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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» Previous Views from Medina Road (2010-2013)
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Recent Posts
- Incompetence and Restlessness
- Sea Change: Living in History, and Most People Not Noticing
- A Continual Stream of Lies and Gaslighting
- How Soon Will This Madness End?
- Mark Lilla, IGNORANCE AND BLISS
- Today’s Political Readings from Facebook and Substack
- What They Mean By Traditional
- Richard Dawkins: THE MAGIC OF REALITY
- And They’re Doing It All In Plain Sight
- Diversity is Out, Racism is In
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Archives
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Meta
Category Archives: Personal history
A Continual Stream of Lies and Gaslighting
Trump claims Ukraine started the war; Zelensky accuses him of living in “disinformation space”; Musk, corrected about the lie that 150-year-old people are still receiving Social Security, keeps spreading that lie; Tom Nichols on Trump and Musk and Hannity, who … Continue reading
Consolidations and Resolutions
More discussion today of what I got done in 2024, and about my ongoing project that will extend into 2025. This is to start consolidating all my writing ideas from the past decade into some overall framework. I’ve been doing … Continue reading
Posted in Personal history, The Book
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End of Year 2024
I don’t do this every year, but today I’m inclined to write about what’s gone on this past year, what if anything I’ve “accomplished,” and what if any “progress” I’ve made toward long-term goals. About books read, settling Larry’s estate, … Continue reading
Posted in Personal history
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Driving the I5, and Varieties of Dining Experience
Another quick trip from the Bay Area to LA over the past few days of the Christmas Holiday, constrained as usual by work schedules. It’s a 370 mile trip, from our place in Oakland to the West LA area where … Continue reading
Posted in Personal history
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Institutions and Indoctrination
Today’s neighborhood cookies party. Fareed Zakaria how democracy depends on its institutions; The Trump administration will indoctrinate Federal employees with MAGA training; A West Virginia mayor reject a Pagan float in a Christmas Parade; How Trump is stocking his cabinet … Continue reading
Posted in Personal history, Politics
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Car Hits Power Pole
Short post today, since as I was sitting down to write it, an hour and a half ago now, the power went out. This was around 4:20pm. I sat and read a book. Power back about 5:40. Car hit power … Continue reading
Posted in Human Nature, Personal history, Politics
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October Heat Wave, and Dark Skies
We’re a week or more into a heat wave in the Bay Area, and it’s at least the 6th day in a row the temperature here in Oakland has been above 90. Ever since last weekend the forecasters predicted the … Continue reading
Posted in Astronomy, Personal history
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Three Weeks: Leaving My Life Up to Me
My partner Y left late last night (I had to drive him to SFO well past our usual bedtime) for a three-week trip to China. (Partly business, partly family.) We’ve been together some 23 years, and this will be the … Continue reading
Posted in Personal history
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DNC and Late August Goings-On
Last night was the end of the Democratic National Convention, with Kamala Harris’s acceptance speech as nominee for president, and it’s been well-covered in all the news media. Most of us thought Harris did quite well, as she bridged from … Continue reading
Posted in Personal history, Politics
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Nostalgia, Weird Ideas, Joy vs Grimness, Prayers
Tom Nichols on how nostalgia for the past tells us lies; More on JD Vance’s tribal morality and short-term thinking; Robert Reich on Kamala’s joy and Donald’s grimness; And the meaning of why Trump rallies open with Christian prayers. —— … Continue reading
Posted in Personal history, Politics, Psychology, Religion
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