AuntiePam

A friend thinks shows like JJ (and Springer and Cops even the Real Housewives franchises) are part of the government plot to keep us off the streets. We look at the sad lives of the very poor and the very rich and we're happy not to be them. So the revolution waits for another day. Me, I just hope that some of Judge Judy's grammar lessons sink in.

Does Valerie understand this? That Paulie G. really truly hates her? Here's a scenario: Valerie finally gets it. She goes to find Paulie G. -- to either apologize for wrecking his life or to rip him a new one. She finds him laying on the floor, needle in his arm. He starts to vomit and choke. She thinks about rousing him, moving him. Does she or doesn't she?

I should rewatch the first season. We know Room and Bored failed, but did Valerie's reality show ever air? In S1 when she went on the talk show (Leno?), was it because of Room and Bored or because of The Comeback? I'm liking this season almost as much as the first, but I'll be disappointed if we don't see some character growth -- some self-awareness -- from Valerie. And I agree with the A.V. Club reviewer who says that the show is getting quite dark. A death wouldn't surprise me. Paulie G.'s suicide most likely. Or Mickey (nooooooo!)

There's talk all over my small town about a local guy who was on the show. He was suing because a neighbor got some weed spray on his car and damaged the paint. I've been all over Judge Judy's website looking for the video -- nothing, going back to the first of November. Does anyone remember a case like that? It's possible it hasn't aired yet.

Eden Alexander continues to amaze me with his natural-ness. It's not like he's reading from a script at all, and he seems unconscious of the camera. Unless we're seeing the results of retakes? Whatever, it's working for me. The caseworker approves Walden and Alan as foster parents. She warns them that Louis may act out, and try to manipulate them. Louis quickly picks up on Alan's need to be perceived as "the cool dad" and plays him like a fiddle. The episode was a nice example of what can happen when parents aren't on the same page. Obvious, of course, but sometimes obvious is what's needed.

Yeah, I heard it was changed to avoid confusion with that Tom Cruise movie.

Hannity's rant about Obama's "association" with Jeremiah Wright and Al Sharpton (and other "extremists") was probably aired too late for Jon to respond on last night's show, but I hope he deals with it tonight. Hannity's guest tried to educate him about what qualifies as extreme but Hannity wasn't having any. Sorry FOX, but if Obama was as megalomaniacal as you contend, you'd be looking for other work. Where's an IRS audit when you really need one?

Next up for me -- http://www.amazon.com/The-Land-Breakers-John-Ehle/dp/0977228371 -- I'm a big fan of fiction and non-fiction about pioneering, early settlers, despair and privation. Good way to pick up survival tips for the upcoming zombie apocalypse. ETA: I need to figure out how to insert a link -- the book is "The Land Breakers" by John Ehle.

How is it? According to the Carson bio on PBS, Carson and Bushkin were close for a long time, then had a falling out because Carson thought Bushkin was mismanaging Carson's money.

While some e-books have formatting issues, so do paper books, especially the small paperbacks. I've had some that were hard to read because the type was too close to the inside margin. Cracking the spine doesn't always solve that problem. Also, it's nice to be able to dink around with the font size.

I'm slightly annoyed at the NFL Shop commercial, where the woman says she can buy NFL gear for the "whole entire" family. But I like how "Bengal babies" rolls off the tongue, so the ad gets a pass.

Yeah, based on what we've seen so far, Louis wouldn't be difficult to place. He'll probably test Walden and Alan -- that's what I'd do, in his shoes. Eden seems to be a natural -- not "acting" at all, like so many TV kids.

Valerie was visibly uncomfortable when she was simply standing between two naked women, so I don't think she regretted being out of the blow-job scene. She wants screen time, but she has limits. In S1, she hated the track suit -- it made her look ridiculous. She'd look even more ridiculous with her head bobbing up and down in Rogen's lap.

Her instincts about what works, what's funny. She's got talent.

It would also be wonderful if Val could learn from him -- he handled Paulie G. brilliantly. Val needs to learn how to stick to her guns. Her instincts are good, but when she stands up for herself, she cowers at the same time, like she's expecting to be shot down. Needlessly apologetic. The battle is already lost when you start by saying "I'm sorry but . . . "

I haven't finished it yet but The Last of the Doughboys: America's Forgotten Generation -- http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Doughboys-Forgotten-Generation/dp/0544290488 -- will be a favorite. $2.99 for the Kindle version. In 2003, author Richard Rubin started tracking down and interviewing veterans of World War One. He only found them because of the French, who in the early 2000's set out to honor every American who set foot in France, even the ones who didn't make it to the Front. (Our VA couldn't come up with a list.) It's more than just interviews. Rubin uses the music of that time as well as books written by participants to flesh out the story. You get a real sense of the time and place, the politics, what people were listening to, thinking about, how they perceived that war. There's a bit of humor too -- Rubin's style is conversational without being disrespectful. I've been on a WWI kick this year anyway, and this book is a nice capper.

I missed the second half -- forgot to account for Obama's speech. I liked the continuity -- Alan's lust for pregnant women -- but was disappointed that he didn't try to control himself. So they brought a baby boy home? I liked Amy -- was that her name? the mom? -- and wouldn't mind seeing her again. Is there a chance of that or is she gone forever?

Smart as in "not dumb", I guess. She seems to see things clearly except when it comes to Patsy.

Jasmine, that's a good question, about the dress. Did HBO want her to look out of date? It does reinforce who they think she is. Neither dress was a good choice, so I think it was intentional. We only saw two dresses.

Jean Smart and Betty Buckley -- why aren't they on my TV more often? Dawn's so deep in denial about Patsy. Too bad she's so damn smart -- makes it hurt more.

I agree. Is "vlog" a word? Is that why the cameras are following her -- for her vlog?

I love this show. I didn't catch it the first time around (didn't have HBO), then caught it On Demand later. Is it my imagination (or wish fulfillment) that Valerie seems a tad more self aware this time around? She looked embarrassed when she didn't know Jane's last name. My only complaint is that she must be living in a cocoon. There's so much that she doesn't know, for someone who's been in the business for so many years. It also seems odd that she doesn't keep up with popular entertainment. What does she do all day?

peeayebee, that's a good one! A local weather gal should see that -- Metinka Slater -- her hair looks like she just loads up the gel and that's it. It's not that the style is dated -- it's just awful. Saw an ad today for a bank or credit card company. Can't find it -- it's not a well-known company. Kid is busting his toys and his parents are buying him new ones. I'm thinking "Spoiled little s***!' The twist is that the credit card company is donating a percentage of purchases to cancer research, and the kid has a friend with cancer. Awwww.

Game of Thrones got a lot of people interested in epic fantasy. Other writers had gone dark and gritty before Martin, but Martin sent readers looking for "more like this please". Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun came first, and Joe Abercrombie's books came after. They're even bloodier than GoT. Possibly better written as well, but there's room for everyone in this genre.

Alan too. Especially Alan, after all these years of people speculating/assuming/believing that he's gay -- including his own self. It's a waste of time to snark about the stupidity of a 2.5 Men plot, but damn, why would Walden think a PDA would convince the agency that he and Alan are a "loving couple"? And don't single people adopt -- frequently? A 65-year-old friend, a widow, recently adopted the three-year-old boy she'd been fostering.