Jul 192026
 

Yesterday, the Radio Opera was Boris Godunov, starring Bryn Terfel, in the original 1869 version, which, among other things, has no scene in Poland with an alluring soprano. The main female solo voice are those of Boris’s daughter (who IIRC is around 8-10) and her nanny. (His some is also pre-pubertal, so that’s also in the higher range), and they are only in a couple of scenes. Boris isn’t in every scene (those plotting to bring him down don’t plan in front of him) but he is in most scenes. Mussorgsky wanted it to be in the mold of a Sheakespearean tragedy, so there is some humor in it. At one point a policeman, with a warrant for another character – can’t read -so the guy he’s looking for offers to read it for him, but substitutes another person’s description for his own, so the policeman grabs the other guy. That may not be screamingly funny – but then neither is the porter in MacBeth. I will say the feature in my browser that lets me increase volume betond what a website can do got a workout. That’s not a criticism. A wide range of volume is a good thing and a mark of real musicians. But my house doen’t have the acoustics an opera house has.

This is long, especially for a Sunday, but I found it very rewarding. Thanks to our Mitch for the link.

This may be a bit overdue – but maybe I’m not taking the problems seriously enough. In any case, it’s a good thing – and not surprising in a state which keeps electing Bernie.

https://www.rmpbs.org/news/science-environment/aspen-acres-fire-animal-rescue
Just as Mr. Rogers mother always told him – “[When there’s a disaster] look for the helpers.”

From the 19th. I was lucky – I lived close enough to home that I could just stay there. Most people are not that fortunate. And we as a nation need those people who want the education to get it. We need them much more than we need the “fortunate sons.”

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Jul 182026
 

Yesterday, per Malcolm, Jacob, and Wajeeh, the Iran War is getting wilder by the day – or maybe faster. We are threatening genocide again, this time by threatening to take out all of the desalinization facilities. I managed to take in a grocery order. One piece of news I would have mentioned earlier but didn’t have a link for it. (I do now, but only because I DuckDuckWent it.) You may remember last year, bedore the State Supreme Court Election in Wisconsin, Elon was running around the state offering checks to individual voters, in violation of the State’s election bribery laws. This week, he was referred to the Brown County District Attorney for possible prosecution. The author of the article has some opinions, but you may well agree with them – I did.

Not that anyone needs it, but here’s an analysis of the Evil Emperor’s “speech” from Thursday night.

I also don’t think anyone needed any more proof that legalized lynching is still with us. At least this one has ended with compensation – not that even $750 million – or billion – can really compensate parents for a dead child.

Another righteous rant from JoJo from Jerz – this one in her own voice, about the ICE shooting in Maine. It’s under 3 minutes and there’s a transcript.

 

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Jul 172026
 

Yesterday, Kegsbreath announced that all military personnel would be required to take testosterone level tests, and, if indicated, to get testosterone therapy. If this is not the definition of “toxic masculinity,” I don’t know what would be. (And, as I have often said, saying “toxic masculinity” no more implies that all masculinity is toxic than saying “counterfeit money” implies that all money is counterfeit.

I have no idea what this is all about – but it certainly seems to be odoriferous, not in a friendly way.

I trust no one is surprised by this. Evil people are evil.

I don’t expect anyone to be surprised by this either. I think y’all are paying enough attention that you probably predicted it.

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Jul 162026
 

Tuesday was Bastille Day, and all the European leaders were in Paris to honor Ukraine. Of course President Zelenskyy was there with Mrs Zelenskyy and a Ukrainian fighter pilot led the flyover. I wish I could go on and on about it, but I would be remiss not to warn you about the cyclospora outbreak reported by The New Yorker (HHS is not helping.) Just as one example, Michgan generally averages 50 cases a year, but has seen 3000 cases in just a month. The described symptoms remind me of when I was in the hospital – believe me, you do not want this (Yeah, you might lose weight, but there are better ways.) The regular method of transmission is through uncooked produce. So cook all the produce you can (I know that’s not really possible with, say, lettuce) and wash strongly what you can’t cook.

Yesterday, Malcolm’s show (with Jacob and Wahjeeh went for 1.75 hours, most of which was details of how Iran has been pummeling us, and our unnecessary and catastrophic losses – not of people (yet, thankfully) but of equipment and facilities. I would love to hear from some of the women and Black men whose promotions to General were revoked – not what they would say for publication, but what they really think.

Juan Proaño is the CEO of LULAC – think “the Latino NAACP.”) He and Joyce talked about the death of Lorenzo Arauno last week and of Joan Sebastian Guerrero on Monday morning. You can flip through the transcript for such details as that neither was the person ICE were “looking for,” nor was any of the others in Arauno’s vebicle. Or that ICE stripped Arauno of all ID before the ambulance came, so that the hospital had to admit him as a “John DOE,” with the result that when the family arrived at the hospital, the hoapital could not cprroborate his identity, and it wasn’t until the next day that the family could actually learn he was dead. In the case of Guererro – and you won’t find this in the trancript; I had to go hunting for it – ICE claimed it attempted to stop the vehicle, but “the driver kept going. They said the officer feared for public safety when he shot at the vehicle, hitting and killing the driver.” Sure – if you are afraid for public safety, of course you would shoot to kill someone who is actually driving a moving car so you can turn the car into an out of control killing machine /S/.*

Of course the Narcissistic Navel Orange will appeal. But the Supreme Court’s term is over until the first Monday in October – so he may have to wait a while. Meanwhile, this ruling will not stop or suspend any disciplinary proceedings against Blanche and Woodward.

This link is to a conversation between Ken Harbaugh and Kris Goldsmith. They look to be a notably odd couple – but appearances can deceive. Both are veterans. Kris has survived serious PTSD (not that there is such a thing as non-serious PTSD – but some are more serious than others.) Ken may not have- but he gets it. I’ve watched a lot of conversations on Substack which were illuminating. Butthis is the first one I would describe as profound. It’s about 25 minutes (and has, of course a trenscript), so you likely will not want to drop everything anf watch it. But may I suggest? – that, instead of watching or listening to the speech tonight of the Apricot Antichrist, in which he will claim that the elections of Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock were fraudulent because of intervention from Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, among other lies, you consider this instead. Or afterwards as a palate cleanser.

  • I don’t remember whether I have used the symbol /S/ her before. in case I haven’t it means “Sarcasm” and is called a “snark tad.”

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Jul 152026
 

Monday, another killing by ICE. More on it and last week’s tomorrow. Also on Monday, Lindsey Graham’s sister was appointed to finish out his term. I don’t think I’ll hold my breath waiting for another Margaret Chase Smith. I expect to remain fully behind Dr. Annie Andrews. And yesterday – while I often use my new day up for catching up on personl stuff – I managed to strem I Puritani from the Met. It only became available on Sunday, and it will only be available until the 29th, so I knew I had to find time or miss it. I’m so glad I didn’t miss it! Yes, I had heard it on the raio when it was live.  But there’s nothing like seeing it.

https://thefuckingnews.substack.com/p/lindsey-graham-noted-country-ruiner
Andy Borowitz’s take on this is amusing, but I think Jonathan Larsen is more level headed. Graham was only 71. I’m in spitting distance of 81, and I think I look younger than he did (although he could move better.) Robert Reich is kinder than either of the others.
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/lindsey-graham-rip

https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/the-greatest-roosevelt-youve-never
Steve Schmidt knows what he wants to say, and he generally says it well. In this article, he wants to compare and contrast (but mostly contrast) two sets of brothers whose families have something out unusual in common.

https://www.muellershewrote.com/p/breaking-exclusive-fbi-admits-it
For anyone deeply invested, intellectually or emotionally, in the Epstein files, here is this. I hve not watched it as I type, but also have not deleted it, and may well watch it before you see this post. The woman in the screenshot is not Allison – Allison is blonde and has tattoos on both shoulders and both upper arms. She has filed a civil lawsuit against the DOJ on the release (failure to release) the Epstein files, citing professional harm as an independent journalist, and has the go-ahead from a district court that she has standing to sue, so she has a lawyer – apparently a good one. And – od course – there’s a transcript.

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Jul 132026
 

Yestersay, I saw Virgil – we played cribbage – I passed on a greetng from and old friend 9n Florida, and he asked me to pass it back (which I intend to do via Jacquie Lawson.) Oh, yes, and Lindsey Graham suddenly died. There  seems to be a lot of discussion about it. If I find one or two that are particularly illuminating, I’ll post them Wednesday.

On Saturday, Common Cause (commoncause dot org) emailed it mailing list (which includes me) to report that since the beginning of the year, they have tracked 149 bills in 38 states calling for an Article V convention. I knew there were numerous crazy people who want to use Article V to tear up the Constitution so they can replace it with an authoritarian document – but 38 states? That’s very unwelcome news. I didn’t put this up on Sunday so as not to contaminate the good news, and the link I provide is to their home page, but they may ask for a donation/ I am not asking. That’s up to you.

This week, Todd Blanche faces confirmation hearings for his nomination to Attorney General. Last Friday, Joyce Vance discussed the potential for these hearings with another former DOJ prosecutor – one who worked with Blanche when he was still sane.The link is to a Substack video, so there’s a transcript. If I had to summarize it, I would say that even after almost 2,000 years, no one still now why a disciple into a Judas (I would argue that it isn’t money – or at least not just money. There’s something else going on.)

And speaking of Todd Blanche, there’s this. Adam is a journalist who specializes in legal news – he’s not a lawyer himself, but a good number of lawyers rspect his judgment when he does proffer an opinion, which he doesn’t here. I personally am not panicking – but this doesn’t exactly help.

This is a bunch of coprolites. Of course it’s pure projection. A black personin the public eye like this has everything to lose and nothing to gain from attacking physically or verbally a white person also in the public eye. God knows it can be tempting is the white person is a ritchbitch (not saying Clark is – I know zero about her.)

 

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Jul 122026
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was The Makropulos Affair, based on a 1922 play of the same name by Karel Čapek – the same guy who populized the word “robot.” The opera is about immortality – and why it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’ll just stop there and go off to visit Virgil. And check in upon return (which may take a while – it’s supposed to be quite warm.)

I’m always interested in, and often excited by, medical good news. At 80, I don’t expect to benefit personally from this news, but, having empathy, I can appreciate its life changing nature. And – if this can be done with stem cells (and stem cells can be made from other cells), what else will be possible?

This was recorded a day or two before she arrived. So I can tell you she made it – and broke records – by a lot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelsey_Pfendler

You don’t often see much good news from The Root – and when you do, it’s likely to be bittersweet, as is this one. But I am always inspired by a celebrity stepping in to console and encourage a child.

Short and sweet. And don’t mess with Bella.

I think this is just as sweet as when both are in the military, and they are reuniting.

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Jul 112026
 

Yesterday, Wajeeh on Malcolm’s show reported that there was a scandal at the camel beauty conrest in Oman had to disqualify several contestants caught using Botox. This is for real, and it’s one more reason why people like Hegseth will never understand the Middle East (or, really, anywhere. He doesn’t even understand us, among whom he has lived his entire life.) And Frank Figliuzzi bumped thw atory of a STEM academy in Minneapolis serving the Somali community had a kindergarten graduation ceremony, and steamed it. I recommend not looking for or at the Prange Ogre’s Truth Social comment on this, nor any of the responses from his black-hearted cult, but if you must, have multiple barf bags on hand. And, not to be outdone, the state of New Hampshire picked now to notify Steve Schmidt that his (absentee) ballot on 2024 was not accepted and not counted, and that, since he therefore did not vote in that election, his name has been expunged from the voter rolls. Steve said this on the Jim Acosta show. I think New Hampshire picked the wrong voter to mess with myself.

Well, it isn’t June in January. Instead, it’s January in July. I wonder whether this murderer will turn out to have been a Jan 6 insurrectionist. I doubt we’ll ever know.

As convenient as the location of my Win10 is in some ways, there is no nearby mini-bookcase where I might put my pocket Constitution, as there was (still is) near my Win8. Oh well, it’s always on the internet, as are the Articles of Confederation which preceded it. In neither did I find the quote I was looking for. Which likely says more about me than it does about the documents. Not that it matters – the 14th would have superseded it anyway. I might just mention that it is possible to impeach judges – and justices – but we need to think about when it is a good idea, and when it is not. It’s not, for instance, a good idea to impeach and convict Thomas now, when the President will just appoint Aileen Cannon as his replacement and the Republican Senate will confirm her. Harry Litman’s take on the Barbara dissents is illuminating – and, like every former DOJ prosecutor who served in a better world, he knows whereof he speaks.

I think that all these officials (except, of course, our Orange Oligarch and his lackeys) have senses of decenct and decorum, as well as an understanding of unintended consequences, and along with self-control. They just aren’t going to spit in his eye or laugh in his face, as much as they might like to. And they all know – the whole world knows by now – that it isn’t possible to talk any sense into him, and that trying to do so results in tantrums. I really do think that good manners, as noncommital as possible, are the best way for foreign leaders to deal with him. At least until and unless there’s a warrant for him from the ICC.

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