Or maybe entirely a joke. It's hard to tell tone from text. The last bit particularly struck me as tongue-in-cheek, as anyone who's heard Lily Allen's music is probably aware it's not going to fit with the setting...

Yeah, there is substance. But definitely the style is going to be too gratuitous and violent for some people. But the writing is excellent. It's based on the books, which do have more substance but can get (especially in the later volume) a bit... unfocused. The show does an excellent job (in my opinion) of…

Er. So obviously that's meant to read "I don't think a lot of it is entirely serious" -.-;

Just going to add this to the team dog team cat discussion (I'm team both, for the record).

In fairness, if they're out, they probably aren't in their territory.

You can make reasonable inferences about motivations, attitude and reasoning about non-human animals too if you know enough about them (on the most basic level for dogs, tail wagging - playful not intending to be aggressive, tail down and cringing - afraid, teeth bared ears back - aggressive).

It's not entirely unknowable - partner just read an interesting book where a guy trained them to be still in MRI scanners 'How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain'.

I think a lot of it is entirely serious. There's just cultural perceptions and stereotypes - particularly given what's imported (some of which is great, give us ALL your HBOs) in terms of sitcom humour (leading to the idea that Americans don't 'get' irony or sarcasm). I don't think it's jealousy of your empire,…

poss-tah? where'd the o come from? and route as rowt? aluminium as aloominum?

"Do people really talk/write like this?"

Sure. There was a case a while back in America where a girl was raped, and all the news (admittedly Fox) seemed to talk about was how it was a shame it could end the young boys promising football career.

Ok, but it's a fetus not a baby. And if it was a baby with a mouth, it still wouldn't be able to talk yet, let alone reason. So I'm not sure what point that makes...

It's precisely and exactly a personal health decision.

Which is fine, but I hadn't realised that was being debated.

Erm. Well.

"Solipsism is boring. Of course I can't prove this. But I'd say the burden of proof really lies on the people who say this is all a simulation. Oh yeah? Proof it! As Samuel Johnson said as he kicked the stone, "I refute it thus."

"Do all 12 of these things within ONE HOUR"

"is that right to access those and have them paid for, is that such a towering good that it would suffocate the rights of conscience?"

That's reassuring :)

...I find the interest and enthusiasm Americans have for our Princes a bit bemusing, in all honesty.