"This is the Voice of Moderation. I wouldn't go so far as to say we've actually SEIZED the radio station . . . "
Liberal Japonicus 
by liberal japonicus I earlier noted Vance’s defenestration of his wife re: her religion, so when this article about how MAGA is none too pleased about Vivek Ramaswamy running for Ohio governor came up, it prompted a few thoughts. From the article: Ramaswamy posted a message on X soon after Trump’s endorsement, writing: Thank you, … Read more
by liberal japonicus If you couldn’t guess from the title of this week’s edition, these music threads are not always going to be music that is on my playlist, and I would be surprised if this week’s is on anyone else’s. After Russell’s fascinating dive into the clave, I thought that connections between music and … Read more
by liberal japonicus via Maya Angelou re: this You may write me down in historyWith your bitter, twisted lies,You may trod me in the very dirtBut still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you?Why are you beset with gloom?’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wellsPumping in my living room. Just like moons … Read more
by liberal japonicus The last post was about Vance’s response about his wife’s faith, which has gotten various takes, the most interesting of which for me are with Indian press (such as these from the Times of India here, here, here or the Hindustan Times here, here and here) and everyone is welcome to talk … Read more
by liberal japonicus I can’t imagine the bravery required for this student to stand up in the middle of a Turning Point agit-prop rally. Also take note of Vance’s oleaginous reply. The fact that it is at Ole Miss, while unsurprising, is the bit that makes me truely ill.
by liberal japonicus The word ‘band’, for many people, brings to mind school buses and high school students. This image has groups that are bands call themselves ‘wind orchestras’ or ‘wind ensembles’ in order plug into the prestige of high culture. This first recording here by the North Texas Wind Symphony, which is the ‘band’ … Read more
by liberal japonicus This paper dropped, which has a lot of interesting stuff for me, but I might have to put it in context for people not marinating themselves in these topics. J. Mark Ramsayer is an American legal scholar who is the Mitsubishi Professor of Japanese Legal Studies at Harvard. He first broke thru … Read more
by liberal japonicus The Bal des Ardent post mentioned Prince Andrew’s current difficulties, which seem to have gotten worse with the posthumous publication of Virginia Guiffre’s memoir. If you aren’t following this, Andrew, who has always never been the brightest bulb in the Windsor marquee, had a pretty extensive relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. One of … Read more
by liberal japonicus I was thinking this morning that maybe I was going to run out of stuff to post about. But then this, by Anna Bower of Lawfare, about how the interim prosecutor Lindsey Halligan, who is pursuing charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, contacted her because of a tweet she made … Read more
by liberal japonicus Is it just me noticing the synchronicity of the No Kings protests and Prince Andrew’s seemingly unstoppable descent? The other parallel I thought of was the Bal des Ardents, which is the pic above. Too soon? Have at it.