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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Meta
Category Archives: Lunacy
Links and Comments: The American Divide
Washington Post, Max Boot (a conservative who’s left the Republican party): No vaccine can end America’s pandemic of ignorance and irrationality But the biggest divide in modern America, I would argue, is between those who are rational and those who … Continue reading
Links and Comments: Politics and Conspiracy Theories; Epistemology
Another batch of links and comments, again on topics of politics and conspiracy theories, not because I’m trying to dissuade anyone in particular of any such beliefs (let alone supernatural ones), but because all these examples (more and more of … Continue reading
Posted in Lunacy, Politics, Psychology
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This Week’s Facebook Memes
Quoted without comment. Opinions, not claims of fact; From Gloria Steinem: How about we treat every young man who wants to buy a gun like every woman who wants to get an abortion — mandatory 48-hour waiting period, parental permission, … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Lunacy
Comments Off on This Week’s Facebook Memes
Links and Comments: Trump’s would-be theocratic regime; the perfidy of Fox News
How is it Republicans and Christians see no problem with this? Patheos.com: Leading SCOTUS Candidate Amy Coney Barrett Claims Bible Precedes Constitution. [Later edit: well of course the Bible literally precedes the Constitution in the sense that it came first, … Continue reading
Link and Comment: Profile of an Anti-Vaxxer
This one deserves a post of its own. Today in Salon, a profile of a hypothetical anti-vaxxer couple, Jim and Jenny. Inside the mind of an anti-vax parent. Subtitle: A researcher who studies the anti-vaccination movement digs into the psychological … Continue reading
Links and Comments: US rank in social progress; How to debate a flat earther
Are there any recent links that aren’t about Trump, or the Republicans? Well here’s one about American society in general. USA is Number One? NYT, Nicholas Kristoff: ‘We’re No. 28! And Dropping!’. Subtitle: A measure of social progress finds that … Continue reading
Links and Comments: Dishonest Republicans; Covid-19 Skepticism; Carl Sagan’s prediction of a charlatan leader
Why are Republicans so routinely dishonest? Do they think they cannot win without cheating? Or do they think they have some ‘higher purpose’ that excuses cheating (my provisional conclusion, which alas applies to every group of zealots throughout history, who … Continue reading
Posted in Lunacy, Politics, Psychology
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Status; Links and Comments: Conservative Willful Misunderstanding of Coronavirus Deaths
I’m behind on commenting on newspaper and magazine articles; it’s been almost two weeks! This is because, as I’ve detailed on Facebook (though I realize some readers of this blog might not see my Facebook posts), I’ve been busy finishing … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Lunacy, Personal history
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Links and Comments: Republican Gaslighting
All of these links just today. Slate: Republicans Are Gaslighting America. Will It Work?. Subtitle: Night three of the RNC was more revisionist history. \\ Salon: Mike Pence’s contemptible convention speech: A fable of failure, culture war and corruption. Subtitle: … Continue reading
Posted in Lunacy, Politics, Psychology
Comments Off on Links and Comments: Republican Gaslighting
Links and Comments: Republicans are Now the Cult of Trump
It’s official. Washington Post: The Republican Party announces that it stands for nothing. There is no Republican Party platform announced for its convention this year. No platform; no principles, no standards, no ideals. It’s all about supporting Trump. Virtually the … Continue reading