Meanwhile, in the real world: Trump Rule Could Deny Birth Control Coverage to Hundreds of Thousands of Women
By ROBERT PEAR
A new rule nearing approval would greatly expand the number of employers and insurers that could claim moral objections to contraception coverage.

(a) I thought either Nick or the Hannah said something like "what did she think he was going to do?" when they find the body, in which "he" obviously means Fred. So maybe that's what that scene was about? Something happened between previous Offred and Fred, that may be similar to what Nick sees happening with June?

Why not? What year is it in the show? I was also looking forward to at least the beginning of the Gorbachev era.

I swear I just saw her - or maybe it was her daughter - on All In with Chris Hayes. A young woman born in Russia, raised in the U.S., travels there often, comments on U.S.-Russian relations. :)

I know that one. But writers of the 19th century also referred to the "Slavic race," the "Nordic race," the "European race," by which I guess they meant the French, Germans and English. Although there are references to the "Germanic races."

I was just making the point that the concept of "race" has been narrower in the past - and lately it's obvious that there are still some folks living there. :) I agree - there is no biological basis for "race." But ever since Darwin (and I'm a big fan of Darwin), people have been trying to categorize human beings on…

Well, there used to be a "Russian race," just like there used to be an Italian race and a German race, etc. You run into the term quite a bit when you read late 19th-early 20th century pieces, when the term "race" was nearly synonymous with "ethnic group."

Absolutely. I write a bit of magical realism, and always have my characters accept the magic as soon as possible. Otherwise it's pages and pages of boring stuff where they keep freaking out about it, or come up with impossible explanations, when both I and my readers just want to get on with the story. I tell folks, I…

"pleasantly watchable" In a nutshell. I have all of your complaints, but I'm not unhappy enough to stop watching. I also watch "The Americans," "Fargo," and "American Gods," not to mention the news, and I can't help but feel a sense of sweet relief when I see "Designated" up next in the Q. It's TV's version of "Three…

Kathryn finds Gordon in her house. Supposedly he doesn't know her real name. So how did he find out where she lives? Oh, right. A fingerprint. Which is on file, for some reason. And the old smart lady isn't suspicious from the get go?

Yeah, the housebuddy and I looked at each other and said, "Over? Already?"

All the feels.

"Wanna cuddle?" Or words to that effect. Eye-rolling laughter on my couch and others.

That's me. It's been a very long time since I read it, and have read so much in between that I've forgotten much of the book. So this will be both recall and new experience for me.

The only comfort is that this scenario seems to require a catastrophic precipitating event: epidemic infertility. Currently, dropping birth rates seem to be a matter of choice.

Loving it so far, although I do wish they would throw in a few more self-aware, intelligent locals, because those do exist in Minnesota, including one or two of my relatives. But I love Carrie Coon's subtle take on the accent. Not so pronounced as the others, but there - I can't remember the line, but the way she…

"Jessica Lange sending a little shade toward her Postman Always Rings Twice co-star, Jack Nicholson." Jessica and me, as one. :)

I noticed right away the continuing use of "hun" - which got on my nerves last time out, and "well, okay then." I have relatives in the upper Midwest - I'm related to people who have been known to say "uffda," which would fit in well here. As would one of my Norwegian grandmother's favorite exclamations, "Well,…

SPOILER ALERT: Follow the blue dots.

Hell, I'm just happy we're getting a tiny taste of realpolitik along the way.