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Wednesday, May 14, 2025

New York Times: “Richard L. Garwin, an architect of America’s hydrogen bomb, who shaped defense policies for postwar governments and laid the groundwork for insights into the structure of the universe as well as for medical and computer marvels , died on Tuesday at his home in Scarsdale, N.Y. He was 97.... A polymathic physicist and geopolitical thinker, Dr. Garwin was only 23 when he built the world’s first fusion bomb. He later became a science adviser to many presidents, designed Pentagon weapons and satellite reconnaissance systems, argued for a Soviet-American balance of nuclear terror as the best bet for surviving the Cold War, and championed verifiable nuclear arms control agreements.”

The Wires

Help!

To keep the Conversation going, please help me by linking news articles, opinion pieces and other political content in today's Comments section.

Link Code: <a href="URL">text</a>

OR here's a link generator. The one I had posted died, then Akhilleus found one, but it too bit the dust. He found yet another, which I've linked here, and as of September 23, 2024, it's working.

OR you can always just block, copy and paste to your comment the URL (Web address) of the page you want to link.

Note for Readers. It is not possible for commenters to "throw" their highlighted links to another window. But you can do that yourself. Right-click on the link and a drop-down box will give you choices as to where you want to open the link: in a new tab, new window or new private window.

Public Service Announcement

Zoë Schlanger in the Atlantic: "Throw out your black plastic spatula. In a world of plastic consumer goods, avoiding the material entirely requires the fervor of a religious conversion. But getting rid of black plastic kitchen utensils is a low-stakes move, and worth it. Cooking with any plastic is a dubious enterprise, because heat encourages potentially harmful plastic compounds to migrate out of the polymers and potentially into the food. But, as Andrew Turner, a biochemist at the University of Plymouth recently told me, black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid." This is a gift link from laura h.

Mashable: "Following the 2024 presidential election results and [Elon] Musk's support for ... Donald Trump, users have been deactivating en masse. And this time, it appears most everyone has settled on one particular X alternative: Bluesky.... Bluesky has gained more than 100,000 new sign ups per day since the U.S. election on Nov. 5. It now has over 15 million users. It's enjoyed a prolonged stay on the very top of Apple's App Store charts as well. Ready to join? Here's how to get started on Bluesky[.]"

Washington Post: "Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases. The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding."

New York Times: “George Clooney’s Broadway debut, 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' has been one of the sensations of the 2024-25 theater season, breaking box office records and drawing packed houses of audiences eager to see the popular movie star in a timely drama about the importance of an independent press. Now the play will become much more widely available: CNN is planning a live broadcast of the penultimate performance, on June 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern. The performance will be preceded and followed by coverage of, and discussion about, the show and the state of journalism.”

No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land. -- Magna Carta ~~~

~~~ New York Times: “Bought for $27.50 after World War II, the faint, water stained manuscript in the library of Harvard Law School had attracted relatively little attention since it arrived there in 1946. That is about to change. Two British academics, one of whom happened on the manuscript by chance, have discovered that it is an original 1300 version — not a copy, as long thought — of Magna Carta, the medieval document that helped establish some of the world’s most cherished liberties. It is one of just seven such documents from that date still in existence.... A 710-year-old version of Magna Carta was sold in 2007 for $21.3 million.... First issued in 1215, it put into writing a set of concessions won by rebellious barons from a recalcitrant King John of England — or Bad King John, as he became known in folklore. He later revoked the charter, but his son, Henry III, issued amended versions, the last one in 1225, and Henry’s son, Edward I, in turn confirmed the 1225 version in 1297 and again in 1300.”

Back when the Washington Post had an owner/publisher who dared to stand up to a president:

Prime video is carrying the documentary. If you watch it, I suggest watching the Spielberg film "The Post" afterwards. There is currently a free copy (type "the post full movie" in the YouTube search box) on YouTube (or you can rent it on YouTube, on Prime & [I think] on Hulu). Near the end, Daniel Ellsberg (played by Matthew Rhys), says "I was struck in fact by the way President Johnson's reaction to these revelations was [that they were] 'close to treason,' because it reflected to me the sense that what was damaging to the reputation of a particular administration or a particular individual was in itself treason, which is very close to saying, 'I am the state.'" Sound familiar?

Out with the Black. In with the White. New York Times: “Lester Holt, the veteran NBC newscaster and anchor of the 'NBC Nightly News' over the last decade, announced on Monday that he will step down from the flagship evening newscast in the coming months. Mr. Holt told colleagues that he would remain at NBC, expanding his duties at 'Dateline,' where he serves as the show’s anchor.... He said that he would continue anchoring the evening news until 'the start of summer.' The network did not immediately name a successor.” ~~~

~~~ New York Times: “MSNBC said on Monday that Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary who has become one of the most prominent hosts at the network, would anchor a nightly weekday show in prime time. Ms. Psaki, 46, will host a show at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, replacing Alex Wagner, a longtime political journalist who has anchored that hour since 2022, according to a memo to staff from Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC’s president. Ms. Wagner will remain at MSNBC as an on-air correspondent. Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s biggest star, has been anchoring the 9 p.m. hour on weeknights for the early days of ... [Donald] Trump’s administration but will return to hosting one night a week at the end of April.”

Page Links

Tuesday

Dec242019

Christmas Day 2019

King's College, Cambridge, Boys' Choir sings "Once in Royal David's City":

U.S. Navy Band: Senior Chief Petty Officer Keith Arneson, banjo; Petty Officer 1st Class Joe Friedman, guitar. Dueling "Jingle Bells.":

Rufus Wainwright & 1,500 Canadian sing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at the Hearn Generating Station in Toronto:

When we lived in Florence, Italy, we bought a small black-and-white TV for our apartment on the Via de' Cerretani, a couple of blocks from the Duomo. It was on that cheap little box with its tinny audio that I watched in awe the opening ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Olympics. As someone we deplore might say, "There's never been anything like it." In this case, for me, that was true. A complication: Click to play the video; then click to play on YouTube:

My candidate for the Worst Christmas Song Ever is Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Well, it can be worse!

In a nod to climate change, let's not forget Leon Redbone & Dr. John's "Frosty the Snowman":

It wouldn't be Christmas without the Drifters:

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Reader Comments (6)

Decision:

Should I pretend I was taking a day off from RC to celebrate Christmas undistracted by the Pretender's latest Festivus tweet, and by doing so leave myself open to accusations of surly disregard of my esteemed cyber-friends, or...

....how about just a couple of quick peeks, one morning, one tonight, and the expressed wish that you all have a very pleasant day with friends, family or in your own fine company.

Merry Christmas.

December 25, 2019 |

Ken Winkes

Love all those videos––such a treat this morning. I'll add another old poem of mine–holding our breath before the war in Iraq that we knew was coming.

CHRISTMAS MORNING: 2002

In Trieste: Old men with sad stories gather every afternoon
In the seaside coffee shops

And here in Hamden, a Connecticut town
Covered this Christmas morning by a cold
Blanket of newly fallen snow,

Its people sleep late, so exhausted after weeks
Of frantic preparation;
Its children scramble down under
A tree’s bounty wrapped up with ribbons and bows.

One can see far across the field now
To the old barn whose roof glistens white against an ashen sky,
Its beams and timbers from an 18th century Vermont structure,
Standing barren and empty for decades
Like some glorious ancient memorial.

Oh, and look! Here comes the dog that belongs to the
Old man down the road who lost his wife to cancer
Not too long ago––see how his paws leave their signature
But not for long–––

And somewhere someone is singing carols while someone
Else is stuffing a bird while others are saying their prayers;
Someone has just died.

Outside it is so still it’s as though
All of us are holding our breath waiting for
The New Year to envelop us with a blanket
Of warmth, of safety, of hope.

And in Trieste old men with sad stories gather every
Afternoon in the seaside coffee shops.

December 25, 2019 |

PD Pepe

For most Americans today is Christmas, but for one newly declared "Florida Man" it is and will always be Festivus. The airing of the grievances has begun and will continue.

It adds a new dimension to the unending "A Florida man..." crazy news stories.

December 25, 2019 |

Bobby Lee

Always look forward to viewing the "White Christmas" 'toon/tune? Wouldn't be Christmas without those reindeer and Santa. (Also the Gnus! at any time!).

Wonderful holiday wishes to Bea McCrab and the RC gang!

December 25, 2019 |

MAG

Is it sacrilegious of me to be working in the yard today, getting rid of
grass and moving the borders? It's so warm (50 degrees) just can't
help it.
A Merry Christmas to one and all here on RC. Or as they say at
trump properties, fleas navidad. Or was that lice, can't remember.

December 25, 2019 |

Forrest Morris

@Forrest: I think it was bedbugs, but fleas is close enough. My Michigan family is also nonplussed by the weather.

Happy Christmas to all. My son’s first present to me was to sing the 9am service, I having sung the “midnight” service and gotten to bed around 2. First Christmas morning in a long time that I have woken up human.

December 25, 2019 |

NiskyGuy

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