Geographic balance is overrated. Clinton-Gore doubled down on the same geography, and as for Obama-Biden, 'Delaware' is myth created by corporate lawyers and interstate highway builders.
Never thought of the Pompei and Mars episodes as thematic bookends a la 'fire and water', but that's spot on. Good stuff.
(and contributing to the brilliance of Season 4 was the Silence in the Library two parter, both as an episode of its own, and kicking off Alex Kingston's character. )
1) December, sometime next week. (probably Thursday)
2a) It's going to be a strict party line vote(except the independent) 225-190, with the people not tallied not voting. (Amash will vote to impeach)
2b) both articles will go through by the same vote
3) The senate vote will also be strictly party line (treating the independents in this case as Democrats for all practical purposes)
This bill seems to me a deliberate response to the 2017 Charlottesville violence
3. Assembles with one or more persons with the intent of intimidating any person or group of persons by drilling, parading, or marching with any firearm, any explosive or incendiary device, or any components or combination thereof.
Not sure if it had been already proposed in a earlier legislative session or not, or if it's only been proposed now because there's been no criminal legal action(afaik) against the organizers of the Unite the Right rally - and that none is possible. (afaict, the only criminal chargers were against the guy that murdered Heather Heyer, and that other guy that drew his gun and shot at the guy with the improvised flame thrower.) (and another guy who was ambushed in a parking garage by the nazis had charges against him dropped)
not a lawyer, but Briggs' characters do seem to get involved in a lot of questionable financial transactions, that, even though not technically illegal* (and generally not entirely immoral**), did tend to blow up and thus precipitate lawsuits.
*because nothing was illegal
**because no one was doing enough due diligence at this level of business.
"The Ewok stuff is all well and good,"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14HRo_eTUgg
This scene is by far the most underrated in the franchise, with an emotional depth. created in a mere 10 secs, that is probably unmatched in any of the other movies. It also has the most pathos of a 'redshirt' death in possibly all of the genre.
The inflection point on this was very sudden in my recollection. Even as late as the early 80s, Columbus Day was kind of a big deal, and a uniformly positive holiday, but by the 500th anniversary, the mood had already shifted in large part to 'commemorating not celebrating'. And especially when you read accounts of how grandiose the 400th anniversary events were around the country.
The original Trump in many ways. A man with a sales pitch that is complete malarkey, where it is uncertain how much he was high on his own supply, who nonetheless somehow lucks into unbelievable success instead of utter destruction.
You're a better person than I am Gabriel. I refuse to give Donald Trump any charity, because he has never given it to anyone else, and, furthermore, has taken others people charity, and used it as a weapon.
He is a disgusting, depraved, despicable human being, who has always surrounded himself with disgusting, depraved, despicable human beings, and, for that matter, has also begotten several disgusting, depraved, despicable human beings.
And not only has he never seen any negative consequences of that existence, he has achieved every success.
He has earned my absolute and resolute contempt. As have all the MAGA fans out there.
Great stuff. Didn't grow up there, but spent a lot of my late youth / early adulthood there (as many suburban Novans do.) It's of course not technically on the parkway (actually a significant bit away from it, looking it up), but still, there was no better morning view than Brush mountain from the Prairie Quad in October.
I am looking forward to going to Skyline drive for a couple of days late next week. Based on what I'm seeing here further east, the color should be popping due to the late heat and overall dryness.
Hoping to get down to the SW in the spring, and replay all the greatest hits like Dragon's Tooth and the Home Place.
This and the Unicorn are the two new comedies of this season the wife and I watch together. I like this one better, she likes the Unicorn better, which is not something I expected going in.
Albeit not being the most original show, I do think CSA* has more opportunity for consistency and freshness than the Unicorn, which, based on the pilot, and its better 2nd episode, is really going to lean into the same jokes every week.
Carol's 2nd Act though, as a bit of an opportunity to recapture the spirit of something like Night Court.
*perhaps abbreviating it like this is somewhat of a mistake.
Just want to echo above and say great job Burt. And I also agree with Marchmane's take, with the added facet that the Clinton impeachment, which was overtly political, but also had a legitimate basis in an illegal act by a sitting President (perjury) also warps the dynamics of any impeachment proceeding that would occur in the next generation.
I watched it this week, and I liked it, and I think I have some of the same reservations as you. I'm fine with the fact that the judge is supposed to be a trailblazer and that all the young professionals are the first such generation to 'look like Los Angeles'
All hour long shows are going to mix up the comedy and drama, but I feel this show didn't quite get the tonal shifts fined tuned enough in the pilot (especially when it literally 'starts with a bang' and then kind of merely runs in place for the next act.
The other off thing that stuck out to me was I feel they tried to give a bit too much characterization too soon to the public defender. She's harried! She's hard charging! She's got an romantic admirer at work! She's got an abusive current relationship! They honestly should have dropped one or the other of her character notes for the pilot and slowly introduce the other. (Or perhaps give just a hint of her bad current relationship in an episode stinger, the way they gave for the DA and [preemptive edit for spoiler] [someone the DA knows])
I figured out my problem with the overall arc of Downton Abbey.
I did like it, quite a bit, especially at the beginning. Yes it was soapy, and the resolutions always a bit too pat, but as said by others above, the acting and (yes) the writing (as well as of course costume and set design) made everything greater than the sum of its parts.
The problem I have is that over the course of six seasons, everyone became a diggit lifer.
Now, I don't have a problem with diggit lifers. *I* was a diggit lifer. But not everyone should be a diggit lifer. Especially those who don't want to be diggit lifers *and* that have opportunity not to be diggit lifers.
I don't really expect ( and definitely don't want) a scathing Marxist critique of UK class structures as the Edwardian era passed into the war & interwar years - but for the golden age of television, the show was remarkably unambitious.
The inciting incident of the Titanic sinking was a great narrative and thematic hook, as it symbolizes the end of 'innocent' industrialization and the start of mechanized and social forces that would upend the world order over the course of the next 4 decades.
But after the war, they never went anywhere with it. The show ends with dumb luck allowing everyone to live in a manner (and in a manor) little changed from a generation before. When in fact everything was changing, and the transformation was ongoing.
Shorter me - I wish the arc of the show would see them through the Depression and 2nd World War and perhaps end with QE2's coronation as the bridge to the 'modern' UK.
Shorter shorter me - a lot more people needed to go to America, one fewer person needed to die.
Nonetheless, will be seeing this movie this weekend (for almost certainly more than 6 bucks a ticket).
West Virginia's best use these days is probably as a wilderness & nature reserve / recreation area for the eastern & midwestern Metropoleis, now the job is to make that economically and socially equitable.
On “Cory Booker Bows Out”
Geographic balance is overrated. Clinton-Gore doubled down on the same geography, and as for Obama-Biden, 'Delaware' is myth created by corporate lawyers and interstate highway builders.
On “Something, Something Teach a Man to Fish…”
That's a lot of wood to burn for the open steppe.
On “Time Lord Victorious: From Tennant to Smith On Doctor Who”
Never thought of the Pompei and Mars episodes as thematic bookends a la 'fire and water', but that's spot on. Good stuff.
(and contributing to the brilliance of Season 4 was the Silence in the Library two parter, both as an episode of its own, and kicking off Alex Kingston's character. )
On “Lay Down Your Marker: Impeachment”
1) December, sometime next week. (probably Thursday)
2a) It's going to be a strict party line vote(except the independent) 225-190, with the people not tallied not voting. (Amash will vote to impeach)
2b) both articles will go through by the same vote
3) The senate vote will also be strictly party line (treating the independents in this case as Democrats for all practical purposes)
On “Danny Dreamer Buried In Coin”
Is it just me, or does this drawing style seem more refined than the style that would be the norm in the 1920s?
On “Wednesday Writs: Brown v. Plata and Prison Reform Edition”
This bill seems to me a deliberate response to the 2017 Charlottesville violence
Not sure if it had been already proposed in a earlier legislative session or not, or if it's only been proposed now because there's been no criminal legal action(afaik) against the organizers of the Unite the Right rally - and that none is possible. (afaict, the only criminal chargers were against the guy that murdered Heather Heyer, and that other guy that drew his gun and shot at the guy with the improvised flame thrower.) (and another guy who was ambushed in a parking garage by the nazis had charges against him dropped)
On “Start The Day With a Beautiful Morning”
not a lawyer, but Briggs' characters do seem to get involved in a lot of questionable financial transactions, that, even though not technically illegal* (and generally not entirely immoral**), did tend to blow up and thus precipitate lawsuits.
*because nothing was illegal
**because no one was doing enough due diligence at this level of business.
On “Ain’t Taxes Grand and Glorious!”
The counterparts in the roaring 20's to the audience for this - https://twitter.com/MarketWatch/status/1171887642176294912
On “Rise of the Ewoks: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”
"The Ewok stuff is all well and good,"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14HRo_eTUgg
This scene is by far the most underrated in the franchise, with an emotional depth. created in a mere 10 secs, that is probably unmatched in any of the other movies. It also has the most pathos of a 'redshirt' death in possibly all of the genre.
On “Grand & Glorious: Christopher Columbus”
The inflection point on this was very sudden in my recollection. Even as late as the early 80s, Columbus Day was kind of a big deal, and a uniformly positive holiday, but by the 500th anniversary, the mood had already shifted in large part to 'commemorating not celebrating'. And especially when you read accounts of how grandiose the 400th anniversary events were around the country.
"
The original Trump in many ways. A man with a sales pitch that is complete malarkey, where it is uncertain how much he was high on his own supply, who nonetheless somehow lucks into unbelievable success instead of utter destruction.
On “Rosebud”
You're a better person than I am Gabriel. I refuse to give Donald Trump any charity, because he has never given it to anyone else, and, furthermore, has taken others people charity, and used it as a weapon.
He is a disgusting, depraved, despicable human being, who has always surrounded himself with disgusting, depraved, despicable human beings, and, for that matter, has also begotten several disgusting, depraved, despicable human beings.
And not only has he never seen any negative consequences of that existence, he has achieved every success.
He has earned my absolute and resolute contempt. As have all the MAGA fans out there.
On “A Love Letter To The Blue Ridge Parkway”
Great stuff. Didn't grow up there, but spent a lot of my late youth / early adulthood there (as many suburban Novans do.) It's of course not technically on the parkway (actually a significant bit away from it, looking it up), but still, there was no better morning view than Brush mountain from the Prairie Quad in October.
I am looking forward to going to Skyline drive for a couple of days late next week. Based on what I'm seeing here further east, the color should be popping due to the late heat and overall dryness.
Hoping to get down to the SW in the spring, and replay all the greatest hits like Dragon's Tooth and the Home Place.
On “TV Reviews for Regular People: Carol’s Second Act”
This and the Unicorn are the two new comedies of this season the wife and I watch together. I like this one better, she likes the Unicorn better, which is not something I expected going in.
Albeit not being the most original show, I do think CSA* has more opportunity for consistency and freshness than the Unicorn, which, based on the pilot, and its better 2nd episode, is really going to lean into the same jokes every week.
Carol's 2nd Act though, as a bit of an opportunity to recapture the spirit of something like Night Court.
*perhaps abbreviating it like this is somewhat of a mistake.
On “Wednesday Writs: Schmuck v. United States”
Update - the answer seems to be that the Twitter legal management team thinks is a copyright violation, and have removed the video.
"
Here's a question for the finest legal minds of our time
Is this- https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1179502966606352386?s=19
probably a DMCA violation if Nickelback and/or their publisher push the issue, and probably not Fair Use, as it's basically a political advertisement?
On “The Great Cases: United States v. Nixon”
Just want to echo above and say great job Burt. And I also agree with Marchmane's take, with the added facet that the Clinton impeachment, which was overtly political, but also had a legitimate basis in an illegal act by a sitting President (perjury) also warps the dynamics of any impeachment proceeding that would occur in the next generation.
On “TV Reviews for Regular People: “All Rise””
I watched it this week, and I liked it, and I think I have some of the same reservations as you. I'm fine with the fact that the judge is supposed to be a trailblazer and that all the young professionals are the first such generation to 'look like Los Angeles'
All hour long shows are going to mix up the comedy and drama, but I feel this show didn't quite get the tonal shifts fined tuned enough in the pilot (especially when it literally 'starts with a bang' and then kind of merely runs in place for the next act.
The other off thing that stuck out to me was I feel they tried to give a bit too much characterization too soon to the public defender. She's harried! She's hard charging! She's got an romantic admirer at work! She's got an abusive current relationship! They honestly should have dropped one or the other of her character notes for the pilot and slowly introduce the other. (Or perhaps give just a hint of her bad current relationship in an episode stinger, the way they gave for the DA and [preemptive edit for spoiler] [someone the DA knows])
On “Downton Abbey and the Grace of the Agitated Allegorical Swan”
https://youtu.be/1khDR7yzZ0I
This SNL skit from last night is on point, but I still think in good fun.
There are tbf 2 'high stakes' plot lines imo, one of which is executed well (Thomas's) one of which is not (Branson's)
"
I figured out my problem with the overall arc of Downton Abbey.
I did like it, quite a bit, especially at the beginning. Yes it was soapy, and the resolutions always a bit too pat, but as said by others above, the acting and (yes) the writing (as well as of course costume and set design) made everything greater than the sum of its parts.
The problem I have is that over the course of six seasons, everyone became a diggit lifer.
Now, I don't have a problem with diggit lifers. *I* was a diggit lifer. But not everyone should be a diggit lifer. Especially those who don't want to be diggit lifers *and* that have opportunity not to be diggit lifers.
I don't really expect ( and definitely don't want) a scathing Marxist critique of UK class structures as the Edwardian era passed into the war & interwar years - but for the golden age of television, the show was remarkably unambitious.
The inciting incident of the Titanic sinking was a great narrative and thematic hook, as it symbolizes the end of 'innocent' industrialization and the start of mechanized and social forces that would upend the world order over the course of the next 4 decades.
But after the war, they never went anywhere with it. The show ends with dumb luck allowing everyone to live in a manner (and in a manor) little changed from a generation before. When in fact everything was changing, and the transformation was ongoing.
Shorter me - I wish the arc of the show would see them through the Depression and 2nd World War and perhaps end with QE2's coronation as the bridge to the 'modern' UK.
Shorter shorter me - a lot more people needed to go to America, one fewer person needed to die.
Nonetheless, will be seeing this movie this weekend (for almost certainly more than 6 bucks a ticket).
On “About that Clean Water and Air in West Virginia”
cosign Joe's sentiment.
West Virginia's best use these days is probably as a wilderness & nature reserve / recreation area for the eastern & midwestern Metropoleis, now the job is to make that economically and socially equitable.
On “Light-Sabers Up! Episode IV: A New Hope”
Westley (aka, the Dread Pirate Roberts)?
On “The Princess Bride Re-Make: Make it More Than Mostly Dead”
Ok, there is one scenario where this would work.
Muppet Princess Bride.
"
This is great news for CENTCOM staff.
Now all their plans they came up with this past weekend for a land war in Asia aren't in contention anymore for the biggest blunder of our time.
On “A Journey Through The Star Wars Saga”
Wow, now I feel old.
But looking forward to this series!
(Can't promise not to pick a nit or two though)
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.