Luther. If you’ve not seen this twisty police procedural starring Idris Elba, give it a good go. Short seasons, great pacing, some of the best British TV I’ve seen.

The only other show I’ve gone to Gem for was Schitt’s Creek. I want to watch Station Eleven and Poker Face (b/c Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne).

Films currently on Gem worth the watch:

• Incendies
• Snowpiercer
• Parasite
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
• Moonlight

And I hear good things about:

• Call Me By Your Name
• Captain Fantastic

Anyway, this a pretty good start for the non comedy side of Gem.

Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything was a fun read. And concise. Fast review here ruins nothing.

For US history, Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States has been excellent. I’m 94% of the way through. I love that this book has spawned an entire education project.

I’m due a re-read of Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine. It’s not strictly a historical account, but it certainly casts a different light on late 20th c. and early 21st c. history.

I would be remiss if I did not include the 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones. This was one of the most important reads of my last 10 years. Again, not strictly history, but a lens on history.

Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan was also excellent, about the peace conference that ended the Great War.

If you’re really on about the period in Europe between 1945 and 2005, though, I have to recommend Postwar by Tony Judt.

Maybe not where you want to start, but I ended up loving David Graeber and David Wengrow’s The Dawn of Everything.

That a bunch of barbarians from north and western Europe whose primary values were ownership, sequestration, exploitation, and domination set the political, economic, social, and psychological agenda for an entire planet. True, this may have been the mode of survival from Rome to the Renaissance, but why are we still locked into it now?

The next part of this comment includes crude generalizations of 1st to 18th century for every continent. Historians, feel free to clarify. Ahistorical boobs, at least be willing to ask questions before you attack.

Turtle Island sustainability and oral history, Asian cosmic coexistence, Middle Eastern knowledge preservation, African social development, East Asian detente, Australo-Pacific deep time and vast exploration, and/or panhumanistic duty to family — no. Every other culture and value system expressed by non-Europeans was summarily suppressed, violently undercut, and disregarded as backward, non-Christian drivel. This continues into today.

Gangsters, germ warfare, rapid industrialization — yes. Every means of short-term gain, power concentration, expansionism, and advantage-taking is normal. Inter- and sometimes intra-familial feuding, marriage pacts, and warmongering is normal.

Sometimes, it seems that almost ANY other system than the one we have now — centered on wealth and weapons — would be an improvement. However, ever other system can not contend with the threats of wealth and weapons.

Masters of the Universe (1987).

This was my first post-credits scene. It was such a surprise. And, because it was on TV in the late 80s/early 1990s, we weren’t certain what we’d just seen and couldn’t watch it again!

I’d add to this list:

That’s too expensive! Cash price? Stop here! Speak slowly, please.

And any words you might need to relate a dietary restriction: no meat, no dairy, no shellfish, no gluten.

Waves of the ocean washing ashore.

Thunder

The violin, a muted trumpet, jazz piano, glass harmonica.

The title credits music from the Expanse - Clinton Shorter

Crustation - Purple (Ummah/J Dilla Mix)

Epic choral singing. (Arvo Part - Miserere)

I think the key to the arrest was the influence of the complainant. Police could not be seen to be “not addressing” claims of “anti-Semitism” or a “hate crime”. Consequently, mere bureaucracy has taken over. He’ll be released on low bail and asked to steer clear while the investigation is happening. He’ll have others publish for him. Enough public pressure will have the charges dropped.

Say it with me now:

Criticism of the State of Israel is not anti-Semitism.

No matter what the Zionists say, wherever they say it.

Oh boy, do they ever! I don’t think I could be a vet. Too many really sad situations.

Yeah, I admit, I’m biased against dentists. My friend’s sister is a dentist. She’s great. Still, they use those tools on people every day.

Maybe they do need hugs. Maybe that’s how the ultrasonic scaler will be redesigned into something more humane.

Teachers - need hugs

Dentists - do not need hugs

Dads - need hugs

Corporations - do not need hugs

CEOs of Fortune 500 companies - need hugs, but only if they’re exploring how to undermine extractive, exploitative, fascist-leaning capitalism. Otherwise, no hugs

Cartoonists - need hugs

Union leads - need hugs

Weapons manufacturers - need the cold embrace of obsolescence.

Blue handprint.

Analyst + therapist = analrapist

Pascal’s Wager

Buying pants. My thick thighs make most pants not fit well. It’s annoying and was more embarrassing back in HS. My GF at the time really liked to shop and shop with me. I had to shoot down her plans a lot.

I hated wearing corduroy as a child. The zip-zip sound while running or walking was an embarrassment.

I’m glad that people’s bodies are more accepted now. I’m glad to see more kids who are accepting and promoting body positivity.

That just wasn’t my experience.

There’s a bunch of these thought experiments that try to posit scenarios where C is violated.

Here’s one I remember from uni involving scissors. Similar to what OP was thinking, but really really big scissors.

Nah. Instead, in Poilievre’s case — and some others —it’s a dim view of reality.

Reality is an inconvenience to these fucks.

I don’t want people who lie, grift, and con to be in power anywhere. Especially mean-spirited, divisive, angry little boys like PP and 45/47.

It’s been said: “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.” ~ Frank Wilhoit (Ohio)

Accountability is for the poors. The powerful, the change-agents of history, move beyond accountability. Or, so they practice. Every so often, one falls from grace; another rides rough-shod over sensibility; a third is investigated, tried, convicted, forgotten, then released to wither and die in obscurity. Often, people forget.

I lived in Seoul for 3 years. 청계천 is one of the happiest places of my memory.

Should the UNSG also have said nothing?

I’ll print more legibly in the future.

That’s just how I process information. Pencil in hand and post-its are easy to find in my house. They end up in notebooks with more writing. Better, by far, than on back of some envelope or on my kids’ school work like my parents used to do.

Also, made you look.

Ding ding. Correct.