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    henrygandorf
    i did a standard surly search and didn't find a thread, and i think i know why.
    when mf first came out, i thought it was hilarious.  even though seasons 2-4 were a little uneven, overall, the show was great.  there was drama with split showrunners after s1, so that explains part of it, but mostly it was solid.  then it went into syndication, and i was able to watch several of my favorite episodes again, and still loved them.  "the old wagon", "good cop bad dog", "phil on wire", and "yard sale" are all-time classics.
    then, season 5 came out, and suffered from the very common sitcom fatigue that you'll often find around the 75-100 episode mark.  that's a lot of fucking tv to write.  it also started to do annoying shit like taking the entire cast and crew to australia (for a half hour episode that wasn't even a season premiere or finale).  you're rich, we get it.  around season 6, i started to look around and realize this isn't fun anymore.  i asked a few other people, and most were like, "yeah, it's not as good, but we still watch it every week, we still laugh."  ok.
    sidenote - i am not a broadcast network snob.  i know a lot of people (and i'm sure there are plenty on this board) that are just done with broadcast network tv (abc, cbs, nbc, fox).  we still watch a handful of shows.  the wife watches more than me, but whatever.  if something is quality, i'll still watch, just no procedurals.
    so it was around seasons 6-7 where i stopped watching, maybe would catch an episode from the dvr and half pay attention to it, or the next day on hulu, stuff like that.  i know it's been on forever, but lost track.  bits and pieces here and there, saw some storylines come around, then watched some from this past season, because it was the end.  it was pretty bad, unsuccessfully trying to recapture its early success.
    what was interesting about modern family through the years was its non-participation with streaming services with its catalog.  pretty much every sitcom (current or past) can be found somewhere on the main streamers.  most are on hulu.  and even though it was contractually obligated to show their current season through abc on demand and hulu (next-day), the previous seasons were only avail through standard syndication broadcasts.
    after the latest wga standoff, modern family predictably settled in with hulu, and for the first time, all the seasons were available to stream.  so since i hadn't watched all episodes, and hadn't watched most in a while, i thought this would be a fun rewatch, as we like to put sitcom reruns on while we're going to sleep.  in my head, i was thinking, ok, there were ~10 seasons, and most was pretty good, i think it petered out around 7-8, and there's some garbage at the end (which most every show has, up to and especially seinfeld).
    i was wrong.  after the first 4 seasons, there was a big drop.  and what i thought i remembered as a few more solid seasons were really a few more solid episodes, and around season 5, this show was pretty much done.  and what i thought were a couple dead seasons - were five full fucking garbage seasons.  this show went to 11.  literally.  everything after season 6 was almost unwatchable.  but i persisted.  i made my way through, enduring such taunts as "you're not even laughing" and "why are you doing this to yourself?"
    even some of the nostalgia brought in with the final season was hollow and empty.  i didn't care about the future of these characters, because i didn't really care about the past few years of their present.
    the whole thing has me wondering - are broadcast sitcoms as we knew them, over?  shows like brooklyn nine-nine are fading and have been reduced to shortened seasons, and i think this is the only way to do it.  i don't think the old structure of 18-24 episodes per season is sustainable for a variety of reasons.  animation can pull it off, but there are obvious exceptions that make that possible.
    we gave the new abc show - home economics - a try (i'll watch literally any pilot), and it's harmless, but sad.  and one of the actors makes it almost unwatchable.  i thought i knew him from somewhere, and i was right.  he was in some of the later seasons.  of modern family.   

    henrygandorf
    so i was going to do a top 10, but there are so many, so this is ~10 i really liked, and then the rest that i liked enough to finish and remember for the purpose of this list.
    note - this does not include shows i love like "last week tonight", "the circus", and "bob's burgers" (i like pretty much every episode of these).
    in no particular order:
     
    ted lasso
    wayne (technically 2019 but whatever)
    the mandalorian s2
    schitt's creek final season
    the queen's gambit
    dave
    the last dance
    central park
    mrs america
    ap bio s3
    the crown s4
    utopia
    the right stuff
    the comedy store (showtime doc)
     
    here are the best of the rest:
    hunters, quiz, better call saul s5, good place final season, dead to me s2, bojack horseman final season, the boys s2, the third day, high fidelity, briarpatch, away, perry mason, upload, tiger king, snowpiercer, white lines, little fires everywhere, the undoing, fargo s4, mcmillions, tehran, flight attendant.
    i still want to watch "the great" and "alex ryder" and some assorted others.
     
     

    CHIEF

    What Do You Want for Christmas?

    By CHIEF, in Lulz,

    I've been blessed. My wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I told her two things. I have a sub, Arturo, that owes me about $6k, he is always struggling financially, he is overweight, and in poor health. He drives a truck for a living, and runs a concrete business out of the truck at the same time. About to loose his sister to COVID. For Christmas, I want as a gift to me, to forgive $2500 of his debt. 
    Ismael was my parents lawn guy. He works sunup to sundown 6-7 days per week. I am serving as GC on a small one bedroom, one bath carport he is converting into a barndominium. He is moving his wife and son into it, then, will build on as he makes more money. I want to buy him a bistro table for the smaller space he will be moving into.
    Materially, I am at a place where I don't really need anything, and their needs are more important than my wants. It has been this way for at least four years now. Anybody else in the same boat?
    CHIEF
    Oh, and two chicks at one time.

    Superhero

    Christmas loot

    By Superhero, in Lulz,

    Premature thread, but when I'm excited, it's hard to hold it in, and I want to share it into your eyeballs.
    Share the loot you got, or are getting from yourself, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, family, friends, clients and side pieces.
    Got this from one of my subcontractors this morning.


    Walden Ponderer
    So, my wife is into all kinds of hoodoo. Loves ghost stories, and believes way too many of them. But she also has an affinity for collecting the really bad, obviously stupidity-induced variety, too. A few exemplars:
    I'm sorry, Billy, you're going to have to be more specific. What color hat was he wearing?
    Anyway, share 'em if you've got 'em.

    Longhornstampede
    Every year I go thru the same routine.
    Buy gifts.
    Stockpile gifts in my office/practice room.
    Have weeks long intentions of wrapping gifts at least 2 weeks before Christmas so they will actually spend time under the tree.
    Evey time I plan on wrapping them a dread of going thru the act of getting the paper, finding scissors and tape, name tags, ribbons or bows just crushes my motivation.
    One week before Christmas, panick-stricken and guilt ridden because there are no presents from me to ANYONE under the tree, I finally bite the bullet and lock myself away in said room with all my supplies, plus some booze. Put on some music and start wrapping.
    I realize and say to myself "this is kind of nice, I'm in here in the quiet, drinking and I absolutely know she won't bug me because she knows what I'm doing, this is some good me time". I take my time, relax, feel no pressure and when I finally emerge she accepts that Ive accomplished something.
     
    Every damn year this happens, when will I ever learn? I need gift wrapping sessions all year long.
     

    Guest Lobo

    Happy Festivus 2020, Surly!

    By Guest Lobo, in Lulz,

    This shittastic year is almost over, but first...we celebrate Festivus.  Particularly important to mark the holiday this year since we lost too many wonderful people in 2020, including Jerry Stiller (RIP, Frank Costanza).  Jerry Stiller would be pleased to know, we can now proudly say "Happy Festivus" without fear of being canceled.  The War on Festivus is Over! 
    We've aired all our grievances between the DT, Football, and CR forums.  The feats of strength have already been won by the health care workers on this site.  The Pole has already been given to South Austin's Mom quite a few times (FYI-she also finds tinsel distracting).  All that's left is to enjoy a Festivus dinner with loved ones, and a flask.  And of course---to look for Festivus Miracles in your life or on our coaching staff.  As Hans Gruber once told one of his 12 disciple-terrorists..."It's Festivus Theo, it's the time of miracles.  So be of good cheer."  
    May your 2021 have a very high strength-to-weight ratio. 



  • Our picks

    • I was bored and went through the coaching staffs for each of the remaining playoff teams.  Listed below are the coaches who seemed like possibilities to me (but I'm an idiot).  They all have some college coaching experience and in the case of one an extensive HS coaching background.  A couple of entries have pretty light resumes but have long NFL careers.

      Houston Texans:
      Jacques Cesaire DL coach - 5 years at Univ of San Diego as DL coach, 9 years as DE for San Diego Chargers
      Rod Wright Asst DL Coach

      Green Bay Packers:
      Jerry Montgomery DL coach -11 years in college at OU, Michigan, Wyoming.  Last 9 years in NFL


      Detroit Lions:
      John Scott Jr. DL Coach - First year in Detroit.  Previously coached at Penn St., South Carolina, and Arkansas
      Wayne Blair QC - Long time Florida HS head coach, spent last two years coaching DLine in Detroit.  Played at Tulane and CFL

      Buffalo Bills:
      Marcus West Asst D-Line - Prior to joining Bills in 2022 spent 14 years as college D-Line coach (Charlotte, Minn, Austin Peay)

      San Francisco 49ers:
      Darryl Tapp Asst D-Line - 12 year NFL veteran.  Coached D-Line at V-Tech for 2 seasons.  Joined 49ers in 2022.
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    • I'm not doing well about it, at all. 

      That's because we had our championship window of opportunity, which is now closed. 

      Why? Because now we face another, more potent opponent. The Fightin' Aggies of Texas A&M University. 
      They have THE best traditions in all of college. Plus, they've already surpassed us in baseball and basketball. Don't believe me? Consider this recent post from TexasAgs: "We've already surpassed them in baseball and basketball." 


      What's more, they demonstrated an unquenchable commitment to success when they paid a coach $78 MILLION to leave. That's right. $78 million to a coach they had presented a future national championship trophy to stop coaching, and they did it mid-season without a replacement locked-in. While it seems like this is poor financial management by their athletic department, it shows a spirit of winning we could only dream about. 


      Now, they've brought in a coach who gets them. That's right. He EMBRACES their traditions. And he has a great nickname, The Elk, which pairs with The Station quite nicely. We don't even have an amazing nickname for our city. 

      +

      Finally, when you compare the two football programs, A&M comes out ahead. As many of their posters continually point out, they faced a much better Alabama team than we did AND ALMOST WON. Plus, they paid tribute to their near-win against the second-best team in the Big 12.  

      Now that they've moved on from many of their players from the best recruiting class of all time, and have had multiple highly ranked recruits opt out, they are ready to win even more championships with hardworking farm boys from small towns. 


      Thanks for indulging my meltdown. I'm skeered real good.   
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    • You can go into your profile and associate those accounts to yours - they will let you sign in faster and conveniently instead of having to remember your password etc.

      Sign ups should also be significantly faster/easier for new people to join the conversation. 

      Existing members go here to link your google account: https://www.surlyhorns.com/board/settings/login/?service=3

      and here to link your msft account: https://www.surlyhorns.com/board/settings/login/?service=8
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    • Contact Your Coon-Ass Friends To Prepare Their Cyber Anus
      https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/crime/2023/06/15/5-tips-for-louisiana-drivers-to-protect-their-identity-after-moveit-attack/70327954007/


      Is it bad that they have my name, address, Social Security number and birth date other Barry?
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    • Y’all really think Jimbo is gonna sit on the sidelines and watch as 2 men take turns doing the one thing he loves?
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