Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 6h

See also: Gene Sharp's "From Dictatorship to Democracy" essay. www.files.ethz.ch/isn/126900/8...

And Thomas Ricks' "Waging a Good War: A Military History of the Civil Rights Movement". masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/01/w...

www.files.ethz.ch

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 6h

Morning Song - The Freedom Rider by Art Blakey

"...fierce, undaunted, polyrhythmic..."
#jazz

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/11/m...

Morning Song – The Freedom Rider

Today this little blog celebrates the great Art Blakey, born this day 106 years ago. From the 1950s to the 1980s his longtime band, The Jazz Messengers, produced more great jazz musicians than any …

masscommons.wordpress.com

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 1d

Waging A Good War: Raiding Behind Enemy Lines on the #Freedom Rides by Thomas Ricks

"They traveled light & penetrated deep into enemy territory, unprotected, to take their segregationist enemies by surprise both in their tactics & in their strategy."
8/

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/w...

Waging A Good War: Raiding Behind Enemy Lines On The Freedom Rides

(One in a series of posts about Thomas E. Ricks’ 2022 book, Waging a Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68.) The Montgomery Bus Boycott involved most Black reside…

masscommons.wordpress.com

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 1d

Morning Song - Delirious by @prince

"Baby, lay me down,
The room, the room, the room is spinning around..."
#FunkyFriday

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/m...

Morning Song – Delirious

There is a lot of competition to get on the short list for “horniest song ever”, but Prince’s 1983 single, “Delirious”, has to be there, right? Even before he starts s…

masscommons.wordpress.com

2

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 2d

Waging A Good War: The #Nashville Sit-Ins by Thomas Ricks

"These were the #civilrights equivalent of #paratroopers—an elite force of volunteers, well trained & highly motivated, stealthily dropping in on unsuspecting targets."
7/

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/w...

Waging A Good War: The Nashville Sit-Ins

(One in a series of posts about Thomas E. Ricks’ 2022 book, Waging a Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68.) The lunch counter sit-ins began in Greensboro, NC on …

masscommons.wordpress.com

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 2d

Morning Song - T Model #Blues by Lightnin' Hopkins

“You know my generator quit generating/my gasoline won’t even percolate…”

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/m...

Morning Song – T Model Blues

Lightnin’ Hopkins sounds so tore up on “T-Model Blues” I’m starting to think it might be something other than his old Ford that’s lost its get up and go. “You kn…

masscommons.wordpress.com

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 3d

Waging A Good War: Developing a #Nonviolent Cadre Thomas Ricks

"Every military leader knows that intense training is essential...playing a large role in whether an organization fails or succeeds. The more rigorous & realistic the training, the better."
6/

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/08/w...

Waging A Good War: Developing A Nonviolent Cadre

(One in a series of posts about Thomas E. Ricks’ 2022 book, Waging a Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68.) “The civil rights movement was often creative, …

masscommons.wordpress.com

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 3d

Waging A Good War: Change Is Not Linear by Thomas E. Ricks

‘People said, “Great victory in #Montgomery, what does that mean for us? What can we do?” 'It took some time to answer those questions.' #CTVivian
5/

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/07/w...

Waging A Good War: Change Is Not Linear

(One in a series of posts about Thomas E. Ricks’ 2022 book, Waging a Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68.) Ricks does not belabor this point, but it’s an …

masscommons.wordpress.com

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 3d

Waging A Good War: The Siege of #Montgomery by Thomas E. Ricks

"...(m)ore than anything else, they were well-organized."
4/

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/06/w...

Waging A Good War: The Siege Of Montgomery

(One in a series of posts about Thomas E. Ricks’ 2022 book, Waging a Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68.) It’s best known as a bus boycott. Its practitio…

masscommons.wordpress.com

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 3d

Morning Song - The Fate of #Ophelia by Taylor Swift

"You dug me out of my grave and
Saved my heart from...."

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/08/m...

Morning Song – The Fate Of Ophelia

The only thing this little blog has to offer to the reams* of commentary already devoted to “The Fate Of Ophelia” is a simple question: What’s the over/under on when Taylor Swift …

masscommons.wordpress.com

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 4d

Waging A Good War: Change Is Not Linear by Thomas E. Ricks

"People said, 'Great victory in #Montgomery, what does that mean for us? What can we do?' It took some time to answer those questions.”

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/07/w...

Waging A Good War: Change Is Not Linear

(One in a series of posts about Thomas E. Ricks’ 2022 book, Waging a Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68.) Ricks does not belabor this point, but it’s an …

masscommons.wordpress.com

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 4d

Morning Song - Will the Wolf Survive? by @loslobos.org

“It’s the truth that they all look for,
Something they must keep alive….”
h/t: @paranoiacs.bsky.social

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/07/m...

Morning Song – Will The Wolf Survive?

Outsourcing to the magnificently multi-talented Elizabeth Nelson for commentary on “Will The Wolf Survive?”, title cut to Los Lobos’ 1984 major label debut album: “It’…

masscommons.wordpress.com

1 5

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 5d

Waging A Good War: The Siege of #Montgomery by Thomas E. Ricks

"...(m)ore than anything else, they were well-organized."

4/

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/06/w...

Waging A Good War: The Siege Of Montgomery

(One in a series of posts about Thomas E. Ricks’ 2022 book, Waging a Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68.) It’s best known as a bus boycott. Its practitio…

masscommons.wordpress.com

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 5d

Morning Song - Opus 38, No. 4 #Andante in A Major by Felix #Mendelssohn

"...like a hymn of thanksgiving."
#SongsWithoutWords

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/06/m...

Morning Song – Opus 38, No. 4 (Andante In A Major)

(One in an occasional Monday series of Felix Mendelssohn’s Lieder Ohne Worte (Songs Without Words).) With Mendelssohn’s Opus 38, No. 4, you can hear why he and his sister named this new music…

masscommons.wordpress.com

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 5d

"All behavior makes sense with enough information."
The Art of Spending #Money

@morganhousel.bsky.social on #MoneyUnplugged podcast with @chrishillalx.bsky.social

www.moneyunpluggedpodcast.com

Money Unplugged Podcast

Listen to Money Unplugged with Chris Hill. The new podcast from long-time host and executive producer of Motley Fool Money podcast and radio show.

www.moneyunpluggedpodcast.com

1 2

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 6d

Morning Song - Done Made My Vow to the Lord by The @morganstateu.bsky.social Choir

"...I will go, I shall go, to see what the end will be."
#gospel

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/05/m...

Morning Song – Done Made My Vow To The Lord

The repetition of a single sound (“Om”), word (“Krishna”, “Jesus”), or sentence (“Namu myoho renge kyo”, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living …

masscommons.wordpress.com

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 7d

Morning Song - Topsy Turvy Part 2 by Cozy Cole

"At the late 1950s intersection of soul #jazz, show bands, the #mambo craze, and magnificent #drum solos...."

Enjoy.

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/04/m...

Morning Song – Topsy Turvy Part 2

At the late 1950s intersection of soul jazz, show bands, the mambo craze, and magnificent drum solos (starting at 0:57 and lasting for a good 40% of the song), there’s Cozy Cole’s &#822…

masscommons.wordpress.com

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 7d

Waging A Good War: King's First Speech

"It was an amazing presentation. King…had laid out the way forward...planting the flag of nonviolent action. And he...foresaw ultimate victory. He did it all in just 16 minutes."
3/

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/03/w...

Waging A Good War: King’s First Speech

(One in a series of posts about Thomas E. Ricks’ 2022 book, Waging a Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68.) The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was 26 years old…

masscommons.wordpress.com

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 8d

Morning Song - Powers Collide by Them Vibes

"...trippy, surrealistic, psychedelic #funk..."
#FunkyFriday

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/03/m...

Morning Song – Powers Collide

In answer to Waylon Jennings’ song/question, “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way”, no. No, I’m pretty sure Hank Williams didn’t do it the way East Nashville band Them …

masscommons.wordpress.com

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 9d

Waging A Good War: How Bad It Was

“In the first 6 weeks of 1946, police in Birmingham, Alabama, killed several Black vets, perhaps 5 in total (though the number is not certain due to careless official record-keeping).”
2/

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/02/w...

Waging A Good War: How Bad It Was

(One in a series of posts about Thomas E. Ricks’ 2022 book, Waging a Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68.) To set the stage for the Movement’s emergence, …

masscommons.wordpress.com

1 1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 9d

Morning Song - Once in a Lifetime by Angelique Kidjo

"And you may say to yourself, "My God, what have I done?"
#FirstRuleOfCoverSongs

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/02/m...

Morning Song – Once In A Lifetime

I think Angelique Kidjo understands what Talking Heads (and specifically, lyricist/lead singer David Byrne) were trying to say in their existentially weird 1981 single, “Once In A Lifetime&#8…

masscommons.wordpress.com

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 10d

Waging a Good War: A #Military History of the #CivilRightsMovement by Thomas E. Ricks
🧵

"...of particular value for those seeking perspective and insight to apply to the current political moment in US history."

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/01/w...

Waging A Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68

(One in a series of posts about Thomas E. Ricks’ 2022 book, Waging a Good War: A Military History Of The Civil Rights Movement, 1954-68.) Add award-winning war correspondent Thomas Ricks&#821…

masscommons.wordpress.com

1

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 10d

"A man is not a plan. You've got to be able to take care of yourself."

Sara Rathner of #NerdWallet on #MoneyUnplugged with @chrishillalx.bsky.social

www.moneyunpluggedpodcast.com

Money Unplugged Podcast

Listen to Money Unplugged with Chris Hill. The new podcast from long-time host and executive producer of Motley Fool Money podcast and radio show.

www.moneyunpluggedpodcast.com

1 2

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 10d

Morning Song - Happy Together by Sonia Dada

"I don't complain unless I got to,
I can't contain it, I cannot restrain it because we're so...."

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/10/01/m...

Morning Song – Happy Together

There are lots of “Happy Together” songs about the first flowering of romance. This isn’t one of them. Sonia Dada’s 2002 deeply funky and deeply sexy deep cut is about a cou…

masscommons.wordpress.com

Luke Hill @masscommons.bsky.social · 11d

Morning Song - Riot in Cell Block #9 by The Robins

"In the forty-seventh hour the tear gas got our men,
We're all back in our cells but every now and then..."

masscommons.wordpress.com/2025/09/30/m...

Morning Song – Riot In Cell Block #9

Songwriter Mike Stoller once said that he and his partner Jerry Lieber “…can’t and won’t claim credit as the inventors of rap, but if you listen to our early output, you&#82…

masscommons.wordpress.com