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
The First Amendment protects filming the police, but Berenice Garcia-Hernandez says she was dragged out of her car and detained for nearly seven hours for snapping photos of ICE agents.
Oregon woman says ICE broke out her car windows and detained her for filming them
Berenice Garcia-Hernandez says she was dragged out of her car and detained for nearly seven hours for snapping photos of ICE agents.
reason.pub
November 12, 2025 at 10:15 PM
The First Amendment protects filming the police, but Berenice Garcia-Hernandez says she was dragged out of her car and detained for nearly seven hours for snapping photos of ICE agents.
Reposted by Gary McGath
A few days ago I got a surprise $630 charge from my health care provider. Here's what happened.
garymcgath.com/the-opaquene...
garymcgath.com/the-opaquene...
The opaqueness of medical pricing
Go to almost any business for a product or service, and you can expect to be told what it will cost you, or at least to get a plausible estimate. The big exception is medicine. You’re never t…
garymcgath.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:30 PM
A few days ago I got a surprise $630 charge from my health care provider. Here's what happened.
garymcgath.com/the-opaquene...
garymcgath.com/the-opaquene...
Over a thousand people taken to "Alligator Alcatraz" can't be found using the public locator system. factually.co/fact-checks/... #ICE
Fact Check: how many people went missing at Alligator Alcatraz
Executive Summary
Reports from September 2025 indicate that a large share of men held at the Florida detention site nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" could n...
factually.co
November 12, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Over a thousand people taken to "Alligator Alcatraz" can't be found using the public locator system. factually.co/fact-checks/... #ICE
The password on my EZPass account stopped working. The email to reset my password takes longer to arrive than the expiration period of the reset link. Tried twice.
November 12, 2025 at 12:56 PM
The password on my EZPass account stopped working. The email to reset my password takes longer to arrive than the expiration period of the reset link. Tried twice.
A few days ago I got a surprise $630 charge from my health care provider. Here's what happened.
garymcgath.com/the-opaquene...
garymcgath.com/the-opaquene...
The opaqueness of medical pricing
Go to almost any business for a product or service, and you can expect to be told what it will cost you, or at least to get a plausible estimate. The big exception is medicine. You’re never t…
garymcgath.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:30 PM
A few days ago I got a surprise $630 charge from my health care provider. Here's what happened.
garymcgath.com/the-opaquene...
garymcgath.com/the-opaquene...
A really good discussion of _Birth of a Nation_, debunking the claim that it was a breakthrough in technique and getting into detail about the accomplishments of earlier films.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHQz...
#silentFilm #Stummfilm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHQz...
#silentFilm #Stummfilm
Unpacking The Birth of a Nation's Oversized Cinematic Legacy
YouTube video by Silent Shawn
www.youtube.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:19 PM
A really good discussion of _Birth of a Nation_, debunking the claim that it was a breakthrough in technique and getting into detail about the accomplishments of earlier films.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHQz...
#silentFilm #Stummfilm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHQz...
#silentFilm #Stummfilm
Today I saw the first snowflakes of the season, but none of them survived contact with the ground.
November 11, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Today I saw the first snowflakes of the season, but none of them survived contact with the ground.
Looking at Trump's 50-year mortgage proposal, using mortgagecalculator.org.
A mortgage on a $400K house, $80K down payment, 5.98% interest.
30-year mortgage total payments: $689.201.62
50-year mortgage total payments: $1,007,860.46
A mortgage on a $400K house, $80K down payment, 5.98% interest.
30-year mortgage total payments: $689.201.62
50-year mortgage total payments: $1,007,860.46
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Looking at Trump's 50-year mortgage proposal, using mortgagecalculator.org.
A mortgage on a $400K house, $80K down payment, 5.98% interest.
30-year mortgage total payments: $689.201.62
50-year mortgage total payments: $1,007,860.46
A mortgage on a $400K house, $80K down payment, 5.98% interest.
30-year mortgage total payments: $689.201.62
50-year mortgage total payments: $1,007,860.46
Listened to Strauss's Alpensinfonie for the first time in decades. It had been too long. #classicalMusic
November 11, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Listened to Strauss's Alpensinfonie for the first time in decades. It had been too long. #classicalMusic
Reposted by Gary McGath
"Sometimes, the masks are used as tools of intimidation. On Halloween, federal agents in Southern Calif were photographed heading out to make arrests wearing ghoul masks. When the news site L.A. Taco asked DHS about the costumes, [spox Tricia] McLaughlin sent a two-word response: 'Happy Halloween.'”
“If ICE agents were arresting or deporting the worst of the worst, they probably wouldn’t have to wear masks.”
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
Why They Mask
Veteran ICE officers know face coverings are a bad look. But they’re not coming off anytime soon.
www.theatlantic.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:46 PM
"Sometimes, the masks are used as tools of intimidation. On Halloween, federal agents in Southern Calif were photographed heading out to make arrests wearing ghoul masks. When the news site L.A. Taco asked DHS about the costumes, [spox Tricia] McLaughlin sent a two-word response: 'Happy Halloween.'”
Neo-Nazi arsonists failed to stop a concert. steinwaygrand.com/blogs/steinw...
#Paris #classicalMusic
#Paris #classicalMusic
Israel Philharmonic Plays Through Smoke and Fire in Paris
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra's concert at Philharmonie de Paris faced multiple disruptions this evening amongst ongoing protests.Last week, the Confédération Générale du Travail issued a statemen...
steinwaygrand.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Neo-Nazi arsonists failed to stop a concert. steinwaygrand.com/blogs/steinw...
#Paris #classicalMusic
#Paris #classicalMusic
9 Chickweed Lane: Some people are more critical of Beethoven performances than others. (But who wears a necktie to a concert these days?)
www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/n...
www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/n...
9 Chickweed Lane for 11/11/2025
9 Chickweed Lane focuses on the world of the arts with creator Brooke McEldowney's own special brand of intellectual humor.
www.arcamax.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:47 AM
9 Chickweed Lane: Some people are more critical of Beethoven performances than others. (But who wears a necktie to a concert these days?)
www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/n...
www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/n...
Just bought my attending membership for the 2027 Worldcon in Montreal. I hope crossing the Canadian border will still be feasible then.
November 11, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Just bought my attending membership for the 2027 Worldcon in Montreal. I hope crossing the Canadian border will still be feasible then.
Liberdon (a Mastodon instance) is going to start charging for accounts. This is perfectly reasonable, but I'm just not using Mastodon much anymore. I haven't decided whether to migrate my account.
This won't affect filknews.
This won't affect filknews.
November 10, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Liberdon (a Mastodon instance) is going to start charging for accounts. This is perfectly reasonable, but I'm just not using Mastodon much anymore. I haven't decided whether to migrate my account.
This won't affect filknews.
This won't affect filknews.
Florestan claws his way to the top.
November 10, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Florestan claws his way to the top.
Trump hands out a whole deck of get-out-of-jail-free cards to his cronies. abcnews.go.com/Politics/tru...
Trump pardons Rudy Giuliani, other key figures allegedly involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election
Ed Martin, the United States Pardon Attorney, announced that President Trump would be pardoning key figures allegedly involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
abcnews.go.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Trump hands out a whole deck of get-out-of-jail-free cards to his cronies. abcnews.go.com/Politics/tru...
René Jacobs' recording of "Entführung" is a bit controversial, but I like it. It's nearly complete and includes bits from other works by Mozart to underscore the spoken parts.
November 10, 2025 at 11:44 AM
René Jacobs' recording of "Entführung" is a bit controversial, but I like it. It's nearly complete and includes bits from other works by Mozart to underscore the spoken parts.
This needs to be heard more. slippedisc.com/2025/11/a-pi...
A pianist appeals: Stop the concerthall protests - Slippedisc
From the international concert pianist Anna Geniushene: Classical...
slippedisc.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:35 PM
This needs to be heard more. slippedisc.com/2025/11/a-pi...
Don't call what vandals did at the Israel Philharmonic concert in France a "protest." It was physical intimidation.
www.rfi.fr/en/france/20...
www.rfi.fr/en/france/20...
Four charged after disturbances at Israel Philharmonic concert in Paris
French prosecutors have opened a judicial inquiry after a Paris concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was marred by protest and violence.
www.rfi.fr
November 9, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Don't call what vandals did at the Israel Philharmonic concert in France a "protest." It was physical intimidation.
www.rfi.fr/en/france/20...
www.rfi.fr/en/france/20...
St. Joseph Hospital in New Hampshire charged me $630 for a routine blood test as part of an annual physical. #NewHampshire
November 9, 2025 at 2:56 PM
St. Joseph Hospital in New Hampshire charged me $630 for a routine blood test as part of an annual physical. #NewHampshire
Today's Boston Artists Ensemble concert: Brahms and Schumann. bostonartistsensemble.org/bae_concerts...
Sunday, November 9 "From the Heart" - bostonartistsensemble.org
Schumann's Piano Trio No. 3 in G minor, Brahms' Viola Sonata and Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor
bostonartistsensemble.org
November 9, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Today's Boston Artists Ensemble concert: Brahms and Schumann. bostonartistsensemble.org/bae_concerts...
In _Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood_, Huntingdon has an intense phobia of women for the first half hour. After he falls in love with Marian, it's dropped and forgotten. I don't get why this was done, other than for a joke.
November 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM
In _Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood_, Huntingdon has an intense phobia of women for the first half hour. After he falls in love with Marian, it's dropped and forgotten. I don't get why this was done, other than for a joke.
Went to the Greek food festival in Haverhill yesterday. Really good. I hadn't had rizogalo (Greek style rice pudding) in ages and forgot how good it is.
November 9, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Went to the Greek food festival in Haverhill yesterday. Really good. I hadn't had rizogalo (Greek style rice pudding) in ages and forgot how good it is.
There are some upsides to the shutdown.
November 8, 2025 at 10:07 PM
There are some upsides to the shutdown.
Reposted by Gary McGath
Plaistow Police Report Student Struck by Car Friday Afternoon
Plaistow, N.H., Police say a juvenile student was “conscious and alert” after being struck by a car Friday afternoon on Danville Road near Greenough Road. In a press release, police did not identify the student or list an age, but said…
Plaistow, N.H., Police say a juvenile student was “conscious and alert” after being struck by a car Friday afternoon on Danville Road near Greenough Road. In a press release, police did not identify the student or list an age, but said…
Plaistow Police Report Student Struck by Car Friday Afternoon
Plaistow, N.H., Police say a juvenile student was “conscious and alert” after being struck by a car Friday afternoon on Danville Road near Greenough Road. In a press release, police did not identify the student or list an age, but said the accident took place Friday, just before 2:30 p.m. The student was treated on scene by Plaistow Emergency Medical Services and taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Police said the accident is under investigation and anyone who may have information is asked to call Master Patrol Officer Chris Iacozzi at 603-382-1200.
whav.net
November 8, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Plaistow Police Report Student Struck by Car Friday Afternoon
Plaistow, N.H., Police say a juvenile student was “conscious and alert” after being struck by a car Friday afternoon on Danville Road near Greenough Road. In a press release, police did not identify the student or list an age, but said…
Plaistow, N.H., Police say a juvenile student was “conscious and alert” after being struck by a car Friday afternoon on Danville Road near Greenough Road. In a press release, police did not identify the student or list an age, but said…