Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

A Senator Walker would also be an insult to reason, rationality, and decency.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Second rate reporter says what?

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

In my day, never was longer.

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

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

A dilettante blog from the great progressive state of West Virginia.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

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229Comments

  6. 6.

    ? Martin

    Guessing a lemon sorbet with mint leaf. I am offered a lot of those at rubber chicken conference dinners.

  7. 7.

    Schlemazel (parmesan rancor)

    @raven:
    I could see why it was not a huge box office hit, needed fewer emotions & more car crashes & explosions for todays movie audience.

    After the movie I felt like it was very slowly paced but while watching I didn’t feel that way. What I would call an “atmospheric” movie it was OK.

  13. 13.

    ThresherK (GPad)

    Mmm…sorbet.

    Sign of a fancy dinner: A small amount of something sweet and frozen before dessert. Maybe for our upcoming anniversary.

    Trying to figure out if I’m well enough to see the UConn womens’ parade tomorrow.

  19. 19.

    Yutsano

    @Adam L Silverman: There is no hard and fast rule that says you cannot eat a garnish. In fact parsley is a breath cleanser so eating the parsley garnish on your plate is perfectly fine. It just tends to not get done for some strange reason. Personal opinion: it was part of the dish. It’s edible. I’mma gonna eat it.

  23. 23.

    Ked

    I spent the day watching the first NALCS semi. Hell of a series, five games that escalated to a half-hour baron showdown that blew up into a surprise finishing play that I’ve never seen deliberately executed that well before.

    The first EU semi was pretty good too (at least last two games which I caught when they ran long), but skip ahead to the latter half for CLG vs. TL. (And ignore the title – Riot seems to have almost continuous streams going on the weekends and Korea ran over today.)

    I know all the cool kids are watching DOTA2, but League is still my MOBA fix and Riot puts together the most professional, fully studio-produced stream in the business which makes it even sweeter.

  24. 24.

    debbie

    @redshirt:

    The mint leaf is for decoration. If you were in France, this would be an amuse Boucher, a little something to keep your mouth occupied between courses.

  27. 27.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @raven: I haven’t seen it yet, but an extra in Carol waited on me and Mustang Bobby when he was in town and we had coffee right by an indie bookstore that sells his plays! She mentioned it, after asking if she knew me from theater, “I mean I recognize you from when I wait on you guys here.” She often waits on Mr. Q and me when we go there, but that day it seems she only recognized me, LOL.

  28. 28.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I expect I’ll live to regret this, but I have just (very politely) invited my Republican/conservative/libertarian FB friends to tell me whom they’re supporting, and why. I really want to get into their heads, but despite my putting up all kinds of provisos and warnings and disclaimers, I’m now afraid it’s going to become a giant fustercluck.

    Ah well, I guess that is why the good Lord in his infinite wisdom invented the “delete” button, yes?

  31. 31.

    Schlemazel (parmesan rancor)

    @Baud:
    Classic 7-course French format:
    Appetizer
    Soup
    Fish
    Entrée (meat)
    Salad (in the classic style this would also have protein, often fowl like duck or goose)
    Dessert (often cheese or fruit or cheese and fruit)

    Traditionally a little sorbet between the fish & meat partly to clear the palet partly to give you a rest

  37. 37.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    Kinda-sorta related. Sweet molecule already approved for human foods that may reduce cholesterol and treat atherosclerosis:

    Two parents’ quest to save their twin daughters’ lives from a rare, degenerative genetic disorder may end up saving and improving the lives of millions.

    After digging through medical literature and fitting pieces of data together, the non-medically trained couple contacted German researchers and suggested that a chemical called cyclodextrin may be able to treat atherosclerosis—the hardening of arteries with cholesterol-rich plaques, which is a precursor to heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.

    The researchers, Eicke Latz at the University of Bonn and colleagues, followed up on the parents’ hypothesis and found that in mice, cyclodextrin indeed blocked plaque formation, melted away plaques that had already formed in arteries, reduced atherosclerosis-associated inflammation, and revved up cholesterol metabolism—even in rodents fed cholesterol-rich diets. In petri dish-based tests, the researchers found that the drug seemed to have the same effects on human cells and plaques.

    The original Science Translational Medicine article (link near the end of the story) is behind a paywall. It has 25 coauthors, so they obviously think it’s a big deal (people don’t usually want to be coauthors on junky papers). There’s at least one place on Amazon selling it ((2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin) – but it’s from “unknown” and I’m not brave enough to think about buying something like that.

    It’s around $900/100 g from a chemical supply house, but who knows what the recommended dosage would be, if it’s ever approved for this usage. Since it’s already approved as a food additive, maybe the FDA won’t even need to be involved (unless companies start making claims about it).

    This might be a really big deal, or it might just be another piece of incremental knowledge. It’ll be interesting to see how the results compare to statins and the like. It’ll be interesting to see if it’s suddenly added to Captain Crunch and M&M’s and cheesecakes, or if it’s mainly sold as a “supplement”.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  38. 38.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @raven: Gorgeous. Does she grow mint in concrete on another street? In my view that’s the only safe way – it’s a kudzu herb.

    On the lemon topic, does anyone have a good lemon curd recipe? I’d like to perfect it and try with lime for next year’s triangular St. Purim’s Day shortbread.

  39. 39.

    Corner Stone

    I love Greco Roman Wrestling trials for the Olympics, and I don’t care who knows it.

  42. 42.

    Shana

    @raven: Damn that looks good. I’m sure it tasted as good as it looked. As someone on week 8 of a 12 week medical weight loss program (down 14.3 lbs as of last Tuesday) it looks especially tasty. Now off to bed.

  46. 46.

    Miss Bianca

    @Schlemazel (parmesan rancor): Dammit…you’re making me hungry just thinking about French dinners. And this is someone still digesting her turkey burger and fries from lunch!

    @raven: And you too with the lemon tarts! Oh, well…I have fruit/custard tart *and* a creme brulee from the French bakery in Canon City to look forward to for a treat tomorrow/next day…

  47. 47.

    Adam L Silverman

    @redshirt: You can eat it. I’ve always seen it treated like a garnish and set to the side. But I promise not to call the food police.

  50. 50.

    Major Major Major Major

    I wrote a new chapter, now with moar alternate history. https://imjustthisguyyouknow.wordpress.com/2016/04/09/the-fish-2-19/

    The entire remaining naval strength of the Northwest Allied force is mustered for a supreme battle to defend their southernmost stronghold. A loss here would finally split them from their brothers in Los Angeles and beyond to the Baja. The San Francisco Bay must hold if the Pacific States of America are to survive. The Imperial fleet can be heard maneuvering somewhere beyond the fog, engaging in skirmish after skirmish following pot-shots from the wounded Allied fleet. The defenders have scored a handful of victories, but it is not enough to stop the Japanese momentum.

  51. 51.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Corner Stone: Do I look like Miss Manners? If anyone here had ever seen me actually eat anything, the last thing you would be doing is asking me for eating etiquette advise.

  59. 59.

    Capri

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: Unfortunately, 95% of this type of research doesn’t “translate” to humans. It would be more convincing if they can repeat the effect in rabbits – which can get atherosclerosis somewhat naturally unlike mice.

  60. 60.

    Schlemazel (parmesan rancor)

    @Schlemazel (parmesan rancor): I am not allowed to edit my post but wanted to add:
    It is believed the Russians actually invented this list but were so het up on all things French they called it French ans it took off from there
    I have cooked for one of these once & it is a pain in the ass – I know why it died with the end of super cheap domestic help. Could make a come back now I suppose. I only ate this way twice, once on my own dime & it was a lot of money.

    Here is the Italian as best I remember it (never had any part in this one)
    Aperitivo: usually like canapes taken standing around with some wine
    Antipasto: Usually a cold plate of charcuterie or cheese
    Primo: A lighter main course, usually not meat. Risotto or pasta
    Secondo: Meat or fish course with a Contorno (side dish which is never on the same plate as the secundo)
    Insalata: salad
    Formaggi e frutta: The cheese/fruit thing
    Dolce: sweet dessert
    Caffè: It seems coffee is only an after dinner drink all over Europe, not for during the meal
    Digestivo: after dinner drinks

    I have no idea how people can eat like this but it would be fun to try!

  61. 61.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @raven: I haven’t watched it but I probably will if it comes up on cable, just because I like to watch Cate Blanchett on screen. She was even interesting in that awful Woody Allen movie

    @Schlemazel (parmesan rancor): Thank you, I’ll have mine with the wine flight– champagne, white sancerre, a nice bordeaux, one of the saints, I think, and a tawny port with dessert.

  73. 73.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @hamletta: Thanks!

    @Miss Bianca: I believe Miss Manners would rule a tiara vulgar on anyone beyond a princess by heredity or marriage. But I admit I have not been her lower midwest regional representative since 1995, so that may have changed. She certainlywould never have worn one herself, absent the influence of Sarah, Proud and Tall (and her myriad magical concoctions).

  76. 76.

    Schlemazel (parmesan rancor)

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:
    For the white I’d go with a sauvignon blanc (NZ, they tend to be more melon & less mineral) but the soup might need something different. I like an sparkling asti with a chocolate dessert.

    My oldest is actually better at pairing than I am. I grew up with a mom that was a hard core teetotaler. When we did that big hoopla she hired a guy to handle the wine. the result is I never got experience with wine until I was in my 30s.

  80. 80.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Corner Stone: And waterfowl, apparently. We have been so fortunate he was POTUS, and kids love him – they are drawn as metal to a magnet.

  81. 81.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Baud:

    What did that German dude say about staring into the abyss?

    Yeah, I probably should have mentioned the +3 part. Oops.

  85. 85.

    scav

    I am now weeping over a rosemary sorbet I once had. glorious.
    (no mint with that one. I also cop to being a parsley eater.)

  87. 87.

    Schlemazel (parmesan rancor)

    @raven:
    WOW! I have never heard of this movie and it looks impossible good, strong cast, Louis Malle. thanks!

  89. 89.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @raven:

    It was kind of a stupid movie, but I thought the acting was good. Not a film I’d bother seeing again, though.

  91. 91.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @redshirt: I’m way behind on those. Thor was always one of my favorite comic book characters, and I’m curious to see the way they bring in the Scandinavian mythology, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, no?, but those Avenger movies look like a mess, in part because Robert Downey Jr grates on me, I don’t know why. Kind of the opposite of Cate Blanchett, Hopkins and a few others whose work I’ll seek out even if the film looks a little dodgy. Still haven’t seen The Judge, even though Duval is usually a big draw to me.

  92. 92.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Miss Bianca: That, she’d have no problem with as it was clearly the event attire. It’s one of my favorite pictures of him with kids, and there are so many to choose from. A wonderful photo book would be Obama interacting with kids.

    I wish I could remember who posted the picture of POTUS and ducks on the portico earlier today.

  95. 95.

    Mike in NC

    “Spotlight” is a damn good movie. I grew up in Boston but was never an altar boy, which seems like it was a good thing.

  96. 96.

    Corner Stone

    @Miss Bianca: And Bella:
    I still love that segment where that little kid asks if he can touch PBO’s hair, to see if it feels like his. That’s just nuts.

  97. 97.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @raven: McIlroy grabs his hole in one was in what thread? I want to see it again

  101. 101.

    Schlemazel (parmesan rancor)

    @scav:
    Interesting, to me rosemary is too strong a flavor but it would do the job.

    I came across a new thing at the fancy cheese place we bought sandwiches for lunch at. Fennel pollen. I had to look it up and apparently it is the hot trendy thing right now. OY.

  102. 102.

    redshirt

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: The Marvel “MCU” movies can mostly be watched alone, or of course all together. That is, the 3rd Thor movie will be coming out next year, and you’d really only need to see the previous 2 Thor movies to keep up. That said, there’s like 14 other movies that also influence it, if you’re looking for the entire range of connection.

    The Thor movies work a bit of Norse mythology, but not a lot. The first one is definitely the best, directed by K. Brannagh.

  103. 103.

    scav

    @Schlemazel (parmesan rancor): The one time I ate like that was a New Years Reveillon in France. Spent all day helping prepare it and picking up other bits. Started before seven pm and I finally stopped at about 2:p.m. during the chocolate post p-dessert course but before at least two more (coffee and more drinks and I’m not sure what else), Basically, pacing helps. — the actual new years bit was just a quick round of kisses and we kept going.

  105. 105.

    Miss Bianca

    @debbie: There’s a place called The Krebs up in Skaneateles (Finger Lakes region, I believe). I only ate there once, with my parents back when I was about 17 or 18, but I’ve never forgotten it. My first experience with a French-style 7-courser…too young for wine with every course, of course, which is probably why I still remember it!

  109. 109.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @redshirt: e first one is definitely the best, directed by K. Brannagh.

    I’ll be damned, I never heard that.

    @Schlemazel (parmesan rancor): I’ll have the lot, all mixed up together in a bucket, with the charcuterie on top, and don’t skimp on the ricotta.

  110. 110.

    Schlemazel (parmesan rancor)

    @scav:
    Sounds about right. The first time I did this we gathered about 5 for wine and conversation. I think eating started about 7 and ended around midnight. There were long pauses in the dining and it was as much about the conversation as the meal.

    The second time was at a restaurant with the missus for our 25th. that started about 6 and ended a bit after 9 in part because the conversation between 2 people, even with 27 years of memories to share, is not as voluminous.

  112. 112.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym

    I’ve almost finished watching all of Christopher Nolan’s movies, with only Following and Doodlebug, his first two movies, the latter of which is a short, left of those he both wrote and directed. I’m not really inerested in Man of Steel, which he wrote but did not direct. The only one I didn’t like was Insomnia, which he directed but didn’t write.

    Of the rest, my least favorite is Interstellar, which I watched this evening, and even that gets a serious thumbs up. I pretty much figured out the whole plot within the first 15 minutes, and there are definitely some problems with the science, but it’s just a nice story. The acting is tremendous. As always, Nolan does a great job of blending the mindbending with real humanity. There’s no question but that he’s my favorite filmmaker working today.

    His current project, due out next year, is Dunkirk, set during the British evacuation there in 1940. So, it’s quite a departure from what he usually does, and I’m fascinated to see what he does with it.

  113. 113.

    lamh36

    So last night after watching Sleepy Hollow and surfing the net I ended up on Southwest Airlines websites I have been thinking lately about doing more travelling in continental US. So I find myself occasionally checking the website for airline deals and the like.

    Usually I just look and don’t buy, cause I’m just cautious by nature. Well last night, I was feeling some kinda of way, so I saw a good deal for some flights to one of the US cities I’ve always wanted to go to that I couldn’t pass up.

    So, long story short, I leaped….

    So… I’m going back to Cali. I’m going to be in Los Angeles at the end of the month….for about 3 days and 4 nights (if the creeks don’t rise that is). Sooo, where should I stay, where should I go, what should I see…hell, what should I do?

  114. 114.

    Miss Bianca

    @redshirt: I loved, *loved* Thor when I was a little kid. Marvel Superhero comics always used to play on TV right after school when I was kid, always rushed home to watch ’em – Thor was definitely my fave rave (and Thor played on, yes, wait for it, Thursdays). I credit Thor cartoons with getting me into obsessive mythology study – first Norse, then Greek and Roman, thence on to Indian, Celtic, etc. Who says TV rots your brain? ; ) Yeah, the Branagh Thor movie was was a stone gas, I thought.

    Oh, and the name of my fantasy country in my obligatory-first-epic-fantasy-writing foray when I was a tween was “Pascar” – my mondegreen mishearing of “Asgard” as in ” ‘cross the rainbow bridge of Asgard”…

  117. 117.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Miss Bianca: They did a good job. The second one wasn’t bad too, especially as it had to set up both the third and final one, as well as parts of Avengers: Infinity War.

  118. 118.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Miss Bianca: Marvel Superhero comics always uused to play on TV right after school when I was kid, always rushed home to watch ’em –

    Is that the one with the cheesy theme song I now have stuck in my head? The God of Thunder…. Miiighty THOR! You can hear me singing it through the tubes, right?

  119. 119.

    redshirt

    @lamh36: YMMV but I’ve been using a website named Hotwire to get really good deals at seriously nice hotels. I don’t work for them! But I was staying in $250 a night hotels for about $90. I’ve used them about 15 times now and have no complaints. Highly recommend.

  120. 120.

    Jeffro

    @Miss Bianca: it was outstanding…moving the Thor mythos from a fantasy approach to a super-hi-tech-based multiversal approach was so exceptional (and so logical, in the end) that it sets up the Marvel Movie Universe on solid ground for years to come.

    It is a great 1st movie, the 2nd one is pretty good, and “Ragnarok” is likely to be excellent as well.

  121. 121.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @Schlemazel (parmesan rancor): My (possibly faulty) recollection (from my Russian Lit class in college) is that the “French” 7 course meal was actually a paring-down of what had been the even more over-the-top meals that the pre War of 1812 aristocracy in Russia (and elsewhere in Europe) would have. But even in more recent times on the Titanic, they served a 10 course dinner.

    :-/

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  122. 122.

    EllenH

    @redshirt: I agree, especially if you use the better bidding website to figure out what hotel you are likely to be getting. I use them for car rentals all the time if I know my dates are firm.

  126. 126.

    redshirt

    @EllenH: Yeah, that can be a bit scary, not knowing which hotel you’re actually getting until you book. But I was going to the same city over and over so I got to recognize their descriptions so I always got the hotel I wanted.

  127. 127.

    Schlemazel (parmesan rancor)

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:
    Yes, I believe I have heard that also.
    I have read that Southern slave owners occasionally went broke trying to out do each other with meals and 10-course would have been the very least that you would expect. I would not be surprised the Russian aristocracy was into the same sort of deal.

  130. 130.

    redshirt

    @Miss Bianca: Comic books were my first experience of myth too, and they led me directly to Edith Warton and Campbell and the rest.

    It could easily be argued comic book characters are the modern mythology. They fill most of the same roles, on the male side at least.

  134. 134.

    Renie

    Help! Anyone been watching OJ show and sometimes get a green screen instead of the video? It is very annoying and I don’t know how to fix it

    WIndows 8
    Firefox 45.0.1

    Thanks

  136. 136.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Omnes Omnibus: I’m sure there’s an implied exception for POTUS at a brownie troop tiara event. Likewise a brownie exception. At least there is in my world.

  137. 137.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @lamh36: Depending on what you want to see and do really dictates where you’d want to stay. LA’s a big place and you probably don’t want to spend most of your time on the road. One place I’d suggest with a nice view is Griffith Observatory. Good views of the city and the Hollywood sign. If you feel inclined the short(1.5 miles and 500 feet) hike to Mt. Hollywood also offers a 360 view.

  138. 138.

    Miss Bianca

    @Omnes Omnibus: OK, I think Renaissance Manhood may be my next new band name…it’s not quite as catchy as The Westward Ho’s, but still I like it, I like it…

  142. 142.

    Miss Bianca

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: It was right in the beginning: ” ‘Cross the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard/Where the booming Heavens roar – something something something something – The God of Thunder, MIIIIGGHTYY THOR!”

    H’m, this unoaked red is pretty good…why no, ossifier, I ain’t drunk, I’m just drinkin’…

  144. 144.

    redshirt

    @Miss Bianca: I hope Sandman eventually makes it to film/TV, for so many reasons, one of which is its version of Odin, Thor, and Loki. Quite different then Marvel’s. Probably closer to the truth.

  145. 145.

    Miss Bianca

    @Omnes Omnibus: Why yes…

    oh, do you mean, are they telling us which grape mix? No, the creatures, they are merely calling it “Harvest Red blend”…normally I don’t go for anonymous wines, but this bottle fit my primary consideration for the evening, which was “cheap”. i

  148. 148.

    mclaren

    @redshirt:
    The movie I’m waiting for is the live-action version of Ghost In the Shell starring Scarlett Johanssen. This was the role she was born to play.

  152. 152.

    mclaren

    @Jeffro:

    You can thank J. Michael Straczynski for that. He wrote the story and the first version of the script for the first Thor movie.

  153. 153.

    Adam L Silverman

    @redshirt: @Miss Bianca: 1966.
    You’ll find them all at this link.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZXq_8k72XQ
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_bOZYpYNSU&nohtml5=False

    There was also an Avengers cartoon as well from the same time period. I think the Spider-man and His Amazing Friends – who were Iceman (from the X-Men) and Firestar was from several years later in the early 70s. There was also an early Fantastic Four cartoon from the late 60s/early 70s as well.

  157. 157.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Adam L Silverman: I am the wrong kind of nerd for these converstions. Every time someone mentions The Avengers, I think of Diana Rigg in a catsuit and Patrick McNee.

  159. 159.

    Miss Bianca

    @Adam L Silverman: @redshirt: Ah, I knew Adam would find ’em…

    Spiderman – sans Amazing Friends – was also a Must Watch cartoon in our household. Spidey definitely appealed to me – Thor aside, I always prefer my superheroes with a healthy side o’ snark…

  160. 160.

    Adam L Silverman

    @redshirt: Depends on who was doing the animation. There were also Superman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Hawkman, the Flash, the Atom, Justice League, and Teen Titans cartoon from the mid to late 60s.
    Here’s the playlist for almost all of them:
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZs0gQed9tMS9BLYfxtyyd7OQlQe1n_-f&nohtml5=False

    The animation was much better than this early Thor cartoon.

    And the classic Fleischer Superman cartoons were excellently done.
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhGipfv0juZWw5lM_NyhY1n32UXVSn37Q&nohtml5=False

  164. 164.

    Adam L Silverman

    @redshirt: He got into a twitter pissing contest last week with Charles Johnson from Little Green Footballs. Hilarity sort of ensued…

  165. 165.

    redshirt

    @James Powell: Real as in proper historical context. All three were/are real Gods in an actual religion/culture that existed and still does on the edges today.

    Marvel’s Thor and the Gang are all creations of the Simon/Lee/Kirby machine which created so much of current pop mythology.

  168. 168.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @ Miss Bianca at 164: I’ve seen that movie. Did you know that McNee refused to use a gun in The Avengers because of his experiences and a Navy officer in WWII.

  169. 169.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I’m waiting for a live action “Wonder Twins”

    Form of… a calm saltwater inlet! Shape of…. a manatee!

  170. 170.

    Jay C

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    @Adam L Silverman: I am the wrong kind of nerd for these converstions. Every time someone mentions The Avengers, I think of Diana Rigg in a catsuit and Patrick McNee

    i hear you: who else WOULD one think of??

  172. 172.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @efgoldman: Hey, my people found North America before yours did. Unless you buy into the theory that the “Lost Tribe” became the Native Americans.

  173. 173.

    Gravenstone

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I don’t remember the “Rainbow Bridge of Asgard” part

    More commonly known as the Bifrost. Probably a bit too much concept to convey quickly in a cheesy cartoon intro. Hence the “Rainbow Bridge” shorthand.

  174. 174.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Omnes Omnibus: As long as it’s not Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes.

    Uma Thurman as Emma Peel actually seems like a great idea in theory, but that movie was not good.

  176. 176.

    Miss Bianca

    @Omnes Omnibus: My God, you’ve seen the *original* Modesty Blaise? From 1966? Which is *laughably horrible*, if you love the character…or are you talking about “My Name is Modesty”? (which I thought did a pretty decent job, even if Awesome Sidekick Willie was nowhere in sight, as I recall).

    And yeah…I did know that about McNee, actually, tho’ I don’t think I knew it till I read it in his obituaries. I’ve been doing an Avengers binge lately along with original series Star Trek…stuck in the 60s, what can I say…

  177. 177.

    Calouste

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: “French” style dining or “á la Française” in formal dining terms is more like family style dining, with all the food on the table at once. It was replaced by “á la Russe” as the style of choice IIRC when the Russians occupied Paris after the defeat of Napoleon.

    The book “The devil in the White City”, which is about the World Exposition in Chicago in 1893 (and a serial killer who operated around the same time), describes a few formal dinners of the organizing committee which had 17 courses or so. Although with coffee and cigars being two separate courses, it adds up quite easily.

    My personal record is 10 courses.

  178. 178.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Adam L Silverman: I like ScarJo as much as any hetero guy. But the British show was brilliant. The random vintage cars that Steed drove… Peel’s Lotus Elan… The innuendo…

  183. 183.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @efgoldman:

    Be sure to post pictures next spring, when you paint yourself blue and go dancing naked in the woods.

    The Norse were not Druids.

  191. 191.

    Miss Bianca

    @Adam L Silverman: Sorry, Adam…Scarlett Johansen is all very well, but for sheer knee-weakening rock-that-look elan (ha!), no one beats Diana Rigg…hell, she made *me* drool at a frighteningly precocious age…

  196. 196.

    Origuy

    @Omnes Omnibus: On that topic, did you hear about the second Norse site found recently in Newfoundland? I watched the BBC program about how it was discovered by satellite imagery. It was fascinating.

  202. 202.

    mclaren

    @Adam L Silverman:

    And the classic Fleischer Superman cartoons were excellently done.

    The Fleischer Superman used an entirely different style of animation from the Disneyesque mode that’s now the standard. The characters in the Fleischer cartoon slink and slither — Superman is almost dainty. All the characters in the Fleischer Superman are much more supple than humans, as though they have no bones.

    Then of course there’s Japoteurs, one of the more infamous pieces of WW II propaganda of the 40s. No longer shown in theaters because it’s so grossly defamatory — and, as it turns out, not one single Japanese-American ever committed an act of sabotage against the U.S. during WW II. Not one.

  205. 205.

    Adam L Silverman

    @mclaren: My understanding is that Fleischer used rotoscoping for his Superman serials. It was also one of the major influences on Bruce Timm and Paul Dini in their creation of Batman: The Animated Series and then Superman: The Animated Series. Both of which ultimately gave way to their Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoon series.

    And yes, The Japoteurs is, sadly, a testament to the times in which the cartoons were made. It was a product of the times. Action Comics #58, which made a pitch to sell war bonds, featured this unfortunate cover:
    http://smg.photobucket.com/user/comichut/media/Action58001.jpg.html
    Fawcett Comics’ Captain Marvel #14 had a similar cover:
    http://i.imgur.com/1adMym4.jpg
    DC’s World’s Finest #9 was a bit better:
    https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/68/47/87/68478746ca6f223f05c007345c3cd57a.jpg
    The least offensive was Batman #15
    http://s5.photobucket.com/user/eviltwin120/media/batman15.jpg.html

  206. 206.

    redshirt

    @mclaren: That’s what I was responding to. I assume there are former Viking settlements all along Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Maine shores and probably Cape Cod too. They just got drowned/buried over time and lack of searching.

  207. 207.

    mclaren

    The myth that you have to be smart to make tons of money? Not so much…

    “Yachts, jets and stacks of cash: super-rich discover risks of Instagram snaps: Flaunting assets on social media makes the world’s wealthy an easy target for fraudsters – and financial investigators,” The Guardian, 3 April 2016.

    Yeah, smart move there…spelling out the word BROKE with stacks of hundred-dollar bills while you’re filing for bankruptcy, then posting the photo on Instagram.

    Genius.

  211. 211.

    mclaren

    @Adam L Silverman:

    My understanding is that Fleischer used rotoscoping for his Superman serials.

    I’d heard that too, but there’s something peculiar about the Fleischer’s animation that predates their rotoscoped Superman toons. Even back in their early silent toons, the Fleischer brothers always tended to produce characters that seem to ooze around the screen, as though they’re half-amoeboid.

    Take a look at the weird motion of the characters in Fleischer’s cartoon of Cab Calloway’s St. James Infirmary. It’s unsettling, as though everyone has slinkies instead of bones inside them.

    The Fleischers also had a surrealist streak a mile wide. People turn into bottles, ghosts pour themselves into cups, it’s a lot like an LSD trip but pre-LSD!

  213. 213.

    Anne Laurie

    @raven: Those tartlets look delicious!

    Speaking of candied flowers, your bride probably already knows the Fran Lebowitz quote, “Candied violets, the Necco wafers of the overbred… “

  214. 214.

    Adam L Silverman

    @mclaren: I’ve seen some of those and understand what you’re getting at. Regardless, and despite The Japotuers episode, they are an excellent set of Superman cartoons.

  216. 216.

    Adam L Silverman

    And with that, since AL has her long awaited Black Panther comic book thread up, I leave you in her capable hands. I’m racking out for the night.

  219. 219.

    Anne Laurie

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I am immortal, I have inside me blood of kings!

    Doesn’t count if you’ve only drunk it, fella.

    (/snark)

    (I have inside me the blood of Vikings, from all appearances, and yet my legitimate ancestors got no farther north than Connemara.)

  220. 220.

    bmoak

    @Adam L Silverman:

    The Marvel Super-Heroes package were individual segments (each with their own cheesy theme song) for Captain American, Iron Man, Thor, and Sub-Mariner.

    The Spider-Man cartoon from the 60s was not part of this package and was actually directed by Ralph Bakshi when he was at Filmation. Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, with Firestar and Iceman, was from the early 80s.

    The late 60s Fantastic Four was by Hanna-Barbera and had the Human Torch in it. It was a victim of the great purge of 1970 when H-B yanked all of its action/sci-fi shows (Space Ghost, Birdman, Herculoids, etc) and replaced them with non-violent stuff like Scooby Doo. The was a much tamer FF toon in the late 70s that replaced the Human Torch with Herbie the Robot. Urban legend says this was because network execs thought kids would set themselves on fire, but IIRC the Torch’s rights were tied up.

    The old Marvel toons were pretty faithful to the source material, often adapting comic book issues directly. The old DC toons, less so.

  221. 221.

    redshirt

    The old Marvel toons were pretty faithful to the source material, often adapting comic book issues directly. The old DC toons, less so.

    This is generally true of the publishers as well.

    That’s why I make mine Marvel.

  222. 222.

    Anne Laurie

    @Mike in NC:

    I grew up in Boston but was never an altar boy, which seems like it was a good thing.

    I was never an altar boy but my brothers were, back in the Doubt days. The nuns who instructed the boys on procedure were careful to warn them never to be alone in a room with Father X, just as they warned them against letting Father Y swig the sacerdotal wine before the first morning service (him being a hardcore alcoholic).

  223. 223.

    Anne Laurie

    @Schlemazel (parmesan rancor):

    Fennel pollen. I had to look it up and apparently it is the hot trendy thing right now. OY.

    It’s not easy to keep coming up with new!!! foodstuffs that aren’t too hard to source or too strongly flavored to put off the merely epi-curious. People being people, if it’s tasty & easy to raise / stockpile, it’s already a staple in a rich global economy such as ours.

  224. 224.

    Anne Laurie

    @lamh36:

    So last night after watching Sleepy Hollow and surfing the net I ended up on Southwest Airlines websites…

    … and, because I grew up downstate, my mind jumped to an entirely different destination. Which is a much more sedate tourist experience than SoCal, even fifty years after my mom dragged us up to Philipsburg Manor as a “historical experience”!

  226. 226.

    Anne Laurie

    @Schlemazel (parmesan rancor):

    I have read that Southern slave owners occasionally went broke trying to out do each other with meals and 10-course would have been the very least that you would expect. I would not be surprised the Russian aristocracy was into the same sort of deal.

    I believe it was Miss Manners’ first book that included an appendix on the difference between the ‘modern, abbriviated’ French full service and the Russian version. If you’ve read any Regency novels — or Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey — you’ll remember starchy old gentleman and ladies fussing over first and second courses that didn’t include a few ‘removes’, too, extra side dishes like half a beef roast or a cold ham for guests not contented with the main elaborately sauced and dressed offerings.

  229. 229.

    Ruckus

    @lamh36:
    Maybe we could get a meet up together. LA hasn’t had one in a long time that I know of……

    As to where to stay what to see, there are all the tourist attractions but something that stands out for me is the Huntington Gardens/Library. Haven’t been in way too long but I hear it is a grand as ever. A better question is what sort of stuff do you like to do?

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