I don’t know about you, but I could have used another day or two of indolence. The weekend went by entirely too fast.
Even though I paid scant attention to it, the flow of stupid and outrageous in politics wasn’t impeded by the weekend, of course. Here’s an exhibit from the top of the Memeorandum page:
The usual suspects are swallowing this third-hand account of anonymously sourced crap uncritically because it fits their narrative about the president. Like virtually all American politicians, Mr. Obama performs the ritual pinky swears about America’s never ending devotion to Israel.
But it’s totally believable to these morons that he was going to scramble US fighters and shoot an Israeli plane down. Uh huh. And like OJ, Mr. Putin will never rest until he finds the real killers. It’s never too early in the week to weaponize stupidity.
Did anyone watch Downton Abbey last night? Spoilers below the fold…
I hope the next season opens with a double execution of the Bateses. Sorry, but that’s apparently the only way to remove the temptation from Fellowes to pursue the tired lovebirds-in-jeopardy story line. In seasons 15 and 18, they’ll be accused of kidnapping the Lindbergh baby and then sabotaging the Hindenburg. Enough already.
No matter how stupid that plotline gets, though, Downton will always be worth watching for Violet’s zingers, and Isobel is quickly becoming her worthy companion in snark.
Regarding Carson and Hughes: D’awwww! I only hope their upcoming domestic bliss doesn’t put them in danger of entanglement in murderous intrigues or tragic accidents.
What are you finding amusing and infuriating this morning?
raven
Things are going pretty well at this conference even with people from Liberty and Regents here!
ed
I had this vision of Netenyahu winning the Republican Presidential Primary b/c he’s the only one everyone can get behind, and he has, of course, a record of pro-war leadership. Birthers of course might be a problem, but I believe the support voices would far outweigh those of more critical thinkers.
NotMax
Repeating from below, because this thread showed up while was typing there.
Quite some toothsome offerings coming up soon on TCM (all times Eastern):
The Artist Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.
The King’s Speech Tuesday, 10:00 p.m.
The Queen Wednesday, 2:45 a.m.
Also, coming up next at 10:00 a.m. today is The Hurricane – a product of its time, certainly, yet the special effects of the storm (from 1937!) compare more than favorably with what can be done today. Oh, and hunky, shirtless Jon Hall for those whose tastes run that way.
Punchy
NBC news has a headline up about what a “difficult” week Obamacare is facing. This, instead of the headline, “Just why in the fuck is Obamacare being adjudicated again? Yeah, that’s right, pure unapologetic ideology”.
I have every expectation that Roberts will vote to bounce this with a ruling that “Congress can fix this problem….” knowing damn well they cannot.
OzarkHillbilly
@raven: What did you do, lock them in the bathrooms?
Tenar Darell
@raven: Why? I mean, is it because they are usually people who argue only with ideology up front that they cause issues with panels?
Bex
Of course the picture of (secret) Muslim Obama is framed to look as if he’s wearing a skullcap. I imagine this is making the chain email rounds at the speed of light. “SEE MYRTLE, THIS JUST PROOVES IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
germy shoemangler
It was odd watching the Downton Abbey Christmas Special in March.
Mr. Bates reappeared briefly from his hideout for a hug and a kiss. Violet admitted to other affairs over the years, but nothing as dramatic as her Russian fling. Brave of her to swallow the disgusting soup and tell Sprat it was delicious.
Mary is intrigued by the motorcar enthusiast. Does he know her husband was killed in a motorcar? And Tom really knows how to get revenge: Embarrass me in front of everyone and I’ll send a telegram to your mistress “Please visit immediately. Stop. Bring our love child.” At least Rose’s father-in-law knows how wonderful she is, despite her religious handicap.
jake the antisoshul soshulist
What are the latest “high lights” from the “flea market of ideas” aka CPAC
boatboy_srq
@ed: It’s a good thing amending the Constitution is so (deliberately) difficult: the requirement that the pResident be a US “natural born citizen” is a real stumbling block, especially for these Gud Righteous Hetero Patriotic Xtian Real Ahmurrcans™ who seem convinced that the most Ahmurrcan Ahmurrcan has to be a foreigner. With the Governator having proved too much of a squish, and Pooty-Poot now looking less He-Man by the day, Bibi is the next practical Great White Hope. The South Carolina Compromise – whereby ME/NH/VT are merged into one state so Israel can achieve both a two-state solution AND addition to the US (as two Jewish states) – is next on their agenda (SC instead of KY because Graham is far more likely to go this route than McConnell).
/semisnark
raven
@Tenar Darell: Nah, they are pretty much just focusing on teaching and learning. The prez of Southern Adventist favored us with an opening prayer this morning and it was fun making eye contact with the other heathens in the group.
Yatsuno
Looks like Mikulski is out. It’s Maryland so maybe O’Malley can do some political comebacking here.
Amir Khalid
I can well imagine the Obama admin threatening to shoot down IAF jets if they try to bomb Iran to scupper a deal with the US on the nukes, and not copping to it in public (or at least not right away). In such a situation, that could be the right call.
NotMax
@jake the antisoshul soshulist
Re-branding slavery as “enhanced apprenticeship?”
henqiguai
@NotMax (#3): All you snobs with your TCM, a pox and interminable pixilation be upon you (because I can only get TCM if I spring the additional long dollars for the Comcast Sports Package – already pay too much and I.don’t.do.sports).
Amir Khalid
Dafuq is wrong with these people?
Yatsuno
@Amir Khalid: Maybe the best call isn’t abject denial, but complete silence. If the possibility exists and there isn’t an immediate “are you kidding?” from the White House that could pressure dear Bibi even more. But the denials will happen becuz AIPAC.
Tommy
Well this is just sad. I mentioned to my father (a fellow LSU grad with a PhD from there) that Bobby was looking to cut their budget my almost 25% when he was over this weekend. Dad fired off an email to a friend that until he retired last year was the Dean of one of the colleges at LSU. This is what he got back:
I know the guy pretty well. Not what I’d call a conservative nor a liberal. Much like my father. Like an 80s Ronald Reagan Republican. I bet he feels much like my father does …. which is he has no party anymore. That his party no longer believes in BASIC science is enough to make him pull out the little hair he has left!
Betty Cracker
@Amir Khalid: I can imagine the US threatening to cut off aid and threatening to stop providing a fig leaf at the UN. I can even imagine the US telling the Israelis to stay out of Iraqi airspace. But threatening to have a US fighter pilot shoot down an Israeli fighter pilot? Nope. Didn’t happen.
Belafon
I knew the headline was fake, but, to tell you the truth, I would be OK if the US shot down any Israeli aircraft that flew into Iranian airspace (beyond the obvious caveat that we’d also be violating said airspace). What’s Israel going to do, tell us to go home?
NotMax
@henqiguai
If it is any consolation, TCM comes only with the tier above basic on my cable system so I too get many channels, including sports, which will never be tuned to. But the extra cost is worth it, IMHO (and I’m not by any means well off financially), even remaining so since the tier I pay for dropped C-SPAN and C-SPAN2.
greennotGreen
@NotMax: Why not just use the term that’s in current use: “unpaid internship”?
Amir Khalid
@Yatsuno:
Thar’s what I’m thinking too.
MomSense
@Tommy:
He doesn’t need to pull out his hair. How ’bout just voting for the Democrats next time?
MomSense
@Amir Khalid:
Now you get why I am considering moving.
boatboy_srq
@Amir Khalid: three words: Canadian Healthcare Dollars. All those Quebecois coming down for holidays, driving without seatbelts and getting into accidents much more dire than previously. This is Good News for Unum (the local healthcare giant).
Tommy
@MomSense: Oh I know. Been on him for the better part of a decade. Got mom voting our way, but I fear father is a lost cause. It makes no sense to me, but it is what it is. But of course I will keep trying.
debbie
@Amir Khalid:
Almost every week here, there’s a fatal car crash involving people not wearing their seat belts. This would be stupid beyond all comprehension.
Steeplejack
@NotMax:
And for those who aren’t oversaturated, TCM is running the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy back to back to back from 8:00 p.m. EST tonight to 6:00 a.m. tomorrow. No commercial interruptions except brief breaks between the movies.
Amir Khalid
@Betty Cracker:
Why not? Who knows what gets said in private between Obama and Bibi? Obama understands quite well that America has been a better friend than Israel deserves. Bombing Iran to block an important diplomatic initiative (especially one meant to help protect Israel itself) is well beyond what one should let a friend get away with.
raven
@Tommy: There is fellow her that was at La Tech. He got out 3 years ago because he saw what was coming. When you are better off in Georgia you are in bad shape!
Roger Moore
@Amir Khalid:
They’ve been possessed by the evil spirit of Libertarianism.
bemused
Fellowes is cruel, cruel to introduce a delicious new character in last episode of the season, Mr. Talbot, played by Matthew Goode. I tried to remember the movie where I first saw Goode years ago. Finally remembered it was Imagine Me and You. Liked the movie and liked Goode.
SiubhanDuinne
@Yatsuno:
The execrable Dana Bash gets the byline for this story. Although it begins Sen. Barbara Mikulski, the longest serving female senator in history, will retire at the end of her term, CNN has learned, the article does not mention how long Mikulski has served (since 1987) or when her current term expires (2017). I don’t know about anyone else, but if I were a journalist writing a story about senatorial longevity, I think I’d want to include a number and a date. But then, I’m not Dana Bash of CNN.
rikyrah
uh huh
uh huh
Please note that Rahm’s percentage is down from election night, while Chuy’s has risen..
I’m just sayin’.
…………………
Chicago Mayor Election 2015 Poll: Rahm Emanuel, ‘Chuy’ Garcia ‘Dead Even’ In New Survey
By Howard Koplowitz
Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, the member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners who forced a runoff with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in Emanuel’s bid for reelection last week is within striking distance of the incumbent as the two candidates head for a runoff, a new poll showed. If Garcia, who has union support and is the preferred choice of progressive Democrats, pulls out a victory, it would rock the political establishment and be a blow to President Barack Obama, who endorsed Emanuel, his former chief of staff, for reelection.
The latest polling from Ogden & Fry, a Chicago-based polling firm, found Emanuel with 42.9 percent support compared to Garcia’s 38.5 percent. About 20 percent of Chicago voters are undecided. The poll was conducted Saturday and has a margin of error of 3.2 percent, the Chicago Sun-Times reportedSunday night.
Garcia is close to Emanuel given the poll’s margin of error, and Ogden & Fry said that Hispanics are under-represented in polling. As the first Mexican running for Chicago mayor, Garcia has strong support among Hispanics, meaning the poll may be understating his support against Emanuel. “They’re likely dead even,” pollster Tom Swiss told the Sun-Times.
Obama, who cut his political teeth in Chicago — the likely spot for his eventual presidential library — ,made campaign appearances with Emanuel in an effort to push Chicago’s mayor past the 50 percent needed to avert a runoff in last week’s election. But in the five-way race, Emanuel received 45 percent of the vote to Garcia’s 33 percent, meaning the race between the two men will be decided in an April 7 runoff. The other three candidates received a combined 20 percent in the election.
http://www.ibtimes.com/chicago-mayor-election-2015-poll-rahm-emanuel-chuy-garcia-dead-even-new-survey-1832606
Roger Moore
@raven:
Not as bad shape as when you’re better off in Mississippi.
raven
@Roger Moore: There it is.
Amir Khalid
@SiubhanDuinne:
Maybe he’s one of those reporters who have reached “too big to edit” status. Or, just as likely, no one at CNN remembers anymore what a copy editor does.
OzarkHillbilly
@Betty Cracker: Now, if Bibi was on board….
mellowjohn
mr. barrow using his evil powers for good!
Roger Moore
@Amir Khalid:
Does CNN have any editors left, or did they let them all go in a round of cost cutting? This is the kind of thing contemporary American news media has been doing.
Germy Shoemangler
@bemused: I predict Mary marries Mr. Talbot. If he’s rich enough to indulge in a fancy motorcar hobby, he more than suitable.
Tom is the only person in the world who can bring Mary & Edith together without sniping.
I find Rose’s enthusiasm for new technology like victrolas perfectly charming. She’s an early adopter.
Steeplejack
@Tommy:
But your father still votes Republican, right?
Tommy
@rikyrah: It is pretty bad. I am in IL, but downstate and I don’t pay much attention to Chicago politics. I am on the IL/MO border, so honestly I feel more like I live in MO because that is where all my local media comes from.
As the election got closer Democracy Now ran a few stories on Rahm Emanuel. Chicago politics is ugly to start with, but my gosh if the reports I saw/read are correct Emanuel appears to be taking corruption to a whole new level.
It makes the TV show Boss seem way, way too accurate.
Tommy
@rikyrah: @rikyrah: It is pretty bad. I am in IL, but downstate and I don’t pay much attention to Chicago politics. I am on the IL/MO border, so honestly I feel more like I live in MO because that is where all my local media comes from.
As the election got closer Democracy Now ran a few stories on Rahm Emanuel. Chicago politics is ugly to start with, but my gosh if the reports I saw/read are correct Emanuel appears to be taking corruption to a whole new level.
It makes the TV show Boss seem way, way too accurate.
Tommy
@Steeplejack: Yes he does and yes I know it makes no sense.
Steeplejack
@Tommy:
Is it possible to ask him if he sees any disconnect between his voting for Republicans and the unpalatable policies they espouse and implement? Seriously, I’d like to hear how a “sane ’80s Republican” reconciles it.
SiubhanDuinne
@Amir Khalid:
Dana Bash is female, but otherwise you’re spot on.
raven
@Steeplejack: Democrats are pussies. What else does anyone need to know?
SiubhanDuinne
As for Downton Abbey, and speaking of people announcing their forthcoming retirements:
http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/maggie-smith-to-leave-downton-abbey-after-next-season-1201444202/
Amir Khalid
@SiubhanDuinne:
That’s one of those Western first names that this X-Files fan just can’t tell if they’re male or female.
Germy Shoemangler
@SiubhanDuinne: Will the chest pains she’s been experiencing from her bickering butler and maid cause her death? Because I can’t see her leaving any other way.
She certainly won’t be finding work in America.
bemused
@Germy Shoemangler:
Mr. Talbot looked to be more than a match for Lady Mary who can be quite an bitch. She more than hinted she’d like to see more of him but he was cooly non-commital. I don’t think he will be an easy egg for Mary to crack which would be a fun role reversal theme if Fellowes goes that route.
Rose is a lot more fun to watch now than when she first appeared as dreamy and naive.
Tenar Darell
My father often will vote for “none of the above,” when he can’t handle voting for a Democratic candidate. But even in Republican primaries they’re frequently too conservative/crazy/beholden to religion for him now.
Betty Cracker
@Amir Khalid: It makes no sense in the context of how the US-Israel relationship has played out for decades, including during Obama’s term. If you’re smart, you don’t make a threat like that unless you’re willing to carry it out. This whole story sounds like wingnut propaganda to me, and the timing couldn’t be better.
MomSense
@Steeplejack:
I guess I thought supporting Reagan was insane back on the 80s in real time.
Betty Cracker
@bemused: Agreed about Rose. I hope they won’t just write her out of the story now that she’s married off.
rikyrah
Jenna Johnson ✔ @wpjenna
Follow
BREAKING: Sources say Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) to retire from Senate. http://wpo.st/20460
8:15 AM – 2 Mar 2015
Steeplejack
@raven:
Well, that goes without saying, but I’d like to hear how they phrase it to sound “reasonable” and “sane.”
Bobby B.
Yahoo is the king of clickbait churnalism. Many of the articles come from the Christian Science Monitor and Fox.
Steeplejack
@MomSense:
Thus my quotation marks.
Tommy
@Steeplejack: I’ve asked him about it and he says two things and/or I think two things are behind his voting.
At the top of the list is it just doesn’t matter who he votes for. I think he votes the way he does out of habit more than anything else. I find that very sad, but at some level it is the only logical conclusion I can arrive at.
The other is taxes. He wants to pay less in taxes.* This pisses me off to no end, because he has more money than he can spend in a lifetime. I often note to him maybe he ought to pay a little more so his two sons that are working hard can pay less. That if he and his ilk paid more than maybe he wouldn’t have to set-up a trust fund for his only grandkid, so she can go to college without my brother and his wife having to mortgage their house.
*He often goes to the well when I am no longer here you and Jeff will get more money if I pay less in taxes. I explain, and it makes him a little mad, that I plan to give most of it way. I just don’t need that much money and neither do you!
bemused
@SiubhanDuinne:
I think someone on Manor of Speaking suggested that Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton, Isobel Crawley, would be great in a series with two women solving murders. They would be fun to watch but there’s probably one or more English similar murder series already!
raven
@Steeplejack: wink
boatboy_srq
@Steeplejack: Mum’s method was to keep her GOP card – but vote Dem in all the general elections. But then I did ask her that question, and once she thought about it the decision was easy. It wasn’t always so, though: as MomSense probably knows Rep. Andrews (among others) had his own troubles in the 80s and early 90s which made voting Dem difficult. Dad used to tell stories of Andrews’ push to close the New England USAF bases and USN airbases because “planes fly faster now” (still not sure the story is true, but it is comparably boneheaded to the seatbelt law), and only retained Portsmouth NS because it was in his district and would cost jobs. What I’ve seen from him since is pretty normal, so I have difficulty giving the story weight, but the tale did circulate among the ME GOP. OTOH, Dellums in CA got a bad rap for all the SF Bay closings – which were USN/DoD decisions in part to cut costs and in part to torpedo Dellums’ reelection chances: I wouldn’t put closing Pease AFB or Brunswick NAS past them for the same reasons.
Tommy
@bemused: I got rid of cable almost a year ago to this day. I use Hulu, Netflix, Google Play, and Amazon (well not so much anymore). On both Netflix and Hulu they have a ton of BBC shows. I’ve really gotten into a few of the cop dramas.
I’ve noticed a few things. (1) They can have a cop show without a lot of guns if any guns at all. (2) More often than not the lead character is a female. I am having a hard time thinking of a single US show where the lead is a women. Just saying.
patrick II
It would be fine with me if the U.S. did shoot down Israeli bombers on their way to Iran. I knew guys on the U.S.S. Liberty and we have been backing down from them ever since. Starting another war in the mideast is not something I want to do because of the right-wing Netanyahu.
I don’t actually think Israel would send bombers since it is about a 2,000 mile round trip across Jordan or Saudi Arabia, or Syria and Iraq avoiding anti-aircraft with aircraft big enough to carry bunker buster bombs. It would be very difficult to carry out so I think Netanyahu would be bluffing. But I have read Netanyahu has threatened to do so in the past. I have have also read that the U.S. has told Israel it would not condone such a flight and I think the “not condone” could carry an implicit threat. But I doubt a diplomat ever made the threat explicit.
But I have no doubt Netanyahu wants Iran bombed and that he will walk us to as close to the edge as he can.
Amir Khalid
@Betty Cracker:
America has to set limits with its friends, as we all have to — even with Israel. And I happen to believe that in those circumstances, America would be justified in making such a threat — which would amount to threatening war, true, but would also fall well short of threatening Israel’s existence. You can’t let people shit on your efforts to protect them.
Debbie
@Betty Cracker:
They can’t get rid of Rose. She’s the perfect “modern” foil to Mary’s clinging to the past (despite the modern fashions she’s adopted).
Germy Shoemangler
@bemused: The thought of Violet being pulled out of her carriage by the angry Russian wife… good thing they don’t utilize slow-mo flashback sequences.
Fellowes said in an interview he no longer owns the show. NBC Universal owns Downton Abbey, so he has no control over what they do. But he doesn’t envision it continuing into the post-WWII era.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@Betty Cracker: Dunno, Betty. Bibi doesn’t seem to understand nuance. And the way to make sure that Bibi doesn’t attack Iran is to make sure he knows, in no uncertain terms, that the US will not permit it. Leaving it in a gray area invites Bibi to act recklessly.
Whether he came out and said “we will shoot down your planes” in those exact words, maybe not. But the message was loud and clear, and it wasn’t “we’ll see you in the UN”.
At least that’s my take, but I have no special knowledge.
Cheers,
Scott.
bemused
@Tommy:
Hulu, Netflix, etc sound good but can’t stand to watch on home computer screen. If we could watch on our living room tv while comfy in our chairs, great, but we’re not set up for that and haven’t made any effort to find out best way for us to do that.
mainmata
@Yatsuno: Or the Minority Whip, Chris Van Hollen, my rep. who has an excellent progressive reputation. But, I agree that, along the lines of Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, Governor to Senator would be a logical move, especially since I think it unlikely that Hills, should she be the Dem nominee would choose a white male for VP.
SiubhanDuinne
@Amir Khalid:
No problem, and you just burnished your “I never watch CNN” cred.
Tommy
@bemused: Get a Roku (or a Chromecast — I have both). I watch the shows on my TV, not the computer.
SiubhanDuinne
@Germy Shoemangler:
No idea how Fellowes will write her out, but I assume — nay, I fully expect — it will be a suitably Violetesque departure.
Belafon
@bemused: My TV connects to Netflix. As for the others, Amazon Fire or Chromecast or any of those boxes you can buy would help. One of my blu-ray players connects to netflix. The Playstation boxes allows you to add Netflix software, and I’m assuming XBox does as well.
MomSense
@boatboy_srq:
He didn’t push for the closings but he voted for BRAC. He also said it was tough to just defend just Maine when there were so many states on the list who would all have to deal with the consequences.
They were always going to push more for Portsmouth than the others because there were more civilians there.
MattF
I had a similar reaction to the report– who, after all, would go to the trouble of making an anonymous revelation to a Kuwaiti newspaper about problems between Obama and Netanyahu? So, caveat lector. Note, however that Zbigniew Brzezinski made exactly this suggestion, so maybe it’s not totally unbelievable. But not likely.
Bobby Thomson
Unfortunately, it’s probably a lie.
Tommy
@Belafon:
Correct. All my Blu-ray players and my PS3 also connect just as you said. I went with the Roku for no other reason then it is pretty inexpensive, wireless, and I like the interface.
Betty Cracker
@patrick II & @Amir Khalid & @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: So y’all find the notion that Obama threatened to scramble American fighter jets to shoot down Israeli planes plausible? That he was prepared, had Netanyahu not backed down (and on what planet was that a guarantee?), to actually carry that threat out? Okay then. I’ll just say I find such a notion about as likely as Obama using UN authority to overturn the 2nd amendment and leave it at that.
SiubhanDuinne
@bemused:
They would be great together! There was an American TV series years ago called “The Snoop Sisters” with Helen Hayes and Mildred Natwick, and there was the British series “Rosemary and Thyme” (although they were youngish and middle-aged, not elderly). I’m sure there are, or have been, others on both sides of the Pond but can’t think of any others right off.
Tenar Darell
@Tommy: @Tenar Darell: Whups, this comment was meant to be a reply to you. I must have forgotten to hit the link.
Amir Khalid
@Betty Cracker:
I don’t think it’s likely, but I wouldn’t rule it out …
bemused
@Germy Shoemangler:
I love Isobel and Violet conversations, Isobel’s leading questions and Violet’s cagy answers that imply but don’t totally reveal like Violet’s teasing hint of her life after the failed elopement.
Morzer
@Tommy:
British cops don’t routinely carry guns – and if guns are issued for an emergency event, they have to be checked out of the armory under very stringent conditions and returned to it as soon as the event is over.
If you’d like a recommendation for a classic British detective series: try Inspector Morse and its follow-up series Lewis and Endeavour.
Roger Moore
@raven:
Don’t discount the number of people who are in denial of what the Republicans have turned into. They started voting for Republicans 40 years ago or whatever and remember back when the Republicans had plenty of people who were sane and in favor of defensible policies like not spending beyond our means. They just can’t accept that the party they know and remember has been taken over by a bunch of crazies, so they keep voting the party line in the hopes that they’ll get the old version of Republicanism.
Tripod
@Bobby Thomson:
It would be way easier to threaten to tip off the Iranians if Bebe ever got up to something that stupid.
beth
@Belafon: I bought a smart tv with a wireless plug in thingy in the back. It has a menu to connect to Netflix and all those services but when I try to watch anything it buffers forever and stops frequently. Would buying a blu-ray player or Chromecast device solve that problem? I’d love to cut my cable down but I’m technically incompetent. I’d love any suggestions.
mtiffany
That’s like a guy telling his family that their financial situation will be improved by having their house foreclosed on because that way, they won’t have a mortgage — which is of course, a form of debt.
Tommy
@bemused: I should note that I strongly suggest making the switch if you want to. I did because I just got sick of my monthly cable bill. At one point with my Internet connection and VOIP (I just use my cell now) it was more than $235. I now pay $49.95 for Internet (lighting fast). I could afford the previous bill, but to be honest I now pay like $25 for all my television. And when I can factor in all the other things (insert food and really expensive coffee) I could do with almost $200/month I just couldn’t justify it any longer.
The only downside for me is college football. You don’t realize how much of a stranglehold ESPN has on college football ….. well until you don’t have ESPN. But a new service is supposed to launch soon that will let you get ESPN, CNN, and a few other channels for under $20/month. I will be all over that.
Mike in NC
@boatboy_srq: Both bases are gone, though the NHANG still occupies a portion of Pease.
Steeplejack
@Tommy:
So where does he think funding comes from, or should come from, to pay for things like higher education at LSU?
bemused
@SiubhanDuinne:
Rosemary and Thyme was the show I was thinking of. Haven’t seen it except for PBS promos. Is it a good series?
I have enjoyed the few episodes of Grantchester and Father Brown I’ve watched…guaranteed one or more murder a week in teeny, tiny villages cracks me up.
I loved Doc Martin. Hope they do another season.
raven
@bemused: Happy Valley is badass.
germy shoemangler
@bemused: We got hooked on Doc Martin. Last week our PBS station played a little behind-the-scenes documentary. I was surprised that his office and most of the houses are actually sets, with painted landscape scenes outside the windows. The exteriors are authentic, but the plumber’s restaurant is shot in such a way so that it appears both sides face the water. (In reality, one side faces a wall).
It shows how completely I’m drawn into the reality they create… I really believed all the houses and offices etc. were real.
gogol's wife
@SiubhanDuinne:
Say it ain’t so. God, why do I have to work when the Downton threads go up?
rlrr
@beth:
Sounds to me like you might have a slow internet connection, so different devices may not help…
Tommy
@beth: Roku ($85.50 on Amazon). I’ve tried everything looking for a solution and I can assure you with 100% confidence this is the way to go. No question about it. But a $50 Sony DVD player will do the same thing, but the interface is lacking IMHO. Roku, Roku, Roku. If you get one I know for a fact you will find me here and thank me for the suggestion. I am a total tech nerd and I have to say it is one of the most amazing things I’ve bought in years and years.
I should also note that you can get like 500+ channels on it. Not just Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Everything you can imagine. News. Fitness. Movies. Sci-fi. Food. You name it and almost all of them are free. That I get all the channels for The Young Turks and also Democracy Now with Amy Goodman is wonderful.
Bobby Thomson
@MomSense: you weren’t wrong.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@Betty Cracker: The US, with Iraq’s blessing/invitation, controls Iraq’s airspace. That makes the US responsible is anyone flys through it and attacks another nation. The US would (rightly) get a lot of the blame.
Israel isn’t going to fly through Iraq (as long as the US controls its airspace) without some understanding – in advance – that it is Ok. If Israel were to do otherwise, the US would be responsible for the consequences. If it is US policy that we (the US) are not ready to attack Iran, then the US would have to shoot the attacking planes down.
This is similar to Saddam’s radars “locking on” to US planes that were enforcing the no-fly zone. “What’s the big deal? They weren’t shooting at US planes!” If someone threatens US-controlled air-space, they get blowd-up. Israel’s planes would face the same fate.
Bibi knows this.
So, again, whether those exact words were used, or whether it was simply:
Bibi: We would like a clear corridor in Iraq’s airspace from X to Y on dates A to B.
Obama: No
The message would be the same – you violate Iraq’s airspace without our consent, and your planes will be shot down.
My $0.02.
Cheers,
Scott.
Roger Moore
@bemused:
They make small devices like Roku that are designed to let you stream to your TV. If you have a newer TiVo, you can use that, too. Many video game consoles will do the same, and even some newer TVs have that kind of thing built in.
Steeplejack
@beth:
It sounds like your problem might be that you have a slow Internet connection. You can run the Speakeasy speed test (on your computer) to see how fast your connection is. When it asks you to select a city, pick the one that is closest to your location.
I think 5 Mbps (download) is considered the minimum speed to get decent streaming, but of course faster is always better.
ETA: Also, the wireless connection to the TV could be a slowdown, depending on which protocol is being used.
Steeplejack
@Tommy:
One question I have, because at the end of the month I am supposed to help a friend “cut the cord,” is what are the streaming options for current network (CBS, Fox, etc.) TV series? My friend watches some of those, and I have heard of situations where you can’t stream them from, say, CBS.com unless you also have a cable-TV subscription along with your Internet subscription. Sort of like how Cox won’t let me stream “on demand” shows from channels that I don’t subscribe to.
Tommy
@Steeplejack: Exactly. An advantage of a Roku, DVD player, or gaming machine is you can plug in the Cat5 directly, which depending on your WiFi connection should be the fastest connection you will get. As much as I was kind of bitching in my other comments about my cable bill, I have Charter. In the grand scheme of things they are about the best of the best. Pricing and speed is levels above what Time Warner and Comcast offer. I am almost at 100 Mbps for under $50/month. 60 Mbps would only be $29.95/month.
beth
@Steeplejack: I’m supposed to be getting Comcast’s fastest rssidential service for ayear due to some screw ups on their part and they said they just sent me a new upgraded modem so we’ll see if that helps. Otherwise I’ll probably take Tommy and others suggestion and try the Roku device. Thanks to all for the help.
boatboy_srq
@Mike in NC: I was there, and remember. As MomSense says, they both got BRAC’d: what I tried to say earlier was that DoD might have closed them to clobber Andrews’ reelection prospects. The SoME economy went straight into the tank when Pease closed, and from what I’ve seen Portsmouth didn’t fare much better. I’m actually surprised BIW is hanging on.
germy shoemangler
I watched all of COSMOS on the fox website. No subscription. I can watch all of NBC’s shows as well. ABC will let me watch some stuff, but after a long delay. AdultSwim shows their stuff on their website. I don’t subscribe to anything, and I hate the idea of paying for cable tv because I already pay a cable bill for internet access. If I can watch these shows on their websites, why should I pay TWC/Comcast twice for them?
bemused
@Belafon:
Our newer tv isn’t a smart tv. We live rural and our internet service is ok but not great for watching videos. We get buffering as Beth described. People in our NE MN area subscribe to many different internet services. Internet service availability varies wildly here.
At the moment I can’t think of anyone I know around here who has dropped cable and watching tv through their internet. I need to start asking around to find out who is doing that successfully.
Tommy
@Steeplejack: No streaming needed. Just a $50 digital antenna and you get all the local stations (and ones you didn’t even know were there). I have one and it works very well. Just don’t skimp here. My experience is that you can get one for $20 but the difference between a $20 one and a $50 one is night and day.
I’d suggest one of these “flat” models. I tried like 4-5 of them before I found one that worked to my standard. Get a “flat” one, not the “rabbit” ears.
Paul in KY
@Amir Khalid: They are slaves to their crazy ideology. Probably never see that in the KL…
Alex S.
@rikyrah:
Moody’s recently downgraded Chicago bonds which means that borrowing will become more expensive which hurts Emanuel’s budget. He might really lose…
Original Lee
@Yatsuno: I am sad. I have no idea who would be a worthy replacement.
germy shoemangler
My public library has an extensive DVD collection. Several long walls full of tv box sets, British & U.S. Also a ton of PBS documentaries. Rather than reach deep into my pockets for the profiteers, I like using my library.
Amir Khalid
@Paul in KY:
Over here, when people don’t put on their safety belts, they freely admit that it’s just laziness.
Belafon
@bemused: Maybe you could start a municipal service.
Paul in KY
@Tommy: The crack about New Orleans said something about him (IMO).
Edit: Also, Repubs love people who change surpluses into deficits (as long as they get that money).
Steeplejack
@beth:
Did you run the speed test? It takes only a few seconds (from your browser) and will give you a good estimate of your situation.
Tommy
@Paul in KY: Believe me I caught that as well. It does say something about him, and not really a good thing.
Paul in KY
@Tommy: If you can just get your dad to abstain from voting or vote for a 3rd party non-entity. That would be better than him voting Repub, and in this situation could be considered a win.
beth
@Steeplejack: I’m not home now but I’ve bookmarked the site to try it. I should have the new modem in a day or two so I’ll try it before and after. Thanks so much for the site.
Tommy
@Amir Khalid: Yes it is lazy. At this point it is just habit, muscle memory. I put it on the second my butt hits the seat and I don’t even think about it. It just happens. I like to develop good habits and have read that if you do something, every day, for 90 days straight, it becomes habit.
You’d think wearing a seat belt would be a good habit to learn/ingrain in yourself. If I hit something or somebody hits me I want that darn seatbelt protecting me. It is frankly stunning how many stories I read in the local press, and I live in a rural area, of people dying on some backroad where if they had a seatbelt on they would have lived. Not been ejected from the car. Ugh!
raven
Chances are the new Apple TV will be rolled out next week. Just sayin.
bemused
@germy shoemangler:
I caught just one Doc Martin episode from middle of 1st or 2nd season and liked it right away. I hate coming late into a series I like so bought the box set season 1 to 5, later season 6 and started properly from the beginning. Much more satisfying than catching out of sequence episodes on PBS at the time. The box set has two Doc Martin movies with Martin Clunes made before the tv series. Interesting but very different from the tv series. I did like the additional behind the scenes episodes in the box set too.
Paul in KY
@Amir Khalid: See, over here we have given people a higher reason than ‘laziness’ to be idiots. That is the acme of 21st century Republicanism!
Freemark
@Morzer: Agree on the recommendations even though I don’t find Morse nearly as good as the other two. Probably because Morse doesn’t seem nearly as intelligent in Morse. I know wanting Morse to be super intelligent isn’t ‘realistic’ but neither is 20 murders per year in Oxford..lol.
bemused
@Belafon:
Ha. I see you’re not familiar with rural, small town NE MN. At least we don’t have dial-up like some still do in areas even more remote than ours.
germy shoemangler
@Tommy: I should have bought the flat model. I bought rabbit ears. I can watch stations plus the weird ones like grit & metv, but I have to run over to adjust the ears. Quite a nostalgic feeling, like it’s 1965 all over again.
Tommy
@raven: I used to be an Apple Fanboy. Had all Apple stuff from 1987 until 2007. Then I was this weird guy that did the reverse switch. Went from Apple to Windows/Andriod.
With that said my niece has Apple TV. It frankly sucks, but has a ton of Disney content. If the rumors are correct this version will “work.” I am not so sure about that, they have said that for a few versions.
I will keep saying the same thing I’ve said too many times already here, Roku. My Roku is the best piece of technology I’ve bought in the last ten years (and I’ve bought a lot). It is that amazing.
debbie
@bemused:
Unfortunately, he was also in the abominable movie version of Brideshead Revisited.
Ryan
I was a correspondent when the Lindbergh baby was kidnapped, and from my war zone reporting, your perps were nowhere in the area.
patrick II
@Betty Cracker:
I think war with Iran is a serious thing. More serious with more impact than we have faced since Vietnam, so I think Obama should and will avoid it. I believe he has told Netanyahu just that, but in terms more like I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet’s described implicit threat.
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:
agreed.
Tommy
@germy shoemangler: You just noted exactly why the flat works better. I had the rabbit ears and had to do as you said, run over and move it around. It did make me think it was the 70s (not 60s for me). It took me some time to find the right position but once I did now when I change input on the TV to local stations it is just like having cable.
raven
@Tommy:
Mine rocks.
Tommy
@raven: Katie, my niece just turned 6. She loves it. I didn’t like it so much but only spent a few minutes with it. But then again when you have a product that a 6-year-old can tool around in and understand totally, at least from an interface point-of-view you are doing something right.
Uncle Ebeneezer
Heh. My wife and I said the same thing “why can’t they push each other in front of a bus?”
I’m working on a Bates drinking game called Smirk or Sulk? Seeing as those are the two facial expressions Mr. Bates seems capable of displaying at any given time.
My wife thought the Carson/Hughes proposal was sweet, but I thought we could pretty obviously see it coming since, well…the beach scene finale of last season.
SiubhanDuinne
@bemused:
Well, I enjoyed it. It lasted only about four seasons, if memory serves. Two good solid British character actors, Pam Ferris and Felicity Kendal, played the leads, and the “gimmick” was that every episode had something to do with gardens or gardening. That meant, among other things, that there were some really gorgeous locations — Kew, and some of the gardens at England’s stately homes, and so on. Not the best or most memorable mystery series the Brits have ever done, but a lot of fun. Would be a nice binge for a wet weekend.
hamletta
@Amir Khalid: Dear Lord! That’s not laziness, that’s craziness!
I don’t even think about it anymore. And 20 years ago, if you were a passenger, your driver might think it an insult if you buckled up, but that’s long gone.
HRA
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:
Exactly!
askew
@raven:
Apple TV is such an inferior product to the Roku. It’s slow as molasses, has fewer apps and there are download times to watch movies/shows you’ve purchased. Plus, it is way more expensive. The only reason Apple TV makes sense is if you have a lot of movies/tv shows on iTunes already. If not, you are better off using Roku.
Tommy
@hamletta: Yes it is crazy. As I said in another comment I don’t even think about putting my seat belt on. I just do it. Muscle memory. It has been so long that anybody got into my car and didn’t put their seat belt on, if they didn’t I would be confused.
Violet
Isn’t the only reason cars have seatbelts is that the evil government made the car manufacturers put them in?
Josie
@Tommy:
Who will be offering this service? The lack of sports, especially college football, is what keeps me from cutting the Uverse cord.
another Holocene human
@hamletta: lol I’m seeing if my passenger refuses to buckle up, my license is my employment, hope dare you
Also, I’ve seen what happens when a car hits a class B.
I have gotten sloppy about seat belt in parking lots though
Steeplejack
@Tommy:
Good idea on the antenna. Doesn’t solve the problem if you can’t watch the show at broadcast time (no DVR), but, hey, one step at a time.
Have you compared the Roku with the Amazon Fire TV Stick? I bought one when it was first announced (only $20!), got it in January but haven’t deployed it yet. I did give a Chromecast gizmo to some friends who have a not-so-smart TV a couple of years ago, and it has worked well for them. I presumed the Fire Stick would be more, better, faster, etc. Now I’m thinking that I haven’t looked at Roku in quite a while and should check that out for my friend.
paulw
I decided to try another lock and key party. Its the machocist in me. Any tips on actually finding a nice girl to date?
another Holocene human
@patrick II: war with Iran would be a disaster that would make Iraq and Afghanistan look like walks in the park.
And if Netanyahu went to war against an opponent that could fight back that would be his political ending.
Steeplejack
@paulw:
What is a “lock and key party”?
another Holocene human
@bemused: Rosemary and Thyme was on Netflix. Guilty pleasure. Dumb but enjoyable especially with all the overseas settings, Spain, Italy. The mysteries were hit or miss. Show pissed me off one or twice but don’t remember why. (Could have simply been for insulting my intelligence. ) The protagonists are very lovable.
Cckids
@Steeplejack: hulu Plus lets you stream most network shows. Its $7.99 a month.
Paul in KY
@paulw: I guess I will bite: What’s a ‘lock and key party’?
Edit: See Steeplejack beat me to the question of the day.
another Holocene human
@Roger Moore: I’m always shocked by how many people truly believe ugly Republican tropes. Too many white people are invested in the lies that keep them coming for the party of war mongering and inequality.
It’s about spite, about class positioning, about racial bias, about not being able to accept you were wrong.
Cckids
@Amir Khalid: The thing that did it for me was being in a fairly serious accident when I was 19. Before that, I wore the seat belt sporadically, & was wearing it that night, when a drunk ran a stop sign & t-boned my friends car, totalling it.
Once you’ve felt that impact & the forces involved, you (if you have a brain) quickly lose any belief that you’ll be ok without a seat belt. Nope. You’ll just be dead.
germy shoemangler
@Cckids: My experience as well. In 1982, I lost control on some ice and hit a tree. No seatbelt. Luckily, the only injury I suffered was two front teeth knocked out. At the ICU, they actually reattached them. The way my face hit the steering wheel was like taking a punch from Sonny Liston. And I was on a side street, not going that fast.
Ever since then, if the car is moving, I’m strapped in.
Steeplejack
@Cckids:
Thanks, I suspected that but hadn’t gotten around to checking it.
My friend is an ideal candidate to cut the cord: she doesn’t watch sports and already streams a lot of stuff on her iPad. I’m going to visit her at the end of the month, and the goal is to get her a decent (but modest) flat-screen TV and cut the TV part of her Cox subscription. I think it’s all doable, but I’ll be there for only a few days and would like to have everything up and running with no problems before I leave. So I need to get all my ducks in a row ahead of time.
another Holocene human
@Tommy:
There was actually a time when Dems seemed pretty hostile to science and embraced the woo, pseudoscience and bullshit claims. (I’m looking at you, Patricia Ireland. ) But he should have gotten the picture when Newt Gingrich went after USGS (and Orrin Hatch sponsored DSHEA). Gingrich also cut basic science and medical research funding.
That was the 1990s. Shrub was WAY worse.
Both pols made a show of committing money to stupid pie in the sky projects–maglev, Mars–that never came to fruition, while cutting funding to one of the few industries where the US has been competitive!
bemused
@another Holocene human:
British series are way more fun to watch than the 98% of american “reality” shows.
Many, many years ago I followed a British series All Creatures Great and Small based on the James Herriot books. I’d like to watch that again and see if it stills holds up for me.
germy shoemangler
@bemused: Many many years ago I developed a crush on Angharad Rees when I got hooked on “Poldark.” I have no idea how I got into that show, as usually I don’t care for that genre. I think I saw her and then fell in love.
I was shocked to learn she died in 2012 at 63.
Now I see they’re rebooting it. Not interested.
Patricia Kayden
@ed: Let’s see if he wins in Israel first.
another Holocene human
@germy shoemangler: Sounds like when I went right over the handle bars in 2000. I was wearing a helmet but I was still stunned and chipped a tooth. Do not want to contemplate what happens without helmet. The ground was HARD.
samiam
If Griftwald decides to grift on this I’m sure wr0ng way Cole will swallow it like a prom date in the back of a limo.
bemused
@germy shoemangler:
I never caught that series.
ThresherK
@SiubhanDuinne: Felicity Kendall is one of the seemingly innumerous British actesses who can go from young to grown-up while American men continue to find them irresistable*. Must be something about the roles available to them.
(*Disclaimer: This study’s sample size is 1.)
rikyrah
I loved Downton last night. I loved Robert and Tom telling Edith that they knew. I loved the backstory with the Dowager Countess and the Prince. I loved Rose saving her father-in-law last night . I loved Mr. Carson and his proposal. I loved it all.
kc
@Amir Khalid:
Frankly I wouldn’t care if every state repealed seat belt laws.
The guy who recently got shot by a cop in SC was pulled over ostensibly* because he wasn’t wearing his seat belt.
It won’t happen, of course, bc states would lose federal funds, but anything that gives cops one less reason to hassle people who aren’t bothering anyone else is fine with me.
*More likely was pulled because he was DWB.
kc
@rikyrah:
What did Obama see in that guy . . .
Elie
On CNN last night saw an interesting video of an interview Anthony Bourdain had with Nemtsov in 2014… while he speaks of Putin’s corrupt and criminal system… it applies further than in Russia — but this is where it is most extreme right now… I apologize for the ad at the beginning but the interview is interesting and worth the three minutes to view. Sadly, I think that corruption as a system of governance is the model that is being followed almost everywhere…
kc
@SiubhanDuinne:
Isn’t Dana Bash the reporter who basically called Bill Bennett a degenerate gambler to his face? I’ll give her a pass. :D
Bobby Thomson
@kc: people who don’t wear seat belts are bothering others. Preventable deaths impose costs on society.
Bobby Thomson
@Elie: certainly in the United States.
Tommy
@another Holocene human: It is a hard thing to explain. My grandfather was a medical doctor. Dad has a PhD. Both myself and my brother MAs. Education was part of our lives. Ingrained in us. So when my father can’t vote with us it hurts.
There were a lot of rules in my house growing up as a kid. At the top of the list was at 5:30 PM we sat down for dinner as a family. We would talk about our day. The world. I am not sure how I became a liberal. But those conversations where the start of it.
ThresherK
@kc: I dunno, too many of our press corpse did a crap enough job of forgetting that Gerry Ferraro was the first major party VPNom for me to get that riled up on one story omitting Barbara Mikulski’s tenure.
Compound that with Ferraro lost and nobody can’t seem to link the loser Palin, who for their estimation can’t seem to lose for “winning”.
At this point if a CNNite doesn’t blow the facts they’re claiming (and if you asked me, I might not have guessed “Mikulski” to the question, “Who’s the senior female US Senator?”), it’s a plus.
Bobby Thomson
@Paul in KY: half get locks, half get keys. You make small talk while finding your match.
Elie
@Bobby Thomson:
Naw — I think its broader… Canada and Australia for sure… strains of it in many other Western countries. Its more than what is actually happening — its an attitude… a sense of doing what you want to do without any obligation to any moral value.. we saw it a lot during the height of the Ebola outbreak… Australia not only closed its borders but prevented its people from volunteering. Their asshole PM is knighting Prince Phillip (as though he needs it) — We see whole cloth abandonment of principle for expediency… let them eat cake. Maybe Russia is the most criminally corrupt — but a whole lot of other countries (including ours as you mention), are included. Its past the handwringing stage… what the eff are we going to do about it?
Paul in KY
@Bobby Thomson: Interesting! Thanks for explanation.
Elie
@Elie:
I will add that what is core to sustaining the corruption, is the flaccid permission given by those who know what is happening and do not call it by its name. We have corrupted not only governance, but our values — such as supporting factual, proveable reality versus groupthink mythology… we seem paralyzed by it…
jl
Not sure exactly who John Dickerson is. I understand his titles, but don’t know enough about structure of corporate media to know what they mean in terms of his ability to mess up the news.
After listening to his Face the Nation mess yesterday, I can understand why some commenters here very warmly loathe him. The premise running through all three of his interviews was ‘Aren’t you afraid that people who have the temerity to ask ‘how high?’ when our strategic commander in chief Netanyahu says ‘jump’ are introducing partisanship into our important relationship with Netanyahu… er… Likud… er…. American neocon warminger interests… er… Israel. Yeah, that’s the ticket, I meant ‘Israel’?
It struck me that Dickerson was very controlling in his questions for Feinstein. When I saw later that she has been wandering around telling people that Netanyahu can go stuff it, I can see why. Hey, J Dick., was it partisan when Netanyahu refused to meet with Senate Democrats, including Feinstein after the Congressional GOP and Netanyahu blindsided the Democratic executive branch with a speech in front of Congress? I guess since Netanyahu can do no wrong, that that cannot happen.
Some of Dickerson’s interview with Boehner seemed rehearsed, which is a mean thing to say, since it would mean Dickerson is a corrupt journalist, but since Williams offered similar fixed reporting on Mark Sanford, there is reason to be suspicious. Dickerson was very clumsy in some parts of the interview in feeding Boehner topics.
I can see Boehner lighting up a Camel and knocking back a Merlot afterward saying “If that fool wants to pull down my pants and kiss my ass on TV, he should get a gig with Fox News. Talk about breaking Kay Fabe… Jeez…’
I don’t follow Dumpy Abbey closely enough to understand the spoilers, but sounds like something actually happened on the show. Something actually happens on that show only once or twice a season.
scuffletuffle
@rikyrah: but does lord Grantham really know the girl is Edith ‘s daughter or is he assuming she is taking the baby on because it was gregson’s
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
@Betty Cracker:
I’m not sure I find a shootdown threat plausible, but I definitely find a threat to refuse to allow them to fly through US-controlled airspace and a refusal to let them refuel to be perfectly plausible. Every “Israel attacks Iran” scenario I’ve seen requires one of the neighbors allowing Israel to fly through their airspace, one of the neighbors allowing Israel to refuel, and sometimes both. Short of a kamikaze mission, there’s no way for Israel to carry out its threats if they can’t have airspace or fuel.
ETA: Also, a “we won’t protect you if you fly into someone else’s airspace without permission” could plausibly be interpreted as a shootdown threat.
Amir Khalid
@kc:
No, I can’t agree with that. If you repealed seat-belt laws, or cellphone-use-while-driving laws, or for that matter DUI laws, racist white cops would still be able to hassle people of colour just freely as before.
boatboy_srq
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): Location, location, location. The only way for Israel to attack Iran without crossing into airspace (or other territory) owned by somebody who might have a problem with the mission is for them to build an aircraft carrier and sail it through the Straits of Gibraltar and around the Cape of Good Hope. That’s way too much telegraphing for the attack to be at all successful. So their strategy depends on being able to fly through their neighbors’ airspace for the attack. AFAIK the only leader in that region who might have responded favorably to the proposal was Saddam Hussein, and then only when the Iran-Iraq War was still going on. The entire suggestion is a non-starter – and a good reason why Israel should never be allowed to deploy stealth technology. I suspect that a good deal of the agitation from Bibi et al is because the US is in a far better position to make the strike (lots of CVNs, control of Iraqi airspace, etc) and no small amount of the “take that, Mister President” attitude from Bibi is because Obama (wisely) won’t take the bait.
Amir Khalid
@jl:
This John Dickerson?
rikyrah
@scuffletuffle:
He knows that Marigold is Edith’s daughter. He figured it out in last week’s episode, when he realized who Marigold reminded him of – Michael Gregson. Once that clicked into place, all of Edith’s behavior finally made sense to him.
Paul in KY
@boatboy_srq: Remember that at a high rate of speed, flying thru some of these country’s airspace might take 2 minutes.
boatboy_srq
@Paul in KY: 2 minutes is still enough for CAP or SAM response, and the incoming flight would no doubt be tracked. Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the other neighbors aren’t flying biplanes and using 40mm cannon for primary AA, so interception is reasonably predictable.
Betty Cracker
@Mnemosyne (iPhone):
Really? Not in the English language as I understand it.
LauraPDX
@Freemark: I once saw an interview with Colin Dexter where he said he had to kill off Morse because he didn’t want Oxford to be known as the “murder capital of the western world.” That title apparently now belongs to the county in England where “Midsomer Murders” takes place.
jake the antisoshul soshulist
@Betty Cracker:
Since Rose and Atticus are moving to New York, and Lily James has the lead in the new Cinderella movie, I would guess she is joining the departees.
Betty Cracker
@jake the antisoshul soshulist: I read today that Maggie Smith is outta there after next season. She said her character has the same problem as Isis the dog (old age). Fellowes should wrap the series up on that note. Smith is the best thing about the show.
Chris
@Amir Khalid:
Because no American president would be suicidal enough to threaten military action of any kind against a country that has as blind, fanatic, and widespread support from across the entire political spectrum as Israel does. If Obama isn’t catching much flak for it, it’s because everyone knows it’s bullshit, but if it were ever proven that he actually had made that threat against Israel, even most Democrats wouldn’t stand by him. And he knows that, which is why I’m confident saying that this never happened.
Refusing to cooperate with an Israeli aggression? Sure. Telling them we won’t help them get clearance over Iraqi airspace? Sure. In fact, it’s plausible that that is in fact what happened and Bibi was angry enough to leak a distorted version of it to the media, resulting in this story. But actually threatening to shoot down Israeli planes? Never happened.
Kerry Reid
I snark on “Downton” as the most anticlimactic of all shows (see under Unmarried Motherhood, Edith and Unreliable Eyewitness, Anna). They need a full-time staff keeping those Deus Ex Machinas well oiled, it seems.
But damned if I didn’t weep like a baby when Tom said to Edith and Mary of poor dead Sibyl “We three are the ones who were meant to grow old with her.” Having lost an elder sister less than two months ago, that shattered me.