Signal Wave

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Hi, guys.

I am seriously wiped. I'm actually more wiped out right now than I was last week when I was actually sick. Perhaps it's because I'm trying to actually do things out in the world as opposed to just resting.

So, here is the Man I'm Tired version of my OT.

Still re-reading Steven Brust:

brust1_0.jpg

Brust has two main series, his Vlad Taltos series and his Phoenix Guards duology.The Phoenix Guards is 1,000 years BV (before Vlad) and 500 Years After is, well, 500 years BV. What I'm reading now is part of the Viscount of Adrilankha, which bridges the gap between the two. I don't like it as well as either of the others, but it's still good, because even the worst Steven Brust novel is still good. Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grill is probably his worst novel to date, and it has a passage that I have memorized as one of my personal moral touchstones. That's how good he is. He's good enough to fictionalize the fall of the angels and make it new and interesting. That's how good he is.

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What I'm getting at is if you like film noir, hardboiled detectives, mysteries, fantasy, science fiction, dragons, battles, well-rendered friendships, witty wordplay, or honest and unpretentious grappling with deep moral themes, you should read him.

I also recently checked out two Michael Moorcock books, (one of them was The Dancers At the End of Time) because my boyfriend cites him as one of his three main influences (the others being Gene Wolfe and Neil Stephenson). I have a feeling I might have checked out the wrong books, which often happens when you notice an accomplished author waaaay later than everybody else. Anyway, I'm hoping that I will like Michael Moorcock, or that I will like somebody new sometime. My mind has had a tendency to eddy lately, and encountering new minds and new material might help.

I have actually found a new television series in English that I like!

lucifer.jpg

The basic plot is that Lucifer gets sick of his job and takes an extended vacation to Los Angeles, running a nightclub. A brother angel (non-fallen) gets saddled with the job of keeping the damned in hell and doesn't like it, so is constantly haranguing Lucifer to go back to work. No soap. Lucifer would rather run a schnazzy nightclub and party. Nonetheless, he maintains his penchant for 1)evoking people's forbidden desires (some of which are pretty hilarious) and 2)punishing evildoers. This Lucifer is a rebellious party animal with a passion for justice and a hatred of lies. No wonder I like the show.

I just found out Neil Gaiman was involved with this story. That's the second "no wonder I like it" if anybody's counting.

The main actor, Tom Ellis, is very good indeed; actually a cut above most of the other actors in the show, though the rest are not bad. But my, the leading man is good. And I'm not just saying that because he's easy on the eyes. Rachael Harris, who plays the Devil's therapist (I'm not kidding) is also quite good.

I've only gotten as far as the middle of the second season, and I suppose there's still plenty of time to twist the story into an obnoxiously saccharine, insidiously authoritarian seven-layer shit dip of a story, but it hasn't happened yet. In fact, I just found out the series got cancelled after three seasons and subsequently picked up by Netflix, which is a good sign. Cancellation often correlates with high quality.

As for what I'm listening to, well, I have a Journey earworm that I won't inflict on the rest of you. Instead, here's a hilarious song, again courtesy of my boyfriend, by Anders Nilsen. This is a Scandinavian dude who decided it would be funny to do a song in Spanish. And it is. Pay close attention to the words:

How are you all today?

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Good day CantStop, get well soon, don't get pamonia. Did we just talk about it last year? tempus fugit I have a crap cough leftover from smoke days, it never really left so every morning is kinda hacky. meh I am still a gong-banger "ya don't get off until ya cough" so there's that, the self-inflicted side affect of euphoria. happy sunday, with a flower on top. lol

Perhaps Monday would be a good day for the whole world to call in sick, that would be great. Every one get some rest, soldiers too. PEACE
US government workers call in sick, demand strike action against lockout and payless paydays

As hundreds of thousands of families are unable to meet rent or mortgage payments, cover health bills or put food on the table, and the government fails to carry out basic social functions such as food and drug inspection, road, bridge and mass transit maintenance, housing and nutrition assistance, the entire political system and all of its official institutions become increasingly discredited in the eyes of the working class.

Among the 420,000 "essential" workers forced to work without pay are 13,000 air traffic controllers, some of whom posted on Twitter pay stubs listing $0.00 for the pay period ending January 10. Their plight sums up the reality of class relations and the role of the state as the repressive arm of the ruling class.

first class goes first
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solidarity
--
MX is having a gas shortage, bigly: As fuel shortage continues, data reveals gasoline imports significantly reduced

Mexico imported 45% less gasoline from the US in the first 10 days of January compared to last year

---
AMLO declares 2019 year of revolution leader Emiliano Zapata

The president told reporters at his morning press conference that he had decided to dedicate this year to Zapata to commemorate the centenary of his death and to recognize his role in the armed struggle that lasted from 1910 to 1920.

All of the federal government’s stationery will feature Zapata’s name, López Obrador said, adding that the best homage that will be paid to him “is that the government, which arose from the people and through democratic elections, will respond to the demands of Mexicans, especially . . . the humblest people.”

Descendants of the revolutionary, who was killed near Ciudad Ayala, Morelos, in 1919, were on hand to hear the president’s declaration.

Don't drive it park it. Call in sick, for mother earth. general strike

Chuck Nancy

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Lookout's picture

@eyo

Don't drive it park it. Call in sick, for mother earth. general strike

The yellow vest movement is spreading and is active in 23 countries...
http://www.inspiretochangeworld.com/2019/01/yellow-vests-movement-goes-g...

If we could only develop a Global Green Peace Deal....a unified umbrella with specific goals to dismantle the capitalist corporate oligarchy, redistribute wealth, get off fossil fuels, and manage natural systems holistically. Yeah and if frogs had wings they wouldn't hit their ass every time they jumped.

Edit to add....hope you get well soon CStMS!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mimi's picture

@Lookout
which are not allowed to be used by other EU countries' police forces against demonstrators. The so called flash bolts (?) shooting devices, which shoot 40 millimeter hard rubber bullets at demonstrators. They cause severe injuries. That reported the ARTE Journal yesterday evening.
Arte Journal - January 12th
The weapon is clearly to see at TC 3:44.
I hope Macron will fall over this. The demonstrators are quite courageous. And very reasonable when talking to reporters.

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

...is still working to protect the corporate oligarchy rather than help people. Another empty suit. Will his fall create a path for the RW?

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Lookout

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

@eyo

https://shop.medicalmarijuanainc.com/vaporizers

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@HenryAWallace where do I get the lithium for the batteries? I don't wanna think about where they come from, and it's a pain in the ass to recycle batteries around here. So I stick to the basics and for me, the essence of the medicine is kinda ruined by further processing. I know local farmers and I like cannabis trichomes mostly intact, they are beautiful and even their smell helps me feel brief happiness. Flowers, gratitude, voluntary simplicity. peace

oh well so much for that

ukiah is still haiku, spelled backward

love

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@eyo

I didn't know anybody else still remembered it!

The Doobies, like Chicago, were much better earlier.

But then Chicago had a very sad reason for that. The heart and soul of the band killed himself in a gun accident.

You shouldn't clean your gun while intoxicated.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal @Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal maybe you'll enjoy this blast from the past too. I had a big crush on Tom Johnston back in the day, almost met him once at a party in Mill Valley. teenage groupie

Jesus Is Just Alright

Someone gave me a copy of Captain and Me signed by TJ, and Tyran Tiran Porter. I sold the LPs when I sold my house but I still love that bass...

peace on mother earth

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@eyo
and they ROCKED OUT, and the doobies without Johnston, after McDonald, and they, uh, chilled out.

the McDonald version sold a lot more records -- but mainly, they were Michael McDonald records, not Doobie Brothers records.

now, MM is long gone, and Johnston is back in the band.

[video:https://youtu.be/t4sK8d48Exs]

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@eyo

And I'm totally down with the blue flu. Good for them.

I'm not coughing at all; breathing is fine (which I hope will continue). But I slept till 11:43. Second time this week I slept ridiculously late. Oh well. I guess I need it.

Has it ever occurred to anybody that those "essential workers" are essentially getting blackmailed using their own civic instincts?

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@eyo

Rather die on my feet than live on my knees.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@eyo

petroleum and its chemical siblings anyway. Goddamn it. We should have been out of this twenty years ago.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

As with Galavant, cancelled, to my displeasure, after only one season, I am with you on Lucifer, CStMS (though I was not especially impressed with the acting of the woman who played the therapist--okay, but not to the level of Tom Ellis, IMO.) I watched it season by season for all three seasons. I was very disappointed when it was cancelled. I thank you for letting me know that Netflix picked it up. Although I saw it as an option on Netflix, I thought Netflix was only re-airing the first three seasons.

That said, I have been contemplating (as I frequently have for a decade or two) the perfidy of our corporatist, establishment media. ( "Corporatist" and "establishment" are, when used together, a tad redundant, so I apologize.) MSM has hidden truth from many of us for too long, by slanting, by not covering stories that should be covered, by distracting us with trivial news and fake news, etc. Nonetheless, our eyes somehow opened.

Now that both our oldest and largest political parties are--or rather, now that many of us have realized and acknowledged that both our oldest and largest political parties are--run and almost completely populated by neocon warmongering politicians, bent on imperialism and altneoliberalcon austerity, what are the options of the 99%, really?

1. We can pretend we don't notice and vote for whichever wing of Gore Vidal's Property Party we deem the lesser evil--assuming we can decide which is the lesser. (To me, FWIW, Democrats at least seem like the lesser evil short-term and the greater evil long-term.)

2. We can vote for a newer party of our choice, either without holding our noses or holding them slightly less than we must if we opt for option 1, above, but knowing our candidate will lose by a landslide.

3. We can form a new political party, hopefully realizing from the off that "we" really means us. Too often, I see or hear people speak of "We need to form a new party," really meaning, "I want you and them to form a new party, incur all the expense and do all the work to build it. If, by some miracle, I agree with every policy, person and move 100%, I may well arse myself to go to the polls and vote--but only for President and only if I feel the candidate has a realistic chance of beating both the Democratic and Republican candidates for POTUS. And, I expect that to happen fairly soon--and without my volunteering or donating."

4. We can have, or muster, faith in Our Revolution and throw ourselves into that body and soul.

5. We can take the beginning of the Declaration of Independence literally and revolt, as did our forefathers and foremothers in 1776. (Warning: Due to government shutdown, the text of the Declaration of Independence has not been updated or monitored recently.)

Please bear in mind that, as revolutions go, the aftermath of the American Revolution was considerably less messy than the aftermath of both the French Revolution, which the American Revolution inspired, and the Russian revolution, inspired by excesses of the ruling class (aka the PTB, or the establishment) combined with even more than altneoliberalcon "austerity" for everyone else, including the Russian military fighting World War I while coming down with influenza.

So, those who vote for Option 5 should, like Jefferson, Madison, et al., have a pretty good plan for what happens on Day 1 of the new Republic or the nascent democracy, as the case may be. They should also have a good plan for how to go about organizing and coordinating a national revolution in a nation this size, without strong unions to help, as in Europe's much smaller nations and to do so without being detected by our many "spy on Americans in blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment" forces, who have many surveillance cameras and super-sensitive mikes planted in all our larger cities in addition to those private proprietors put up.

6. We could take up a peaceful hobby, like gardening or knitting and do our best to ignore politics entirely, so we don't keep aggravating ourselves to no discernible avail.

Okay, I confess: This post, drafted entirely by me, with no help from Putin or any other Russian, is partly serious and partly my frivolous effort to use all the forbidden terms mentioned in Snoopy Dawg's marvelous OP. And I sincerely hope that all our "spy on Americans" agencies, nymag, Conspirador Norteño and all the other maroons who equated using those words, so necessary to telling even a smidge of the truth about the US, with being a tool of Russia get pantsed in public while TV cameras are rolling and exposed for the un-American asshats they are.

Happy Sabbath, everyone! (-;

.

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@HenryAWallace

You don't want to miss out on Tad Cooper. I mean it.

Also, how often do you get to see the lord of Downington Abbey dress up like a pirate and do a dance number?

Smile

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

I'm not especially proud of that, but I did.

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snoopydawg's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

It's another British show and in my opinion one of the best ever. The plot keeps you guessing and just when you have it figured out, you haven't come close.

Downton Abby? Oh Yeah I am guilty of loving that show. Just rewatched it again. But for me sometimes it's like watching for the first time.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@snoopydawg

since I know you wouldn't recommend anything, well, Call of Duty-like. Smile

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@HenryAWallace

Kudos, HAW, and I'll get back to it after I've applied more coffee and read snoop's essay, which I somehow missed.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@HenryAWallace

I just didn't bother to look at their various "red flags." Shows how little respect I have for them, I suppose.

It was a great essay.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

The Aspie Corner's picture

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DtwEmi7HsE]

As a disabled American forced back in to college for another 4 years in order to try to meet the constantly shifting goalposts of the bourgeoisie, this certainly resonates.

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Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@The Aspie Corner

I'm so sorry.

I hate that they've made my original chosen profession a tease. I hope it will work out better than that for you. Goddamn them anyway.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

The Aspie Corner's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal It's either that or serving idiot customers at the shit-wage mall I live right next to.

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Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

enhydra lutris's picture

thread, but a legitimate question, so I'll leave it.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

enhydra lutris's picture

hoping for full recovery. Trying to get stuff done here, which means spinning my wheels trying to figure what to do next. In the final throes of getting ready to take off for a couple of weeks and dealing with the fact that said wanderings will cross month's end. Thanks for the nordic salsa word salsa.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@enhydra lutris

"When did you learn Spanish?"

"Si."

SNORT

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@enhydra lutris

Leave us some updates here and there if you can. I'm interested in other people's travels, because I'm a bit grounded myself till I get past certain house expenses.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

I confess to posting before reading all the way to the end. Salsa Tequia, right on. Cure what ails ya why not. dont eat the worm
Greetings from Marijuana. smile
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/la-cucaracha-cockroach.html

...
The cockroach, the cockroach can't walk anymore(ah, ah)
because it's missing, because it's missing (ah,ah)
marijuana to smoke (2x)
Now if I understand the medics
If I wasn't doing anything bad
you don't understand me and untill now enough
but you don't know
for my salary
I work hard for my family
I always seek
and tell you now's enough
but that looks that don't know how silly
that is what I note and I don't know what more
arraiz everything that they say
the bad languages
I dedicate the cockroach to them
and tell them that
I'm going to trample it
...

La cucaracha - Gipsy Kings

Mexico’s Lawmakers to Take First Steps to Legalize Marijuana Go AMLO

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@eyo

I used to love them. They had a great album in the late 80s, Este Mundo

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

mhagle's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

Have that CD and listened to it hundreds of times back in the day. Never watched any of their videos, so that was fun.

Funny story . . . my cousin, her husband (both intellectuals and librarians), and their tiny daughter (at that time) went to a Gypsy Kings concert. Upon leaving, the little girl declared "That was too fucking loud!." Shocking and hilarious.

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

enhydra lutris's picture

@eyo
"don't eat the worm" - contrariwise, Do eat the worm. It is alleged to bring a lifetime of good luck. I drank my first one at 16, have survived much and am still going. An unpaid testimonial.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris @enhydra lutris now I have... an Edit for accuracy: Weird Al Yankovic does Michael Jackson ear worm. "eat it, eat it, just eat it" donk donk
http://www.flask.com/should-you-eat-the-tequila-worm/

The worm is reserved for a drink known as Mezcal, which, according to some, is tequila’s big brother. But the two spirits are entirely different. Tequila is distilled from any number of natural Mexican plants and can bear the name as long as the finished product consists of at least 51% agave. Mezcal must be 100% agave.

Some argue that Mezcal is a form of tequila; others argue in the opposite direction. But let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter. They’re both alcoholic beverages brought to us by the fine people of Mexico.

Origins of the Worm ...
.
Tastes like Chicken ...

LOL tequila always gave me the absolute worst hangovers, worse than gin. It was probably just too cheap, not big brother material. Darnit now I have a Donovan earworm, "jennifer, juniper" laa la la la. Thanks berry much. cheers

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Anja Geitz's picture

image_54.jpg

It's not meant to be a commentary on societal struggles for the working class circa 1950's, for sure, but The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel does make some interesting observations about women during that period in the same vein that Mad Men did for the 1960's.

Either way, this guilty pleasure has been completely addictive for me. Funny in a way that combines screwball comedy with wry overtones, the fast paced dialogue and gorgeous settings may have you going back for seconds (I've already binge watched both seasons twice!!).

The premise: an upper middle class Jewish girl from Manhattan breaks into comedy after her marriage falls apart. How that happens is not only hilarious but highlights some incandescent comedic performances from Alex Borstein, Tony Shalhoub, and Marin Hinkle, who play her manager, her Father, and her Mother, respectively.

As Midge Maisel, along with her manager Susie Myerson, try to maneuver their way through the sometimes hostile but always dismissive male battlefield of the entertainment business, Amy Sherman-Palladino's writing conjures up an authentic voice to her main character's challenges. There is a scene where the eponymous Mrs. Maisel takes down the male comics in the room who have ridiculed her on stage while she waits to do her set that is pure gold to watch. As is her first meeting with Lenny Bruce, and the friendship they cobble together.

But perhaps my favorite episode so far includes Midge's first road trip where she tells her manager that her mother made her quit cheerleading because she was afraid that all that jumping around would shorten the shelf life of Midge's breasts. "You gotta put that in your routine. Your Mother's fucking nuts". Indeed. As is Midge's entire life, which is all up for grabs as she includes it in her routine. Can't wait for season three!

Hope you get your strength back really soon. Thanks for the open thread today!

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

mhagle's picture

@Anja Geitz

Have only watched the first episode in the second season so far. I need to treat myself and finish watching it!

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

snoopydawg's picture

@mhagle

If so was it better after the first episode? I see someone mentioned the Bridge that is a Dutch show. The tunnel is British and American of the same show. Then there's Poldark. Wonderful show with a very strong leading lady! She rocks. Liar was pretty good too. The leading woman was aw crap I've forgotten her name. Mrs Bates. Emma? Nah .. anyway she's brilliant.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.