johnedwinmason
@johnedwinmason.bsky.social
Historian, curator, walker, player of antique French horns. Photography, music, South Africa. UVA Professor Emeritus.
Oh, God. The rural community my cousins live in was promised jobs & an economic boom. Construction jobs came & went. Most of the very few employees of the center live elsewhere. The community is stuck with long-term tax breaks for the center & weird noises for anyone living with a half-mile or more.
November 11, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Oh, God. The rural community my cousins live in was promised jobs & an economic boom. Construction jobs came & went. Most of the very few employees of the center live elsewhere. The community is stuck with long-term tax breaks for the center & weird noises for anyone living with a half-mile or more.
Living for several months in a Francophone city is next on my list.
November 11, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Living for several months in a Francophone city is next on my list.
I'm using woke in its original African American sense & ironically. Its meaning has been cheapened by white people. The post is also humor.
November 11, 2025 at 3:41 AM
I'm using woke in its original African American sense & ironically. Its meaning has been cheapened by white people. The post is also humor.
Duolingo is great for making it easy to start & to be consistent. I use it every day. It has its weaknesses tho. There's almost no direct grammar instruction. After a few months, I knew I needed some so I'm taking an online grammar course. I also meet a tutor once a week for conversation.
November 11, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Duolingo is great for making it easy to start & to be consistent. I use it every day. It has its weaknesses tho. There's almost no direct grammar instruction. After a few months, I knew I needed some so I'm taking an online grammar course. I also meet a tutor once a week for conversation.
Seriously. Within the app, their gender is fluid.
November 11, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Seriously. Within the app, their gender is fluid.
Duo? They're non-binary. Very chill.
November 11, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Duo? They're non-binary. Very chill.
Love is a precious thing.
November 11, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Love is a precious thing.
It's easy to be fooled. Ask me how I know.
November 11, 2025 at 12:15 AM
It's easy to be fooled. Ask me how I know.
A hunting scene at sea. St. Hubert would approve, I hope.
November 10, 2025 at 6:09 PM
A hunting scene at sea. St. Hubert would approve, I hope.
It's amazing what not being beholden to powerful American interests can do for reporting and analysis!
November 10, 2025 at 5:56 PM
It's amazing what not being beholden to powerful American interests can do for reporting and analysis!
I get it. As part of learning French, I've been reading French newspaper. Their analysis of US politics is very often better than what you get from the Times, CNN, etc.
November 10, 2025 at 5:48 PM
I get it. As part of learning French, I've been reading French newspaper. Their analysis of US politics is very often better than what you get from the Times, CNN, etc.
I hope that they find him. He's something to get out of your system early. 😄
November 10, 2025 at 5:44 PM
I hope that they find him. He's something to get out of your system early. 😄
Empires are always cruel and brutal. I'm not sure that it gets worse as they near their end, but the post-World War Two examples of the British in Kenya and the French in Algeria are particularly horrifying. Histories drenched in the blood of freedom fighters and the colonized.
November 10, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Empires are always cruel and brutal. I'm not sure that it gets worse as they near their end, but the post-World War Two examples of the British in Kenya and the French in Algeria are particularly horrifying. Histories drenched in the blood of freedom fighters and the colonized.