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.
Miss Bianca
Meeeeeeeee!!!! I would be!
NotMax
Open thread, so – –
Above my pay grade but certainly merits noting (WaPo link).
Jerzy Russian
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.
Baud
Our long national nightmare is finally over.
Orange is the New Red
I would be very interested in the Agatha Christie talk.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Baud:
Benghazi and Hillary’s emails, it’s not. Nobody cared about this shit. Republicans don’t get normies
Gin & Tonic
The question I have, is whether it’s Subaru Dianne or Subaru Diane?
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
I would be very much interested in attending
Baud
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/
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Gin & Tonic:
¿Por que no los dos?
gene108
Britain didn’t approve women’s suffrage until 1929. She became a bestselling author before she could vote.
Amir Khalid
@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.
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: That is a good question! I wonder if I may have been spelling it wrong?
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Amir Khalid:
The Clinton precedent!
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@WaterGirl:
Doing a quick google search, I’ve seen it spelled both ways
Elizabelle
Me for sure! I am so glad that kalakal is going to do this, and thank you for facilitating it.
gene108
@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.
WaterGirl
Not a single RSVP by email yet, which is what I will need in order to send out zoom links
Just sayin’.
Omnes Omnibus
@Amir Khalid: Come on, what do you think the Voyagers’ real mission is?
ema
@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]
CaseyL
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.
Auntie Anne
Just sent the email. I’ll be there!
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@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
WaterGirl
@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.
brantl
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.
Gin & Tonic
@WaterGirl: Well, you spelled it both ways in the post, hence my question.
H.E.Wolf
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!
O. Felix Culpa
@brantl:
So, we’ll put you down for “no”?
CaseyL
@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.
WaterGirl
@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. :-)
persistentillusion
@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.
WaterGirl
@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?
WaterGirl
@persistentillusion: Wow!
Omnes Omnibus
@brantl: That’s, like, your opinion, man!
persistentillusion
@Amir Khalid: Good conspiracy=theorizing!
persistentillusion
@WaterGirl: And the even more amazing thing is, 30 years later he presents as neuro-typical, if quirky at times.
SiubhanDuinne
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.
Mr. Bemused Senior
@WaterGirl: email on the way
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: Very important question:
Would the proper spelling of your nickname be:
WaterGirl
@Mr. Bemused Senior: got it!
SiubhanDuinne
@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.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
The latter, please. Thank you for asking.
zhena gogolia
@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.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@SiubhanDuinne:
So, same as your nym 👍
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: So it shall be!
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
Since it’s an open thread, via commenter RaflW from below:
Apparently the Trump Town Hall is not going well
Baud
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
I’m not sure what that means seeing as how we, normies, and MAGA have vastly different standards.
MagdaInBlack
@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.
Elizabelle
@SiubhanDuinne: As in Dianne Feinstein. As in Duinne. Got it.
Sure Lurkalot
@persistentillusion:
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.
Quinerly
@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.
Quinerly
@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.”
Miss Bianca
@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.
MagdaInBlack
@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.
Jackie
@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/
MagdaInBlack
@Jackie: I musta missed the memo about Pence being a rival.
Ruckus
@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.
Jackie
@MagdaInBlack: Supposedly he’s planning to throw his hat in the ring.
WaterGirl
Holy cow. I won’t give CNN ratings, but this thread by Aaron Rupar is all we need.
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.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
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!”
WaterGirl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
hahahahaha
zhena gogolia
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’m not seeing this at this link?
zhena gogolia
@zhena gogolia: I guess twitter has now made it so you can’t read it without signing up.
Quinerly
“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
kalakal
Thank you to all who’ve expressed an interest. I have to say I’m looking forward to it.
There will be no math
Quinerly
@zhena gogolia:
Try this.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1656441717665538051.html
Baud
@zhena gogolia:
I got that too.
Quinerly
“The CNN town hall audience laughs as Trump smears E Jean Carroll” Aaron Ruper thread
Jackie
@WaterGirl: Looks like the audience was receptive 🤪
I’m not watching it; skimmed through your link.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: Did you try the thread reader link I posted at #59?
Quinerly
“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
WaterGirl
@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.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl: That works, thanks.
Omnes Omnibus
@Quinerly: I am stupider for having read that. Thanks.
pieceofpeace
I’ll send email. Thanks WaterGirl.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
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
Scout211
Dark Brandon responds:
Quinerly
@Omnes Omnibus: you’re welcome!😉
WaterGirl
@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.
Baud
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Heh. The thing is, Biden would love every minute of it.
Quinerly
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Totally agree.
Baud
@Scout211:
👍
kalakal
@WaterGirl: Thanks, I’m more than happy to shift the time about if it’s better for our western Jackals
Scout211
Well said, AOC.
Baud
Fundraising email from Biden.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
If Chris Licht name checks himself on twitter, he’ll be crawling into bed with a handle of Jim Beam
Frankensteinbeck
@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.
WaterGirl
@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.
Scout211
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
WaterGirl
@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.
Scout211
@WaterGirl: Thank you!
Jim, Foolish Literalist
any way addenda to pre-nups can be FOIA’d?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Scout211:
WaterGirl
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.
Do you think he’s right?
Steve in the ATL
@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.
WaterGirl
@Steve in the ATL: Did you share wine with our SD? Or with Feinstein?
Omnes Omnibus
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Was Collins there? Does she have free will? She shoulders some blame.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: Have you ever seen SD and Feinstein in the same room?
Steve in the ATL
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: this is a story planted by a PR flack who is terrible at being a PR flack.
WaterGirl
@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.
Steve in the ATL
@WaterGirl: SD. Feinstein and I split a bottle of Metamucil.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: I have not!
frosty
@Steve in the ATL: Lucky you. If there’s ever a meetup in ATL I might just find myself driving 800 miles.
WaterGirl
@Steve in the ATL:
Shorter:
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.
WaterGirl
@Steve in the ATL: Yum. //
Steve in the ATL
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!
Jackie
@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.
Steve in the ATL
@frosty: it would be worth driving 8,000 miles to hang out with SD. She’s awesome!
Jackie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
“Chris Licht is rapidly becoming the Elon Musk of CNN…”
Great observation. Sykes is spot on.
WaterGirl
@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.
zhena gogolia
@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.
Baud
@Jackie:
@zhena gogolia:
Yeah, sounds more like a Musk thing.
Jackie
@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.
Elizabelle
From his wiki entry: re Chris Licht:
That reads like a parody after tonight’s shit show.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@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.
Jackie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Is Colbert still *live*? The writer’s strike hasn’t effected his show?
WaterGirl
@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?
zhena gogolia
@Baud: TBH, it was true before Musk.
Baud
@zhena gogolia:
I thought things had gotten worse.
Why are people still surprised by it then?
zhena gogolia
@Baud: I don’t know.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@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
WaterGirl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Ugh. (but thank you)
NotMax
@Quinerly
Even “Alexa, play Yoko Ono” would have been a marked improvement.
:)
@WaterGirl
Nothing new. Being slighted by East coasters comes with the territory.
;)
baquist
I would love to attend this call!
crimson pimpernel
I would like to attend this Zoom, too