text:
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl
Marvel Cinematic Universe/YMMV
Five-Man Band/Western Animation N-Z
Work, Pages with broken file links, Prime Time Cartoon,
Turn of the Millennium/Western Animation
The Millennium Age of Animation
Moral Orel
File:MoralOrelTitle.jpg
"How long does it actually take for love to fade?"
In the town of Moralton, Statesota lives the Puppington Family. Eleven-year-old Orel Puppington, a devout Protestant Christian, thinks of Jesus a his biggest role model. He always pays rapt attention in church, taking the advice of the local preacher's sermons to heart, but due to his age, he doesn't always understand some of the topics, which leads to Orel acting on them in his own special way. Needless to say, Hilarity Ensues!
Originally conceived as a satire of sitcoms from The Fifties and The Sixties, and designed to resemble an Affectionate Parody of Leave It to Beaver (not Davey and Goliath, despite the art style), Moral Orel ultimately evolved into one of the darkest pieces of western animation in years.
Every member of Orel's family shows some form of dysfunction: father Clay abuses alcohol, abuses Orel (emotionally), and fails to hide his closet bisexuality; mother Bloberta cheats on Clay, often finds herself depressed, and suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder; and both parents spoil Orel's rambunctious little brother Shapey rotten. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the United States) fare little better; most of Moralton's adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not moreso -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.
Moral Orel is less a critique of Christianity itself than a Deconstruction of religious fundamentalism. The show aims its real critique towards authority figures who pay lipservice to their inferiors' religious beliefs as a way of preserving their authority -- especially when such people make horrible authority figures and role models.
The show served as an affectionate (and adult-oriented) quasi-parody of Leave It to Beaver until series creator Dino Stamatopoulos (aka Starburns) began to move the focus away from Orel midway through Season One. Dino began to explore the dark underbelly of the seemingly happy-go-lucky townspeople of Moralton, which culminated in the two-part Season Two finale "Nature": after getting drunk during a hunting trip with Orel, Clay shoots his own son in the leg, shattering Orel's innocence for good in the process.
The network higher-ups loved the two-parter, and bigwig Mike Lazzo asked Dino to make the show's third season as dark as humanly possible. Stamatopoulos complied, but Lazzo and Adult Swim instantly regretted getting exactly what they asked for: after a screening of the darkest episode of the show's run -- "Alone" -- Adult Swim cancelled the series and cut Season Three down to thirteen episodes, which forced several key arcs to be abandoned. (Dino did provide a sliver of hope admist the despair, however, with a happy ending for Orel.)
While the show was cut short, fans kept hope alive for a revival. After 2007, Adult Swim only played reruns of the show sporadically, but in late 2011, the network began rerunning the show in chronological order on weeknights. When Dino learned of this, he said "[if] enough people watch, there may be hope for a special or two" on a Facebook post. A month into the reruns, Dino made another comment: "Got a great call from the Head of Adult Swim yesterday raving about the ratings that the Moral Orel reruns have been getting. Great job, everyone! Keep watching and the Moral Orel special will be imminent." Dino followed up on this on Halloween with a surprise appearance from Orel in the last bump of a Mary Shelley's Frankenhole mini-marathon, where Orel said a new Moral Orel special would come "sometime in the near future". At its May 2012 upfront, Adult Swim confirmed Orel's return with the announcement of Beforel Orel, a special that [as] promises will explain "the origin of Orel's religious nature and the birth of his brother, Shapey".
Moral Orel provides examples of these tropes:
Abusive Parents: Played depressingly straight.
Aborted Arc: Clay's father, introduced in a flashback episode in Season Three, was supposed to join the cast in the second half of the season; when the show was cancelled, the arc was deepsixed. Also deepsixed was the Miss Censordoll's scheming to take control over the town via seducing Clay (revealed to be the Mayor of the town in the second-to-last episode of the series, as well as the implications that Censordoll may or may not have manipulated Clay's shooting of Orel.
Adult Child: Doughy's parents are this in a very eerie way. They're still mentally in high school, and it shows clearly as they treat him more like a younger sibling than a son.
Adults Are Useless: Just about every adult except Stephanie and maybe Nurse Bendy at least as far as Joe is concerned, though Reverend Putty and Coach Stopframe do manage to start proving themselves later on.
Advice Backfire: Constantly.
The third-season episode "Innocence" plays into this, as the town agrees to stop giving Orel advice in an attempt to avoid the trope's occurrence.
Ironically Putty's advice backfired so spectacularly as well that many of the people tried to pass off Orel to the next unfortunate shmuck, as well as trying to plea with god on a technicality that Orel was just "eaves dropping on them talking to themselves" so they dont end up in hell.
The All-American Boy: Orel is a Deconstruction.
Anachronic Order: Most of Season Three takes place before or during the events of the Season Two finale, "Nature"; episodes take place as either flashbacks or as events during / before the fateful hunting trip.
Animal Motifs: The blue bird in "Nature" - likely meant to symbolize Orel's innocence, the bird appears in key scenes throughout the first part before flying off at the end of the episode when Orel finally fires off his dad's pistol. It stays missing until the end credits of the second part.
Likewise with the flies that appeared in the same episode, symbolizing Clay's desolation. They appear in the end credits with Orel's bird, symbolizing that his innocence has been stained.
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: At the end of his big tirade in the episode "Sacrifice", Clay remarks (well, rather scowls) that it's people like Putty, Dr. Potterswheel and Papermouth that are the reason his son is sensitive.
Auto Erotica: There's a couple of shaking cars parked out at Inspiration Point when Orel goes to visit Christina.
Bad Future: At some point in the future, Moralton will encompass all of the United States and will be the only landmass on the planet. Damn. Which is exactly how the fundies want it.
Bad Humor Truck: Mr. Creepler, the local Ice Cream man is a serial rapist and a pedophile. By the third season however, he's been put in the electric chair.
Bi Conservative: Clay sleeps with a number of women (except his wife), but he seems to only be in love with the male Coach Stopframe.
Big Screwed-Up Family: A textbook example, really.
Black Comedy: Really, really black comedy - especially in Season Three. The light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train. On fire.
Black Comedy Rape: Orel raping women with a pastry bag, in order to be able to masturbate in season one.
Blipvert: The last episode, "Honor" opens with the very end of the first episode "The Best Christmas Ever" with Orel believing deeply that God will fix everything, and he still has hope, followed by a rapid fire montage of scenes from the series during the one year between both episodes. The montage ends with Orel getting his cast off his leg after being shot in "Nature." showing the extreme contrast of the once innocently faithful Orel one year prior, to the more depressed Orel who's endured innocence shattering events by the end of the series.
Blood Bath: The episode "Innocence" sees Orel learn about blood's powers to show one's innocence to God and remain young forever in separate conversations with the Christeins and Coach Stopframe, as well as seeing him recruit Doughy, Billy, Tommy, and Maryenetta to provide blood for Orel to bathe in. The episode "Grounded" begins with Clay finding Orel in the tub and covered in blood with the other kids around him, bleeding from their wrists. The show itself, however, presents all this in Anachronic Order with the conclusion to these events in "Grounded" being aired first and the set-up in "Innocence" being shown later.
Book Ends: The Christmas special was aired as the pilot due to a scheduling mix-up; the series' finale is also a Christmas episode (and has a few callbacks to the former, such as the carol "If the Lord Were Alive Today"). Also, the show's opening credits all end with Orel waving up at God/the viewer. The final shot of the series includes Orel's baby daughter waving up as the camera pans out. D'awwwwwwwww.
Brainless Beauty: Nurse Bendy. Hidden Depths reveal that being this has also crippled her psychologically. Sadly, she's (dimly) aware of this.
Break the Cutie: Orel. So very, very much. It ultimately fails.
Arguably Clay's intent, as a means of justifying his own shittiness by trying to show that Orel's own purity is built on a foundation of sand. It isn't.
Brick Joke: There's a few. Orel bathing in blood and, earlier, declaring he'll "never do THAT with THOSE, in THERE, for that LONG ever again!", and the Lost Commandments.
Calling the Old Man Out: Orel to Clay in "Nature." Joe and his father (much more violently) in "Dumb", though this is more due to Joe being furious that his elderly alzheimer-stricken father wants nothing to do with him. Or rather is unable to be the kind of father Joe wants because of his age and his illness with the added revelation that he lied to Joe about his mother and kept the two apart.
Catch Phrase: Before every Spoof Aesop spouted by Clay, he would find Orel and say a sentence that ends with "In my study." Cue gulping.
Caught with Your Pants Down: Subverted. What appears to be a reaction to this is later revealed to be to something much more dangerous.
Also, not a Cerebus Retcon. Given this series, it was indeed a plot hook, not a case of going back to make what was funny darker.
Cerebus Syndrome: Everything from the second half of the second season on. Basically, the show dropped any pretense of being a comedy in the third season, after which it's just religious hypocrites torturing each other socially, physically, and mentally.
Cheerful Child: Orel pretty much defines this trope, at least until "Nature."
To a certain extent, so do Shapey and Block.
Chess Motifs: Miss Censordoll has a miniature model of Moralton and its inhabitants so she can evoke this trope. Also to play God.
Christianity Is Catholic: Averted, and possibly inverted with all the Moralton townsfolk mocking and occasionally reviling Catholicism. In fundamentalism, only protestants are true Christians, while Catholics might as well be godless pagans.
Notably to the point where speaking the profane tongues of the Necronomicon is still better than speaking in Latin like a Catholic.
Christmas Special: Perhaps the most depressing one ever made.
Claymation: The show itself, and Orel's hobby.
During the ending credits of one episode, we see Orel, a claymation figure, making a claymation video of himself making a claymation video. A show inside a show inside a show.
Becomes a Brick Joke when Orel shows off his show to friends and family, summarizing previous episodes and inadvertently showing their hypocrisies.
Couch Gag: The way Orel waves to God at the end of the opening varies.
Crapsack World: Especially by the final season.
It was always crapsack, really. Orel (and the viewer) has just become more aware of it as its mask slipped.
Crap Saccharine World: How things start out, before the facades start to fall.
Creator Breakdown/Real Life Writes the Plot: Dino Stamatopoulos went through a rough divorce towards the end of the second season. The toll this took on him is evident throughout Season 3, particularly Clay's rant in "Sacrifice".
Cross-Dressing Voices: Orel Puppington is voiced by Carolyn Lawrence.
Crowning Moment Of Funny: See the page
Companion Cube: Nurse Bendy's use of teddy bears as a stand-in for family units, since she believes that they won't take advantage of her sexually. When one of them falls upon her rear while she's bending over, she goes into a complete breakdown, believing her trust has been shattered. A shot in "Dumb" reveals she tied the offending bear up in its chair. She got better after reuniting with her actual son.
Darker and Edgier: Season 3 turned it Up to Eleven by turning the show (which was already dark in its own right) into quite possibly the darkest piece of western animation ever made, prompting the show's cancellation out of Mike Lazzo's buyer's remorse.
Dark Is Not Evil: Stephanie. Despite her "punk chick" look, she's generally one of the warmest (and easily one of the most sane) citizens of Moralton.
Invoked in the episode "Holy Visage", in which the sheltering nature of darkness is mentioned. Unfortunately, the person stating this is a stupid, ignorant teacher reffering to the Dark Ages in Europe.
A Date with Rosie Palms: Reverend Putty. To his eternal, bitter ire, it's the only sex he gets.
Well, except for that time Orel sent him some "sinners".
Deconstruction: This could be considered Adult Swim's Neon Genesis Evangelion for comedy. When you can rival and sometimes even beat Evangelion for how dark a show can become, and how much you can rip apart every little thing about the "perfection" of the show you're watching, you're falling into this category.
Depraved Bisexual: Coach Daniel (pronounced "Danielle") Stopframe, though he does get to Pet the Dog and get over Clay at the finale.
Clay himself, secretly.
Devil in Plain Sight: Joe. Though, since he's still a child, it's more of a Jerkass In Plain Sight. He lacks the power to do real damage... for now.
Dissonant Serenity: Orel was pretty chipper considering a plot point in season 3 had him standing in a bathtub full of blood let from a bunch of his friends.
Distaff Counterpart: Christina, to Orel.
Distant Finale: The last scene of the final episode skips to Orel as an adult, who was able to raise a fully functional family with Christina.
Especially noteworthy is the picture on the wall of Orel's parents. As horrific as Clay was to Orel, Orel's above exiling the old man from his life.
Also, there are two other pictures of a fireman and policeman, presumably the adult versions of Shapey and Block.
Does This Remind You of Anything??: Christina has invited Orel to Make-Out Point after their parents have forbidden them from seeing each other. They meet up, are ecstatic to see each other, then slowly lower out of camera view while lovingly saying each other's names... then he camera pans down and you see they're praying.
Don't Make Me Take My Belt Off: Played for Laughs Once an Episode (the actual threat is never made-- we just see Orel pulling up his pants back up). In "Nature", it's Played for Drama.
Of course, this "humor" becomes less and less funny as the series progresses, even though the "joke" remains the same.
Downer Ending: There are so many, but the ends of "Nature," "Sundays," "Alone," and the Christmas Special are especially bleak.
Drowning My Sorrows: Clay, "burdened" with a loveless marriage and a "stinking dead-end job", does this constantly.
* drink* Still hate her. * drink* Still hate her. * drink* Toler-hate her. * drink* ...tolerate her!
Dysfunctional Family: An excellent example! Clay is emotionally distant and abusive, his wife is a cleanliness-obsessed basket case who married him for all the wrong reasons, Shapey is seven but developmentally is three, and Orel is the Only Sane Man. For a given value of "sane", anyway.
Early-Bird Cameo: A poster for "The Crucibles" shows up well before the episode featuring them does.
Earn Your Happy Ending: The finale. And boy, is it a case of "earning" it.
Everytown, America: Played straight and lampshaded; notice the obvious generic-ness of "Moralton, Statesota?"
Evil Matriarch: Miss Censordoll aspires to be one for the entire town (she actually runs for mayor as "Town Mayor-triarch")
Evil Twin: Moralton itself has an "evil" twin in the form of Sinville, which is only a bus ride away and is filled with prostitutes and - to a visiting Orel's horror - Catholics.
Fake Crossover: With Frankenhole' as seen here.
Fan Disservice: The womb motifs and sexual situations involving Ms Censordoll in "Nesting".
Fat and Skinny: Florence and Dottie
Feuding Families: The Puppingtons and the Posabules hate each others' guts because they use slightly different versions of the Lord's Prayer.
This sticking point also doubles as a Cavemen vs. Astronauts Debate.
Flash Back: Most of the episodes in season three are flashbacks, or parts of earlier episodes told from the point of view of people that aren't a Puppington.
For the Evulz: Orel in the Halloween episode. He decided that the only thing that can scare him is God - so he methodically breaks all of the Ten Commandments in one day. ALL. Including that one.
Freudian Excuse: Clay's an asshole because his insanely religious mother raised him like a spoiled prince (because all of her ten previous pregnancies never made it to term because of her constant drinking and smoking which she stopped when pregnant with Clay because she was too preoccupied with praying to God that he would make it) and his father (who was never able to create a good bond between his son due to his wife's constant spoiling and protective nature and never forgave Clay for the prank that led to his wife's fatal heart attack) emotionally shunned his child, to the point of telling him that he wasn't even worth the effort of punishing him physically, which led to Clay becoming a hellion if only to get slapped by his father, which for Clay was the only emotional response he could ever get out of his father. Bloberta, meanwhile, is the unwanted middle child of an emotionally abusive mother who treated her second daughter like an unwanted pet; she became an obsessive-compulsive neat freak to replace her addiction to booze, after introducing Clay to alcohol and watching him become a massive jerk with his first drink.
While it does explain much, it's not much of an excuse. Orel's childhood isn't far off from this.
Arguably, that was the point: despite all the bad things that happened to Orel, he still got his life back together.
And arguably, that was the point of the other point: Clay's abuse of Orel is to try to bring the boy down to his father's level, so that Clay can convince himself that he's not responsible for what he's become, which is why Orel's continuing intent to goodness makes Clay even more miserable and hateful.
Friend to All Living Things: Orel in the first part of "Nature". Not so much in part two.
Frozen in Time: Subverted. The show is (possibly) set in the modern day, yet virtually everything in Moralton looks like it's either the 1950's or (way) early 60's. Especially since we don't see any modern tech (not even television!) I guess that's the way to show people what Christian dogma feels about modern society.
A God Am I/Drunk with Power: Orel, upon hearing that God is in him (as well as everyone and everything else), starts acting this way, going so far as to pull the plug on a dying woman; granted the woman was asking for it, but still...it's one of the few times Orel actually outright acts like a jerk.
This is how Censordoll acts naturally.
Growing Up Sucks: In "Maturity", Clay tells Orel that adulthood means doing things that one hates doing. These things would be "dealing with people who make you unhappy, being stressed about things you have no control over and working soul numbing jobs".
Joe develops a fear of growing up due to his very old father.
Hey, It's That Voice!: Bloberta is truly outrageous.
High School Sweethearts: Mr. and Mrs. Latchkey, Doughey's parents. Not only are they high school sweethearts, they still act like they're in high school, wearing the same jock jacket and cheerleader clothes they did twelve years ago.
Hilarity Ensues: The usual result of Orel misinterpreting the sermons. (This is pretty much nonexistent after the middle of Season Two, though.)
Miss Censordoll: "No, mother, I am not 'holier-than-thou'. But I AM holier than YOU."
Hollywood Atheist: Clay's father.
Hypocritical Humour: In many places; it forms most of the "lessons" Orel learns. A particularly good example:
Mark Posubule: Forgive your debtors!
Clay Puppington: Forgive your tresspassers!
Mark Posubule: You owe me a bottle of wine!
Clay Puppington: Get off my property!
I Did What I Had to Do: Often a downright lie. It's usually "I Did What Was More Convenient" or "I Did What Would Get Me What I Wanted", but using this trope as a thin veneer.
I Drank What: Orel sells his urine as an energy drink to the school's sports teams.
Ignored Epiphany: Orel once had an epiphany - but was spanked into forgetting it - when he disagreed with church doctrine about Fluffy Cloud Heaven; perhaps more importantly, Clay has one about his behavior and apologizes for shooting Orel, only to take it back shortly afterward.
The Immodest Orgasm: Bloberta masturbates with a jackhammer in "Numb". It ends up doing as much damage to her body as you'd expect.
In Vino Veritas: Clay. Lampshaded and a source of discussion in the "Nature" and subsequent episodes.
Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Provides the page quote with:
Rev. Putty: You are pure pureness in its purest form!
Insult Backfire: Nature part 2 maybe.
Orel: I hate you.
Clay: Hate away, sister. Hate away...
Insane Troll Logic: Any advice given to Orel will inevitably be twisted by his bizarre thought process and end up either as Gone Horribly Right or Gone Horribly Wrong. But horribly is the one component you can bet on, to the point where Reverend Putty warns the entire town to stop giving Orel advice under penalty of being sent to Hell. It goes about as well as you imagine it would.
Jesus Was Way Cool: Orel certainly thinks so.
Jerkass: Clay is pretty much the embodiment of this. Censordoll is a big one, too.
Actually, this probably describes everyone in Moralton except for Orel and Stephanie.
Keep Circulating the Tapes: Adult Swim has refused to release the remaining two-thirds of season two or season three on DVD after the first volume set didn't sell well. This is bad since these uncollected episodes consist of the show's high point.
In a bit of subversion though when the show was canceled and Adult Swim did a massive month long marathon/dumping of the third season, Dino was allowed to do a series of promos for the third season where he implored fans to watch and record, as far as telling them that Adult Swim will probably NEVER, EVER reair the series. But the critical praise and high ratings that the last season got has managed to secure future reairings of the series for fans...
Kick the Dog: The townsfolk of Moralton do this quite a lot. Of particular note is putting Orel's dog down because it was causing him to sin - because he loved the dog more than Jesus. They also left a man's wound untreated and infected because it resembled Jesus, and destroying holy symbols is a sin.
The dog thing is all the more problematic due to the fact that the dog was almost definitely the second coming of Jesus. [1]
Clay shooting his son Orel in the leg while drunk, then blaming the incident on him.
Clay grounding Orel in "Grounded", forbidding him from going to church. Not to mention the unapologetic rubbing it in he did to his son, right in Orel's face.
Lampshade Hanging: At least once for all the running jokes. The most blatant was probably having a throwaway character called Mr. Stopmotionanimationname.
Larynx Dissonance: Miss Censordoll and Joe's half-sister are both voiced by men. In the case of Joe's half-sister, it's very obvious... when she stops holding her nose.
Light Is Not Good: Most of the citizens of Moralton. By the end of the show, there are definitely, and possibly only, three who could be considered "good": Reverend Putty, Stephanie, and Nurse Bendy.
Considering that even Reverend Putty and Daniel Kick the Dog several times, he somewhat invokes this trope mildly.
Loud Gulp: Happens in every episode just before Orel's father beats him as punishment for whatever he did wrong that day.
In fact, it's a sign of Character Development when Clay's threats evoke a deadpan response and not a Loud Gulp from Orel, due to him losing all respect for Clay.
Luke, You Are My Father: Stephanie is Reverend Putty's daughter, and Joe is Nurse Bendy's son.
Make-Out Point: Inspiration Point, the place Christina invites Orel when their parents won't let them see each other. Subverted when, instead of going there to make out, they start praying.
A Man Is Not a Virgin: Averted with Reverend Putty, whose trash can saw more action than he himself ever did.
Meaningful Name: A LOT of the characters' names refer to how the show is created (stop-motion claymation), though some of them refer to an important facet of the character.
Examples: Coach Stopframe, Mr. Figurelli, Clay Puppington, Bloberta, Shapey, Block, Miss Sculptham, Nurse Bendy, Reverend Putty, Officer Papermouth (that's how they get them to talk)... These are so blatantly obvious that I don't know whether or not to call them Narm.
Also: Doughy Latchkey and Ms. Frances Clara Censordoll (FCC). These aren't so obvious, but they're just as good.
Also: Censordoll. And "Censored-All"
As revealed in "Dumb", Nurse Bendy's first name is Nursula. There are possibly two puns in there: the obvious(Nursula) and another more stealthy and significant(Nursula, which besides being a real name, related to ursa=bear, in reference to her teddy bear family).
Mood Whiplash: Third season, and how!
In Grounded, Orel's intense and heavily symbolic near death experience sequences are intercut with some of the show's blackest comedy ("It's not healthy to be dead that long").
Moral Dissonance: All of Orel's lessons essentially boil down to "do as I say and not as I do", and even then, the morals he learns are horribly skewed.
Moral Guardians: Miss Censordoll's cadre of protesters.
Moral Myopia: If you are not going to Reverend Putty's church on Sunday, you aren't even subhuman.
Naked People Are Funny: Even moreso as zombies!
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: "Wow, everybody sure hates Jesus! ...oh."
Also a young Clay's prank on his abusive father, which indirectly ends up killing his mother, setting the stage for the adult Clay's abuse of his son.
Or when Bloberta introduces Clay on alcoholism leads to their miserable marriage.
Not So Above It All : Miss Censordoll, after Orel gets her favorite food (eggs) banned from the town, as far as Censordoll going to the Moralton black market to get her eggs like the rest of the townspeople. Also Reverend Putty in "Closeface", who bonds with his daughter after finding out that they both have a snarky sense of humor.
Not So Different: Season 3 makes it increasingly clear that Clay was a lot like Orel when he was a kid and young man, and both were victims of abuse. In the end, Orel manages to become a much better father and husband than Clay.
N-Word Privileges: Subverted. When the town learns about the Italian-American Figurelli family, the entire town starts to segregate exclusively against the 4-member family. The always optimistic Figurellis thank the town for it, oblivious to the reason why they did it to begin with. Everyone else in the town just starts to refer to them as Figgurs.
Oedipus Complex: It turns out that Clay has one, something Miss Censordoll picks up on quickly to manipulate him.
Official Couple: Orel and Christina are the most heartwarming couple you'll ever see on television.
Older Than They Look: Shapey, Orel's little brother, is seven but he looks and acts no older than three.
Once More, with Clarity: The opening of the 7th season 3 episode, Help, shows the typical images of a wedding. The ending zooms out on them to show how screwed up and unhappy Bloberta and Clay's marriage has been from the beginning.
Only Sane Man: Reverend Rod Putty, who is ironically less blinded by so-called faith compared to everyone else as time goes on.
His daughter also counts.
Out of Order: The Christmas episode was meant to be the first season finale but was aired as a pilot.
Overly Long Gag: the last minute of "Turn The Other Cheek", hilariously justified.
Orel's father taking a long time and multiple sips before confirming that Orel's special energy drink is urine.
Passion Play: Where Orel sings a song as Judas about how he hates Jesus.
Parental Neglect: How the Puppingtons and Posabules (minus Orel and Christina) miss for months that Shapey and Block switched places.
Parental Abandonment: Then Poppet does this to Block when she sees he prefers Bloberta.
Political Stereotype: a town full of them
Quarter Hour Short
Rape Is Love: Used very darkly in "Alone." So darkly, in fact, that it got the series cancelled.
Recap Episode: When Orel shows his movies to his friends and family, they are basically the first three episodes. Subverted in no old footage being reused.
Refuge in Audacity: Raising the dead with the Necronomicon after stripping them naked because the dirty clothes make the corpses "smell like death". Because Orel heard that "rejecting life is against God's will", and he doesn't wish the dead to sin. That's the comedic version. "Nature" is the much, much darker version.
Religion Rant Song: "I Hate You, Jesus!"
Room Full of Crazy: When Orel is grounded from church in "Grounded", he makes up for it by drawing a crayon church on his wall decorated with various Bible verses, then builds a cardboard church and wears it like a Halloween costume.
Running Gag: Miss Censordoll's protesting and censorship, the "Lost Commandments," the fact Shapey is not weaned off breast milk yet, Clay standing up after beating Orel, which causes his pants to fall because he forgot to put his belt back on.
The second and third seasons have Shapey switched with the son of their short term neighbors. Bloberta (who eventually figures it out) and Clay never seem to realize that Block is not Shapey even as Orel tries pointing it out time and time again.
Orel: Dad, that's not...
Sanctuary of Solitude: Used several times.
Scary Librarian: Miss Censordoll. Especially how she looks like an old lady, but she's only 40.
Sexless Marriage: Clay and Bloberta
Shock Value Relationship: "Closeface." In a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming, Reverend Putty reveals he was upset because the other girl Stephanie was kissing didn't care for her the way Stephanie wanted.
Shoot the Dog: Quite literally in "Nature"; Clay shoots some other hunter's hunting dog, then proceeds to mount its head and eat it like a deer. Granted, he was drunk at the time, but still...
Also, having Orel's dog Jesus Bartholomew put down, because the dog was making Orel love him more than Jesus. And annoying the adults.
Shout-Out: Among the weapons in Clay's weapon room are two golden guns.
Single-Target Sexuality: Coach Stopframe for Clay. He gets better.
Single Tear: Orel cries one at the end of Rev. Putty's sermons for most of Season 1.
Sleeping Single: Deconstructed; not only do Clay and Bloberta sleep in separate beds, there's a privacy screen between them.
Based on appearances, Doughy's parents have separate rooms, though this is more because they're still at the mentality of high schoolers-Kim's bedroom is decorated like a high school girls. And it has no effect on their sex lives whatsoever.
Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism - At the beginning, Orel is practically in the wrong show, given how naive he is about the world. The world is deeply cynical, and Orel gradually shifts to a more cynical viewpoint as well, especially after "Nature."
However, "cynical" for Orel is... admitting to himself that he doesn't respect and revere his father as he feels he ought, and thinking that perhaps, everything isn't as perfect as it ought to be. It's still a deep contrast, though not as extreme.
Soundtrack Dissonance: During season three, the show uses "No Children" by the Mountain Goats to highlight the fucked up marriage of Bloberta and Clay Puppington.
Son of a Whore: Joe
Spoiled Brat: Shapey. His parents always order Orel to let him do what he wants, in case he screams and the neighbors hear. He's constantly screaming anyway, so we can see how well that is working out.
And Clay, as a child, prior to one of his tantrums leading to his mother's death and the subsequent abuse at the hands of his father.
And, of course, Block, who's pretty much an exact clone of Shapey.
Spoof Aesop: The usual result of Clay's talks with Orel in his study take the form of a ridiculous and/or entirely irrelevant lesson. For example, in the first episode, Orel is chastised not for digging up dead people and zombifying them, but for stripping them naked (he thought they smelled like death because their clothes were dirty). Similarly, his crack habit earned him a scolding because of all the slang it caused him to learn.
Stalker with a Test Tube: Stephanie's mother, leading directly to Stephanie's conception.
Star-Crossed Lovers: Orel and his Distaff Counterpart. It works out in the end.
Stepford Smiler: Much of Moralton qualifies, but Bloberta stands out in particular. She cleans the underside of floor tiles!
Stepford Suburbia: Moralton, Moralton, Moralton. Everyone works hard to convince everyone else that things are perfect. "I think you're slipping..."
Subverted Kids Show: understatement.
Suspiciously Specific Sermon: Reverend Putty sure does like to keep things topical.
Take That: After his movies aren't very well appreciated, Orel concludes that sometimes things are misinterpreted. When asked for an example, he scratches his head with The Bible trying to come up with an answer. Really, the whole series.
Miss Censordoll's full name is Francine Clara Censordoll (FCC).
Theme Naming: Many of the characters have names related to the process of stop-motion animation.
The Moral Substitute: Imagine if all media was Christian fundamentalist propaganda? Yeah, this trope is subject to a brutal Deconstruction, showing just how dysfunctional, and disturbing such a world would be.
There Are No Therapists
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Well over half of the episode Sacrifice is just Clay giving these to Potterswheel, Papermouth, Putty, religion, love, and the world in general. He was trying to provoke a violent reaction, because the only way he could make his father acknowledge him as a child was by insulting him until he beat him.
Joe's narration of the latter half of Orel's movie.
Toilet Humor: "Waste" is a rare example of this trope without Refuge in Vulgarity.
Town with a Dark Secret: Less of a single unifying secret, and more the dark secrets most adults seem to have, and covered up by putting on a show of being a White Anglo Saxon Protestant.
Transparent Closet: Clay Puppington and Daniel Stopframe (though Stopframe is openly bisexual).
Truth in Television: Unfortunately, as odd as it seems to most people.
Villain Song: "I Hate You Jesus" was by far the most memorable song of the school pageant.
Villainous Breakdown: Season 3 is one long breakdown for Clay ending with him being rejected by Coach Stopframe, the only person at that time who still cared about him.
Villain Protagonist: Clay is arguably the main character of Season 3.
Wakeup Makeup: Deconstructed. Bloberta wakes up earlier than her husband, grooms herself impeccably, then pretends to go back to sleep. In this show, chances are better than even it's to make him feel inferior to her in one of the few ways she can.
Wasted Song: "Nesting" has its own dark orchestral cover of the opening theme... which is played over some of the lowest-quality visuals the show has ever had. On top of that, the song gets cut off before it's finished by Ms Censordoll slamming a window.
Those "lowest-quality visuals" portion was due to Stylistic Suck. For those that don't remember, the opening was made up of the little diorama Ms Censordoll was tinkering with in "Alone".
What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic: Blatantly obvious when Orel agrees to give up his dog. He's to be taken to the Cavalry Hill Hospital to be put down. On the way, he's thrown a stick which looks suspiciously cross-like, which he carries all the way there.
What Happened to the Mouse?: The aforementioned Bad Future and the story about Censordoll wasn't really explained.
Executive Meddling. Season 3 was originally going to be 20 episodes, and scripts and animatics had been prepared for all of the episodes--then Adult Swim slashed the order to 13 episodes. This was done after the higher-ups saw rough cuts of the the first couple of episodes, most notably "Alone"--which featured the reveal that not only had one of the female characters purposely allow herself to get sexually assaulted by a rapist in order to have sex, but showed the character in the aftermath of performing a coat-hanger abortion upon herself to kill the child conceived by the rape, as well as her obtaining an orgasm after mentally reliving being raped. According to Dino Stamatopoulos, "Alone" basically got the series cancelled even though its tone was Dino simply following orders to create darker episodes following the success of "Nature". The episode count getting reduced meant that the entire second half of the season had to be aborted (no pun intended), leaving the show with two episodes to deal with the fallout of "Nature", which resulted in a slapdash finale and most of the Miss Censordoll/Clay storyline getting cut.
Word of God in online commentary expands on Miss Censordoll's story. In "Alone", it was hinted that Censordoll's mother had her reproductive organs removed as an infant, in a form of female castration. This is what causes her obsession with eggs--and is probably why she aged so badly. As Reverend Putty's sermon in that episode says, we need other people in our lives to remind us we're not the center of the universe (which is what Censordoll believes). In "Nesting", Censordoll withdraws from the election when she realizes she can manipulate Clay's Oedipus Complex for his mother to get the town's egg ban lifted.
Dino posted one of the lost episode's scripts online. It can be found here.
Wham! Episode: "Nature".
Writer on Board should be pretty obvious.
You Gotta Have Blue Hair: In a cartoon where everyone has normal hair colors, it's a bit odd that Florence has pink hair.
Younger Than They Look: Miss Censordoll, who's only forty, but easily looks like she's in her seventies or eighties.
Zombie Apocalypse: Parodied in the first episode.
When the first episode features a Zombie Apocalypse and the show just gets darker from there...that's the definition of a Crapsack World.
↑ For example, carrying a cross-shaped stick to the scary looking hospital overhead, as the citizens of Moralton followed behind. Also, barking the name "Jesus" when Orel wonders what to call it.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.fandom.com/wiki/Moral_Orel?oldid=208756"
Prime Time Cartoon


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Movies Like DATE NIGHT
Date Night (2010)
One ordinary couple. One little white lie.
The mild-mannered married couple Phil and Claire fear that their relationship may be falling into a stale rut. During their weekly date night, they impetuously steal a dinner reservation, which leads to a case of mistaken identity. Turns out the reservation was for a pair of thieves, and now a number of unsavory characters want Phil and Claire killed.
Original Title: Date Night
Revenue: $152,263,880
Action Comedy Crime Romance
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
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McCain: "I saw these brave Ukrainian guys oppose the aggression of the Russians"
80-year-old american "Hawk" John McCain distinguished himself with his statements during the munich conference. According to the senator, "The Russians are killing ukrainians, and brave ukrainian guys oppose the aggression of Russia themselves, without the help of us weapons. " recall that McCain, who has taken part in 9-th decade, is the chairman of the U.S. Senate committee on gun issues, but because the implementation of weapons and making a profit is the main shot down in vietnam russophobe. Mccain's statement (translation of the portal "Varanus" with reference to german sources at the munich conference):i personally watched as these brave ukrainian guys are fighting against Russia without the support of weapons from the United States. I saw a medal of the mother of a ukrainian soldier who was killed by the Russian sniper.
She stood and took the award for dead son across her face as tears flowed. I want to say: Russians kill ukrainians every day, just they they kill them. The information that McCain in munich called for the administration to Trump "Draw attention to Ukraine", confirmed by the ukrainian media. In particular, unian writes that McCain said "The exam" for the administration to Trump. Senator McCain:i know that things may be even worse is the exam time for the new administration. It is a time when we need to show our solidarity.
The question of Ukraine is one of the main issues that raise the concern with safety in the eu and the United States. It is worth noting that earlier the us president Donald Trump, describing McCain said that because of people like him, the world observed the chaos. In addition, Trump called McCain constantly losing man. Apparently, the 80-year-old McCain these statements are badly hurt and now he's in a veiled form trying to put Trump's responsible for what "Brave ukrainian guys" almost bare hands against "Russian aggression" without american arms support.
In the U.S. Congress propose to place in Europe for nuclear cruise missiles
As reported "Vesti", in the United States Congress introduced bills providing for the revision of the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range. It is proposed to start the supply of nuclear cruise missiles...
"Kalashnikov" will show the upgrade kit civilian firearms
As reported TASS, the concern "Kalashnikov" intends to demonstrate to the public at the arms exhibition IDEX-2017 (Abu Dhabi, UAE, 19 – 23 February) the whole range of its products: small arms, high-speed and special boats, unmann...
At the exhibition in the UAE will be represented by the armored cars "Tiger" and "Bear"
As reported TASS, the military-industrial company will present at the arms exhibition IDEX-2017 held in Abu Dhabi (UAE) two samples of armored vehicles "Tiger" and "Bear".On the website of the company, declared on this occasion:th...


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Tyne and Wear: Co navštívit
View of the cathedral,… @ Robert Graham
St Nicholas Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas is a Church of England cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Tyne Bridge and the Sage @ Bryn Pinzgauer
Tyne Bridge
The Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead.
Newcastle upon Tyne… @ Steve M
Newcastle Castle
Consisting of the Castle Keep and Black Gate, the site nowadays serves as a museum. It displays exhibitions on history of the castle.
The Sage @ Neil Turner
The Sage Gateshead
Sage Gateshead is a concert venue and also a centre for musical education, located in Gateshead on the south bank of the River Tyne, in…
Laing Art Gallery,… @ Roger
The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, is located on New Bridge Street.
Stadium of Light @ Rach
Stadium of Light je fotbalový stadion, který se nachází v anglickém Sunderlandu.
Photograph of St Peter's… @ JohnArmagh
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Monkwearmouth–Jarrow, known simply as Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey, was a Benedictine double…
Reconstructed Gatehouse … @ R J McNaughton
Arbeia
Arbeia byla velká římská pevnost ve městě South Shields v anglickém hrabství Tyne and Wear.
First Sunderland Bridge… @ Unknown
Wearmouth Bridge
Wearmouth Bridge je silniční obloukový most v anglickém městě Sunderland.
Image from Tomlinson;s … @ unknown/uncertain
Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge
Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge je obloukový železniční most v severoanglickém městě Sunderland, překonávající řeku Wear.
St Mary's Lighthouse, in… @ Matstrange
St. Marys Lighthouse
St Mary's Lighthouse is on the tiny St Mary's Island, just north of Whitley Bay on the coast of North East England.
Woodcut of construction… @ M.A. Ricardson
Victoria Viaduct
Victoria Viaduct, originally known as the Victoria Bridge, is a stone arch rail viaduct spanning the River Wear in North East England,…
Replica of the… @ Chemical Engineer
Great North Museum: Hancock
The Great North Museum: Hancock is a museum of natural history and ancient civilisations in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Souter Lighthouse Souter… @ malcolm tebbit
Souter Lighthouse
Souter Lighthouse is a lighthouse located in the village of Marsden in South Shields, Tyne & Wear, England.
Skulls Aloud UK Tour,… @ Gavin Lynn
University of Sunderland
Sunderlandská univerzita je umístěna v Sunderlandu v severovýchodní Anglii.
Flumes at Wet 'n' Wild,… @ Alex McGregor
Největší vodní park ve Velké Británii. Rysy jezdí pro všechny věkové kategorie, včetně tříúrovňové věže.
Inside the nave of the… @ Chemical Engineer
Church of Saint Thomas the Martyr
The Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Newcastle upon Tyne, is one of the most prominent city centre landmarks, located close to both…
Cropped version of Avro… @ Sunderland06
North East Aircraft Museum
The North East Land, Sea and Air Museums, formerly the North East Aircraft Museum, is a volunteer-run aviation museum situated on the site…
Peacock Hall, Royal… @ Andrew Curtis
Royal Victoria Infirmary
The Royal Victoria Infirmary is a 673-bed tertiary referral centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Rare Picture of the… @ Paulosbrumbos
Penshaw Monument
The Penshaw Monument (), officially The Earl of Durham's Monument, was built in 1844 on Penshaw Hill between the districts of Washington…
Pylon on 10 February 2017 @ DanielWhite06
Northern Spire
The Northern Spire Bridge is a bridge over the River Wear in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. The crossing opened on 28 August 2018.
Google Trips Alternative Evropa: Co navštívit Velká Británie: Co navštívit Anglie: Co navštívit Severovýchodní Anglie: Nejlepší muzea Tyne and Wear: Místa s wifi zdarma Durham: Místa s wifi zdarma Stockton-on-Tees: Co navštívit Northumberland: Co navštívit Redcar and Cleveland: Místa s wifi zdarma Národní park Northumberland: Co navštívit Severní Yorkshire: Co navštívit North York Moors National Park: Co navštívit Newcastle upon Tyne: Co navštívit Sunderland: Co navštívit Gateshead: Co navštívit


text:
Services for UK education, English teaching and exams providers
Wider Europe
At the British Council, we work to enhance the reputation of the UK as a provider of high quality educational solutions and services, and to generate value for the UK education sector by:
partnering with UK organisations
showcasing UK best practice in education
developing the market for UK organisations to gain future opportunities
sharing our insight about country contexts.
Read how the British Council approaches international education contract opportunities (PDF 365 KB)
The British Council provides higher education with services for international student recruitment, market intelligence, and help to build working relationships with institutions overseas. Find out more about International Education Services.
You can read our fair trading complaints procedure (PDF 39 KB) and fair competition policy.
Download our Triennial Review response: Opportunity Development Process for education and English contract opportunities overseas (PDF 157KB) or the Executive Summary (PDF 52KB).
Find out what services we offer in each country where we operate, by region below.
Services on behalf of UK education, English language teaching and exams providers in the Americas.
Services on behalf of UK education, English language teaching and exams providers in East Asia.
Services on behalf of UK education, English language teaching and exams providers in the EU.
Services on behalf of UK education, English language teaching and exams providers in the Middle East and North Africa.
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Services on behalf of UK education, English language teaching and exams providers in Sub Saharan Africa.
Services on behalf of UK education, English language teaching and exams providers in Wider Europe.


text:
David Hogg Accuses Marco Rubio of Trading Students Lives for Campaign Donations
By Jack Crowe
About Jack Crowe
Follow Jack Crowe on Twitter
David Hogg, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, speaks at a rally calling for more gun control three days after the shooting at his school, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17, 2018. (Jonathan Drake/Reuters)
Seventeen-year-old activist David Hogg targeted Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) during an incendiary speech at the massive gun control protest that shut down Washington, D.C., Saturday.
Hogg, who became the de facto spokesman for the youth gun control movement after surviving the Valentine's Day mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., accused Rubio of prioritizing campaign contributions over the lives of students.
"I'm going to start off by putting this price tag right here as a reminder for you guys to know how much Marco Rubio took for every student's life in Florida," Hogg said before a crowd of tens of thousands gathered in front of the Capitol building.
"If you listen real close, you can hear the people in power shaking. They've gotten used to being protective of their position, choosing the safety of inaction. Inaction is no longer safe, and to that we say no more," he said.
"I'm going to start off by putting this price tag right here as a reminder for you guys to know how much Marco Rubio took for every student's life in Florida," Parkland survivor David Hogg says at #MarchForOurLives. pic.twitter.com/i54QSygI4C
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) March 24, 2018
Several Parkland survivors attended the march wearing tags reading $1.05, a figure Parkland student Sarah Chadwick reached by dividing the National Rifle Association (NRA) contributions Rubio has received by the number of high school students enrolled in Florida. Hogg tied one of the orange tags to the microphone before beginning his speech.
"Is that all we're worth to these politicians? A dollar-five? Would $17.85 be all it cost you that day, Mr. Rubio?" Chadwick asked in an interview with the New York Post, referencing the 17 students killed in the Parkland shooting.
Rubio responded Saturday on Twitter by calling for compromise.
Today many are peacefully exercising their #1A right to march for gun ban. Many support gun ban. But many others see it as infringement of #2A that won't prevent shootings. Protest is good way of making a point,but making a change will require both sides finding common ground
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 24, 2018
The protest march in Washington, D.C., which organizers claim drew over 800,000 participants, was just one of more than 800 "March for our Lives" demonstrations planned in every state in the union and on every continent.
A group of pro-gun control Parkland students served as the public face for the demonstrations while a coalition of liberal political advocacy groups including Everytown for Gun Safety, Move On, and Women's March LA, provided funding and organizational assistance.
Hogg's fiery speech is just the latest instance in which the teen has resorted to divisive language and personal attacks on his political opponents. He previously referred to pro-second amendment lawmakers as "pathetic f***ers" and said "they could have blood from children splattered all over their faces and they wouldn't take action because they all still see those dollar signs."
Jack Crowe is a news writer at National Review Online. @JackRCrowe
The Hole in the Impeachment Case	The Hole in the Impeachment Case
The Never-Ending Impeachment	The Never-Ending Impeachment
Inconvenient Evidence Puts GOP Senators on the Spot in Impeachment Trial	Inconvenient Evidence Puts GOP Senators on the Spot in Impeachment Trial
Phase One Trade-Deal Analysis	Phase One Trade-Deal Analysis


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Tesla's Self-Driving Software Update. SOFTWARE UPDATE.
As of last week, Tesla Model S and Model X owners woke up to a bit of a surprise: their cars could now drive themselves. Now let me qualify that statement a bit. This isn't full autonomous driving, it's really just for the highway and other fairly-predictable driving situations. But it's still a cool step forward. Self-driving cars are perhaps one of the most exciting things happening in tech these days, and I think they're awesome. So again, even though this isn't full self-driving, we're making leaps and bounds at this point. But I don't want to talk too much about the actual self-driving here, though I think that's super cool. What I want to talk about is the fact that Tesla was able to add self-driving as a feature to cars retroactively, after they'd been purchased.
Teslas have always gotten software updates automatically over the internet. Up until now, however, they've mostly been, well software upgrades. Think navigation system improvements here. However, Tesla has now pushed a huge new hardware feature onto all their cars, and I think it's fascinating how they did it.
To be clear, it's not like any car can self-drive with software alone, there has to be hardware sensors. But what's awesome is that Tesla began building that hardware into its cars a year ago, knowing that they had this feature coming. Talk about foresight! I also applaud them for their respect of the consumer here. Most companies say that in order to get new features, you have to pay up for the new version. Not here. Tesla could have released a new car with self-driving, and expected everyone who already owned a Tesla to pay up for a new one. Instead, they rolled out this new feature to their entire fleet.
To be fair, it wasn't entirely free. There was a $2500 "self-driving" add on package that many owners simply paid up front on their car, in order to get the features when they arrive. Owners who didn't will have to pay up for that now. But if you think of that $2500 as simply part of the cost of the vehicle, then those customers are now getting this update for free. Pretty awesome.
More than anything, however, I just love Elon Musk's vision of cars. Despite the fact that cars have loads of on-board computer systems, most companies treat them as dumb objects. They're made with a certain software package and then left to sink into obsoleteness. Tesla looks at things radically differently. To them, cars are smart, connected devices, just like your phone or laptop. This means that should be constantly improved through software updates (both bug fixes and new features). This idea seems obvious, but not many people thought about it. Until Tesla.
I've written about Tesla before, and I think they're an awesome company. I'm excited to see what they do in the future. I'm really excited for their Model 3, supposed to be unveiled in 2016. The Tesla Model S (aimed at the luxury market) starts at around $65k before government tax credits; Tesla's target for the Model 3 is $35k. This puts it well within the range of regular consumer cars. Tesla can change the world for the rich all they want; when they make a car anyone can buy is when they'll really change the world. And I get the feeling "world changer" is a label Tesla is gunning for. ••
October 18, 2015 StaringAtPhones	AI, alternative fuel, autopilot, cars, computers, electric, self driving cars, software updates, Tesla


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The Revolution Will Not Be Centralized
In his novel The Castle, Franz Kafka tells the story of a man named "K" who is summoned by mysterious authorities for unknown reasons. He finds himself at the mercy of their bureaucracy and endless paperwork, which is carried out for a purpose that nobody can fathom but everyone seems to accept.
Most people can relate to the story. 20th century era bureaucracies often seem as if they were designed by Kafka himself. From governments to corporations to international institutions like the IMF, we are often at the mercy of a monolithic central authority we don't really understand, but must submit to.
Yet although we've mostly come to accept the realities of central authority, digital technology is creating a titanic shift toward distributed models. Rather than assets managed by centralized institutions, we have ecosystems managed by platforms. While most welcome this change, it does create new challenges. We're all going to have to learn to adapt.
Distributed Identity
When I was about six or seven, I opened my first bank account. My friend and I had ridden our bikes to a nearby town and I noticed that I had some extra money. So I went into a savings bank, filled out some documents, made a deposit and received my bank book. Boy was I proud! I felt like I was really moving up in the world.
A few years later, I ran into a little problem. As I grew older, my signature evolved and the only one the bank had on file was the one I put on the card on my original visit. The lady at the bank was kind and understanding, so we got the issue resolved without too much trouble, but it was still a bit of a hassle.
Today, much has changed. We increasingly use digital signatures, which don't reside in any central place like a bank filing cabinet. In fact, they don't really sit anywhere at all. They are sophisticated algorithms that use large prime numbers to establish a highly secure verification of identity.
If you think about it, that's fundamental shift. In the old model, the key to my identity lay in a filing cabinet somewhere. Today, I have a small piece of my identity everywhere, waiting for me to bring the other piece so that a computer can complete a complex equation. By merging the private key with the public one, the puzzle of my identity is resolved.
As it turns out, this little oddity is showing up in more places than you would imagine.
The Future Of Money
The bank I went to when I was a kid was a large, stately building, which made it feel like a secure, trustworthy place. It needed to be. Bank machines and credit cards were still fairly rare back then and so people routinely went to banks to conduct serious business. Yet as technology improved, so did banks.
By the time I entered college, going to the bank became a rare event. If I needed money, I just went to a bank machine, which were not only at banks, but just about everywhere — at the campus center, convenience stores, shopping malls and so on. I usually didn't even need money though, I just used a credit card.
Today, the financial world is going through a similar upheaval. Rather than using institutions to facilitate transactions, money itself is becoming a system of algorithms. Much like digital signatures, these new cryptographic currencies (Bitcoin is the most popular, but far from the only one), reside not in one place, but everywhere.
At first, it seems like this new digital money is just another version of a digital signature, but it's much more than that. Once money is pure information, it becomes programmable, which means it becomes a product unto itself. In the future, if I want to set up an escrow account or a trust, I won't have to go to any central place. I'll be able to do it on my smartphone.
The Distributed Mind
Throughout history, scholarship was focused on a small number of knowledge centers. In the ancient world, the Library of Alexandria served as the epicenter of learning. Later, a number of places served as hubs, such as the Königsberg of Kant and Hilbert, the Vienna of Freud, Brentano and Wittgenstein and the Bloomsbury Group centered around Cambridge.
Yet today, there is far less need to be in a place physically. I remember when I first moved overseas in the late 90's. Besides email and expensive telephone calls, there was virtually no way for me to keep in touch with family and friends back home. Yet within a decade, my mother was videoconferencing with her newborn granddaughter over Skype and I was keeping up with the lives of people I knew back home on Facebook.
Similar technologies are being deployed in more substantial pursuits. Services like GoToMeeting and Zoom allow executives to not only videoconference, but to share documents. We can collaborate using Google Docs or Microsoft OneDrive. People from all over the world can take courses at top universities on sites like Coursera.
The prestigious journal Nature recently noted that the average scientific paper has four times as many authors as it did in the 1950's. It's also become common for co-authors to work at far-flung institutions. We've largely moved to a distributed model for advancement of knowledge.
The Shift To A Distributed Mental Model
Bill Joy, a cofounder of Sun Microsystems, is partly famous for what has become known as Joy's Law: No matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for someone else. Originally, it was meant as a retort to Bill Gates's assertion that Microsoft was an "IQ monopolist," but in a distributed economy, it's taken on a greater significance — most things lie somewhere else.
Today, rather than resources being centralized in institutional bureaucracies, we increasingly access ecosystems through platforms. Consider the case of Apple which, for all its massive market clout, has surprisingly little control over the capabilities of the iPhone. In large part, they are determined by people who develop apps for its App Store.
That's led to what I call the Tony Soprano problem. Much like the popular mob boss in the hit series, even seemingly omnipotent institutions like Apple are far less able to coerce people to do what they want. If Apple, for example, became too heavy handed with its App Store, it would lose popularity and its power would diminish.
If Kafka was writing today, we can easily imagine the bureaucrats at the Castle perplexed, brainstorming over how to attract "K" to their cause. The existential crisis of the digital age is not one of personal identity, but institutional purpose.
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Ryan Morris
Tenet: When Plot Eclipses Character
In some ways, this is another Nolan masterpiece. In others, it's a film where Story is completely drowned by Plot
Image: © Warner Bros.
He's done it, he's finally done it. Christopher Nolan, everyone's most anticipated film-maker, has made the cinematic equivalent of Einstein's relativity. A non-fiction, fiction flick jam-packed with spectacle enough that Tom Cruise might actually have to jump from space to top it. Teachers the world over should take note, if you want kids to learn just wrap the info in so much action they're forced to engage. The only trouble is there's so much going on in Tenet you're left wondering, why do I care again?
Nolan's new epic for all its phenomenal action scenes and reality-bending set-piece spectacles suffers from a lack of heart that his earlier and equally ambitious films haven't. So, how has this happened?
-I'm not going to get into the how behind the concept because that would get into spoiler territory, which in this film is like trying to understand relativity by saying it has something to do with science-
Well, to answer that we need only look at Nolan's last high-concept adventure, Interstellar. In his video essay on the film, the Nerdwriter postulates that Interstellar is what you get 'When Spectacle Eclipses Story'. Now while his essay is flawed, it offers a compelling explanation as to where the film lost its footing, too busy flying through space to focus on connecting with its characters stuck in reality. Strangely it's this that acts as a premonition for the main issue with Tenet.
For if I could update his words, I'd say Tenet is what happens when plot and its weapon of mass destruction, exposition, completely eclipse character. So much so that the film at times feels all too similar to an old James Bond movie: faceless villainous armies waging war against nameless heroes on a battlefield where identifying either is a blind game of guess who and where the heroes motivations are as plain as the villains. The difference though is Bond's plots, while equally ridiculous (Moonraker), are infinitely simpler to grasp; Bond and his target are easily distinguished in the crowd, if there's dialogue it's comprehensible and unburdened by exposition, and his main objective is always crystal clear.
Image: © Warner Bros. At some point, I was surprised the Protagonist of Tenet, standing in for the audience, doesn't just scream, 'Wait…WHAT THE F&@k?!
I can't say any of the same for Tenet, at the climax of which I was so busy trying to wrap my mind around the how and the what to care about the why. In essence, to care about the characters within and why this mattered to them. And after all, why would we? When the curtains fall what do we actually know about our main characters other than they're good guys aiming to boldly save the world. An admirable quality, sure, and while John David Washington, in particular, shines at this, we know so little about their lives and why they choose it that its tricky to emotionally engage with them.
In fact, after the film I was asked can I name any characters from the film? Yes, Sator: Kenneth Brannagh's more visceral Blowfeld was mentioned a dozen times. Okay, anyone else? Um, Denzel Washington's son and Robert Pattinson…?
If a modern criticism with Hollywood blockbusters is that they spoon-feed the audience story and shy away from challenging them, then Nolan's response is to create something that's its polar opposite. In Tenet, the plot is so heavy-handed its fed to the audience in moon-sized shovels every second there's a break in the action. So much so the characters and by extension the audience, if they're not busy trying to untwist their tongue-tied brains, aren't given any time to focus on what should matter: the story. This is made all the more challenging when you realise we don't even know what, other than the obvious saving the world, these characters are fighting for.
A good comparison here is Inception, a film which now seems like 2+2 compared to Tenet's E = mc2. By the end of the film, we're engaged with the outcome not just because it's about accomplishing the team's goal of inception, but because it's about whether Cobb can get back to his kids or not. This very real and necessarily grounding element is mirrored — although somewhat less effectively — in Interstellar and works because the stakes of the climax are based on something as simple and relatable as fathers struggling to get back to their families.
The same emotional core is missing in Tenet and it shows. Whenever the plot of Nolan's former films overwhelms you, you can simply fall back on what you know, this a man seeking emotional catharsis with his children. That simple goal not only serves as the heart but also the resonant backbone of the film, giving the audience an ever-present hook into the story as well as something for characters to care about beyond the mission. The closest we come to this in Tenet is Elizabeth Debicki's character seeking to overcome her fear, reclaim her son and in so doing her strength. Trouble is she's perhaps the third main character whose relationship to her son is never shown. There's no urgency personal to the characters other than the (by this point) distancing goal of the world's ending to engage us.
Right, but they are trying to save the world, so surely the stakes are high enough to keep us entertained, right? True, except we never see our characters interact with the world they're trying to save. And how can they when their only interactions are with people who can either fill in the crater-sized blanks or punch those manipulating it? In the Matrix, for example, Neo's interactions with the Oracle are a similar parallel to Washington's with Kapadia. The difference being Neo interacts with the kids as well, grounding the scene with more than just exposition and encouraging Neo to discover answers to questions himself.
This highlights another drawback to explaining a library full of plot: Washington is told a hell of a lot more than he discovers and when he does have a revelation it's comically instantaneous and answering questions that have only been posed minutes or even seconds before. Conversely, when Neo explores the possibility of being the one, he discovers new information that's relevant to answering that specific personal question over the entire second half of the film. Tenet doesn't have time for such because the plot requires Washington move on as there's still much more heisting complete with explanations to come.
In the end, for all Nolan's realist special-effects his characters have become increasingly shallow, operating in their own inverted world too cool to care for the wider people that inhabit it and the damage they leave behind. Perhaps this was what Nolan was going for, a film so deeply intricate in its conception that it focuses less on why and more on the how. In other words, more on the plot and less on character. For all the merits of Tenet's filmmaking, style and spectacle, it's true the story lacks a heart his earlier films don't, and it's a shame because it's that heart that keeps me going back, rewatching over and over. It's hard not to be disappointed that I don't feel the same with Tenet.
Do you think the same, or did I get it wrong? Let me know, and check out my poem review for Tenet below. Otherwise and as always thanks for reading!
First poem review in ages. This time I complimented it with an article on Medium called When Plot…
First time storyteller looking to learn and share
Tenet 2020
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Duality is the difference. James is the Storyteller. He oversees the technical design flow. Tom is the Editor. He specializes in details and one-of-a-kind notes.
Our design teams are formed with this balance in mind: technical insight and unbridled creativity.
JAMES DOLENC
"I love beautiful, curated spaces that have one foot in history and one foot in today."
Raised in the quaint North Shore suburb of Libertyville, Illinois, James describes his personal aesthetic as based in classic architecture and interiors executed with an open brightness and airiness inspired by his childhood summers spent out West.
"My eye is inspired by East Coast sensibilities – places like Nantucket, the Hamptons, and Charleston. But my heart and soul are rooted in the open air and big sky of places like Flathead Lake in Montana. These two sources of inspiration – from opposite sides of the country and the design spectrum – dovetail and inspire me every day to design spaces that are at once classic, airy, and warm."
James holds a B.A. from Loyola University of Chicago and a B.A. from Harrington Institute of Interior Design.
"We believe in rooms filled with family, friends, warmth, and love – the best design choice of all."
TOM RIKER
"I love to listen to our clients, to really connect and know them is to be a better designer."
"I grew up in Birmingham, Michigan and our house was filled with antiques…family heirlooms, Oriental rugs–so different from many of my friends' homes. That's where my education began. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I would draw house plans and send them to my Uncle, who was an aspiring architect, to critique, or I would dig through estate sales and flea markets on weekends – always looking for that next great piece."
"When we started, my design eye was drawn to contemporary design with clean lines, but lately, I've been returning to the nostalgia and the design nuances of my youth with a more traditional approach, heavy in textures and layering."
Tom earned his BA from the University of Michigan and his Masters of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
JAMIE KLUMPP
"I love a mid-century modern aesthetic. I like clean, minimal, neat, and organized."
When Jamie first met James and Tom, she knew it was kismet. "You see, my son's name is James Thomas," she says excitedly. Well, clearly it was meant to be.
Jamie oversees the day-to-day business and bustle in the offices of James Thomas. She handles a variety of matters including accounting, organization, human resources, all while also serving as James and Tom's right hand woman. And, as with a diverse, decades-long background in both fashion and retail management, she's a natural. Jamie thrives when she is an active member of a team, "That's the nicest thing someone could say to me: that I am fair, and that I am a valuable member of the group."
"Interior design is personal. The best work is inspired by the authentic, intuitive relationships that we share with our clients."
Emily has flourished at JamesThomas for nearly a decade. "I lean towards classic and traditional design and enjoy mixing textures while layering high and low influences. It's the accessories in a room that tell the story and make it personal. The true art is in the details, those small touches that take a room and make it undeniably yours."
Having flourished at JamesThomas for nearly a decade, Emily's star shines bright within the organization. "Long before I worked here, I loved the unique approach to interior design that James and Tom share. My own sensibilities are similar…I lean towards classic and traditional design and enjoy mixing textures while layering high and low influences. That said, it's the accessories in a room that tell the story and make it personal. The true art is in the details, those small touches that take a room and make it undeniably yours."
Emily has a soft spot for renovation projects. "Site visits are my favorite. Seeing a room transform piece by piece is so gratifying." When she is not sharing her vision for beautiful living with her clients, Emily is making a lovely life of her own in Hinsdale, IL with her husband and three young children.
Emily Gerow
"The ideas of linen and fresh breezes and the navy blue of the lake water serve as my muse."
Anne's favorite days at JamesThomas are install days. "That's when it all comes together. It's most exciting to see a vision realized after months of work and know how happy your client is going to be in their new space!"
Anne's life outside of the office is hardly lacking excitement. She is the mother of two pre-teens, Charlotte and Jack. Born and raised in Chicago, Anne's growing family lives in Chicago's Edgebroook neighborhood and during the summer months, they escape to a family cottage off of Lake Michigan.
Anne Kopis
"The big, bright lights of the skyline inspire my design sensibilities."
Lauren graduated from Furman University in 2016 after a childhood spent in Atlanta. Her Southern upbringing inspired a love of bright colors and preppy graphic prints. Lauren's favorite days at work are spent at the Merchandise Mart. "I love going to the Mart showrooms and getting to see and touch everything."
Lauren graduated from Furman University in 2016 after a childhood spent in Atlanta. Her Southern upbringing inspired a love of bright colors and preppy graphic prints.
Lauren's favorite days at work are spent at the Merchandise Mart. "I love going to the Mart showrooms and getting to see and touch everything. The perfect day at the Mart culminates in finding that perfect thing that will bring the room that you've been working on together."
Lauren Craig
"If everything looks brand new, then it doesn't look like home."
Mollie sees a home's history – it's original place and purpose – as the strongest point of inspiration for her work. It is this idea that shapes her process as she creates warm, sophisticated spaces where families can thrive.
Honest materials, hand-crafted quality, and a touch of time-worn comfort are central themes for Mollie. In 2019, she spent three months traveling through Western Europe and met many artists practicing their craft. "Something that is carefully made by hand is at once perfect and imperfect, and I have come to realize that that juxtaposition is what makes something truly beautiful."
Mollie O'Shea
"I love the empathetic nature of interior design. It provides the opportunity to see the world through our client's eyes, to ultimately create a space that reflects their personality and that sparks joy in their life."
From an early age Sarah has been fascinated by architecture and the interiors of homes. She has always been enticed by history and drawn to the sentimental and timeless value it can add to a space. She loves to incorporate pieces with a past in her projects which creates moments of nostalgia.
From an early age Sarah has been fascinated by architecture and the interiors of homes. She has always been enticed by history and drawn to the sentimental and timeless value it can add to a space. She loves to incorporate pieces with a past in her projects which creates moments of nostalgia. Sarah describes her design aesthetic as personal, layered, and eclectic. As our most recent hire, she is inspired by the team at James Thomas and is eager to absorb all she can and grow as a designer – she feels lucky to be working in a field that she truly loves.
Sarah lives in the south suburbs and is raising a daughter who motivates her to be her best self every day. She treasures close connections with family and friends and enjoys photography, being in nature and exploring new places.
Sarah Hallow
"It's not about perfection. It's not about trends. It's about good quality."
Jim has been a key member of the JamesThomas team since his arrival in 2013. His energy and enthusiasm for culture, design, and the arts are apparent to everyone he meets. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When he isn't traveling, he is gardening, cooking, collecting antique copper cookware and tending to his partner and their two Border Terriers.
Quality is the centerpiece of Jim's design philosophy. "I like design that is honest and simple and not overwraught. If you find an amazing piece of well-made antique furniture –don't even refinish it. Have the courage to let a piece like that show its age. Authenticity is beautiful."
Jim Josephson
"I love that our clients are getting braver and choosing to be bold with color."
A Nebraska native, Julia knew from a young age that she wanted to find a career that would fulfill her creative sensibilities. She earned her B.S. in Design from the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska. Today, she describes her personal aesthetic as an appreciation for clean lines and simplicity – but readily admits that she loves juxtaposing patterns.
A Nebraska native, Julia knew from a young age that she wanted to find a career that would fulfill her creative sensibilities. She earned her B.S. in Design from the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska. Today, she describes her personal aesthetic as an appreciation for clean lines and simplicity – but readily admits that she loves juxtaposing patterns and the wow that unexpected pieces and bold color choices can lend to a space.
When Julia isn't at work, she loves time spent outdoors, specifically, in the mountains of Park City, Utah. There, she spends time with her niece, nephew, and extended family…skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer.
Julia Fischer
"I love spaces that promote a balanced lifestyle. Light, open spaces make people happier."
Tyson graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2017 with a B.F.A, in Interior Architecture and his position at JamesThomas is his first since graduation. "I have always been interested in using interior design to affect health and joy. I believe that one's surroundings have everything to do with how they see the world."
Tyson graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2017 with a B.F.A, in Interior Architecture and his position at JamesThomas is his first since graduation. "I have always been interested in using interior design to affect health and joy. I believe that one's surroundings have everything to do with how they see the world." If that's true, then the JT offices are the perfect place for Tyson. "The warm vibes here are inspiring. The designers here approach their work with an open heart."
Above all else, Tyson hopes that his dedication to his clients shines through. "I have a point of view design-wise, sure, but what's paramount to me is that our clients are getting the creative work that will enhance their every day lives. That's why I am here."
Tyson Lamm
"Your home is where you remember who you are after a long day of sharing yourself with the world. It's where your story is told."
This worldly point of view started with the pink and green polka-dot bedroom of Sarah's girlhood, and has culminated today in her design work. "I want to really know my clients; to get into their heads and innately understand their lives. I want to get to that 'how did you know!?' moment. The design stories I tell are very personal.
This worldly point of view started with the pink and green polka-dot bedroom of Sarah's girlhood, and has culminated today in her design work. "I want to really know my clients; to get into their heads and innately understand their lives. I want to get to that 'how did you know!?' moment. The design stories I tell are very personal."
New to Chicago and still energized by exploring, Sarah spends her free time taking it all in – trying - and rating - the Ethiopian restaurants of the North Side, spending lazy days on the lakefront, and sampling the city's music scene at night.
Sarah Lakew
At James Thomas, we specialize in designing your perfect welcome home. Let's get started.


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AA32807 Corgi de Havilland Mosquito PR.Mk XVI - 25th BG, 653rd BS, USAAF, £ 0.00
Corgi Aviation Archive AA32807: de Havilland Mosquito PR.Mk XVI 25th BG, 653rd BS, USAAF, RAF Watton, England, 1944. Limited Edition of 2900 Pieces Worldwide.
Length 6.75 inches Wingspan 9 inches
This Mosquito PR.XVI was flown by Lt. Earl L. Muchway and Lt. Lionel Proulux as one of two US Mosquito crews that accompanied the B-17s on the disastrous Frantic Joe shuttle mission to the USSR, Italy and then back to England between 21st June and 5th July 1944. After take-off from San Severo, in Italy, on 5th July, NS519 was forced to abort the flight back at 25,000 ft when the port propeller ran away. The aircraft was repaired by an RAF unit back in Italy and the crew returned to Watton alone a few days later.
Designed in a private venture as a high-altitude, high-speed unarmed bomber, the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was first flown on November 25th, 1940. The Mosquito was one of the most successful aircraft of the Second World War. Only the Ju 88 could rival its versatility. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, the all-wood Mosquito was as fast as a fighter and could carry the payload of a medium bomber. During its lifetime, the Mosquito was used in varying roles, which included night fighter and ground attack.


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Fostering News: Liverpool to waive council tax bills for foster carers
Mayor Joe Anderson says the city needs more people to help care for vulnerable children
Liverpool foster carers are to have their council tax waived under a new scheme planned by mayor Joe Anderson to encourage more recruits.
The move – which would save families more than £1,000 a year – is intended to boost the numbers of carers and help the council drive down the cost of looking after children with no homes.
The innovative move, which is set to come into effect from the new council tax year in April, is part of a range of incentives to try to recruit another 200-300 foster carers in the city.
The council will also offer "lifestyle passes" giving foster carers free access to city gyms and other facilities, the Mayor said, in addition to an allowances to cover the costs of fostering.
The move was welcomed by John Simmons from the adoption and fostering specialist children's charity, Coram.
He said: "These children live some of the most uncertain lives you can imagine, they are a very vulnerable group.
"The incentives will get people to think about fostering. Liverpool will want to encourage as wide a group of people to think about fostering, so things like council tax and other incentives can be part of that offer – but the primary motivation must be the care of the children."
Mayor Anderson said potential foster carers will undergo full and proper checks and will receive training from the council before they can look after children.
He said: "We have got huge costs of providing support to fostering children and using outside agencies to place children away from the city because there are not enough here.
"One of the things I'm trying to do is incentivise our own parents to support us in looking after children who need support and help in difficult circumstances.
"This is something positive and innovative."
In 2014, the council introduced the 'Payment for Skills' scheme giving the city's team of 300 foster carers a professional fee of up to £444 per week. That money was in addition to weekly age-related allowances of up to £203.75 per child.
Liverpool has around 150 more looked-after children than it had five years ago, and the total number now stands at around 1,000.
Mayor Anderson said: "This is my idea to try and help those within the city to help young people who need support – and this will also help the city at the same time."
People interested in fostering can visit the Fostering Liverpool website to find out more or call the recruitment line on 0151 515 0000.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-waive-council-tax-bills-10820160