Eric Owens

So cool!

He's still got it.

Thank you!

Well, I mean, this is largely true in a practical sense.

I'm not the first person to observe that Abe Lincoln warned us of exactly this awfulness in his Lycaeum speech.

So I have this theory, which is probably not correct at all, but I have this theory that the Jewish people, being traders aware of new developments, were some of the first to write down and collect their stories institutionally, and that's a reason we have a Bible at all today.

Any accuracy?

Wait a minute, if I’m reading this correctly, the US didn’t do regime change in Venezuela, but instead, we helped the army-connected VP stage a coup???

Democrats are perpetually Hans Blix. It's bizarrely stupid. Angry letter incoming!

One way (I believe the right way) to read the Bible's King David story is to see the author(s) as perplexed and angry at David's rise. David continually does terrible things yet succeeds. Thus God must favor him. "God favored David" is sarcastic and wry.

I think about this with Trump all the time.

"Brian Stelter posted a December 9, 2017, quote from the New York Times:

"Before taking office, Mr. Trump told top aides to think of each presidential day as an episode in a television show in which he vanquishes rivals."

Stelter wrote: “I think about this quote a lot.” "

I am skeptical that New York City had a younger Muslim mayor in 1892.

I like Paul Thomas Anderson movies because he doesn't ever really both with plot. He just kind of tells meandering stories. I don't think any other director could consistently get away with this.

My recent searches. I know you are impressed.

After receiving a commendation for exceptional services to the Russian state from President Putin, Biden accuser Tara Reade—seen here in her luxury Moscow condo—has now become a citizen of the Russian Federation... молодец!

Thank God and Merry Christmas!

Meanwhile, over at Twitter...

I think people like Vance and Carlson are just two more in the seemingly endless parade of people throughout history who thought they were Smart Enough™️ to paddle in the moral cesspit without internalizing any of it.

I never got Donnie Darko.

"But there's a rabbit, see! You just don't get it."

If more of you would listen, I could improve your lives.

Most great literature has characters who are all awful in their own way.

The worst thing you can do as a writer is have unflawed good guys.

I suppose I will catch hell for this, but the Jesus story is great precisely because of the flaws of Jesus *in relation to* our worldly politics and religion.

I have a solution to this one, if there's no one else around, especially in elevators.

If someone takes a call on speaker, plays videos, whatever: Respond by playing a song loudly, preferably terrible yacht rock but any song will do. It really works. They look at you surprised.

Edmund Burke, per tonight’s discourse:

‘To make us love our country, our country ought to be lovely.’

Washington D.C. to become Trumpgrad.

Penis without testicles : Cornflakes without the milk

Do we all agree?

Over at Twitter, they are arguing incessantly about Robert E. Lee.

At least it's not whether "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a song about rape. Remember that annual spat? What happened to it? I miss it.

This is awesome. A great use.

If you think Trump's march to authoritarian power is unstoppable - or already a fait accompli - just note how panicked and weak he was tonight and he wheedled and whined about nothing is his fault.

That's not a man who thinks he's winning.

Were there moments that you missed? Anything that happened that’s on the cutting room floor? I don’t think there’s anything I missed that I wish I’d gotten. I’ll give you a little anecdote: Stephen Miller was perhaps the most concerned about the portrait session. He asked me, “Should I smile or not smile?” and I said, “How would you want to be portrayed?” We agreed that we would do a bit of both. And then when we were finished, he comes up to me to shake my hand and say goodbye. And he says to me, “You know, you have a lot of power in the discretion you use to be kind to people.” And I looked at him and I said, “You know, you do, too.”

The Vanity Fair photographer from the Susie Wiles story.

Holy. Shit.

www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/...

It's gonna be a disaster for her. She's not dumb. And she's probably an effective politician in office. Presumably, she's just doing it to make herself viable for a cabinet post.

My wife and I rewatched several episodes of The Sopranos not too long ago, and what struck us was how fundamentally hilarious it was. It wasn't as funny the first time for some reason.

There are so many layers to the thing. So much symbolism and depth. It's true great art.

The difference is obvious when you compare to a show like The Sopranos. Yes, in some sense every show "wings it," but the writers of The Sopranos had definite arcs for their characters, and there was a strong morality (and religious sense!) running through the entire thing.