mikebike

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I know Sopranos was popular, but I fail to see how a show about criminals doing evil things is "quality" tv. I see that other popular show "Breaking Bad" is also about scum bags, but it's not "quality", IMO.

I like shows that make me feel good, not ones that make me angry and stressed out.

Conversely, Dr Who would never be described as "quality", but it was always about winning without being evil, and on the whole was a very enjoyable show. Popular too, despite it's low production values and cheap costumes.

In general the "quality" of a TV show is determined by its writing, directing, acting and production values. Subject matter is generally unimportant because, as your subjective experience makes clear, not all shows are everyone's cup of tea. This is why such diverse offerings such as Roots, Sopranos, The Handmaid's Tale, Twilight Zone, All in the Family are considered "quality" television.

On 6/2/2018 at 3:55 PM, buick said:

i don't consider germany an ally of the USA as the article infers.  a big exporter to USA, yes, but an ally ?  not currently an enemy by any means, but i wouldn't group them in with 'closest allies'  as the article does:

Curious as to whom you would include in a list of USA's 5 "closest allies"?

45 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

Because if you are poor and up against the might of the American judicial system, then the 'guilty' plea may well be your best option.  'They' can get you.

???

Are you claiming D'Souza was poor?

18 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Roseanne is train wreck and that has been her appeal. But it's hard to keep it up and she finally self destructed. It's a shame she has to be pinned onto a political movement. She was only trying to eek out a following among the Walmart crowd. Samantha Bee isn't funny and her show is boring. But she isn't the first person to use that word. It is up to the shows producers on who to hire and fire. If they can't do any better than her show, I guess she will stay. But she will probably have to keep up the blue humor now.

Overall I think the lack of quality television is the real story. Time for TV producers to up their game a little.

 

The general consensus is that television is experiencing a golden age of creativity at the moment. Of course not everything will appeal to everyone, and there is still crap, but to claim there is a lack of quality programming since the Sopranos to the present is quite a stretch.

17 hours ago, teatree said:

 

Bill Mahr... interesting choice teatree.

You DO realize he was fired by ABC for making, ahem, politically incorrect statements on-air 6 days after 911, right?

You DO realize he was sued by 45 over the orangutang statement and won in a court of law, right?

4 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

If you're going to keep on making this claim, I would advise you not to leave access to your comments on other threads accessible to all. 

You're just not getting his perspective: he is the "left wing" of a very conservative cabal.

2 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

I would have assumed Barr and Jarrett were the same race, both non-white Middle Eastern Semites.

 

And you would have assumed wrong.

Any other nonsensical tidbits to offer?

33 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

So you can call a black man an ape, as long as you don't mean all black people?

And apparently your reading comprehension needs work as I clearly said:

56 minutes ago, mikebike said:

referring to an entire race, or individuals within that race, as monkeys you really shouldn't join the convo.

16 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Sticks and stones. I could not care less what black people call me (whoops, sorry 'people of colour'). USA is obsessed at the moment.  

3 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Black people insult each other all the time it's not a 'white' thing bro.

Black people would not refer to themselves in the third person, then snidely correct themselves while jovially dissing each other, BRO.

3 minutes ago, daoyai said:

Tell me about it, I am not white and I been stereotyped most of my life... I laugh it off,  I deal with it... sad what America has become (will this post be removed too?) 

And there is the bottom line for me.

How much different/better would your life experience have been if for your whole life you were judged only on your character/actions and not pre-judged based on appearance.

8 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Sticks and stones. I could not care less what black people call me (whoops, sorry 'people of colour'). USA is obsessed at the moment.  

2 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Oh you know my race?  or are you stereotyping?  

Just going by your own words.

2 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Sticks and stones. I could not care less what black people call me (whoops, sorry 'people of colour').  

Yes, well obviously your experience belonging to the race which has dominated for the last millennium or so gives you perfect perspective regarding the experience(s) of people in other races.

19 minutes ago, daoyai said:

my definition is equivalent to the standard dictionary definition... not the SJW one... so we have different standards for different races?  .. now that IS racist.

Maybe a news flash for you, but... some races have had a slightly different experience than others.

27 minutes ago, ezzra said:

All i can say is that nowadays wherever you look, the place is full of thin skin hypocrites pretenders and bigots, all worrying about their bottom line profit and their positions under the pretend of being PC....

Nowadays?

Same as it ever was.

2 hours ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

 

Orwellian, well not the boot on the human face bit. Maybe facsist if that is a corporate state with personal and economic freedom within a high degree of social control but NO FREELOADING.

Singapore is probably the best model of Government. If place you have to bid on a license to be able to buy a car maybe people should have to apply for a license to breed?

Well maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. Now I get it!! Your plan is to increase immigration by reducing childbirth amongst the native population!!

On 5/27/2018 at 8:09 AM, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

I don't like the idea of abortion but bans don't work, and anyone with a bit of money to travel can get it done in another country. 15-20 years after abortion was legalized crime went down dramatically in the US.   Instead people should have to prove they have a reasonable life plan can and afford to raise their kids.  Not too happy about social policies that encourage irresponsible breedings and the welfare state/big government paid for by my taxes.

So you don't want big govt paid for by your taxes but you are happy set up a govt bureaus to analyze peoples intent and ability to raise kids... Really?? Not Orwellian at all.

17 hours ago, pedro01 said:

 

As far as you know.... means you didn't research.

 

The reason I am going on about the late abortions is because this is not a yes/no issue. It is a "how late is too late" issue too.

 

I am not against abortion - I am against a baby that can feel having it's legs and arms ripped off, having it's brains mushed, being poisoned OR being killed on a table because in late abortions that is what happens. 

 

By all means make it a simple black and white issue. I personally think women should be able to abort up to a point. Past a certain point, when you have a child on a table that you have to kill - that is way past abortion. It's plain murder.

No doubt a horrific thought.

One that medical professionals and parents must deal with when they are confronted with the 1.3-ish percent of cases where a later term abortion may be a medical necessity for the mother.

Difficult, personal, decisions should not be made by bureaucrats.

3 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

 

Then you are one of a very small minority. I visit Thailand quite regularly and have only once ever met an ex pat couple.

 

The vast majority of fellows would consider taking a Western wife to the LOS akin to taking coals to Newcastle or buying a book in a shop when there's a library right next door.

 

Arrangements are being made about a summit talk regarding the relationship between North Korea and South Korea and the rest of the world right now. Details of the talks are available in the world's media.

 

They'll be the first of their kind since the end of the Korean War in the 1950s thanks to Trump. They are actually going to sit round a table and discuss matters which have threatened peace in that part of the world. Matters that have been a concern for well over half a century. Even the most ardent 'progressive' or Trump hater must admit that is a remarkable achievement. 

Context: Your original statement was a sweeping generalization the that, "we all come to Thailand for the same thing". My point was, we do not all come for the same thing, which you now apparently agree with.

Whether or not I am part of "very small" minority is unclear. In my social circles it is not uncommon, whereas in yours it is.

Your comparison of my love for my wife with inanimate objects strange and telling.

Finally you haven't been keeping up with the news... the summit is far from a done deal.

51 minutes ago, riclag said:

Trump is more popular than Dems want to admit  by W. Brown former Democrat Mayor of San Francisco.

"Like it or not, a significant number of Americans are actually happy these days. They are making money. They feel safe, and they agree with with the president’s protectionist trade policies, his call for more American jobs, even his immigration stance".

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/williesworld/article/Trump-is-more-popular-than-Dems-want-to-admit-12908579.php

"Willie Lewis Brown Jr. (born March 20, 1934^[1]) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. Brown served over 30 years in the California State Assembly, spending 15 years as its speaker and later served as the 41st mayor of San Francisco, the first African American to do so".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Brown_(politician)

 

  Keep up your hysterical obsessive hatred ,they only enforce what American's voted for. American's don't want to go back to  the same old ,same old.Traditionally, Americans stay away from politics when the economy ,jobs and national security are doing well. The stock market , increase in jobs, lowest unemployment and Isis Caliphate destroyed.

  It is said, the insanity has risen from the left, enough for checking into a 12 step program.

 

 

 

 

That's your take from the linked article, eh? Mine is that he is repeating what reasonable people have said since the election. Dems need to produce a coherent policy, and not rely on just dissing 45.

3 hours ago, sirineou said:

As much as I dislike Trump and disagree with his decision to withdraw from the agreement.Lets understand something. There is no treaty. treaties are voted and ratified by congress , this agreement was never ratified by Congress and if understand this correctly was in affect under executive decision ,as such the Trump administration is not under any obligation to continue it.  As ill advised as this might be.

 

There are certainly differences between what is considered a treaty under international law and USA constitutional law. Under international law the "agreement" is a valid treaty not requiring ratification.

https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/2/issue/5/international-agreements-and-us-law

1 hour ago, PhonThong said:

That's why the rig count is rising. 

For every action, there is a reaction.

Don't forget more jobs also.

The Forbes article did say "highest rig count since 2015".

3 hours ago, sanemax said:

Yes, but if , as you said that Trump was doing everything to undo what Obama had done, because he hates Black people , that must mean that everything that Obama did was for the benefit of Black people .

The point you are missing us that 45 hates black people but also one black person in particular gets his goat like no other. 45 seems willing to throw an entire nation under the bus in order to undo everything done by 44. Not being able to repeal the ACA has really gotten under his skin and he is now taking on another 44 semi-success.