Episode 4 of this season's Downton Abbey managed to make good use of every minute of its one hour air time. It confirmed several opinions I had of the key characters except for one, Mrs. Crawley, Matthew's mother. I had her all wrong. I thought she was a social climber merely interested in advancing her son's status as heir to Downton Abbey.
Mrs. Crawley it turns out is a compassionate activist interested in reversing the fortunes of the downtrodden. The good woman is bent on making an honest woman out of a prostitute who had been dismissed as a maid in Downton Abbey for making a rich house guest welcome to her bed. The ex-prostitute (hopefully) is now employed in Mrs. Crawley's home as the chief cook and bottle washer. She's off to a rough start but it appears that Mrs. Crawley's patience has no limits.
As for Robert, Earl of Grantham, aka as Lord Grantham and in my opinion better known as a prick, he proved in this episode that not only is he incapable of making good financial decisions, he can't make good family decisions. He's a pompous ass who thinks he knows best for every family member. He really scewed up on one. He now has one less daughter because he decided to heed the advice of an even more pompous gynecologist rather than the family physician. Lady Sybil died after giving birth to a daughter. It could have been avoided with a Cesarean which the family doctor strongly recommended. The Earl's IRA son-in-law is devastated and well he should be after standing by and letting the Earl take charge of how the baby was to come into this world. Tom is a rather wimpy IRA member. I hope he gets the balls to take his infant daughter out of the hands of the master of Downton Abbey.
Before I relegate Lady Sybil to the choir silent, never to be heard of again, I must acknowledege that her death bed scene rivaled that of Mimi in "La Boheme". It would have been appropriate to have Tom shout out, "Sybil! Sybil!" as the curtain of death came over her face.
To prove he's not all bad, Lord Grantham did arrange for Anna Bates to get a lawyer back on Bates' case. He's not exactly Perry Mason but I'm betting that he gets Bates out of the can.
One other development in this episode became apparent. Matthew Crawley's marriage to Lady Mary is headed for the rocks. She cares more about being the Lady of Downton Abbey than Mrs. Matthew Crawley. Her attachment to her father and the Abbey will make Matthew rue the the day he said "I do".
Commenting about Lady Mary makes me wonder why all the Lord's daughters are referred to as Lady. It's obvious that they are all ladies, why not leave it at that. I also noticed that the Lord refers to the late Sybil's husband as Tom rather than Thomas. Mary's husband is referred to as Matthew and not Matt. It would be great if Tom in the future addresses Lord Grantham as Bob.
The moment of truth comes next week. Downton Abbey will be on at about the time the Superbowl game should get interesting. Should I forgo Episode 5? We'll see. I know, I could record one or the other but its a lot more fun making it a critical decision.
1/26/13
About Old White Men
I’ve become an old white man and I don’t like it. Every time I pick up the newspaper there’s a quote from some asshole complaining about old white men or a poll assocaiting them with the far right. It seems old white men are responsible for the entire conservative advocacy going on and if left to their ways will return this country to the days of robber barons and puritanical society.
What really annoys me is that I have not always been an old white man. Obviously I was young once but I was not always white. In my younger days I was swarthy (I wonder if my being swarthy had anything to do with Hannibal crossing the Alps?). Being swarthy had its humorous moments. A countless number of times I was accused of having slipped away to Florida where I got a sun tan. Actually I liked being swarthy. It set me apart from the pale faces.
The years however have taken their toll and now I’m as pale as most Caucasians. I can live with that but I refuse to be labeled an old white man with all of its political implications. Even the thought of voting for Republican - or should I say Tea Party- values makes me nauseous. Some of us old white men actually think like old white women. Somehow or other that didn't come out right. Suffice to say, the hell with the polls, all old white men were not created equal.
As you can see from this post, I should more accurately be cast as an old white curmudgeon.
What really annoys me is that I have not always been an old white man. Obviously I was young once but I was not always white. In my younger days I was swarthy (I wonder if my being swarthy had anything to do with Hannibal crossing the Alps?). Being swarthy had its humorous moments. A countless number of times I was accused of having slipped away to Florida where I got a sun tan. Actually I liked being swarthy. It set me apart from the pale faces.
The years however have taken their toll and now I’m as pale as most Caucasians. I can live with that but I refuse to be labeled an old white man with all of its political implications. Even the thought of voting for Republican - or should I say Tea Party- values makes me nauseous. Some of us old white men actually think like old white women. Somehow or other that didn't come out right. Suffice to say, the hell with the polls, all old white men were not created equal.
As you can see from this post, I should more accurately be cast as an old white curmudgeon.
1/20/13
Downton Abbey, Season 3, Episode 3
Tore myself away from the AFC Championship game to watch tonight's episode of Downton Abbey. The storyline line tonight left me as confused as the play calling in the football game. I must say the Downton Abbey people know how to turn a life of luxury into a life full of turmoil.
Episode 3 revealed that Downton Abbey has been mismanaged. The confusing part of that is that we already knew that Lord Grantham blew a fortune in bad investments. Mismanaging the Abbey is in keeping with his financial skills. The episode leaves us wondering what Matthew is going to do about this now that he is Grantham's partner. I predict that Lady Mary will convince him to shove the whole matter under the bed or he's out of her bed.
As long as I'm going out on a limb, I also predict that James, the new footman hired in this episode, will end up in Mr. Barrow's bed by Episode 5.
By far the most intriguing part of tonight's program was Lady Edith's emergence as a woman's rights advocate. I'll bet her antics will really shake up her old man. He's already on the verge of a breakdown because of the antics of a pregnant Lady Sybil and her IRA husband . Come to think of it, mismanaging Downton Abbey is a natural fallout for anyone who has daughters like Lord Grantham's.
I'm still very confused about Bates. He's still in prison and finding it tough to communicate with Anna. It seems that the British penal system doesn't believe in timely delivery of mail to prisoners. Bates finally got a bunch of letters from Anna and is smiling again. The prison authorities also released a bunch of his letters to Anna and she's having a ball reading them. No hint as to where the writers are going with Bates' situation. I predict that he will blow the joint, grab Anna, stow away on a boat headed for New York, change his name to Gonzalez and live happily ever after as an undocumented immigrant in the good old USA.
The most disturbing part of tonight's episode was the ex-maid who became a prostitute so she could support herself and her infant son. I thought she was doing OK but evidently not. She tearfully gave up her son to his rich grandparents. I doubt we have seen the last of her but I bet she will end up making some statement about syphilis.
All in all tonight's episode was more like a downtown alley.
Episode 3 revealed that Downton Abbey has been mismanaged. The confusing part of that is that we already knew that Lord Grantham blew a fortune in bad investments. Mismanaging the Abbey is in keeping with his financial skills. The episode leaves us wondering what Matthew is going to do about this now that he is Grantham's partner. I predict that Lady Mary will convince him to shove the whole matter under the bed or he's out of her bed.
As long as I'm going out on a limb, I also predict that James, the new footman hired in this episode, will end up in Mr. Barrow's bed by Episode 5.
By far the most intriguing part of tonight's program was Lady Edith's emergence as a woman's rights advocate. I'll bet her antics will really shake up her old man. He's already on the verge of a breakdown because of the antics of a pregnant Lady Sybil and her IRA husband . Come to think of it, mismanaging Downton Abbey is a natural fallout for anyone who has daughters like Lord Grantham's.
I'm still very confused about Bates. He's still in prison and finding it tough to communicate with Anna. It seems that the British penal system doesn't believe in timely delivery of mail to prisoners. Bates finally got a bunch of letters from Anna and is smiling again. The prison authorities also released a bunch of his letters to Anna and she's having a ball reading them. No hint as to where the writers are going with Bates' situation. I predict that he will blow the joint, grab Anna, stow away on a boat headed for New York, change his name to Gonzalez and live happily ever after as an undocumented immigrant in the good old USA.
The most disturbing part of tonight's episode was the ex-maid who became a prostitute so she could support herself and her infant son. I thought she was doing OK but evidently not. She tearfully gave up her son to his rich grandparents. I doubt we have seen the last of her but I bet she will end up making some statement about syphilis.
All in all tonight's episode was more like a downtown alley.
1/17/13
We should not be intimidated by the Second Amendment
The NRA constantly wraps itself in the Second Amendment when any effort to place restrictions on guns is mounted. In getting effective gun control for this country, we should not be intimidated by the Second Amendment. After the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, Walter Shapiro wrote in Salon:
Looking at the Bill of Rights with more than two centuries’ hindsight, it is simply irrational that firearms have a protected position on par with freedom of speech and religion. Were Americans — liberal or conservative — writing a Constitution completely from scratch today, they probably would agree that something akin to “freedom to drive” was more far important than the “right to bear arms.” The rights of state militias (which many liberal legal theorists argue is the essence of the Second Amendment) are as much a throwback to an 18th century mind-set as restrictions on quartering soldiers in private homes during peacetime (the little-remembered Third Amendment).
In his article, "Repeal The Second Amendment" (which he points out is a daunting task), Mr. Shapiro provides plenty of food for thought which applies to our latest massacres as well as the Virginia Tech massacre.
Looking at the Bill of Rights with more than two centuries’ hindsight, it is simply irrational that firearms have a protected position on par with freedom of speech and religion. Were Americans — liberal or conservative — writing a Constitution completely from scratch today, they probably would agree that something akin to “freedom to drive” was more far important than the “right to bear arms.” The rights of state militias (which many liberal legal theorists argue is the essence of the Second Amendment) are as much a throwback to an 18th century mind-set as restrictions on quartering soldiers in private homes during peacetime (the little-remembered Third Amendment).
In his article, "Repeal The Second Amendment" (which he points out is a daunting task), Mr. Shapiro provides plenty of food for thought which applies to our latest massacres as well as the Virginia Tech massacre.
Whither Gun Control?
The more I read about the National Rifle Association and its position on gun control, the more I fear the power of the NRA. The more I see of interviews with its rank and file members, the more I fear the NRA. It may not be a stretch to liken the rise to power of the NRA to the rise to power of a fascist entity. It shakes me up to think that these gun cradling egomaniacs might even resort to violence to make sure that gun control does not go forward.
Gun control measures that the Obama administration is proposing should be a no-brainer for Congress, yet already we hear members of Congress declaring these controls dead on arrival. The NRA has infiltrated Congress to the extent that the probability is high that we will be short changed again when it comes to meaningful gun control. Nonetheless, it's worth the fight - one of these days the overwhelming majority of Americans will declare, "Enough is enough". If Congressmen were really listening to the American people over the din of the NRA cash flowing to their pockets, they would realize that day is closer than ever.
Here's hoping that President Obama and "Sheriff" Biden have success in the battle ahead.
Gun control measures that the Obama administration is proposing should be a no-brainer for Congress, yet already we hear members of Congress declaring these controls dead on arrival. The NRA has infiltrated Congress to the extent that the probability is high that we will be short changed again when it comes to meaningful gun control. Nonetheless, it's worth the fight - one of these days the overwhelming majority of Americans will declare, "Enough is enough". If Congressmen were really listening to the American people over the din of the NRA cash flowing to their pockets, they would realize that day is closer than ever.
Here's hoping that President Obama and "Sheriff" Biden have success in the battle ahead.
1/14/13
Downton Abbey Episode 2
I anxiously tuned into Downton Abbey, Episode 2 of Season 3 last night. I should have watched The Golden Globe Awards.
Episode 2 centered around the possible downsizing of Downton Abbey and the marriage of Lady Edith to a one armed old geezer who looks as though he may have lost his penis as well as an arm. Looks can be deceiving. I'm sure Lady Edith had already checked that possibility out.
It turns out that Lord Grantham has an ace up his sleeve as far as new living quarters are concerned. He still owns a a country home which he plans to call Downton Manor. A country home? The place looked like a country mansion. How he planned to keep it up without an army of servants is beyond me. Not to worry, at the last minute Matthew comes to the rescue. While all the shenanigans at Downton Abbey were going on he inherited a fortune which he graciously will share with Lord Grantham. Whoever came up with that game plan should be sent back to drama school.
As for Lady Edith's marriage to the elderly, one armed Sir Anthony Strallan a grand affair unveils in Downton Abbey. The costumes are fabulous and the bride is eager. Sir Anthony looks like he is mesmerized but does the right thing at the wrong time, The SOB decides not to go through with the wedding. He chose to do so before a gallery of guests and the minister. Soap opera at its best!
I must say, I didn't bargain for a soap opera when I signed on to Downton Abbey but it looks like that is where things are headed. If this continues, I may watch the Superbowl after all. Oh I forgot, my favorite character, Bates, Is still incarcerated. The only progress he's making is becoming a hardened inmate. Anna is still looking for evidence which will get him released. Too bad she can't afford a PI.
ed note: The Golden Globe Awards came up with zip for Downtown(neglect the w) Abbey.
Episode 2 centered around the possible downsizing of Downton Abbey and the marriage of Lady Edith to a one armed old geezer who looks as though he may have lost his penis as well as an arm. Looks can be deceiving. I'm sure Lady Edith had already checked that possibility out.
It turns out that Lord Grantham has an ace up his sleeve as far as new living quarters are concerned. He still owns a a country home which he plans to call Downton Manor. A country home? The place looked like a country mansion. How he planned to keep it up without an army of servants is beyond me. Not to worry, at the last minute Matthew comes to the rescue. While all the shenanigans at Downton Abbey were going on he inherited a fortune which he graciously will share with Lord Grantham. Whoever came up with that game plan should be sent back to drama school.
As for Lady Edith's marriage to the elderly, one armed Sir Anthony Strallan a grand affair unveils in Downton Abbey. The costumes are fabulous and the bride is eager. Sir Anthony looks like he is mesmerized but does the right thing at the wrong time, The SOB decides not to go through with the wedding. He chose to do so before a gallery of guests and the minister. Soap opera at its best!
I must say, I didn't bargain for a soap opera when I signed on to Downton Abbey but it looks like that is where things are headed. If this continues, I may watch the Superbowl after all. Oh I forgot, my favorite character, Bates, Is still incarcerated. The only progress he's making is becoming a hardened inmate. Anna is still looking for evidence which will get him released. Too bad she can't afford a PI.
ed note: The Golden Globe Awards came up with zip for Downtown(neglect the w) Abbey.
1/11/13
Innocent Until Proven Guilty
There will be no new inductees for MLB's Hall of Fame this year. The news hardly shocks me. The reason for zero inductees however, does raise a question. Super stars such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens would have been shoo-ins for the Hall a few years ago. Not at this time say the Baseball Writers of America. Apparently the reason for the snub is that both athletes are suspected of using steroids.The key word is suspected. To my knowledge, neither gentleman has admitted using steroids, nor have they been found guilty of using steroids in a court of law. It looks however, that they have been found guilty by those defenders of morality in sports, the sainted baseball writers.
The records set by Bonds and Clemens have not been voided. It is suspected that steroids played a role in setting those records but it has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Suspicion is not enough to crucify anyone.
In the course of Baseball's Steroid Inquisition, a number of innocent players will be hurt and denied entrance into the hallowed Hall of Fame. I would rather see a few guilty steroid users inducted into the Hall of Fame than to deny entrance to someone worthy but guilty of playing in the "steroid era". As has been suggested by others no harm would be done - the steroid users would feel at home with the drunks, wife beaters, racists and spit ball throwers who currently reside in the Hall.
ed note: For the record, I am not a fan of Bonds and Clemens.
The records set by Bonds and Clemens have not been voided. It is suspected that steroids played a role in setting those records but it has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Suspicion is not enough to crucify anyone.
In the course of Baseball's Steroid Inquisition, a number of innocent players will be hurt and denied entrance into the hallowed Hall of Fame. I would rather see a few guilty steroid users inducted into the Hall of Fame than to deny entrance to someone worthy but guilty of playing in the "steroid era". As has been suggested by others no harm would be done - the steroid users would feel at home with the drunks, wife beaters, racists and spit ball throwers who currently reside in the Hall.
ed note: For the record, I am not a fan of Bonds and Clemens.
1/7/13
Will Downton Abbey downsize to Downtown Abbey?
From what I 've read in the sports pages this morning about the NFL playoff games, my afternoon nap yesterday was a good idea. My nap served me well as far as Downton Abbey was concerned. Watched all two hours last night. I must say - that Downton Abbey bunch is a good representation of the English aristocracy who most certainly started the decline of the British Empire.
I had previously written that I was most anxious to find out if Bates was making any headway on being released from prison. Quite a bit of footage was devoted to Anna visiting Bates in prison. My problem is that their conversation left me a bit confused. You see, I have a problem with the King's English ( also the Queen's English). I only comprehend a quarter of what I hear. No matter, the High Primal understands every word and assured me that there was light at the end of the tunnel for Bates.
As for the rest of the story line last night there were so many subplots that I'm not quite sure what is going on. The one thing I'm sure of is that Lord Grantham pissed away most of Lady Grantham's money and may have to move from Downton Abbey to a smaller place like Downtown Abbey. His financial problems rival the debt ceiling problem of the United States. In spite of being essentially impoverished he puts on a good show. Where he gets the money to pay his army of servants is a mystery. Somehow or other he has no problem raising his debt ceiling. Obama should watch this TV series in order to pick up some clues on raising our debt ceiling.
I'm hooked for a few more episodes. Downtown... I mean....Downton Abbey may even preempt the Superbowl.
I had previously written that I was most anxious to find out if Bates was making any headway on being released from prison. Quite a bit of footage was devoted to Anna visiting Bates in prison. My problem is that their conversation left me a bit confused. You see, I have a problem with the King's English ( also the Queen's English). I only comprehend a quarter of what I hear. No matter, the High Primal understands every word and assured me that there was light at the end of the tunnel for Bates.
As for the rest of the story line last night there were so many subplots that I'm not quite sure what is going on. The one thing I'm sure of is that Lord Grantham pissed away most of Lady Grantham's money and may have to move from Downton Abbey to a smaller place like Downtown Abbey. His financial problems rival the debt ceiling problem of the United States. In spite of being essentially impoverished he puts on a good show. Where he gets the money to pay his army of servants is a mystery. Somehow or other he has no problem raising his debt ceiling. Obama should watch this TV series in order to pick up some clues on raising our debt ceiling.
I'm hooked for a few more episodes. Downtown... I mean....Downton Abbey may even preempt the Superbowl.
1/6/13
Wake me up for Downton Abbey
The hell with the NFL playoffs this Sunday. Downton Abbey returns for its 3rd season tonight so I need a nap this afternoon to ensure that I'm wide awake at 9 this evening. Once uom a time I could take a nap, wake up after a few minutes and still catch a game. Nowadays naps are no longer naps - they're an afternoon's sound sleep.
I must admit that I'm a bit ashamed to be a part of this Downtown Abbey craze.The misspelling was intentional - I don't know why but I prefer Downtown to Downton. Downton sounds too English. The High Primal constantly reprimands me for my reference to Downtown Abbey. So why am I a fan of Downtown ... er .... Downton Abbey. It's because of Bates, Lord Grantham's valet.
I could care less about the trials and tribulations of Lord and Lady Grantham, Lady Mary, Lady Sybil or any of the other fancy dressed ladies and gentlemen lording it over a mansion full of servants. By the way, they do this without a having a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of.
Back to Bates. I'm hooked on Bates. The poor bastard found the love of his life - another servant, Anna Smith- while still married to the scourge of his life. Things went quite well. The scourge dies, Bates married Anna and it looked like they would live happily ever after. Not so. Bates ended up in prison convicted of murdering his ex- wife ( with a poison pie). In my opinion his defense lawyer, or more correctly his solicitor, blew the case. The last I saw of Bates he was lovingly talking to Anna while behind bars. I couldn't understand the conversation but I wouldn't be surprised if they were talking about an appeal.
I hope Season 3 vindicates Bates. I'll probably have to watch most of the Downtown - damn, there I go again - Downton Abbey episodes to find out, but it will be worth it (only if Bates leaves the slammer, tells Lord Grantham to kiss his ass and gets back to where he left off with Anna).
I'm wasting time and so are you if you got this far. Time for that nap. Downtown Abbey comes on at 9:00 PM. The High Primal promised to wake me up at 8:45 as long as I promise to drop the Downtown Abbey crap.
I must admit that I'm a bit ashamed to be a part of this Downtown Abbey craze.The misspelling was intentional - I don't know why but I prefer Downtown to Downton. Downton sounds too English. The High Primal constantly reprimands me for my reference to Downtown Abbey. So why am I a fan of Downtown ... er .... Downton Abbey. It's because of Bates, Lord Grantham's valet.
I could care less about the trials and tribulations of Lord and Lady Grantham, Lady Mary, Lady Sybil or any of the other fancy dressed ladies and gentlemen lording it over a mansion full of servants. By the way, they do this without a having a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of.
Back to Bates. I'm hooked on Bates. The poor bastard found the love of his life - another servant, Anna Smith- while still married to the scourge of his life. Things went quite well. The scourge dies, Bates married Anna and it looked like they would live happily ever after. Not so. Bates ended up in prison convicted of murdering his ex- wife ( with a poison pie). In my opinion his defense lawyer, or more correctly his solicitor, blew the case. The last I saw of Bates he was lovingly talking to Anna while behind bars. I couldn't understand the conversation but I wouldn't be surprised if they were talking about an appeal.
I hope Season 3 vindicates Bates. I'll probably have to watch most of the Downtown - damn, there I go again - Downton Abbey episodes to find out, but it will be worth it (only if Bates leaves the slammer, tells Lord Grantham to kiss his ass and gets back to where he left off with Anna).
I'm wasting time and so are you if you got this far. Time for that nap. Downtown Abbey comes on at 9:00 PM. The High Primal promised to wake me up at 8:45 as long as I promise to drop the Downtown Abbey crap.
1/3/13
The Civility Cliff
I believe that somewhere in the Constitution of The United States of America, there is an Article which decrees that no legislation shall be acted upon unless it has a cute name or better yet its name qualifies as a cliché. Case in point (a cliché here is mandatory), we started off the New Year by seeing our brave legislators coming to our rescue to keep us from falling over the “fiscal cliff” (we have Bernanke to thank for that cutie). They almost turned their back on us but at the last minute decided to toss us a bone. While we chew on that bone they will be farting around with another little problem - the abuse of guns in our society. Gun control legislation has little chance of going anywhere even though "Sheriff" Biden will do his best to shake things up. It's stymied because so far, no “Bernanke” has come forward with a cute name for gun control. Until that happens there will be no urgency to stop the massacres which are now commonplace.
If indeed the Constitution demands cute names in order to get Congress off its ass, I sugest that the name “civility cliff” be applied to the gun control debate. Falling off a cliff has proven to scare the shit out of the country; maybe it will work with gun control. Massacres sure don’t.
On second thought, "civility cliff" is not a good choice to steer up gun control action. It's too little, too late: we've already gone off the "civility cliff". Gun control action will have to stand on its own two feet and that's a tall order. Personally, I think "Sheriff" Biden is up to it.
If indeed the Constitution demands cute names in order to get Congress off its ass, I sugest that the name “civility cliff” be applied to the gun control debate. Falling off a cliff has proven to scare the shit out of the country; maybe it will work with gun control. Massacres sure don’t.
On second thought, "civility cliff" is not a good choice to steer up gun control action. It's too little, too late: we've already gone off the "civility cliff". Gun control action will have to stand on its own two feet and that's a tall order. Personally, I think "Sheriff" Biden is up to it.
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