The USSR's hold on its Eastern European satellites began unraveling in December 1989, nearly a year after Reagan left office, and the USSR itself didn't dissolve until 1991 – all of which came as a complete and total surprise to everyone involved, including US intelligence, the USSR and opposition leaders in Eastern…

Dubya Bush had a very brief window of bipartisan support in late 2001-02, but never so much that there was such a phenomenon as a "Bush Democrat."

1. it's been shown Don had to trick his way in the door, despite being a WASP male.

"…it's all and always negative…"

"…I don't understand why he doesn't either demand a restoration of his position or a buyout."

Don owes his job to Roger's overt willingness to get shitfaced with a stranger at 10 am, so it's always been a double-edged sword. Roger and Don have both had their moments of alcohol-fueled dysfunction, ignored because of their status. (Although Don had a drink prior to the infamous Hershey's pitch, he wasn't drunk…

He could sell a watch to Big Ben, too.

Ditto, I initially thought he was trying to call Lane. Then I thought… Betty?

In 'n Out has expanded as far east as Austin, TX, at least.

In the pilot episode of the series Ken is a complete prick, too, and still is as late as "Kennedy-Nixon" at the end of the first season, when he chases a secretary across the office and more or less sexually assaults her to the "amusement" of everyone else. (In between, he's a prick about getting a story published in…

I think the glaring difference in Oliver's show, based on the initial effort, and The Daily Show is that Oliver is setting his own agenda for what he's going to talk about. Jon Stewart skewers cable news but he also follows its lead in terms of what he's going to talk about on a daily basis, to the extent that his…

He's not mean-spirited, he just has no filter. With anyone.

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/…

The connection between Megan stalking a director for a do-over and Don stalking his old office mates for a do-over is very sharp.

"The American Way of Death," a classic.

Initially I found Betty's complete lack of mothering instincts endearing because a certain degree of indifference seemed appropriate to the time period. (I don't mean "tough love," necessarily, but by today's standards most parents in the early '60s were under-protective to say the least.) As the kids have gotten…

Agreed, Betty discovering Don's past was just the anvil that broke the camel's back.

I thought it was Stephanie, too. What a bizarre cameo. Not sure what to make of that.

To forget she was the grownup there would have to have been a point that she realized it in the first place.

3. Don is also possessive of Peggy, or at least of his relationship with Peggy. They haven't been romantic, but he has always been her mentor and (occasional) confidante in the office and he resented Ted usurping that intimacy – twice.