johnedwinmason
@johnedwinmason.bsky.social
Historian, curator, walker, player of antique French horns. Photography, music, South Africa. UVA Professor Emeritus.
Pinned
"I hope and trust all will come out right in the end, but the immediate future looks dark and troubled. I cannot shut my eyes to the ugly facts before me."
--Frederick Douglass, Lessons of the Hour, 1894
--Frederick Douglass, Lessons of the Hour, 1894
If you've never seen it, and even if you have, try to watch Tender Mercies tonight in his honor. Duvall's acting is understated yet powerfully moving. The film itself is brilliant.
BREAKING: Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall, known for his roles in "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now," has died at 95.
Robert Duvall, Oscar-winning actor and 'Godfather' mainstay, dead at 95
Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor whose classic roles included the wily confidant of the first two “Godfather” movies, had died at age 95.
bit.ly
February 16, 2026 at 7:05 PM
If you've never seen it, and even if you have, try to watch Tender Mercies tonight in his honor. Duvall's acting is understated yet powerfully moving. The film itself is brilliant.
Reposted by johnedwinmason
Her inability to catch even the faintest whiff of a zeitgeist without asking some of the worst people in the world if they think something smells funny.
Hillary Clinton really saw this as a moment to brag about how many more people Democrats deported when they were in power. Not even the hint of a soul in that woman.
February 16, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Her inability to catch even the faintest whiff of a zeitgeist without asking some of the worst people in the world if they think something smells funny.
Go get 'em, dude. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
"David Greene, former star presenter on National Public Radio, is suing Google for voice theft."
"The journalist accuses the tech giant of using a voice that is virtually identical to his in its NotebookLM AI software, a claim Google denies."
"David Greene, former star presenter on National Public Radio, is suing Google for voice theft."
"The journalist accuses the tech giant of using a voice that is virtually identical to his in its NotebookLM AI software, a claim Google denies."
🗣️ David Greene, ex-animateur star de la National Public Radio, porte plainte contre Google pour usurpation de sa voix
❌ Le journaliste accuse le géant du numérique d’utiliser une voix ressemblant trait pour trait à la sienne dans le logiciel d’IA NotebookLM, ce que réfute Google.
Lire ⤵️
❌ Le journaliste accuse le géant du numérique d’utiliser une voix ressemblant trait pour trait à la sienne dans le logiciel d’IA NotebookLM, ce que réfute Google.
Lire ⤵️
David Greene, ex-animateur star de la National Public Radio, porte plainte contre Google pour usurpation de sa voix
Le journaliste américain accuse le géant du numérique d’utiliser une voix ressemblant trait pour trait à la sienne dans le logiciel d’intelligence artificielle NotebookLM, ce que réfute Google, qui assure avoir fait appel à un acteur.
www.liberation.fr
February 16, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Go get 'em, dude. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
"David Greene, former star presenter on National Public Radio, is suing Google for voice theft."
"The journalist accuses the tech giant of using a voice that is virtually identical to his in its NotebookLM AI software, a claim Google denies."
"David Greene, former star presenter on National Public Radio, is suing Google for voice theft."
"The journalist accuses the tech giant of using a voice that is virtually identical to his in its NotebookLM AI software, a claim Google denies."
Reposted by johnedwinmason
I covered the piece with some changes.
"An interpretation of Cage's masterpiece for the modern ear, cut in half to accommodate shortened attention spans with lyrics added for mainstream acceptance."
youtu.be/hFCbJpqfh2Q?...
"An interpretation of Cage's masterpiece for the modern ear, cut in half to accommodate shortened attention spans with lyrics added for mainstream acceptance."
youtu.be/hFCbJpqfh2Q?...
Two Sixteen Point Five - An Interpretation of John Cage's 4' 33''
YouTube video by Jamie Dyer
youtu.be
February 16, 2026 at 2:04 PM
I covered the piece with some changes.
"An interpretation of Cage's masterpiece for the modern ear, cut in half to accommodate shortened attention spans with lyrics added for mainstream acceptance."
youtu.be/hFCbJpqfh2Q?...
"An interpretation of Cage's masterpiece for the modern ear, cut in half to accommodate shortened attention spans with lyrics added for mainstream acceptance."
youtu.be/hFCbJpqfh2Q?...
Whew. A tiny thread that leaves you with a lot to think about.
Feb. 15, 1926: Despite being frozen out of power, Leon Trotsky still commands a vast following with the public in the Soviet Union. He is cheered by a vast crowd in Moscow that hears him give a stemwinder with the theme "America's Menace to the World." 1/2
February 16, 2026 at 4:44 AM
Whew. A tiny thread that leaves you with a lot to think about.
Reposted by johnedwinmason
The surprisingly modern look of cyclist Gabrielle Etéogella, 1896. "Organizers were sent to Paris to recruit riders, who were provided with free travel to England, discounts on first class rail travel and free hotel accommodation.[5] Adverts may have also been placed for the racers –
Le look étonnamment moderne de Gabrielle Etéogella (1896).
February 14, 2026 at 9:03 PM
The surprisingly modern look of cyclist Gabrielle Etéogella, 1896. "Organizers were sent to Paris to recruit riders, who were provided with free travel to England, discounts on first class rail travel and free hotel accommodation.[5] Adverts may have also been placed for the racers –
Reposted by johnedwinmason
Women’s football. The team captains greet each other with a kiss. England, Preston, 1920
February 15, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Women’s football. The team captains greet each other with a kiss. England, Preston, 1920
Reposted by johnedwinmason
Teenie Harris, Golden Glove Contenders, 1955
February 15, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Teenie Harris, Golden Glove Contenders, 1955
I tried to listen, but all I got was 4'33" of silence.
Pour ces archives, Arnaud Merlin vous propose quelques pépites sur le thème du piano chez John Cage ➡️ https://l.francemusique.fr/GVr
February 16, 2026 at 3:30 AM
I tried to listen, but all I got was 4'33" of silence.
Reposted by johnedwinmason
A Virginia court agreed to allow a Marine and his wife to adopt an Afghan girl living in Afghanistan. Then the couple tricked the girl's family into evacuating to the U.S., and when they arrived here, stole the child. The Virginia Supreme Court just endorsed the legality of this.
Virginia Supreme Court rules US Marine's adoption of an Afghan war orphan will stand
The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that a U.S. Marine and his wife will keep an Afghan orphan they brought home in defiance of the U.S. government’s decision to reunite her with her Afghan family.
apnews.com
February 16, 2026 at 1:01 AM
A Virginia court agreed to allow a Marine and his wife to adopt an Afghan girl living in Afghanistan. Then the couple tricked the girl's family into evacuating to the U.S., and when they arrived here, stole the child. The Virginia Supreme Court just endorsed the legality of this.
Reposted by johnedwinmason
All I’m saying, y’all need to let Rep. Crockett COOK! 🔥🔥
The Congresswoman is one of if not thee most effective person in government, when it comes to setting records straight and pushing for justice. @jasmineforus.bsky.social @crockett.house.gov
The Congresswoman is one of if not thee most effective person in government, when it comes to setting records straight and pushing for justice. @jasmineforus.bsky.social @crockett.house.gov
February 15, 2026 at 2:53 PM
All I’m saying, y’all need to let Rep. Crockett COOK! 🔥🔥
The Congresswoman is one of if not thee most effective person in government, when it comes to setting records straight and pushing for justice. @jasmineforus.bsky.social @crockett.house.gov
The Congresswoman is one of if not thee most effective person in government, when it comes to setting records straight and pushing for justice. @jasmineforus.bsky.social @crockett.house.gov
Reposted by johnedwinmason
Worms in their food. Guards shouting orders and snatching toys. Restless nights under fluorescent lights that never fully go dark.
A Russian family says their children have endured indignities they never imagined possible in the U.S. during their four months at a Texas detention center.
A Russian family says their children have endured indignities they never imagined possible in the U.S. during their four months at a Texas detention center.
'Even in Russia, they don't treat children like this': A family's nightmare in ICE detention
A Russian couple and their children sought asylum in the U.S. In a Texas detention center, they say they endured worms in the food and hourslong waits for medicine.
nbcnews.to
February 15, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Worms in their food. Guards shouting orders and snatching toys. Restless nights under fluorescent lights that never fully go dark.
A Russian family says their children have endured indignities they never imagined possible in the U.S. during their four months at a Texas detention center.
A Russian family says their children have endured indignities they never imagined possible in the U.S. during their four months at a Texas detention center.
When I lived in South Africa during the dying, pre-internet days of apartheid, the BBC World Service was a trusted news source for me, as it was for millions of others who lived under oppressive regimes. Sadly, it's been dying a slow death for years. Now the Labour government wants to kill it off.
The Guardian view on the BBC World Service: this is London calling | Editorial
The Guardian view on the BBC World Service: this is London calling | Editorial
Editorial: With just seven weeks before its funding runs out, the UK’s greatest cultural asset and most trusted international news organisation must be supported
www.theguardian.com
February 15, 2026 at 10:57 PM
When I lived in South Africa during the dying, pre-internet days of apartheid, the BBC World Service was a trusted news source for me, as it was for millions of others who lived under oppressive regimes. Sadly, it's been dying a slow death for years. Now the Labour government wants to kill it off.
Reposted by johnedwinmason
weird to think that the humanities have already experienced this in multiple waves since the 80s
“Asked how the cuts have affected science, one [researcher] said, ‘This is like asking, how do you think dropping an atomic bomb on New York City will affect the future of Broadway musicals? This is a generational loss of innovation, technology, and economic power.’” 🔗 archive.ph/2026.02.12-1...
February 15, 2026 at 10:34 PM
weird to think that the humanities have already experienced this in multiple waves since the 80s
Decency matters. For a time — a brief one, perhaps — there were limits to how racist or sexist a politician or celebrity could be in public and in private, too, if word got out. This wasn't a golden age. But it was a hell of a lot better than the era of Trump & Musk. Thread. 👇🏽
Following DT’s outlandishly racist post of February 5, the absurd excuses, and the absence of apologies or resignations, it’s worth remembering that a racist “joke” by a senior White House official once forced the commenter to apologize and resign in disgrace. ...
February 15, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Decency matters. For a time — a brief one, perhaps — there were limits to how racist or sexist a politician or celebrity could be in public and in private, too, if word got out. This wasn't a golden age. But it was a hell of a lot better than the era of Trump & Musk. Thread. 👇🏽
Reposted by johnedwinmason
“ICE is more than a rogue agency, is it the manifestation of the abuse of power.”
This city is home to people of countless faiths. But no matter what you believe, one thing unites us: we are all New Yorkers. We will not allow ICE to terrorize our neighbors.
youtu.be/uoU9Img_B40
youtu.be/uoU9Img_B40
Welcome The Stranger
YouTube video by NYC Mayor's Office
youtu.be
February 15, 2026 at 7:39 PM
“ICE is more than a rogue agency, is it the manifestation of the abuse of power.”
10/10. No notes.
🌧️ CWG Live: Rain ends near midnight; cool Monday
🔥 Spring preview coming
🌡️ 50s nearly a lock midweek
😎 60° probable Wed–Thu (DCA)
🌤️ 70°? Outside chance by week’s end
📢 CWG.Live for full forecast, details & context
📸 Jeanne Stuart McVey
🔥 Spring preview coming
🌡️ 50s nearly a lock midweek
😎 60° probable Wed–Thu (DCA)
🌤️ 70°? Outside chance by week’s end
📢 CWG.Live for full forecast, details & context
📸 Jeanne Stuart McVey
February 15, 2026 at 9:40 PM
10/10. No notes.
Just in case you're chuckling at that joke that's going around, Elon Musk is not an Afrikaner, a "boer," or of Dutch ancestry. He was born into an English-speaking white South African family of British descent. You can lay many historical crimes at the feet of Afrikaners. But Musk isn't one of them.
February 15, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Just in case you're chuckling at that joke that's going around, Elon Musk is not an Afrikaner, a "boer," or of Dutch ancestry. He was born into an English-speaking white South African family of British descent. You can lay many historical crimes at the feet of Afrikaners. But Musk isn't one of them.
Reposted by johnedwinmason
it's so wild that people on here will label you a narcissist for controlling your replies when they are basically asserting that you should have to read whatever they want to say
February 15, 2026 at 6:00 PM
it's so wild that people on here will label you a narcissist for controlling your replies when they are basically asserting that you should have to read whatever they want to say
A sad day in music globally.
"A giant has just left us, Michel Portal! From Bayonne to Paris, Michel Portal recounted his extraordinary journey. Between clarinet, bandoneon, jazz, and classical music, he affirmed his vital need for expression and his rejection of routine."
"A giant has just left us, Michel Portal! From Bayonne to Paris, Michel Portal recounted his extraordinary journey. Between clarinet, bandoneon, jazz, and classical music, he affirmed his vital need for expression and his rejection of routine."
Un géant vient de nous quitter, Michel Portal ! De Bayonne à Paris, Michel Portal retracait son parcours hors normes. Entre clarinette, bandonéon, jazz & musique classique, il affirmait son besoin vital d'expression & son rejet de la routine @francemusique.fr www.radiofrance.fr/francemusiqu...
February 15, 2026 at 3:37 PM
A sad day in music globally.
"A giant has just left us, Michel Portal! From Bayonne to Paris, Michel Portal recounted his extraordinary journey. Between clarinet, bandoneon, jazz, and classical music, he affirmed his vital need for expression and his rejection of routine."
"A giant has just left us, Michel Portal! From Bayonne to Paris, Michel Portal recounted his extraordinary journey. Between clarinet, bandoneon, jazz, and classical music, he affirmed his vital need for expression and his rejection of routine."
Good headline, sadly.
"A seat at the table or on the menu? Africa grapples with the new world order"
"...in his second term, US President Donald Trump has accelerated the trend towards great-power domination of world affairs and the ditching of multilateralism."
www.msn.com/en-us/news/w...
"A seat at the table or on the menu? Africa grapples with the new world order"
"...in his second term, US President Donald Trump has accelerated the trend towards great-power domination of world affairs and the ditching of multilateralism."
www.msn.com/en-us/news/w...
MSN
www.msn.com
February 15, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Good headline, sadly.
"A seat at the table or on the menu? Africa grapples with the new world order"
"...in his second term, US President Donald Trump has accelerated the trend towards great-power domination of world affairs and the ditching of multilateralism."
www.msn.com/en-us/news/w...
"A seat at the table or on the menu? Africa grapples with the new world order"
"...in his second term, US President Donald Trump has accelerated the trend towards great-power domination of world affairs and the ditching of multilateralism."
www.msn.com/en-us/news/w...
"Palestinians look to salvage Gaza’s history from the ruins of Israel’s military offensive."
"...organizations are trying to save what they can at historical sites, even as full-scale restoration — and the broader reconstruction of the territory — face major obstacles."
apnews.com/article/isra...
"...organizations are trying to save what they can at historical sites, even as full-scale restoration — and the broader reconstruction of the territory — face major obstacles."
apnews.com/article/isra...
Palestinians look to salvage Gaza's history from the ruins of Israel's military offensive
The Great Omari Mosque in Gaza City was hit by an Israeli strike during the war with Hamas. It is one of dozens of heritage sites that were damaged or destroyed during the war.
apnews.com
February 15, 2026 at 2:54 PM
"Palestinians look to salvage Gaza’s history from the ruins of Israel’s military offensive."
"...organizations are trying to save what they can at historical sites, even as full-scale restoration — and the broader reconstruction of the territory — face major obstacles."
apnews.com/article/isra...
"...organizations are trying to save what they can at historical sites, even as full-scale restoration — and the broader reconstruction of the territory — face major obstacles."
apnews.com/article/isra...
Moneta Sleet's photos should be much better know. But he worked mostly for Ebony, an African American magazine & so was ignored by taste-makers for much of his career. Just as importantly, he didn't own his archive. The magazine did, & it was a poor steward.
Feb. 14, 1926: Moneta Sleet, a longtime staff photographer for Ebony magazine who chronicled landmark moments of the civil rights movement, is born in Owensboro, Ky. His photograph of Coretta Scott King at her husband Martin Luther King’s funeral in 1968 won the Pulitzer Prize.
February 15, 2026 at 3:15 AM
Moneta Sleet's photos should be much better know. But he worked mostly for Ebony, an African American magazine & so was ignored by taste-makers for much of his career. Just as importantly, he didn't own his archive. The magazine did, & it was a poor steward.
Kill whales to own the libs. There's no undoing much of the damage that the regime is doing to the nation & the world.
The U.S.'s ocean regulator plans to make industry-friendly changes to a longstanding rule designed to protect vanishing whales.
US ocean regulator faces criticism over changes to right whale protection rule
The U.S.’s ocean regulator plans to make industry-friendly changes to a longstanding rule designed to protect vanishing whales.
bit.ly
February 15, 2026 at 2:16 AM
Kill whales to own the libs. There's no undoing much of the damage that the regime is doing to the nation & the world.
Be careful, folks. If you nod off while reading on your phone, you might drop it & let it fall on an eye. That hurts, says the voice of experience.
Reading a Kindle in bed can be a wonderfully effective sleep aid. "It turns out that reading an ebook activates fewer networks in the brain than reading a paper one." nyti.ms/4rP9IWa
Reading a Kindle at Bedtime Finally Ended My Decades of Insomnia
Portable, backlit, and blessed with lasting battery life, the Amazon Kindle makes it easy to read more books. It’s also a wonderfully effective sleep aid.
nyti.ms
February 15, 2026 at 2:11 AM
Be careful, folks. If you nod off while reading on your phone, you might drop it & let it fall on an eye. That hurts, says the voice of experience.