Category Archives: Music

Black Shapes Gather in the Distance

Posted on Tuesday 20 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Items from the fringe, many related to my comments at the end of yesterday’s post. How Christian nationalists plan to use a second Trump administration to infuse their policies into all aspects of government; How conservatives claim to “disagree” with … Continue reading →

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Those Who Believe Things that Are Not True, and Those Who Try Not To

Posted on Tuesday 30 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

There’s a spectrum of people from those who settle into narratives, believing things that are not true, and those who try to escape those narratives and try to perceive the real world; Paul Krugman on how MAGA is not grounded … Continue reading →

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Late Afternoon and the House is Warm

Posted on Monday 22 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Another storm blowing through the Bay Area today. Jets are flying into SFO from the north, a rare circumstance. (I can see them from our balcony.) Our three kitties lie near me in my living room office, to be near … Continue reading →

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Tribal Psychology and Racism

Posted on Sunday 21 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

What evolutionary psychology reveals about American politics — nothing new here, except to note that these ideas have reached the mainstream press; A former Republican speechwriter summarizes Trump’s vile racist remarks; Short items about Trump’s confusion of Nikki Haley with … Continue reading →

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40,000 Stars in the Evening

Posted on Thursday 18 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

An article about what “fandom” means today, and my brief reflections on science fiction fandom; Fringe items about blaming the devil, why only Christians should hold political offices, book banning, what Trump’s “best people” have said about him, and an … Continue reading →

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Readings: Carl Sagan; Maggie Jackson

Posted on Sunday 14 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

A 1987 Carl Sagan lecture, just published in 2022, about the protocols of science and government and the need to acknowledge uncertainty; A NYT opinion piece by Maggie Jackson about uncertainty and how to manage it; R.E.M.’s “Leave” Quillette, Steven … Continue reading →

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At the Edge of the Continent

Posted on Saturday 13 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Today my partner and I finished setting up my chic new curved widescreen monitor (a Christmas present), replacing the two standard-sized monitors I was using before. This new monitor (technically a “gaming” monitor) shows roughly the equivalent of three of … Continue reading →

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Take Another Trip Around the Sun

Posted on Thursday 11 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Let’s try to drill through accumulated links, if only briefly, and then move on to other things. Among many items, these themes: Republicans and “God gave us Trump” and America’s “collective pathology”; Adam Lee on the idea that conspiracy theorists … Continue reading →

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A Dream of Oceans, and Sunken Cities

Posted on Wednesday 10 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Still enamored by R.E.M., which is why I’ve chosen another of their lyrics for today’s post title. Today: more items about trying to understand the modern world. How false information might be the top global risk in 2024; An example … Continue reading →

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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 →

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