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You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Smoof Kriminals

Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Smoof Kriminals

by Anne Laurie|  February 8, 20227:11 pm| 167 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Open Threads

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I literally can't comprehend stealing 10 figures worth of near-unusable currency as anything other than an Office Space-style coding accident. Just five years of knowing you're gonna get caught. Ulcers the size of Pangea. https://t.co/xjuZptsrOg

— zeddy (@Zeddary) February 8, 2022

This is not the weirdest timeline, but its particular flavor of weird is one I could do with much less of…

… Ilya Lichtenstein, 34, and his wife, Heather Morgan, 31, both of Manhattan, are due in court Tuesday afternoon.

Federal prosecutors allege they conspired to launder the proceeds of 119,754 bitcoin that were stolen from Bitfinex’s platform and ended up in a digital wallet under Lichtenstein’s control.

Some 25,000 bitcoin were transferred out of the wallet over the last five years, the government alleges, and laundered through a complicated process that resulted in some of the stolen funds landing in bank accounts the couple controlled.

The Justice Department said it had already recovered $3.6 billion worth of cryptocurrency stolen in the hack, which it described as its largest financial seizure ever…

The couple face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries up to 20 years in prison.

That's the beauty of it. They stole something that's supposedly WORTH billions but is pointless to normies when it comes to exchanging goods and services.

Five billion under a tarp in the garage. They might as well have stolen a Pyramid. https://t.co/sEk3xwqOW7

— zeddy (@Zeddary) February 8, 2022

These might be the first people in the world to go to prison for stealing the ephemeral concept of value.

$4.5b of vibes.

— The Edgar Wright Enjoyer (@ringfist) February 8, 2022

I deeply, deeply regret to inform you that this is the rap video of the woman who was just arrested as part of an alleged husband-wife scheme that laundered some $3.6 billion in crypto.https://t.co/F6jSC4U4bY

— Kevin Collier (@kevincollier) February 8, 2022

pic.twitter.com/6eokEPumPN

— ? Counter-Danchenko-ist ? (@fiondavision) February 8, 2022

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Next Post: Late Night Open Thread: Monumental Errors »

Reader Interactions

167Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    February 8, 2022 at 7:15 pm

    “Has the jury reached a verdict?”
    “Yes, your honor.”
    “What say you?”
    “We don’t know what any of this means?”

  2. 2.

    dmsilev

    February 8, 2022 at 7:15 pm

    As far as I can tell, the one productive use of bitcoins and similar is to give this generation’s libertarians a direct first-hand lesson in why financial regulations exist.

  3. 3.

    dmsilev

    February 8, 2022 at 7:16 pm

    Also, has anyone yet started to sell NFTs of that rap video? Seems inevitable.

  4. 4.

    Howard Beale IV

    February 8, 2022 at 7:17 pm

    Cryptocurrencies are prosecution futures.

  5. 5.

    Raoul Paste

    February 8, 2022 at 7:20 pm

    “Menace to Society” indeed

  6. 6.

    trollhattan

    February 8, 2022 at 7:26 pm

    @Raoul Paste: ​
    Does the pendant tattoo say “TACOS”? Please tell me it does.

  7. 7.

    Sure Lurkalot

    February 8, 2022 at 7:26 pm

    @Howard Beale IV:

    Cryptocurrencies are prosecution futures.

    Just an abundance of Balloon Juice rotating taglines lately.

  8. 8.

    germy

    February 8, 2022 at 7:28 pm

    Everyone’s laughing at the guy and his rapper wife who were arrested by the DOJ today for trying to launder $4.5 billion in crypto………….. but the funniest thing to me is that she was an INCREDIBLY prolific Forbes contributor https://t.co/ePqy7On59a

    — sarah emerson (@SarahNEmerson) February 8, 2022

    important lesson about prolific forbes contributors here https://t.co/MjBKbvulZi

    — Matthew Zeitlin (@MattZeitlin) February 8, 2022

  9. 9.

    germy

    February 8, 2022 at 7:34 pm

    Watching the “razzlekahn” rap video reminded me that one can pay for cameras, studio time, producers, editing… but one cannot buy talent.

  10. 10.

    geg6

    February 8, 2022 at 7:34 pm

    OMG, that video is hilarious.  It looks like one of those parody videos they do on SNL.  Jesus. ?

  11. 11.

    germy

    February 8, 2022 at 7:38 pm

    @geg6:

    lol she has a TikTok https://t.co/VITAoQeFwy pic.twitter.com/MVZmM1bYBQ

    — Liz Franczak (@liz_franczak) February 8, 2022

    So horrible.

  12. 12.

    J R in WV

    February 8, 2022 at 7:39 pm

    Is it just me, or is this hysterical? These guys stole a shitload of data, converted a tiny bit of it into actual cash, didn’t take the money and run. Now they’re gonna spend the best years of their life in jail.

    Hope they’re big Republican voters!!!

    On a completely different topic:  My wife needs work done by a neurosurgeon, so we learned yesterday afternoon, from a really sharp seeming neurosurgeon, which is a good thing. A disk between her C5-C6 cervical vertebrae is impinging on her spinal cord and needs to be corrected.

    The  neurosurgeon (an attractive young woman who has 18 years of experience, which tells you how old I am!)  told us way more than that, but i can’t recall the details well enough to go on. Wife is OK, in hospital for more testing to be sure she can undergo surgery, tense as in who wouldn’t be, but doing OK. They really, really don’t want her to fall before she gets repaired and heals… me too.

    Guess what — I’m tense too, and the dogs know all about it!

  13. 13.

    different-church-lady

    February 8, 2022 at 7:39 pm

    But… but… stealing digital currency is not possible!!!1!

  14. 14.

    different-church-lady

    February 8, 2022 at 7:40 pm

    @trollhattan: Other than that tat, Geddy Lee is aging really gracefully.

  15. 15.

    Hoodie

    February 8, 2022 at 7:43 pm

    @germy: I think that TikTok got cut off, it was supposed to be “eliminate, automate, delegate . . . and steal when the first three don’t work”

  16. 16.

    MagdaInBlack

    February 8, 2022 at 7:43 pm

    @different-church-lady: I KNEW that face looked familiar !

  17. 17.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 8, 2022 at 7:45 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Understandable that you both are tense, but it must be a relief to know what caused her episode the other day instead of wondering all kinds of dire things. I’m glad your wife has a surgeon who is both young and experienced. She’ll be in good hands, and I hope both the remaining tests and the surgery itself are easy. Thinking of the JRs in WV.

  18. 18.

    prostratedragon

    February 8, 2022 at 7:45 pm

    @geg6:  Astonishing.  Also eternal.  And I didn’t even turn up the sound.

  19. 19.

    germy

    February 8, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    I love seeing republicans arrested.

    UPDATE: Republican Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters appeared to attempt to kick a law enforcement officer while struggling with police during her arrest. This is video from a witness. pic.twitter.com/TILJ1198BV

    — Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) February 8, 2022

  20. 20.

    sab

    February 8, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    I haven’t called my RWNJ brother in a couple of years. I just found our conversations so horrifying that I deleted his number and moved on with my life.

    My older sister sent me his text number “in case I had lost his”  when she knew damn well I had deliberately deleted it. So I texted him happy birthday, and within fifteen minutes started to get weird hang up calls.

    So deleted and blocked his number. Thanks, Sis.

  21. 21.

    Patricia Kayden

    February 8, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    Raise your hand if you agree Jen Psaki is the best press secretary we have EVER had. ✋Have you told her yet? Add your name below!?https://t.co/5cwgiskkwV— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) February 8, 2022

  22. 22.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 8, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    @trollhattan:

    I think that’s a G, not a C.

    Legos, maybe?

  23. 23.

    Brachiator

    February 8, 2022 at 7:48 pm

    Federal prosecutors allege they conspired to launder the proceeds of 119,754 bitcoin that were stolen from Bitfinex’s platform and ended up in a digital wallet under Lichtenstein’s control.

    Sometime in the future:

    A couple stole billions of dollars in virtual currency and tried to flee to a virtual country.  They were apprehended when police entered their den and took off their goggles and headsets.

     

  24. 24.

    germy

    February 8, 2022 at 7:48 pm

    I put odds at 5:1 that one of those two bitcoin thief 30-somethings has a post on social media from around 2016 about how they bought their first house in their 20's by grinding

    — lauren (@NotABigJerk) February 9, 2022

  25. 25.

    prostratedragon

    February 8, 2022 at 7:49 pm

    @J R in WV:  Oh!  Sounds like a delicate matter,  but one that can be fixed,  so that must be a relief.

    All the best.

  26. 26.

    sab

    February 8, 2022 at 7:51 pm

    @J R in WV: My husband and my experience is neurosugeons are not anxious to do surgerey unless they are sure of success. Bad for their stats and bad for their patients. This is a good thing.

    Other professions can help as well or better, depending on the circumstances. The neurosurgeon is not your only help.

  27. 27.

    Brachiator

    February 8, 2022 at 7:52 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Sounds like you are getting some good advice.

    Take care and try not to stress too much.

  28. 28.

    Ascap_scab

    February 8, 2022 at 7:52 pm

    @trollhattan: I think it says ‘Legos’.

  29. 29.

    geg6

    February 8, 2022 at 7:54 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Scary, but it sounds like she’s in good hands.  Sending all my good thoughts to you both.

  30. 30.

    The Thin Black Duke

    February 8, 2022 at 7:54 pm

    @germy: Remember Pia Zadora? Her husband is a billionaire who tried to make Zadora a big pop star. Didn’t work.

  31. 31.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    February 8, 2022 at 7:54 pm

    The whole digital currency thing is just so preposterous that I ignore it and assume it will pass.

  32. 32.

    germy

    February 8, 2022 at 7:57 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke:

    Back in December the Comet TV network showed “Santa Claus vs. The Martians” or something like that, and she was one of the kids. 1964.

  33. 33.

    brendancalling

    February 8, 2022 at 7:57 pm

    Her Instagram is delightfully trashy.

  34. 34.

    germy

    February 8, 2022 at 7:58 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke:  Her husband is a billionaire who tried to make Zadora a big pop star. Didn’t work.

    Reminds me of Citizen Kane.

  35. 35.

    Ken

    February 8, 2022 at 7:58 pm

    @different-church-lady: But… but… stealing digital currency is not possible!!!1!

    But notice, they’re not being charged with stealing digital currency. They’re being charged with laundering the digital currency into real money. It makes me wonder if the feds are looking for testimony in exchange for a plea bargain.

  36. 36.

    The Thin Black Duke

    February 8, 2022 at 8:02 pm

    @germy: Actors like Jodie Foster and Christian Bale are anomalies. The majority of child movie stars lose the magic once they reach adulthood. Case in point: Tatum O’Neal.

  37. 37.

    Betty

    February 8, 2022 at 8:06 pm

    @J R in WV: It’s good to have identified the problem and know there is a solution, but the anxiety in the meantime will be a challenge to manage. Sending every good wish for you both.

  38. 38.

    Starboard Tack

    February 8, 2022 at 8:07 pm

    @germy: Peters was arrested when she resisted giving up her iPad. She is accused of using it to illegally record a court proceding, I believe.

  39. 39.

    zhena gogolia

    February 8, 2022 at 8:10 pm

    @J R in WV: Oh, I’m praying for a good outcome. I’m glad you have more clarity, at least.

  40. 40.

    hells littlest angel

    February 8, 2022 at 8:12 pm

    The comments on the YouTube page are LOL funny.

  41. 41.

    Roger Moore

    February 8, 2022 at 8:15 pm

    @different-church-lady:

    But… but… stealing digital currency is not possible!!!1!

    Actually, stealing digital currency is not just possible, it’s surprisingly easy, and there’s no easy way to reverse the transaction after the fact, so it stays stolen.  It’s even not too hard to avoid being caught by the authorities for stealing cryptocurrency, at least as long as you don’t try to spend it through legitimate channels.  But the moment you try to convert it into actual dollars, the authorities can figure out who you are.

  42. 42.

    apocalipstick

    February 8, 2022 at 8:15 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke: The substance abuse didn’t help, nor did being the child of Ryan O’Neal.

  43. 43.

    Urza

    February 8, 2022 at 8:19 pm

    That video alone is a reason to tax the rich into oblivion.  If they have money to blow on crap like that they don’t need it.

    Maybe we could encourage the wealthy to make a new game out of seeing who can pay the most taxes to help society, instead of building rocket penises and have more zeroes on paper.

  44. 44.

    Roger Moore

    February 8, 2022 at 8:20 pm

    @germy:

    “Santa Claus vs. The Martians” or something like that

    I believe the movie in question is Santa Clause Conquers the Martians.  I remember watching at my local public library* when I was 5 or 6 years old and finding it too juvenile for my tastes.

    *Obviously not first run!

  45. 45.

    Jackie

    February 8, 2022 at 8:20 pm

    @J R in WV: Glad you got answers! Sending good vibes for a successful surgery to you and Mrs J R!

  46. 46.

    HumboldtBlue

    February 8, 2022 at 8:22 pm

    I’ll never understand why a woman whom I know and who has two of the most magnificent breasts I have ever seen decided that a huge pendant tattoo just above those two wonderful glands was attractive.

    That photo of Sissy Dipshit or whatever her name is only reminds of that travesty

  47. 47.

    Dan B

    February 8, 2022 at 8:25 pm

    @J R in WV: If you are feeling anxious it would be great for you, and your wife, to have counseling.  You can care for her better if you are feeling okay.  She’ll pick up on your anxiety which is not good for her.

    Best of luck!

  48. 48.

    Roger Moore

    February 8, 2022 at 8:27 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke:

    It shouldn’t be surprising that a lot of people who are successful in the movies as kids don’t succeed as adults.  That’s not to discount the special difficulties moving from child star to adult star, but success is usually fleeting.  Many stars who are big in their twenties fade in their thirties, or thirties and forties, and so on.  Short careers are the norm, and long ones are the exception.

  49. 49.

    different-church-lady

    February 8, 2022 at 8:27 pm

    @J R in WV:

    …the best years of their life…

    Doesn’t seem like much of a loss in this case.

  50. 50.

    dr. luba

    February 8, 2022 at 8:27 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke: Pia Zadora?  Loved her in “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.”

    Then again, I was 6 at the time…..with execrable taste.

  51. 51.

    H.E.Wolf

    February 8, 2022 at 8:29 pm

    @J R in WV: Good luck and good wishes to you both!

  52. 52.

    MomSense

    February 8, 2022 at 8:30 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Sending healing and strength to your wife and support to you.

  53. 53.

    zhena gogolia

    February 8, 2022 at 8:32 pm

    In case anyone was wondering how the NYT would handle the story of TFG taking boxes of documents, including correspondence with Kim Jong-un, from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, it’s a story buried on A12 with the headline, “Trump Turns Documents Over to U.S. Archives.”

    I hate to say it, but her e-mails.

  54. 54.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 8, 2022 at 8:35 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Is it just me, or is this hysterical? These guys stole a shitload of data, converted a tiny bit of it into actual cash, didn’t take the money and run. Now they’re gonna spend the best years of their life in jail.

    It’s hilarious.  And I really want to know how little of it they converted into actual money because I’m sure it’s a laughably small amount.

     

    Glad to hear things are progressing well for your wife, as unpleasant as having to undergo surgery can be.

  55. 55.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    February 8, 2022 at 8:35 pm

    @J R in WV:

    I’ve had C5-C6 & C6-C7 done with a plate/screws on C5-C6 because it had to be redone due to using cadaver bone that didn’t take. I used my own bone and the truth is that the removal of it hurt far more and longer than the neck surgery did. Heck of a lot to go through but the relief afterward was worth it.

    My best wishes to your wife in getting through this.

  56. 56.

    Another Scott

    February 8, 2022 at 8:36 pm

    Some Olympic commenter is saying the next competitor has to “conquer and channel that hangriness”.  I was expecting a Snickers add to appear on a chyron…

    Roone Arledge must be spinning in his grave.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  57. 57.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 8, 2022 at 8:36 pm

    @different-church-lady: That’s uncalled for!

  58. 58.

    lowtechcyclist

    February 8, 2022 at 8:37 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    In case anyone was wondering how the NYT would handle the story of TFG taking boxes of documents, including correspondence with Kim Jong-un, from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, it’s a story buried on A12 with the headline, “Trump Turns Documents Over to U.S. Archives.”

    And this is what the wingnuts call the “liberal media.”

    Occasionally I see one of those “I don’t believe the liberal media” bumper stickers.  And all I can think is, “I don’t believe we have one.”

  59. 59.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 8, 2022 at 8:39 pm

    @sab: Sorry.  I found that hilarious.  “Thanks, Sis.” indeed.

  60. 60.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    February 8, 2022 at 8:44 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke: Tatum O’Neal pulled it together to be great in Rescue Me.  A random FX show about a NYC firehouse with Denis Leary.  It was very funny.

  61. 61.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 8, 2022 at 8:47 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    I hate to say it, but her e-mails. 

    Oh, those 3 words have been on my mind since the orange shitstain passed 270 electoral college votes in 2016.

  62. 62.

    Sure Lurkalot

    February 8, 2022 at 8:49 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Additionally, the framing in the NYT and WAPO was that it was because T’s exit from the White House was “hasty”, all those documents were simply inadvertently packed in the boxes marked Mar a Lago.

  63. 63.

    lowtechcyclist

    February 8, 2022 at 8:51 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Is it just me, or is this hysterical? These guys stole a shitload of data, converted a tiny bit of it into actual cash, didn’t take the money and run. Now they’re gonna spend the best years of their life in jail.

    It’s fucking hilarous!  I don’t have a sufficiently larcenous heart to ever try something like this, but if I did, I’d spend an afternoon researching which countries we didn’t have extradition treaties with, and be on my way to one of them the minute I had enough of the dough in hand to pay for the plane tickets and a hotel room at the other end.

    I’m the treasurer of the neighborhood HOA, and as I’ve told my fellow board members, they don’t have to worry about me stealing the money, our bank balance (high five figures) is way too small to be worth the risk.

    ETA: Glad to hear the news about your wife. Her symptoms make sense, given that diagnosis, so it sounds like the neurosurgeon may be able to fix things.

    Can’t remember exactly where or when it was, but a decade or so ago, my wife had to see an urgent-care doc who was so young-looking that I could only think of the Castle Anthrax scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: “They’re doctors??” “They have a basic medical training, yes.”

  64. 64.

    zhena gogolia

    February 8, 2022 at 8:51 pm

    @Sure Lurkalot: Yes, although this article (co-authored by Haberman) does say that it was hasty because they were busy trying to overturn the election. That’s buried in the third or fourth paragraph of this unassuming article on p. A12.

  65. 65.

    The Thin Black Duke

    February 8, 2022 at 8:52 pm

    @Roger Moore: That’s true. I think the actors who are able to prolong their careers are the ones who recognize when it’s time to move on from teen idols to playing more complex characters. Leonardo DiCaprio is an example of someone who constantly challenges himself. Denzel Washington still manages to surprise audiences. How in hell do you go from formulaic crap like The Equalizer to The Tragedy of Macbeth?

  66. 66.

    raven

    February 8, 2022 at 8:53 pm

    @J R in WV: I had spinal surgery in June.   I mentioned to the surgeon that his colleague who did my wife’s surgery a few years back said “what they did to you in 1975 would be considered barbaric now” he replied “what we would have done to you three years ago would be considered barbaric now”! That  is all by way of saying that they have made such tremendous strides in this area and really do perform “minimally invasive” spinal surgery. It doesn’t really take away the anxiety but it’s something to consider.

  67. 67.

    Sure Lurkalot

    February 8, 2022 at 8:54 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    Yes, although this article (co-authored by Haberman) does say that it was hasty because they were busy trying to overturn the election. That’s buried in the third or fourth paragraph of this unassuming article on p. A12.

    See, I connected a dot!

  68. 68.

    The Thin Black Duke

    February 8, 2022 at 8:55 pm

    @Old Dan and Little Ann: Ah. I missed that. Thank you, I’ll have to check it out. Then again, I’m finding TV to be more interesting than movies these days.

  69. 69.

    billcinsd

    February 8, 2022 at 8:58 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke: Hey, she was in Santa Claus vs. The Martians

  70. 70.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 8, 2022 at 8:58 pm

    @Another Scott: ​
      Forget it, Jake. It’s snowboarding.

  71. 71.

    delk

    February 8, 2022 at 9:01 pm

    Apparently none of the cryptocurrency was laundered through dance lessons.

  72. 72.

    raven

    February 8, 2022 at 9:02 pm

    @sab: Yea, that’s really helpful.

  73. 73.

    Another Scott

    February 8, 2022 at 9:05 pm

    Finally, we see what Macron and VVP were doing when the cameras were off…

    pic.twitter.com/Ju2IbYa4b2

    — HappyToast ★ (@IamHappyToast) February 8, 2022

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  74. 74.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 8, 2022 at 9:06 pm

    I watched some of the video.  It is a thing I cannot unsee.

  75. 75.

    Kalakal

    February 8, 2022 at 9:07 pm

    @J R in WV: It’s good you have a diagnosis and a plan to deal with the cause. Wishing all the best for you both

  76. 76.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 8, 2022 at 9:09 pm

    @J R in WV: Good thoughts.

  77. 77.

    trollhattan

    February 8, 2022 at 9:09 pm

    @Roger Moore:

    Watched it undergo the MST3K treatment last fall. Truly a masterpiecething that was made.

  78. 78.

    Kalakal

    February 8, 2022 at 9:10 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke: Liz Taylor managed a fairly long run pretty successfully, but you’re right, very few do

  79. 79.

    eclare

    February 8, 2022 at 9:11 pm

    @J R in WV:   All the best to you and your wife.  Fingers and paws crossed here!

  80. 80.

    Roger Moore

    February 8, 2022 at 9:14 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke:

    How in hell do you go from formulaic crap like The Equalizer to The Tragedy of Macbeth?

    I don’t want to let Denzel off completely, but I think he’s been limited by the roles he’s been offered.  Even great Black actors don’t have as many good parts available as their White counterparts.

  81. 81.

    Sure Lurkalot

    February 8, 2022 at 9:14 pm

    @J R in WV: Best wishes to Mrs. J R that the prescribed course of action is successful and all this in time will be in the rear view.

  82. 82.

    Roger Moore

    February 8, 2022 at 9:22 pm

    @Kalakal:

    Anna Paquin seems to be doing OK.  So do a bunch of the kids from the Harry Potter movies.  Maybe they aren’t the biggest stars, but they’ve managed to transition reasonably well to being adult actors without being trapped by their pasts.

  83. 83.

    Ruckus

    February 8, 2022 at 9:22 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Ouch!. Hoping for the best for both of you.

  84. 84.

    Kalakal

    February 8, 2022 at 9:26 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Is it just me, or is this hysterical? These guys stole a shitload of data, converted a tiny bit of it into actual cash, didn’t take the money and run

    It’s hysterical, me I’d be on a plane to a non-extradiction country within hours, in fact thanks to the magic of the world wide web I’d be there when I commited the crime

    take the money and run

    As Dougles Adams put it “I could do with the excercise”

  85. 85.

    dmsilev

    February 8, 2022 at 9:27 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke:

    Denzel Washington still manages to surprise audiences. How in hell do you go from formulaic crap like The Equalizer to The Tragedy of Macbeth?

    Well, I imagine an extended period shepherding film adaptations of August Wilson’s plays probably didn’t hurt.

  86. 86.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    February 8, 2022 at 9:27 pm

    Always be goat, not a goddamn sheep!.

    Lol… I never would’ve known about these assholes stealing bitcoin and now I’ve seen the worst rap video of all time. Thanks, Balloon Juice.

  87. 87.

    geg6

    February 8, 2022 at 9:28 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke:

    Great example.  She was a wonderful child actor.  Such a natural.  And then she grew up and somehow it all just disappeared.  Drew Barrymore is another anomaly, though I am not a huge fan of most of her films.  But she can act even with a bad script.

  88. 88.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    February 8, 2022 at 9:31 pm

    @J R in WV: Sounds like they’re making good progress in figuring out what’s going on with your wife.

  89. 89.

    zhena gogolia

    February 8, 2022 at 9:31 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: I know, right?

  90. 90.

    Scout211

    February 8, 2022 at 9:36 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    In contrast to the NYT, Cilliza (I know, I know) has a column up on CNN.com entitled, “Why the Donald Trump-National Archives Story is Such a Big Deal” and it actually worth a read, unlike most of his Tiger Beat type gossipy columns.   Source.

    The defining trait of Trump’s time in office was how little regard he had for the limitations that even the highest of offices had. He ran roughshod over everyone and everything in his way. He expressed little concern for the way things had always been done. He was reckless in the extreme.
    Plus, he didn’t tell the truth. Like, a lot.
    Then there’s this: Trump is — and has always been — a fabulist. He is uniquely obsessed with always portraying himself as a winner — dating back to his days as a young professional when he made up an employee — named John Barron — who would call the New York tabloids and spread pro-Trump gossip.
    At every stage of his life, Trump has creatively edited the narrative to make himself look better. His many bankruptcies weren’t failures, they were savvy business moves. His party’s setbacks in the 2018 campaign were, actually, an upsetting of expectations and a victory. His botched handling of the coronavirus pandemic? He deserved more credit than he got. Riiiiight.
    When you combine that series of Trump traits, you see a) how difficult it will be for the National Archives to ever get a complete picture of the Trump presidency and b) why it is so, so important that it does everything in its power to do so.

  91. 91.

    Sure Lurkalot

    February 8, 2022 at 9:37 pm

    In lighter news

    I somehow resisted any urge to watch the oft mentioned video and apparently, that was quite fortuitous.

    My Girl Scout salesperson Zooey dropped off 5 boxes of thin mints 5 days early. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

  92. 92.

    Kalakal

    February 8, 2022 at 9:38 pm

    @Roger Moore: Good examples. Natalie Portman and Neil Patrick Harris would be 2 more. Sadly most seem to have a pretty miserable time as adults. Heather Ripley ( the little girl in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ) seems to have had a pretty tough time including being arrested on anti-nuke protests

    https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/3569298/chitty-bang-movie-anniversary-dundee-ruin-life-heather-ripley/

  93. 93.

    Gin & Tonic

    February 8, 2022 at 9:39 pm

    @J R in WV:  All the best to the both of you.

  94. 94.

    FlyingToaster

    February 8, 2022 at 9:40 pm

    @sab: I know the feeling.  My mom keeps sending me my RWNJ brother’s contact info, and I keep deleting it.  She made the mistake of asking around Xmas if I’d heard from him, and I’m like, “well, last year his current nutcase SO sent an XMas card.  WarriorTeen wanted to take it out to the sidewalk and set it on fire.”

    My mom is finally starting to get the idea of “Don’t waste my time.”

  95. 95.

    Ruckus

    February 8, 2022 at 9:41 pm

    @sab:

    Many of the things neurosurgeons do are risky because of where they are located. I see a neurosurgeon regularly to check on an issue that they likely won’t operate on because it is very risky and the chances of 100% success are not good and even if they are successful it might leave me worse off in a number of ways. It doesn’t effect me as long as nothing goes wrong but if it does it’s likely I’ll be gone before they can get inside to fix it. And I usually ask to have things fixed if possible but in this case leaving well enough alone is likely far better. Life is a crap shoot. Sometimes one craps out. IOW I don’t mind them being selective and knowing when not to proceed unless we absolutely have to is the correct answer. All that said there are times when they can fix things and make a life far better. I tend to believe a surgeon when they tell me that surgery is far riskier than not. Not everything is reasonably fixable.

  96. 96.

    CaseyL

    February 8, 2022 at 9:44 pm

    @J R in WV:  I’m so glad you now know what the issue is, and have someone experienced and extremely competent working on the best way to address it. Best wishes to Mrs. JR in WV, and to you!

  97. 97.

    Kelly

    February 8, 2022 at 9:44 pm

    @J R in WV: An old friend of mine had his legs quit working in December. Arthritis in his neck was pinching a nerve. Surgery fixed him. Tomorrow I’m driving him to his appointment to to go from a rigid neck brace to a soft one. He should be fully recovered soon.

    Best Wishes!

  98. 98.

    marcopolo

    February 8, 2022 at 9:46 pm

    Late to this thread, but as someone who did their 2021 taxes on Sunday (don’t ask), I can tell y’all that there is now, for the first time, a yes/no box to check in response to the question: “In 2021 were you involved in any transactions using cryptocurrency.”

    It’s going to wind up taxed pretty soon and between that, Matt Damon (and other celebs making effing tv ads hawking it, and this couple’s arrest kind of laying to rest the idea that crypto provides some kind of financial anonymity I’m predicting we are pretty much at peak crypto now and it’s all down hill from here. If you are in, get out now whilst you can.

    And, yes, I do get a great deal of satisfaction out this.

  99. 99.

    Roger Moore

    February 8, 2022 at 9:49 pm

    @Kalakal: 
    I suspect that the various anti-exploitation laws have made life easier for child actors and thus improved their chances of reaching happy adulthood. That said, I think there’s a whole thing about parents pushing their kids into showbiz because they see them as meal tickets, and the kids of whom that is true are a lot more likely to be totally messed up as adults. Britney Spears’s public meltdown is a classic example of the risk there, though she seems to have put her life and career back together.

  100. 100.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 8, 2022 at 9:55 pm

    @Roger Moore: Spears’s issues also need to be viewed through the knowledge of what a greedy shitbag her dad turned out to be.

  101. 101.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 8, 2022 at 9:57 pm

    @marcopolo: It’s always been taxable.  It is treated as a capital gain transaction.  It’s just common enough now that tax software is emphasizing it.

  102. 102.

    NotMax

    February 8, 2022 at 10:02 pm

    Guy sounds like a real piece of work. “Legitimate political discourse” my aunt Fanny.

    A Jan. 6 rioter who stormed the Capitol while he was out on bail on an attempted first-degree murder charge was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday, more than 10 months after he was first identified by online sleuths.

    Matthew Jason Beddingfield, of North Carolina, faces felony charges of assaulting officers, impeding officers during a civil disorder and carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon on restricted Capitol grounds, as well as several misdemeanors, according to court records. Source

  103. 103.

    Poe Larity

    February 8, 2022 at 10:05 pm

    This prosecution is worser than the woke lynching of the Rogainer.

    These poor people were trapped by their bazillions.

  104. 104.

    Roger Moore

    February 8, 2022 at 10:08 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I did mention parents pushing their kids into showbiz, which I think covers Spears’s situation pretty well.  My impression is that Disney is awful about collecting that kind of child actor.  I’m actually a bit surprised that Miley Cyrus turned out as well as she did.  I guess having parents in show business helps.

  105. 105.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 8, 2022 at 10:11 pm

    @Roger Moore: Cyrus happens to be really talented and actually interested in music.

  106. 106.

    Roger Moore

    February 8, 2022 at 10:12 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I suspect the tax software is (ETA: also) emphasizing it because some people are into cryptocurrency specifically because they think it will let them avoid taxes.  If people are planning on cheating, it’s extra important to let them know they’re getting themselves into trouble.

  107. 107.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 8, 2022 at 10:14 pm

    @Roger Moore: I agree.  The software companies are making sure that people who don’t report can’t blame them.

  108. 108.

    James E Powell

    February 8, 2022 at 10:17 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke:

    He is just a stunningly talented actor.

  109. 109.

    gwangung

    February 8, 2022 at 10:18 pm

    @Roger Moore: Hm, I think that the later kid stars tend to be better off. And I think there’s a few former Mousketeers that have established decent careers.

  110. 110.

    Lyrebird

    February 8, 2022 at 10:19 pm

    @J R in WV: COntinued good wishes to you and the Missus!  And the very talented neurosurgeon – may she be in top form!

     

    And thank you Anne Laurie for the laughs!

  111. 111.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 8, 2022 at 10:20 pm

    @gwangung: That Timberlake fellow seems to have done alright.​
    ETA: He even brought sexy back.

  112. 112.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 8, 2022 at 10:23 pm

    @Poe Larity:

    This prosecution is worser than the woke lynching of the Rogainer.

    These poor people were trapped by their bazillions that they stole.

    ???

  113. 113.

    Kalakal

    February 8, 2022 at 10:26 pm

    @Roger Moore: It’s not just showbiz, in the days of the Cold War Eastern European countries were notorious for producing brilliant young gymnasts many of whom suffered from skeletal problems in later life eg Nadia Comanenci. I used to work with the mother of a child maths prodigy, Ruth Lawrence. Her father had devoted his life from when she was 5 to educating her at home ( the parents divorced) and she spent her entire child hood focused on maths. She was admitted to Oxford age 12, got a starred first in maths at 13, a first in physics a year later and a DPhil in maths at 17. Her university experience was lectures, exams and being chaperoned everywhere by her father. She was a junior fellow at Harvard at 19. She’s a brilliant mathematician and seems to have gotten happier as she’s gotten older but never really had a childhood at all

  114. 114.

    zhena gogolia

    February 8, 2022 at 10:31 pm

    @gwangung: Here’s how old I am — I immediately thought of Annette Funicello.

  115. 115.

    Dan B

    February 8, 2022 at 10:35 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Funny Jello!

  116. 116.

    prostratedragon

    February 8, 2022 at 10:44 pm

    @lowtechcyclist:  We could run around with markers and add the word “exists” to the end of the stickers.

  117. 117.

    Steeplejack

    February 8, 2022 at 10:44 pm

    @Sure Lurkalot:

    You’ll be reordering.

  118. 118.

    Egorelick

    February 8, 2022 at 10:44 pm

    Quincy Cummings who was the little kid in the goodbye girl has a wonderful Twitter thread I fortuitously stumbled into. Highly recommend. She tells stories now instead of acting.

  119. 119.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 8, 2022 at 10:46 pm

    @Steeplejack: Next time she’ll make them wait.  Just to show who’s in charge.

  120. 120.

    Steeplejack

    February 8, 2022 at 10:46 pm

    Gotta say that The Equalizer, while definitely a genre piece, with formulaic elements, is not crap. Denzel Washington is excellent in it. The Equalizer 2 is pretty good too. Antoine Fuqua’s direction on both is tight.

  121. 121.

    Steeplejack

    February 8, 2022 at 10:49 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Sending good thoughts for your wife. ?

  122. 122.

    Benw

    February 8, 2022 at 11:08 pm

    @J R in WV: man, I’m hoping for the best for your wife and you

  123. 123.

    different-church-lady

    February 8, 2022 at 11:10 pm

    @Another Scott: I noticed that “sketchy” appears to be an official scoring metric.

  124. 124.

    beef

    February 8, 2022 at 11:12 pm

    @Kalakal:

    I can’t comment on Ruth Lawrence’s childhood, but she’s still doing fine mathematics and has enviable taste in hats.

  125. 125.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 8, 2022 at 11:12 pm

    NBC is doing to Shiffren what it did to Biles.  Absolutely shitty.

  126. 126.

    Salty Sam

    February 8, 2022 at 11:14 pm

    @germy: I love seeing republicans arrested.

    I’m with you on that, that was nice.  I need a cigarette after that…

  127. 127.

    different-church-lady

    February 8, 2022 at 11:17 pm

    But seriously, I’m a bit concerned that somehow crypto is going to slowly transition from clown show into a genuine danger to society.

  128. 128.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 8, 2022 at 11:20 pm

    @different-church-lady: So say the bitcoin twits who refuse to let you join their society in bitcoin.

  129. 129.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 8, 2022 at 11:22 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: ​
     The spirit of Zucker lives on at the Peacock network.

  130. 130.

    Mary G

    February 8, 2022 at 11:36 pm

    @Roger Moore: Having Dolly Parton as a godparent probably shows that Miley’s family provided a good basis all the way around.

  131. 131.

    Yarrow

    February 8, 2022 at 11:37 pm

    @Another Scott:  In this particular case it’s a play on a tweet by that athlete where she used the word “hangry” just before her competition during the previous Olympics.

  132. 132.

    Yarrow

    February 8, 2022 at 11:38 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:  No kidding. It’s awful.

  133. 133.

    PJ

    February 8, 2022 at 11:42 pm

    @Sure Lurkalot:  Since it was obvious the election was stolen, and that once the vote in the House was delayed by “legitimate political discourse” and the “right electors” were substituted to give back the victory to TFG, he would never have to leave, they understandably put off packing. And once legitimate political discourse was supressed by the Deep State, they were forced to just throw the incriminating documents in boxes without looking at them. Really, it’s all the fault of the Democrats.

  134. 134.

    different-church-lady

    February 8, 2022 at 11:44 pm

    @zhena gogolia: It’s almost like they’re trying to prove they have a double standard.

  135. 135.

    PJ

    February 8, 2022 at 11:48 pm

    @Roger Moore: Sometimes, you’ve got to pay the bills.  Michael Caine was on a talk show once promoting Jaws III and the host asked him if he’d seen the movie.  “I haven’t,” he replied, “but you should see the swimming pool I built with my paycheck!”

    More seriously, being in blockbuster movies like The Equalizer puts your name and face in front of a lot of people who would not normally go to see The Tragedy of Macbeth, but might because they enjoyed you in the blockbuster.

  136. 136.

    Another Scott

    February 8, 2022 at 11:50 pm

    Nixon watched a lot of movies at the White House. A lot.

    Zooks!

    (via dick_nixon)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  137. 137.

    brendancalling

    February 8, 2022 at 11:51 pm

    @Another Scott: I needed that. I L’ed OL for real at that one.

  138. 138.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 9, 2022 at 12:10 am

    @PJ: John Cusack does big budget movies on the condition that he gets the freedom and funding to do the indie movies he wants to do.

  139. 139.

    lgerard

    February 9, 2022 at 12:19 am

    This was one of my favorite stories of this genre

    NFT Collector ‘ILovePonzi’ Loses Valuable Ape NFTs to Hackers, Is Upset

    I would love to have been a fly on the wall when “ILovePonzi” tried to explain this to some weary Desk Sergeant

    So they stole your comic books?

  140. 140.

    Captain C

    February 9, 2022 at 12:29 am

    @lgerard: Kind of like on Big Bang Theory when Sheldon’s WoW account got hacked.

  141. 141.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 9, 2022 at 12:51 am

    @lgerard: Somebody stole your pajamas?

  142. 142.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    February 9, 2022 at 1:18 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: ​
      Cusack hasn’t been asked to do a big budget film in 13 years. Since then the vast majority of his work has been embarrassing direct-to-DVD action films.

  143. 143.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 9, 2022 at 1:20 am

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: Okay, let’s just change my verbs to past tense.  That was his deal when he was a box office draw.

  144. 144.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    February 9, 2022 at 1:33 am

    @Another Scott: ​  This has to be fabricated. I don’t believe he personally watched “American Graffiti”, “Klute”, “Cabaret”, and “Gigi”. Perhaps his wife and daughters. The infamous pill popping, drunken, anti-Semite wasn’t spending 3 hours watching “Fiddler on the Roof”.​

  145. 145.

    Dopey-o

    February 9, 2022 at 1:36 am

     

    @different-church-lady: But… but… stealing digital currency is not possible!!!1!

    Can you counterfeit something that doesn’t exist? Asking for a friend.

  146. 146.

    Ivan X

    February 9, 2022 at 2:05 am

    @Steeplejack: I love both of those movies, though, however well made they are, they’re for fans of exploitation fare. I, for one, love well-made exploitation fare. (Taken, Crank and even more so its sequel, and Drive Angry are real classics of this millenium.) And I love Denzel. So, no complaints from me.

  147. 147.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    February 9, 2022 at 2:14 am

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: Actually Dick Nixon was an amateur actor, community playhouse kind of stuff.  That’s where he met Pat.

  148. 148.

    Feathers

    February 9, 2022 at 2:25 am

    Just jumping in to post that they haven’t had the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event yet. It’s been delayed twice.

    Now it turns out that the IOC is in “legal consultations” with the ISU is the cause of the delay. There are reports that the cause is a test result in a Russian skater which happened before Beijing. Can’t vouch for source, but Russian Federation traveling with a doctor who has been busted for doping before.

    None of the Russian skaters who competed at the team event were at practice today. This includes Mark
    Kondratyuk, who did the wild Jesus Christ Superstar program with the 40 lashes and crown of thorns shirt. He’s supposed to compete in the long program tomorrow night, so it is really surprising that he’s not there.

    Links:https://twitter.com/cbrennansports/status/1491289743522336769

    https://twitter.com/insidethegames/status/1491287057754464258

     eta: name of Russian skater I forgot to Paste in

  149. 149.

    Anne Laurie

    February 9, 2022 at 2:35 am

    @geg6: [Tatum O’Neill] was a wonderful child actor. Such a natural. And then she grew up and somehow it all just disappeared.

    Like not a few child actors, she came from a family with a long dysfunctional history of substance abuse.  Growing up like that is great acting training, if you see what I mean…

    As she got old enough to control her own schedule, she developed her own substance-abuse problems, which killed her career from both ends (she couldn’t do good work under the influence, and nobody with hiring power wants to work with someone who can’t be counted on to perform on cue).

    Eventually, AFAIK, she did the hard work & got sober.  She turned in fine, sometimes hilarious performances in Rescue Me as the on-and-off-the-wagon offspring of a brutally dysfunctional family.

    At approximately the same time, her old man was doing episodes of Bones as a former NSA agent / semi-retired con artist / drunk who’d ruined his kids’ lives despite his very best intentions…

  150. 150.

    Anne Laurie

    February 9, 2022 at 2:41 am

    @Scout211: Cillizza didn’t mind TFG breaking ‘political’ rules, because as far as Cillizza understands it, politics is just what people who aren’t KEWL enough to be celebrities do.

    But TFG stealing memorabilia breaks celebrity rules, and that’s just (in his eyes) wrong.

  151. 151.

    J R in WV

    February 9, 2022 at 2:48 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: ​
     

    Thinking of the JRs in WV.

    Thanks, SiumobhanDuinne — mob enforcer. I have a lot of confidence in this hospital system, they saved her life 12 years ago when she had septic shock syndrome and a 30% chance or making it home OK. Since then we’ve visited Spain, France, Italy and kissed baby whales in Cabo, Mexico.

    But also too ::: Now after a nice dinner and a phone call with an old friend and a couple of hours of sleep, the furnace is no longer making cold air hot. It’s just moving the cold air around. Could be worse, I guess. At least it isn’t 5 degrees tonight.

    I do have an excellent contractor firm that has worked on this system several times in the past 30 years, and I plan to call them early in the AM. Some days, guys, some days !!! Maybe it’s time for a new Trane instead of another new repair on the current box of parts?
    I would scream but it’s 2:47 am and the dogs and cats are asleep, which is their best skillset.

  152. 152.

    Anne Laurie

    February 9, 2022 at 2:51 am

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Actually Dick Nixon was an amateur actor, community playhouse kind of stuff. That’s where he met Pat.

    Back in the Watergate days, there were jokes about how much grief the county would’ve avoided if Nixon had only been the professional actor that he really wanted to be.

    Riffing on the jokes about how Hitler only became a tyrant because he couldn’t succeed as a professional artist!

  153. 153.

    J R in WV

    February 9, 2022 at 3:03 am

    @raven:

    Thanks Raven — all of you guys are such great support when something like this happens to one of us. She’s going to be OK I think, The surgeon has 18 years of experience, did a neuro-oncology fellowship at M D Anderson in Houston, has a ton of articles on how to do stuff I can’t spell… I’m not anxious, I’m a little tense, which is appropriate.

    Also my fucking Carrier furnace is acting spastic again after years of quiet brave service… glad it isn’t 4 degrees out tonight! I’m going back to bed soon, will have to set a clock to call Ron at Elco Mechanical. They do good work, I don’t have to worry about extra or unnecessary work being done, they have all the work they can possible accomplish.

    When it Rains, it Pours….~!!~

    You all take care, stay safe !! Wear A mask for Dog’s sake ~!!!~

  154. 154.

    J R in WV

    February 9, 2022 at 3:18 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: ​
     

    Thanks! Y’all are the best. And wife is a tough little birb! All the nurses say so after they wrestle her to the ground~!~ /s

  155. 155.

    Bruce K in ATH-GR

    February 9, 2022 at 3:21 am

    @dmsilev:

    As far as I can tell, the one productive use of bitcoins and similar is to give this generation’s libertarians a direct first-hand lesson in why financial regulations exist.

    May I steal this? And if so, how would you like it attributed?

  156. 156.

    J R in WV

    February 9, 2022 at 3:28 am

    @Roger Moore:

    My impression is that Disney is awful about collecting that kind of child actor. I’m actually a bit surprised that Miley Cyrus turned out as well as she did. I guess having parents in show business helps.

    Miley Cyrus has a ton of talent that she has developed slowly and well. Her dad turned out to be a stand up guy too, when he stood up for Little Nas-X or however he spells his name. Nas has talent also too.

    And the video of the arrest of the elections clerk in grand Junction, that was hilarious. I love to see a Republican getting taken into custody. “Give me back my car keys!” — Honey, you won’t be needing that Cadillac for a while…

  157. 157.

    J R in WV

    February 9, 2022 at 3:36 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    NBC is doing to Shiffren what it did to Biles. Absolutely shitty.

    NBC is institutionally incapable of covering the Olympics like the sporting event it is, with the natural suspence that comes with giant death-defying sports events naturally.

    They prefer to cover an American in 12th place rather than record-breaking superstars making famous progress. It is despicable how they create phony stories rather than cover the very real stories that every Olympic sport creates in every day of competition.

    Fuck NBC and their shitty sports management group.

  158. 158.

    sab

    February 9, 2022 at 4:59 am

    @J R in WV: Yes. I remember when they relentlessly covered Ann Romney’s dressage horse that barely made the olympic team, and then completely ignored Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro in the next olympics- possibly the best dressage pair ever.

  159. 159.

    lowtechcyclist

    February 9, 2022 at 5:32 am

    @prostratedragon: Since I’m usually behind them in moving traffic when I see the bumper stickers in question, that suggestion is unfortunately impractical. But I like the way you think.

  160. 160.

    evodevo

    February 9, 2022 at 6:41 am

    @zhena gogolia: ​
      Yeah, me too…Kurt Russell immediately sprang to mind

  161. 161.

    JAFD

    February 9, 2022 at 6:59 am

    @J R in WV: ​
     Good thoughts to you and your wife, and requests to The Grand Architect of the Universe to recheck the amount of rebar in your columns.

  162. 162.

    JAFD

    February 9, 2022 at 7:09 am

    @Patricia Kayden: Interesting question.  Have to ask how far back the current position of ‘press secretary to the President’ goes.  Certainly Pierre Salinger is in the top tier with her, and FDR’s press secretary (whose name my memory hath but fleeting glimpses of) is probably responsible for what the job is today.

  163. 163.

    SFAW

    February 9, 2022 at 8:19 am

    @Another Scott:

    I was expecting a Snickers add to appear on a chyron…

    If it was the one with Betty White and Abe Vigoda, I’d tune in the Olympics just for that.

  164. 164.

    WaterGirl

    February 9, 2022 at 8:40 am

    @Another Scott: I only glanced at it, but it looks like maybe 2 a week?  That doesn’t seem totally crazy to me. ?‍♀️

  165. 165.

    WaterGirl

    February 9, 2022 at 8:41 am

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: Perhaps his daughter watched some of them.

  166. 166.

    Another Scott

    February 9, 2022 at 8:58 am

    @WaterGirl: Back in the Before Times, we’d see maybe one movie a year.  ;-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  167. 167.

    WaterGirl

    February 9, 2022 at 9:30 am

    @Another Scott: I don’t doubt that.

    But being president is a stressful job and people who intend to stay sane have to do something to relax.

    I believe it’s Stephen Covey who has the 4 quadrants for activities:

    Q1: Urgent – Important
    Q2: Not Urgent – Important
    Q3: Urgent – Not Important
    Q4: Not Urgent – Not Important

    Quadrant 4: (Not Urgent – Not Important) is where people spend their down time.  TV and movies are great examples of quadrant 4 activates.  Watching/playing sports and reading books are other examples.  But TV and movies and watching sports take the least amount of mental and physical effort.

    I don’t see Nixon playing hoops like Obama did, so 2 movies a week doesn’t seem all that noteworthy to me.

    TV/movies makes perfect sense as a way for a president to wind down in the 1970s.

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