Our top headlines. Basically, we have two strong lede stories. Some outlets are leading with one; some with the other:
- Obama removes Cuba from list of terror sponsors (WashPost) — Apparently, the future has arrived.
- Obama Says He Would Sign Bipartisan Bill on Iran Deal (NYT) — Hey, how did this happen? Are there some Republicans reacting to the news that POTUS will sign by saying, “Maybe we did something wrong here?”
- Medicaid expansion advocates in SC ask foes to at least consider options (The State) — Wouldn’t that be nice, for those folks to consider reason for just a moment? This story’s old now, but important. And did you see the long letter to the editor this morning headlined, Single-payer would work better in SC than private health-insurance system? To which one wants to say, duh…
- Soul singer Percy Sledge dies aged 74 (BBC) — All there is to say about that is this. Wow. Wow. He articulated one of the core eternal verities, with an eloquence seldom matched.
- The surprising downsides of being clever (BBC) — People think it must be wonderful to know you’re the smartest person in the room. But as Holly Hunter famously revealed, “It’s awful!”
- ‘Free-range’ parents plan to file lawsuit after police pick up children (WashPost) — Those trend-bucking Maryland parents let their kids, 10 and six, walk home alone again, and the cops hauled them in again. And hey, the story’s co-written by my old friend Brigid Schulte!
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The downsides of being clever piece was itself not very: “biases in every strata of society”–um, stratum. The only downsides I gleaned were that sometimes we bewail that we failed to live up to our potential and that those of us with exceptional verbal skills are more anxious–busted. Besides that, the article seems to say “Smart people: They’re just like us!”
In other news, the Republican National Committee sent me a “membership renewal notice” with a payment due date of 5/1/2015. hahahahaha….and despicable. They do this because some idiots fall for it.
Kathryn,
What did you think about the series finale of Justified? I know I will miss the series. It was different and other than a series on a long time ago, “My World and Welcome To It”, based on James Thurber’s work, Justified has been one of the few real pleasures on television I can remember. Whatever it was that gives a series that “it”, Justified had it or at least for me and based on your frequent references to it, I think you are one who enjoyed it as well.
Yes! I was hoping someone would want to talk about Justified. I thought the series finale was superb. The last line of the series was perfect. It tied up all the story lines without feeling like it was forced or contrived. For instance, I liked that they didn’t get Raylan and Winona back together.
For any of y’all who watched “Breaking Bad”, you know how Bob Odenkirk is now kind of “identified” as Saul Goodman because he played the character so well? I kind of feel that way about Walton Goggins playing Boyd Crowder now. I’m not going to be able to see him as anyone other than Boyd Crowder for a long time, even when he goes on to other roles. I mean, the “Devil Get Behind Me” dance/speech at the end it just awesome. (How great would that be as an end-zone celebration in an NFL game, by the way?)
Raylan’s showdown with Boone was classic gunslinger drama, even though you knew how it had to end. My only minor complaint is that I would have liked for Sam Elliott to have kept his trademark mustache. It was odd seeing him without it.
Great series, great actors, great ending. I need to add some of Elmore Leonard’s books to my reading lists.
But… did Elmore Leonard write the ending, since he wasn’t around for it?
Don’t tell me any more… I’m just on the second season…
Without telling you the ending in detail: Yes, he kind of did write the ending. Very cool.
Well, I betrayed my husband and watched it while eating lunch. I will gladly watch it again!
Walton Goggins was identified as Shane Vendrell, and everybody thought that was set in stone. Did you catch his turn as Venus van Damme on Sons of Anarchy? I readon IMDB that he’s up for a comedy next. May I recommend his films with Ray MacKinnon — start with the Oscar winning The Accountant, and work your way up. The man can play a lot of characters!
Definitely thought the ending was completely perfect. Everything ended up truthfully to the characters!
Yes, Sam Elliott just looks weird without his mustache–his upper lip is very strange and he looks like a turtle.
The Sam abides…
I loved My World!!!
My World was way ahead of its time and one of the most intelligent half hours ever on television. William Windom was perfect as the father.
Justified is what television was intended to be, great writing, great acting, and great character development. And, it didn’t settle into boring and routine. Won’t spoil the ending for you Brad but I absolutely agree with Bryan, it was as close to perfect as an ending can be. Nothing trite or contrived, simply honest.
As a plus, Walton Goggins is one of my favorite actors whether on TV or in the movies and his portrayal of Boyd Crowder was as good as Tim Olyphant’s Rayan Givens.
One of the funniest lines was Art dryly going on about the relative exercise benefits of target shooting during the scene at the bar.
Great writing.
I agree, it was understated funny and typical of Art’s character and sense of humor.
Nick Searcy’s character, Art, was one of the best in the series other than Raylan and Boyd. No matter what Raylan did, his character may have been madder than heck at him but he knew Raylan was all about justice and not doing anything that was not “Justified”.
One other character I really liked, Margo Martindale’s portrayal of Mags, the head of the Bennett family. Not to spoil anything for Brad but the scene when she gave some of her “Apple Pie” moonshine to Loretta’s father was classic Mags. Then holding his hand while the effects took place was about as good as it gets by the writers.
Yeah, I saw that episode. If I recall, that’s the same woman who plays the Russian case officer in “The Americans”…
I too received a “renewal” notice from the Republican National Committee, to add to those from the Democrats in the circular file. Neither of the parties will be happy with my responses to their solicitations.
A few years at the State House have cured me of any sense of partisan affiliation I might ever have had. Fortunately there is no fund-raising group for those of us who split our tickets depending on the character and actions of the candidates.
If there were, I’d probably run for office… There just is no support system for people like us who recoil at the idea of joining a party.
And when someone tries to START such a structure outside the two-party system, it ends up like the well-intentioned new SC American Party, with its emphasis on term limits and other things I object to…
But it would have been considerably more reasonable for the Democrats to solicit me.
Thread hijack
Got my state refund in the mail on Thursday. Talked to IRS yesterday and may see my $70 federal refund in “…4 to 6 weeks…” Total time spent listening to institutional Muzak since 3/2, approximately three hours. Wish as much time was spent by tax agencies verifying tax refund filers as has been spent by them and me verifying MY identity after-the-fact. *sigh*
/Thread hijack
Yet I read where the IRS doesn’t even go after underpayments less than a million. We got a letter on 2013, where they ignored what Steve wrote explaining the discrepancy, and want us to send in $1,000. We sent them another letter.
Whatevs…
#1: Bravo. Long overdue.
#6: So when the kids didn’t show up at their expected time, it wasn’t because they had been abducted or injured; it was because the police had picked them up for walking down the street without an adult. And if the allegations are true, law enforcement didn’t immediately contact the parents (which you’d think they would do if their primary concern was the children’s safety). Something doesn’t feel quite right.
In other news, former upstate representative Bob Inglis will be receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award for his views and actions concerning climate change. Good for him.
Yes, indeed. Good for him.
I don’t understand. The system returns children to violent, drug-riddled parents because the parents, after all “have rights” and because the kids are “better off” with their mother (and maybe) father, but takes kids away from loving parents who have trained their children well and who are willing to give them the opportunity to use what they’ve learned, and to experience some independence? It doesn’t seem sane to me.