Feb 042024
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X” by Anthony Davis. Most of us probably remember Malcolm X, if not in great detail. The important parts of his life were not published at the tiem, and after his death mostly in books, which fewer people read than read newspapers or the equivalent. At that time there were some real journalists, and I can’t help wondering what they would have come up with for public consumption at the time if only black people had been considered to have any importance. I don’t expect we’ll ever know. There was, as Lona predicted, a choke-up moment – according to the opera Malcolm’s last words were “As-Salamu Alaikum” – peace be upon you – and then the gunfire. Those who were closest to him at the time don’t agree, but the variants they remember, although in English, are actually pretty close. Musically – well, I’ve said for years the man can write music, and I stand by that. I was reminded a little of Lin Manuel Miranda discussing how he determined in what style to write all the Hamilton characters’ music – partly by their ages. “X” covers several decades, and Davis nods to that specifically in the jazz styles. In a different way, it struck me that three operas I have heard which were writtin by black composers about black people have all included a boy soprano to play the protagonist as a child. I don’t recall any other opera depicting that, and I have to wonder why not.

Also yesterday, I saw Heather Cox Richardson’s “Letter from an American” from Friday, since it came, as always, late in the day. I got a feeling of deja vu, and quickly realized it was because it was the same information Beau provided in the video in February 3’s Open Thread – except that Heather’s letter was in National-Security-speak whereas Beau’s was in Beau-speak. Still, it was cool to revisit the same story in different words.

I subscribe to newsletters from both the Atlanta Black Star and The Root – not just for Black History Month, but all the time, because it helps keep me on track with the perspective. For some reason, every time I attempt to load a full article at The Root, the screen goes white after a short time (I know, I know, past time for an upgrade. But it will have to wait until I am ready.) It’s long enough for me to get inough detail to search for the story elsewhere, and this time it was long enough to tell me that MSN had reprinted the story – for which I was most grateful. It helps to clarify the difference between money and votes. Yes, they go together, sort of – but they are not each other, and the one is not necessarily a predictor of the other. And the one will not win elections. But the other one will. Jaime Harrison is a rising star in the Democratic Party, and I believe his opinions are worth a listen. And I deeply believe we need to show more love than we are currently showing to black Democrats. Especially now, going into an election which we cannot win without them.

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Feb 032024
 

Yesterday,it was pretty quiet again, though there was a grocery delivery. I may be getting the hang of how to ask for help getting them in the house, or I may just have been lucky in who was assigned, but either way, it went smoothly.

VoteVets is up in arms, almost literally (quite literally if you can count words and images as weapons of war.) Yes, the link I’m providing is to a donation page, but at least at this page you can watch it without YouTube ads popping up. If you’re not aware of the kerfuffle from MAGA after they released their previous ad, this one may make you furious.

I don’t know how well I’ll be able to keep up with black history this month, but I don’t think I could have passed this up in any month. It’s good, very good, to see the “backbone of the party” receiving some the recognition which it so richly deserves.

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Feb 012024
 

Yesterday, the weather was less spicy – at least here. We are expecting a day or two witn some snow, but starting Saturday, it could easily be back to sunny with highs in the fifties.

Wonkette ran a guest article today, written by another substack person, Marcie Jones. I’m not going to say something like “you won’t believe it,” because, if you are paying attention, there really shouldn’t be anything you wouldn’t believe about Republicans, and especially MAGA gun-toting book-burning Republicans (Oops, i left out hard-drinking).

You all have probably seen this story … I thought that Law and Crime might actually be asking some of the right questions, though it doesn’t look much like it. It doesn’t actually take long for a video to get 5,000 views – especially if viewers are mass-forwarding the link and everyone is watching it at the same time. At least Pennsylvania has a clue what actually constitutes “Abuse of a Corpse,” as opposed to Ohio (no insult intended to Democratic Ohians who do know very well.)  Young Justin had better be grateful that no state or country today still uses the Imperial Roman punshment for the crime of patricide. It was epic.


Taxes are probably the least of our worries just now – but I did think this cartoon made its point.

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Jan 302024
 

Yesterday, I slept late, wnt to bed early-ish, and accomplished very little in between. I can’t say I feel bad about it – it was clearly needed – but I was finding it difficult to describe it. I guess this is as good as anything.  Now, tomorrow – on the 31st – I will load all the contining logos and images that we use.  I was in no shape to do it on December 31, but on January 31st, I’ll have no need to stay up late to do it.  And I won’t have as many as I did a year ago either.

While this is good news, it is also too little, too late. Between the systemically excluding black jurors (from the jury pool – they never made it to voir dire) to the truly outrageous use of a blind man as an eyewitness, this case should have been laughed out of court before it started.

Another gift from my cousin. The Post calls this an opinion piece – but I see very little opinion accompanied by a lot of history and Constitution (which might actually be a good rule for opinion pieces in general, mightn’t it.)

 

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Jan 292024
 

Yesterday, what I mostly did was finish two knitting projects – one fair-sized one on which I’ve been working for some time, and one so small I started and finished it after finishing the large one.  Not exciting, but there it is

Crooks and Liars has posted a video by Cliff Schecter which really points up the difference between the time when the Republican Party had Joe MacCarthy, and now, when all Republicans are Joe McCarthy. And you may learn something about the Illinois loyalty pledge too. It’s under 7 minutes, and if you watch it at C&L you won’t have to pay YouTube to avoid ads.

Margaret Atwood has been using her Substack to share a multi-part history of what the French Revolution (which she calls “The French Revvie”) was really like. This link it to Part IV – subtitled “The Vengeance.” I used to warn that if we didn’t make some corrections – and quickly – we’d have another French Revolution. And, yet, when I saw it, I didn’t recognize it. Margaret did. No surprise that she is smarter than I am.

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Jan 282024
 

Yesterday, as I said, the radio opera was “Carmen” by Georges Bizet. Though Bizet was French (some of the most Spanish of Spanish music written in the 19th century was written by Frenchmen) evryone thinks “Spain” about Carmen, and it is set in Spain – but Carmen is a Roma. So are her two closest friends. So are pretty much all the smugglers Romani. That kind of hit me in the face when i realized that yesterday was Holocaust Remembreance Day – and theRomani were as much a target of the Nazis as the Jews. Trying to read up in the Roma quickly is a little like trying to collect syrup in your hand – a little sticks, but more slips out. They are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, but they also live all over the world. They have been called “gypsies,” but they are not from Egypt. They have been called “Bohemians,” but they are not from what is now Czechoslovakia. Neither are they from Romania, but originally from northwest India. They have endured slavery along with other forms of abuse. I’m linking to both Steve Schmidt’s Substack – it’s not new material, but a collection of links to his earlier writings on antisemitism – and to The Conversation, to an article which addresses some of the ways in which the Jews and the Roms were linked by the Nazis (I needed a hanky. But it’s all very well to mourn the lost – it doesn’t do too much to prevent it ever happening again.)

Heather Cox Richardson’s Friday night letter did quite a decent job of summarizing highlight from the week, including a couple I hadn’t heard. If you have time, I recommend it.

Over the weekend, someone on DU shared the information that under New York law, you can appeal a civil suit, but if you do, you must first deposit the full judgment plus a small percentage with the court. I don’t know whether the legislators were thinking of interest, or court costs, or justice delayed – possibly all three. But if Trump** is going to appeal the most recent judgment, he will have to deposit $99 million with the court.

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Jan 272024
 

Yesterday, I didn’t have to prepare for today’s opera – it’s “Carmen” by George Bizet. I’ve heard it a lot of times and seen it several times as well. For one production, I played second violin in the pit orchestra. All the string parts are extremely difficult, mostly because Bizet liked to run very fast scales starting in the basses and running all the way up to the first violins umpteenth position, and then back down again just as fast. I did my best (which wasn’t very good). But even then, I can’t say it was a bad production. There may not be such a thing as a really bad production of Carmen. And today’s radio cast is outstanding. Now, next week will be another story.

This certainly doesn’t surprise me. We have simply got to stop believing everything a Republican presents as fact. They just make things up.

I know there are many Democrats who think that, like Manchin, Jon Tester (D-MT) is useless other than for keeping our Senate majority (which is oretty thin.) I would invite all of those Dems to read at least parts of this article about two Republicans, one of whom will be in the Senate if Tester loses his reelection bid. Sheehy is the crazier of the two, but Rosendale is close behind.

By now everyone will have heard this, because it is, to quote the article’s headline, “a big non-fracking deal.” And it certainly took climate experts by surprise. Bill McKibben said, “[I]f it’s true, and I think it is, this is the biggest thing a U.S. president has ever done to stand up to the fossil fuel industry.”

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Jan 262024
 

Yesterday, I got up somewhat earlier than I had been doing… which means I also got sleep earlier than I had been doing. But I did accomplish this. And we shall see whether this attempt to change the shape of my day works or not (i expect it will through opera day, and not much if any after.)

OK, this isn’t really news – it’s a recap and overview of the House Dems campaign to make the House Oversight Committee look like a multiple of The Three stooges. Not that that’s difficult, but I don’t know that we have ever seen such a coordinated effort from elected Dems before – and guess who is masterminding it. Three cheers!

Now this really is news, and about GD time too. My link is to Democratic Underground, but this DUer got it from Reuters, so in case you want more detail, that’s where to go.

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