Episode description

TOPIC: Christmas and Control

This week, Dan and Merlin meander through holiday matters, including the Winter Warlock-like impotence of having your electric meter blow up on Christmas Eve Eve.

Links for this episode:

• The 'Homeland' Finale, Reviewed : The New Yorker
  When John le Carr? concocted such maneuvers, we saw the characters? machinations but didn?t understand their intent. ?Homeland,? by contrast, just did it all off-screen, and I can?t be the only viewer who felt misled, as opposed to misdirected, when it all was revealed.
• The Incomparable #173: Santa-Based Christmas
  'Tis the season for holiday music! Unfortunately, while we unabashedly love the holidays, only some holiday music strikes our fancy. Join us as we talk about what makes a good holiday song and then stick around (if you dare) as we complain about some of the worst the season has to offer. Happy holidays, folks!
• Gaslighting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Frankfurt School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Meanwhile, many of these theorists believed that traditional Marxist theory could not adequately explain the turbulent and unexpected development of capitalist societies in the twentieth century. Critical of both capitalism and Soviet socialism, their writings pointed to the possibility of an alternative path to social development.
• The Christmas Shoes (song) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  

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