When the cats away, you know the mice are gonna play.

  I will get to it eventually. Whatever ennui's sitting on my head is still in full effect. Ask me if I give a damn. I do not.

 Anyhow. This week's News. Another good week, if I do say so myself. Monday we explored why the Carl Nassib business is so important, and Wednesday we looked at the blatantly anti-First Amendment actions of Florida's part-time Governor Ron DeSantis. I have no idea why this isn't getting so much as a whiff from the "free speech" warriors who continually worry about what's being said on college campuses, but there you go. Friday we stayed in Florida for the horrific events at the collapsed condo in Miami, plus murdering cop Derek Chauvin's well-deserved jail sentence.

 Far as I know, over 150 people are still missing, presumed dead, and officials are gathering DNA samples from relatives to help in identifying corpses. If this happened anywhere else, we'd be shocked. But like the Grenfell Tower fire in London, we just accept it as a price of capitalism. There were reports that it had some structural issues and lawsuits over the matter settled out of court. Perhaps so, but regardless of the cause, unless one of the appointed Emmanuel Goldsteins is found to be directly responsible, we won't really worry about it.

 Much like the issue with mass shootings, that's just life in these United States. Just something we have to accept as part of the whole "freedom" deal. Welcome to America, land of the free.

 On a different note, the Peacock streaming service has 10 seasons worth of "Columbo" ready for streaming. Apart from "Barney Miller," "Columbo" is the only cop show I really like. Most cop shows are, in some form or fashion, propaganda for authoritarianism. Especially "Law & Order," it's definitely all about not questioning The Man, not ever. While "Barney Miller" makes cops human and the business of policing just another public service, Columbo always goes after the wealthy and powerful, people who think they're above the reach of the law. You got to love that, man.

 I'm sure there are others but I can't think of them. Another thing that makes Columbo neat is he knows who the murderer is, every time. My personal theory is that Columbo is an Erinyes, one of the Greek chthonic deities of vengeance. See, back then, the worst sin someone could commit was hubris, the sin of pride. Hubris meant you held yourself above the gods and they didn't like that one bit.

 An Erinyes would be sent out after them and they'd chase the guilty to the ends of the Earth. Ancient Greek myth usually had them as three sisters and the personifications of vengeful destruction, jealous rage, and endless anger. Of course, Columbo's much more laid back and you rarely saw him lose his temper. So he's a mellow Erinyes. Why is he male? Well, who'd have an easier time in 1970s L.A., a man or a woman?

 It's definitely one of those shows that should never be remade. Peter Faulk is too tied into the character. When you got a show like that, it never works. You saw the remakes of "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" or "The Prisoner?" They were awful, particularly the latter. I don't think I made it through an episode of that without nodding off.