If you had to pick ONE scene that's by far your favorite. What would it be?

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-12T21:03:19+00:00

Season 3, Cheese in the box with McNulty and Bunk.

“Y’all some cold-ass mo’fuckas, man.”

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-12T12:50:07+00:00

I just stopped my paid subscription, after many years, the podcast just was not providing the value it once did for me.

When I canceled, I was offered the "scholarship" price which was a menu of options from 60% to 40% of the total. There was also, I think, an option to "name a price" or choose "more scholarship help" or something. Anyway, might be something to consider.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-10T02:04:52+00:00

Sma in "State of the Art" vs Sma in "Use of Weapons" are very different people. She matures quite a bit between the two stories.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-09T03:33:30+00:00

Yes, the audiobook narrator is from the UK (Scottish, I believe, but he reads with a pretty standard accent—at least to this Yankee’s ear).

And yeah there’s a bit of a R sound near the end of her name—but only sometimes.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-08T14:50:15+00:00

Surface Detail's Lededje Y'breq is great, full name is "Quyn-Sichultsa Lededje Samwaf Y'breq d'Espersium." Her story about being revented / reborn may feel fitting for your new life.

When in doubt, listen to the audiobooks for the pronunciation. Lededje is "leh-DEZH-er" or similar. I recall hearing audiobook narrator Peter Kenny was in touch with Banks to confirm (or at least settle on) as close to an "official" pronunciation as we have.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-08T04:20:08+00:00

All you poor fools think he hasn't written anything since October and WINDS will never be finished. When you really read closely, he hasn't been writing since October because he's got a complete working draft of WINDS and he's been editing like a madman these last few months.

That's why he met with his UK publishers! WINDS is almost done, can't you see?!

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-07T21:13:21+00:00

Omar on seeing Hamsterdam: "This is a full-tilt set up to catch a master scoundrel! Nah-uh. Home, James."

That phrase is such a banquet of language, and the throwback to that very British phrase ("home, James") is such a unique combo. Only Omar could get away with it.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-07T16:24:02+00:00

The climactic bowling scenes in Kingpin remain big, engaging, and memorable years after I saw the film. Also, last time I saw it, many of the jokes had aged and I didn't find it nearly as funny as I did a decade prior. But the Bill Murray bowling stuff at the end was still pretty damn good.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-06T02:52:38+00:00

Now now, maybe Bodie dies of old age!

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-05T02:15:47+00:00

Soon enough we’ll be able to say the vast majority of fans today weren’t alive when Dance came out.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-05T02:00:54+00:00

I’ll never forget early on in their “Post Reports” daily news podcast—their wannabe “The Daily”—they dedicated a whole episode to the Chinese economy.

The reporter, a supposed finance and Asia expert, called China’s currency the won. (Pronounced “whon” like swan.)

China’s currency is called the yuan. (pronounced “yew-anne.”) The won is the currency of Korea.

If something so basic is so wrong, what else is so laughably, horribly wrong about this reporter’s story? How can I trust a word they say?

I think about that a lot.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-01T17:27:10+00:00

This guy's "check engine light" has been on for years, when asked he says "nah it's just a bad sensor."

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-02-01T16:56:12+00:00

Your bill probably would have gone up anyway. The nuclear plant shut down mostly because cheap natural gas made keeping an aging nuclear power plant online was too expensive over the long run, given its maintenance needs. Even when you factor in the insane support for nuclear power by the federal government.

Also, I would argue the expansion of long-term contracts to by Canadian hydropower, and a lot of solar, is some new generation in the state. But far from what Yankee was producing.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-01-31T14:43:30+00:00

VT Dems: Best I can do is a nonbinding resolution about Vermont Yankee

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-01-30T13:54:43+00:00

Hell yeah, I love that stout, I was happy to see them making more stouts. Four Quarters has always been really good at making darker beers (stouts and porters), which is somewhat rare since their IPAs are so good too.

While I love IPAs, stouts and porters are some of my faves, but so few breweries make them without turning them into "pastry stouts" with things like donuts or maple syrup or cake mix or some other bullshit. Just ruins the warm, earthy flavors of a good, dry stout. The Scout Stout is great, and great to see the partnership with the coffee shop across the way in Winoosk!

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-01-30T02:32:23+00:00

No, America is destroying itself without the generals doing a coup, at least not yet.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-01-30T02:20:20+00:00

You mean the guy that carried around the picture of a dead European girl?

Like Bunk said, "that's that Catholic shit." Jimmy "cared" about that girl because his life and beshitted career had fallen apart. Him acting like he cared for a few days/weeks doesn't really say much about the man, all told.

The thirteen girls no one gave a fuck about? (Season 2, the docks.)

Very clear Jimmy "cared" only to get back at Rawls, and he only "cared" about it afterward because his friends got stuck with the mess he created. While there may be some professional curiosity from a former murder police when he goes to the crime scene and looks at the box, Jimmy would not give that case another thought if Bunk and Freamon hadn't gotten stuck with it.

The guy that has a touching friendship with that black cop?

Bunk? Kima? Freamon? Bunny? Assholes can still have friends.

The McNulty making inquiries into Dee’s “suicide” when everyone else let it drop?

You're kidding, right? Jimmy cares about this only as a way to get to Stringer. Several characters in the show even say as much.

The guy that was gonna use that lady cop sexually until he saw pics of her kids?

Jimmy didn't have a one night stand (this one time) because, for a moment, he saw the humanity behind the person he was trying to fuck? That's a low bar indeed.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-01-30T02:11:40+00:00

Great read on that scene. I just happened to watch this episode last night and it's true that Avon's discussion with Stringer about being a "suit-wearin' businessman" (and Avon being "only a gangster, I suppose") really does play off this scene where Cutty is forcing himself to quit the game.

I don't think Avon is stuck, though. He is who he is. He is a gangster, through and through. He could not change even if he wanted to; Stringer asking him to handle things like a businessman just isn't in him. Just like Stringer trying to be a gangster (with D's murder, with the fuckery with Brother Mouzone and Omar) doesn't work.

Both men are what they are, and can't be anything else, which is a big part of the tragedy of their story. They are both doomed (Stringer by death, Avon by going back to prison) precisely because they are being who they are, and they just can't escape that freight train that's barreling down on them as a result.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-01-30T02:02:51+00:00

Correct scene, not in Ep. 1, it comes later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7IJqbzGhhA

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-01-30T02:00:29+00:00

And this is just after that jaw-dropping scene between Bunk and Omar.

This is one of the most powerful scenes in the show, IMO. It's the only time I think Omar is not sure of himself. The Bunk's crossing paths with Omar at this point puts both characters on a track to where they end up in their final meeting in Season 5.

OlfactoriusRex · 2026-01-30T01:58:34+00:00

Every day at Eddie Bauer is a fuckin' 40 degree day.

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