Dinner viewing

We try to provide answers when we get questions.

A reader writes:

I’m tired of the Trump fixation. I’m kinda tired of the news in general. Just don’t know what else to watch with dinner.

Dear Reader:

Can’t blame you. Trump fixation has surpassed Oxycontin/opioid abuse as the leading cause of debilitation, crime, and erosion of family values in the U.S today.

But we all need something to watch with dinner.

Fortunately, I have recommendations for stimulating non-Trump dinner viewing. Please note that the descriptions below contain spoilers:

FBoy Island. Before you read any further, be warned that I’m going to give away part of the shocking ending to Season 1.

Legal professionals will be fascinated by this tropical romp that poses the question: does promissory estoppel apply to a reality television show?

In a mind-boggling twist in the first season’s last episode, a winning contestant was denied his prize just because he was an fboy. (If you don’t know what an fboy is, that’s probably a good thing.)

Can the winning/losing contestant sue?

Can fboy mistreatment in general be grounds for a class action?

You’ll while away many hours discussing these issues during and after dinner.

She-Hulk, Attorney-At-Law. This series hasn’t premiered yet, but I’m going to assume it’s wonderful. Finally, supervillains are going to get the justice they deserve.

Consider this fictional methadone for Trump-fixation fantasies.

Dopesick. Take your mind off one plague by fondly remembering the last one. Not only is there pain and misery, but you also get government incompetence and corruption.

The James Comey chicken scene is particularly delightful.

Bullsh*t The Game Show. If you don’t know an answer, just make it up. There’s no better reflection of modern times.

"Bullsh*t the Game Show." (Netflix via Courthouse News)

The Iron Chef. Your dinner may be crap but at least you can look at something delicious. This can be a great way to lose weight — you’ll be so disappointed in your own food, you won’t want to eat it.

Hope this helps, Reader. If these programs don’t do it for you, try skipping dinner. Trump fixation on a full stomach can lead to nausea.

Cops gone wild. I’m probably imagining it, but it seems that cops-gone-rogue stories have been getting weirder.

Three of them recently popped up in court rulings.

In Oklahoma, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit ruled that an officer could be sued for using excessive force in the form of a punch, tackle and chokehold on a guy “suspected only of trespassing on a marina by riding in a golf cart.”

A federal judge in Connecticut ruled in favor of qualified immunity for police “because there is no clearly established due process right to not have a dog transferred without proper notice.”

There should be, but there isn’t.

Saddest of all is the tale told in a federal court ruling of a 72-year-old in Virginia who found a bear cub who had been hit by a car and made the mistake of calling the authorities. A deputy sheriff showed up and — allegedly — told the guy to leave and said he was going to kill the bear!

The plaintiff objected to bear baby murder so the deputy threw him to the ground. No word on what happened to the cub (a pretty glaring omission).

Categories / Op-Ed