ChicagoCita

I worked for lawyers for quite a few years, and learned quite a bit about the poker game that is involved in legal conflicts. As long as Sherri does not make it seem like she wants the baby, she is the one with all the leverage. It seems like Sal thought he was playing a trump card by requesting sole custody. I think Sherri is receiving excellent legal advice (and miracle of miracles, listening to it) and decided to whisk that leverage right back by saying publicly she doesn't want custody. It's my opinion that Sal's tacky "I will SUE you if you don't want this baby!" leak to TMZ is coming from desperation and the realization that he is now in a very weak bargaining position. I remember when Iran was holding the American hostages way back when, and some expert said that the worst thing you can do in a situation like that was say, "You have something I want desperately! What can I do to get this precious thing from you?" He said that that's what basically the U.S. was doing, showing its hand about how much it wanted those hostages back, and thereby putting itself in a very weak bargaining position. It seems Sherri's legal counsel is using that as an anti-strategy. I doubt very much she doesn't want the to-be-born baby, but I applaud the way she is retaining the position of power in the negotiations. I find it despicable that Sherri's two ex-husbands, whose only link is through her, are banding together to get her to pony up the dough for their lifestyles. Leeches, both of them, using their kids as bargaining chips. I also think they're doing it now while Sherri still is on The View and still has a good salary. I don't think she'll have the same bank book afterwards and they know that as well. I'm not a particular fan of Sherri's, but she is truly involved with a pit of vipers right now.

There's a nice article in the Chicago media about Ana Belaval, a local anchor, getting an on-air audition on Tuesday. I've never seen her on local TV (not an early bird), but she sounds normal and intelligent in the article.

I don't know how long Sherri has been close friends with Niecy Nash, but it seems to have affected her public persona in a way that I don't find flattering to Sherri. I liked Niecy on Clean House. She acted like a diva, but a compassionate, "let's lay down some truth here" one. Within the time span of a couple years, she left the show and got divorced from her pastor husband, and her public persona became more diva-esque and a little more street/sassy. I believe it's her influence that led to "Southern Sherri" and the obsession with DWTS and with getting a huzzbin. Because Sherri as of the past couple years is very, very different from the Sherri at the beginning of the show, not just in her interests (those change for all of us), but the way she speaks and how she acts. I think Sherri sees Niecy as someone to be emulated, but Niecey is much smarter and savvier. Just my two cents. Spitballing here, as they say. I also believe both women -- like most public people -- have public personae that are very different from real life. But since what we see on their shows is how we judge them, it's that on which I am speculating.

It's the old "my country right or wrong" brand of patriotism versus the "my country wrong needs me" patriotism. I'm more the second kind -- and Elisabeth feels that running with a big American flag is the proper way to show love of country. To criticize means a lack of patriotism, in her view. My dad is Type A and had a huge fight with my brother for being Type B. My brother happens to be a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army and a member of the Armed Forces triathlon team, basically doing PR for the military. He doesn't support everything that the military does in defense of this country. My dad took offense to that. So, sorry for bringing the personal in, but I can actually understand how people can feel deeply patriotic, yet be diametrically opposite in how they view this country and other patriotic people.

Yeah, Whoopi's rant was insane. I was thinking, you want the audience to be invested in the show, and then you yell at the audience for speculating on who's going to be hosting? Same thing with the Overgrown Tweenyboppers saying that celebrities need to have private lives, while at the same time grabbing their phones to tweet their lives. I respect Whoopi's right to privacy, because she doesn't live her personal life in front of the cameras and in the glare of social media. But someone like Sherri, who lets the world into every moment of her life, including (lest we forget) her private parts being waxed, for her to suddenly say "Nunya beeswax" is absurd.

Got to agree, Sherri was out of control today. The yelling, the inability to shut up when others were speaking, the grabbing her boobs (I got THESE, don't call me Ma'am!), the y'alls, the strident assertion that not only is it wrong to do research, it's wrong to apologize for being wrong and spreading rumors.... Wow. I've always held that it was Niecy Nash who influenced her to be Southern and loud, but this was worse than anything I've seen from her before. She made the show unbearable today, and I have a rather high tolerance (and a well-practiced FF finger on the remote).

Interesting article. No wonder Palin is desperate to appear to be wanted by The View. Enough! Most Say They're Over Sarah Palin, Poll Shows

Depends on the language of the agreement. Most legal agreements have a clause that say that if one part of the contract is found to be or becomes invalid, it doesn't invalidate the other parts of the contract. (Not a lawyer, but worked with them for 25 years and have typed and edited my share of contracts.)

I don't think for a minute Sherri is really washing her hands of the surrogate baby. But I think it's a clever, CLEVER legal maneuver. The minute she says she wants that baby, all her leverage is GONE. Her cabal of ex-husbands/leeches are counting on her valuing the baby enough to pay big to get custody. They're holding this unborn baby up as a prize. Sherri is very smart to say, Okay, you want the baby so much, he's yours. See if Jeff Tarpley and Big Sal want custody of their kids without the cash prizes....

Today showed what a mean girl Jenny is capable of being. Man, the anger was just bubbling out of her. First, "We're staying, the rumors aren't true!" -- then a smirk while the audience roared and (God help us) gave a standing ovation. That was the first middle finger to The Powers That Be ("see how beloved we are"). Then, her announcement that she already has something to do. Then the next middle finger, "I will be able to do what I do best, which is not talk over other people talking." And the final, "Watch me, because whatever I'll be doing is competing with The View." May have made her feel better, but it was angry (no matter how big her fake smile was) and a big F-U to Barbara and Bill. Not that they don't deserve it, but I thought it made Jenny look petty. I fear she's going to be spending the next three years making bank on dissing the show, which it deserves, but it's an ugly career move. Now, Sherri... she was talking from her heart. I don't think she left of her own accord, but she was gracious enough to thank the people who made her a household name. She really was brought up from obscurity (not true in Jenny's case, which was basically stunt-casting) and made a point of saying that. I think she meant what she said and it was a nice way to go out, no matter how she really feels about the circumstances of her leaving. It's so funny that I've been annoyed by Sherri this year, and have been neutral on Jenny, but find myself applauding the way Sherri made her announcement and having a bad taste in my mouth over how Jenny did it.

I went to a prep school that made us choose a high school minor and major. I majored in History, but really only remember the British history. I did a huge paper on the wives of Henry VIII and remember them well, even now. (What I don't remember are the intricacies of WHY things happened the way they did.) Anyway, the mnemonic I used back then was (A) (B)ig (S)ecret ©oncerning (H)er (P)ast, or (A)ragon (B)oleyn (S)eymour ©leves (H)oward (P)arr. ETA : I don't know how to stop the copyright sign from coming up, but that's supposed to be a C in parentheses.

I thought the blonder hair looked better. Didn't like Melissa with darker hair at all; I thought it aged her. But yay for her. She looked amazing, particularly at the end when they had her sitting next to the pre-makeover version of herself. I like how the show is tying in problems that cause weight gain this season: depression, PTSD, sexual abuse. I like the PSAs at the end. I hope this isn't too off-topic: I was on jury duty for a trial involving a preteen girl who had been sexually abused by her mother's drug dealer. There was an assembly at school that told the kids to talk to a teacher if they saw anyone selling drugs. This girl had no idea who to tell about the sexual abuse, but this assembly gave her a road map of who to tell. She told her teacher, the teacher reported it, and the guy went to prison. So what I learned from that is that some people need permission and some people need to be given a road map to report things. I like the PSAs -- while they may sound simplistic to many/most of the audience, I keep thinking, maybe they just provided someone with a road map, someone who's gained weight because they're suffering and is watching the show. We may not all have Chris and Heidi come into our homes, but giving people information about who to call about problems may be the bigger favor. I nearly fell off the couch laughing when the younger son said seeing the dead penguin on the beach wasn't a lot of fun. Mom tried to make it a bucket list item, and he kept saying, well, it was dead. Great moments of television.

Thursday's show... trying to be vague but there may be light spoilers.... I liked Beverly's voice, a lot. I particularly enjoyed that she put a little Spanish twist on the pronunciation of some words, which I took as a "look, I can do it too!" message to Alex, aka The Corrector. I knew FJ, but I thought it was unusual in that the clue didn't give any guidance to get you to the answer if you didn't know it off the top of your head. Usually FJ puts a road map or two in the wording, but this seemed to me, you knew it or you didn't. Although I'm a huge history buff, I only knew about it because --- nerd alert! --- after I saw The King's Speech, I did some research about some of the locations shown in it, and learned more history in the process. Without that I wouldn't have had any idea. So, Yay Nerd! may be the takeaway here.

Susieq147, I think that's what's called a "Cafeteria Christian." As in, for example, someone who firmly believes and quotes the passages "proving" homosexuality is a sin, but figures the passages against premarital sex are simply not there or not relevant. *cough*Sherri*cough*

Seven years of wearing a microphone for five shows a week and Sherri still hasn't realized that if you yell into it, there will be distortion and feedback. My ears felt it when she was introducing Robin Thicke AT THE FREAKING TOP OF HER LUNGS.

I'm absolutely pathetic at geography, so I was shocked that I got FJ correct on Wednesday. I liked all three contestants, but was happy with the winner. There was one weird blip -- Matthew answered "What is Ruth?" and then they cut to Alex admonishing him to remember to answer in the form of a question, then back to Matthew apologizing. Strange editing. Did anyone else catch that, or was it my DVR freezing and eating a couple words to make me look like an idiot here?

I thought it was funny Don Johnson couldn't understand the Irish and Scouse accents. I've been to Liverpool quite a bit and LOVE the accents, although there's about one in ten who don't have a clue what I'm saying and vice versa. But for Liverpool, John Bishop's accent is pretty middle-of-the-road. I like him and always look forward to his being on the show; I wouldn't have heard of him without Graham. I have cousins who really love Mrs. Brown, both sides of the Atlantic. I don't get it myself, not my taste. Ditto for Cheryl Cole, although I did enjoy the dancing in her video.

I am generally against having a man on the panel, but Ross Matthews seems like he'd be good. He doesn't act the fool, he's respectful, and seems intelligent and engaged. His voice is nearly the same as Jenny's, but she'll be gone soon. I would have no problem with Ross being one of panel. If they could find women with those qualities, bring them on!

I like men in uniform, so I like when they wear them. It's PR for the armed forces, basically. My brother was on the armed forces Ironman team, and they participated in various Ironman triathlons around the country, including in Hawaii. They all raced wearing armed forces insignia, gave out souvenirs and equipment, etc. Just making it look cool to be in the military. I imagine many enlisted contestants have to get some leave from their jobs to participate on Jeopardy, so wearing the uniform on the air makes sense to me. You're essentially pimping the brand.

Finally watched this episode. Like most of you, thought it was full of rush and mediocrity. Sad that a show I loved so much fizzled so badly after the first season. But I watched until the very end. I'm not thin, by any means, but I have to say I was shocked to see the flashbacks at the end, and realizing that Brooke Elliott had gained so much weight since the beginning of the show. Usually it goes the other way with actresses as the show progresses. Coulda been so great, even if they'd spent a lot of time on this ONE episode. I'd have loved to have seen the twins, I'd love for the last two minutes to be fifteen, I'd have loved a big musical number as the farewell. But whoever's been writing the show since Season 3 just doesn't have that kind of creativity, I guess. Farewell, DDD.

Huh. I always assumed she was, because she was married to Ted Hughes, the poet laureate of England. If Jennifer didn't win, I had hoped for Sunil, because (from my eternal position at the shallow end of the pool) he was very easy on the eyes.

I'm finding myself with unexpected mixed feelings about this. I will not miss Sherri on the show. Especially the Sherri of the past few months. But the mixed feelings come from my sadness for her. I think she's basically a kind person. Flawed, of course. But basically a good-hearted person, unlike Elisabeth, who I thought was a nasty selfish piece of work. But Sherri's much kinder, and her whole world has fallen apart -- custody fight over her Jeffrey, custody fight over the unborn child, the marriage that she desperately wanted falling apart (and all the bile that comes with a high-profile divorce where money is involved), the home she loved to brag about on the market, and now the job that provided her a good financial cushion being taken away. It just makes me sad to see it all come crashing down on her all at the same time. Frankly, I wouldn't have minded seeing it happen to someone loathsome *cough*Elisabeth*cough*. I won't miss Sherri being silly and ignorant on the show. But I do feel bad for her.

Good game on Thursday. I liked the accent and voice of the other lady contestant (sorry, deleted the game already from the DVR so I don't know any names) and the man was funny. Very enjoyable to watch everyone.

Your hair looked great! Made me wish for non-frizzy hair I could curl!

I hope it's okay to use photos here, since there's a photo button.... But it finally dawned on me who Will Cain (who I never heard of before he appeared on The View) reminds me of, physically: Eb the Handyman from "Green Acres"! With Ted Cruz being Mr Haney's doppelganger, it seems the Far Right is recreating Hooterville.