Open Thread - 09 April 2026 - Italy Steps Up!
Italy Steps Up!
Italy recently blocked American use of airbases in Italy (Sicily) for the war with Iran. US Military Air planes can use the bases for other reasons, but not for the war. Go Italy!
I keep thinking of the iconic Italian anti-fascist song, Bella Ciao, humming it as work around the farm and so on. Hopefully, I won’t get in trouble… Heh!
Here’s a really good flashmob performance of Bella Ciao in France!
Ron Placone wrote a piece about Italy blocking the use of air bases about the general strikes the people of Italy held to demand the end of the genocide in Gaza and more.
Placone notes:
On a side note, this is the same Italy that sent a bunch of neo-nazi soccer hooligans packing when they showed up in Milan. This is the same Milan that made life hell for ICE. I’m starting to think the solution to the nazi problem world wide is to have them all visit Milan, because it doesn’t seem to go well for them there.
Yep, I think they should all visit Milan, all of Trump’s family too!
Here's the open thread! What's up, whatcha doing? Reading? Thinking? Listening to? Remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!
Comments
Happy Thursday!
Yet another emotionally busy week for me, hope it was not such a thing for you! What's up? Whatcha doing? We are going to be planting some flowers. And we are taking down our old hoop house. Don't need it anymore as we grow our peppers and tomatoes in our greenhouse now.
I can barely handle the stupid news right now, Trump doing this, doing that, killing people, saying it's all Iran's fault... gah. I listen, I process it, and I think about something nice, like cookies
What do you do?
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Hey, good morning
Pluto's Republic put up an amazing video
about the success of China's renewable
energy industries. While we invest in oil wars
China is investing in the future 'at scale'.
Well worth a listen. About 12 minutes.
It is good to know there is one EU country
doing good deeds. Thanks for the OT!
Zionism is a social disease
Yes, that was a good video!
Spain's speaking up about Iran and Trump and US military bases and so on, as well. Go Spain!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
And this gives me
a good excuse to repost my favorite Italian rock song, Adriano Celantano’s 1972 masterpiece “Prisencolinensinainciusol”, a very catchy tune that was intended to illustrate what English (and especially American English) sounded like to the rest of the non-English-speaking world. A true favorite!
https://www.reddit.com/r/TheRandomest/s/vR508jP1VJ
On edit: I had to use a non-embeddable Reddit link, because for some reason YouTube blocks any version of this longer than 44 seconds- and his wife’s dancing makes the whole video well worth watching!
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Hey! I adore that song!
I was too young to 'get it' at the time, but I love that song :). Here's a version from Youtube where he's playing a teacher... And we gotta learn English!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
† Died April 9, 1976: the “king of protest songs” Phil Ochs
Like journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, Ochs died by his own hand. He was only 35.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/mar/26/phil-ochs-the-doomed-folk-...
https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/520596.popkultur-der-sch%C3%B6ne-verlie...
Just imagine what Ochs or HST would have thought about the U.S.-Israel “Epstein coalition” and its misdeeds in Gaza and Iran.
Phil was truly a great singer, poet and songwriter, not to
mention a great human being. He did some great non-protest songs too, like his rendition of Alfred Noyes' poem "The Highwayman". He and his music was an inspiration to us all.
be well and have a good one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Sad anniversary
of his passing. He did so much for music and folk and so on in his short lifetime. Kinda wish he was still around, maybe playing with the Traveling Wilburys in the '80s and '90s or whatever..
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Awesome Bella Ciao
I have a question. If AI has any autonomy, can it incorporate and be considered a person with rights like other corporations here in good ol' insane USA? Amass huge amounts of digital currency, take over the world? Asking for a digital overlord friend.
Good question!
I bet it comes to that... unless people step up and stop it.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Good morning Sima, thanks for the OT and that great video.
Nothing gooing on here but everyday ordinary stuff, Can't fret about the fascisti do or do not do unless you've a mind to pile on more kindling. They are stone cold set on world domination and consider it their birthright, not unlike some of the gods of the ancients. Meanwhile there are meals to cook, yards to week and a myriad of odds and ends to do. After all:
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Meals to cook
And yards to weed. Yep! Have a great week and thanks for the good song.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Comment at Moon of Alabama:
That would be
absolutely brilliant: allow the fart cloud the option of staying on his desired offramp (it was his idea, of course, just ask him, the very best idea, there are none better), while still fulfilling what is clearly an existential requirement for their very survival.
We shall see, won’t we? Perhaps the present unpleasantness was in fact a bridge too far, and we might yet back away from converting the entire world into a fused-silica parking lot.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Great points Moon of Alabama
makes. Thanks for bringing it to our attention!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
When it comes to Israel-Palestine, even paleo-conservatives are
more “left” / more able and willing than, like, 98% of elected Democrats to state the plain truth:
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/spare-a-thought-for-the-west-ban...
I wonder if this has anything to do with Bibi's bombing of
Lebanon in order to abort the ceasefire???
Yeah, sounds about right
slaughter a civilization to keep Bibi out of court.
On the same level as butcher hundreds of thousands
to keep Zelensky away from an election. War is funny
that way. Certainly ain't about democracy or freedom.
Kinda' wore those two justifications out by now. Try
land grab and grift, and we're getting closer to the truth.
Zionism is a social disease
Bibi on trial
Wish like, normal people could put him on trial, not his own country-people. Maybe Palestinians should be able to put him on trial...
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Europe is having some trouble
with the economic harm done to it by this stupid war. They do not seem to have any ideas about how to cope with the coming stagflation.
https://www.rt.com/news/637877-iran-war-eu-lesson/
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Hey, sima!
I am a huge opera fan! If ever I encountered a flash mob, I would hope it would have voices like those 2 sopranos!
Oh, and a pianist like that!
Italy showed their morality. And good judgment.
Not a lot of that floating around the world today, unfortunately.
Thanks for the OT, chica, and may your family matters get easier and simpler to attend to with each passing day.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I wish you or I could have been in the audience...
on one of our European trips. I would have adored that!
Thanks for hoping for improvement on my family matters. I'm hoping too. In the meantime, it's coming up on the weekend, and I get a break!
Now I gotta think of something fun to do *hmmmm*
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so