Politics Plus

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Hemlet.” But I should be more precise, since this is a 21st century opera, and not the first based on Shakespeare’s play. The composer is Brett Dean, an Australian composer whose work is new to me, and who appears to have been influenced by Thomas Ades.Among the personae, I’m only familiar with those songing Ophelia, Polonius, and the ghost (who doubles as the Gravedigger), but those three are singers I know and like. The libretto is almost all Hamlet, although the lines may not be assigned to the characters Shakespeare gave them to, and it’s been hinted a few lines are from other plays.Two of the singers are counter-tenors (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern), and I’m glad to see contemporary composers writing for counter-tenors – provided they also write juicy roles for mezzo-sopranos (and this opera does – Hamlet’s mother Gertrude.) I’d very much like to see it – for me, it works well to hear an opera I’m familiar with, but until I have seen one that’s new, I miss things. I should get a chance though – it’s being shown in theaters, which means it’s being recorded, and should be available eventually for streaming from the Met’s website.

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Democratic Underground – “Democrats officially have more seats on the congressional map than Republicans”
Quote – Y’all, with our win in court in New Hampshire this week, the 50th state is officially done with map drawing, the congressional redistricting landscape is clear – and Democrats and #FairMaps supporters have a lot to celebrate!… Democrats officially have more seats on the congressional map than Republicans – there are now 226 Biden seats to just 209 Trump seats. (This is +1 in Biden seats compared to 2020 and a vast improvement over 2012.)
Click through for details. This is a good news story which however does NOT mean we can relax. Democratic majorities for the midterms are not useful if Democrats don’t get out and vote – and we are notorious for that.

The Daily Beast – Utah County Gripped by Bizarre Accusations of Murder and Cannibalization of Kids
Quote – Utah County Attorney David Leavitt, who is running for re-election, is calling for the immediate removal of the county sheriff, Mike Smith, over a bizarre report implicating Leavitt in a “ritualistic” sex ring known for “cannibalizing young children.” The 151-page report, which was released by the sheriff Wednesday among law enforcement but has not been made public, is said to name Leavitt and his wife as integral figures in the trumped up conspiracy. The report claims the abuse took place between 1990 and 2010 and was carried out in three Utah counties.
Click through for story. Because this is why this stuff upsets me so. Anyone and everyone is vulnerable. the next pseron to get accused could be me. It could be you.

Letters from an America – June 2, 2022
Quote – U.S. District Court Judge David Carter reviewed a number of documents. In March, he concluded that one particular memo must be released under the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege, a rule that shields communications between lawyers and their clients. That memo was perhaps “the first time members of President Trump’s team transformed a legal interpretation of the Electoral Count Act into a day-by-day plan of action,” Carter wrote. He said that the memo “knowingly violated the Electoral Count Act,” the 1887 law that establishes clear procedures for states to certify their electoral votes and assigns to the Vice President the role of opening the certified electoral votes. Carter continued that the memo “likely furthered the crimes of obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the United States.” Last week, the January 6 committee made the memo public in its ongoing legal fight with Eastman.
Click through – there’s lots more about the memo – and more about the implications of their plans.

Food For Thought

Yesterday, I hadn’t slept well, due to a dull ache in one of my shoulders which wouldn’t go away and was just enough to keep me awake. Buy trial and error (lots of error) I was finally able to quell it with an [artificial] ice pack. But there was a lot of error which took a lot of time. So I ended up sleeping in.eventually I’ll catch up, of course.

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Wonkette – Oh Look, Democrats Are Doing A Gun Bill!
Quote – House Democrats are introducing some tough legislation on guns that can serve as a reminder that one party actually has plans to address gun violence, while the other blathers on about a catalogue of bullshit distractions meant to avoid doing anything about the goddamned guns. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-New York) has introduced a bill called the “Protecting Our Kids Act” that combines several smaller gun control bills; Nadler scheduled the bill for a markup session beginning tomorrow, even though the House is in recess, so the bill could potentially be ready for a vote next week.
Click through for story. I’m sure we could find it less snarkily told – but Wonkette does respect facts, so I’m confident of theinformaition.

Mother Jones – How John Durham’s Probe Has Exposed Trump’s Russia Con
Quote – Despite declaring over two years ago that he had reason to question the FBI’s opening of the Russia investigation, Durham has failed to make good on his assertion. His investigation has yielded zilch in this regard. His prosecutions are all sideshows. But Durham has done Trump and his cultists a great favor by providing material they can exploit for one of their favorite pastimes: deflection.
Click through for why this matters. Personal confession: That stern (by courtesy) facial expression of Durham’s is probably supposed to inspire fear. To me it just makes him look stupid.)

PolitiZoom – Gary Kasparov Chastises Those Who Would Sell Out Ukraine to Putin
Quote – Stop thinking about concessions Ukraine can make. They are paying a terrible price in blood, with decades of rebuilding to come. They are paying for years of weakness and corruption of the European nations that eagerly did business & diplomacy with their invader. 11/13
Click through for details. It’s from Twitter, but via the thread reader, soreading it is not difficult. I do believe players of chess (especially Grand Masters) are worth listening to about strategy.

Food For Thought