Enigma X

I am in the camp of not knowing whether oMark and Gemma's marriage is over, but for me, that is irrelevant because iMark's feelings for Helly R. are stronger than they are for Gemma. And I understand why that would be. I find this interesting because, since I was 14 (and I am now 50), I have thought about whether a system with Dissociative Identity Disorder or someone with long-term amnesia is the "same" person. This was something I considered when it was discovered in my family that a family member had (and still has) DID. I am placing "same" in quotes because I know the body is the same, but in short conversations over the years with the system (as they choose to be called) in my family, that answer is not as clean-cut as many believe. Anyway, I do not want to veer too far into things I am not anywhere near an expert on, but themes in this show since the first episode have intrigued me, particularly surrounding one's sense of self. I have not read all the responses here, but I am sure many have mentioned thoughts along these lines.

I don't think this show is perfect, it is still one of the best shows out there. It seems my favorite episodes this season are all the episodes people here complain about most. That is fine—different strokes.

The Odyssey is one of my favorite epic poems. I am already disappointed to read Matt Damon will be in it.

Most elementary schools in Chicago are K-8, and many 6-8 grades within those schools are run like middle school. Not out of the ordinary.

When I worked for Encyclopaedia Britannica, we did. It was slightly morbid. I remember we had Farah Fawcett's ready, but it was upstaged (I hate saying it like that) by Michael Jackson unexpectedly dying the same day. I will say since EB is not a newspaper, quickly sticking in a death date until you can get to the meat of the article is easier than writing a full obituary but EB preferred doing a bit more than that back then.

I can't say I witnessed his presidency firsthand. I was a toddler during it. What I will say is what I saw of him when I became aware made me adore the person he was. And slowly, those who write history are giving him his due.

I am paraphrasing but saw a post on Bluesky that I wholeheartedly agree with. It was something like "part of the reason Carter was considered an ineffective president was because he was too much of a humanitarian to be an effective president." Carter was a good person first and then a politician.

I like so many other Shakespeare plays better, but honestly, I didn't hate Romeo and Juliet—just not in my top tier. I also didn't hate the movie. I just hated, as an English Lit major in the '00s, that so many professors showed it ad nauseum. In fact, it was lit classes, not film classes. In many cases, it didn't need to be shown at all.

Does Tosh not have a baby anymore?

Since the article had nothing to do with politics, the artwork is even more provocative than I thought it was.

For a long time now, I have considered both The Washington Post and The New York Times to be overtly racist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-Arab, misogynistic conservative publications. The New York Times, even more so than The Washington Post, has not only sanewashed Trump but also sanewashed religious fanatics, crypto/tech bros, and corporations with deep pockets in American politics. Since these people work in a medium where perception is everything, before even reading the article—which I haven’t because I don’t subscribe—the artwork is already telling a manipulative story. Someone online did read the story, and yes, voting for Trump is a very good reason to end any relationship! https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/well/friend-breakup.html?smid=tw-share

It was.

I am at work and replying on my phone but Jon Stewart can get bent and I have thought that for years. People pretending like there is some sort of rule book that only one side needs to follow is dumb. Also, the whole persecution of Hunter threw whatever imaginary rule book out the window.

I met President Obama in 2005 at my niece's graduation. He gave a speech and said, "Remember my name." I also shook his hand. He shook all the graduates' hands and everyone else's as they left.

The power that such a criminal man holds over people who were simply doing their jobs (and some not effectively but in his favor) is just maddening!