cuphead

And the same way we tease Jersey Girls!

I'm fairly certain we can credit the Jersey Shore for teaching Kelly the word "copacetic", not Arizona State University.

I have to say, I thought Megan came off pretty poorly last season. This year? She's an absolute joy to watch. The pregnancy has given her a loving, happy, maternal glow and it's so nice to see her basking in the experience. It really shines through, especially when she's eating!

Holy cow...Michaela is Bo Jackson! Smart, determined and athletic. I hope she goes far. Poor Ken. Each week we're going to have to watch him get disappointed by the people on his tribe. If David betrays him, he may lose all faith in humanity. Hope this doesn't happen, though, bc I really like their friendship so far.

The more I see of GenX-Jessica, the more I like her. She's observant, calm under pressure, articulate and has a great poker face. Wouldn't mind seeing her go head to head with Michelle in a strategic battle of wits after the merge (giving the slight edge to Michelle because people seem to naturally gravitate towards her and that's a gift). Also really like Michaela. She's no fool and isn't letting her personal feelings get in the way of which way to go. She hit the reset button after the last vote and is just hanging back, letting the others scramble. Her anyone-but-me approach is reminiscent of Sandra D. I hope she goes far. Poor Ken. He's way too earnest for this game. Don't know how long he's going to last, but will enjoy him in action until they vote him off. We need more scenes of him in the water and less scenes of Adam screaming at us in his talking heads (why does he need to punctuate every word with an exclamation point? So! Annoying!!!).

Ken is my future husband.

I spent some time in Casablanca and Marrakesh last summer and can honestly say Nicole's choice of clothes wouldn't be considered too scandalous. Saw a ton of local women wearing sleeveless tops/dresses during the day and typical "club" clothes in the evening. I'm a pretty conservative dresser and revealed less cleavage than some of the women I met while out there. The only reason why Nicole would stick out is because she looks messy/unkempt and her clothes don't fit her properly. If you don't want to lose weight, no problem. Your life, your choices. But at the very least, please make an effort to dress yourself in clothes that fit properly. It makes a world of difference. Also, brush your hair. If you can't keep it neat while wearing it down, tie it up. Cleanliness is very important in the Muslim religion. If you look unkempt, it's a major turnoff. If she has basic hygiene issues, it's going to be very tough. By the way, who doesn't shower after a getting off a plane? The first thing I did when I landed in Morocco was drink a bottle of wine while I unpacked and then hit the spa, which also had hamam treatment (hamam+massage= heaven~). But then again, I can't imagine Nicole being able to endure a hamam if she can't even handle a bite of zucchini. Didn't see much PDA in Morocco but wasn't really looking for it either. If it must be said, while my bf and I were at a club/lounge in Marrakesh, he planted one on me, right on the lips. But it was one kiss, no one cared and it's not as if we were pawing at each other. If that was the case, I'm fairly certain it would have been frowned upon, but then again, I would frown upon it even in the U.S.

Ha. Seriously doubt Cohen can get cameras in the Regency. It's just not done (unless they shoot on a weekend during the afternoon/morning). No regular there wants to be photographed (hence my surprise that Bethenney's friend took pictures of a canoodling session). I'm especially careful about not being in pics, so these were things that you noticed and appreciated. *delete*

The hotel and restaurant is located on the first floor of the Regency Hotel on Park Avenue. The bar is known to be a place for movers and shakers (big time banking, oil, and even met an aging magazine magnate there). Lots of networking going on and a lot of drinking. And a lot of fIirting of course. A lot of these men were over 50 and many of the 70+ years old were still looking for sex. Whenever I went, I would usually go around 6-ish and stay until 9 and go to dinner. The crowd changed a lot during that time so perhaps these women hit the Regency after 10 or something. Very masculine environment but there are definitely a lot of women there looking for a free drink or two and because of the clientele, there were always a couple of very high class escorts hanging around (drop-dead gorgeous). Felt bad for one woman because she would always order a couple of martinis and tried to get into conversations with men but she was a known mess, so was usually politely ignored. Eventually, she would quietly leave. She seemed really sad. Lots of wealthy Europeans, too (spent one evening talking to a S. American lady whose husband was a hotelier in France). A good amount of regulars and the bartenders are sharp. After my second time I was there, they knew my drink and had it waiting for me when I walked in. Never bothered to eat there (we always went somewhere else to eat) but the restaurant looked nice. The bar area isn't big at all so you see everyone pretty easily . When Larry David had some show on Broadway, I used to see him wandering around the hotel lobby a lot. Never saw him in the bar.

I was really surprised when Bethenny said her friend sent pictures because the Regency is not the kind of place where people take cellphone pics...esp of other people. It's definitely an older crowd (mid 40's and up), with a lot of insanely wealthy men. Have seen a few women trolling for men and it's kind of sad, but they're also shameless. I was there with an ex and a woman had the stones to ask the bartender to give him her number. *lol* But then again, there was another time (same place) when one of my ex's friends (married and kept a room in the Regency) blatantly propositioned me while the ex was outside smoking a cigarette. This is totally normal with the UES crowd. Sleazy with a lot of money.

I used to go to the Regency A LOT and have never seen any of these people.

Really enjoyed the episode. Everything about this show is top notch, including how it depicts NY and the characters who live here. Love that they showed the guy who fleeced Nas putting together a jigsaw puzzle of the Eiffel Tower, one of the items he bought at the commissary. And Freddy/ Omar was fantastic in that boxing scene. Liked how he didn't get one drop of blood on his white jogging pants. I'm still trying to figure out Freddy's angle. I don't think he wants anything sexual, but doubt he wants to help Nas just for stimulating conversation. Perhaps Nas's brain is what compels him to want to help, but a price will still need to be paid for any favor going forward. Hopefully his motive will be revealed fully in the next episode. Also wondering if anyone at Rikers knows someone who is related to the case. Perhaps Bodie and his friend know Freddy, or some street gossip hits Rikers re: the real killer? *eta: the whole cast is phenomenal but whoever plays the D.A. is spot on. Her diction, the way she looks and carries herself...very authentic.

Oh wow...the mistress' husband owns Blue Note and the Standard HighLine Room? Not bad. I love going to the Standard for outdoor drinks in the summer and hit Blue Note whenever there's an interesting Jazz act performing.

Geez, Sarah seems to be competing more for Johnny's approval than for the money. So pathetic. She was probably one of those people who was never popular in life, and looks at these Challenges as a way to prove she can hang with the "cool" kids. This, in and of itself, is what makes her the ultimate loser. She's fanwanking someone who should be considered her peer. Nicole is awful. *eta: I love how dismissive Johnny is of Sarah's neediness. Gawd...she's *such* a loser.

Yup. Palm Beach is great. I used to spend a lot of time there and you can't beat the winters in Florida. Does Tom come from the D'agastino family who owns the supermarket chain?

I loved Luann's ring and she looks so happy. Good for her. Also liked that she is thinking of having the wedding in Palm Beach. I can see her being very happy being a snowbird during the winters.

Bethenny is so exhausting and will never be able to accept true happiness/peace in her life because she can't be anything but the victim. Even when she's the obvious aggressor, she can't blame herself for bad behavior. She blames others because "they should know" how she is and shouldn't be provoked. If she apologizes for something, she feels as if the person should feel thankful that she can admit her wrongs. It's all about how Bethenny. This sense of entitlement makes her a selfish, self-centered and greedy person (greedy for attention and money). Also, I can't deal with people like her because when you're in a conversation with them, they're not listening to what you have to say but rather, looking for something to attack you about or thinking of ways of how to spin the focus back on themselves. Never liked her. Bleh. Luann is riding the high of falling in love but as my father always said, love is like a stone- the faster it heats up, the faster it cools down. I think she really wants to make this work (as do I, because I want her to be happy) but she's not dumb. Deep inside, she knows there is a chance it won't work out and this is why she won't let anyone burst her bubble. She also probably keeps dominating conversations because she's trying to convince herself that this is the real thing and the more she says it, she thinks it will become more true. Her radar is pinging re: Tom but she doesn't want to acknowledge it. She's seems terrified of the idea that if this doesn't work out, she will never have another chance at love. It's really tough dating in NYC and the city is full of awful men. Poor thing. She would be a smash in Palm Beach and should move there if things don't work out with Tom. I love Dorinda because I love her style and most of all, I love her hair. Would love to know who styles her hair so I can see what they can do with mine. I also think she's a nice woman. Poor Jules. She deserves better from the women and her husband. She seems like a genuinely nice person.

Ugh. I know she can't help it but Sarah is such a loser. She's like the Ann Veal of The Challenge Universe.

I don't think Danny would recognize a comeuppance even if we hit him in the face with one, had a picture taken of it and then posted it on Instagram with the hashtag "#YOLO". He's hopeless.

Out of curiosity, in your opinion, what would be a fair amount for Katherine to receive from Thomas in child support if $4,500.00 is not enough?

Hmmm... Not sure if there's a set list of things that child support is supposed to cover. It's kind of a grey area that is difficult to define in the legal sense,especially in a case where one of the parents is in the 1% bracket. On a sidenote, Katherine seems to be thinking about what she deserves, as if she needs to be compensated for being a caregiver and baby machine, and not about what her kids will need. First and foremost, they need a loving mother who will be a good example and steer them in the right direction in regard to making the right choices in life. No amount of money will ever be able to make up for solid parenting. There are a ton of low income families out there who are raising their kids with solid values and doing that by leading by example. I know a lot of shitty parents who have millions at their disposal but are raising their kids with no values. On the other hand, I also know a lot of great parents who struggle to meet ends meet but are succeeding in raising incredible kids who will make it in this world with a strong sense of right and wrong, whether they have money or not. Katherine is so lucky to not have sleepless nights worrying about the worst case scenario should her kids fall seriously ill and not be able to afford medical treatment, or if they make an Ivy League school but can't go because they can't afford it. Thomas will take care of those things. These kids will never starve or know the suffering that so many kids deal with only a daily basis. All she needs to be is a positive influence and a good role model. In addition, she's only 25 (?) and can still gain some self-respect by learning that she's capable of taking care of herself and her family. She doesn't need to rely on Thomas for the material things. It's sad to watch someone (esp. a woman) not even make any attempts at self-sufficiency because she's trapped in the stultifying confines of her small, unexplored mind.. Perhaps she doesn't know the joy of earning a paycheck based on merit. Perhaps she was raised to not expect more from herself other than getting married and having a man support her. Either way, she's short-changing herself and by continuing to allow others to view her as a one dimensional reality tv joke, she's going to do more damage to herself and her children. If she doesn't respect herself, there is no chance her kids are ever going to respect her. It makes me very sad to watch all of this played out on tv because one of these days, her kids will see what we see and just want to die of embarrassment.

Perhaps I was too flippant when I made the comment that he should throw more money her way to cover her rent. A monthly stipend of $4,500 for child support is nothing to sneeze at and I keep forgetting that she has an income through Bravo ($150k? Is that really how much these people get paid for humiliating themselves on television? Not bad...). I'm also in agreement with you in that she is in a very good position considering the fact that he will most likely pay for education, private lessons, etc...without asking her to split the costs. Think I posted similar to what you said earlier on this thread, so will give you an upvote for that. =)

This is why I can't ever live in a house. It sounds like so much work and I'm too lazy to deal with any type of maintenance. Still can't get over your electric bill and what you need to do to cut down on costs.

I'm not totally up to date on the court details, but isn't the major reason for why her visits need to be supervised is because she failed a drug test? I don't know...it's kind of hard to muster up sympathy if the onus is entirely on her for why it would be necessary for her to schlep back and forth when she has the kids. I guess it's the price she has to pay. Hopefully she will pass her next drug test so her visits can go unsupervised but for now, it looks like she may just have to bite the bullet. Also didn't know that her rent is $3,100.00 a month. For some reason I thought it was $1k. Anyway, if her rent is $3,100.00, Thomas should throw a little more money her way to cover that cost since it falls under the umbrella of ensuring that the kids have a stable place to live in while they are under her care. By the way, Katherine should take this as a learning experience. Verbal agreements are non-binding. The next time she has a kid with someone, and if it involves some type of expected financial compensation, she should get it in writing and have it notarized. *teehee*

Whoa...not sure what a TVA fee is but if it's mandatory, that's pretty shocking. Take my upvote as a virtual consolation prize.