’s news and many commentaries about the ‘religious freedom’ laws in Indiana and elsewhere. For the … Continue reading →

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Link and Comments: Common Core

Posted on Wednesday 18 March 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

I don’t have a horse in this race, at least not yet, but I’m fascinated by how conservative resistance to the Common Core educational standards have swung 180 degrees since the Obama administration signed on to them. Common Core standards … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Mathematics | Comments Off on Link and Comments: Common Core

Link and Comments: Slate on Rejection of Modernity

Posted on Wednesday 18 March 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Catching up on several items today. First, interesting article at Slate by Brad Allenby: The Return to Medievalism: Why is the world so troubled right now? Rejection of modernity and technology may be to blame. This consolidates many of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Religion | Comments Off on Link and Comments: Slate on Rejection of Modernity