Oh, I wasn't even referring to Pissgate. I'm talking about things like appointing Putin's businessfriend as secretary of state.

But is it really deligitimizing the idea that we can seek better relations with Russia? As I tried to explain, people are not upset about that part of policy in isolation, they are upset about it in the context of Trump's overall shady behaviour. Also probably upset about the implication that their view is as…

Ur-Fascism, by Umberto Eco.
http://www.nybooks.com/arti…

It's only disqualifying in the context of all the evidence that he's not pursuing this policy in view of America's best interests, but because he's sold out to Putin. Sure, it might even be in the nation's best interest right now - what do I know, that's not my argument here - but if so, that's only an accident, not…

I don't think that Trump is anything but a heap of ego-centric impulses, which could never quite cohere into any defineable ideology, but the movement that got him into this position certainly has all the attributes Umberto Eco identified as the common features of fascism (cult of tradition, rejection of modernism,…

My guess would be that the author is upset because Reznor is upset about boring and petty stuff. This is the age of Trump - normalizing sexual assault, selling out to the KGB, shameless nepotism, pandering to Nazis by installing their favs in top-government positions, killing healthcare - and you want to feel edgy…

Because Jason's Buddhist monk disguise stopped him from causing any havoc. It's not Eleanor's mere presence that cause the trash storm and the sink hole, but her acting shitty in the good place. Jason's disguise effectively kept him on the straight and narrow.

Unless we're talking about The Americans.

Hillary is so Stannis. The old warhorse, who's convinced she's the logical choice for the job, based on her close relationship to a historically popular, but philandering former holder of the office, her many years of service in responsible positions and her unshakeable valor at defending the claim of her house under…

Some of the subplots I'm most curious about haven't been included at all (Brienne vs Jaime vs Lady Stoneheart) or replaced by something else (Sansa adventures at the Eyrie; Meereneese court intrigues; all Dornish affairs). Of course that tells me that these storylines aren't going to be too decisive for the ultimate…

"I could bring myself to sympathise with the KGB-perspective" has certainly stopped being a convincing excuse.

I've seen it framed as a choice between "The Handmaid's Tale" and "The Road". Conventional wisdom is that we're better off clawing our way back to civilization from a misogynist theocracy than going full-apocalypse.

I'm probably a minority in this regard, but I'm rather invested in the outcomes of many subplots the show has cut entirely, so I'm definitely still greedy for the books. But I've always been more of a "the journey is the destination"-reader, who often cares more about side characters than protagonists.

I think that's exceedingly likely. But the people around him are certainly good at using whatever they can to muddy the waters - I'm not sure they have much of a long-term strategy either, but confusion and chaos have so far suited them well enough, so why not add a bit fuel to the fire.

Can't lie - that rather was on my mind a bit. But who knows, it might still turn out a hoax - unverified, and maybe unverifyable. The Russians aren't going to provide the receipts any time soon. 4-Chan is already claiming credit. Maybe they realized that disinformation becomes a bit transparent if it's too one-sided.…

I know it's silly, because it will in no way diminish the horrors
waiting for us, but from a purely poetic perspective, I find it a bit
gratifying to see how personally obsessed Trump apparently is with
Obama.

Zadie Smith wrote a short story about it, "Escape from New York". I liked it quite a bit - it's got a strange sort of tenderness.

One of my favourite books. Used to reread it every year as a kid. I'm keenly feeling the lack of appropriately aged children I might show this in my social circle right now.

The "common folk" supported Trump to the degree on would have expected. That didn't cost Clinton the election. She won the popular vote anyway. It was a near thing. The surprise was that so many college-educated Republicans voted for him as well.

Thoughts, not so much; needs, definitely. Although they are argueably fairly uncomplicated. (And to be fair, he does seem to perceive Janet as a person with needs to some degree - he's trying to feed her cake.)