johnedwinmason
@johnedwinmason.bsky.social
Historian, curator, walker, player of antique French horns. Photography, music, South Africa. UVA Professor Emeritus.
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"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
Reposted by johnedwinmason
Reposted by johnedwinmason
This thread would make a great Intro to Jazz for those who are new to the music. Not comprehensive, but very accessible.
It might be an even better weekend playlist for people who are deep into the music. The choices are great. But it's interesting to see who Stryker puts in & leaves out. 👇🏽
It might be an even better weekend playlist for people who are deep into the music. The choices are great. But it's interesting to see who Stryker puts in & leaves out. 👇🏽
🧵Here's something fun I've been toying around with for a week: My own personal Blue Note Desert Island List.
At some point, I'll write an essay based on this list. Meantime, before I give you the list, here are my ground rules and some observations.
At some point, I'll write an essay based on this list. Meantime, before I give you the list, here are my ground rules and some observations.
February 17, 2026 at 4:50 AM
This thread would make a great Intro to Jazz for those who are new to the music. Not comprehensive, but very accessible.
It might be an even better weekend playlist for people who are deep into the music. The choices are great. But it's interesting to see who Stryker puts in & leaves out. 👇🏽
It might be an even better weekend playlist for people who are deep into the music. The choices are great. But it's interesting to see who Stryker puts in & leaves out. 👇🏽
Reposted by johnedwinmason
Barcelona, 1906. The Sagrada Família Basilica in the background, 24 years into its construction.
February 17, 2026 at 2:34 AM
Barcelona, 1906. The Sagrada Família Basilica in the background, 24 years into its construction.
FYI, brothers & sisters.
February 17, 2026 at 4:24 AM
FYI, brothers & sisters.
A benefit of learning French has been the new musical world it's opened to me. I'd never heard of the clarinetist, saxophonist, & composer Michel Portal. Yet he was one of the truly great musicians of the 20th & 21st centuries — jazz, classical, experimental. m.youtube.com/watch?v=10t4...
February 17, 2026 at 3:01 AM
A benefit of learning French has been the new musical world it's opened to me. I'd never heard of the clarinetist, saxophonist, & composer Michel Portal. Yet he was one of the truly great musicians of the 20th & 21st centuries — jazz, classical, experimental. m.youtube.com/watch?v=10t4...
Reposted by johnedwinmason
Remember when people said that if measures were taken to regulate drug prices, then innovation will die? Welp: "Federal policies under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that are hostile to vaccines have “sent a chill through the entire industry,” one scientist said." www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/h...
Vaccine Makers Curtail Research and Cut Jobs
www.nytimes.com
February 16, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Remember when people said that if measures were taken to regulate drug prices, then innovation will die? Welp: "Federal policies under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that are hostile to vaccines have “sent a chill through the entire industry,” one scientist said." www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/h...
Reposted by johnedwinmason
“At the time, Mays had not fully realized how impactful her aunt was in the Civil Rights Movement; the 9-year-old knew her as an excellent cook and loving aunt. . . . ‘And then I grew up and I learned more . . .’”
“Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine”
“Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine”
This Little Light of Mine
YouTube video by Fannie Lou Hamer - Topic
youtu.be
February 16, 2026 at 8:07 PM
“At the time, Mays had not fully realized how impactful her aunt was in the Civil Rights Movement; the 9-year-old knew her as an excellent cook and loving aunt. . . . ‘And then I grew up and I learned more . . .’”
“Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine”
“Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine”
Reposted by johnedwinmason
Absolutely despicable and honestly unforgivable.
He also says he hopes he can “inspire” people over there.
This is his “Republicans buy sneakers too” moment.
He also says he hopes he can “inspire” people over there.
This is his “Republicans buy sneakers too” moment.
February 15, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Absolutely despicable and honestly unforgivable.
He also says he hopes he can “inspire” people over there.
This is his “Republicans buy sneakers too” moment.
He also says he hopes he can “inspire” people over there.
This is his “Republicans buy sneakers too” moment.
👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
Fannie Lou Hamer's nephew, Eddie Fair, credits his aunt with providing a foundation for Mississippi to have the most Black elected officials in the country.
“All that happened because of Fannie Lou Hamer getting out and taking a stand, getting people ready to vote,” he said.
“All that happened because of Fannie Lou Hamer getting out and taking a stand, getting people ready to vote,” he said.
Fannie Lou Hamer’s Medal of Freedom Now Displayed at Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
Fannie Lou Hamer’s posthumously-awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom is now on display at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
buff.ly
February 16, 2026 at 7:48 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.
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. 👇🏽