Open Thread May 22, 2022

Yesterday, I got up and checked the weather, and discovered we had had some snow, earlier that expected. I had to go out and brush it off before it froze – otherwise I’d never have been able to get it off this morning; But that had to wait until after the radio opera, which was Lucia di Lammermoor. Directors are always looking for new ways to stage this opera, likely because it is heard so often, and is so well written that, like La Boheme, there are some of us who know every note, and they want there to be some surprise. This production (though of course one can’t see it on the radio, but I saw some stills and watched a couple of shot excerpts) is supposed to be set in today’s American “rust belt,” but you wouldn’t go far wrog if you visualized “West Side Story.” But really, any environment with heavy-handed male domination works to conver how a young girl, emotionally (and mentally) fragile and with no allies, could reach the point murdering someone and then going into hallucinatory denial. Hence the “Mad Scene.” 19th century composers loved mad scenes because they were an excuse for highly decorated melidoes which could have nothing to do with anything actually happening (and of course sopranos love them too), and the one in “Lucia” is the best known for good reasons. But they were so prevalent, there is even a short one in the Ring Cycle (though it was only recently I realized that – it’s not presented as one.)  Finally, I sent copies to Mitch of all your responses to the update in Thursday’s Open Thread and he wants to thank everyomne.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

George Takei’s Comic Sands – GOP Group That Helped Take Down Cawthorn Now Has Their Sights Set On Boebert—And Critics Can’t Wait
Quote – So the American Muckrakers PAC said they are going after Boebert next with damaging info. Apparently they had a hand in Cawthorn’s demise. This should be fun…. They are starting with her finances. In the fall, it was reported Boebert wrongly used campaign funds to pay for her rent and utility bill. This came about when $6,650 was exchanged via Venmo with the payment labeled “personal expenses.
Click through. This may be the best news I’ve had all week.

HuffPost – Tucker Carlson Asked Hunter Biden For Help With His Son’s Georgetown Application
Quote – “Tucker and I have the greatest respect and admiration for you. Always!” Susie Carlson wrote back. “I can’t thank you enough for writing that letter to Georgetown on Buckley’s behalf,” Tucker Carlson wrote to Biden a day later. “So nice of you. I know it’ll help. Hope you’re great and we can all get dinner soon.” The emails were part of records retrieved from a laptop Biden reportedly left at a Delaware repair shop in 2019, first reported by The New York Post.
Click through for story. To me the biggest story is that tucker ever had enough testosterobe to father a son. DNA testing anyone? And the second biggest surprise is that Tucker once had a decent human being as a friend.

Crooks and Liars – In Case Alex Jones Isn’t Detestable Enough, There’s This
Quote – [Marcel Fontaine] notified Jones that he was not the shooter. They ignored him. When he began to get threats, he notified them again that they were broadcasting a picture of the wrong person. The picture identifying him as the shooter remained on Jones’ website for a full day, visited by hundreds of thousands of people.
Click through for disgusting details. Jones should be held fully accountable for this. But who thinks Ken Pazton is going to prosecute?

Food For Thought