The Rupert Murdoch Scandel - links from US paper, NY Times

Before I discuss episode 10 of the Wire...a few interesting bits that I saw on flist. In the free-speech community there was a link to the huge Robert Murdoch/British Government scandal, wondering what would happen in the US or how long it would take for it to affect our shores, right now it's been a bit quiet - with The New Times taking the lead in reporting what is going on.

This entertains me...because I knew Murdoch was an SOB as far back as 1990. Folks did a tour of duty in Australia where Robert Murdoch was stirring up trouble as a tabloid mogul and political lobbyist. They were always telling me tales about Rupert Murdoch. So I cringed when he came over to the US and bought the Wall Street Journal, 20th Century Fox, including the Village Voice (which was a liberal paper that disappeared completely), and The New York Post (a conservative paper that increased in circulation. The Post buried the story, The Metro didn't cover it at all - although I don't think it is owned by Murdoch, and The Journal did cover it but did not provide the extensive coverage that the New York Times did.)

According to the link I read earlier in the week? This scandal appears to be big enough to potentially topple the British Government.

Here's links to the NY Times articles:

1. ( Most recent blurb - July 8, 2011 )

The Wire - S2- Episode Ten - Storm Warnings...

I think, but am not positive that this is the last episode Robert Colesberry directed before he died of heart complications. It may be the season finale. Can't remember.

It's a good episode and brings to a climax Ziggy's arc. In some ways Ziggy reminds me a lot of D'Angelo, but oddly the black criminals in this series are far more complex than the white, or less loosely drawn. Ziggy and Nick both come very close to falling into cliche at times. I can well see why a lot of people were less than thrilled with S2 - if you did not like the Nick/Ziggy story arc or found the characters grating, and the whole union storyline it was connected to a bit heavy-handed, or even preachy, this season may have grated on your nerves, and been a bit of let-down from S1.

Ziggy didn't bug me that much, although admittedly a little Ziggy goes a long way. Thankfully, we never got that much of him. And I found the union storyline interesting in some respects, a bit old hat in others - yes, yes, it's corrupt, but not all unions are...and it's a tad aggravating to have that stereotype reinforced. Unions are funky things, I've discovered. Generalize about them at your own risk, I know whereof I speak - since I found this out the hard way.

Episode 10 had some really good moments. And Omar was back in spades. He's not seen that much in S2, but when he is, he makes his presence known and really hits the proverbial ball out of the park. This is a character that to date, has been consistently written well. Better in some respects in S2, where his character is provided more depth.

The themes of education and how the infrastructure of the city, it's mix of interlocking agencies and political interests all continue to press the lower class into the muck. Maintaining a clear division between the two classes. Who has power and who doesn't.

( spoilers for The Wire episode 10, Prez gets chutzpah and Ziggy balls, so to speak )