Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let’s finish the job.

Joe Biden can go out like FDR, not by dying in office, but by crushing the fascists.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Even though I know this is a bad idea, I’m off to do it anyway!

Bogus polls are all they’ve got left. Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls a year from now.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

“Why isn’t this Snickers bar only a nickel?”

This country desperately needs a functioning Fourth Estate.

Republicans don’t trust women.

It’s a new day. Light all those Biden polls of young people on fire and throw away the ashes.

The problem people have with Biden’s age is the color of the VPs skin.

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Motown is Joe-Town!

No one could have predicted…

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

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread (with bonus zoom reminders)

Open Thread (with bonus zoom reminders)

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Open thread!

There is no great way to remind everyone unless I do it in a thread, so I am taking this opportunity to share a bit of info IN THIS OPEN THREAD about the two upcoming zooms, tonight and tomorrow.

I just sent out the zoom link to all the BJ book club peeps who sent me email saying they plan to attend by zoom.  If you sent me the reminder email but did not receive an email message, please let me know ASAP.

If you would like to attend the zoom with Four Directions at 7:30 pm on Thursday, please send me an email message.

OPEN THREAD

Reader Interactions

134Comments

  1. 1.

    The Dangerman

    Other commitment for tonight. No Zooming for me unless a major change.

    ETA: You may know this already since I didn’t send you a reminder email. Department of Redundancy Department.

  8. 8.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @The Dangerman:

    “Five for the symbols at your door

    Four for the Gospel makers

    Three, three the rivals

    Two, two, the lily-white boys clothèd all in green-oh

    One is one and all alone, and ever more shall be so.”

  12. 12.

    Alison Rose

    Got the book club zoom link and can’t wait! I finished the book on Monday and thought it was completely fantastic. Plus, seeing him use swear words gave me such joy.

  16. 16.

    Ejoiner

    Ok, so the wife and I decided to take a look at “Succession” on HBO Max…a week later and we have non-stopped binged our way to the end of second season. My God what a wonderful, delightful, trashy, trashy, show. (I liken it to “Arrested Development” …if the Bluth’s were billionaire power players in global finance. GOB fits right in with the Roys!)

  21. 21.

    Betty Cracker

    @Ejoiner: Thank you for sharing that — I’ve been debating whether to watch the series for months now, and you’ve tipped me over into the “yes” camp. (I feared a dramatic portrayal of rich scumbags would infuriate and depress me, but it sounds funny/edgy/trashy, which would not.)

  22. 22.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Betty:

    Speaking of James Corden, I’ve learned that apparently a lot of people don’t like the guy, at least on Reddit

  26. 26.

    Tony Jay

    @WaterGirl:

    Well I dumped this one on your Wordie post last night, because it was there and as noted I felt like bleaugh.

    I was going to throw another one out boggling at today’s spaffathon but I’ve been momentarily distracted by ‘Ron’s  Gone Wrong”, which is very funny, BTW.

    It’s nearly finished, though.

    Oh, and it’s not the C Word. I’ve just had a shitty cold.

  27. 27.

    Ejoiner

    @Betty Cracker: exactly my fear as well…it’s a drama for sure, but every scene is strangely hilarious (especially after an episode or two and the characters are established, Tom and Greg should get their own spin-off buddy series)

  29. 29.

    JoyceH

    For those worried that it’s gone on so long he must be getting away with it – Gaetz ex-girlfriend is testifying before the federal grand jury today in the sex trafficking probe.

  30. 30.

    NotMax

    Anyone ever watched Black Sails? Rough going early on; it’s improved as it progresses.

    Available on Hulu now. Originally ran on Starz, so gratuitous nudity is a given.

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    @Tony Jay: Since you prefaced that last night with this:

    I’m going to bed, my sinuses feel like there’s a bowling ball stuffed in there, and this is an Open Thread.

    Imma just going to drop this here and hit the horizontal.

    I figured that was just your quick take :-) and that you weren’t up for the longer version last night because you felt like crappola.  I figured we’d get the longer version when you were feeling up to it!

  36. 36.

    MomSense

    @Ejoiner:

    So good.  It was like a trump/Murdoch kind of family – so trashy.  My son and I would actually call each other on the phone to talk about it.  We haven’t felt that way since Peaky Blinders.

  37. 37.

    Roger Moore

    @SiubhanDuinne: 
    Twelve pipers piping
    Eleven drummers drumming
    Ten lords a leaping
    Nine ladies dancing
    Eight maids a milking
    Seven swans a swimming
    Six geese a laying
    FIVE GOLDEN RINGS
    Four calling birds
    Three French hens
    Two turtle doves
    And a partridge in a pear tree
    Or something like that

  38. 38.

    Tony Jay

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I’ve concluded you only get a hangover if you stop drinking long enough to let reality lay it’s filthy paws on you.

    Seriously, I’m 123% better than I was yesterday, just a bit bunged around the nose and occasionally sweaty. The last two days felt like the 24 hours after my booster shot, and that was a Bad Day.

    I’m still having a better time than Flobalob, though. Which is nice.

  39. 39.

    MattF

    Mike Lindell has offered an explanation. He says he now has enough evidence to put 300 million Americans in jail. So… if everyone but Lindell is a criminal…

  40. 40.

    Miss Bianca

    @NotMax: I loved Black Sails – it’s definitely on the rewatch list (even have the credits song as my ring tone – love me some hurdy-gurdy!)

    Let’s just say I found Captain Flint to be a man ahead of his time – there’s at least one scene where he’s basically trying to tell the pirates about his nifty 401k plan for them. That’s the scene where I really fell in love with the show.

  41. 41.

    Kent

    @NotMax:

    Anyone ever watched Black Sails? Rough going early on; it’s improved as it progresses.

    Available on Hulu now. Originally ran on Starz, so gratuitous nudity is a given.

    I watched it and loved it.  I don’t know how accurate it is in either plot or general vibe.  But I liked it.

  42. 42.

    Ohio Mom

    @Roger Moore:

    Children go where I send thee
    How will I send thee
    Oh, I’m gonna send thee two by two
    For Paul and Silas
    One for the little bitty baby
    That was born, born, born
    In Bethlehem

    Three was the Hebrew children
    Four was the four that stood at the door
    Five was the five that came back alive
    Six was the six that didn’t get picked
    Seven was the seven that never got to heaven
    Eight was the eight that waited at the gate
    Nine was the nine that stood in the line
    Ten for the ten commandments…

  43. 43.

    brendancalling

    Here in Vermont, the Agency of Education has issued new guidance on Covid for educators. It hasn’t exactly been well-received.

    1, the burden of testing is now shifting from the schools to the parents, who will all be mailed at-home rapid tests for their kiddos. I don’t think this is a very good idea: some parents will refuse to test, some will lie about the results, many will do it wrong, and don’t get me started on the language barriers. For a district/state that’s committed to equity, this isn’t equitable. At all.

    2, they are ending contact tracing. This seems like a TERRIBLE idea. Just last week, the neighboring school district shut down after 30 people (staff and students) tested positive, of who 20 were in the building while infectious. They found this info via…wait for it. Wait for it… CONTACT TRACING.

    So, I am not too impressed with this guidance. Last two years, we were heroes and essential workers. We now that “heroes and essential workers” are more properly called “expendable humans.”

  44. 44.

    Matt McIrvin

    @MattF: We could just put a cage around him and declare it the outside of the jail. Like the guy in the Douglas Adams book who lived in an inside-out house and called it The Outside of the Asylum.

  46. 46.

    Tony Jay

    @WaterGirl:

    Quick?  Take? 

    Woman, the next time someone makes a (very funny, btw) crack about the length and girth of my rantathons I am sending them your way with a citation.

    And credenzas! 8-)

  47. 47.

    Miss Bianca

    @Tony Jay:

    I’m still having a better time than Flobalob, though. Which is nice.

    Holy hell, he’s really going to try to fly with “I didn’t realize I was at a party”? Man, that’s some chutzpah. Or maybe it’s bullshit, I get them confused.

  48. 48.

    Gin & Tonic

    Great Florida story here with a timeless moral: do not stiff your bartender.

    Short version: couple of dudes visiting Key West vandalize that marker the says “Southernmost point” on New Year’s Eve. But that marker is on a webcam, so video circulates. Bartender of a Duval St establishment recalls the guy because he didn’t tip. With credit card receipts and in-bar video, they find out who he is. Ponder that for a second – dude was drinking in a bar on Duval St on NYE, along with presumably several thousand other people, and the bartender picked him out with no hesitation because he got stiffed.

  50. 50.

    Yarrow

    @Betty Cracker:  A Scottish Tory MP (few and far between) has called for Johnson to resign. That’s the first one who has done it openly.

    Pretty much everyone in the UK was or knows someone who was not allowed to go to a funeral, wedding, be with someone when they died, etc. That No. 10 was having parties at that same time is appalling. People are furious.

    The party was also illegal. The Metropolitan Police have been refusing to investigate other No. 10 parties (“we don’t investigate crimes that have already happened”) but this time there are emails and the PM has admitted he was there. There are probably also pictures and maybe video.

  51. 51.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @MattF:  As I noted on Twitter, he apparently wants to give the US back to indigenous people.  I did not see that coming.

  58. 58.

    raven

    Hi ya’ll still in Dawg heaven even though I had that spinal injection this morning. No way to tell long term but it feels a little better.

  66. 66.

    Geminid

    @raven: And ex-Bulldog Jake Fromm threw his first NFL touchdown pass Sunday!

    He’ll probably be remembered more, though, for the quarterback sneak the Giants coach had him run on 3rd and 9.

  67. 67.

    geg6

    @Betty Cracker: ​
     
    I started it, but got pretty bored pretty quickly. Every character is detestable and I can’t watch that kind of shit. Same reason I couldn’t get past the first couple of episodes of Game of Thrones. Just awful characters and not interesting to me at all. YMMV.

  68. 68.

    scav

    The sheer epic-level concept of His Flobalob-posity being made all wobbily over his defense and justification being his incapacity to distinguish a BYOB booze up from a work environment. . . . in a residence that clearly wasn’t Bring Your Own Wallpaper . . . with a micro chorus of wind-sock sniffing Tories suddenly affronted that the serial career liar has <gasp> lied to, to them! Ahhhh, one just has to gape in awe . . .

  69. 69.

    Tony Jay

    @Miss Bianca:

    I could be remembering wrongly but I think chutzpah is bullshit you can shovel on the Sabbath. Don’t quote me, though. You can get expelled from the Labour Party for things like that.

    And yes, Flobalob is trying whatever will get him through the day, confident that most of the media and the BBC will always have his back – until they don’t.

    Like Brexit itself this is ALL just internal Tory Party drama turned into a national issue. Annoying is one word for it.

  70. 70.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Sometimes I loves this guy

    Richard M. Nixon @dick_nixon
    I have never gone along with the whole “Well, Romney loves his wife and has fine grandchildren” garbage. George, for his faults, wasn’t afraid of anybody. Because George came from dirt. If you’re afraid in public life I have no respect for you.

    You know, Mitt Romney goes through public life like one who needs the pension. I did need the pension. Still do.

    11:10 AM · Jan 12, 2022·Twitter Web App

    like he needs the pension… fucking lethal

  73. 73.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    One of the frustrating things about how “inflation” is being covered is that a lot of inflation right now is being driven by record buying on the part of the American public. Yet it’s always portrayed as “hitting people hard in the pocketbook” which is true for some people, but…you can’t buy record amounts of stuff and then complain about the impact on your pocketbook as if you’re struggling to make ends meet. The fact that you are buying record amounts of stuff indicates that you have money in your pocket to spend. I’m not saying that inflation isn’t causing problems for people – especially those with limited incomes – but it seems like it’s largely being driven by good economic factors if the main cause is people having sufficient funds to buy tons of things.

  75. 75.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Roger Moore:

    @Ohio Mom:

    Chad Gadya

    The House That Jack Built

    Alouette

    I Bought Me a Cat

    There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly

    … and many others. I love those old cumulative rhymes and songs.

  76. 76.

    scav

    @Yarrow: Did you see the Met’s apparent new state of the art standard of crime investigation? (with a little context and from here).

    The Good Law Project said it had started legal proceedings over the Met’s refusal to investigate reports of a Downing Street party on 18 December 2020.
    The campaign group said that in letters between it and the Met, police said they had “relied on the government’s assurances that no rules had been broken” and “there would have been no point in interviewing Number 10 staff about the parties because they would have refused to answer questions that exposed them to a risk of prosecution”.

  79. 79.

    Yarrow

    @scav:  Oh, yeah. The Met is not covering themselves with glory. I figure Cressida Dick (Met commissioner) must have been at some of these parties or something. The police have CC footage and logs of everyone who goes in and out of No. 10. It’s not like they don’t know who might have been at the parties. So…maybe they’re protecting their own by “not investigating crimes that have already happened.” They “investigate” and top police officials may be on the list of those who attending.

  80. 80.

    NotMax

    @WaterGirl

    My current go-to to flip on while puttering about the abode.

    Not TV for the ages* by any means, it’s the attention to the period (turn of the 20th century Toronto) that’s the draw for me and which makes it curiously addictive as an entertainment diversion. Acting by guest characters, especially noticeable in in early episodes, is strangely flat – right out of the “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” file – but the interplay between the main constabulary homicide detective and his much put upon assistant** is a hoot. Requires an ample suspension of disbelief in that the lead characters manage to cross paths with the universe of personages of renown at the time***.

    Oh, the program? Murdoch Mysteries, available on Hulu.

    *Still ongoing into its 15th year so there must be something to it.

    **”George, take statements from all 89 people who were present, then prepare me one of those new hamburger sandwiches and a pot of tea, and type up a summary of War and Peace. And have all that on my desk in an hour.”

    ***Not to mention the cute conceits that our intrepid detective manages to invent such things as sonar, metal detectors, television, bullet-proof vests, etc., etc. for one time use in pursuit of culprits or his assistant who comes so-o-o close to connecting the dots on future tech: “Every home eventually will have a potato room, where baked potatoes can be cooked by this same type of radiation.”

  81. 81.

    trollhattan

    @NotMax:

    First learning of it, might see if I have access.

    Binged “The Great” and “Yellowjackets” the last couple of weeks. Vastly different shows but both are quite entertaining. Wonderful to see Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci together, and holy hell it was a couple episodes before it hit my thick pate which character Ricci plays.

  82. 82.

    MomSense

    @brendancalling:

    Maine is doing the same.  From what I understand from public health cousins, the nature of omicron makes it impossible to do contact tracing that is worth anything.
    I’m pissed at the parents who won’t vaccinate their kids .  Assholes.

  84. 84.

    WaterGirl

    @NotMax: I picked up on Murdoch Mysteries – also called the Artful Detective – a few years ago,

    It’s not deep but it’s fun. One of my favorite thing is what they call Murdoch’s inventions:

    finger marks instead of fingerprints, etc.

    It’s light and fun.  Not history, but history adjacent.

  85. 85.

    Kay

    @Betty Cracker:

    It’s enjoyable because the rich people in it are horrible, but also miserable. The father is manipulative and sets the children against each other which for some reason none of them ever figure out.

    The basic premise doesn’t really make sense either. The patriarch is supposedly this hard driving businessman but he never makes actual decisions. By the end you’re like “OMG, make up your mind- sell it, keep it, no one even cares anymore- get on with it”. He’s really indecisive! Do the writers not notice that?  It got to the point where I found it funny when the patriarch would make a big pronoucement in his DEEP VOICE  because I would think “yeah right. Unless you change your mind AGAIN. You’re a ninny”

  86. 86.

    Geminid

    I saw that the Ohio Supreme Court just struck down the Republican redistricting map for state legislature districts. The redistricting commission will get ten days to produce a map better conforming to the state constitution.

    The Court is still considering a separate challenge to the Congressional map.

  87. 87.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Kay: I thought the third season got better, I actually got why people keep calling it a dark comedy. I don’t think the writing of the main cast quite meets their talents, especially Cox, but the secondary characters are often more interesting and entertaining: Greg the Egg and his grandfather, Alan Ruck’s character, Geri, the English mother

  88. 88.

    Mike in NC

    We don’t shop at Walmart all that much, but the wife had to pick up a prescription today. Took a peek in the pet supplies aisle and noted (along with other customers) that 95% of the canned cat food was gone. Next stop at Publix was pretty much a repeat. At least we’re not having a vodka shortage and thankfully our cats are teetotalers.

  91. 91.

    trollhattan

    @Mike in NC:
    Hope it doesn’t spill over to dog food. We’re due for the Giant bag of Pro Plan, and need to have Rocco’s performance review first, before committing to renewing his contract and getting another. “How would you summarize your contributions to the family, and what are your top accomplishment and failure during this last period? Include dates and any witnesses.”
    I don’t think non-owners know how much work a pet is.​

  92. 92.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @geg6: I couldn’t get past the first couple of episodes of Game of Thrones. Just awful characters and not interesting to me at all. YMMV.

    Well mine certainly didn’t (vary). Some years back at The Book Thing I came upon a free trade paper copy in mint condition of the first volume & snapped it up. Long about page 330 I realized I didn’t give a frying flock** about any of the characters, and the next weekend I quietly took the tome back. And never regretted it. Winter is icummen in/ Lhude sing Goddamm…

    ** As Delmarvan Frank Perdue might have put it

  94. 94.

    NotMax

    @trollhattan

    Noted the other day the dog food aisle at Target here was, if anything, overstuffed with product. While the cat food aisle put Mother Hubbard’s cupboard to shame.

  95. 95.

    Betty Cracker

    @trollhattan: Pet ownership is a lot of work, but I’m confident Rocco “exceeds expectations” in every category! He deserves a hefty bonus!

    I tried to get the brand of puppy food our pup is used to at the grocery store last week and couldn’t find it, but maybe grocery stores just normally carry way more adult dog chow than puppy food. I made the drive to a big box pet supplies place, and I heard more than one cat food seeker lament the dearth of choices. There was cat food available, but they weren’t finding the brands their kitties like.

  96. 96.

    JustRuss

    @NotMax: I had no idea Murdoch Mysteries was still running.  Caught the first couple seasons years ago and yeah, the acting is kind of off.  I just put it down to being Canadian.  But it was kind of fun, may give it another look.

  97. 97.

    geg6

    @Uncle Cosmo:

    Glad I’m not the only one.  So many people still keep trying to push that garbage on me.  “Oh wait until the dragons!” or “You have to see the Red Wedding!”  No, I don’t care about the stupid dragons and I don’t have to see anything.  I saw a couple of episodes and knew I hated it.  It’s been the same with Succession.  I find it quite annoying and condescending, as if I’m too stupid to know what I like.

  99. 99.

    laura

    @raven: Double Plus Good! It must’ve been a time at your house during/after/after after the game. Good luck for sustained health improvement and pain reduction.

  100. 100.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @geg6:

    I hadn’t (and still haven’t) seen a single episode of GoT, although it was hard to escape the memes. Actually was planning to start watching it a few years ago until our Blogfather wrote in gory and excruciating detail about having just seen the “Red Wedding” episode, and I just noped right out.

  101. 101.

    CaseyL

    I’ve been ordering cart food (wet and dry) from Chewy.com and so far (*knock wood*) haven’t had any problems.

    Actually, I take that back!  A month or so ago, Chewy did NOT have the brands/flavors I normally buy – so I took a chance on something different which, turns out, my cats love.  (Again: so far, knock wood, etc.)  A happy accident, and that different stuff is what I’ve been ordering ever since.

    If anyone’s interested: They were out of the Fancy Feast 30-can variety pack, and what I got instead was Fancy Feast Savory Centers.

    And before the cat food purists are outraged: I have tried, repeatedly, for years, to get them to eat more expensive, organic, better brands.  They have a very brief love affair (anywhere from one meal or one week) and then turn up their noses…. Except for an Australian brand which goes for $5/can.  That one they like a LOT.  Because of course they do.

  102. 102.

    UncleEbeneezer

    We finally got into Dickinson on AppleTV and are loving it.  It has a very unique and quirky approach to a period series based on an historical character.  It’s very funny and the cast is great despite having no big-name stars.  It manages to be absurd but also incredibly moving at times, with a strong feminist spirit that isn’t afraid to laugh at itself.  Also the music is really good.  Highly recommend it, if you are looking for a good and refreshing comedy.  To put it into perspective, Jane Krasowski, who we love is probably the least funny character, compared to everyone else in the cast.

  103. 103.

    MomSense

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I watched a few episodes but I couldn’t actually see them so I stopped.  What is with the super dark sets, lighting and costumes? The only person who was visible was Khaleesi.

  104. 104.

    NotMax

    @SiubhanDuinne

    I hadn’t (and still haven’t) seen a single episode of GoT

    Ditto. Like Peter Dinklage but not enough to put up with the other mishegoss.

    Incidentally, he’s the lead in the currently being produced iteration of the Troma cult ‘classic’ The Toxic Avenger.

  105. 105.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @MomSense:

    What is with the super dark sets, lighting and costumes?

    I don’t understand those decisions. Happens a lot in opera, too.

  106. 106.

    Librarian

    I’ve never seen GoT, but from what I’ve heard of it, it is a bastardization and fictionalization of medieval history, especially English history. I have no interest in watching the bastardization of history. Especially with dragons.

  107. 107.

    MomSense

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    But Cox is so good in that role.  He uses the same cliche – third hand consultant life coach language that the whole nepotism business class uses.  He plays it fucking perfectly.   They’re all so ridiculous and totally believable.

  109. 109.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Geminid:

    Wow! That’s actually pretty good news! I remember reading about the one GOP justice being a possible swing vote who was skeptical of the state’s/GOP lawyers’ claims

    I also saw a headline that DeWimp was trying to defend the Redistricting Commission, and by extension himself heh

    Getting two Dems elected to the Court the last couple of years also helped I’m sure

  110. 110.

    MomSense

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I saw a viral video of an opera recital where a man in the crowd sang the tenor part back to the soprano from the audience. It was so sweet. Not sure how to find it now, but if I catch it again I’ll link it. I thought of you when I saw it.

  111. 111.

    divF

    @geg6: Why watch either of these, when we have the far more entertaining spectacle of the Tories going after each other like blood-crazed sharks*. Especially with Tony Jay providing the play-by-play.

     

    *cf. The Lady from Shanghai

  112. 112.

    Ohio Mom

    Great, Breaking news: “In a 4-3 decision, the Ohio Supreme Court has ordered redrawing of Statehouse maps approved along partisan lines 5-2 by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, ruling the maps do not meet the voter-approved standards against partisan gerrymandering in the Ohio Constitution” (@OhioCapJournal)

    Woot! Woot! The Republican effort to keep gerrymandering Ohio has hit a snag. We Ohioans voted TWICE to end gerrymandering — maybe it worked?

  114. 114.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Ohio Mom:

    Can’t wait to see DeWine’s reaction to this. Mr. Mike “I’d rather have Majority Leader McConnell and I’ll endorse the Senate nominee even if they don’t support my relection” DeWine.  He was also trying to defend the Redistricting Commission and himself

  119. 119.

    trollhattan

    @Betty Cracker: His ace in the hole is “three rats last year.” Hopefully he’s been keeping notes.

    Our breeder fed the dogs Pro Plan and we thought “not expensive enough” and tried other presumably more fancy $chmancy foods, but Rocco’s guts did not welcome the change so we just transitioned from the puppy to adult version, and stick with what works. Lucky break, I think. Coercing a healthy pet to “just eat” seems nutty.

  122. 122.

    Kent

    @Kay:The basic premise doesn’t really make sense either. The patriarch is supposedly this hard driving businessman but he never makes actual decisions. By the end you’re like “OMG, make up your mind- sell it, keep it, no one even cares anymore- get on with it”. He’s really indecisive! Do the writers not notice that?  It got to the point where I found it funny when the patriarch would make a big pronoucement in his DEEP VOICE  because I would think “yeah right. Unless you change your mind AGAIN. You’re a ninny”

    The show isn’t really about RUNNING the company.  It is about maintaining CONTROL over the company which is a different thing.  When he actually meddles in the running of the company it is mostly just to protect his own ass and ownership control, no other reason.  Like, for example, when he pressures his news division to go after the president.  That was all about leverage to get the DOJ to back off, not anything to do with actual management of the news.

    It is all about maintaining control of their wealth and business empire, not actually doing anything productive or accomplishing anything with it.  Which is why the characters are all so unredeemably venal.  Every business deal is about maintaining control, not anything else.

    They have so much wealth they could all cash out, dump their money into an index fund, and still see it grow faster than they could spend it.  But no, that never seems to occur

  129. 129.

    trollhattan

    @Betty Cracker: It’s watchable, enjoyable even, approached as satire. As drama it would be simply too much. “Dynasty” for a new millennium or such.

    Be forewarned, there is not a single redeemable main character* among the sprawling cast. You may root for one of the kids (I kind of do that) but have to accept even they are still awful.

    *I suppose the patriarch’s current wife isn’t so bad. Also not present very often.

  132. 132.

    Tony Jay

    @sdhays: 

    The Colston Four trial. When the jury found the people who chucked the statue of Bristol slaver Edward Colston into a river not guilty of criminal vandalism a lot of Tory MPs went apeshit, some going so far as to call the jury’s ability to free people the Government wanted made examples of “a loophole” that the Government should pass legislation to close.

    So yeah, trial by jury is anti-democratic to some Tory MPs. Fucking nutballs.

  133. 133.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @trollhattan:

    *I suppose the patriarch’s current wife isn’t so bad. Also not present very often.

    I find that character intriguing. They hint at a backstory that they haven’t developed (yet?). I wonder if that’s going to come, or maybe teh actress isn’t available enough?

  134. 134.

    Miss Bianca

    @SiubhanDuinne: Same here. And yeah, I’ve had a ton of people tell me how much I was gonna love it, but extreme rapiness and violence just ain’t my thang.

    Which is why I’ll probably never watch Breaking Bad, either, no matter how many people throw bouquets around about it.

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