Mitch Friedfeld
@mitchfriedfeld.bsky.social
Concerned citizen, retired government drone. Classical music, guitar, classic rock, politics. #Mahler, #Bach, #Schubert
Okay. My 10/12, 426, on this week’s Slate News Quiz beat both average score and the Slatester. Can you do even better? slate.com/news-and-pol...
Think You’re Smarter Than a Slate Senior Editor? Find Out With This Week’s News Quiz.
Test your knowledge of this week’s big stories.
slate.com
January 25, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Okay. My 10/12, 426, on this week’s Slate News Quiz beat both average score and the Slatester. Can you do even better? slate.com/news-and-pol...
“‘It’s nice to know we all get money for nothing sometimes,” she murmured to Jimmy.’
Who knew Agatha Christie (d. 1976) was a Dire Straits fan? Hmm, maybe vice versa. That’s from The Seven Dials Mystery. youtu.be/ZC1Pdsppch4?...
Who knew Agatha Christie (d. 1976) was a Dire Straits fan? Hmm, maybe vice versa. That’s from The Seven Dials Mystery. youtu.be/ZC1Pdsppch4?...
Money for Nothing
YouTube video by Dire Straits - Topic
youtu.be
January 24, 2026 at 3:36 PM
“‘It’s nice to know we all get money for nothing sometimes,” she murmured to Jimmy.’
Who knew Agatha Christie (d. 1976) was a Dire Straits fan? Hmm, maybe vice versa. That’s from The Seven Dials Mystery. youtu.be/ZC1Pdsppch4?...
Who knew Agatha Christie (d. 1976) was a Dire Straits fan? Hmm, maybe vice versa. That’s from The Seven Dials Mystery. youtu.be/ZC1Pdsppch4?...
“Greenland is mostly ice and Iceland is mostly green.” How many other lies was I told in grade school?
January 22, 2026 at 2:49 PM
“Greenland is mostly ice and Iceland is mostly green.” How many other lies was I told in grade school?
Not my usual thing but should be fun.
January 22, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Not my usual thing but should be fun.
“Brunetti, a man of sorrows and afflicted with grief […]”
I think that should be “acquainted,” not “afflicted.” Donna Leon often throws in operatic or classical-music asides in her Commissario Brunetti series. This one comes from Doctored Evidence, now reading.
I think that should be “acquainted,” not “afflicted.” Donna Leon often throws in operatic or classical-music asides in her Commissario Brunetti series. This one comes from Doctored Evidence, now reading.
January 21, 2026 at 2:31 PM
“Brunetti, a man of sorrows and afflicted with grief […]”
I think that should be “acquainted,” not “afflicted.” Donna Leon often throws in operatic or classical-music asides in her Commissario Brunetti series. This one comes from Doctored Evidence, now reading.
I think that should be “acquainted,” not “afflicted.” Donna Leon often throws in operatic or classical-music asides in her Commissario Brunetti series. This one comes from Doctored Evidence, now reading.
"Have you had enough of cobbling together random Youtube lessons, playing the same handful of tunes over and over, and not knowing what to work on next?"
Where's the camera?
That's David Hamburger of Fretboard Confidential; I'm already a member. I need to practice more.
Where's the camera?
That's David Hamburger of Fretboard Confidential; I'm already a member. I need to practice more.
January 19, 2026 at 4:22 PM
"Have you had enough of cobbling together random Youtube lessons, playing the same handful of tunes over and over, and not knowing what to work on next?"
Where's the camera?
That's David Hamburger of Fretboard Confidential; I'm already a member. I need to practice more.
Where's the camera?
That's David Hamburger of Fretboard Confidential; I'm already a member. I need to practice more.
“They agreed that Seweryn Blumsztajn, a journalist friend of Chojecki who had worked with Helena Łuczywo,[…].”
Now reading The CIA Book Club, Charlie English. I’m struggling with the many Polish names, which is my problem, not the book’s.
Now reading The CIA Book Club, Charlie English. I’m struggling with the many Polish names, which is my problem, not the book’s.
January 19, 2026 at 2:14 PM
“They agreed that Seweryn Blumsztajn, a journalist friend of Chojecki who had worked with Helena Łuczywo,[…].”
Now reading The CIA Book Club, Charlie English. I’m struggling with the many Polish names, which is my problem, not the book’s.
Now reading The CIA Book Club, Charlie English. I’m struggling with the many Polish names, which is my problem, not the book’s.
As the revolution devours its young -- He stoked ‘deep state’ conspiracy theories. Now they’re coming back to haunt him. wapo.st/4jIoICF
He stoked ‘deep state’ conspiracy theories. Now they’re coming back to haunt him.
The MAGA media star’s stint as the bureau’s deputy director has alienated some of his online followers as he relaunches his podcast career.
wapo.st
January 17, 2026 at 7:22 PM
As the revolution devours its young -- He stoked ‘deep state’ conspiracy theories. Now they’re coming back to haunt him. wapo.st/4jIoICF
Like Gromyko said about Gorbachev: "[S]he may have a pretty smile, but [s]he also has teeth of iron." Good job, Governor, fight back; you never know how trends may catch fire. -- U-Va. board leaders resign as Spanberger and Democrats take power wapo.st/45g2O3H
U-Va. board leaders resign as Spanberger and Democrats take power
The dismissals are another sign that Virginia Democrats plan to quickly unwind changes made at public colleges during Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration.
wapo.st
January 17, 2026 at 1:14 AM
Like Gromyko said about Gorbachev: "[S]he may have a pretty smile, but [s]he also has teeth of iron." Good job, Governor, fight back; you never know how trends may catch fire. -- U-Va. board leaders resign as Spanberger and Democrats take power wapo.st/45g2O3H
Mary Peltola is running for Senate under the slogan of Fish, Family, Freedom, in that order. Only in Alaska.
January 15, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Mary Peltola is running for Senate under the slogan of Fish, Family, Freedom, in that order. Only in Alaska.
“The South Pole was cold.”
No, this is not an “It was a dark and stormy night” moment, but the first sentence of Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Antarctica,” ch. 7. A great read; but, again, I wish it were 150 pages shorter. Does he have a war with Neal Stephenson to see who can write the longest book?
No, this is not an “It was a dark and stormy night” moment, but the first sentence of Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Antarctica,” ch. 7. A great read; but, again, I wish it were 150 pages shorter. Does he have a war with Neal Stephenson to see who can write the longest book?
January 14, 2026 at 11:15 PM
“The South Pole was cold.”
No, this is not an “It was a dark and stormy night” moment, but the first sentence of Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Antarctica,” ch. 7. A great read; but, again, I wish it were 150 pages shorter. Does he have a war with Neal Stephenson to see who can write the longest book?
No, this is not an “It was a dark and stormy night” moment, but the first sentence of Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Antarctica,” ch. 7. A great read; but, again, I wish it were 150 pages shorter. Does he have a war with Neal Stephenson to see who can write the longest book?
Princess Tarakanova; Konstantin Flavitsky, 1864. Princess Cockroach? What!!??
January 11, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Princess Tarakanova; Konstantin Flavitsky, 1864. Princess Cockroach? What!!??
I’m reading a fluff novel, The Oligarch’s Daughter, by Joseph Finder. The protagonist says he’s had two years of college Russian and can ask a person if they can have dinner sometime. But then he asks what is the diminutive for Tatyana. I know there are many, but come on!
January 10, 2026 at 3:03 PM
I’m reading a fluff novel, The Oligarch’s Daughter, by Joseph Finder. The protagonist says he’s had two years of college Russian and can ask a person if they can have dinner sometime. But then he asks what is the diminutive for Tatyana. I know there are many, but come on!
Sad. The so-called "Washington Ring (also the "American Ring," because it was commissioned with San Francisco Opera)" was a major cultural event in 2016 (I attended). But I strongly approve of this decision -- Washington Opera moving out of the KC wapo.st/4q9oYNj
Washington National Opera is moving out of the Kennedy Center
The Washington National Opera decided on Friday to move out of its longtime home at the Kennedy Center. The center said it ended the relationship.
wapo.st
January 10, 2026 at 12:49 AM
Sad. The so-called "Washington Ring (also the "American Ring," because it was commissioned with San Francisco Opera)" was a major cultural event in 2016 (I attended). But I strongly approve of this decision -- Washington Opera moving out of the KC wapo.st/4q9oYNj
Sure, there are hundreds of dedicated people at work here. But the culture is rotten to the core. And this is before the Butler debacle. Once the book got out of the Kennedy/Johnson years, the pace picked up.
January 6, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Sure, there are hundreds of dedicated people at work here. But the culture is rotten to the core. And this is before the Butler debacle. Once the book got out of the Kennedy/Johnson years, the pace picked up.
I thought The Absent One, the second Department Q novel, was so bad that I’m giving up the series entirely. I’ll probably continue it on TV but that’s no sure thing.
January 3, 2026 at 11:04 PM
I thought The Absent One, the second Department Q novel, was so bad that I’m giving up the series entirely. I’ll probably continue it on TV but that’s no sure thing.
Normally I wouldn't brag about my 9/12, 371, on this week's Slate News Quiz (year in review). But I did manage to beat both average score and the Slatester, so... can you do better? slate.com/news-and-pol...
Test Your Knowledge of 2025’s Big Stories
Think you’re smarter than a Slate senior supervising producer? Find out with this end-of-year news quiz.
slate.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Normally I wouldn't brag about my 9/12, 371, on this week's Slate News Quiz (year in review). But I did manage to beat both average score and the Slatester, so... can you do better? slate.com/news-and-pol...
The mighty Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, #Bach - Tariq Harb, guitar youtu.be/6jtuTCy8RXg?... via @YouTube
Bach: Toccata and Fugue, BWV 565 - Tariq Harb, guitar
YouTube video by Tariq Harb
youtu.be
December 26, 2025 at 4:10 AM
The mighty Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, #Bach - Tariq Harb, guitar youtu.be/6jtuTCy8RXg?... via @YouTube
Have you been feeling optimistic about your fellow humans lately? This collection of columns by WaPo advice columnist Carolyn Hax should bring that to a screeching halt. Cue Edvard Munch. wapo.st/3MNVw0F
Carolyn Hax: Most-read columns of 2025
A roundup of the most-read Carolyn Hax columns of 2025 includes a woman’s birthday obsession, a flight-tracking in-law and a petty inheritance decision.
wapo.st
December 24, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Have you been feeling optimistic about your fellow humans lately? This collection of columns by WaPo advice columnist Carolyn Hax should bring that to a screeching halt. Cue Edvard Munch. wapo.st/3MNVw0F
Title of the year: “If Anyone Builds it, Everyone Dies: How Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All,” by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares. Hope the book lives up to it.
December 21, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Title of the year: “If Anyone Builds it, Everyone Dies: How Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All,” by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares. Hope the book lives up to it.
If you like thrillers and/or meta-fiction, try “The Plot” and the “The Sequel,” by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Enjoyed both.
December 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
If you like thrillers and/or meta-fiction, try “The Plot” and the “The Sequel,” by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Enjoyed both.
Now this I didn’t expect. Popped into a breakfast/lunch place and guess what’s playing in the background, my favorite one-hit wonder, released 60 years ago: youtu.be/_4FsMlzPwT8?...
Lies
YouTube video by The Knickerbockers - Topic
youtu.be
December 20, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Now this I didn’t expect. Popped into a breakfast/lunch place and guess what’s playing in the background, my favorite one-hit wonder, released 60 years ago: youtu.be/_4FsMlzPwT8?...
Emily Peck: But it's just a steak? Why is it so expensive?
Felix Salmon: Because it has a big price tag on it, Emily.
Now this is the content I'm looking for in Slate Money.
Felix Salmon: Because it has a big price tag on it, Emily.
Now this is the content I'm looking for in Slate Money.
December 20, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Emily Peck: But it's just a steak? Why is it so expensive?
Felix Salmon: Because it has a big price tag on it, Emily.
Now this is the content I'm looking for in Slate Money.
Felix Salmon: Because it has a big price tag on it, Emily.
Now this is the content I'm looking for in Slate Money.