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You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / Monday Evening Open Thread

Monday Evening Open Thread

by Betty Cracker|  June 1, 20155:50 pm| 176 Comments

This post is in: Domestic Politics, Open Threads

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I spent my entire beach mini-vacation either looking at the beach from my rented balcony or gazing at the surf  from a waterside pub or restaurant. But I went down to the actual shoreline for the last sunset:  

Right after that, a big storm blew in from the east, and it rained like crazy. The storms are the best thing about Florida in the summer. (I know it’s not officially summer elsewhere, but it is here — trust me.)

Back home now, trying to get into weekday mode. What are you up to this evening? 

Open thread!

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Previous Post: « Inertia and entrenchment
Next Post: Open Thread: Today in “People Who Are Not Gonna Be the GOP Candidate” News »

Reader Interactions

176Comments

  1. 1.

    Southern Beale

    June 1, 2015 at 5:53 pm

    I’m still boycotting Florida. (Folds arms, sends superior smirk Betty’s way … )

  2. 2.

    JPL

    June 1, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    Betty I’m so pleased that you are posting more open threads.

    @Southern Beale: hmmmm Where is it that you live?

  3. 3.

    NotMax

    June 1, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    Sobering thought that when your daughter reaches your age, that beach won’t be there anymore.

  4. 4.

    BGinCHI

    June 1, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    Still trying to believe that’s Bruce Jenner on the cover of Vanity Fair.

    Not judging; just trying to reconcile with the Wheaties-era BJ. I’m just glad we live in a world where all of this stuff is coming out into public view.

  5. 5.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 5:58 pm

    A question for the tech-literate balloon-juicers out there (basically all of you except me):

    I have a wireless router, so we can use our macbook in various rooms. My son bought a new PC. Ever since then, whenever he goes online, I slow down and then can’t connect. If I’m online, he slows down and then can’t connect.

    We didn’t have this problem with his old pc. I was thinking of buying a new wireless router, but I suspect the same thing would happen? Is there a reason why only one computer can go online now?

    He needs his computer for school. Wife and I need our computer for work.

    Please advise.

  6. 6.

    kindness

    June 1, 2015 at 6:01 pm

    The boxers are so happy Mommy is home. Who’se a good Mommy? At which both of them say OUR Mommy!

  7. 7.

    satby

    June 1, 2015 at 6:01 pm

    My mother, 83, has complained about how hot it’s been for the last week or so. She thinks 70 degrees is cold, so it must be near hellish.

    I avoid Florida like the plague from April to October, because everything over 80 is too hot for me.

  8. 8.

    ruemara

    June 1, 2015 at 6:01 pm

    I have kickboxing, yoga and then I have to film some more. And I have over 20 gigs of footage to edit into shape by Thursday. My head hurts.

  9. 9.

    JPL

    June 1, 2015 at 6:02 pm

    @BGinCHI: I have no problem with life choices, especially since he felt trapped in his body. I do have a problem making money off of it and I hate reality shows.
    Lots of I’s but it is how I feel.

  10. 10.

    JPL

    June 1, 2015 at 6:06 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Someone will pipe up with more info than I, but when my son moved in with me for awhile, he decided to get his own service. I think he got Clear but I’m not sure. If your son is downloading a lot, it really will slow you down.

  11. 11.

    BGinCHI

    June 1, 2015 at 6:07 pm

    @JPL: I just don’t watch that shit. Unless people are cooking (I like Knife Fight, myself).

    I was just marveling at how far away we are from the 1970s. Except from dickheads from the Nixon Administration.

  12. 12.

    BGinCHI

    June 1, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Easy. Kick him to the curb. Builds character.

  13. 13.

    Ruckus

    June 1, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler:
    1. How old is your router?
    The current specs are much faster than not all that long ago.
    2. What is he looking up, wink, wink?
    3. We moved 4-5 months ago and I had to purchase a new WiFi. Got an Apple air whatever and get 60mps through two pretty stout walls. Have seen at least 2 other devices on at the same time with no degradation. AirPort Extreme says it runs 50 machines at a time. $199.

  14. 14.

    Betty Cracker

    June 1, 2015 at 6:09 pm

    @JPL: Are you being sarcastic? (About the open threads, I mean.) It’s okay if you are — I’m just not sure. :-)

    @NotMax: It is.

    @kindness: They’re being very hefty lapdogs to show their appreciation for our return.

  15. 15.

    replicnt6

    June 1, 2015 at 6:09 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler:

    I would try upgrading the firmware on the router. The bottom or back of the router should have a model # on it. Go to the manufacturer’s web site to see if they have a firmware update. They should also have instructions for updating the firmware. I would avoid googling the model #, since you might turn up some malware firmware. Manufacturers generally make it not too difficult to find the firmware updates.

  16. 16.

    lamh36

    June 1, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    I tell ya, as someone who has more than one social media account,, I’m reminded of my own rule of thumb when it comes to commenting on twitter and the like, One does NOT have to comment on every social media trending topic. Sometimes it’s better to have no comment than to have some ignorant comment and the backlash that will fillow

  17. 17.

    JPL

    June 1, 2015 at 6:11 pm

    @Betty Cracker: I am not being sarcastic. Most of the posts today were doom and gloom and you bring a little sunshine to the site. Okay the sunshine bit was a little much but you are from Florida.

  18. 18.

    ThresherK

    June 1, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    There’s a reason they’ve issued a flash flood watch for most of CT until TUESDAY at 8pm. We may make June’s rainfall avg in the first week.

  19. 19.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 6:15 pm

    Your vistas from the beach are lovely.

    @BGinCHI: I think she looks great and can only imagine what it feels like to be who she knew herself to be for many years while living a lie.

  20. 20.

    Renie

    June 1, 2015 at 6:15 pm

    That VF pix does not look like Jenner at all; even if he is trying to look more feminine. Anyone think a lot of it is Photoshopped?

    Spending my first full day with my youngest gone to Wash DC to summer intern at State Dept. Too quiet and I miss her already.

    Horrible traffic driving to and fro this weekend between NYC and Wash DC to get all her stuff there.

  21. 21.

    sharl

    June 1, 2015 at 6:19 pm

    Found via an Edroso retweet:

    Rowan Kaiser ‏@RowanKaiser
    Interesting piece: The decline of American manufacturing is based on irrational ideology, not rational economics – Losing Sparta: The Bitter Truth Behind the Gospel of Productivity

    It’s a detailed and rather depressing very long read from 2014, that basically says the “gospel of productivity” may well often be a bullshit cover story used by large and perhaps even profitable multinationals to justify shutting down unionized plants and sending the production to other countries, where pesky labor rights (and environmental regulations) aren’t such a big problem. The authors did a very deep dive into the fate of the former workers at the Dutch conglomerate Philips’ fluorescent lamp plant in Sparta TN, which they purchased and owned for just a few years before shutting it down.

    Despite very detailed business analyses by (former) plant management that showed the lack of a decent business case for the move, Philips wouldn’t even listen to the case for staying in Sparta, let alone explain their decision to move plant operations to Mexico. The authors couldn’t get a response from Philips management either, so had to settle for explanations for the shutdown from others. One explanation, from a former plant employee, made the most sense to them (bolding is mine):

    Philips’s model is to concentrate production, and so the particulars of how well a given plant performs—​even if it’s Philips’s best-​performing plant worldwide—​don’t matter. “There’s a momentum that gets in place when people say we’re going to close these plants, and it becomes a point of weakness for anyone to stand up and say, ‘No,’” she told me one evening. “No one feels strong enough to do that. Because they feel like it’s showing some sort of human weakness, that they’re making an emotional decision—​when in fact, there’s a business decision there. And so it gains a sort of momentum in an emperor-has-no-clothes sort of way. And so people are compelled to do the wrong things. And then you start adding incentives based on the execution of those plans and now you’ve got everybody marching straight off a cliff.”

    The authors themselves note that there is a major lack of detailed data and analysis on plant closings, but if this one plant is any indication, it sounds like it’s the result of corporate “governing from the gut” – kind of reminiscent of our recent MBA Preznit, methinks – rather than any serious business analysis, that is driving much of the offshoring.

  22. 22.

    MomSense

    June 1, 2015 at 6:19 pm

    Drinking a glass of wine and cooking dinner.

    Any good Netflix or TV series recommendations? After a hectic day, vegging in front of the TV sounds pretty good.

  23. 23.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:20 pm

    @Ruckus: our current wireless router is over six years old. Sounds like it’s time for a new one. An Airport Extreme is a regular wireless router compatible with a TWC modem? He’s into gaming, I’m sure that’s slowing the whole neighborhood down. But schoolwork as well.

    @replicnt6: It’s an old belkin. Maybe it’s time for an upgrade. I was just concerned the same thing would happen with a new router; that the problem was with the computers.

  24. 24.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:22 pm

    @Renie:

    That VF pix does not look like Jenner at all; even if he is trying to look more feminine. Anyone think a lot of it is Photoshopped?

    VF photographers and makeup artists could make my cat look like Garbo.

  25. 25.

    lamh36

    June 1, 2015 at 6:24 pm

    Day 4 of my 6 day stay-cation…and already hating that I’ll be back to work in 2 days…ugh.

  26. 26.

    Kirbster

    June 1, 2015 at 6:24 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Sounds like it could be a fixed vs dynamic IP address problem (i.e. both the PC and the Mac are trying to use the same fixed IP address instead of letting the router assign their addresses dynamically). Just a guess, though.

  27. 27.

    sharl

    June 1, 2015 at 6:24 pm

    @sharl: Oh, and apologies for that War-&-Peace length downer of a comment, especially since it doesn’t fit into the more upbeat ambiance of the room at the moment. Stuff like this just riles up my old Rust Belt core…

  28. 28.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 6:25 pm

    Here’s the addition from the garden. They haven’t been able to do anything since Thursday and it’s raining again. It’s been so long it just doesn’t seem to matter.

  29. 29.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:25 pm

    @Kirbster: I’d read something about that when trying to figure out the problem. How do I switch to a dynamic IP address? Is it a preferences setting?

  30. 30.

    BGinCHI

    June 1, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    @Valdivia: Agreed. Hard not to have a lot of empathy.

    Unless you are on Fox News, where Satan sharpens his pitchfork daily.

  31. 31.

    lamh36

    June 1, 2015 at 6:27 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: meh…all magazine photoshoots are photshopped so …eh.

    Now, what gave me a kick was the fact that the same day as the VF pics came out, Lindsey Graham announced his candidacy for President…

    Lindsey got upstaged…bwhahahahaha

  32. 32.

    BGinCHI

    June 1, 2015 at 6:27 pm

    @MomSense: Aquarius is really good so far.

  33. 33.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    @MomSense: I would recommend Dicte from Denmark, Salamander from Belgium and a short series from Germany called Generation War. They are all on Netflix. There are a couple of really soapy Spanish series too, but don’t know if that is something anyone would be interested unless one grew up with them.

  34. 34.

    Fair Economist

    June 1, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    @Renie: Nobody looks like that at 65 no matter how much work they’ve had done.

  35. 35.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    @sharl: But it is their philosophy and coincidentally it fits with their quest for great profits. It reminds me of the Adam Gopnik article about the GOP’s anti-train policy.

  36. 36.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    @MomSense: We’re catching the second season of “The Hour” with Dominic West (McNulty from The Wire). It’s on iTunes along with “Grandchester”. Happy Valley on Netflix is quite good but it gets hairy.

  37. 37.

    Tree With Water

    June 1, 2015 at 6:30 pm

    There is typically no summer rainfall whatsoever in my neck of northern California. That’s why I’ve enjoyed the sudden summer rains those times I’ve been back east. Damn near got killed in one deluge, though (exaggeration), while driving down the Shenandoah turnpike at 75-80 miles an hour surrounded by big rigs. Those 15 minutes seemed like two hours, and I mean I couldn’t see five feet beyond front of the rental car it was raining so hard. The rain had caught me flat footed, too, meaning I had no idea how suddenly things could change at freeway speed. I didn’t dare attempt to merge over and off the road, it was that tight a squeeze. In fact, all things considered, it was the most stressed bit of driving of life. Still, the summer rains back there are nice.

  38. 38.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 6:30 pm

    @Fair Economist: I do!

  39. 39.

    Tommy

    June 1, 2015 at 6:31 pm

    @MomSense: Yes Doc Martin on Netflix. Hard to explain in a few sentences where I could do it justice. British show.

  40. 40.

    JPL

    June 1, 2015 at 6:31 pm

    @Valdivia: A friend recommended the Spanish soaps because it’s a real escape.

  41. 41.

    Iowa Old Lady

    June 1, 2015 at 6:31 pm

    Beautiful pictures. Makes me feel good here in my study.

  42. 42.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:32 pm

    @Tree With Water:

    …while driving down the Shenandoah turnpike at 80 miles an hour surrounded by big rigs…

    Wouldn’t it be nice if they had their own dedicated roads? Or put them on rail?

    Makes me nervous to be passed by something with wheels bigger than my entire vehicle.

  43. 43.

    FlipYrWhig

    June 1, 2015 at 6:32 pm

    @MomSense: Have you seen Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt already?

  44. 44.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 6:33 pm

    @BGinCHI: they have not hear of empathy. I thought it was funny that Obama retweeted Jenner’s introduction of herself and commended her for ehr courage, while no Republican dared do the same.

    @raven: I loved Grantchester.

    @JPL: That they are. The ones I am talking about are from Spain and not the regular Latino soaps. They are really well made, with the usual girl-meets-boy then disaster ensues plotline. But entertaining. One is more of a mystery, The Grand Hotel.

  45. 45.

    Major Major Major Major

    June 1, 2015 at 6:34 pm

    Arguing about rent control on Facebook (I’m agin’ it), then Krav Maga, then seeing The Mountain Goats at the Fillmore. Should be a good time.

  46. 46.

    Tommy

    June 1, 2015 at 6:34 pm

    @BGinCHI: Yes to Aquarius. I was surprised by how powerful the pilot was.

  47. 47.

    The Pale Scot

    June 1, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Have you tried unplugging the router and modem? Or resetting to factory defaults?

    I’ll assume you gamer son knows how to check the router’s firewall settings and use port forwarding if you don’t. He should check the game specs about port forwarding

    That’s where to start

  48. 48.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    @Tommy: Doc Martin is fascinating. We get glimpses of why he is the way he is. His mother shows up and she is… cold. His aunt says that when he was a baby his father left him alone in a room whenever he’d cry.

    He’s a decent man and completely out of touch with feelings. His eulogy for his aunt was hilarious; a brief lecture on the importance of diet and proper exercise to the baffled attendees.

  49. 49.

    Gin & Tonic

    June 1, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    I posted a couple of (lack of) progress notes over the weekend, but after ~40 hours of labor and a few tense moments both before and after, my daughter finally gave birth to her daughter, our first grandchild. I have to say, completely objectively, of course, that this is the cutest baby in the world. Looking forward to seeing her in person in a couple of days.

  50. 50.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    @Valdivia: He is a stone creep on Happy Valley!

  51. 51.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:37 pm

    @The Pale Scot: Actually, I find myself unplugging and plugging it several times a day. I do this when it starts blinking yellow. This brings it back to its “blue light” status.

    But if my son and I are on our computers, it does not blink yellow, and yet we slow down or cannot get on.

  52. 52.

    Major Major Major Major

    June 1, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Congratulations!

  53. 53.

    sharl

    June 1, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Thanks for that link; bookmarked for later reading.

  54. 54.

    MomSense

    June 1, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    Thanks for all the recommendations!

    Love Doc Martin, the Hour, Dicte, and Salamander. I had to take a break from Happy Valley as it was making me a bit anxious.

    @Valdivia:
    Ooh Spanish soaps may be a good way to refresh my rusty language skills.

    @FlipYrWhig:

    I haven’t seen it yet. I might give that a try.

  55. 55.

    sharl

    June 1, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Congrats! Enjoy being a grandpa!

  56. 56.

    Tree With Water

    June 1, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    “..Wipe that tear away.
    One sweet dream came true today..”

    Lennon-McCartney

  57. 57.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Mazal Tov! I was wondering how it was going. Welcome to the world Gin&Tonic grandchild.

  58. 58.

    MomSense

    June 1, 2015 at 6:41 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Welcome to a new human being! Congratulations to you. I think the grandparent experience must be fantastic because my parents are completely unrecognizable with my kids. There have been so many times when I have wanted to say “who are you and what did you do with my mother/father”.

  59. 59.

    Tommy

    June 1, 2015 at 6:41 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler:

    Doc Martin is fascinating.

    Yes it is. I hate to admit I see more than a little of myself in him so maybe that is while I liked the show. But there is something with the humor, totally understated but clearly there. And it is something of a love story that is enduring.

  60. 60.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:42 pm

    Many decades ago I got hooked on “The Fall And Rise of Reginald Perrin.”

    Does anyone remember it?

  61. 61.

    PurpleGirl

    June 1, 2015 at 6:42 pm

    @BGinCHI: I don’t think it’s so much coming into public view but coming into view without the madness that attended previous transgender changes. There was George William Jorgensen, Jr who became Christine Jorgensen; Richard Raskind becoming Renee Richards; and James Humphrey Morris who became Jan Morris. I remember each of these women initially being met with outrageous media attention. Each life seemed to quiet down after a while

  62. 62.

    satby

    June 1, 2015 at 6:42 pm

    @MomSense: I’m enjoying the Brokenwood Mysteries on Acorn TV. It’s a Midsommer Murders clone based in New Zealand.
    I ended up watching Acorn almost exclusively and cancelled my Netflix, so I don’t know if you can get it there. Highly recommend Acorn TV though if you like Uk-Commonwealth shows at all. Canadian and Australian series too.

  63. 63.

    A guy

    June 1, 2015 at 6:42 pm

    Wow Betty you did all that today while kids are starving?

  64. 64.

    Iowa Old Lady

    June 1, 2015 at 6:42 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Congratulations to the whole family.

    Makes you suspect this kid will be late for everything from now on, doesn’t it?

  65. 65.

    Ruckus

    June 1, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler:
    OK went to check on the model of Apple router that I bought and unplugged the damn thing. Had a nice reply and all that.
    Apple has 2 routers without storage. Express- $100 and Extreme- $200. Express is home normal home usage, extreme is for up to 50 users.
    You may or may not be able to get into the software of your current router and change things. I could with an old, old Linksys router that I had but it was a pain and I bought the new one after the old one died of old age. If it allows you in you need an IP address and password, the company website would probably tell you what to do. If you don’t have that……

  66. 66.

    Tommy

    June 1, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Congrats!!!!!!!

  67. 67.

    JPL

    June 1, 2015 at 6:45 pm

    @raven: It took me a few weeks to warm up to Sydney because Norton’s role in Happy Valley was so unnerving.

  68. 68.

    Baud

    June 1, 2015 at 6:46 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Bout damn time.

    Congrats!

  69. 69.

    satby

    June 1, 2015 at 6:46 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Congrats! Happy news!

    And congrats to the new mother, with whom I totally sympathize. My first labor was 40 hours, and then they did a Cesarean. Worst of both delivery worlds. But the kid is 32 now and I got over it long ago.

  70. 70.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 6:46 pm

    @MomSense: :)
    Then I reccomend Velvet and Grand Hotel

    Hulu also has a couple of good ones, most notably a historical novel about Queen Isabel and the unification of Spain. Lots of Court intrigue. For those missing Wolf Hall this might be an alternative (much soapier though).

  71. 71.

    gogol's wife

    June 1, 2015 at 6:46 pm

    I saw Shaun of the Dead last night for the first time, and as with Hot Fuzz, I’ve been laughing all day long as I remember bits and pieces of it. Pegg and Wright really know how to create time-release comedy. “How are you?” “Surviving.” “We’re coming to get you, Barbara!”

  72. 72.

    Gin & Tonic

    June 1, 2015 at 6:47 pm

    @Iowa Old Lady: Actually, I suspect she will be completely punctual, as her mother always is. Today was the “due date” which the doctors gave many, many months ago, so when labor started on Saturday, it seemed early.

    But thanks to all for the well-wishes.

  73. 73.

    gogol's wife

    June 1, 2015 at 6:47 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Congratulations!

  74. 74.

    Ruckus

    June 1, 2015 at 6:47 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler:
    It also could be TWC. Don’t count that out. But if it isn’t then sight unseen, no trouble shooting actually done, I’d venture to say your router has whatever the electronic equivalent of Alzheimer’s is.

  75. 75.

    Tree With Water

    June 1, 2015 at 6:48 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: What made it worse was the fact at the time the national speed limit was 55, which I’d been used to (sorta) driving for a few years. And not only weren’t there any dedicated lanes, that stretch of road had a posted waiver that permitted a speed limit of 70 to 75. It was probably the biggest factor in my “getting caught flat footed and terrified” equation.

  76. 76.

    Tommy

    June 1, 2015 at 6:49 pm

    @Iowa Old Lady:

    Makes you suspect this kid will be late for everything from now on, doesn’t it?

    LOL.

    I was born more than a month early. Why my mom also used to say it was why I was always impatient from the get go.

  77. 77.

    JPL

    June 1, 2015 at 6:50 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Aah! enjoy your time with her and congrats. Of course, I’m jealous but maybe someday, I’ll have my very own grandchild.

  78. 78.

    Major Major Major Major

    June 1, 2015 at 6:51 pm

    @gogol’s wife: I love near the end after the big fight (Hot Fuzz) as Pegg is limping off into the sunset and the other guy says “Where are you going?” and he says “Back to the office… I have to do a considerable amount of paperwork.” Such a good callback.

  79. 79.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 6:52 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: You asked about the murder of the Prosecutor in Argentina: Here is a really great summary from the BBC. Other latin american aggregation sites have made summaries of yesterday’s expose, I will see if I can find a good translation and drop it here.

  80. 80.

    rikyrah

    June 1, 2015 at 6:53 pm

    @JPL:

    A friend recommended the Spanish soaps because it’s a real escape.

    I really wish they would do English subtitles. I think I’d be a real telenovela fan

  81. 81.

    Karen in GA

    June 1, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Congratulations!

  82. 82.

    The Pale Scot

    June 1, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Then you can try getting a new modem, but my farting in the wind opinion is that problem lies with the ISP, most likely their cables running to your house.

    Did this start when the weather warmed up? Old worn out cables contracting and expanding in the sun.

    I’ve dealt with this in FL a couple of times.

  83. 83.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    @Ruckus: Here’s a dumb question: I know the apple router will be fine with our macbook pro, but is it compatible with my son’s non-apple pc?

    Do I need to travel to an apple store for it? Or do they sell it in most electronics stores?

  84. 84.

    shell

    June 1, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    @MomSense: Movies that look good (well, to me) tonight:

    On TCM at 8 ‘The Long Hot Summer”

    And the always reliable ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter” on Ovation.

    A ‘Parks and Recreation’ marathon on Esquire.

    And of course, lots and lots of ‘Simpsons’ on FXX

  85. 85.

    Ruckus

    June 1, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    @The Pale Scot:
    It is TWC so the possibility is high.

  86. 86.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:58 pm

    @The Pale Scot: I called them once when I first started having problems with the modem. After playing phone tag with TWC, I finally got a tech person who did a remote scan (?) of my modem and said it was fine.

    they said the problem was with my router.

    And I’m fine online right now. My son is at work and his computer is off.

  87. 87.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 6:59 pm

    I try not to call TWC. They make me want to bite them.

    they bring out the angry doberman in me.

  88. 88.

    Gin & Tonic

    June 1, 2015 at 6:59 pm

    @Valdivia: Thanks for posting that.

  89. 89.

    JPL

    June 1, 2015 at 7:00 pm

    @rikyrah: Valdivia mentioned the Grand Hotel which is on Netflix with subtitles. I might try that one.

  90. 90.

    MattR

    June 1, 2015 at 7:00 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler:

    How do I switch to a dynamic IP address? Is it a preferences setting?

    Yes, that would be based on how the wireless network was configured on each computer. You need to get to the properties of the wireless network connection, find the entry for TCP/IP and check its properties to see if it is using a fixed/specific IP or dynamically selecting one/obtaining one automatically. If you know which version of Windows you are running, I could probably give you more specific steps. If it is a Mac, I’ve got nothing.

  91. 91.

    Tommy

    June 1, 2015 at 7:00 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: I’ve read all the comments to your question and I’d suggest a new router. What I have found working with tech is to elimate every possible variable. Troubleshoot everything.

  92. 92.

    gogol's wife

    June 1, 2015 at 7:00 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Yes, and he delivers it so well.

  93. 93.

    gogol's wife

    June 1, 2015 at 7:02 pm

    @shell:

    Is Long Hot Summer watchable? I remember it as unwatchable from my younger years, but sometimes now I find that movies I hated in my youth are suddenly good. I was thinking of turning it on, but maybe I’ll just catch up on NYTimes.

  94. 94.

    Betty Cracker

    June 1, 2015 at 7:04 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Congrats!

  95. 95.

    Jim, Foolish LIteralist

    June 1, 2015 at 7:07 pm

    Tweety is braying about Rand Paul having won over the twenty somethings and their new-fangled cell phones. Anybody seen a recent poll on the yout’s?

  96. 96.

    SiubhanDuinne

    June 1, 2015 at 7:07 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Congratulations to you and the entire family!

  97. 97.

    rikyrah

    June 1, 2015 at 7:09 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Congratulations!!

    And, get to the spoiling!

  98. 98.

    Pogonip

    June 1, 2015 at 7:09 pm

    @satby: Here in the Midwest, it was 45 on the morning of 1 June. I had the heat on!

  99. 99.

    Major Major Major Major

    June 1, 2015 at 7:13 pm

    @Jim, Foolish LIteralist: Anecdata, but the only folks in the 20-35 demo that I know who are Paul-curious are the ones who insist on a “both sides do it” view during any discussion. And they have MBA’s? One is also JEB!-curious and insists that Hillary is a legacy candidate.

    Do they just hand out MBA’s like $200,000 candy or something?

  100. 100.

    Tommy

    June 1, 2015 at 7:14 pm

    @Jim, Foolish LIteralist: I have not but often hear the same thing. It has been said about Paul for years. But the 20s by the polls also approved of same sex marriage, birth control, abortion, other things he doesn’t support. I don’t see how his stance on the NSA, which I agree with, factors out all his other stances.

  101. 101.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 7:14 pm

    @rikyrah: @JPL: all the series/soaps in Netflix have subtitles. Also Hulu has lots of telenovelas in shortened form (instead of 150 episodes, maybe 15 or 20) I am pretty sure they have subtitles. But Grand Hotel or Velvet are good places to start.

    @Gin & Tonic: you are so welcome. It’s a crazy story, a window into the insanity that is Argentina today. I am certain to have more links since I will need them for my class so I will make sure to pass them along.

    ok, off to see GoT and make dinner. See you all later.

  102. 102.

    Mandalay

    June 1, 2015 at 7:14 pm

    Sorry to stink out a cheerful thread but…

    Nobody could have predicted….

    Things have only gotten worse for Missouri’s black drivers, according to the newest report, which was released Monday. In 2014, black drivers were 75 percent more likely than white drivers to get stopped in the state, a number that has only gone up over the years.

    But wait, there’s more!…

    Black Americans are more than twice as likely to be unarmed when killed during encounters with police as white people, according to a Guardian investigation which found 102 of 464 people killed so far this year in incidents with law enforcement officers were not carrying weapons.

    And this video of a completely bogus arrest of a pregnant black woman is just sickening.

    This nation is so messed up.

  103. 103.

    Elizabelle

    June 1, 2015 at 7:16 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Loved the Doc Martin with the aggravating psychologist and family; wanted to interview Martin re Asperger’s. And then the wife was barbecuing a badger.

  104. 104.

    NotMax

    June 1, 2015 at 7:16 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler

    One thing you might try (if not already done) is to change the router’s channel setting from “auto” to a channel with less traffic.

    Also too, going into msconfig and disabling things you don’t need running in the background under the Startup tab.

  105. 105.

    shell

    June 1, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    @Pogonip: Pretty close here in New Jersey. Yesterday, the family was bickering on what to set the AC at.Come this morning we had the heat back on for a bit and were dragging out the blankets again. It is June, right?

  106. 106.

    Jim, Foolish LIteralist

    June 1, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: One is also JEB!-curious and insists that Hillary is a legacy candidate.

    That’s brilliant.

    I was surprised, but shouldn’t have been, that when Maher declared his disaffection with Rand Paul, he said something about Baby Doc being “restrained” on social issues. Maher can often be surprisingly (or not) ignorant about politics, given his schtick and his show’s format

  107. 107.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Cool!

  108. 108.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    @Elizabelle: Did you watch the movie? He was not the same person but he was the same character.

  109. 109.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    @Valdivia: Most, not all.

  110. 110.

    Elizabelle

    June 1, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Congratulations on the world’s most beautiful granddaughter. Aside from efgoldman’s, of course.

  111. 111.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 7:23 pm

    @Elizabelle: Yes! The psychologist told him “we’re both doctors!” and Doc Martin said “except I have a waiting room full of patients.”

    @NotMax: thank you. My son’s computer is microsoft; when he gets home from work I’ll show him everyone’s suggestions.

  112. 112.

    PurpleGirl

    June 1, 2015 at 7:23 pm

    @Tommy: How about: Doc Martin returns to his ancestral home on Cornwall coast when unable to work as a doctor in London. (He reacts violently to the sight of blood.) Doc Martin is something of curmudgeon and the show follows his interactions with the people of the village, especially a certain teacher/school principal.

  113. 113.

    Tommy

    June 1, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    @PurpleGirl: That is exactly what the show is. I might not be as good as you are explaining things (and that isn’t snark or a dig).

  114. 114.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    @PurpleGirl: The fact that the people of the village are outrageously eccentric adds to the magic. I love the restaurant owner/plumber Mr. Large, the pharmacist with the crush on Doc Martin, the flock of teenage girls who always travel in a pack and laugh at everyone’s misfortunes.

    I liked Doc’s receptionist, played by the actress who was the daughter on “The Old Guys.”

    His aunt’s dog who becomes fixated on the Doc after he sees him with the raw liver. Follows him everywhere.

  115. 115.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 7:30 pm

    @MomSense: I think the fact that Happy Valley almost seems like a comedy and then BLAM really makes it tough. Sarah Lancashire was so good we ended up watching both “The Paradise” and “Last Tango in Halifax”. “Last Tango” is really good!

  116. 116.

    Elizabelle

    June 1, 2015 at 7:30 pm

    @raven: Have not seen the movie, but will, one of these days.

    Waiting for some new Doc Martins. They’re charming, but have seen each episode several times by now ….

    @rikyrah: Yeah. Subtitles on telenovellas would be good, and maybe even help us learn some Spanish phrases.

  117. 117.

    Tree With Water

    June 1, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    Driftglass at Down With Tyranny.com poses an excellent question: ..”Despite a virtually unbroken record of being horribly wrong about everything, Bill Kristol continues his equally unbroken record of being handed one, prime teevee gig after another…. The most interesting story in American political journalism would be the story of exactly how (names, dates, terms of service) it is possible for this particular ghoul to be so untouchable”.

    Which leads me to ask: To whom would a bona fide investigative journalist ask that question? Forget FOX altogether. But on the other networks, the other cable stations- just what are the names of the individuals who could explain why Bloody Bill remains a TV rock star. Why is he consistently to be seen and heard on TV? Someone should be able to answer that simple question. But who? What are their job descriptions? And who hires those people? What are their names and job descriptions? As journalists themselves (cough cough), I’m sure they’d be happy to set the record straight.

  118. 118.

    Elizabelle

    June 1, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Got to be a great gig to be a Doc Martin writer.

  119. 119.

    The Pale Scot

    June 1, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: A modem scan isn’t going to confirm anything. I’ve had a “good connection” but no internet until the cables were replaced.. After I’d had swapped boxes 3 times. U could start with looking at the cable that connects the modem, when was the last time you had a serviceman out?

    Does it Improve later in the night? 2 laptops shouldn’t overtax even a 5 yr old router. You could change the router password, sometimes the encryption goes awry, the laptops wireless cards should be backwards compatible, the mac is anyway.

    Have sonny plug into the router with a cable, if the problem persists its the cable co. problem.

    By now they should be able to give a modem/router combo box unless you’re way deep in podunk, check the fees

  120. 120.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    @Elizabelle: I never saw the first few seasons. Can you tell me why the pharmacist wears the neck brace constantly? Is there a story behind that?

  121. 121.

    Elizabelle

    June 1, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    @lamh36:

    what gave me a kick was the fact that the same day as the [Bruce Jenner] VF pics came out, Lindsey Graham announced his candidacy for President…

    Lindsey got upstaged…bwhahahahaha

    I thought about that too. And enjoyed it as thoroughly.

  122. 122.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 7:33 pm

    @Elizabelle: I’m pretty sure it is done.

    eta From IMDB

    My local newspaper revealed that Season 7 will start filming in the second half of 2015 and may not air until 2016.

  123. 123.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 7:33 pm

    @The Pale Scot: They told me they’ll charge an extra ten bucks a month for a wireless router rental.

    That’s the last resort.

  124. 124.

    Brachiator

    June 1, 2015 at 7:33 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: A question, though I note that the more technically adept might easily deal with this better than I could. Are you using, and do your and your son’s computers support dual band routers?

    Also, Apple routers are excellent, but the website The Wirecutter is a great source of info on other brands.

  125. 125.

    PurpleGirl

    June 1, 2015 at 7:33 pm

    Betty C: Great picture. One year, before they moved to FL, my Peekskill friends were going to Key Largo so he could take a diving class and test for certification as a disabled diving instructor. A day or so before the trip, his wife was told she had to be on-call that weekend for her office. So I went in her stead. We flew into Miami and picked up a rental car for the weekend. As we were driving to Key Largo, we drove into a fierce late afternoon storm as it went northeast. It was a lot of rain and thunder and lightning. But we were driving southwest and the storm was heading northeast.

  126. 126.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 7:34 pm

    @The Pale Scot: My connection is fine as long as my son isn’t logged on. His connection is fine as long as I am not logged on.

  127. 127.

    Elizabelle

    June 1, 2015 at 7:35 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: You made me look it up.

    She has to wear a neck brace due to the fact she suffers from twisted neck syndrome or torticollis. Mrs. Tishell has also been attracted to Doc Martin since they first met, but Martin has never noticed her affections. – See more at: http://www.docmartinfan.com/character-bios/mrs-sally-tishell#sthash.E7WpmgIP.dpuf

    Liked the show when MR. TISHELL SHOWED UP.

  128. 128.

    Gin & Tonic

    June 1, 2015 at 7:36 pm

    @Valdivia: Thanks, I’ll be interested in what you find. As I may have mentioned, I have very little Spanish/Argentinian, so it’d need to be in English for maximum comprehension. Although from that BBC link, it looks like they broadcast something as well, so I may try to track that down.

    From the early part of that link, it sounds like Nisman lived in Puerto Madero, which is where we stayed last month, as we have several friends with flats there, and some who work at the Catholic University along the canal. Everyone we know views Cristina with some degree of contempt.

  129. 129.

    Elizabelle

    June 1, 2015 at 7:38 pm

    @raven: Nope, thank Dog. New filming for Season 7 began March 23 of this year. From the google:

    Filming is underway in Cornwall on the seventh series of Doc Martin, with Martin Clunes reprising the role of the curmudgeonly GP Martin Ellingham and Caroline Catz as his estranged wife, Louisa.

    When the last series ended in 2013, Louisa had decided to take their son James Henry to live with her mother in Spain while they try to work out their problems.

    Martin Clunes said: “I’m thrilled to be back on the beautiful north Cornish coast to shoot series seven of Doc Martin. The Doc has some serious work to do if he is going to persuade Louisa to come back.”

    Also returning to Doc Martin are Ian McNeice, who plays restaurateur Bert Large, Joe Absolom, as his son Al, while John Marquez returns to play eccentric local police officer PC Joe Penhale, who generally creates more problems than he solves as he attempts to instill law and order into the community. In the new series he is getting to grips with a newly issued Taser gun, with disastrous consequences.

    Dame Eileen Atkins will again play Doc Martin’s formidable Aunt Ruth. She doesn’t suffer fools, just like her nephew. Jessica Ransom also returns as receptionist Morwenna Newcross, who is looking for a pay rise for trying to keep the doctor in line.

    Read more at http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/doc-martin/news/filming-begins-on-doc-martin-series-7#37OyK4Su3h1MJZlT.99

  130. 130.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 7:39 pm

    @Brachiator: Dual band routers. I honestly don’t know.

  131. 131.

    Elizabelle

    June 1, 2015 at 7:40 pm

    @raven: Ah, we’re on the same page then. Didn’t see your comment; responded to an earlier one.

    Lots of other good stuff to catch up on, apparently. Wolf Hall and Mad Men have been plenty for me.

  132. 132.

    Pogonip

    June 1, 2015 at 7:41 pm

    Congrats to G & T on new granddaughter!

  133. 133.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 7:43 pm

    @Elizabelle: I find it amusing that Aunt Ruth is always dressed like she’s in the big city, even when wandering around her farm. And it seems she’s trapped in that village like her nephew. On the last episode I saw she served a chicken that she’d accidentally run over.

    And her advice (when Mrs. Tishell was in the castle with the baby) was not as good as the baby’s mother.

  134. 134.

    PurpleGirl

    June 1, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    @Tommy: Thank you. I love Doc Martin and the Cornwall Coast. I ahve no connection to it but would love to visit the area and walk along the cliff top.

  135. 135.

    Elizabelle

    June 1, 2015 at 7:50 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: I miss Aunt Joan. Loved her.

  136. 136.

    PurpleGirl

    June 1, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Yes, his village is people with some great characters. The show is written quite lovingly about them and their foibles.

  137. 137.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 7:53 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: I have one and it is great!

  138. 138.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    So what about Last Tango??? We thought it was wonderful.

  139. 139.

    Brachiator

    June 1, 2015 at 7:55 pm

    @Elizabelle: I understand the appeal of Doc Martin, but I can rarely make it through an episode. The emotionally stunted (but brilliant) doctor who nonetheless can attract a hot babe seems another variation on the potentially redeemable bad boy thing. And most of the people of the town make my teeth hurt.

    And yet, the acting is very good, and the way the show depicts Doc’s essential deceny is well done.

    I find it interesting that foreign versions of the show, that closely mirror the original, are very popular in various countries. Doc apparently has a certain universal appeal.

  140. 140.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 8:02 pm

    @raven: Not sure what a dual router is.

  141. 141.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 8:04 pm

    @Brachiator: I think what makes it work for me is the oddness of the villagers and how they interact with the doc.

  142. 142.

    Mandalay

    June 1, 2015 at 8:05 pm

    @Valdivia:

    It’s a crazy story, a window into the insanity that is Argentina today.

    If you really want a window into the insanity in Argentina, read what Cristina Kirchner is saying about Nisman on her own web site…

    If necessary, Paul Singer will help us.” Nisman’s offer became an open secret in the Pasteur street building, stirring a debate between the more practical group –that was willing to accept the potential financing to fight the memorandum- and those who refused to accept “help” from a hedge fund whose practices violate the Jewish principles against usurious interests.”

    To the uninformed or unaware reader, Paul Singer is the Vulture Lord and owner of the decisions of Judge Griesa against Argentina.

    So the President of Argentina has decided Nisman’s death is down to the Jews, and Paul Singer’s effort to milk Argentina for every last dime.

    While I have some sympathy with her view of Singer, she is completely corrupt, and batshit insane. She is dragging Argentina further down the drain with every day that she stays in power.

  143. 143.

    Elizabelle

    June 1, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: I love that they don’t take him very seriously.

  144. 144.

    raven

    June 1, 2015 at 8:14 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Why Choose Simultaneous Dual Band?
    Dual Band Wireless Routers have the capability to transmit on the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz wireless band.

    2.4GHz though more widespread in usage (all 802.11b and g devices run on 2.4GHz only) has only 3 non-overlapping channels for transmission, which are crowded due to a lot of interfering devices- other Wi-Fi access points, microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, baby monitors, etc. all make for a noisy environment which increase interference and degrade the performance. 5GHz channel is much cleaner with less interference with 23 non-overlapping channels- 8 times more than 2.4GHz for transmission, which makes it suitable for applications like Video streaming and Gaming which are very sensitive to packet loss and delays.

  145. 145.

    Tree With Water

    June 1, 2015 at 8:20 pm

    @PurpleGirl: Up until last year I’d only seen bits and pieces of Key Largo and thought I didn’t like it. I probably skipped over watching it a dozen times over the years, but now consider one of my favorites… “More! Yeah, that’s right! I want more!”.

  146. 146.

    WereBear

    June 1, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    @gogol’s wife: Next up: End of the World.

    We are huge fans of Pegg/Frost.

  147. 147.

    WereBear

    June 1, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Congratulations to all!

  148. 148.

    NotMax

    June 1, 2015 at 8:30 pm

    @Tree With Water

    It’s interesting to see Bogart’s range, as essentially he’s playing against Edward G. Robinson’s Duke Mantee-like character.

    (If Barrymore wore his pants any higher than he does in that picture his face would be hidden.)

  149. 149.

    Germy Shoemangler

    June 1, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    @raven: thanks for the information.

    @NotMax: I saw Key Largo in a theater, I enjoyed the performances and liked the house they were holed up in. My wife noticed Barrymore’s high-waisted pants. I think those old fashions were just fine. And the part where the mob boss’s girlfriend sings her song… very sad.

  150. 150.

    Tree With Water

    June 1, 2015 at 9:11 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Claire Trevor, I believe. Oh, jeez yeah. What a great scene, and what a fine performance. She also got top billing over John Wayne in Stagecoach- check out the credits next time you see it.

  151. 151.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    June 1, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler:

    “Black ice at Bletchley.”

    Not only do I remember it, I have it on DVD. Funny show, but in a very particular way that may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

    Couple of clips for people to look at. Whole episodes available too, apparently.

  152. 152.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    June 1, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    @satby:

    On Acorn I recommend Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and The Doctor Blake Mysteries.

    (Fisher might not be available because it got picked up by PBS here.)

  153. 153.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    @raven: very true some don’t have it, a lot fo the spanish language ones do though

  154. 154.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: When she finishes her term she and her husband would have been in power for 14 years+ straight. No matter what you think of any president that is way way too much time to have the reigns of power in your hands and not have it go to your head. As @Mandalay: points out she takes to Facebook to rant against individuals and write crazy things on a daily basis. The murder of Nisman has been particularly awful, two days after his death she posted pictures of him with a girl he was dating and called him names. The President! It’s really a pity because Argentina is an amazing country.

    (and yes Nisman lived in Puerto Madero, lovely area with the Calatrava bridge)

  155. 155.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 9:30 pm

    @Steeplejack (phone): I love AcornTV. Haven’t seen Dr Blake Mysteries. On my list now.

  156. 156.

    Steeplejack

    June 1, 2015 at 9:44 pm

    @PurpleGirl:

    My brother has been there! He is a big hiker, and every year or two he takes a one- or two-week trip somewhere in which he walks 10-15 miles a day and then stays the night at an inn or B&B. There are companies that arrange the trips and transport your luggage from place to place each day for you. He has done a couple in England—including the one where he went through Doc Martin’s village—as well as one in New Zealand and one in Portugal.

  157. 157.

    Steeplejack

    June 1, 2015 at 9:45 pm

    @raven:

    I haven’t seen all episodes of Last Tango in Halifax, but the stretches I have seen are very good.

  158. 158.

    Steeplejack

    June 1, 2015 at 9:53 pm

    @WereBear:

    I thought The World’s End bogged down and got tedious in places. On the other hand, I liked Paul, which seems to be a minority opinion. Kristen Wiig is hilarious in it, and she sometimes feels like an acquired taste. I didn’t think I would like Paul, based on the previews I had seen when it was in the theaters, but I happened on it by accident on HBO or somewhere and found it very funny. My two cents.

  159. 159.

    schrodinger's cat

    June 1, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    @replicnt6: Do you have to update the firmware on every computer connected to the or the router itself?

  160. 160.

    Steeplejack

    June 1, 2015 at 10:03 pm

    @Valdivia:

    Australian doctor in the ’50s who reluctantly takes over his late father’s practice and is dragooned into being the local coroner as well. Starts solving cases that the local police would rather shove under the rug with the simplest possible explanation. One of the PBS stations here was showing them on Friday or Saturday night for a while, but that seems to have been nuked by pledge-drive season.

    It’s a little like Grantchester or Endeavour in its highlighting of the period values and mores.

  161. 161.

    Steeplejack

    June 1, 2015 at 10:04 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    No, you just update the firmware on the router.

  162. 162.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 10:06 pm

    @Steeplejack: sounds right up my alley then :) I particularly love Endeavor.
    Did you see the MhZ had to cancel their streaming launch and reschedule it for the Fall? Apparently lots of complaints that the service was not even up to the standards of Acorn or Netflix or Hulu.

  163. 163.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 10:12 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: here you have a good summary in English of yesterday’s expose.

  164. 164.

    gogol's wife

    June 1, 2015 at 10:17 pm

    FWIW, I did find The Long Hot Summer quite watchable, if a little long and hot in places. Some good acting, really nice clothes!

  165. 165.

    Steeplejack

    June 1, 2015 at 10:17 pm

    @Valdivia:

    No, I hadn’t seen that, but it’s hilarious. The one time I nosed around the promo website it looked a little sketchy. I’m not sure they have enough to warrant a separate monthly subscription. They should make a deal with Hulu or somebody.

  166. 166.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 10:30 pm

    @Steeplejack: yes that’s a good idea. If they could allow you to stream all the shows they have shown over the years a la Acorn (even with a limited rotation every month) that would be good. But having a channel that works with a schedule and then you can only watch some shows on the demand but not the ones showing on the channel, that’s stupid. I totally get why they have to start from scratch.

  167. 167.

    Steeplejack

    June 1, 2015 at 10:35 pm

    @Valdivia:

    They used to have a “channel” on Netflix for a while, but it was also kind of sketchy, and then I quit looking at it because I realized that my plan to get the world hooked on Montalbano was doomed. (Still the best MHz series ever!) And since I have MHz on my cable system I could pretty much follow the new shows and DVR the ones I wanted to.

  168. 168.

    schrodinger's cat

    June 1, 2015 at 10:35 pm

    @Steeplejack: How do I do that?

  169. 169.

    Steeplejack

    June 1, 2015 at 10:43 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    Replicnt6 explained it pretty well at #15. It varies by manufacturer and model, so you need to go to the manufacturer’s website and follow the instructions there.

  170. 170.

    Brachiator

    June 1, 2015 at 10:49 pm

    @Germy Shoemangler: Yep, I can see that the villagers and how they interact with Doc can be very charming and compelling. But for me, sometimes the oddness of the villagers is dialed up to high for my tastes. But again, as I noted, I think I understand the appeal of the show. Even though it is a very different kind of show, something like Foyle’s War really does it for me.

  171. 171.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 11:13 pm

    @Steeplejack: really I didn’t know Netflix had one too. They figured it out in the end I guess. Maybe MHZ will too! Montalbano is the best. Did you like Young Montalbano?

  172. 172.

    Steeplejack

    June 1, 2015 at 11:19 pm

    @Valdivia:

    The MHz channel may be gone from Netflix. I haven’t looked in a long time.

    I hated The Young Montalbano! Nobody looked or even acted remotely like the person who would turn out to be in the “regular” Montalbano 20-odd years later. Grr!

    ETA: And I hated the replacement Livia they used in the last few episodes of Montalbano. She was like 20 years younger! And it wasn’t as if they didn’t have many episodes where Livia was “off camera” (just a voice on the phone) or didn’t appear at all. Double grr!

  173. 173.

    Valdivia

    June 1, 2015 at 11:58 pm

    @Steeplejack: yes I heard that the original Livia couldn’t make it because of other acting gigs. I didn’t mind the new one so much but prefered the original of course.

  174. 174.

    Steeplejack

    June 2, 2015 at 12:10 am

    @Valdivia:

    Oh, c’mon! Katharina Böhm left the show in 2002. She was in only eight episodes (according to IMDB), although in memory it seems like she was in more than that. Anyway, as I said, they had many episodes where Livia was mentioned tangentially or not at all, which worked fine (because of their long-distance relationship), and then suddenly they have this new, much younger-looking Livia for a couple of episodes at the end. She didn’t advance the plots at all, and it just seemed like a cheap attempt to add some arm-candy. I began to wonder if the producing team had changed—there were some other disquieting changes—and at this point I’m glad the series seems to be concluded without ever jumping the shark.

    Okay, rant over.

  175. 175.

    dww44

    June 2, 2015 at 12:37 am

    @Germy Shoemangler: Thanks so much for that link. Best thing I’ve read in quite some time and am sharing it widely, particularly with a Republican friend in her 80’s who loves trains and believes we should be building more of them. However, she doesn’t believe in public radio or TV.

  176. 176.

    dww44

    June 2, 2015 at 12:42 am

    @Tree With Water: Live a bit south of Virginia but in my working days I absolutely hated being caught on an Interstate in a sudden Southern storm. Very nerve wracking when it’s raining so hard one cannot see the flashers on the vehicle in front of one and it’s too dangerous to pull off the road. Then there are the huge trucks that pass and spew torrents of water onto one’s windshield which further degrades the visibility.

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