First Looks category archive

Off to drink liberally.

Michael in Norfolk wonder when–or if–his pigeons will catch on.

From the Youtube page:

Here’s a song about #Signalgate – the flamboyant US security breach – adapted from one of our all-time favourite Bee Gees tracks, titled “You Were Not Supposed to Message it Through!” A quick parody turnaround, but only five of us singing as Alfie (actually our hands-down best fake Bee Gee) is currently away, and will be annoyed. One day we’ll have a proper go with instruments live, but for now this will have to suffice as a post-work / post-school knockup.

The fantastic original, “Gotta Get a Message to You”, with its uplifting modulations and incredible layered harmonies, was released in 1968 and got to number one in the UK and the top ten in the US. Apparently it’s actually about someone on death row, though we never realised this until today. Nor that there are some other lower harmonies in later verses that are a bit raspy, which we had fun with.

Mr. Newberger imagines what the White House Easter Egg Roll will be look like now that Donald Trump has put it up for sale.

The stupid.

It metastasizes.

At the Portland Press-Herald, Dorothy Jones points out that refusing to talk about it that will not make it go away.

Black Widow, with Van Heflin, Gene Tierney, George Raft, and Ginger Rogers.

If you can find it, it is well worth a watch. We caught it on Movies.

Off to drink liberally.

Now we know what happens when you run ruin the government like a business.

More politeness on the pavement.

We are a broken society.

At Psychology Today Blogs, Professor Sabrina B. Little reminds us that, on the Disinformation Superhighway

Accounts that generate clicks and views (those with referent power) are rarely the same accounts as those that are credentialed in a given respect (experts).

Follow the link for some suggestions for how to shy away from shysters.

Party with politeness.

Guns and stupid, guns and stupid.
They go together like love and Cupid.
Let me tell you brother,
You can’t have one without the other.

I have removed a few sites which seem to have blog-faded from the blogroll. And I’ve added a new one.

Play by the rules? You must be kidding.

Read more »

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett debunks de bunk:

Via C&L, which has the transcipt.

Farron debunks de bunk and details the misdirection play. (Warning: mild language.)

The Razor’s Edge, by W. Somerset Maugham.

I read it many years ago and was inspired to reread it after watching a movie adaptation on TCM. (My DL friend Spencer, who used to work in the movie industry, said of that adaptation, “Oh, that’s the good one.”)

I had almost forgotten what a fine writer Maugham was. I’m now working my way through another of his novels, Theatre, one I’ve not read before, which is in a collection of Maugham novels that my friend surprised me with because I said I wanted to reread The Razor’s Edge.

By heavens, the man could write!

Off to drink liberally.

At the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jim Lenkner makes a strong and disturbing case that we–at least, some of us–have devolved into a nation of tantrum-throwing three-year olds. He points to Donald Trump’s pardoning of the January 6th insurrectionists as an example:

Pardoning most of the rioters may be justified if it was rendered as an action of healing. Instead, our president created greater division, and sanctioned violence as a means to get what you want.

There is no contrition. Instead, we learned that violence is okay if it is for my cause. Stopping our government from performing its duties is okay if we smash and attack like toddlers for what we think is “mine.” And, we must never say I’m sorry. Contrition is for losers.

I can pick a few nits with some of his remarks, but methinks he makes some good points.

David discusses the storm of stupid that the California fires seem to have sparked in right-wing reactions thereunto. (Warning: Short commercial starts at the 4:30 mark.)