Gary McGath
@gmcgath.bsky.social
Freelance writer. Lover of liberty, music, and cats. Author of The Magic Battery, Spells of War, Files that Last, and Tomorrow's Songs Today. On Bluesky I post a lot about classical music and silent film.
https://garymcgath.com
https://garymcgath.com
Reposted by Gary McGath
American satirist P. J. O'Rourke believed that Americans could get along better through humor, civility, and good scotch—what he called "extreme moderation." To learn more about preserving P. J.'s writings for posterity, click on the story.
➡️ https://ow.ly/7xAQ50XIAEy
➡️ https://ow.ly/7xAQ50XIAEy
December 12, 2025 at 7:01 PM
American satirist P. J. O'Rourke believed that Americans could get along better through humor, civility, and good scotch—what he called "extreme moderation." To learn more about preserving P. J.'s writings for posterity, click on the story.
➡️ https://ow.ly/7xAQ50XIAEy
➡️ https://ow.ly/7xAQ50XIAEy
RIP John Varley, science fiction writer.
locusmag.com/2025/12/john...
locusmag.com/2025/12/john...
John Varley (1947-2025)
John Varley (78) died December 10, 2025 in his home in Beaverton OR. He had COPD and diabetes. John Herbert Varley was born August 9, 1947 in Austin TX. He attended Michigan State University. His f…
locusmag.com
December 12, 2025 at 5:39 PM
RIP John Varley, science fiction writer.
locusmag.com/2025/12/john...
locusmag.com/2025/12/john...
"Those who hope to experience the wonders of the United States — from Yellowstone to Disneyland to Independence Hall — should not have to fear that self-censorship is a condition of entry."
www.thefire.org/news/fire-st...
www.thefire.org/news/fire-st...
FIRE statement on Trump demand for social media history of foreign tourists
Requiring temporary visitors here for a vacation or business to surrender five years of their social media to the U.S. will send the message that the American commitment to free speech is pretense, no...
www.thefire.org
December 12, 2025 at 5:33 PM
"Those who hope to experience the wonders of the United States — from Yellowstone to Disneyland to Independence Hall — should not have to fear that self-censorship is a condition of entry."
www.thefire.org/news/fire-st...
www.thefire.org/news/fire-st...
Yesterday I talked with the new director of the Rye, NH Pvblic [sic] Library, which was the center of a controversy last year, concerning the postponement/cancellation of an event some people didn't like. He pointed out there are always relevant facts which legally can't be disclosed to the public.
December 12, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Yesterday I talked with the new director of the Rye, NH Pvblic [sic] Library, which was the center of a controversy last year, concerning the postponement/cancellation of an event some people didn't like. He pointed out there are always relevant facts which legally can't be disclosed to the public.
Let's get thousands of signatures to tell Ayotte we don't want the New Hampshire government collaborating with ICE.
www.change.org/p/governor-a...
#NewHampshire
www.change.org/p/governor-a...
#NewHampshire
Sign the Petition
Governor and Executive Council: Protect New Hampshire Residents from ICE Cruelty
www.change.org
December 12, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Let's get thousands of signatures to tell Ayotte we don't want the New Hampshire government collaborating with ICE.
www.change.org/p/governor-a...
#NewHampshire
www.change.org/p/governor-a...
#NewHampshire
Continuing my occasional posts on SFF convention codes of conduct, here's what I have to say on Arisia. On the whole, it's better than I expected. garymcgath.com/arisia-code-...
#Arisia #fandom
#Arisia #fandom
The Arisia code of conduct
Another in my series of posts on SFF conventions’ codes of conduct. This time I’m writing about the one for Arisia 2026. Arisia is held in Boston or Cambridge in January each year. I ha…
garymcgath.com
December 12, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Continuing my occasional posts on SFF convention codes of conduct, here's what I have to say on Arisia. On the whole, it's better than I expected. garymcgath.com/arisia-code-...
#Arisia #fandom
#Arisia #fandom
Reposted by Gary McGath
NEW: Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) says Colorado will not release Tina Peters after President Trump announced he is pardoning her state-level convictions.
"This is a lawless act. It's an act of intimidation," Weiser said. "It has no basis in the American law."
"This is a lawless act. It's an act of intimidation," Weiser said. "It has no basis in the American law."
December 12, 2025 at 2:23 AM
NEW: Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) says Colorado will not release Tina Peters after President Trump announced he is pardoning her state-level convictions.
"This is a lawless act. It's an act of intimidation," Weiser said. "It has no basis in the American law."
"This is a lawless act. It's an act of intimidation," Weiser said. "It has no basis in the American law."
The lowest lifeforms on the Internet include the ones who claim they are the ones taking effective action by posting pseudonymously to Reddit, and who denounce anything that might actually deter evils or help the people affected.
December 12, 2025 at 12:35 AM
The lowest lifeforms on the Internet include the ones who claim they are the ones taking effective action by posting pseudonymously to Reddit, and who denounce anything that might actually deter evils or help the people affected.
Can we see a thousand signatures against NH collaboration with ICE by dawn?
#NewHampshire #ICE
www.change.org/p/governor-a...
#NewHampshire #ICE
www.change.org/p/governor-a...
Sign the Petition
Governor and Executive Council: Protect New Hampshire Residents from ICE Cruelty
www.change.org
December 11, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Can we see a thousand signatures against NH collaboration with ICE by dawn?
#NewHampshire #ICE
www.change.org/p/governor-a...
#NewHampshire #ICE
www.change.org/p/governor-a...
Possibly unintentional clickbait: "Child is named president of classical radio."
Fred Child, who is 62 years old.
slippedisc.com/2025/12/chil...
Fred Child, who is 62 years old.
slippedisc.com/2025/12/chil...
Child is named president of classical radio - Slippedisc
All Classical Radio in Portland, Oregon, has a...
slippedisc.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Possibly unintentional clickbait: "Child is named president of classical radio."
Fred Child, who is 62 years old.
slippedisc.com/2025/12/chil...
Fred Child, who is 62 years old.
slippedisc.com/2025/12/chil...
A petition to the government of New Hampshire to end collaboration with ICE. Please spread the word.
c.org/KjyPhfxckG
#NewHampshire #ICE
c.org/KjyPhfxckG
#NewHampshire #ICE
Can you spare a minute to help this campaign?
Governor and Executive Council: Protect New Hampshire Residents from ICE Cruelty
c.org
December 11, 2025 at 1:48 PM
A petition to the government of New Hampshire to end collaboration with ICE. Please spread the word.
c.org/KjyPhfxckG
#NewHampshire #ICE
c.org/KjyPhfxckG
#NewHampshire #ICE
Washington Post (paywall): "Experts on the law of armed conflict ... have questioned whether it was lawful for U.S. forces to target the boat again when the first strike failed to kill everyone aboard." 1/2
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
House passes Pentagon bill pressuring Hegseth to release boat strike evidence
The Senate could approve the measure in coming days, and lawmakers expressed confidence that President Donald Trump will sign it into law.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Washington Post (paywall): "Experts on the law of armed conflict ... have questioned whether it was lawful for U.S. forces to target the boat again when the first strike failed to kill everyone aboard." 1/2
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
ICE Acting Director Lyons suggests it's "dangerous" to criticize ICE. reason.com/2025/12/10/m...
Massachusetts church's ‘ICE was here’ nativity scene is protected speech, even if ICE doesn’t like it
Rev. Stephen Josoma of St. Susanna Parish defended the message against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement.
reason.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:22 AM
ICE Acting Director Lyons suggests it's "dangerous" to criticize ICE. reason.com/2025/12/10/m...
I still don't get why Bluesky puts the autoplay preference into a cookie rather than persistent user preferences. Every so often, we have to turn autoplay off again.
December 11, 2025 at 10:40 AM
I still don't get why Bluesky puts the autoplay preference into a cookie rather than persistent user preferences. Every so often, we have to turn autoplay off again.
December 11 is the anniversary of the death of Alma Mahler in 1964.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L35I...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L35I...
Tom Lehrer | “Alma” (The Spiciest Obituary)
YouTube video by Musical Comedy
www.youtube.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:37 AM
December 11 is the anniversary of the death of Alma Mahler in 1964.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L35I...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L35I...
MAGAts used to say, "All we want is for immigrants to wait for years and jump through every hoop, and then we'll applaud their becoming citizens." They're no longer even pretending.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
Immigrants kept from Faneuil Hall citizenship ceremony as feds crackdown nationwide
Trump administration is pausing naturalizations for immigrants from 19 countries.
www.wgbh.org
December 10, 2025 at 10:55 PM
MAGAts used to say, "All we want is for immigrants to wait for years and jump through every hoop, and then we'll applaud their becoming citizens." They're no longer even pretending.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
Reposted by Gary McGath
Breaking:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid mounting tensions with the Maduro government.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid mounting tensions with the Maduro government.
December 10, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Breaking:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid mounting tensions with the Maduro government.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid mounting tensions with the Maduro government.
Reposted by Gary McGath
All forms of age-gating are “a privacy nightmare that burdens the civil liberties of people both young and old,” EFF’s @aaronmackey.bsky.social told @AlJazeera.com, forcing all to share sensitive information that could be abused or hacked. www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1...
Why is Australia banning social media for teenagers?
Critics say new law is 'normalising surveillance' for young people and risks cutting them off from support networks.
www.aljazeera.com
December 10, 2025 at 7:06 PM
All forms of age-gating are “a privacy nightmare that burdens the civil liberties of people both young and old,” EFF’s @aaronmackey.bsky.social told @AlJazeera.com, forcing all to share sensitive information that could be abused or hacked. www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1...
Reposted by Gary McGath
Requiring temporary visitors to surrender five years of social media to the U.S. sends the message that the American commitment to free speech is pretense. This simply is not the behavior of a country confident in its freedoms.
It's a threat to free speech around the world and must be opposed.
It's a threat to free speech around the world and must be opposed.
Foreign tourists could be required to disclose 5 years of social media histories under Trump administration plan
The Customs and Border Protection proposal would apply even to countries that don't require visas to enter.
www.nbcnews.com
December 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Requiring temporary visitors to surrender five years of social media to the U.S. sends the message that the American commitment to free speech is pretense. This simply is not the behavior of a country confident in its freedoms.
It's a threat to free speech around the world and must be opposed.
It's a threat to free speech around the world and must be opposed.
Just got a call from the library that the copy I requested of _Toscanini: Musician of Conscience_ is available for me to pick up. The librarian mangled the pronunciation of Toscanini. What's obvious to some isn't to others.
December 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Just got a call from the library that the copy I requested of _Toscanini: Musician of Conscience_ is available for me to pick up. The librarian mangled the pronunciation of Toscanini. What's obvious to some isn't to others.
Trump made the unsupported assertion that Ilhan Omar is married to her brother and is in the US illegally, and his crowd of followers chanted "Send her back!" This is a perfect example of mob beliefs as articles of faith, which I discuss here. garymcgath.com/fact-free-mo...
Fact-free mob thinking
On several occasions I’ve mentioned that I don’t support the Salvation Army because it holds that I’m going to Hell, along with all other non-Christians, while trying to look like…
garymcgath.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Trump made the unsupported assertion that Ilhan Omar is married to her brother and is in the US illegally, and his crowd of followers chanted "Send her back!" This is a perfect example of mob beliefs as articles of faith, which I discuss here. garymcgath.com/fact-free-mo...
Boston ICE Tea Party planned for December 16. Spread the word. www.mass50501.org/press-releas...
#Boston #Massachusetts
#Boston #Massachusetts
Boston Indivisible and Mass 50501 Host “Boston ICE Tea Party” on December 16 — Mass 50501
On the anniversary of the American Revolution’s 1773 Boston Tea Party protest, Boston Indivisible and Mass 50501 will hold the Boston ICE Tea Party, a modern-day civic action against polit...
www.mass50501.org
December 10, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Boston ICE Tea Party planned for December 16. Spread the word. www.mass50501.org/press-releas...
#Boston #Massachusetts
#Boston #Massachusetts
Trump's calling the unarmed targets of his premeditated murders "combatants" doesn't change the fact that it was murder.
reason.com/2025/12/10/t...
reason.com/2025/12/10/t...
Trump’s word games can’t conceal the murderous reality of his anti-drug strategy
The administration calling suspected cocaine smugglers "combatants" does not justify summarily executing them.
reason.com
December 10, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Trump's calling the unarmed targets of his premeditated murders "combatants" doesn't change the fact that it was murder.
reason.com/2025/12/10/t...
reason.com/2025/12/10/t...
The claims of mob thinking have little to do with facts. They're more like articles of faith. garymcgath.com/fact-free-mo...
Fact-free mob thinking
On several occasions I’ve mentioned that I don’t support the Salvation Army because it holds that I’m going to Hell, along with all other non-Christians, while trying to look like…
garymcgath.com
December 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM
The claims of mob thinking have little to do with facts. They're more like articles of faith. garymcgath.com/fact-free-mo...