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 (2003-2013)
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Meta
Category Archives: Politics
Explaining Trump and his Followers; Conservatives’ Lies about Heartstopper
Two kinds of boomers, and the naivete of older people about how social media works; Why Republican voters believe Trump — it’s all about their feelings of victimhood; An example of how pearl-clutching conservatives lie about Heartstopper. Not one but … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Psychology, The Gays
Comments Off on Explaining Trump and his Followers; Conservatives’ Lies about Heartstopper
Jocks In, Academics Out
How that college in Florida is transforming itself to focusing on jocks, rather than academics; How at least one commentator thinks Trump is doomed and will go to jail, while I’m not so sure; Then several items about conservatives’ explicit … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Religion
Comments Off on Jocks In, Academics Out
Corridors
The way I would have reimagined the Enterprise for Strange New Worlds; Five rules for reading the news, from Big Think, and my thoughts about them; Apocalyptic rhetoric from the right; conspiracy theories about the Maui wildfires. I’ve enjoyed the … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Psychology, Star Trek
Comments Off on Corridors
Why I Hate Pop Concerts
Today’s lead article is about those of us who dislike attending pop concerts, even of singers and bands we otherwise admire and adore; Then, about PragerU; the “lost boys” on the American Right; and Lukianoff & Haidt’s book about Coddling, … Continue reading
Feeding Voters a Fantasy World
The most alarming thing I’ve learned in the past decade is how so many ordinary people are not smart, not well-educated, are susceptible to political ideology and religious zealotry, and are driven by ideology and zealotry to try to take … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, History, Politics, Science
Comments Off on Feeding Voters a Fantasy World
American Fragility and the Latest Political Hijinks
David Brooks on a kind of American decline, echoing some points of a 2018 book I happen to be half-way through reading; Quick links about slitting throats, Republican credulity, and firing Democrats; John Scalzi on that Ohio ballot measure. Here’s … Continue reading
The Rule of Law, Degrees of Conspiracy Theorists, and Martin Gardner
If Trump’s trial is on TV, will Americans, even his supporters, accept the outcome?; How traditional conspiracy theorists are alarmed by modern conspiracy theorists; Recalling Martin Gardner’s Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science; And just noting a few … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Psychology
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More About Who’s to Blame for Trump
A Slate writer responds to NYT’s David Brooks about how the “elites” are to blame for Trump culture; A David Brin post; Some quick links with comments… Phil Plait on seeing the Milky Way; And George Michael’s “You Have Been … Continue reading
Saturday Updates
More from NY Times on Republican plans to let climate change wreck the planet; Updates on stories about DeSantis slitting throats and A.P. Psychology in Florida; Another story about a Republican claiming credit for a Biden initiative that he fought; … Continue reading
Posted in Conservative Resistance, Politics, Science
Comments Off on Saturday Updates
Figuring Out Trump Voters
Two views to explain the loyalty of Trump voters. There was a long NYT op-ed by David Brooks posted a couple days ago and printed in today’s paper, offering an irresistible counter-intuitive thesis. And a response today by a writer … Continue reading
