Benedictine

The new Progressive commercial is something else. It turns out that Jamie has a huge house, throws amazing parties, and has both great kids and a tall hot Euro supermodel wife, all thanks to combining his insurance with the company. What I find irritating is that the said tall hot Euro supermodel wife points out that one of Jamie’s visiting co-workers is “tiny, like a child!” (said with a grating Euro accent) causing laughter from her and Jamie, yet having the short woman giving a look like, “Yeah, FU tall hot Euro supermodel wife!” I would believe all short women watching the commercial are saying the same thing.

I enjoyed this series very much. Overall, an entertaining, intriguing story. Two things did stand out for me. First, the Yellow Card Man - what or who exactly was he? He is supposed to be a fellow time-traveller, if I understood it (from another portal?), and has been repeatedly failing at trying to stop his daughter from drowning. I can follow that. But he is in Lisbon Maine, and then Dallas, and is following Jake around??? Anyone who could explain this would have my thanks. Second, although time and distance does fade our memories, would not Old Sadie have recognized Jake while dancing as the wet and dirty handsome man who approached her on that day in Lisbon Maine? He certainly made an impression on her. I suppose he may have done another journey that wiped out and reset everything (perhaps just to watch her drive by?), but that is not shown. Odd!

I have to admit to enjoying the long-ago "Family Christmas Specials" you would see during the 1970s, like "The Pat Boone Smile-Time Family Christmas Hour" or "The Bing Crosby Family Holiday Special" or "The Kathie Lee Gifford Happy Family Gathering (And-Don't-You-Forget-It-Frank!) Christmas Special!" You know how they were: the celebrities' family gathered around a fake Christmas living room set with heavy festive sweaters on (even though it was most likely filmed in July and under hot studio lights) and be all smiles as they either sang or leaned forward to laugh along with Bing telling some humorous story about him and Bob Hope during Christmas 1943, or Kathie Lee Gifford singing or Pat Boone smiling enough to show the contrast between his white teeth and spray-on tan. A lot of happy cheer, especially if you were one of Bing's children (smile, or else!). Along the way, some guest celebrity would show up knocking on the door to bring presents and join in the holiday cheer. There'd also be an occasional guest celebrity who was Jewish, so you'd get some Borscht-Belt Hanukah kitsch thrown into the special. There might also be a guest appearance from Donny and Marie Osmond, roller or ice skating onto the set. The special would then end with a huge family and guest sing-along, with the camera zooming across each sweating face. Bing would look quite wrinkled, Pat would still be smiling (seriously, his family was always happy!) and Frank Gifford looked like he couldn't wait to get out of there. Sigh! They do not make them like that any more.

My TV Crush - without a doubt - Margaret, Leo's secretary on The West Wing. Something about that beautiful woman - red hair, mature ---- perfection! The reason why I am watching the series (on Netflix for the first time!).

I am enjoying the series very much, yet have to admit it is not clear to me as to why! Essentially (and I hope I am using the right wording here), this is how I picture society would be after such an event - a slow break-down of what holds us together, the politeness that we feign being shattered, and a growing desperation that cannot be resolved with candlelight vigils, statues, memorials, conferences, and protests with papal costumes. Everyone thinks they are coping, but an inevitable global freak-out is coming sooner or later. The Leftovers is amazing, despite its minor flaws in plot.