Category Archives: Personal history

About Changing SF Book Lengths and Formats

Posted on Thursday 10 March 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Some more SF history, here in drafty first draft; first written last October, cleaned up a bit here. My target for essays like these are the very casual consumers of science fiction books and movies, and even some sophisticated current … Continue reading →

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Emeryville Marina Park

Posted on Saturday 5 March 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Today’s walk was along another one of those several peninsulas that stick out into the Bay from the Berkeley shoreline, this one the southernmost, technically in Emeryville (famous for being the location of Pixar).

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Watching the News

Posted on Monday 28 February 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Yesterday I quoted Robert Reich about the mainstream media — his issues were that they favor the status quo; they lack discussion of critical public choices; and they indulge in false equivalences — and ended by remarking that what I … Continue reading →

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Media Literacy; Endpieces

Posted on Sunday 27 February 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Trying to find something to discuss today besides the latest war news and the latest right-wing conspiracy thinking. Just one linked item today, I think, then some endpiece items. (Graphic by Robert Reich.)

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Phil Plait, BAD ASTRONOMY (the book)

Posted on Thursday 24 February 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled, “Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing ‘Hoax’” Published in trade paperback by John Wiley & Sons, 2002.

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Montclair Railroad Trail

Posted on Sunday 20 February 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Saturday, per my recent policy to find locations for weekend walks or hikes that we’ve never been to, I found something called the Montclair Railroad trail, shown on the map here (click to enlarge):

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Berlin in 1993; The Dark 21st Century; Wordle

Posted on Friday 18 February 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Today’s L&Qs&Cs, about where the 21st century is heading after the optimism of the 1990s, with a recollection about being in Berlin in 1993. Today’s endpiece, about Wordle.

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Albany Mudflats and Bulb, and Costco

Posted on Sunday 13 February 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Today we went for a walk along the Berkeley bay shore, thinking to avoid traffic by setting off while that big football game everyone is talking about was playing. But we weren’t paying close attention and left about half an … Continue reading →

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Doctor’s Visit

Posted on Thursday 10 February 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

On Thursday I posted a “placeholder” post just so that any of my tens of readers would know I was still alive and posting and not missing a day. Today as I write is Friday and this post will replace … Continue reading →

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Ls&Cs: How Big Lies are more easily believed than small ones; Supreme Court predictions

Posted on Sunday 6 February 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Two pieces about politics, but not for their political content, exactly. Plus an endpiece.

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