This is one of those episodes with which I don't know what to do. Since I didn't write about every episode last year, I can't really remember if this next statement is true: This season seems very inconsistent. Phenomenal episodes followed by good episodes followed by OK episodes. And I saw this thought on another site last week, but have been thinking it myself. This season has been outside the office more and it's not a good thing. More Sterling-Cooper please!

-Obviously the big moment in this episode is Betty finding Don's secret box. Luckily for him, she seemed to be too distracted by his fake divorce to question Dick Whitman's stuff too closely. I loved when Don called the house the morning of the party and didn't realize Betty was mad at him... She was raring for a fight and then sort of backed down.

-The teacher is crazy and this is not going to end well. She's saying all the right things now, about how she doesn't care about his family. You'll see. So who called and hung up if not the teacher and not Henry Francis (though I guess Betty called him to let us know he's not done on the show yet)? I bet it was the teacher.

-"Do you feel bad about what you do?" "Nobody feels as good about what they do as you do." Teach didn't mean the question to be anything more than about advertising, unfortunately, but Don still dodged it.

-Last week we had a "Betty" episode, which aren't that awesome, but if they start focusing episodes on the teacher, I'll be upset. Taking her brother for a ride was weird. I don't know if they were telling us that not everyone could be like Don and just make a change in his life ("I'm addlicted."). The second time this season Don has given all his money to someone younger than him he had just met (though the first was involuntary). The little brother had Don described perfectly when he used the phrase "his plans were interrupted." If people would just stop screwing with Don's plans.

-"I swore to myself that I would do this right once." Don was thinking his brother, Adam, when he said that. Otherwise, I don't think we know yet what he was talking about.

-Another big reveal is that Sterling-Cooper is for sale, much to the delight of Price's wife, who has not taken to the US. No clue what this means for next year. Bert Cooper's a funny character, "Who told you I was vain?"

-"I hate when that happens." Kinsey and Peggy were surprised that Don had opened up to them about losing good ideas. That expression of fallibility was humane and somewhat out of character. These quick moments, when a throw away line and shrug of the shoulders, reveal more about Don than some half episodes. It's why we watch, amirite?

Apologies for skimping this week, was out on Sunday night and had to rush this to get some normal amount of sleep.

Joe the Plumber?

Do yourself a favor and read this interview.

Rotten Tomatoes does the work of naming the 100 worst movies of the last decade. I thought I watched a lot of crappy movies (I watch them so you don't have to), but I've seen surprisingly few of these. And even better, I don't think I liked any of the ones I had seen. It's redemptive.

Today's submission comes from Michael Crowley at The New Republic:

Should the [balloon boy] family be charged for the huge search and rescue effort?

No.

This has been "Simple Answers to Stupid Questions." See you next time!

Here's a journalistic structure that drives me completely insane:

1. Reporter states a fact.
2. Reporter quotes someone (wrongly) casting doubt on the fact.
3. Reporter kinda shrugs.
4. My head explodes.

Here's an example from the ProJo's Neil Downing:

The [Social Security Administration] typically hikes benefit amounts each year, based on the increase in the price of goods and services as measured by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index.

This time, however, there was no increase in inflation for the year ended Sept. 30, government figures show. Thus, Social Security benefits will not change for 2010.

...

Nicholas Geanacou, 83, of Cranston, a retired rehabilitation counselor, said he had an idea that benefits would remain flat. "I sort of suspected they would pull a fast one," he said.

He brushed aside talk about inflation. The real reason that there will be no rise in benefits, he said, is unemployment. With fewer people working, fewer people are paying Social Security taxes, reducing the balance in the Social Security trust funds, he said.

Now, Mr. Geanacou is simply wrong. SSA is not "pulling a fast one" and they're not holding benefits flat because of unemployment. In fact, I'm not sure the SSA exercises any discretion at all about cost-of-living adjustments, because they are statutory and automatic.

So, why is he quoted? Why is this factually wrong speculation in my newspaper? What purpose does it serve?

Update: Here are some intelligent thoughts on the COLA from Drum and Yglesias.

I don't like hockey, but this shot, by a 9 year old, is amazing.



Thanks, Seth.

... is perhaps a kinder description than the more accurate "horrifying dank basement for $695/month."

I'm REALLY not going to turn Unlikely Words into a cat blog, though it wouldn't be the worst thing. That said, here is some awesome cat-related internetness.

Here are several cats in lobster costumes.

This video of Truman the cat getting a bath is phenomenal. A tour de force. I can feel Truman's sadness and hopeless desperation and appreciate his sacrifice for his owner's art:



Lastly, a link related to yesterday's pic of James in the sink. Cats in Sinks.

A truly bad-ass cover, and a truly bad-ass video. I'd never heard of Pomplamoose before, but I am now officially a fan.



(Via kottke, of course.)