It uses a metric crapton of licensed music, and it’s always been my suspicion that this is the issue plus NBC never giving a shit about the show. 

If that’s what your takeaway is from The Wire my reaction is that you only want to be bashed over the head. The definition of leftism isn’t whether or not you can solve the problem. There are right/center/left ways of diagnosing the problem to the first place.

The remaining Long Island Kmart is in, of all the odd places, Bridgehampton. I had to go look it up because I could not remember where there was a Kmart. This would explain why. It still has a 1990s era logo on the sign, too. Alas I am not driving all the way out Montauk Highway to find it and find out if it’s a time…

1) Cold open: As good as they could have done. Better choice than comedy.

I was a big OG fan since I was in high school. This was bad on MANY levels. Writing was bad. New characters didn’t work. ZERO humor. And what was going on with the lighting and filming? It looked completely different, and not in a good way. 

In real life, Robert Morgenthau was New York DA from 1975-2009. He retired at the age of 90 (and was partial inspiration for Adam Schiff). 

We don’t have the same level of coordinated media. Fox News is the tip of the iceberg. Groups like the FRC actually script this stuff for churches. One of my local churches did a whole series on why Critical Race Theory is bad. 

The early episodes are more interesting. They are honest about what the cops were like in the early ‘90s, and there isn’t a clear answer about whether you’re supposed to admire or hate them. They were cynical as hell, and Logan had a sharp temper and tried to pull confessions out of suspects in a way that didn’t come…

I wouldn’t call Melnick a scumbag at all. She was interesting. There were far worse. 

Also, don’t buy grapes this time of year at any price. They’re Southern Hemisphere imports and have no flavor. Stick to citrus. 

I’m angrier about how Disney sustains a low-wage economy in central Florida (while charging huge prices) than I am about them rising prices to cover actual changes in supply costs. 

I don’t know if I’m an outlier, but I’m less interested in the mystery/supernatural element (especially the latter: god help us if this goes the route of Lost) than in watching the relationships between the characters develop. The acting on this show is phenomenal. 

Honestly? I’d be happier if:

It’s less popular amongst the 60% of Americans who haven’t been to college. 

Man this was tough to decide what would make the Daily Mail foam at the mouth most. I decided that the right wing public could accept an Italian, but allowing a German to win would be too much.

The song was written and released originally in 2012, and she’s now been in the same relationship for over 4 years, so the Taylor Swift breakup song is now a retro throwback. 

this is a tough one! A couple of weeks ago I would have said Crystelle for sure, but now it’s a tossup. I think patisserie might play to her strengths a bit more, so it’s not certain.

Black Forest gateau (which, for whatever reason, is always called gateau and not torte or cake) was a British obsession in the 1970s which then became a national joke and has now returned to nostalgic fave. Every time a contestant does Black Forest, my English husband gets all excited about it. I made him a Nigella…

Well, according to their wiki, they *were* diagnosed with bipolar, but no longer accept the diagnosis. Plus all the substance abuse. It’s a bad situation and a good example of when someone shouldn’t be given a microphone. 

1) UK minimum wage is set to rise to £9.50/hr.