Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans in disarray!

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

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

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

Everybody saw this coming.

We are learning that “working class” means “white” for way too many people.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

You would normally have to try pretty hard to self-incriminate this badly.

Rupert, come get your orange boy, you petrified old dinosaur turd.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

If you’re gonna whine, it’s time to resign!

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Giving up is unforgivable.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

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Medium Cool – What Did I Miss?

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Medium Cool with BGinCHI – Backstories + Wind of Change

Tonight, let’s talk backstories.

I found this post in my drafts and as far as I can tell, I never posted it.  Even if I did, this post is from 5 years ago, so it should still be a fun conversation.

I can’t be the only person who starts watching a show and could use a primer on who the characters are.  For instance, Ovation is now airing Death in Paradise, starting with Season 5.  I watched all of Season 5 and it looks kind of fun, but I have no idea whether these characters have been on the show since day 1, or if we get a new head detective now and again.  I would love to know the backstory for the detective.  All I know so far is that he’s kind of an odd bird, and awkward, and he always solves the crime.  How big is this island in paradise?  With someone dying every week for more than 5 years, is there anyone left on the island?

And Doctor Who!  I started watching for the first time with the new doctor, and I really like it, but there’s so much I don’t know.  Like, does the Christmas episode have anything to do with the rest of the show, or are they stand-alone stories snatched out of time? I tried to start watching this year’s Christmas episode and I was totally lost before it had barely begun.

What if you’re watching Endeavor, but you never watched Inspector Morse?  (My situation.)  What should we know about the characters or their relationships from the future?

I started watching Better Call Saul without having seen Breaking Bad.  I started watching The Flash, and Arrow and Marvel’s Agents of Shield, without ever having read a single comic book.  I know a lot of stuff flies right over my head, but they are still enjoyable.

Do you have any questions about any shows you are picking up midstream?  Are there some shows that a person just shouldn’t try to pick up midstream?  Are there any shows you like where a person can start anywhere, and it doesn’t matter?

Update: I just wrote this post a week ago, and when i watched Death in Paradise last night, I discovered that they had traded out the head detective, just like that, with no warning, in the middle of a season! Wow.  But even though he has fallen in love and has gone off to London for the woman he loves, I would still love to know what his backstory was.

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Medium Cool – Whatever Floats Your Boat

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Medium Cool is a weekly series related to popular culture, mostly film, TV, and books, with some music and games thrown in. We hope it’s a welcome break from the anger, hate, and idiocy we see almost daily from the other side in the political sphere.

Arguments welcomed, opinions respected, fools un-suffered. We’re here every Sunday at 7 pm.

Taking a Break from the News 21
Photo of a riverboat by (1/12/26)

Let’s try something new tonight.

Tell us about anything culture-related that makes you happy.  And post a link to it, if you can.

But please don’t just list something or a bunch of somethings.  Talk to us about whatever it is., please.

That’s it!  Ready, set, go!

Any Oscar watchers?  Feel free to talk about that, too.  Personally, I’m usually only interested in the In Memoriam part.  Anyone know whether that’s usually at the end of the show?  Or partway through?  I hope it will be available later, also.

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TGIFriday Morning Open Thread

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BBC News – Lost Doctor Who and the Daleks episodes discovered in 'ramshackle' collection – BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article…

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— Andrew-Mark Thompson (@andydrewz.bsky.social) March 12, 2026 at 8:16 PM

******

Republicans approach the midterms with a doomed play for unity
www.semafor.com/article/03/1…

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— Semafor (@semafor.com) March 11, 2026 at 4:35 PM

… Most GOP lawmakers who gathered at President Donald Trump’s resort this week for their annual policy retreat said they doubted that the party could get another huge filibuster-proof bill to his desk, even as their leaders called for one. Several Republicans made clear that a new party-line bill would struggle to even get through the House.

And some of Speaker Mike Johnson’s members called for a different message ahead of the election, one that’s more focused on the economic goals Democrats are touting…

After Trump delivered a mixed message Monday night about when the escalating US-Israel war with Iran would end, the rest of the Republican retreat focused on putting an optimistic face forward. House GOP leaders don’t describe the midterms as lost, even though some of their members privately see a Democratic takeover as almost inevitable.

But maintaining that optimism through spring won’t be easy for the party’s leaders. Trump is expected to send Congress a request for more money for his war, while threatening to stop signing bills until Republicans pass a voter ID and citizenship law that faces serious hurdles. Republicans’ doubts about their ability to pass another megabill only adds to their problems.

Notably, even major players in last year’s huge tax-cut bill are joining in the skepticism. House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith of Missouri, whose tax-writing committee helped make the “big, beautiful bill” happen, isn’t backing off his past views of a follow-up.

“I would absolutely love a second reconciliation bill. I would love that, but I just don’t think it will ever happen,” Smith told reporters, citing the immense difficulty Hill Republicans had last year, with a bigger majority than they currently hold….

******

This might be the greatest split-screen ever broadcast.
They’ll play this in museums in future.
(🎥 LCI 🇫🇷)

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— News Eye (@newseye.bsky.social) March 12, 2026 at 11:11 AM

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Medium Cool – All the Women!

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Medium Cool is a weekly series related to popular culture, mostly film, TV, and books, with some music and games thrown in. We hope it’s a welcome break from the anger, hate, and idiocy we see almost daily from the other side in the political sphere.

Arguments welcomed, opinions respected, fools un-suffered. We’re here every Sunday at 7 pm.

Medium Cool – All the Women!

In honor of International Women’s Day, let’s talk about women and culture.

Writers.  Directors.  Dancers.  Singers.  Producers.  Musicians.

Actors.  Stars.  Poets.  Cowgirls.  Performers.  First Ladies.  (and more)

Moms who taught us a lot about culture.  Female characters in books and movies.

Women who were ahead of their time.  Women who paved the way for other women.

And especially women who have inspired you!

In case you are new to Medium Cool, these are not open threads.

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Medium Cool – Classics!

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Medium Cool is a weekly series related to popular culture, mostly film, TV, and books, with some music and games thrown in. We hope it’s a welcome break from the anger, hate, and idiocy we see almost daily from the other side in the political sphere.

Arguments welcomed, opinions respected, fools un-suffered. We’re here every Sunday at 7 pm.

Tonight let’s talk about the classics!

Medium Cool – Books That Shaped Your Views of Race

So let’s talk about classics.  But let’s expand it a bit.  Not just books like Moby Dick or Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice or A Tale of Two Cities.

I’m also thinking also about books like The Autobiography of Malcom X and Rules for Radicals and Our Bodies, Ourselves.  Authors like Marge Piercy or Katherine V. Forrest or Maya Angelou and books like The Color Purple.  Books where you found kindred spirits, and could read about people like you.

Two links to help get you thinking.  100 Must Read Classics chosen by Penguin books readers, and faber’s Black History Month Books: Classic Titles by Black Authors.

So… classical classics and irreverent classics and eye-opening classics – and you get to be the judge of what is a classic, it doesn’t have to be on anybody’s classic list but your own.

 

In case you are new to Medium Cool, these are not open threads.

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Monday Morning Open Thread

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What a brilliant observation.
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— Anita (@anita1956.bsky.social) February 11, 2026 at 10:24 PM

===

Please keep repeating that we’re in a perfect economy. That will resonate with everyone and ensure election victory.
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— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) February 15, 2026 at 11:46 AM

Listening to Trump Admin officials, you’d never guess that the US stock market underperformed the rest of the world in 2025.
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— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) February 15, 2026 at 8:16 PM

Donald Trump ran for President saying he would lower costs “on day one.”
What's happened since he took office a year ago? Costs are up, up, up.

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— Elizabeth Warren (@warren.senate.gov) February 15, 2026 at 5:13 PM

Trump can gaslight about a “golden economy” that doesn’t exist, but the American People know the truth: thanks to his stupid tariffs & his Big Ugly Bill, basic necessities have never been more expensive.

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— Rep. Jim McGovern (@repmcgovern.bsky.social) February 14, 2026 at 12:00 PM

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Friday (the 13th) Morning Open Thread

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What's so amazing about Jim Henson as a puppeteer is that he could literally be explaining that Kermit is made out of felt and ping pong balls and yet Kermit still feels alive the whole time he's doing it

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— David J Bradley (@davidjbradley.bsky.social) February 11, 2026 at 5:03 PM

When only the wealthy can afford peace of mind for their children, we've turned childhood into a privilege, not a promise.
I am proud to lead the Child Care for Every Community Act with @warren.senate.gov to cap childcare costs and fight for universal childcare.
19thnews.org/2026/02/aoc-…

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— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@ocasio-cortez.house.gov) February 12, 2026 at 2:07 PM

The SAVE act is anti-American & anti-democracy. I’m furious that it passed the House.
It’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. Voter fraud is rarer than rare—and when it does occur, it’s often MAGA trying to illegally tip the scale.

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— Rep. Jim McGovern (@repmcgovern.bsky.social) February 12, 2026 at 10:26 AM

The president is overruling science to eliminate measures that protect us from pollution and environmental damage, mainly to benefit multinational corporations that have thrown money at his campaign, ballroom, and family.
It's simple corruption, and it will cost American lives and livelihoods.

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— Pete Buttigieg (@petebuttigieg.bsky.social) February 12, 2026 at 5:49 PM

President Trump used DOGE to facilitate one of the largest transfers of wealth from the poor and working class to the rich in American history. Oversight Dems have seen the damage and we won’t stop until we get accountability.

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— Oversight Dems (@oversightdemocrats.bsky.social) February 12, 2026 at 4:47 PM

OMG, it is Jared Kushner's name that came up in a sensitive conversation about Iran and Tulsi Gabbard has tried to bury it.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u…

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— Michael J. Stern (@michaeljstern.bsky.social) February 12, 2026 at 4:54 PM

Of course, ICE kapos say a lot of things that don’t happen, but: Anyone ready for Altamont, but for Sports?

This should be the signal for counties to boycott the World Cup. They can’t, in good conscience, put their fans and their nationals in danger.

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— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) February 12, 2026 at 11:46 AM

How does it fit into ICE’s mission to provide “security” at the Olympics and World Cup? Unless their task is to hunt for foreign citizens to kidnap and detain?

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) February 12, 2026 at 11:48 AM

Friday (the 13th) Morning Open ThreadPost + Comments (148)