C-minus.
Why so low?
Clark Gregg is back. Coulson was supposed to be dead which would free up the show. Well Coulson dead (at least for now) but Gregg is back as a villain.
How deluded is everyone?
Clark Gregg is not an effective actor. He could barely play Coulson and now we're going to have him playing a villain?
Fitz?
The entire episode is spent searching for him and he shows up in the final scene, on some spaceship, giving himself an injection and speaking a foreign language. Did we all not know that would happen -- a reveal in the final scene? It's bad writing.
Gemma's looking for Fitz with Daisy, Piper and Davis. Their storyline goes no where because there are no inventive writers for this show, just cookie cutter people. Writing cookie cutter scripts.
The other story was Mack trying to be a leader. Trying? If all this time later -- many, many months since last season's finale, you have to keep sneaking off to your office and streaming holograms of Coulson for advice.
There's a character named Keller. Don't remember him. If he's not new, the emphasis on him is. He and Yo-Yo are secretly having an affair. Mae senses the sexual attraction between them; however, she doesn't know they're actually sleeping together.
Along with Keller there's another new guy: Fox. He's the only one of the 'extras' that gets lines so you know he's going to be a big part of the season. Dr. Benson is also a new character. He's the wise old man joining the team.
There's a new group of baddies. They may be human or part human and part cyborg. They're coming from somewhere else. One materializes as he walks through a brick wall. His partner gets stuck walking through the same wall and is lost. That's when Coulson's evil look alike emerges. Mae and the gang transport the wall and the dead person trapped in it back to headquarters.
As Dr. Benson examines the half man merged with the wall, it comes . . . online. He mumbles something about "can't stop it, it's happening." Mae wants to know why Dr. Benson didn't detect a heartbeat. Dr Benson explains it's machine or part machine. So I'm guessing it's somehow an Ava descendant -- but that's a guess.
I was very disappointed by the episode. Would have been more disappointed if I knew it was airing ahead of time. I just stumbled upon it. I didn't realize it was time for the show to come back.
Where is Deke? I didn't see him. I checked and he's supposed to be back this season and also he's listed as being part of season seven.
We could have really used Deke. He's got a humanity that few of the characters do. Gemma has it (maybe that's where Deke gets it from, his mother?). Fitz (his father) does. Piper has it but she barely got to speak (her big moment was opposing a space jump Gemma wanted to make to continue looking for Fitz). Daisy had it once but she's Quake now and so above everyone else.
They need Deke, they need him badly.
Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
Friday, May 10, 2019. Stolen goods on FACEBOOK, ex-prime ministers plotting to return to power and so much more.
A major bombing in Baghdad yesterday. AFP reports, "At least eight people were killed and 15 wounded in a suicide bombing at a market in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, a security official said. It was later claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS)." AP adds, "Hakim al-Zamily with the Sadrist political movement, which enjoys wide support in Sadr City, said lax security was to blame and that IS cells are taking advantage of slackened security measures in Baghdad." It was a suicide bomber so that's actually nine deaths. It's a major bombing and a major refutation of the false claim that ISIS has been defeated. Which explains -- though it doesn't justify -- why the Iraqi government tried to lie about the bombing. Margaret Griffis (ANTIWAR.COM) notes, "Baghdad Operations Command confirmed the bombing at first, but later claimed that the explosion was controlled and injured no one." Hard to successfully lie about this when the governments of both Kuwait and Turkey have condemned the attack. XINHUA notes, "The attack took place at rush time in the evening just after Iftar meal, or the break of the daylight fasting in holy month of Ramadan."
ISIS? Is it going to be the excuse to keep US troops in Iraq? So far, it has been.
At what point is the Iraqi government expected to defend itself from ISIS? This is the (US-installed) government, remember, that let Mosul be occupied for 3 years.
On the topic of US troops in Iraq, ALSUMARIA reports that US Senator Marco Rubio has screwed up again. He's stated there are 50,000 US troops on the ground in Iraq. Are there? Could be. If there are, Marco wasn't supposed to tell. If there aren't, too late, he's created an international incident. Iraqi MP Sabah al-Taloubi is calling for the Iraqi government to clarify and states if Marco was accurate, that is a problem for Iraq.
A major bombing in Baghdad yesterday. AFP reports, "At least eight people were killed and 15 wounded in a suicide bombing at a market in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, a security official said. It was later claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS)." AP adds, "Hakim al-Zamily with the Sadrist political movement, which enjoys wide support in Sadr City, said lax security was to blame and that IS cells are taking advantage of slackened security measures in Baghdad." It was a suicide bomber so that's actually nine deaths. It's a major bombing and a major refutation of the false claim that ISIS has been defeated. Which explains -- though it doesn't justify -- why the Iraqi government tried to lie about the bombing. Margaret Griffis (ANTIWAR.COM) notes, "Baghdad Operations Command confirmed the bombing at first, but later claimed that the explosion was controlled and injured no one." Hard to successfully lie about this when the governments of both Kuwait and Turkey have condemned the attack. XINHUA notes, "The attack took place at rush time in the evening just after Iftar meal, or the break of the daylight fasting in holy month of Ramadan."
ISIS? Is it going to be the excuse to keep US troops in Iraq? So far, it has been.
At what point is the Iraqi government expected to defend itself from ISIS? This is the (US-installed) government, remember, that let Mosul be occupied for 3 years.
On the topic of US troops in Iraq, ALSUMARIA reports that US Senator Marco Rubio has screwed up again. He's stated there are 50,000 US troops on the ground in Iraq. Are there? Could be. If there are, Marco wasn't supposed to tell. If there aren't, too late, he's created an international incident. Iraqi MP Sabah al-Taloubi is calling for the Iraqi government to clarify and states if Marco was accurate, that is a problem for Iraq.
Marco's statement was, "If they attack our 50,000 US personnel and\or our facilities in Iraq, it should be considered no different than a direct attack by Iran." Now most likely Marco is including embassy staff, etc. The 50,000 personnel is not supposed to be the number of troops. But he wasn't clear and that falls on him. Tensions are high in Iraq currently and a US senator making statements that are inflaming is already causing problems before you factor in that these statements are intended for Iraq and most Iraqis do not speak English.
There is a strong push for war with Iran and Marco is part of that push so maybe his 'mistake' isn't really one?
Also worth contemplating is Nouri al-Maliki's recent reaction. Former prime minister and forever thug Nouri has always been close to Iran. That's not a bad thing in the abstract. Iran shares a border with Iraq. The two countries need to get along and often do. But note this report from NATIONAL IRAQI NEWS AGENCY:
The head of the state of law coalition, Nuri al-Maliki confirmed the importance of keeping Iraq out of any regional or international conflict and respect its sovereignty.
A statement by Maliki's office quoted him as stressing during a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs David Satterfield, the "importance of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries," noting that "Iraq adopts bilateral relations with the countries of the world, and meet common challenges. "
He stressed "the importance of keeping Iraq out of any regional or international conflict and the need to respect its sovereignty, and adopt the dialogue approach to resolve all crises and conflicts, and that Iraq is not a starting point to attack others."
The meeting reviewed the strategic partnership relations between Iraq and the United States and the mechanisms of enhancing joint cooperation. He also discussed the issues and challenges in the region, the efforts to reach political solutions to them, as well as the efforts to fight terrorism.
In turn, Satterfield praised the relations and joint work done during the time of Maliki's premiership, praising his great role in developing bilateral relations.
Reading the above, two things stand out. First David Satterfield is quite the whore. Nouri is a thug. He should be in prison. He steals the money of the Iraqi people, his persecution of them created the conditions for the rise of ISIS, the list of his crimes are many. But there's David playing footsie with him. Second, Nouri clearly wants to be prime minister again. In fact, he wants to be it right now.
If you're not getting what's going on, you missed the limited roll out by empire functionary -- that's why he's friends with Thomas Friedman -- Robert Fisk. Fisk isn't a reporter, he's a pretender. He pretended to care about Iraq and then ran from it even while details were emerging about the murder of the woman he claimed was his friend. Whatever, Robert. A few days ago, he had a report on Hayder al-Abadi. Who? Exactly. Hayder is the worthless puppet that followed Nouri. He vowed to end corruption, he never even tackled it. Barack Obama installed him as prime minister.
The international press told you he was wonderful -- remember, empire building takes a lot of whores. He wasn't wonderful and that's why he lost the election that was supposed to be a sure thing according to the international press. It's funny how the international press, time and again, fluffs for a Nouri or a Hayder -- or whomever the US installs. You'd think they listen to the Iraqi people but they don't, do they? Which is why they have egg on their faces over and over.
So Robert showed up to feign interest in Iraq but really to do the roll out for Hayder's attempt to return as prime minister and it's a rah-rah piece that ignores facts such as the people of Iraq didn't want him, other politicians like movement leader and Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr didn't want him. But if Robert Fisk had to be weighed down by facts, he'd never achieved the tiny bit of fame he has -- or rather had. You can only milk I-spoke-to-bin-Laden for so long. Especially when the bulk of your over-praised commentary (passed off as reporting) really offered so damn little.
Reality tends to emerge -- slowly, but it does emerge. Even for Donald Trump who appears to have discovered that John Bolton, swinger though he may be, is no one to listen to.
Trump lost confidence Bolton who suggested it was going to be an easy task to overturn revolutionary process in Venezuela & return the nation back to the oligarchy. But just look at the freaks outside embassy in D.C. & you can see why the people have resisted that element.
Jacob G. Hornberger (INFORMATION CLEARING HOUSE) offers:
Pity
President Donald “America First” Trump,
Secretary of State (and former CIA
Director) Mike Pompeo, National-Security
Advisor (and Cold War fanatic) John
Bolton, and Special U.S. Representative
to Venezuela (and Cold War fanatic)
Eliott Abrams. Knowing that the American
people have grown weary with their
forever wars in Afghanistan, Iraq,
Syria, Libya, and Yemen, these four
interventionists can’t decide whether to
initiate a new war against Venezuela or
against Iran or against both. They just
know that they want a new war, an
exciting war, a winnable war against a
poor Third World country, a war that
will cause Americans to forget about the
ongoing fiascoes in the Middle East and
Afghanistan and that will hopefully
restore America to greatness through
“mission-accomplished” conquest,
bombing, death, destruction, and
regime-change. One can easily imagine
the arguments that must be taking place
in the White House: “Iran! They ousted
our Shah from power!” “No, Venezuela!
It’s part of the worldwide communist
conspiracy to take over America!”
Ideally
from their standpoint, the choice will
be made easier for them if either Iran
or Venezuela strikes first. After all,
let’s not forget that the Constitution,
which is supposedly the law of the land,
requires a congressional declaration of
war before the president and his army
can wage war. Moreover, after World War
II, the Nuremberg War Crimes declared it
to be a war crime for one nation to
initiate an attack on another nation.
Not that
any president concerns himself with the
Constitution and with Nuremberg
principles. Trump knows that he can
violate that section of the Constitution
with impunity. He knows that while
Congress might impeach him for
“collusion” with the Russians or with
the nebulous crime of “obstructing
justice,” there is no possibility that
Congress will impeach him for
intentionally violating the
declaration-of-war restriction in the
Constitution. He also knows that there
is no possibility that the U.S. Supreme
Court, whose responsibility is to
enforce the Constitution, will be
anything but passive and deferential to
any war initiated by the president.
In other news, the war that has destroyed Iraq has been wonderful for those who want to steal antiquities and who want to profit from stolen goods.
Along with AL-MONITOR's video report above, there's the reality that FACEBOOK is a tool for stolen goods as well.
Researchers say looted antiquities from Iraq, Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East are being offered for sale on Facebook
James Gant (DAILY MAIL) reports:
Ancient treasures 'looted by ISIS' are being 'offered for sale on Facebook', researchers have claimed.
Professor
Amr Al-Azm, who teaches Middle East history and anthropology at Shawnee
State University in Ohio, said there are at least 90 Facebook groups
and tens of thousands of members linked to the illegal trade.
ISIS
stole from historical sites as its so-called caliphate spread across
the Middle East, with it also granting other raiders access for a 20 per
cent tax.
Iraq is beset with problems and they're stuck with one ineffectual prime minister after another. Moqtada al-Sadr offers more reality than all the ex-prime ministers combined.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Saadi delivered a copy of Sayed Muqtada al-Sadr’s statement containing his concern about rising regional tensions, his vision of a regional role for #Iraq in resolving disputes and proposals to end the armed conflicts and crises.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Saadi delivered a copy of Sayed Muqtada al-Sadr’s statement containing his concern about rising regional tensions, his vision of a regional role for #Iraq in resolving disputes and proposals to end the armed conflicts and crises.
Tensions are rising. That's why Nouri and Hayder think they can jump back in as prime minister. Adel Abdul-Mahdi is yet another ineffectual prime minister. Seven months after becoming prime minister, he still doesn't have a full Cabinet. More importantly, he still doesn't have a Minister of Defense or a Minister of the Interior. He can't govern. He's a failure and the smell of failure has Nouri and Hayder circling, desperate to be back in control.
In the US, the presidential election will take place in 2020. There are six women seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Some are raising serious issues.
It is critical that we understand the importance of engaging with other nuclear powers with respect and in a spirit of cooperation rather than conflict. As president I will work to end the cold war and decrease tensions that are bringing us closer to nuclear catastrophe.
I will put service above self, bringing the spirit of servant leadership back to Washington, to ensure our government is truly of, by and for the people. Join me in taking a stand against the powerful forces of greed and corruption. #ServiceBeforeSelf #Tulsi2020
On MSNBC: “I’m a soldier. I’ve served over 16 years in the Army National Guard. I know first-hand the cost of war, and that is why I’m running for president.” #Tulsi2020
Let’s show our appreciation to teachers as they choose to put service above self, as they teach & care for our kids. We need to pay them more & give them the tools they need to do their job. We thank them today & EVERY DAY for their service & sacrifice #TeacherAppreciationDay
18 years, thousands of dead, trillions of dollars. We’re right back where we started. Our leaders have failed us. It’s time our troops in Afghanistan came home.
Happy National Nurses Day! Nurses live a life of service, caring for others, that is so vitally needed in our world today. Please RT to show our deepest aloha, respect and appreciation for their skill and sacrifice #ServiceAboveSelf
We need to take the trillions being spent on regime change wars, the new Cold War & arms race, & reinvest those dollars in the needs of our communities--quality healthcare for all, protecting the environment, improving education, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, & more.
We should not let issues around Mueller report, impeachment or the economy distract our attention from the dangerous saber rattling coming out of the Trump administration toward Iran and Venezuela. I will make a major statement shortly.
We got to the 65,000!!!!
My 2d Detroit Town Hall – Monday, 5/13 … bring your questions/concerns. Moderated by Rep Leslie Love (D-10). Detroit Unity Temple, 17505 2nd Blvd. 7PM.
You bet.
I strongly oppose the nomination of Patrick Shanahan. A 30yr executive at Boeing aircraft is not who should be heading the Department of Defense; someone whose background lies in corporate defense contracting is exactly who should not be running the show.
My Town Hall on Criminal Justice Reform and Policing in Black, Brown and Marginalized Communities. With former Detroit Chief of Police Ralph Godbee. Saturday May 11, 10am
We need to rise up. #Marianne2020
Thanks so much for the interview @KimIversenShow !
This says it all: “I heard a gunshot,” said Makai Dixon, 8, a second grader who had been training for this moment, with active shooter drills and lockdowns, since he was in kindergarten. “I’d never heard it before.” Not one American should find this acceptable. Not one of us.
There are things America needs to atone for, such as a streak of violence which has been part of our national character from our earliest days. Our unwillingness to look deeply at this keeps us from becoming what we are capable of becoming. Today let's atone & ask for forgiveness
Another school shooting in Denver. Once again our NRA-owned senators & congressmen will offer thoughts & prayers & yet do nothing. I pray for the victims & for those who love them. And I pray for forgiveness for a country that puts gun sales before the safety of our own children.
Valuing working Americans means supporting the unions that make our communities strong. It was a pleasure meeting with leaders from @SEIU1107 while I was in Nevada this week, and I'm looking forward to many more conversations on how we can keep fighting for working families.
This isn’t a game, or a hypothetical threat. It’s why I’m drawing a line in the sand on our judiciary—our next president has to.
Insurance companies denied coverage to Karl and Wendy when they needed it most. Their story proves that when we let private insurance companies call the shots, the results are inhumane. We must expand access through Medicare For All—not make devastating cuts to coverage.
No one should ever have to make the impossible choice between a paycheck and caring for a loved one. SB 1 would have brought thousands of New Hampshire families paid leave—what every family deserves. Governor Sununu's veto is a disgrace.
Reproductive rights are civil rights, and the next president needs to fight for them. Help guarantee my spot in the debates so this issue is put center stage—where it belongs:
Kirsten Gillibrand Retweeted
History was made when @SenGillibrand and I sat down together to discuss issues relating to lgbtq people!
Thanks @wussymag
Women should be trusted to make their own medical decisions, including abortion, without interference from politicians. Full stop.
I’m in, @RuPaul.
What's happening in Georgia, Alabama, and state legislatures across the country is nothing less than a coordinated assault on women's reproductive rights, and we can't afford not to take the threat seriously. Women's lives are on the line.
Can't wait to be back in New Hampshire this weekend! Check out our events and RSVP at kirstengillibrand.com/events. Hope you can join us!
Riley Howell at UNC-Charlotte last week, Kendrick Castillo at STEM School Highlands Ranch this week. Neither should have had to be a hero. They should still be here.
This has to stop.
The following sites updated:
Empire (spoilers)
2 hours ago
Is it 2004?
2 hours ago
Some TV notes
2 hours ago
Dionne
2 hours ago
Chelsea is free
10 hours ago
Who steals jokes
10 hours ago
Look who's whoring
12 hours ago
Thursday Reads
1 day ago
