Yesterday, the radio opera was Mozart’s Don Giovanni, as I said it would be. Don Giovanni is not the nicest person in opera (how’s that for understatement?) but he has some truly gorgeous music to sing, and Speedo handled it like silk. Made my day. Also, 81 years ago today, Franklin Delano Roosevelt died. May he rest in peace (unless he wants to come back and strangle the current office holder.) Now – as the original Pollyanna would do – here are some (actual) good news stories to help you get through all the (also actual) crap.
This from The Root doesn’t start so well – but turns around pretty sharply. I was touched.
This from CBS Pittsburgh is a new way to raise money for a good cause. The cause is for children, the idea and organization are from a child the products are all made by children. Apparently the kids are all right.
A very short video from ABC News (the American one), including some information of which I, for one, was not aware.
Yesterday, the radio opera was “Tristan und Isolde” by Wagner, who is known for long operas – but this may be the longest (5 hours with intermissions) – unless you count the Ring Cycle as a single work. Probably everyone knows the story (even if you don’t think you do), it’s so iconic. Almost everyone betrays just about everyone else in one way or another, and in the end the doomed lovers die together. And you may well have heard parts of it too -it’s been quoted in multiple movie scores. At least one tenor and two conductors have collapsed and died after a performance. I looked up the photos of this new production and was somewhat spooked to see that they made Tristan and Isolde look almost like twins – or almost like the same person (Garnted, the photo is of the dancers who co-represented them – but still.) It fits, certainly, but it’s a new approach – at least to me – and it catches the eye, but it also startles. Debussy is credited with making the transition from 19th century art music to 20th century with “Afternoon of a Faun” (1912) – but without Tristan (1865) I’m not sure he could have (even though he made fun of it in “Golliwog’s Cakewalk”. People tend to either love it or loathe is (and sometimes both, though not at the same time.) Also – sadly – Robert Mueller’s death Friday night became public. if you want to wait a day before reading his eulogy (by Joyce Vance), I get it Off to see Virgil now – will check in.
This from Ukrinform is a bit late, and it is more political than I usually like to use on Sundays. But it made me smile.
In case you missed Gavin Newsom‘s response to the Saffron Sauron referring to him as the President of the United States – it’s classic.
Well, SOME people understand that Ukraine is important, and deserves its independence. And are willing to put their money where their mouth is.
And SOME other people understand the importance of bison – not only to the earth, but particularly to indigenous Americans.
And still SOME other people understand the value of music with relation to medical conditions, even in surprising ways.
Yesterday, much of the snow was gone. It took longer in my back yard, which is on the west side of the house. The radio opera was the second half of Les Troyens, about the Trojans’ time in Carthage before they made it to Italy so (in the myth) their descendants could found Rome. Although the inly singer in both parts was John Vickers, as in the first half, all the solo singers were people I remember fondly, including Judith Blegen, with whom I shared a violin teacher – not at the same time, but later, after the teacher had taken a job at the college (now a university) in Alamosa, where I moved after leaving the USMC. She was as fine a violinist as she was a soprano. (I should say is, actually, since she’s still living, only four years older than I am, but she’s no longer singing in public.) Our mutual teacher is not mentioned in the Wikipedia article, but pretty much all professional musicians have more teaches and coaches than could possibly fit into a brief article. He taught her while she was in Montana. There may still be a debate as to whether or not Menotti wrote “Help, Help, The Globolinks” for her – Menotti denied it – nut there just aren’t very many operatic sopranos who can play the violin at a professional level, so his denial is a bit hard to believe. Off to see Virgil now; will check in.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/family-reunites-with-dog-lincoln-park/
OK, this story starts with a stupid mistake. But it gets better – and then just keeps getting better.
https://www.witn.com/2026/02/23/pactolus-global-school-principal-greets-students-daily-with-music-grooves/
This story – is a lot of fun. And about how fun can help kids learning.
https://www.cpr.org/2026/03/04/alzheimers-disease-misdiagnosed-rebecca-chopp-former-du-chancellor/
This is long for a Sunday – I try to keep them short and bright – but it is astonishing, at least to me. really though that if we knew how to diagnose anything, it would be this. Obviously I was wrong.
Yesterday, I had set my alarm for earlier than I got up on Monday. I plan to set it earlier each day to try to ease into the weekend so that I can at least expect to arise in daylight – which is now moving the right direction for me, if only by a few seconds every day. I did that last week, though I didn’t start as soon, and it seemed to help.
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/if-the-market-were-working-well-we
My local radio station has added a Sunday night show to its lineup – it’s been on for a while now, maybe even more than a year – called “Broadway Rhythm.” Some episodes will run through a full musical, others will follow the career of a composer. Some will focus on the careers of divas (or divos.) A theme might be a particular time period, or musicals which made cultural change – limited only by the host’s creativity. Last Sunday the theme was songs from musicals which became standards. Included was “If I Were A Rich Man” from Fiddler On The Roof. One line in particular caught my ear: “And it won’t make one bit of difference if I answer right or wrong. When you’re rich they think you really know.” Isn’t that the truth – and how the heck do we (and by we I mean the entire human race) get our collective heads out of that septic tank?!?? The only think you can be positive a rich person “really knows” is how to cheat without consequences.
Heather Cox Richardson on the SCROTUS decision which was favorable to us for a change. I may be seeing things. but it has me wondering whether the fascist justices have an organized system of taking turns being the one who gets the be the one who writes a sane opinion, so that when we get the chance, we won’t know whom to impeach. I hope I’m wrong.
This is from All Rise News, which is run by Adam Klasfeld. I only recently heard of him – this is only the second time I have seen him – but both Harry Litman and also Joyce Vance swear by him. Both Harry and Joyce look at any kind of court case which catches their attention, but Adam concentrates on high profile (or should -be-high-profile) DOJ cases. This one concerns Kilmar Abrego Garcia and how it appears that the gang that couldn’t shoot straight has shot themselves in the foot again.
Yesterday was a slow news day – I’m glad for the respite, but it makes it tough to fill a column. Here is one article on the big story, an opinion piece, and a book report. I didn’t finish the sweater, but I came very close.
Those of us like me who essentially ignore mainstream media and instead get our news from independent news sources such as The Root learned that, not content with murdering Venezuelan fishermen, the Cantaloupe Caligula bombed Nigeria on Christmas Day. I guess he doesn’t know (or doesn’t care) that it’s New Year’s Day that is the big day for fireworks in the world outside the United States. Seriously, this action is not merely certifiably evil, but it is also tone deaf, which someone who cares about polls as much as he does would normally try to avoid.
Robert Rwich‘s interview with Zohran Mamdani, which happened a week before the election. Reich reprints it as he actually takes office. He’s smart, he has a good understanding of real people’s real problems. and good ideas on how to help. But we knew that. What really struck me in the interview was his courtesy.
Colorado Public Radio has been running a “best books of the year” post for several years now, and the one for 2025 is out. This year’s list looks small to me – or it did until I looked at the two previous years.
Yesterday, the radio opera was Puccini’s “La Bohème.” I would not say it’s everyone’s favorite opera, but it is for a lot of people, and not without reason. And the reasons are not just the music, although the music is some of his best. It’s also the story – it has everything. Its protagonists are “have-nots,” and it makes outrageous fun of “haves.” In between thise, it put on sage what falling in love looks like and feels like. It ahows a Parisian Cafe on Christmas Eve, including a self-employed toymaker selling his wares, with kids begging their parents for this or that. The song the second female lead sings in that setting is so good it was turned into a pop song in the fifties and sung by Della Reese under the title “Don’t You Know?” – you may remember it. Then it turns dark as the female lead, trying to find out why the male lead has been cold to her lately, learns it’s because she has this terrible cough and he’s afraid she’s dying (spoiler – she is). They separate, and the two male leads admit, not out loud to each other, but in soliloquies how lonely they are, and then there’s more humor as the other two show up and they decide to dance, two pretending to be female, but they are interrupted by the two female leads (only one at first because the one with TB can’t climb the stairs alone) showing up. They get the one with TB upstairs, and everyone tries to help, each in his or her own way showing grief and then leaving to get medicine or pawn a coat or whatever they can, leaving the lovers alone. They reminisce about their meeting, and she falls asleep, and the others get back. Soon one notices she is no longer breathing and whispers it to the others. Her lover is oblivious to her death , but notices the others have gone silent, and says, “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?” and then it hits him. He rushes to her, calls her name twice and then loses it. The orchestra replays the first phrase of the tune to which they reminisced, and there is not a dry eye in the house. I know that’s a lot happening, but without intermissions it only takes up about an hour and a half total, which is very short for an opera, which also doesn’t hurt its popularity. (The broadcast today did have intermissions, including an Opera Quiz, so the broadcast was a bit over 2 hours.) It’s the first opera I ever owned on vinyl. I found it at the PX for $4.00, which was very cheap even then, and the lead was sung by Renata Tebaldi, who was contemporary with Maria Callas. They were the two biggest names at the time, and were said to be feuding- which I’m pretty sure never happened, but OMG, did their respective fans ever feud! It was, like so many feuds, just silly. I enjoyed both divas, not in the exact same way, but on balance about equally. And, yes, La Bohème was the inspiration for “Rent” Today is not a Sunday that I see Virgil, and Trinette is out of town, so I am hoping to get some knitting done.
From The Root. This is jaw-dropping. I do know a little about prisons, which states have better ones and which states (including Louisiana) have worse ones, and that the gap between good and bad is huge. This blows my mind – in the best way.
Referred by The Smile, this article was a bit annoying to navigate at the original site, so I archived it. Sure, it’s worth a little effort to get to – but it was easy to do and makes it a lot easier to read.
I love my Secretary of State. Next year she’s term limited but will be running for AD (I love my AG even more, but he’s also term limited. He’ll be running for Governor.) One thing about being told to take a hike is Colorado is that there’s virtually no end of beautiful and exciting possible hikes to take here.
Randy – I started the video at 2:43 because that’s where the song starts, but by doing so I left out the first 1:18 of introduction. You can decide how much you want to see by going to YouTube.
Yesterday, another grand jury declined to indict Tish James. And in Colorado, a train derailed Wednesday night. All survived. Also – WRT thr cartoon – or whatever you want to call it – it is based on the phrase “Elf on the shelf” only different.
Heaven only knows how this will work out (and no one there will tell me). But I am glad the discussion is happening. (I have read recently that there is something in tattoo ink which gets into the bloodstream and does damage. Even if that includes brain damage – I haven’t gone beyond the headlines – that would be no excuse for Petey.)
This from Democratic Underground IMO demonstrates far more than just PTSD. There is deep resentment of betrayal here. The Russian Army is being run in ways we have never run our military, and Ukraine still doesn’t. I’m sure they think it makes soldiers “tougher.” In one way it probably does – but not in the way they think.
There are other sources for this story on the arrest of the alleged pipe bomber. I looked for the story at Law & Crime, even searched there, but they don’t yet have it (do not look there if you are prone to nausea). I just picked Joyce Vance for legal information, particularly in view of “this Justice Department.” I got that, and also some speculation on the length of time it took and the spin put on it. I am willing to believe that there may have been one or a group of agents in the FBI who deliberately sat on it, against the wishes of the rest of the bureau and of the administration. I am not willing to believe that the administration sat on it.
Yesterday, the radio opera was “Arabella” by Richard Strauss, who is much better known for “Salome,” “Elektra,” and “Der Rosenkavalier.” Arabella is about the two daughters of a Count and Countess who are deep in debt and figure they can just barely manage to come up with one dowry, but two are an impossibility, so the second daughter Zdenka, has to dress as and pretend to be a boy (“Zdenko”). I can just hear MAGA screaming – or at least I would if anyone in MAGA were able to appreciate opera. But I digress. It’s essentially a comic farce, with a happy ending for both daughters and their parents. It’s also the last opera of the summer season – next Saturday the Met will be back, and hopefully I can just listen on the radio again. I say “hopefully” because the toad in the White House has cut public radio and TV funds enough that two announcers have left and the station manager is leaving as of tomorrow, and the Met costs. So I may be depending on WFMT all year now. Either way, there’s a lot for me to be excited about in the new season. Anyway, I’m off to see Virgil now and will check in when I return.
Also referred by The Smile, from a local TV station on Chattanooga. No information on how her skull got fractured – unless her blindness and he running everywhere might be a factor.
This from the East Idaho News is late – it happened a few days before Thanksgiving – but good news (and referred by The Smile) is always welcome, right? I can’t skip the ad on the video but it’s not terribly long and I think it’s worth it.
