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Welcome to this very special leap year edition of the mighty GLoP podcast! We’re going to let you, dear listener, find the provenance for the title in this episode. But yes, we do discuss the virus that’s going viral, the political response to it, as well as some of the best and worst movies based on a story like this. Also, some thoughts on the South Carolina primary and Super Tuesday, Jonah finally reviews Picard and reveals himself to be a germaphobe and a slob, Rob teaches us how certain cultures blow their noses and learns how to pronounce “endocrinologist” and reveals himself as a fan of the neti pot, and John never gets sick. See you in four years.
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I question that. But someone can know about something, even know a lot about something, without being a fan who cares about people crapping on it later.
I tend to agree. I think he’s seen some or lot of these episodes, but I dont think he’s a deep nerdy trekkie. (in fairness, I probably dont qualify as a trekkie either)
I dislike Cmdr Riker: (for these reasons)
Its one of the flaws of Star Trek, in that bridge crews seem to have stagnant careers. There should’ve been more cast turnover. (other than Voyager which is lost in deep space)
Check out Major Grin’s channel on You Tube:
He points out how the writers of Picard dont know Star Trek very well, with clips from earlier shows to illustrate the plot errors scene by scene.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC70RHgm8FoCkN2163piIfVg/videos
I like the Star Trek: Picard cast portrait, up top, but of course Ewoks are from that other franchise!
Picard is awesome. You are not right about this.
I noticed the same thing. Where the Trump Administration is concerned, JGold’s bias always makes him see the dark lining in every silver cloud, so what he says on that subject tends to be the opposite of profound.
Mulvaney was merely guilty of hyperbole, nothing more.
A bit later (ca. 34:30), Goldberg says the following: “The Democratic Party can’t figure out why it lost … it could have been the Russians, you know, because the margin was so small”. I’m hoping this was not meant to represent Goldberg’s own views.
Common sense should tell us the idea that the Russians understood American politics better than Americans did is preposterous. At most, they may have intended to slightly reduce Hillary Clinton‘s mandate.
Vladimir Putin knows full well that the people who wrecked his beloved Soviet Union were the Republicans, with limited assistance — and much more interference — from the Democrats.
“The day is still young, ensign.”
Maybe you’ll learn, in time.
I don’t know that someone needs to be a “deep, nerdy trekkie” to resent what Discovery and Picard have been doing. Maybe just “taking it seriously” is sufficient?
Perhaps the best approach would be to suggest that someone think of something they would resent being screwed up by others who either don’t care what they’re doing, or perhaps have legal restrictions on what they’re allowed to do (vis. Paramount/CBS IP regarding Star Trek) but insist on pushing ahead just because they want a paycheck when they should leave it alone.
Hey, everyone who thinks The Godfather is the best movie (series) ever! Did you know My Cousin Vinny is actually The Godfather Part 4?
There, how does THAT feel?
I can understand why your daughter’s friend likes Bernie. I wrote a whole post on it.
http://ricochet.com/635937/archives/a-dark-echo-of-christian-martrydom/
In essence, Wokism doesn’t allow for redemption. You are either a victim or a victimizer. It is a nihilistic point of view. Bernie gives them hope because he believes that Communism can redeem white and black and gay and straight. For a Woke person, it is fresh and new and exciting.
It’s depressing I know, but human folly never goes away.
This is a lovely description of why I understand the Teen Titans Go hate. Thank you for such a clear description of fan culture.
I loved Star Trek when I was a schoolboy. You know, that age when a boy discovers and reads lots of science fiction and horror classics. But even then, when I eagerly discussed the details of the latest episode with the only other boy my age in the neighborhood, we understood it was “just a TV show”.
Even the great philosophical systems of human civilization have flaws that fail to hold up under close scrutiny. Why would anyone expect a fictional TV or movie franchise not to have flaws? As Rob Long likes to say, “If only the writers had spent 5 more minutes on that…”
I admit that arguing with a boyhood friend about why a certain Star Trek story line or detail didn’t work may have helped prepare me to argue later why a certain philosophy or economic theory couldn’t work. Probably reading more classic literature would have been just as good or better at doing so. But then I would have missed the babes in micro dresses on the bridge.
Oy!! Feels fine. I didnt mean to denigrate anyone’s thought process on the TV shows they like or dislike. (I also happen to like Vinny) I am not a “Deep nerdy Trekkie” either – and also resent the changes the new series have smeared Star Trek with.
Star Trek is being screwed up and its entirely CBS’s fault. They own the IP and the should unify the licensing arrangements. By insisting that everything be 25% different than other Star Trek programs they’re breaking down Star Trek. Perhaps they really need to sell it off in its entirety, and someone can reboot the entire franchise from scratch.
The reason I dislike Discovery and Picard is probably the 25% – its where the mythology of Star Trek breaks down.
I apologize for offending you.
Well, that’s part of the point I made. If the people ruining Star Trek really believe they have great show ideas, go ahead and make them, but don’t call them Star Trek just because they want a familiar name to bring in viewers, although probably mostly – I suspect – just as a wedge to sell it to whoever is handing them way too much money, way too often.
It’s certainly possible to make a sci-fi series – or mini-series, or movies, or whatever – without needing to “culturally misappropriate” something that’s come before. And if it’s good, people will like it and watch it. If it’s bad, it will fail, and deservedly so. Don’t call it Star Trek just as a cover, like what they’ve done with Ghostbusters et al.
P.S. I like Vinny too, and I have absolutely no use for any Godfather stuff. But I would certainly understand the resentment of others if some crank came along and wanted to make Godfather 4 or whatever, totally unlike the originals.
So the argument would go, this what some old school She-Ra and Teen Titans nerds have said, “If you want to do a different thing, do a different thing. Don’t ruin my thing.”
I haven’t watched Picard so I’ll hold my fire but I haven’t heard great things. Star Trek is an optimistic universe where humanity evolved to move beyond stupid bigotry. Alternatively, in the TNG universe there were episodes were some of that old bigotry came back. They were usually too preachy but they had a point and they were consistent in the TNG universe.
Particularly good was that quietly pro-gay one were Riker got it on with a sexual minority that was a metaphor for homosexuals. It was (subtly) preachy but I like that episode because it was heartfelt and well-acted. I’m worried about Picard because it might be preachy in every episode and not particularly heartfelt.
That is a big part of it. But I suppose I might be more of a “canon purist” than anything else.
And what a lot of people – even a lot of trekkies, it seems – often overlook is that everything wonderful in Star Trek happens AFTER WW III.
Plus they could still screw it up even if they were still “optimistic.” I would dump on Discovery just for changing the Klingons and having earlier ships with technology that wasn’t seen in TOS (The Original Series) or even TNG. Plus all the other plot crap they’ve thrown at the wall hoping something would stick… or whichever metaphor you prefer. Even the Enterprise series, for all its faults (and it had plenty), was able to (mostly) portray an earlier level of technology using more modern special effects. Why couldn’t Discovery?
Yes, this is a very accurate description of much of China. For those who have never really spent time in the residential sections of China, it is hard to imagine.
Basically like San Francisco today.
I remember it being really dusty too. They have an aversion to grass because of some old “great leap forward” idea that didn’t pan out.
Just in case John reads the comments. there are two different types of masks. The ones you see mostly in China that look like surgical masks are to keep the germs in, as he said. However, there are the N95 type masks that are to keep the germs out – if fact they have a one way exhaust valve to let the air out with minimal obstruction (the little plastic square on the front). Just for reference N95 means they filter out particles down to a certain particulate size (measured in microns) and results in about 95% of it being filtered out. There are N99 masks that filter out 99% or so and N100 type masks that filter out 99.7% or so. Any of the three get most virus types filtered out. If you want to protect yourself get an N95, 99 or 100 type mask. It you want to protect others get a surgical mask.
This is why I liked Enterprise, with TNG you could watch the clock and quarter to the hour Geordi La Forge would pull some techno-babble out of his butt, and save the day. At least on Enterprise Tucker didnt have the powerful techno-babble backside, so that made the episodes a little more interesting. Enterprise deserved a much better ending, rather than the entire series just being Riker’s holodeck simulation. (sorry spoilers)
If a surgical mask protects others from your sneezes, it should protect you from their sneezes.
Not so much. They are designed (the fibers in the mask) to make inhaling easier than exhaling. Much the same way that HVAC filters work (they come with an “Air Flow this way” note on them (HVAC filters that is). Surgical masks have no rating from NIOSH for inhaled particulate matter…not a good thing.
Wear them inside out.
And I suppose this is another example of the glories of commnism: A government edict, not to be refuted or disputed under pain of social ostracism, imprisonment, torture, or even death; that their **** doesn’t stink.
P.S. In the previous GLoP podcast, Jonah was wrong in his prediction/expectation that Biden would not win in South Carolina.
Podcast was interesting and going well then “Star Trek Talk”.
Not sure what is worse, Star trek talk or sports radio the week before the NFL draft.
But it was mostly politics, the Star Trek talk was just a small bit at the end. It’s supposed to be about Pop Culture, so really it should have been mostly Star Trek with just a little politics, if any.
Except that is not how they are being worn. The alternative, perhaps, is to get the correct equipment and use it in the correct way. Leave to surgical masks to, I dunno, surgeons who might actually need them to do their jobs…
Depends on what you got:
“The more commonly worn surgical masks will limit — but not eliminate — the chance of inhaling large, infectious particles circulating near the face. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that health-care workers interacting with coronavirus patients or suspected cases wear stronger masks, known as N95 respirators, along with gowns, gloves and eye protectors. The N95 filters out 95 percent of airborne particles. But they cost more than surgical masks and must be specially fitted.”— Washington Post, 2/15/20
Listening again, I’m reminded that I’d love to see Jonah’s calculus somehow showing that because some inside and outside the administration might argue that the media – or a lot of it, anyway – is after the coronavirus story in order to damage Trump, that somehow proves the administration – and perhaps Trump himself – view it as solely a political issue too.
I’m pretty sure one of his factors in the calculation would be x or y or z or something, = TDS, which cancels out everything else.
Noticed something else on re-listen: Jonah apparently referring to Next Generation as “original Star Trek.”
Hah.
Maybe he’s just too young to really understand.
Was going to say just this. Its better because you use after washing your hands- proven to be the very best option, and you have to touch nothing. Does he dry his hands then use the bathroom – see that’s the problem.