A Tune for the Times 0
From the Youtube page:
“Agony” is one of the many extraordinary and hilarious songs from Stephen Sondheim’s magnificent “Into the Woods” (1986) which has long been a family favourite. The original involves two fairytale princes reflecting on their painful pursuit of maidens within the intertwined plots of Brothers Grimm tales. Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen did a great job in the 2014 movie but we think the most perfect take was sung by Robert Westenburg and Chuck Wagner in the original Broadway production.
It would naturally have been better to cast Alfie as the Second Prince … but needs must with topical parodies, and he was off playing cricket for Faversham today. So this is Ben and Tom (with help and some giggling behind the scenes from Danielle and Tess) using the song to reflect on the unamicable breakup – playing out on all our social media feeds around the world – between the two powerful but petulant men at the centre of the American government, Elon Musk and Donald Trump. It’s hard not to get the popcorn out and wait for the next move in their toddler antics, especially if you are not a fan of the administration and its manic instability. It was tempting to try to shoehorn more references in (to bills, lawns, karma, tariffs, and pork), but we mostly gravitated to Sondheim’s original framework because it’s so strong. Plus, there’s a reprise of “Agony” in Act II so this may end up as a Suella Braverman-style refrain.
The Ruler of Lawless 0
David analyzes the aspiring authoritarian’s actions. I cannot take issue with his analysis. (Warning: Short promo at the end.)
At AK,com, Roy S. Johnson has more.
“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0
Steve M. hears a rhyme echoing all the way from the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
_______________
*Mark Twain.
Suffer the Children 0
One more time, that’s not scripture. That’s Republican policy.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Another oxymoronic “responsible gun owner” exposes his portable phallus to his child, and another child is sacrificed to America’s leaden idol.
“An Armed Society If a Polite Society” 0
And, as we know, a polite society is a clean society.
A child was injured in an accidental shooting Sunday evening in Fort Worth, according to police.
(snip)
According to police, the family told investigators a family member was cleaning the gun when it misfired. The child was hit by a ricocheted bullet, police say.
Aside:
Whoever wrote this story needs to look up “misfire.” It doesn’t mean what the writer seems to think it means, just as “accidental” is not just another word for “negligent.”
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Farron argues that Stephen Miller is upset because there’s no there there.
“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0
Now, I’m starting to hear a rhyme, and it sounds something sort of like, I can’t quite make it out, it’s a little distorted, maybe “Tempt Fate“?
___________________
*Mark Twain.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Simple-minded? It’s starting to look like it.
John Nosta points out that (emphasis added)
- An Apple study finds AI reasoning collapses as task complexity increases.
- LLMs often simulate logic without truly understanding it.
- Fluency isn’t thought, and while AI may sound smart, it can fail where it matters most.
Follow the link for a detailed exploration of each point he points out.
All the News that Fits 0
John Amato reports on a Trumpled truth-teller.
QOTD 0
James Noble, in the voice of Governor Eugene Xavier Gatling, and Robert Guillaume, in the voice of Benson DuBois:
Eugene: I don’t have the qualifications to be President.
Benson: Never stopped anybody before.