A spit-ball theory that relies on 2 speculative premises: 1) CPAC was receiving Russian funding through Orban's Hungary and 2) CPAC has been a notorious bonanza for local sex workers. So, what was Russia getting with that money besides a vague amount of influence? Answer: a kompromat machine

Noticing that at least some of national TV news is increasingly focused on local/human interest stories, because other than a couple of national/international items they don't think it's worth the struggle to get into the main issues of our time (to extent they aren't already completely captured).

A perfect hoot: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZYR...

Never get in a war that's so long you only end up teaching your enemy how to fight you. (See e.g. Pyrrhus and Rome.)

@petridishes.bsky.social Just did a viewing party with 3 other guys of Jupiter Ascending on your rec. We had a gas of giant proportions--thank you for that!

This is Hungary calling, this is Hungary calling, not the last remaining station, but the first of a new day.

Asha Bhosle has passed away. Here's a tribute to her that those of us of certain age may know well: www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0Bk... (I like both versions, but this is the one I danced to more often.)

Are autocratic personalities particularly vulnerable to the sunk cost fallacy, or is it just the usual limits on rolling the dice again on the Risk board are absent?

Wow, it's been 54 years since I've seen a moon mission.

Chuckling at the thought of someone who is definitely not holy, roman, or emperor getting into an argument with a pontiff.

Some favorite cuts from the music rattling in my head this weekend--soundtrack to Ben-Hur 1959: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dApI... www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adv7... www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bE_... @listeningtofilm.net what do you make of this work?

Currently available for sale on our website: My Dear Hamilton. It's used, $8.49, and historical fiction about Alexander Hamilton. carpelibrumbaltimore.com/products/my-...

Very minor #ProjectHailMary spoiler below: * * * * I think a wall in the other ship may have been a parallel to the Pioneer-style plaque wall in the Mary--it had an orderly looking texture to it. Both of them had brought similar messages from home.

@hotgpod.bsky.social You've seen this?

Now listening to darylwriterguy.bsky.social When We Wear Real--a culmination of a tradition that begins at least w/ the Spanish Golden Age play Life Is a Dream, but flowering in a 100 different ways. Great SF & philosophical issue spotting, great characters, & plenty of humor amidst the existential.

Had a beautiful day for protest in DC!

@kierongillen.bsky.social Jesus K. LeChrist! Just read Die Loaded #5 and it was great to see all the LeGuin stuff in their (included her dead-on voice as genre self-critic).

Other have probably already noted that Punch is likely the latest avatar of Hanuman/Wukong, yes? (I know some have gone in the Planet of the Apes direction with this, but I'm going to keep Punch as my one optimistic thing.)

Hey folks, we've got this coming up next weekend! Check out the map on their site--there should be an event near most everyone in the country. www.nokings.org

Happy St. Patrick's! On this day, Yeats used to feature prominently for me, and this poem more than his others. It's about his realization that the arseholes were right. www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43289/...

We may think we're special, but we'll never be #BarbraStreisand sings again in public (if only ever so briefly) in memory of us special.

The lesson of the Ides of March is don't spare Mark Anthony.

Finally have time to start listening to Lisa Peers's latest: Motor City Love Song--a story of indie-rock, romance, and changing times. Noting in particular for @sarahpinsker.bsky.social and @randeedawn.com--it's not SF/F, but related to your other literary/musical interests.

I have a panel tonight at #AwesomeCon at 6:30--Alternate Apollo: The Fictional Space Race Goes On. Panelists are Alan Smale (@alansmale.bsky.social), Rosemary Claire Smith (@rcwordsmith.bsky.social), and Andy Duncan (@andyduncansf.bsky.social). Hope to see you there! awesome-con.com/programming/...

My favorite podcast, History of the Germans (@hotgpod.bsky.social), thanked me for my support in today's episode! Every Thursday morning I wake up looking forward to the latest installment. Highly recommend. historyofthegermans.com

Um, I think I just stumbled on a very bad oracle indeed--something I'd forgotten from childhood because it wasn't important then. From the original table of contents/chronology for The Martian Chronicles: "August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains."

Saw Michael Shannon's REM tribute band last night--the album for this tour is Life's Rich Pageant. Always loved this bit from "These Days"--maybe now more than ever: "All the people gather, fly to carry each his burden We are young despite the years We are concern, we are hope despite the times"

Morning thought: in the Star Wars films, we get lineages, not families--if it's a family, it gets killed or broken fairly quickly after appearing on screen.

All are invited to read my free weekly newsletter, Synthesizing Sense, which tries to put a sense of structure on the prior week's political chaos. davelelacheur.substack.com/p/synthesizi...

A military vet I know (he can claim the quote here if he wants) says that he/others used to be able to stop a lot of questionable plans by continually asking "And then what?"

Song for the day/month/year: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ntx...

Today is supposedly Pinocchio Day. Those happy few who know my War & Craft story know how truly sinister that is. #AmericanCraftsmen

Dave LeLacheur's (@djl71.bsky.social) Synthesizing Sense newsletter is a slightly nerdier version of Heather Cox Richardson reports w/ SF & gaming lenses on events. It's free, and he's nearing an odometer # of subscribers, so consider signing up & helping him get there: davelelacheur.substack.com

Life imitates art.

OK, I've read some of this history, and didn't see any of this goofy melodrama in the weather go/no-go decision, but if someone knows better, please let me know. (Also, it ignores the role of the Mortons from American Craftsmen, but that's still a well-kept secret.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdM4...

Received my contributing author’s copy of this—contains my story “Thieves of the Fallen World”

To riff on Dr. McCoy and Bad Bunny, love may be more powerful than hate, but hate usually triumphs unless love is on its toes. Happy Valentine's Day!

Two other small notes about #StrangerThings: 1) I think this season had a lot of James Cameron influence, so the casting of Linda Hamilton was fitting. 2) It was nice to see the science teacher's nerd exuberance, and hear the word he used for his technical trick.

Happy book birthday to Lisa Peers! Her new novel Motor City Love Song is out today in print, ebook, and audio. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/771481...

Holy crap this is extraordinary!

Since it's Superb Owl Sunday, here's a picture of the GOAT, Flaco.

Vague #StrangerThings season 5 spoilers: I think "Walk up the hill" was an indirect clue as to what would be there. Also, I hadn't ever heard Camazotz pronounced before--among its various meanings, was it also poking at the "Camelot" of the time of the book?

Started watching the final season of #StrangerThings. One thing I love: Maya Hawke's character rambling about mandalas. Look up her grandfather and you'll get the joke.

Happy birthday tomorrow to James Joyce. He had plenty to say about mindless nationalism and imperialism, but lately what's rattling in my skull are words from Finnegans Wake--the final thoughts of Anna Liffey as she flows into the sea: "The keys to. Given! A way a lone a last a loved a long the..."

Latest Oscar nominee viewed:# Frankenstein. The good: Bernie Wrightson-inspired visuals, great film craft generally. The iffy: odd story changes from both the original book and much of the previous film legacy--which at least made it a different film than what we've already seen.

Of course, no one should actually see the M*lania film--its artistic merit is only as part of the performance art of its public release, which is a note-perfect homage to the opera singer sequence in Citizen Kane.

Viewed #KpopDemonHunters last night. Something I've noted before in apocalyptic/anti-apocalyptic narratives was prominent--the role of the hybrid in opposition to ideas of purity.

Billy Bragg has given our moment a song.

From another winter, 1776: THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered.

Time to post this one again, because it seems more on point now than the last time I did. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VuD...