Today, Facebook redesigned the Like button, replacing it with six different emoji: I don’t like things on Facebook. At least, not intentionally. It’s possible, on my phone, that I’ve clicked “Like” on something in the last eighteen months or so. Why don’t I “like” things people post? Because, like a friend put it, “the likeContinue reading “Disliking Facebook’s New Likes”
Monthly Archives: February 2016
Downton Abbey: A Long-Expected Throwdown
Golly gumdrops! It took six years, the moment has been long prepared for, and at last, it arrived. Edith unloaded on Mary. "A nasty, jealous, scheming bitch." "Don't demean yourself by trying to justify your venom." Wow. #DowntonAbbey #teamedith — Allyn Gibson (@allyngibson) February 22, 2016 The backstory. Last week, Bertie Pelham, a penniless landContinue reading “Downton Abbey: A Long-Expected Throwdown”
One World, One Sky
A few weeks ago, I attended the open house at the Udvar-Hazy Center of the Air and Space Museum at Dulles. As part of the open house, people were allowed to go into various restoration areas where they show how they conserve and restore various materials, including things like John Glenn’s Mercury capsule, wings andContinue reading “One World, One Sky”
Downton Abbey: The Shallowness of Robert Crawley
I have been stymied in my efforts to write any sort of interesting piece on Sunday’s episode of Downton Abbey, the penultimate episode of the sixth season (but the antepenultimate episode of the series as a whole). Things happened, but nothing really grabbed me, at least not in any positive ways. The most notable featureContinue reading “Downton Abbey: The Shallowness of Robert Crawley”
The Supreme Court and the Norms of American Political Behavior
To follow up on yesterday’s post about the nomination to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, I want to point out a few articles that I found noteworthy in the day since. However, I want to start with this series of tweets, because it says something that’s puzzled me about the events of Saturday. MyContinue reading “The Supreme Court and the Norms of American Political Behavior”
After Scalia: The Coming Clash of the Executive and the Legislative Branches over the Judiciary
Saturday afternoon, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died. I was having dinner with friends at Farpoint. One of my dinner companions happened to look over at the flatscreen televisions hanging over the bar at Northern Lights, and she audibly gasped. “Scalia died.” The rest of us turned, looked, and gibbered things like “Wow” and “Damn.”Continue reading “After Scalia: The Coming Clash of the Executive and the Legislative Branches over the Judiciary”
Downton Abbey: The Big Bad, Revealed!
For five years, I’ve liked Charlie Carson, the butler at Downton Abbey. He might be uptight, but he does it because he has standards. He’s a professional, and he’s devoted his life, competely and utterly, to the Crawley family. He has his blinders, especially where Lady Mary is concerned, true, but it’s always to aContinue reading “Downton Abbey: The Big Bad, Revealed!”
David Brooks’ Historical Perspective
David Brooks penned a column in today’s New York Times about how the presidential campaign has made him realize how much he has taken President Obama for granted and that, all things considered, he (Obama, that is) is not a monster. I can see the two reactions this column will generate. On the right, theContinue reading “David Brooks’ Historical Perspective”
The Meaning of Superman
With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice out next month, The Atlantic takes a look at Superman’s history and asks whether or not DC Comics and Warner Bros. understand how and why the character works. It’s not a spoiler to say that the article’s conclusion is that sometimes they do, but that mostly they don’t.Continue reading “The Meaning of Superman”
Downton Abbey: Explosively Meh
The trouble with Sunday night’s Downton Abbey is that virtually nothing happened — until a scene that one will never forget. Downton is like that. I couldn’t tell you anything else about the episode were Sybil dies. Or the episode where Lavinia Swire dies. Or the episode where Matthew dies. Of course, those were yearsContinue reading “Downton Abbey: Explosively Meh”