Michael*

I found the first meeting between Cage and Rand in episode two satisfying enough to keep me hanging on, and to overlook a few reservations about the Hand and what appears to be a rather sketchy evil plan. So overall, if the plot is fairly simplistic but we get more interactions like it, I'd probably put that down as a fair trade-off. There was some potentially interesting groundwork laid in Iron Fist regarding K'un-Lun, so I quite like that they've woven it into the narrative here. Although a lot of that stuff was referenced only by Danny talking about it, which was a bit of a disappointment at the time. A few other plot threads would benefit from the context too, but probably not to the extent that you couldn't work out everybody's deal quickly enough.

Two episodes in now. My hope beforehand was for the story to come out swinging and that hasn't really been the case so far, but it does feel like things are starting to heat up a bit as we edge closer to establishing the four leads as a team. I would agree that the Hand are profoundly uninteresting though, even with Elektra in tow.

It's official then, Wonder Woman has now topped 800 million worldwide and surpassed Spidey '02 as the highest grossing superhero origin story ever.

When it comes to albums that are generally regarded as classics, I always just sort of assume that they'll somehow find me eventually, perhaps via an online article, a review, maybe a chance discovery. Sometimes it's a case of wondering what all the fuss is about, but every so often something will come along that blows me away. So, how about it? What classic albums have you only got round to hearing recently?

A lot of people are overly touchy-feely, humourless or just plain grandstanding, but that's much easier than engaging on a case-by-case basis. Engagement means you actually have to think, and sadly, it's something too few people seem willing or able to do. Respect and empathy, even if it's grudging, is universally desirable. It binds society.

The staff is made up of a small group of individual members who chip in when we're able.

The Tweet saying we were back online came out two or three hours ago, the one saying we were having technical issues came out in the early hours of Sunday morning, when the forum was still down.

An announcement was made on the BZ Facebook page on the 18th, which was when I first became aware that we were down, and on the Twitter yesterday I believe. Unless I'm mistaken, the forum came back online just this morning.

Making an announcement ahead of time would have required prior knowledge that the forum was going to go down, which none of us had.

Deep down I think we all knew a result like that one was coming, although most of us would have probably hoped for it to happen with a bit less of a whimper. A tough game to watch and a harsh lesson for all of us, but it's still very early days and Grayson needs all the support he can get.

With regard to the media, there should be rigorous analysis of the statements made from both ends of the spectrum, and exposure of deceit. Most people though, no matter what political or social side of an issue they stand on, are more likely to start throwing ad hominem attacks and figuratively sticking their fingers in their ears like a seven-year-old, than trying and have frank and open dialogue with the other side. Everybody wants their turn on the soapbox, which is fine, but fewer and fewer people seem interested in actually discussing things. Overall, my concern is that there's eventually going to come a point (if there hasn't already) where you can get away with anything simply by shouting "political correctness" and claiming oppression or bullying, when all that's actually happened is that someone has gotten a bit frustrated at the lack of factual evidence in an argument. We seem to have found ourselves in an age where people get to claim that facts don't tell the whole story, which is completely insane. The real question should be “how do we get people to trust in verifiable facts again?”

There's undoubtedly an element of people who seem to treat outrage over anything, no matter how trivial, as their calling in life, but at the same time, there's going to have to come a point where the world finds a way to rationally discuss things without simply pointing the finger at the lunatic fringe of the opposite side. I would agree for example, that it's not racist for a white person to want to braid their hair, but I also think that only the very tiniest number of people ever thought it was or said so. The idea of all these overly sensitive people just being on one side of the argument is ludicrous and shows how easily offended the opposing side must be if they really think their skin isn't just as thin.

Thread cleaned. If I catch anyone making a single comment that remotely resembles baiting, bashing or pointless comparisons between models, I'll be deleting them on the spot and giving out formal warnings.

I've seen bits and pieces in the past, but overall, I remain something of a novice in the ways of Twin Peaks. Although I'm hoping to change that soon, with the plan being to work my way through the old episodes before starting on the new ones. Any new or longstanding fans out there?

Twin Peaks is an American serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch that premiered on April 8, 1990, on ABC. It was one of the top-rated series of 1990, but declining ratings led to its cancellation after its second season in 1991. It nonetheless gained a cult following and has been referenced in a wide variety of media. In subsequent years, Twin Peaks has often been listed among the greatest television series of all time. The series follows an investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington. The narrative draws on elements of crime drama, but its uncanny tone, supernatural elements, and campy, melodramatic portrayal of eccentric characters also draw on American soap opera and horror tropes. Like much of Lynch's work, it is distinguished by surrealism and offbeat humor, as well as distinctive cinematography. The show's acclaimed score was composed by Angelo Badalamenti in collaboration with Lynch. Twin Peaks was followed by a 1992 feature film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, that serves as a prequel to the television series. In October 2014, Showtime announced that the show would return as a limited series. Also known as Twin Peaks: The Return, the limited series premiered on May 21, 2017, and was written by Lynch and Frost and directed by Lynch. Many original cast members, including MacLachlan, returned. Cast Kyle MacLachlan - Special Agent Dale Cooper Michael Ontkean - -Sheriff Harry S. Truman Mädchen Amick - Shelly Johnson Dana Ashbrook - Bobby Briggs Richard Beymer - Benjamin Horne Lara Flynn Boyle - Donna Hayward Sherilyn Fenn - Audrey Horne Warren Frost - Dr. Will Hayward Peggy Lipton - Norma Jennings James Marshall - James Hurley Everett McGill - Ed Hurley Jack Nance - Pete Martell Ray Wise - Leland Palmer Joan Chen - Jocelyn Packard Piper Laurie - Catherine Martell Kimmy Robertson - Lucy Moran