axlmadonna

I don't think anyone in her life has prepared her for life's failures and disappointments. I mean, damn, girl! The kids on Masterchef Junior handle getting cut with more dignity. Having said that, I thought she had a shot at the semi- finals at least. It should have been Spicer, not because some people don't like him, but because he's a weak dancer and should have been gone by now. And if it wasn't gonna be him, I wanted it to be Hannah.

I checked out the youtube video... we probably saw the same one, since I only found one on there that showed it... and you may be correct that he just kicked it instead of threw it. But I'm not sure that the clip shown in that video is complete. I distinctly remember him throwing one when he opened the box, because I was shocked that he was so ungrateful and disrespectful. But you may be right, memories aren't always reliable. Even if he did just drop it and kick it away, it doesn't change the fact that his reaction to receiving a nice new pair of dancing shoes was in no way a credit to his character. I don't think that it was a purposeful overreaction for effect, I think he was offended that she expected him to wear what he considered to be extremely uncool shoes on television. And I suspect that he was wearing them when they danced live because the producers told him he had to do it or he would forfeit his compensation. To your second point, we do agree. He was a horrible dancer. Not only did he have the body type that is exactly the worst for dancing... a big, lumbering hulk... but he made zero effort whatsoever to learn or improve. Say what you will about Sean Spicer, but at least he tries and is making the most of it while he can. I remember Tucker Carlson being the first one out in his season, so I don't know if he would have made an effort going forward. I remember that he did it because his son couldn't (or wouldn't), and I remember also thinking at the time that I hated him taking up a slot that could have gone to someone else if he wasn't even going to try, and obviously had zero interest in or respect for ballroom dancing. I felt a lot of pity for Ashley that year. As for them forcing her to work with him... well, that was her end of the contract. As you say, they were making TV, and drama is always more important that substance. Besides, they knew he wasn't going to be around much longer anyway. Returning to my original point, I said all this to say that Lamar, while suffering from the same large hulking frame that Master P did (which makes it difficult to dance under any circumstances, you just can't be light on your feet), did not share that poor attitude that you mentioned. Therefore, in my opinion, his dancing and overall presentation on the show cannot possibly compare to the depths achieved by Master P.

Almost certainly, but even so... he threw them at her. Literally.

Nothing can ever be lower than Master P literally throwing the dance shoes at his partner that she had so kindly and generously purchased for him.

This... Her "I knew you would do it! I knew you would do it!" made me tear up. And his son, too. So proud of his daddy.

I did. I called it as soon as they said he might end up with the second spot for the Power Tower. I said "If that guy ends up running against Daniel Gil, his mentor, Daniel is going to throw it for him". And whaddaya know...

There's nothing stopping them from going off together and making lots of babies in her home country. If the show really wanted to end with a bang, make a statement, show some serious balls... they would have Taystee get the death penalty, and then show it. It would be an amazing acting opportunity for Danielle Brooks, a compelling and edgy storyline, and a conversation about the justice system and the death penalty in particular.

Here's how I would have done it: In the final (or penultimate) episode, it starts with Shamy losing the Nobel. Not losing to the other team, but losing to a different nominee. In a following scene, Leonard and Penny agree once and for all that they will never, ever have children. Next scene, Leonard and Sheldon have a conversation wherein they both actually listen to each other and give each other good advice. Leonard mourns the loss of having children of his own, and Sheldon mourns the loss of his lifelong dream of winning a Nobel. But they each console the other by pointing out that they have both gained something that they never expected... a life with women who truly love them. It helps them both come to terms with their life choices. Final scene... Sheldon comes home to find Amy distraught over the Nobel loss and afraid of how Sheldon is going to react to it. She's crying, and Sheldon goes to her. It is perfectly quiet around them. He holds her in his arms, strokes her hair, and sings Soft Kitty to her as the scene goes dark, finally realizing that he has everything he could ever need right there, thus completing the maturity of a character that no one ever expected to see mature, and beautifully closing out the story of one of tv's most interesting and beloved couples. The End. Yeah, it's poignant rather than comedic, but when I saw him hold her and sing Soft Kitty in this episode, I was thinking that it would have been a great way to end the series. (If this needs to go in a different thread, please let me know and I'll move it.)

Let's not forget the bang-up job he did of reorganizing Howard & Bernadette's closet as well. And found the letter that Howard's dad had written him. That was one of the best episodes of this show, in my opinion. Seinfeld famously made this choice as well, to go out on top. Although I would love to have had more, I'm glad I never saw them go downhill. (Plus, we got a pseudo-reunion on Curb Your Enthusiasm... and it was great!) I suspect it will end with a big Indian wedding, and that would be a really cool way to go out. On a side note, contrary to ubiquitous representations on television and in movies, hot tub sex (and pool sex) are NOT sexy. It is awkward and uncomfortable because the water removes one's natural lubrication.

I know, I was joking. Dr. Kutner makes more sense, since he was an actual doctor on House.

Surely you mean Dr. Kutner... https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412142/characters/nm0671980?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t10

Yeah, but he wouldn't excite her loins like Sheldon does. He's her version of a bad boy on a motorcycle. That guy always gets the girl, while the sweet geology nerds get friend zoned. He may have gotten the "genius" grant, but Sheldon is an actual genius.

I'm not sure to what degree, if any, Jimmy's sentiments were sincere; however, your last sentence had me drawing an interesting comparison in my mind between Jimmy and Walter White.

I can see that. Very Chuckian. Jimmy showed nothing of the kind. He ran a huge scam that involved turning a sweet old lady's friends against her so that she would be forced to accept a plea deal before she was ready, because he needed the money now, not later. Yes, he fixed it afterward at his own expense, but that's what he always did... break things, realize the unintended consequences, then try to fix it but the damage is already done. Of course, once he accepts his Saulish nature, he no longer cares about what he breaks, but back then he was not showing that he could make a "more or less honest living" in elder law. The reason he behaved the way he did at D&M was because he needed to be fired (without professional cause), rather than quit, so he wouldn't have to repay the huge signing bonus he had received. Before that had dawned on him, he did try to just quit in a calm, mature way.

I may or may not have paused on this frame. Just for a bathroom break!

I'm surprised that this was the moment that Kim realized he was beyond hope, rather than when he was floating the idea of SETTING A JUDGE'S OFFICE ON FIRE as a way to "be the hero". Fire is not a thing you can absolutely contain once it is set in motion, and it travels extremely quickly. There would have been a very good chance that someone was hurt and/or killed by that stunt, yet Kim just gave a slightly concerned look to him seriously suggesting it. I'm still very confused by the notion that sincerity is required in order to be a lawyer in good standing. There were specific requirements made of Jimmy in order to be re-instated, and he met them all (as far as they know). He went to all of his probation meetings, got a legit job, and behaved like an upstanding citizen for a year. Where does the legal requirement that you be sincerely remorseful enter into it? If you repeat the behavior, you get disbarred. If not, then you continue your profession. Why is there such a subjective process for someone being reinstated? The young lady in question had shoplifted. That is not a good decision, but it is a very minor indiscretion compared to what Jimmy did (and has done his whole life). He has been given many chances, even after his screw ups from before he became a lawyer (getting a non-lawyering job at HHM, getting that SWEET opportunity at D&M, which he just threw away in the most despicable way, hanging out his own legit shingle, etc.). Each time, he made staggeringly bad choices or simply threw away his opportunities. The girl he was speaking to did one dumb thing in her youth, and lost one potential scholarship. For that, he thinks she should just turn her back on all future legitimate opportunities and break bad? What a terrible way to advise her. Talk about projecting! The fact is, and I say this as someone who acquired a shoplifting misdemeanor on her record at the age of 19, while it does somewhat limit your opportunities, it by no means makes you an outcast in the professional world, especially after the passage of time without any further legal issues. She can absolutely have a bright future, she's no Jimmy. Furthermore, I'm not sure that she was "deserving" of one of the scholarships, even if she hadn't had a blemish on her legal record. There were a lot more than three applicants, and they were all highly qualified. Jimmy even admitted that several had better grades than she did, among other factors. Jimmy just took exception to the one lady's dismissal of her because of the shoplifting, but that doesn't mean that the other members voted the way they did for the same reason. Even if they did, what is despicable about choosing to give a prestigious legal scholarship to students who chose to respect the law over one who didn't? I don't see them as despicable at all.

My sentiments exactly.

Sheldon did not coerce Amy into sex. The two of them are in a new stage of their relationship, and are going to have to navigate and negotiate issues like when and how often they have sex. This is true of all couples, and there was nothing coercive about his planning for it, hoping for it, or discussing it with her. When she said no, it didn't happen. When he was turned on at the end and led her to the hotel room for it, she came willingly.

"Pull up your bootstraps" is a fantastic sentiment, and one that works when people actually do it instead of making a bunch of excuses for their poor choices and bad attitude. Neither you, nor anyone else here, is obligated to agree with that, but there is plenty of evidence to support it. Yes, it is hard to move up in life when you start out at the bottom. Life is hard, in different ways, for most people...especially when you put even more obstacles in your own way by choosing to break the law. And, yes, sometimes you get dealt a tough hand in life, but that doesn't mean that you can't do it if you make a real effort. There are numerous examples of people who started off with nothing and worked their way up to a better life. That's my opinion, just as you have your own.

How would anyone? Does no one living in New York work retail? And, even if that were the case, she could move to New Jersey where the cost of living is significantly less expensive.

That is NOT a fact. I have a financial crime conviction, and I have gotten retail jobs**. Yes, your options are more limited, and the ones you have are not ideal, but there are still options available, and they all pay at least minimum wage. Furthermore, you can get a telemarketing job almost anywhere. That's just off the top of my head, I'm sure I could find more if I looked around. There are also some places of employment who only ask about the last five to seven years of criminal history; so, the longer you go without recidivism, the more opportunities you'll find. **To clarify, you can't get a retail job that requires you to handle money, such as cashiering. But you can get jobs like stocking inventory, working in the bakery or deli, dishwashing / busing in a restaurant, etc.

There is a big difference between not taking advantage of opportunities and not having opportunities. When you choose to break the law, especially to a large degree and/or multiple times, you are choosing to make life more difficult for yourself and to limit the opportunities available to you. The more you take responsibility for yourself, the better off you will be. That doesn't mean that life will ever be easy or that you won't go through rough times. But it does make a huge difference overall. I strongly believe that it is this attitude, rather than a "system built on class" that determines our destiny. YMMV We know that Piper Kerman wrote a book about her prison experiences and it was published and turned into a TV show, but do we know that she is the only one who was "able" to do so? How many people have attempted to do it and were denied? Conviction Careers did good work, but it sounds like a lot of what they did are resources that are also available at the state workforce commision (at least, that's the case here in Texas. I don't know if it's the same in every state). They help you navigate the unemployment directory, they offer one-on-one assistance in writing a resume, they have numerous classes on how to interview and how to look for and keep a job, they offer assistance with clothes and transportation, they help with job searches, all of that. They have a whole building full of computers and internet access that they offer for free (something that can also be found at any library). The opportunities and resources are there, if you are willing to do your part. The fact that life is harder for you once you've been convicted of a felony is not an additional punishment for your crime, it's a consequence of it. That's why it's a good idea to choose not to commit crimes. If you do something harmful to others and to society as a whole, you do deserve the consequences of your actions, and it is on you to overcome the obstacles that you put in your own way. The point about unfairness in the justice system is a different discussion, and one that is absolutely fair to have. I don't believe that you should spend the rest of your life paying for a crime for which you have already paid your debt to society, and there are most certainly flaws in the justice system as a whole. But I also understand why a lot of business owners would have an issue trusting a potential employee who chose to commit serious crimes. That's not a black and white issue.

It's true that you won't find many white collar job opportunities when you're a convicted criminal. But that's a far cry from implying that there are *no* job opportunities in that situation, apart from some MLM scheme. That's just not true, and as I was saying in my original post, there are plenty of jobs, albeit mostly retail related, available at second-chance employment companies. And you can make enough to live on, even with kids, doing a job (or two) like that. Furthermore, if you work hard, are reliable, and have a good attitude, you can even move up in those companies. I've seen it first-hand, so I know it can be done. The catch is living within your means. But there is no excuse for returning to criminal activity and trying to justify it by saying you can't get a job anywhere and you can't afford to take care of your kids. Aleida really bugged me this season. Not only did she engage in the above, but she treated that guard who was trying to woo her like crap. Yes, I know, the show threw in a line about him expecting her to cook dinner for the household; but, for the most part, he was very sweet with her and she was very rude in return. I do think he should have asked her to cook, rather than assuming she would, but I also think that she should have offered to do it without even being asked. It's the least she can do to show appreciation for his letting her live in his house after being evicted, considering they barely knew each other. I imagine most people would balk at that, even without the convicted criminal element.

I conceded that it is more difficult... but it definitely is not impossible. As I mentioned, I have had many close-up experiences with this situation**, and seen what is possible, so I certainly do know what it is like. Finding second-chance employment opportunities is as simple as googling "companies that hire felons", and the unemployment offices of each state have numerous resources available. **The friends and roommates that I've known were convicted on felonious drug charges, sex charges, and assault, nothing involving robbery or a death, so I can't speak to whether that makes a difference.

I get that it's hard to find a job when you're a convicted felon, as well as difficulties in keeping and caring for your children. That's a hardship you bring upon yourself when you choose to egregiously break the law, it's not something you're entitled to whine about like you're some kind of victim. And it certainly doesn't justify choosing to continue your criminal ways... the ends do not justfy the means. Yes, I know the show was trying to make out like the kids were in a worse place with the foster parents than they would have been with Aleida, but I honestly didn't see that to be the case. They appeared to be housed, clothed, and well fed. They did not appear to be abused or neglected in any way, and the older kids didn't even want to leave there and return to a life with their mother. That's telling. I know many felons, including some who have been to prison. and there are plenty of second-chance employment opportunities. There are tons of resources to find those places when you go to the unemployment office. There is no excuse for Aleida, or anyone else in her situation, to not find a regular job or two that pays enough for an apartment and living expenses, even if they start off at minimum wage, as long as you live within your means.