"This is the Voice of Moderation. I wouldn't go so far as to say we've actually SEIZED the radio station . . . "
by liberal japonicus An open thread was requested to talk about the Witkoff deal. Some prescient comment from March on Witkoff, the man called ‘the dumbest of Trump’s advisors’ by one of Woodward’s background sources. Witkoff is also good at giving away negotiating positions, when he chooses to do so. This includes a certainty that … Read more
by liberal japonicus Alfred the Great was surprised by ‘the Great Heathen Army’ (a great name for a punk band) led by Viking King Guthrum and escaped disguised as a peasant. While in disguise, he was able to hide in a cowherd’s hut and the cowherd’s wife asked him to watch some oatcakes on a … Read more
No weasel, but maybe a bubble. Nvidia posts earnings tomorrow. https://investor.nvidia.com/events-and-presentations/events-and-presentations/default.aspxPeter Thiel’s hedge fund, Thiel Marco, revealed in its regulatory filing late last week that they had sold off all of their Nvidia holdings during the third quarter. As did SoftBank. The “Big Short” guy shorted Nvidia to the tune of $186M in the third … Read more
by liberal japonicus I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been spending a lot of time watching comedians on YouTube, and beyond the laughs, I’m always interested in how jokes and routines are constructed. So it was a bit of luck to find the work of Stewart Lee, a British standup comedian. If you don’t like it, … Read more
by liberal japonicus A searchable database of the Epstein emails is here. Comment on any interesting ones you find.
by russell I have a long time friend, Kile Smith, who is actually a living breathing composer. He heard a recording of the Brahms Requiem when he was a teenager and decided, without much other background or context other than playing some bass and singing in his high school chorus, that that was what he … Read more
by liberal japonicus Well, folks might want to talk about this cave in. Have at it.
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