Martell Spy

First look at Squid Game season 2 teases a deadly game of cat and mouse Player 456 is in danger... again. https://ew.com/squid-game-season-2-first-look-player-456-8557166

Three cheers for the Delaware judge who stood up to Elon Musk At last: a judgment that injects a dose of sanity into the process of handing out executive rewards https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2024/jan/31/three-cheers-for-the-delaware-judge-who-stood-up-to-elon-musk

EU approves €50B Ukraine aid as Viktor Orbán folds The deal on Ukraine aid comes after a small group of leaders persuaded Hungary’s PM to drop his veto on the funding package. https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-gets-eu-aid-as-orban-folds/

One of the strangest dreams I've ever had, possibly the strangest, involved a whale. I don't remember the exact year when I had it, but I was probably like 12 which would put it at 1988. I was at a beach, there was other people there, and this enormous whale rose up out of the water. I don't think it was a very realistic whale sighting at all. The whale was nearly as long as the beach. I don't recall if people were running or what, but I just remember freezing in fear. (I've had that feeling in other dreams and they are often the most memorable ones, I have a ghost dream like that) And then I heard a voice in my head, very deep, say "Leviathan comes in 99." I think that was it. The dream ended there. So, I've always been an atheist, even when I was a small child, so I mostly doubted it was anything. But it was also a very powerful experience. I did keep it in mind as 1999 was coming up. Absolutely nothing happened that year, at least to me. Very dull, yet enjoyable year. I had been exposed to religious when I was very young, so that was probably the source. They even had books with very gorgeous color drawings and there was one with Jonah and the whale. So, that was probably the actual source of the dream.

Sinema’s fundraising plummets as reelection decision deadline nears The Arizona independent is raising less and less each quarter. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/30/kyrsten-sinema-donations-00138738

Retired conservative federal judge urges Supreme Court to disqualify Trump from office https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/29/politics/luttig-conway-supreme-court-trump-insurrection/index.html

I'm thankful every day that I'm not in Texas. If the privatized electric grid wasn't bad enough, I'd wonder what new healthcare area the state was going to come interfere in. It's not like a bunch of meddlers are going to stop. Anguish lingers as transgender kids’ families seek medical care outside Texas — and fight a state ban https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/27/us/texas-families-transgender-youth-gender-affirming-care-ban/index.html

EU threatens to silence Hungary if it blocks Ukrainian funds Leaders may consider invoking the “nuclear option” of kicking Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán out of the EU voting process. https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-threatens-silence-hungary-orban-if-blocks-ukrainian-aid-funds-article-7/

Exclusive: House ethics probe of Gaetz seeks information from DOJ and woman who allegedly had sex with congressman as a minor https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/24/politics/house-ethics-matt-gaetz/index.html

Donald Trump has a big problem ahead A whole swath of GOP voters appears firmly committed to not voting for Trump in November. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/23/trump-moderate-republicans-problem-00137112

Yeah, that is the incident I was talking about. He went there for her.

Saw an episode of "The Curse" and it looks terrific. It's a dark comedy and a trainwreck. Benny Safdie is really excellent as this very cynical producer that works with the main character couple.

Pretty dangerous thing, given a Trumpist wacko tried to literally go after Pelosi.

‘We’re sucking wind’: McHenry slams Johnson’s work as speaker “He needs to widen the group of advisers he has. The loudest members of our conference should not dictate the strategic course of a smart majority,” Patrick McHenry said. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/18/mchenry-johnson-speaker-00136468

The margin doesn't matter at all. The main reason Iowa matters at all is it can become a bragging point to win it. Even then it doesn't matter that much. It's pretty typical for a conservative candidate to win it then go on to lose later. It doesn't matter to Trump at all as a victory, he didn't need it. It mattered to De Satan, so his chances just went from .02 to 0.00. He is no Ted Cruz and that's a sad position to be in.

Not quite my cup of tea (although I have played them), but I have a friend that likes that type of game. They liked Cities: Skylines a lot. It sounds kind of like Sim City to me.

Theo James Embraces the "High" Life in First 'The Gentlemen' Trailer Guy Ritchie's series also stars Kaya Scodelario and Ray Winstone. The Gentlemen is a Netflix drama sequel to Guy Ritchie's movie that showcases the glitz, glamor, and dirty dealings of the British criminal underworld. Ray Winstone joins the cast as a career criminal and influential figure in the cannabis empire, adding to the star-studded ensemble. Guy Ritchie has a busy 2024 ahead with multiple projects, including The Gentlemen, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and Fountain of Youth.

US corporations push to roll back Trump-era tax policies they once endorsed An agreement is emerging that ties the corporate tax breaks to an increase in support for vulnerable American families https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/12/corporation-tax-break-lobby

Clive Owen Is Ready to Take on His Enemies in 'Monsieur Spade' Sneak Peek [Exclusive] The series also stars Alfre Woodard, Rebecca Root, and Cara Bossom. https://collider.com/monsieur-spade-episode-1-sneak-peek/ If there’s one word of advice we’re begging you to take from our exclusive clip of Monsieur Spade, it’s to stay off of Clive Owen’s property! From what we can gather, his character, the detective Sam Spade, runs a tight ship and notices anyone lurking on his long, dirt driveway in the French countryside. The clip reveals a volatile relationship between Owen’s titular protagonist and Stanley Weber’s (Drops of God) Jean-Pierre Devereaux, as Jean-Pierre has been posted up on his motorcycle waiting to run into Sam. Equipped with a message from his friend Philippe (Jonathan Zaccaï), Jean-Pierre seems to want nothing more than to stir the pot. But, to be fair, the clip also reveals that the dashing Monsieur Spade may be trying to seduce Jean-Pierre’s wife, so it’s a little tough to distinguish who the real bad guy is here.

Great finale. One ep was a bit muddled, but liked much of the season. Great use of the setting. Much better use of Kingpin than in Hawkeye. My main complaint would be DD was almost not in this, it was just a quick cameo. His inclusion was definitely oversold.

House right flank revolts by sinking rule vote as Speaker Mike Johnson walks tightrope on government funding plan https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/10/politics/speaker-johnson-funding-fight-right-flank/index.html

Echo seems great so far. Not as good as a new DD season, but really enjoyable. Liked the local characters and the various stores and scenery were good, too. Loved the train scene. Bit slow to get going, but it takes off nicely. I'll spoiler tag this out of caution, it's not much of a spoiler.

Because of drone bombings Obama accomplished nothing. That's very weak sauce. Forget Republican Presidents. Tell us which Democratic party President was better in your lifetime. Are you here to shill for Biden?

Russia must be held accountable over Ukraine – we should seize its assets Joseph Stiglitz and Andrew Kosenko After the EU and US failed to agree aid packages, we must send a clear message to regimes waging wars https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/08/russia-ukraine-seize-assets-us-eu

Trump and his MAGA allies turn their fire on Haley The Trump campaign and its allied super PAC are spending a combined $4.5 million on anti-Nikki Haley ads. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/06/trump-ads-nikki-haley-00134175