Knecht Ruprecht

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A new holiday hero for a new millenium.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sddoc8LpPOY

The Holiday Blahs

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HO HO...hoh forget it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEF77y5iMsA

Crapitalism

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Universal basic income. Any questions?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-nXmPUcKsE

"Kindly Inquisitors"

(The New Attacks on Free Thought)

-by jonathan rauch

1993, revised 2013

Rauch is a formidable thinker and deft writer. In this book, he argues against free speech restrictions in the name of humanitarian tolerance. The book is a deep defense of the principles of liberal science, and fundamental to that is the necessity for completely free critical speech. Even if it's unkind or unfair, the moment you start to restrict critical speech (no matter how noble your intent) is the moment the dream of a free society dies, and fundamentalist totalitarianism rears its ugly head.

Yes, he's strongly targeting the excesses of the "woke" movement.

The most surprising thing about the book is his revelation in the last chapter that he's jewish and gay. One might think that would incline him toward restrictions on hate speech...but one would be wrong.

Are you going to agree with everything he writes? Perhaps, perhaps not...but if you disagree, you'd better bring deeply-considered counter-arguments. This book is everything a book should be.

Bloodflood

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Anyone get the king reference?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H7mLxN7FQw

"Star Trek: Picard", season 3

Is "ballyhooed" an accurate word for this final season, which sees the reunion of (almost) the entire TNG cast (no wheaton, no crosby)? Well, yes...and it's good. Much better than the first two seasons. It even finally scored an episode worthy of inclusion in my "best of Trek" marathons - the one featuring ro (michelle forbes).

The two holdovers from the previous season (besides jean-luc) are raffi and 7 of 9, both of whom have lovely moments, especially jeri. The possible spin-off starring these two and q, that's teased in the final episode, is one i'd be happy to watch.

Is it all as good as the hype? Well, almost. The cast all have fine moments...with yet ANOTHER sci fi resurrection for data. The females get to pilot the ship without crashing, and do more in a fight than smash crockery.

My biggest complaint is the unrelenting visual darkness. I felt like i had to squint all season. Yes, i get that you want to send the message that this is a more dystopic TREK. Fine. You're probably throwing too much of gene's vision out the window, but...okay. Yet the literal darkness is so omnipresent, one begins to wonder whether it's like the Minnesota accents in FARGO - so pervasive that you're not sure whether the underlying script would be as strong without the affectation.

And of course, PIC does nothing to move the TREK vision forward.

But it's fine.