While The Goldbergs season
10 successfully covered up Jeff Garlin’s exit by killing off Murray,
this hasn’t fixed the biggest problem with the nostalgic family sitcom.
One major problem with setting shows during a nostalgic period in the
past is that, the longer the show is on the air, the weirder it will be
for time to remain still in-universe. For example, Stranger Things can’t
have 11 seasons set during the 80s if each season takes place over a
full year, since that would require over a full decade of in-universe
time.
Similarly, while The Goldbergs is pointedly set in “1980-something” to avoid this issue, that excuse won’t work forever. While The Goldbergs handled Jeff Garlin’s exit poorly at
first, season 10 of the series managed to fix this problem by promptly
killing off the character off-screen. However, there is a bigger issue
with The Goldbergs season 10.
When The Goldbergs debuted back in 2013, it was the story of 11-year-old Adam Goldberg and his teenage siblings Erica and Barry. By 2022, The Goldbergs season 10 Christmas episode focused
on the now twenty-something Erica and Barry and the twenty-year-old
Adam. It is believable that Adam would live with his mother rather than
attend college, particularly after the sudden loss of his father, and
Dave Kim does say that Adam is taking a “gap year” in The Goldbergs season 10, episode 6, “DKNY.” However, Barry and Erica’s constant presence in the family home is harder to justify.
It goes on and on like this without ever getting to the problem: Adam has to grow up.
The writer also makes a lot of mistakes like:
When The Goldbergs debuted back in 2013, it was the story of 11-year-old Adam Goldberg and his teenage siblings Erica and Barry. By 2022, The Goldbergs season 10 Christmas episode focused on the now twenty-something Erica and Barry and the twenty-year-old Adam.
I wish Adam was 20. He just graduated high school last spring.
And this:
The show did address this in The Goldbergs season
10, episode 4, “Man of the House,” wherein Erica managed to graduate
college but Erica and Geoff were too distracted by her pregnancy to
notice.
Erica noticed her own graduation. It was Bev and Geoff who didn't.
There's so much work that THE GOLDBERGS need to do. It's a shame that SCREEN RANT couldn't grasp that and couldn't get their facts right on the claims they tried to put forward.
Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapsot;'
Thursday, December 15, 2022. The House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing on violence against LGBTQ+ members.
We'll start with this.
Michael
Anderson: I was bartending that evening when the attack began. I felt
more terrified than I ever have before. I ran for my life that night
and hid -- praying and hoping the violence would end. When I stared
down the barrel of that gun, I realized I stood no chance against a
weapon of that power, magazine capacity, and seemingly automatic firing
rate. While I prepared for my life to end in that moment, I prayed. I
panicked. And I prayed some more. God must have heard my prayers
because two brave men stopped the shooter moments before he would have
inevitably found me. I saw my friend lying on the floor, bleeding out,
knowing there was little to no chance of surviving the bullet wound. I
had to tell him goodbye while I continued to fear for my life, not
knowing if the attack was truly over.
James
Slaugh: The events of November 19th were a nightmare come true. Right
before midnight, on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, my
boyfriend Jancarlos and I were about to leave when a shooter walked in.
Several POPs rang out and I immediately felt a searing pain in my arm.
I fell over knowing I had been shot. My right arm wasn't working but I
was able to call 911. I saw everyone on the ground, glass panes
shattered and blood running from my arm and chest where shrapnel had
come through. Jancarlos was next to me, shot in the leg, but thankfully
alive. To my horror though, I saw my sister bleeding out. She had
been shot over five times. My heart rended ed as she tried to dial 911
with her good arm. I called out to her and I heard no response. I
don't want to imagine what may have happened had the shooter not been
taken down. Five wonderful people were still murdered and may we never
forget their names
Matthew
Haynes: When I opened Club Q twenty years ago, Colorado Springs was a
very different place. There were picketers greeting our opening. I'm
proud to have remained in Colorado Springs over the years -- even when
we did not feel welcome. Club ! has been a home for the community for
20 years. We are proud to say it will once again become the home for
our community. One man full of hate will not destroy us. Club Q is for
everyone regardless of who they love and how they present, regardless
if this is different than how you or I may love. LGBTQ venues and small
business across our nation are extensions of family for us all. And,
for many, they are the only places we can find acceptance. Club Q will
need all the resources available to help us rebuild what was stolen from
us.
Michael,
James and Matthew survived last month's shooting at Club Q. The three
were testifying before The House Committee on Oversight and Reform. US
House Rep Carolyn Maloney is the Chair of the Committee.
Carolyn
leaves Congress next month. She was first sworn in in January of
1993. She used her last weeks in Congress to focus on a very important
issue -- at least important to most people. It wasn't important to any
Republican on the Committee and I do have to wonder if they're unaware
that they have members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies of the
community in their districts? It would be great if, in 2024, these
'representatives' could be voted out.
- Daniel Davis Aston, 28
- Kelly Loving, 40
- Ashley Paugh, 35
- Derrick Rump, 38
- Raymond Green Vance, 22
The shooting also left twenty-five people injured.
Michael,
James and Matthew made up the first panel before the Committee. The
second panel was made up of Human Rights Campaign's Kelley Robinson,
Pulse Nightclub shooting survivor Brandon Wolf, National Center for Transgender Equality's Oliva Hunt, Inside Out Youth Services' Jessie
Pocock and The Williams Institute's Ilan Meyer.
We'll note this exchange:
Committee
Chair Carolyn Maloney: The violence that took place at Club Q follows
years of long efforts by some state lawmakers to erase LGBTQ+ people
from school curriculum, limit their access to healthcare and undermine
their ability to fully participate in society. Now state lawmakers are
not alone. They're have been many actions here in Congress pushing the
same kind of draconian, extremist policies. For example, more than 30
House Republicans introduced their own version of Florida's "Don't Say
Gay or Trans" law which would restrict federal funding for schools that
include LGBTQ+ people in their curriculum. I'd like to ask Ms.
Robinson: How would a federal policy suppress even mentioning LGBTQ+
persons in classrooms further undermine the ability of LGBTQ+ Americans
to live authentically and safely? Ms. Robinson?
Kelley
Robinson: Thank you for the question. And it's so critically important
what we teach our kids matters. We're teaching curriculum that not
only shows how important history is and what we can be in the future but
also what we value, who matters, who deserves dignity and respect. If
we erase LGBTQ+ people from the curriculum, it erases a value in our
lives. As Brandon said, this is our opportunity to be better and we can
do that. And it starts with how we educate our children. And I also
want to be clear that when we allow the pieces of legislation to move
forward that erase our communities, that dehumanize us, what it does is
create a dangerous environment that does support and feed these seeds of
hatred that exist in our world. It's not only dangerous, it's violent
to our people.
Committee
Chair Carolyn Maloney: Thank you. Ms. Pocock, what would a federal
"Don't Say Gay or Trans" law mean for the LGBTQ+ youth navigating their
communities across the country from your experience?
Jessie
Pocock: Yes, you know, we worked really hard on a similar "Don't Say
Gay" bill that was being proposed in our, uh, in our state and, you
know, the truth is that we all need mentors and examples that we can
grow into and see ourselves in. And when our -- When we as a nation are
hiding our faces or our experiences or our contributions to this
nation, it really impacts young people and their ability to see others
like them and their ability to learn how we've contributed to this
nation. But more than that, it's erasure and it hurts. And so our
young people tell us that what they see and hear and feel when school
board members or politicians are advocating to erase them is that they
feel like they don't belong. They feel like their public schools are
not for them. And so it is so critically important that we are always
cheering these young people on. And one real simple way to do that is
to give them access to folks like me and those of us on the panel who
are LGBTQ and incredible human beings in this world because they can be
too. They just need us to support them and show them how.
Committee
Chair Carolyn Mahoney: Thank you. Following the enactment of
Florida's "Don't Say Gay or Trans" law, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric on social
media surged by more than 400%. Astonishingly. Dr Meyer, what is the
relationship between this surge and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and the kind of
violence that took place at Club Q last month?
Dr
Ilan Meyer: I think it was mentioned already in the panel, this kind
of incitement encourages people to enact what they think is righteous
because of religious convictions and other types of ideologies that are
portrayed on social media wrongly and clearly this is creating an
environment where such violence is seen as not only acceptable but, as I
said, righteous and desirable and causing LGBT people a lot of harm --
not only in the -- those of them who actually experience violence, but
also everybody in the community who witnesses it,
A note. Many Democrats in the hearing use LGBTQIA. Some used the more
common LGBTQ or LGBTQ+. I myself haven't used LGBTQAI here. It stands
for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual.
That's an expansive term and it's good to expand. We'll try to use it here in the future.
Let's
move to two idiots. First, Yvette Herrell. She showed up for a moment
in the hearing and completely misunderstood everything had been said --
most importantly when she completely distorted Dr Meyer's remarks,
twisted them to make them something he never said. I am not going to
sully his reputation by repeating her nonsense here. She also didn't
understand basic English as evidenced by her distortion of what Dr
Pocock was speaking of. (Or maybe her staff just wrote her poor crib
notes -- she wasn't present for the remarks from either that she elected
to comment on.)
Another idiot? Ranking
Member James Comer used the hearing to repeatedly play a victim. Most
infamously where he all but sobbed while proclaiming of the hearing:
Unfortunately,
Democrats are using Committee time and resources today to blame
Republicans for this horrendous crime. This is not an oversight
hearing. This is a "blame Republicans so we don't have to take
responsibility" for our own defund the police and soft on crime
politics.
Huh?
Defund the police and soft on crime policies?
Let's, for the sake of argument, insist that's true.
What the hell does that have to do with the shooting?
Three patrons of the bar -- Richard M. Fierro, Thomas James and an unidentified trans woman -- took the shooter out. This wasn't a case
where the police were outside the club waiting to come in. Does Comer
really believe what he said? If so, can he pass a drug screen?
If
he can't, that would explain the hair. Did no one on his staff have a
comb? You can't get those cheap hair cuts and not comb. I don't have
to comb. All I have to do is run my fingers through my hair. But I pay
for a good haircut. The upper right side of his hair looked like he
cut it himself. And someone please tell him to sit on his jacket's coat tails or not
to wear the jacket. Is he that stupid? Does he not know you sit on the jacket
to get a crisp and clear line on the shoulders?
Comer
also lost it during US House Rep Cori Bush's time.
For
those who don't
know, unlike the Senate, members of the House have only five minutes
each round for questioning and comments during a hearing. Five
minutes. And any sensible person knows not to interrupt a
committee member during their five minutes (five each round). But there
was Comer sputtering of Bush's remarks -- while she was speaking, "That
-- that -- Madam Chair --
I mean, my G**." If you're new here, out of respect for all, we do not
allow what some see as blasphemy to go up here -- for any deity. We
always censor God if it's being used in vain. That's why we're
censoring Comer. I'll also add that I believe he was using the name in
vain. I could be wrong. You could also read it as he was calling
Carolyn Maloney his God. I don't think that's the case but I'll give
him the benefit of the doubt.
Not
that he earned it.
He gave an opening statement that was over 640
words long. In it, he did manage to decry attacks on African-Americans,
on "Asian communities, Jewish communities and Christian communities" on
"churches and pro-life institution," on "all races and ethnicities" . .
. He left "on Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen."
Know who else he left out?
LGBTQ+.
LGBTQ+.
That's what the hearing was about but in his opening remarks he did not
note them. (He referred to victims! Yes, he did. And, sorry, the
victims included straight people.) A hearing about violence against
LGBTQ+ and Comer can whine about himself but can't say, even once, that
attacks on LGBTQ+ are wrong. "Republicans condemn violence in all
forms," he insisted . . . while refusing to decry violence against that
community. Shameful.
He's full of it.
And
everyone needs to grasp that. Do not say, "Well he said all forms."
Yes, he did. And then he went on to specify groupings, many, many
groupings. None of which were lesbians, gay men, bisexuals or
transgenders. That is reality. Those were his own words and he wrote
his opening statement out ahead of time. He included every word he
wanted. He didn't want to include LGBTQ+. Don't pretend otherwise
unless you're an Aunty Gigi (a self-loathing closet case who is more
worried about impressing straight conservatives than in defending his
own rights and those of his family. Aunty Gigi is best exemplified by
Glenn Greenwald).
Let's also note that he looked like he wanted to puke when Michael Anderson testified the following:
To
my fellow LGBTQ community, events like this are designed to discourage
us from speaking and living our truth. They are designed to scare us
from living openly, courageously and proudly. We must not succumb to
fear, we must live prouder and louder than ever before. We must
continue to be who we are, for who we are is exactly who we are meant to
be. And to the children watching this, feeling you may not be like
other kids: I understand you and I see you. You deserve to be exactly
who you are, no matter what anyone has to say. In the words of my
personal gay icon Christina Aguilera, you are beautiful no matter what
they say. Words can't bring you down, so don't let them bring you down
today.
I'm
sure the Aunty Gigis will insist that by not naming them, Comer was
being kind -- after all so many others in his Republican Party trash
them out right with one lie after another. They'll pick the belly lint
and be content pretending its chocolate covered cherries. Too bad for
Aunty Gigi, the rest of the country's not so pathetic.
Again,
five people were killed in the attack on Club Q and twenty-five were injured (but how nice for Comer
to try to make it all about himself). James Slaugh spoke of his sister
who was injured in the attack:
I
have always struggled with my sexuality, not because I deny who I am,
but because many others do -- because others want to hurt me for being
me. My coming out story involves my family and their support. My
sister Charlene paved the way for me to accept myself. After she was
forced out of the closet and ultimately the house by our mom who -- at
the time -- believed being gay was a sin, our household went through a
transformation. In the end, love won, as it always will. Our mom
became loving and accepting. She chose her children and it was this
road to my sister and I had to endure that allowed me to feel safe
enough to say, 'Hey, Mom, I like guys.' She recently passed. But
before she did, for the past 15 years, she has been an advocate for our
community, especially in her religious circles.
Comer
was imitated by his fellow Republicans on the Committee. Virginia
Foxx, Fred Keller, Jody Hice also couldn't say gay or trans -- maybe
they thought were in a Florida school?
Couldn't mention the L or the G or the B or the T or the Q.
We
need to note Glenn Grothman because he did say "gay." He truly did.
Speaking of people murdered in the US this year, he decalred, "I assume
some of them were gay -- I don't know."
Some.
He didn't know.
I guess that passes for compassion and awareness for Republicans on the Committee.
It
was funny to watch the Republicans run from the terms. Jody Hice, for
example, freaking out and frothing about how people "blame Republicans
for these attacks" without ever saying who the attacks were on.
Hice
did say that "the rise of hate crimes concerns me, it concerns all of
us" and went on to identify the "hate crimes" as mean people who said
Trump staffers should have difficulty finding employment.
Yes, that is the great hate crime, Hice, you nailed it.
And
he offered this statement -- without saying who said it or whom it was
said to -- as an example of a hate crime, "You're all trash. I hate you
and I wish you harm."
Jody, when your wife speaks to you like that, consider marital counseling.
Jody
did manage to say, as he got really angry about someone being denied
service at a food establishment, "This was not LGB community, this was
Christians!''
LGB.
Dr. Meyers tried to explain what a hate crime was during the hearing and it sailed right over the Republicans heads.
For other coverage of the hearing, see Ruth's "Allies are needed (House Oversight Committee)," Kat's "Respect for Marriage Act is only step one, more needed," "Cori Bush speaks some truth in Committee hearing," Trina's "LGBTQ youth need a safe nation (Dr. Jessie Pocock)," Mike's "Texas, come claim your idiot (House Oversight Committee)," Stan's "Shontel Brown, Chris Wallace, Wonder Woman" and Rebecca's "glenn greenwald wants to be the biggest bitch there is ."
Let's not the Committee's press release on the hearing:
At Oversight Committee Hearing, Survivors of Anti-LGBTQI+ Violence Underscore Dangers of Anti-LGBTQI+ Extremism
Dec 14, 2022
Press Release
At Oversight Committee Hearing, Survivors of Anti-LGBTQI+ Violence Underscore Dangers of Anti-LGBTQI+ Extremism
|
Washington, D.C. (Dec. 14, 2022)—Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, held a hearing to examine how the surge of anti-LGBTQI+ policies advanced in legislatures across the country and the proliferation of extreme anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric are fueling violence against LGBTQI+ people in the United States, including the mass shooting that took place at the LGBTQI+ nightclub, Club Q, in Colorado Springs last month.
“Last month, a person with an AR-15-style assault rifle entered Club Q—a nightclub that served as a haven for LGBTQI+ people in the Colorado Springs community—and opened fire on unsuspecting bar patrons and staff. The attacker’s depravity robbed us of five innocent lives—Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, and Derrick Rump,” said Chairwoman Maloney in her opening statement. “Let us honor them by recommitting to the bold action necessary to ensure that every person in the United States can experience the freedom to live authentically and safely—regardless of who they love or how they identify.”
The Committee heard testimony from Michael Anderson and James Slaugh, survivors of the deadly Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Matthew Haynes, founding owner of Club Q. The Committee also heard testimony from Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign; Brandon Wolf, survivor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting; Olivia Hunt, Policy Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality; Jessie Pocock, CEO and Executive Director of Inside Out Youth Services; and Ilan Meyer, Distinguished Senior Scholar for Public Policy at the Williams Instititue
Survivors of anti-LGBTQI+ violence and expert witnesses emphasized that Republicans’ extremist rhetoric and harmful policies have contributed to surging violence, intimidation, and an unprecedented rise in hate crimes against the LGBTQI+ community.
Witnesses detailed the growing list of harmful anti-LGBTQI+ policies championed by Republicans at every level of government and the ways in which they are undermining the ability of LGBTQI+ people to live authentically and without fear.
Witnesses and Democratic Members emphasized the need to take bold action to push back against extreme anti-LGBTQI+ policies and advance the health, safety, and rights of LGBTQI+ people
### |
117th Congress
We may return to the topic tomorrow. I've got enough my notes to do so and it was an important hearing.
Turning to Iraq, MIDDLE EAST EYE reports:
A coalition of anti-war groups and rights organisations have signed a letter urging congressional leadership to put forth a measure to repeal the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) for Iraq.
The letter, sent to senators Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, and Patrick Leahy, as well as Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy, among others, urged the lawmakers to take action on what it referred to as a "long overdue repeal".
As of Wednesday, 37 organisations had signed the letter.
"Repealing this outdated and unnecessary law would constitute a basic act of constitutional hygiene while also ensuring that the 2002 Iraq AUMF cannot be misused to breathe new life into an unforeseen national security crisis, driven by an unchecked president," the letter said.
"This scenario has already played out once, in early 2020; there is nothing to prevent it playing out again, until Congress takes the 2002 Iraq AUMF off the books."
And we'll note CENTCOM issued the following:
Dec. 14, 2022
Release Number 20221214-10
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BAGHDAD – On Dec. 13, Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, CENTCOM commander, visited Baghdad, where he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Shia’ Al-Sudani, Minister of Defense Thabet Mohammed Saeed, Chief of Defense Lieutenant Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, and commander of Joint Operations Command for Iraq Lieutenant Gen. Qais Al-Muhammadawi AI-Abbasi.
The leaders discussed the current security situation in the region, as well as opportunities to strengthen cooperation and coordination. They spoke of progress in the development of the capabilities of the Iraqi Security Forces. They also discussed ongoing operations to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.
Qais provided Kurilla with a tour of the Joint Command Center as well as a review of the Iraq command’s joint targeting process. He also recognized U.S. Soldiers assigned to Operation Inherent Resolve for their work alongside Iraqi forces.
These engagements strengthen bilateral relations between the U.S. and Iraq and reaffirm CENTCOM’s commitment to the security and stability of the Middle East.
The following sites updated:
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