Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

Democrats have delivered the Square Deal, the New Deal, the Fair Deal, and now… the Big Joe Biden Deal.

“But what about the lurkers?”

“woke” is the new caravan.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

I was promised a recession.

Please don’t feed the bears.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

People are complicated. Love is not.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

How can republicans represent us when they don’t trust women?

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

There’s always a light at the end of the frog.

Innocent people don’t delay justice.

The current Supreme Court is a rogue court. Very dangerous.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

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119Comments

  1. 1.

    schrodinger's cat

    Weird dinner tonight. Club soda with some lime, peel and eat shrimp, and… KALE!

    Make some couscous or rice to go with it and your dinner will be complete.

  4. 4.

    John Cole

    Not really a fan of couscous. I do a really shitty job preparing it.

    I’m not really a fan of rice, either. I like wild rices and long grains, but other than that, not really.

    I like meat and I like vegetables. Not too big on carbs.

  5. 5.

    Scott H

    Ask me about Caprica tomorrow; that’s when the DVD from Netflix is supposed to arrive.

    Peel and eat shrimp sounds really good for this weather.

  6. 6.

    asiangrrlMN

    Rice is the best! It goes with everything. Then again, I am a big carb fan–and I’m Asian. I would be denounced from the fold if I were to say I didn’t like rice.

    My second meal will be chicken rice soup, I believe. A couple of oranges, some kale and maybe some broccoli. Sounds good to me! Oh, and chocolate for dessert. No meal is complete without chocolate.

  7. 7.

    Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse

    Tonight’s dinner is in stages. I’ve roasted some tomatoes with garlic, onion and rosemary, but my herb-roasted half chicken won’t be ready for another hour.

    I got my carbs in the small bag of Baked Lays I grabbed midday when I was starving. Not the best choice, but gnawing off my own arm would have disturbed the other passengers on the bus.

  9. 9.

    joes527

    @JenJen: Regrets for the passing of clear beer?

    I’d be all happy at its demise if it had been a rejection of a bad idea. Unfortunately, it was simply pushed out by sweeter and sweeter flavors of alcopop.

    White zinfandel in the 80’s was the gateway drug. From there it was a slow slide from wine coolers to the abomination that is your local supermarket’s beer case today.

  10. 10.

    Joshua Norton

    Try Portuguese kale soup. To die for – really. Reminds me of summers on Cape Cod. It’s a favorite of the local Portuguese fishermen.

  11. 11.

    freelancer

    Caprica’s okay. I’ll stick with it for a while, but I’m still at little sore that Moore used a bunch of God-botting to resolve the plot points of BSG. If BSG is space-opera and post-apocalyptic sci-fi, then you could think of Caprica as Blade Runner/Mafia-based Gibson-esque cyberpunk.

    The first thing that came to mind while watching it was the role of William Hurt in the movie AI.

  12. 12.

    Pseudofool

    Caprica clearly doesn’t have the premise of BSG, but if you like the high stake drama that reaches for existential themes that you saw in BSG, you’ll probably like this, because both the principal actors look quite good. The draw back for was there were parts of the premise and events within the narrative that seemed a bit hokey (more hokey than BSG).

    @John Cole, where are you in BSG, anyways?

  13. 13.

    Pseudofool

    @freelancer – some might consider what you’re saying is spoilers.

    btw, I’m glad BSG went there.

  14. 14.

    Desmond

    I found Caprica surprisingly good, but very different from BSG. (not much in common between the two shows except for the Cylons.)

  15. 15.

    apistat

    This has pretty much nothing to do with Caprica, but you should definitely watch Breaking Bad. If it were on HBO everyone would be raving about it, but it is flying a bit under the radar (in terms of viewership; it’s been well received by critics) because it is on AMC and somewhat overshadowed by Mad Men (which I didn’t particularly like, but that’s a completely different discussion).

    The basic plot is that a high school chemistry teacher learns he has lung cancer and only about 6 months to live decides to start cooking meth in order to leave some money for his family when he goes. Everything about the show is top notch, but Bryan Cranston’s performance is absolutely incredible; I’m pretty sure he won the best actor emmy for it last year. I guarantee that once the third episode is over you’ll be hooked, and it just keeps getting better from there.

  16. 16.

    asiangrrlMN

    @JK: Wait, so this guy gets what amounts to two or three life sentences for a nonviolent crime, and we’re supposed to let Bush and his cadre walk?

    That’s justice for you!

  17. 17.

    Laura W

    @John Cole:

    I like meat and I like vegetables. Not too big on carbs.

    Me too! So how come we’re always dieting?
    I went shopping today and came home with a bag of huge frozen shrimp and KALE! (Organic NY strip and organic whole chicken.) Not cooking tonight, however.
    Tonight I have this to try! (Which explains why I’m always dieting.)
    Still can’t find the damn new coconut flavor I lust for.

  18. 18.

    omen

    i developed a fondness for wild rice from my minnesotan grandma, but i like sticky rice the best. isn’t it interesting that combining beans and rice creates protein. that’s like alchemy or something.

  19. 19.

    schrodinger's cat

    Not too big on carbs.

    But ice-cream is loaded with carbs! I am making brown rice and a salad and will be serving it with some chicken kebabs I made yesterday.

  20. 20.

    Xanthippas

    Mmmm, club soda with lime! Just the thought of it makes me miss Zima. :-(
    RIP Zima
    1993 – 2008

    But the last time you actually drank it was the 90’s right?

  21. 21.

    freelancer

    @Pseudofool

    Yeah, my bad. I mean its vague enough, but anyone reading the various reviews of the finale, not to mention the Open Thread on the site that was dedicated to the show, could have realized that Moore was winking at the Deus ex Machina, breaking the convention, and a lot of people here had strong opinions about it.

    That said, I think the fourth season is really strong, and the music is enough to give me chills at times.

  22. 22.

    schrodinger's cat

    I like basmati rice the best. I cook it with some cumin and onions, makes a good base for everything from shrimp to chicken and most vegetables.

  23. 23.

    kidkawartha

    John-
    One of the best Dutch-canadian comfort foods uses kale- it’s called Boerekol or Stampot. Here’s my mom’s version.

    To start, peel and quarter enough potatoes to feed your brood. The simplest ones are fine, stick with Yukon or baking potatoes. Put on boil in large enough saucepan with lightly salted water. As they are cooking, very finely chop a couple of handfuls of fresh kale leaves- hopefully your grocery store has it. Dump the kale on top when the potatoes are about half done boiling. When they’re almost done, set enough good European smoked sausage (do not substitute here!) for your clan on top to steam through.

    While all the above is going on, open a couple cans of preserved pear halves and put in pan on low heat. Mix a little cornstarch in warm water until smooth, then add to pears to nicely thicken the sauce. Do not overheat!

    When taters are finished boiling, set the sausage aside and drain the pan, trying not to lose any of the kale in the process. Add a little milk and a good chunk of butter, and whip potatoes until nice and smoothly mashed- a strong whisk should do the trick. No chunks! Put the sausage back on top and serve both pans.

    Now here’s the secret- put a big dollop of potatoes on your plate, use your fork to make a deep depression in the middle of them, and put a pat of butter in there. Add a big spoon of pears on the side, and ease as much of the pear sauce into the depression, then add cracked blacked pepper. A forkful of this mess is sweet and a touch salty with the butter, lot’s of starchy goodness, with pears and sausage on the side. I could eat it a few times a week. And it’s cheap and relatively easy to make.

  24. 24.

    Laura W

    @JenJen: Ha! I drank my share of Zima in the day. (“The day” meaning Sundays in CO when you could find nothing but 3.2% products in the grocery store. Nothing like a Zima buzz, huh? Erp.)

    I’m not far from it right now with my absurdly cost-effective Crane Lake Pinot Grigio cut with equal amounts of sparkling raspberry/lime water. And ice. I am suddenly a Lady Who Spritzers?? That’s creepy. It’s just too hot for wine, even white wine. I heard the siren call of the Ketel One Citroen today. Walked on by.

    EDIT: Am I the only person here addicted to In Treatment for the second season in a row? I love that shit! No one ever chimes in. Mia…oh Mia Mia Mia. She is deliciously fucked up.

  26. 26.

    Desmond

    That said, I think the fourth season is really strong, and the music is enough to give me chills at times.

    Me too, the fourth season was overall very good, even if the finale was a bit of a letdown.

    And yes, Bear McCreary’s music is amazing, and only got stronger as the show went on.

  27. 27.

    joes527

    So, not being one to watch TV on the … you know … television, it wasn’t until this morning that I found out that Kings has been deferred ’till summer at which point it will be allowed to cough out its last breaths.

    I’m seriously bummed. Ian McShane was 90% of what there was to like about it. But he delivered a hell of a good 90%

    This is fortunate at least in that they aren’t going to have to figure out how to get Christopher Egan to carry the series when Ian got around to falling on his sword.

    The whole thing would have worked better as a 2 part miniseries. They told a lot of story in the pilot, a second part to match the pilot could have ended with the death of Saul andbeen really interesting.

    Instead, they followed the pilot with the kind of soap opera that is episodic television.

  29. 29.

    John Cole

    So how come we’re always dieting?

    Because we also like dairy, and in particular, frozen dairy products. In fact, I am going to TCBY right now.

  30. 30.

    Laura W

    @John Cole: mmmmm…cheese. Did I forget to mention I’ve already had a huge hunk of Horseradish Aged Cheddar and a hunk of some other Aged White Cheddar?
    Ah well…
    Next Monday!

  31. 31.

    Violet

    I’m roasting a chicken for dinner. Vegetable will be some sort of greens from the garden. Although it’s storming right now, so I’m not sure I’m going to brave it to pick something. Might just eat the sugar snaps already in the fridge.

    LauraW – have you tried anything from these guys? http://www.coconutbliss.com/. I’ve tried the regular. Very coconut-y.

  32. 32.

    asiangrrlMN

    I don’t have cable. I don’t watch TV except for sports, mostly. I watch everything online or through Netflix. It frees up a lot of time for posting on blogs and such!

  33. 33.

    Mr. Stuck

    has anyone ever built a btx computer system? Just got new btx case and the intel btx 955 MB is about half an inch too long. They are supposed to fit. Building a computer from scratch is starting to seem like a mistake. Where’s my hammer?

  34. 34.

    freelancer

    I watch everything online or through Netflix.

    I have the Netflix watch instant through my 360, and anything not on there TV-wise can be found at surfthechannel.com

    Anyone with the netflix watch instant should queue up:

    -Let the Right One In (don’t like vamp movies, but this one’s a gem
    -Redbelt (IMHO, one of the best movies of last year)
    -Jericho (TV series)

    to name just a few.

  36. 36.

    KCinDC

    I’m boycotting “Caprica” to protest the insane idea that it’s reasonable to charge $15 for a 90-minute TV show on iTunes.

  37. 37.

    Laura W

    @Violet:

    LauraW – have you tried anything from these guys? http://www.coconutbliss.com/. I’ve tried the regular. Very coconut-y.

    No, but I think I might have seen some of their stuff at the natural food market last week. To be honest, when I’m eating “clean”, I don’t eat anything like that. It’s all low carb real food (organic proteins and veggies, olive oil.) And when I’m eating “dirty”, it’s full fat Ben and Jerry’s (but only the really good flavors, since they have 987,000) and Ruffles with Ridges.
    There. I’ve said it in public. Yer only as sick as yer secrets, right?
    Edit: Shorter me: All or Nothing.
    KO is coatless! What?

  38. 38.

    joes527

    @freelancer: I watched Beyond Thunderdome on Netflix instant the other day. I knew better, but I had never seen it, and something inside just said “It couldn’t possibly be that bad”

    Proved wrong once again.

  39. 39.

    JK

    Nice takedown of David Broder from hilzoy

    “Who died and made David Broder Sigmund Freud? How on earth does he presume to know what the actually motivates those of us who think that the people who authorized torture should be investigated? Speaking for myself: I have never met David Broder. As far as I know, he has no idea that I exist. So how does he know that underneath my “plausible-sounding rationale” lurks “an unworthy desire for vengeance”? And how, stranger still, does he presume to know this about everyone who thinks this — a group that (as Greg Sargent notes) included 62% of the American public before the latest memos were released?”

    Rest of Hilzoy’s post http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_04/017910.php

    Interesting items

    Ever heard a death threat issued by a Christian chaplain?
    http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/26/724572/-Ever-heard-a-death-threat-issued-by-a-Christian-chaplain

    GOP Lurches Back to “Checks and Balances”
    http://www.thedemocraticstrategist.org/strategist/2009/04/gop_lurches_back_to_checks_and.php#comments

  40. 40.

    asiangrrlMN

    @freelancer:

    I am like you. I can watch whatever I want online or through Netflix. Except sports and a few other shows. I will have to try surfthechannel.com and Let the Right One In (I love vamps). However, I just couldn’t get into Jericho. Believe me, I tried because Skeet Ulrich is yummy.

    @joes527: You got what you deserved, then. Any time you say, “It can’t be that bad”, you know it’s gonna be that bad.

  42. 42.

    omen

    @JK:

    62% of the American public before the latest memos were released

    wow, 62% favor investigations? whadya know, more proof of sanity. that was back in early feb too. that’s got to be higher now.

    that’s better than this knife’s edge poll on torture:

    49 percent said they oppose the use of torture no matter the circumstance, 48 percent said there are some cases in which the U.S. should consider it.

  43. 43.

    asiangrrlMN

    @JK: I love Hilzoy. Broder, on the other hand, can bite me. I don’t care if he’s a very serious person–he’s not serious enough for me.

  44. 44.

    joes527

    @asiangrrlMN: Yeah … well one of these days I’ll get around to watching Matrix Revolutions.

    The obsessive-compulsive “I saw the first two … I need to see the last one” part of my brain overpowers the “this is really going to suck” part of my brain.

    I’m sure that it is a form of self loathing.

  45. 45.

    asiangrrlMN

    @joes527: I only watched the first because when spoiler warning Trinity (yummy) kisses Neo (yummy) at the end, I saw it as the ultimate movie cliche and sellout to the matrix. It pissed me off no end. So, even though I thought the movie was ok up until that point, and I loved Morpheus (also yummy), I refused to watch two or three.

  46. 46.

    Laura W

    @John Cole: That’s funny. I was wondering to myself what flavors were good there and what you might choose since I’ve not been to one for, well, decades. You’re on your own there. Knowing you, something with fruit, probably. But fruit yogurt is better than fruit ice cream, IMO, so go fruity, John!
    Edit: There is only one topping choice: nuts.

  47. 47.

    freelancer

    @Joes527

    There’s plenty of fail amongst their on-demand choices, but there are plenty that are intriguing as all hell:

    South Park (all past seasons)
    Dan in Real Life
    District B13
    Street Fight (Corey Booker runs for Mayor of Newark)
    Half Nelson
    Man on Wire
    Primer
    The Constant Gardner
    Groundhog Day
    Mythbusters
    Hell House
    Word Wars

    the last movie I watched on there that I absolutely fell in love with was King of Kong: A Fistfull of Quarters. It is a must-see.

  49. 49.

    srv

    @joes527:

    White zinfandel in the 80’s was the gateway drug. From there it was a slow slide from wine coolers to the abomination that is your local supermarket’s beer case today.

    Liquid Nytol. Turned the 80’s generation into sleepy heads.

  50. 50.

    TenguPhule

    Apparently the wise old men on cable believe that if enough people believe it’s okay, its debatable and not illegal.

    FRUM: It’s not super clear, because the key piece of information people need, most people need to make a decision, is missing. Look, there’s a hard core of civil libertarians who will say, I don’t care whether this contributed to the defense of the country. Forget it, we won’t do it, even if it means Americans die. And then there are some people who say, I support the president no matter what.

    WALSH: But Chris, the point is it’s illegal. In what instance does it matter that 80 percent of Americans would like to murder Dick Cheney? Does that — would that make it legal? It’s not a matter of opinion. It’s law.

    On the bright side, Killing Dick Cheney may soon no longer be illegal.

  53. 53.

    TenguPhule

    Edit: There is only one topping choice: hot fudge, everything else is nuts.

    Fixed it for ya, Laura W.

  54. 54.

    joes527

    Man on Wire – Absolutely. I’m still amazed by it.

    Trying to watch The Lives of Others – but am being blocked by technical difficulties.

  55. 55.

    Laura W

    @John Cole: Fine. I’ve done a quick scan of their web site so I’d recommend Hawaiian Coconut yogurt with coconut topping. (Lemon Custard Chiffon might be refreshing if you’re going for two.)
    Happy now?
    Hazelnut sounds good…

  58. 58.

    Bondo

    I definitely think Caprica is the right direction for the BSG concept (yes, it is a different type of show, but it fits in the same conceptual fabric). The main series really started to sputter, but Caprica seems revitalized in being able to address some of the issues that were lingering unanswered under the main series.

  61. 61.

    Laura W

    @TenguPhule: I realize this is very controversial, and I hesitate to bring it into an open thread, but I prefer vanilla to chocolate. Caramel to fudge.
    Hot fudge is like hot cocoa to me. Ick. Heated chocolate!

  62. 62.

    Laura W

    @John Cole: That was my fourth first choice!!
    (There are blueberry bushes on my property. They were so good last year. I’m afraid I’m going to move before they are ready this year. But I will get the blackberries and raspberries.)

  63. 63.

    TenguPhule

    I’m not really a fan of rice, either. I like wild rices and long grains, but other than that, not really.

    Food Heretic.

    We’ll make you eat a spam musubi and like it eventually.

  65. 65.

    JL

    Recently I received an email recipe about a chocolate cake in a mug. You microwave it for five minutes. Has anyone been brave enough to try it?

  67. 67.

    TenguPhule

    Was anyone else a huge fan of Babylon V?

    Yes.

    Daffy Duck as the Earthling God of Frustration FTW!

  68. 68.

    JK

    @asiangrrlMN: For some strange reason, David Broder was long ago christened “The Dean of the Washington Press Corps”. I recently decided to stop watching the Sunday morning chat shows so that I’ll never again have to listen to genuflecting, ring-kissing courtiers like Broder, Noonan et. al.

  69. 69.

    TenguPhule

    I realize this is very controversial, and I hesitate to bring it into an open thread, but I prefer vanilla to chocolate. Caramel to fudge.
    Hot fudge is like hot cocoa to me. Ick. Heated chocolate!

    Ick, Caramel is the sweet that sticks with you long after you wish it had left your mouth.

    Food Heathen, if it was good enough for the Aztecs it should be good enough for us.

  71. 71.

    JK

    @TenguPhule: David Frum did his one good deed when he went off of the reservation and criticized the drooling, reality-challenged Glenn Beck.

    Now, Frum has returned to the fold and he’s just another intellectually dishonest, morally bankrupt scumbag.

  72. 72.

    freelancer

    @srv:

    Thank you for the correction, that’s one less thing to sound like a moron about.

  73. 73.

    Laura W

    @John Cole: Just cross town. My friends have a great house that’s been on the market for a while with absolutely no action, so it makes more sense for me to move over there and for them to pull it off market for a few years while the market corrects itself, or whatever we are calling it now. I love where I am for many reasons, but the new place has many different reasons to love it just as much. But no berry bushes.

  74. 74.

    srv

    @freelancer:

    Yeah, those people who think they need to go to the video store.. crazy!

    The Sand Pebbles
    Vanishing Point
    Lone Star
    Noise (Australian one)
    Cashback
    Exiled, Breaking News, Full-time Killer (Jonnny To)
    Boondocks Saints
    House of Cards (BBC)
    GiTS, both seasons
    Pan’s Labyrinth
    Das Boot
    Kontroll (neat Hungarian flick you won’t find at the vid store)
    13 Tzameti
    Blade Runner

  75. 75.

    Indylib

    @The Moar You Know:

    Haagen Dazs 5, Brown Sugar

    Will have to try that, sounds yummy. I love to bake with brown sugar, it’s the difference between Devil’s Food cake and plain chocolate cake.

  76. 76.

    Seanly

    @apistat: Yeah, I caught one early episode and was amazed by Bryan Cranston’s acting & the script. Got the first season DVD’s deep in my Netflix subscription.

  78. 78.

    asiangrrlMN

    @JL:
    @JK:

    They can all bite me. When I saw Noonan do her, “Some things need to be a mystery. We just need to walk on” shtick, I wanted to smack her. They all need to STFU.

  80. 80.

    omen

    @JL:
    Recently I received an email recipe about a chocolate cake in a mug. You microwave it for five minutes. Has anyone been brave enough to try it?

    cup cakes!

    let us know how it turns out.

  81. 81.

    srv

    Swwwweeeeeat!

    Will home bailout be imputed earned income?

    Don’t know if this guy is right, but maybe what the gov’t giveth, the tax man taketh away.

    h/t reddit

  82. 82.

    JK

    @asiangrrlMN:

    @JL:

    I wish Noonan, Frum, Broder, or George Will would agree to sit above a dunk tank at some county fair. I’d gladly spend a few dollars to try and hit the target to dunk any one of these creeps.

  83. 83.

    freelancer

    @srv:

    Pick up the 5-disc edition of Blade Runner: the Final Cut.
    I have, I swear like 5 versions of the movie available to me.
    Netflix, Digital Copy on hard drive, the DVD (1992 and 2007), the HD DVD, and Blu-ray. Probably the same story with the movie Serenity, but the 5-disc has some amazing material on it. I’m probably going to watch the extended workprint sometime this week.

  86. 86.

    asiangrrlMN

    @JK: Oooooh, me, me! I would thunk down a big wad of change to dunk ’em. They can give the money to the families of our troops.

  87. 87.

    Laura W

    @JL: I am sorry, JL, I do not. My landlady (who is a botanist, which is why this place is Garden of Eden and would feed me all summer if I’d just learn to GARDEN) warned me that the birds would probably get the blueberries before I did. But I didn’t notice any of that. They are small bushes but they did a really great job of producing last summer. It was great, never having seen blueberries actually grow in their natural habitat in my life, to have them on my driveway. The first summer I was here we’d had a deep freeze over Easter and they were totally decimated. Never came back that year.
    (The blackberry bushes, on the other hand, never stop producing. I had a freezer full, ate them every morning in my shake, and kept giving them away. I don’t like the seeds, but what are you gonna do?)

  88. 88.

    JK

    @apistat: Wholeheartedly with you. I’m totally hooked on Mad Men. The episode with Tuco and his uncle had me on the edge of my seat the entire hour.

    It has been overshadowed by Mad Men, but at least Bryan Cranston won an emmy.

    More series I couldn’t get enough of
    The Sopranos, The Shield, House, The West Wing, ER, Damages, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Rescue Me, L&O, L&O:CI, and L&O:SVU. The only high quality drama series that I can recall from my teen years is Columbo.

  89. 89.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    In other news the SOB who killed our grandson was sentenced to 12-15 years in prison. I hope he has fun with the hard asses at Central Prison in Raleigh once they find out what he is in for. And in a brain cleaning exercise I have been garden blogging.

    http://crittersbybritty.blogstream.com/

    Today I was uploading pictures so tomorrow I can pet blog, I got pics of just about all of my pets so tomorrow is going to be fun!

    Oh and a vegetable garden update will follow that.

    For anyone who is even remotely interested of course. :)

  94. 94.

    omen

    @srv: 13 Tzameti sounds interesting:
    13 Tzameti flaunts a grim sense of the absurd that suggests a French new wave film infected with a virulent strain of Eastern European nihilism.

  96. 96.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    I give up, please google crittersbybritty which will take you to my blog. Sheesh, what is up with the blog nazis these days.

  97. 97.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Laura W:

    Some of the fondest memories I have are of wandering around the Lancaster Canal area and collecting blackberries, that I could then take back to my Mum so she could make a pie. Blackberry vines grow prolifically round here but they do not flower or fruit, I think it is too hot and humid for them. I tried raspberries years ago (another fond memory, wandering down to my Daddy’s allotment and sneaking every ripe raspberry he had on his vines) but they also do not do well in the Eastern NC heat.

  99. 99.

    omen

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    that’s happened to me. i punched in something 3 times without the post showing up. i checked the next day and there it was, all 3 entries. i don’t know what causes that hours long lag.

  101. 101.

    Krista

    Ugh — just got home a little while ago. Our AGM was tonight, which meant that I missed all but the last 5 minutes of the “Chuck” season finale.

    Can someone please explain to me why Hulu will only work when you’re within the U.S.? What is their problem?

  102. 102.

    apistat

    @Seanly: You definitely wont be disappointed. And season two is even better so far.

    @JK: That episode was incredible and probably one of my favorite hours of TV ever. That whole conversation, then putting the plate together.. amazing. It ranks up there with that Gaeta witch hunt episode in season 3 of BSG (trying not to have many spoilers, anyone who has seen it knows what I’m talking about).

  103. 103.

    Comrade Kevin

    @Krista: It probably has to do with foreign distribution rights. The same reason why much of the stuff on the BBC’s iPlayer doesn’t work outside the UK.

  104. 104.

    JK

    @srv: Believe it or not, I have never watched The Wire. It’s on my list of tv series/films to see.

    @apistat: Speaking of

    one of my favorite hours of TV ever

    For me, the series finale of The Shield is the best single episode of a tv drama series I’ve ever seen. The final scene of Vic Mackey all alone with only the sound of lights being turned off and the wail of a police siren simply blows me away. Have never seen BSG. Like The Wire, it’s one my list of things to see.

  105. 105.

    celticdragon

    Freelancer

    I got the 4 disc copy of Blade Runner.

    Beautiful.

    The very best hard SF movie ever, IMO.

    Can’t wait to get Caprica…:D

  106. 106.

    freelancer

    JK, I second SRV that you need to watch the Wire. It is to other dramatic television and movies what Arrested Development was to comedy, namely, something that has never been seen before and puts all others in its category to shame. This isn’t to say that the Shield was bad, or isn’t a good cop show, it is (I’ve really enjoyed Dutch’s arc, especially the moment when he killed the cat; that was jaw-dropping). But to me, The Wire makes the Shield look like a cartoon or comic book. It’s just that good.

  107. 107.

    apistat

    @JK: I’ve never watched The Shield, but I think not having seen The Wire is grounds for immediate expulsion from the internet. All the praise it has garnered is absolutely warranted. Even if you go into it with high expectations they’ll likely be exceeded.

  108. 108.

    J. Michael Neal

    God damn it. Someone in the “Not surprised” thread gave me an opening for a comment I’ve been waiting weeks to make, and no one cared. Ya’ll realize that just means that I’ll use it again, right?

  109. 109.

    Corner Stone

    @J. Michael Neal:

    Personally, I’ve found that the best way to compensate for having a small dick is to become really good at eating pussy.

    This was really what you want to stake your effort to?

  111. 111.

    freelancer

    @JK

    From David Simon’s Commentary in the first couple episodes, he describes the entire aim of The Wire, as a visual Novel. The payoff isn’t at the end of the first 4 episodes, each show is a chapter in the book that is a season. The four additional seasons fill out the story, a cop show about crime in Baltimore, yet ultimately it is an allegory about America in the 21st Century.

    Simon’s book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, where he spent a year shadowing the Baltimore Homicide Unit was adapted to the excellent NBC show Homicide: Life on the Streets, which was more episodic and character driven, but still managed to glean a lot of truth and moments taken directly from real life. The first tease of The Wire before the opening credits is a true story from that book.

  112. 112.

    JK

    @freelancer: I recently saw David Simon interviewed by Bill Moyers and it was a fascinating hour. I also plan to check out Homicide on dvd as well. So many tv series and movies to see plus books to read and so little time.

  113. 113.

    Pip's Squeak

    @no.23

    Boerenkool (farmers’ cabbage — boeren seems to be a fossilized genitive plural) with pears!? This is a variation not often served here: in fact, have never seen it.

    How about:
    kale, braised in butter (for a longish time) with mango powder (amchur), shallots, ground coriander, optional chili, and sliced black olives. Add some squeezed lemon. Serve with plain steamed fish.

  114. 114.

    Cain

    Anybody catch Ross Douthat’s first column? He’s saying that Cheney should have ran for president. What. The. Fuck. The guy who had like the worst poll numbers anywhere? The guy who can’t decide which branch of government he’s in? Jeezus..

    h/t Huffington Post:

  115. 115.

    Anastasius

    I’ll definitely recommend Caprica. The opening sequence is a bit over the top and you’ll have to get through some clunky, nerdy, tech exposition (you are watching a show with robots, what do you expect?) but then it’s some great, heart wrenching drama.
    The first act break will leave you with your mouth open cause you just don’t see it coming and grandpa Adama has some terrific scenes with his family near the end.

    Was anyone else a huge fan of Babylon V?

    “We’ll send them straight to hell!” Loved that show. Still amazed that they really produced 5 TV seasons of serial storytelling and with an ending I actually liked.

  117. 117.

    TenguPhule

    Still amazed that they really produced 5 TV seasons of serial storytelling and with an ending I actually liked.

    Chekov’s boomerang.

    That is all.

  119. 119.

    cia

    Which type of kale did you have? Curly kale? Black Tuscan, very yummy and not so kaley tasting.

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