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You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

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A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

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At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Trump’s cabinet: like a magic 8 ball that only gives wrong answers.

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Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Balloon Juice Zoom: Agatha Christie’s Life and Work

Balloon Juice Zoom: Agatha Christie’s Life and Work

by WaterGirl|  May 10, 20237:05 pm| 126 Comments

This post is in: Books, Open Threads

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We have just finished up a series of 6 Medium Cool posts about Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, courtesy of Subaru Dianne.  I know that SD was prepping a course for  OLLI, and I asked if she might like to try her stuff out on us.  Lucky for us, she said yes!

Likewise, during our Balloon Juice Indictment Zoom a few weeks ago, kalakal mentioned that he presents historical and biographic talks once a month at the library, and he had one coming up about Agatha Christie.  So my ears perked up and I asked kalakal if he might be interested in presenting it to us, also, as there was a lot of interest about Agatha Christie in the Subaru Dianne guest post.

And he graciously agreed!

So who’s interested in a Balloon Juice zoom about Agatha Christie?  The first hour will be kalakal’s presentation, and then we’ll take another hour or so for questions and conversation.

BJ Zoom – Agatha Christie – Saturday 5/20 at 7 pm 8 pm Eastern time.

From kalakal:

I will talk about Agatha Christie’s life and work, her legacy, and the reasons for her enduring popularity.

Christie, who taught her self to read at age 4 and didn’t attend school until she was 13 is the best selling author of all time, was the subject of the then largest manhunt in British history, actors hated her plays yet she wrote the longest running play in history, and she still had time to be a surfer girl!

There’ll be plenty of time after the presentation for Q & A and general discussion; it should be a lot of fun.

Who thinks this sounds like fun?  If you have an interest in Agatha Christie, or you want to learn more about her, or if mysteries are just your thing, please join us!

To RSVP,  send email  watergirl at balloon-juice.com  and also let us know in the comments, so others can see who else is interested, too!

Open thread.

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Reader Interactions

126Comments

  1. 1.

    Miss Bianca

    May 10, 2023 at 7:09 pm

    Meeeeeeeee!!!! I would be!

  2. 2.

    NotMax

    May 10, 2023 at 7:13 pm

    Open thread, so – –

    Above my pay grade but certainly merits noting (WaPo link).

    Federal law enforcement officials said Tuesday that they have hacked and disabled a complex Russian cyberespionage operation that allegedly was used for about 20 years to steal sensitive government materials from the United States and its allies.

    Justice Department and FBI officials described the Russian operation as one of the country’s most powerful cyberespionage tools. They said the agency has been secretly investigating the network for nearly as long it was in operation but executed a court-authorized search warrant only this week to remotely hamper the Russian malware.

    Law enforcement personnel had to surreptitiously develop their own cyberinfrastructure to interact with and disrupt the malware, which the Russians were constantly updating and changing, the officials said.

    The U.S. government, which coordinated its investigative activities with foreign governments, also had to time the execution of the search warrant to access the compromised computers simultaneously to keep the Russians from reacting and thwarting the operation. Source

  3. 3.

    Jerzy Russian

    May 10, 2023 at 7:14 pm

    I wonder how she taught herself to read at age 4.

    Unrelated to Agatha Christie, I have a Solatube with a light fixture.  One morning the light was barely on, so I changed the bulb.  The light still was very dim.  Given this, I stuck the previous bulb into a different lamp, and it was normal.  I got the ladder out, and looked inside the tube, thinking “how the hell can I get the fixture out?”.  Fast forward to this morning when I noticed the tiny dimmer switch on the switch was almost at the bottom, meaning the light was dimmed.  I moved the dimmer switch to its nominal position, and the lamp is fine.   I am glad I noticed this before I drove ~40 miles to the Solatube place in search of a new fixture.

  4. 4.

    Baud

    May 10, 2023 at 7:16 pm

    Our long national nightmare is finally over.

    Republicans Finally Admit They Have No Incriminating Evidence on Joe Biden

    A 65-page report, a press conference, and nothing to show for it

  5. 5.

    Orange is the New Red

    May 10, 2023 at 7:28 pm

    I would be very interested in the Agatha Christie talk.

  6. 6.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 10, 2023 at 7:31 pm

    @Baud:

    Benghazi and Hillary’s emails, it’s not. Nobody cared about this shit. Republicans don’t get normies

  7. 7.

    Gin & Tonic

    May 10, 2023 at 7:31 pm

    The question I have, is whether it’s Subaru Dianne or Subaru Diane?

  8. 8.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 10, 2023 at 7:32 pm

    I would be very much interested in attending

  9. 9.

    Baud

    May 10, 2023 at 7:34 pm

    Voyager 1 and 2 still chugging along in interstellar space.

    https://www.wired.com/story/voyager-2-gets-a-life-extending-power-boost-in-deep-space/

  10. 10.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 10, 2023 at 7:35 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    ¿Por que no los dos?

  11. 11.

    gene108

    May 10, 2023 at 7:39 pm

    Britain didn’t approve women’s suffrage until 1929. She became a bestselling author before she could vote.

  12. 12.

    Amir Khalid

    May 10, 2023 at 7:40 pm

    @Baud:

    If the Republicans have not found the goods on the Biden family’s corruption, it can only mean that the Bidens have gone to extraordinary criminal lengths to hide the evidence. It is thus the Republicans’ duty to speculate even more wildly about the cover-up while never letting up on the original baseless speculation about the Bidens’ crimes.

  13. 13.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 7:44 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: That is a good question!  I wonder if I may have been spelling it wrong?

  14. 14.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 10, 2023 at 7:45 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    The Clinton precedent!

  15. 15.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 10, 2023 at 7:52 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Doing a quick google search, I’ve seen it spelled both ways

  16. 16.

    Elizabelle

    May 10, 2023 at 7:53 pm

    Me for sure! I am so glad that kalakal is going to do this, and thank you for facilitating it.

  17. 17.

    gene108

    May 10, 2023 at 7:54 pm

    @Baud:

    I’m going to be sad when the Voyagers finally run out of power.

    I’m also amazed we can still receive their signals from so far away. The signals are very feint and take a long time to reach us.

  18. 18.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 7:55 pm

    Not a single RSVP by email yet, which is what I will need in order to send out zoom links

    Just sayin’.

  19. 19.

    Omnes Omnibus

    May 10, 2023 at 7:57 pm

    @Amir Khalid: Come on, what do you think the Voyagers’ real mission is?

  20. 20.

    ema

    May 10, 2023 at 8:00 pm

    @Baud:

    I just said* “Hello” to President Biden from BJ (34 s YT short; must listen to the 5th Ave. denizens’ comments)

    *as in I waved at his motorcade as it was zooming down 5th Ave a couple of hrs ago

    [It was Dark Brandon]

  21. 21.

    CaseyL

    May 10, 2023 at 8:05 pm

    I’m on the West Coast, and that’ll be 4:00 PM my time.

    I will RSVP by email, but (as I will also explain in the email): I will be at an event throughout the morning and early afternoon.  I will HOPE to be home and ready to join the Zoom, but there is a small chance I might not get home in time.

    TL;DR: Yes, I hope.

  22. 22.

    Auntie Anne

    May 10, 2023 at 8:07 pm

    Just sent the email.  I’ll be there!

  23. 23.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 10, 2023 at 8:07 pm

    @Baud:

    @gene108:

    Beyond the science, the most fascinating thing about the Voyager probes are the Golden Records.

    It’s estimated that around 1 billion years in the future is the latest date that the information stored on them will be able to be retrieved.

    It’s pretty unlikely anyone will ever come across them, but it’s an expression of humanity’s desire to reach out to other intelligent beings in the Universe, to say we were here. The Golden Records, along with the Pioneer plaques, were Carl Sagan’s touches

  24. 24.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 8:07 pm

    @CaseyL: I hadn’t thought about the West Coast time zone issue. It could start at 7:30 or 8:00 if that’s better for people.

    There’s nothing magical about 7pm.

  25. 25.

    brantl

    May 10, 2023 at 8:09 pm

    Sorry to be the wet blanket, but I thought Agatha Christie did her damndest to obscure all clues in her mysteries. I found her writing extremely dry, British-obscure, with characters so quirked, anyone of the characters could have done it, including the detective. There are any number of mystery writers that I think leave her choking on there dust.

  26. 26.

    Gin & Tonic

    May 10, 2023 at 8:09 pm

    @WaterGirl: Well, you spelled it both ways in the post, hence my question.

  27. 27.

    H.E.Wolf

    May 10, 2023 at 8:09 pm

    I’ve got a prior commitment at exactly the same time, but I’ll be there in spirit.

    Sounds like a great dual presentation, with two top-notch presenters!

  28. 28.

    O. Felix Culpa

    May 10, 2023 at 8:11 pm

    @brantl:

    So, we’ll put you down for “no”?

  29. 29.

    CaseyL

    May 10, 2023 at 8:11 pm

    @WaterGirl:  Starting later would increase the odds of my being back from the event in time.  If you can do that without inconveniencing everyone else (not least of whom, kalakal!) that would be great.

  30. 30.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 8:14 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Oh!  Dianne was apparently a typo on my part, because I always spell it “Diane” – but you raise a good point, seems like maybe it should be the more elegant spelling – Dianne.

    We shall as SD what she prefers. :-)

  31. 31.

    persistentillusion

    May 10, 2023 at 8:16 pm

    @Jerzy Russian: My son taught himself to read at 3.  He’s on the spectrum, had been non-verbal for about a year.  Driving to do some errands, a small voice from the back of the car says “B-a-k-e-r-y, Bakery!” Came really close to jumping the curb.

    We read to him and his big sister every night, so maybe that helped.

  32. 32.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 8:16 pm

    @H.E.Wolf: oops, sorry to have been unclear.

    The reference to Subaru Diane Medium Cool posts was just part of the introduction.  karakal gets the whole stage on this one.

    If we moved it to 8 pm instead of 7 pm (ET) would that work better for folks?

  33. 33.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 8:16 pm

    @persistentillusion: Wow!

  34. 34.

    Omnes Omnibus

    May 10, 2023 at 8:17 pm

    @brantl: That’s, like, your opinion, man!

  35. 35.

    persistentillusion

    May 10, 2023 at 8:21 pm

    @Amir Khalid: Good conspiracy=theorizing!

  36. 36.

    persistentillusion

    May 10, 2023 at 8:24 pm

    @WaterGirl: And the even more amazing thing is, 30 years later he presents as neuro-typical, if quirky at times.

  37. 37.

    SiubhanDuinne

    May 10, 2023 at 8:26 pm

    It goes, I hope, without saying that I’m interested and have marked my calendar accordingly!

    Thanks for organising this, WG, and thanks to Kalakal for sharing his expertise on Dame Agatha. I’m looking forward to the Zoom.

  38. 38.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    May 10, 2023 at 8:27 pm

    @WaterGirl: email on the way

  39. 39.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 8:27 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Very important question:

    Would the proper spelling of your nickname be:

    Subaru Diane

    or

    Subaru Dianne

    Whatever you say, that’s what it shall be going forward. :-)

  40. 40.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 8:28 pm

    @Mr. Bemused Senior: got it!

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    May 10, 2023 at 8:30 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    @WaterGirl:

    @Gin & Tonic:

    @WaterGirl:

    The double-n for choice if it’s all the same to you, please and thank you.

  42. 42.

    SiubhanDuinne

    May 10, 2023 at 8:31 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    The latter, please. Thank you for asking.

  43. 43.

    zhena gogolia

    May 10, 2023 at 8:35 pm

    @ema: Cool!

    I’m interested, but that’s our dinner time, so I’m afraid not.

    Ugh, plus I’ll be grading papers.

    ETA: Of course I won’t be grading papers during dinner, but all the rest of the time.

  44. 44.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 10, 2023 at 8:36 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    So, same as your nym 👍

  45. 45.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 8:38 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: So it shall be!

  46. 46.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    May 10, 2023 at 8:40 pm

    Since it’s an open thread, via commenter RaflW from below:

    mike freeman @mikefreemanNFL
    This is humiliating for CNN. Absolutely humiliating.
    8:16pm

    Apparently the Trump Town Hall is not going well

  47. 47.

    Baud

    May 10, 2023 at 8:49 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    I’m not sure what that means seeing as how we, normies, and MAGA have vastly different standards.

  48. 48.

    MagdaInBlack

    May 10, 2023 at 8:57 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): She is pushing back more than I expected and he is, as usual, lying thru his teeth

    Eta: and making up a whole new story about Jan 6. Holy cow.

  49. 49.

    Elizabelle

    May 10, 2023 at 8:59 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:  As in Dianne Feinstein.  As in Duinne. Got it.

  50. 50.

    Sure Lurkalot

    May 10, 2023 at 9:00 pm

    @persistentillusion:

    We read to him and his big sister every night, so maybe that helped.

    Self taught reading is often termed spontaneous reading. My 2 years’ older sister cannot remember me NOT reading.

    I attribute this to being the youngest of 4 and read to by my siblings; in addition, my 2 oldest sibs were in school so they were busy reading themselves.

    A book gets read to a child over and over so that it’s pretty much memorized and loved. The child then thumbs through the book alone and moves on to the sounds and letters, described as “breaking the reading code.” Not indicative of genius or really anything.

  51. 51.

    Quinerly

    May 10, 2023 at 9:00 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    I glanced at some live threads…

    He says we should default on the debt. The answer to a better economy is “drill, baby, drill” and more tax cuts. Still doesn’t know E Jean Carrol. Would pardon most of the insurrectionists and does not owe Pence an apology.

    The election was rigged. There’s tape of ballot boxes being stuffed.

    And Nancy Pelosi is “Crazy Nancy.”

    Nothing new, really.

  52. 52.

    Quinerly

    May 10, 2023 at 9:02 pm

    @MagdaInBlack:

    Are you watching? I went to “Tune In CNN” to listen on Alexa Echo. Two seconds of his voice and I went back to “Alexa, play Dylan.”

  53. 53.

    Miss Bianca

    May 10, 2023 at 9:04 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I confess to being morbidly curious – not, of course, curious enough to actually tune in, because fuck CNN and of course, fuck Trump.

  54. 54.

    MagdaInBlack

    May 10, 2023 at 9:06 pm

    @Quinerly: I watch Hal Sparks watch it, on Hal’s youtube channel. I enjoy the rebuttals from Hal. But I’m done now, I can’t take anymore. Quite the fantasy he’s weaving about Jan 6 tho. He’s pretty pissy about the pushback, which is amusing. PAB.

  55. 55.

    Jackie

    May 10, 2023 at 9:10 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):  Faux’s rebuttal to CNN’s MAGA event? Hannity is interviewing one of TFG’s potential rivals… and it’s not Puddin’ Boots 😂

    https://www.westernjournal.com/fox-news-hannity-hosting-trump-rival-following-45s-prime-time-event/

  56. 56.

    MagdaInBlack

    May 10, 2023 at 9:12 pm

    @Jackie: I musta missed the memo about Pence being a rival.

  57. 57.

    Ruckus

    May 10, 2023 at 9:13 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    NO! Say it isn’t so.

    What’s that old saying, ya gets what ya pays for

    Ya pays for shit, and expect different? Can’t Normalize Numbnuts.

  58. 58.

    Jackie

    May 10, 2023 at 9:17 pm

    @MagdaInBlack: Supposedly he’s planning to throw his hat in the ring.

  59. 59.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 9:25 pm

    Holy cow.  I won’t give CNN ratings, but this thread by Aaron Rupar is all we need.

    My thread about Trump’s CNN town hall starts here pic.twitter.com/e7k0mYZnOD

    — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 10, 2023

    She challenged him way more than I expected, and at the end he accused her of being “a nasty person”.

    I do not get the appeal of this lying sack of shit.  He will accept the results in 2024 “If I think it’s fair”.  So that’s a nope.

    He stands by the access holiday tape.  “It’s true that they let you if you’re famous.”

    Did you show any classified documents to others?  Mumble, mumble, “not really, not that I can recall”.  So that’s a yep.

    Link to the thread reader version.

  60. 60.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May 10, 2023 at 9:27 pm

    simple, direct questions about the MAL documents had him defensive and bullying, he called Collins a “nasty person”– the crowd of undecided Republicans went wild

    but I couldn’t help thinking his lawyers must have shown him the depositions from the Carroll case and told him, over and over again, “You can’t do this again! You have to learn when to stop talking!”

  61. 61.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 9:29 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    the crowd of undecided Republicans went wild

    hahahahaha

  62. 62.

    zhena gogolia

    May 10, 2023 at 9:31 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’m not seeing this at this link?

  63. 63.

    zhena gogolia

    May 10, 2023 at 9:34 pm

    @zhena gogolia: I guess twitter has now made it so you can’t read it without signing up.

  64. 64.

    Quinerly

    May 10, 2023 at 9:34 pm

    “Trump gets a round of applause after he says Pence should’ve done more on January 6 to help him overturn his election loss.” Aaron Ruper thread

  65. 65.

    kalakal

    May 10, 2023 at 9:35 pm

    Thank you to all who’ve expressed an interest. I have to say I’m looking forward to it.

    There will be no math

  66. 66.

    Quinerly

    May 10, 2023 at 9:35 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    Try this.

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1656441717665538051.html

  67. 67.

    Baud

    May 10, 2023 at 9:36 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    I got that too.

  68. 68.

    Quinerly

    May 10, 2023 at 9:38 pm

    “The CNN town hall audience laughs as Trump smears E Jean Carroll” Aaron Ruper thread

  69. 69.

    Jackie

    May 10, 2023 at 9:39 pm

    @WaterGirl: Looks like the audience was receptive 🤪

    I’m not watching it; skimmed through your link.

  70. 70.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 9:40 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Did you try the thread reader link I posted at #59?

  71. 71.

    Quinerly

    May 10, 2023 at 9:40 pm

    “Kaitlan Collins lets Trump slide when he lies about Democrats supporting the murder of born babies. Trump then refuses to answer a question about if he would sign a federal abortion ban, but indicates he’s open to it.”

    Aaron Ruper thread

  72. 72.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 9:41 pm

    @kalakal: We have 6 email RSVPs so far, and I’ll bet lots of folks haven’t seen this post yet.

    I think it will be great.

  73. 73.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May 10, 2023 at 9:43 pm

    Richard M. Nixon @dick_nixon 22m
    You can debate the ethics all you like but in terms of the politics this draws him into the open, and when he’s in the open he’s vulnerable. That’s proven.

  74. 74.

    zhena gogolia

    May 10, 2023 at 9:43 pm

    @WaterGirl: That works, thanks.

  75. 75.

    Omnes Omnibus

    May 10, 2023 at 9:43 pm

    @Quinerly: I am stupider for having read that.  Thanks.

  76. 76.

    pieceofpeace

    May 10, 2023 at 9:46 pm

    I’ll send email.  Thanks WaterGirl.

  77. 77.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May 10, 2023 at 9:46 pm

    In the interest of balancing out their mistakes with the trump town hall, Biden’s will feature an audience made up exclusively of white evangelical men over fifty with no college degrees

  78. 78.

    Scout211

    May 10, 2023 at 9:46 pm

    Dark Brandon responds:

    It’s simple, folks.Do you want four more years of that?If you don’t, pitch in to our campaign.https://t.co/EwCflbYn22— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 11, 2023

  79. 79.

    Quinerly

    May 10, 2023 at 9:47 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: you’re welcome!😉

  80. 80.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    @zhena gogolia: If he really has made it so you have to be logged in to twitter to see anything, we should keep in mind that the thread reader version of tweets still works.

  81. 81.

    Baud

    May 10, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Heh. The thing is, Biden would love every minute of it.

  82. 82.

    Quinerly

    May 10, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Totally agree.

  83. 83.

    Baud

    May 10, 2023 at 9:49 pm

    @Scout211:

    👍

  84. 84.

    kalakal

    May 10, 2023 at 9:53 pm

    @WaterGirl: Thanks, I’m more than happy to shift the time about if it’s better for our western Jackals

  85. 85.

    Scout211

    May 10, 2023 at 9:53 pm

    Well said, AOC.

    CNN should be ashamed of themselves.They have lost total control of this “town hall” to again be manipulated into platforming election disinformation, defenses of Jan 6th, and a public attack on a sexual abuse victim.The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host.— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 11, 2023

  86. 86.

    Baud

    May 10, 2023 at 9:57 pm

    Fundraising email from Biden.

    So, that happened

    If you missed Trump’s CNN town hall, you’re better for it.

     

    But the choice is clear: It’s four more years of Trump or four more years of Biden.

     

  87. 87.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May 10, 2023 at 9:57 pm

    If Chris Licht name checks himself on twitter, he’ll be crawling into bed with a handle of Jim Beam

  88. 88.

    Frankensteinbeck

    May 10, 2023 at 9:58 pm

    @Scout211:

    This is literally the best possible format for him.  A completely friendly audience that will keep him focused on hate rather than whining by asking the questions his fans are hyped about.  CNN could not possibly have given him a bigger gift.

  89. 89.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:03 pm

    @kalakal: I figure I’ll get in touch with all the folks who RSVP and find out whether 8 pm Eastern works better for most of them than 7.

  90. 90.

    Scout211

    May 10, 2023 at 10:05 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:
     

    Was that the center to which you wish CNN would return, Chris Licht?— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) May 11, 2023

  91. 91.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:08 pm

    @Scout211: I fixed it in the comment we just deleted, but you need to remove the “y” at the end of your nym in the comment box before posting another comment.  Then you’ll be good again going forward.

  92. 92.

    Scout211

    May 10, 2023 at 10:09 pm

    @WaterGirl: Thank you!

  93. 93.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May 10, 2023 at 10:10 pm

    Donald and Melania Trump are “closer than ever,” sources tell Page Six, as he mounts his presidential campaign — and faces legal troubles.

    Melania is now fully on board with the campaign, after his daughter Ivanka Trump stepped back from the spotlight, and she wants to serve as first lady again. …

    Mar-a-Lago is apparently abuzz that “the couple seems . . . more bonded than ever. Friends say that Melania’s stepping up — while Ivanka and Jared [Kushner] have stepped aside — has made [Trump] more confident than ever.”

    any way addenda to pre-nups can be FOIA’d?

  94. 94.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May 10, 2023 at 10:11 pm

    @Scout211:

    Charlie Sykes @SykesCharlie 11m
    This was not Kaitlin Collins’ fault. The format was impossible and CNN’s bosses should have known that.

    Chris Licht is rapidly becoming the Elon Musk of CNN…

  95. 95.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:13 pm

    Interesting thought. For those who can’t get to twitter, there’s nothing in the tweet itself that isn’t showing up in this comment.

    Did CNN know this would be such a hideous disaster? Yes.

    Are more people than ever going to be done with CNN? Yes.

    Will CNN boss Chris Licht survive this? Maybe not.

    Will Trump benefit in any way from this? Not a chance. If anything it’ll cost him swing voters.

    — Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) May 11, 2023

    Do you think he’s right?

  96. 96.

    Steve in the ATL

    May 10, 2023 at 10:14 pm

    @Elizabelle: As in Dianne Feinstein, no. As in Duinne, yes. There is a specific reason for the extra “n” in Duinne and thus in Dianne as well, which she explained to me one evening as we shared a bottle of red (that, IIRC, cost less than $5,000) but I’ll let her share that tidbit if and when she so desires.

  97. 97.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:16 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: Did you share wine with our SD?  Or with Feinstein?

  98. 98.

    Omnes Omnibus

    May 10, 2023 at 10:16 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Was Collins there?  Does she have free will?  She shoulders some blame.

  99. 99.

    Omnes Omnibus

    May 10, 2023 at 10:18 pm

    @WaterGirl: Have you ever seen SD and Feinstein in the same room?

  100. 100.

    Steve in the ATL

    May 10, 2023 at 10:18 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: this is a story planted by a PR flack who is terrible at being a PR flack.

  101. 101.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:18 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: I wonder if she had any choice in the decision for her to host the “town hall”.

    Town hall is a new spelling of Klan rally.  I guess they saved themselves one letter.

  102. 102.

    Steve in the ATL

    May 10, 2023 at 10:18 pm

    @WaterGirl: SD.  Feinstein and I split a bottle of Metamucil.

  103. 103.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:19 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: I have not!

  104. 104.

    frosty

    May 10, 2023 at 10:19 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: Lucky you. If there’s ever a meetup in ATL I might just find myself driving 800 miles.

  105. 105.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:20 pm

    @Steve in the ATL:

    Shorter:

    My kids are distancing themselves from me!  No, this is a good thing!  It makes me happy that my daughter/wife is pulling away.  No, really!

    I give this a believability rating of 1 out of 100.  They get one because it’s possible that the pre-nup requires this behavior.

  106. 106.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:21 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: Yum.  //

  107. 107.

    Steve in the ATL

    May 10, 2023 at 10:21 pm

    I flew back from Minneapolis today and, as happens now every time I’m in terminal G, I *literally* shuddered as I walked by the bar where I was watching the election returns in 2016.  Didn’t get confirmation of the disaster until a couple of hours later when I landed in Vegas. What an awful night. Followed by an awful four years.

    Shudders!

  108. 108.

    Jackie

    May 10, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    @Scout211: Biden’s tweet replies are crawling with MAGA replies. The AOC tweet below the one you posted is the same; MAGA.

    CNN should be *proud* – they’ve unleashed the beast.

  109. 109.

    Steve in the ATL

    May 10, 2023 at 10:23 pm

    @frosty: it would be worth driving 8,000 miles to hang out with SD. She’s awesome!

  110. 110.

    Jackie

    May 10, 2023 at 10:24 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    “Chris Licht is rapidly becoming the Elon Musk of CNN…”

    Great observation. Sykes is spot on.

  111. 111.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:25 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: For me it’s the fucking NYT needle.  The only way you could get me to look at that fucking needle for any election, even dog catcher, would be Clockwork Orange style.

    Just thinking about it brings back that awful night.

  112. 112.

    zhena gogolia

    May 10, 2023 at 10:25 pm

    @Jackie: I think that is probably true of Biden’s and AOC’s tweets all the time. The bots are very energetic. Heck, it’s true of Chris Murphy’s tweets.

  113. 113.

    Baud

    May 10, 2023 at 10:29 pm

    @Jackie:

    @zhena gogolia:

    Yeah, sounds more like a Musk thing.

  114. 114.

    Jackie

    May 10, 2023 at 10:29 pm

    @WaterGirl: Absolutely! There is only one person I watch on CNN: Jim Acosta, and he’s only on on the wknd. I keep waiting for him to get axed with the liberal purge going on.

  115. 115.

    Elizabelle

    May 10, 2023 at 10:30 pm

    From his wiki entry:  re Chris Licht:

    On his first day as chairman and CEO of CNN, Licht sent a memo to all employees saying, “Sadly too many people have lost trust in the news media. I think we can be a beacon in regaining that trust by being an organization that exemplifies the best characteristics in journalism: fearlessly speaking truth to power, challenging the status quo, questioning ‘group-think’ and educating viewers and readers with straightforward facts and insightful commentary, while always being respectful of differing viewpoints. First and foremost, we should, and we will be advocates for truth.”

    That reads like a parody after tonight’s shit show.

  116. 116.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May 10, 2023 at 10:32 pm

    @WaterGirl: I’m sure John Malone thought tonight was great TV, but Licht knows that everyone whose opinion he cares about thinks he’s a bumbler who’s in way over his head.
    I might tune into Colbert tonight– I guess tomorrow– to see if he talks about this shit show, not that he’ll call out Licht personally, but I’m sure CNN will be fair game.

    Morning Joseph is a bridge too far. I’ll let twitter watch for me.

  117. 117.

    Jackie

    May 10, 2023 at 10:37 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Is Colbert still *live*? The writer’s strike hasn’t effected his show?

  118. 118.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:37 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’m afraid I don’t know who John Malone is.  Chris Licht appears to be CEO, so maybe Malone is the actual owner?

  119. 119.

    zhena gogolia

    May 10, 2023 at 10:38 pm

    @Baud: TBH, it was true before Musk.

  120. 120.

    Baud

    May 10, 2023 at 10:40 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    I thought things had gotten worse.

    Why are people still surprised by it then?

  121. 121.

    zhena gogolia

    May 10, 2023 at 10:40 pm

    @Baud: I don’t know.

  122. 122.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May 10, 2023 at 10:49 pm

    @WaterGirl: cable/telecom gazillionaire who is not the CEO of the company that owns CNN, but a major shareholder and said to have been extremely influential in the rightward shift of the network

  123. 123.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2023 at 10:59 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Ugh.  (but thank you)

  124. 124.

    NotMax

    May 10, 2023 at 11:59 pm

    @Quinerly

    Even “Alexa, play Yoko Ono” would have been a marked improvement.
    :)

    @WaterGirl

    I hadn’t thought about the West Coast time zone issue.

    Nothing new. Being slighted by East coasters comes with the territory.
    ;)

  125. 125.

    baquist

    May 11, 2023 at 2:15 pm

    I would love to attend this call!

  126. 126.

    crimson pimpernel

    May 11, 2023 at 9:00 pm

    I would like to attend this Zoom, too

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