Grundoon59

I have been rooting for Phillip on the basis of his guts in betting and his resemblance to my doctor. However he came very close to losing me for good when he answered Animal Farm in the 19th century novels category. He bounced back well but for the whole rest of the show, I was distracted by wondering where he came up with that.

I am all for a shout out to Windsor (since every morning when I park my car at work in Detroit, I can see it) but even without the part about southwestern part of the country, it wouldn't be Windsor since the clue says the port is about 12 miles from the US border. The Detroit River is maybe a mile wide (i am guessing way less but am bad at judging) so the distance is only the length of a tunnel or a bridge from Detroit. Also just for geographical oddities, Windsor and surrounding suburbs are the only spot where Canada is directly south of the continental US.

Admittedly I am old but FJ was such an instaget for me to the point where I was embarrassed that 3 members of my gender missed it. But now I am stuck with the song caught in my head for the night. At least it's not Back in Black or Jack & Diane.

My mind went to Honolulu first but then I thought that was crazy. I was headed back through the early states after the original 13 but wouldn't have made it to Montpellier in time to answer. I didn't have a rooting interest in any of the players (missed yesterday's game due to bad weather making a long drive home) but I kind of felt bad that the only one to get FJ right lost.

I said Peru, knew it wasn't right but I couldn't think of Bolivia in time. So I was impressed that 2 of them got it. I was sad that Nathan Detroit was a TS. I did like that AT quoted the song correctly however. Give me a musical theater category and I could run it every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Jill had irked me on her first day when the baseball pitchers category revealed her as a Yankees fan (probably since I had just been so happy to see a Justin Verlander clue - Go Tigers!) but she really got on my nerves last night since I could hear her vocal reactions to her own answers and those of the other players. All I could keep thinking was "honey, it is okay to have an unexpressed thought". She did have a great depth of knowledge and was a fierce player but I was happy to see her go - that may make me a bad person, but I can live with that for today. :-)

I somehow missed most of the first season of the show (would hear about it and forget to watch) but am very glad I found it and now watch regularly. I am white and 56 years old. I was raised in a suburb of Detroit which was hostile to people of color all the time I was growing up although my parents made clear to me that we lived there because they were employed by the school system and that we in no way agreed with the attitudes that many of my neighbors had. I was regularly taken to church and other events in Detroit so I would meet and grow with people of all races. My work life for nearly 30 years has been in predominantly African-American environments. But I know that my experiences will never be the same as theirs. All I can do is try to be honest and empathetic. I can still clearly remember trying to comfort my African-American college roommate in Virginia in the early 80s when she was unfairly stopped by the local police. She was the most together person I know and to see her brought to tears by how she was treated was heartbreaking. Too many times in the years since, I have had to try to be there for other friends and colleagues knowing I can never completely understand. Last night's episode seemed very well done to me, trying to cover a necessary subject with a wide variety of opinions with humor and grace. I loved that it stayed in the house - the family alone but together. I know there are undoubtedly some ugly opinions being expressed out there. But I was pleased to see that several media outlets (NYT, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor) are praising the episode. Sorry if I rambled a bit in this post that this episode touched my heart (as did the comments here) and I wanted to be part of the discussion.

Normally I am not a St. Olivia fan so I would be on the Amanda side of the should Olivia apologize issue. However when Amanda gave so much crap to Baby Dodds something along the lines of "who are you to tell me what to do, Sergeant?" (while i am thinking, duh he is sort of your superior officer, kiddo) that I just couldn't take her side. Especially since we never saw him rat her out to Olivia as flying solo at the bar when they were both accused of "going rogue", although there were indications everyone knew he was just covering for her. As usual, loved Barba & Carisi and missed Fin.

I loved the Freedom Trail category - it brought back some many wonderful childhood memories of dragging my mom and late father around it during visits to his family in Boston. Loved Chris' gutsy wagers on DDs (not sure I would get either - science is my weak link). FJ was easy for me but if you don't know it, not sure the clue would give it to you. New guy played well but I will miss Chris.

Liked the shoe story better than escalating issues story but shoe lady (sorry blanking in her name) was distracting from her remarks by having her eyes either closed or downcast so far they looked closed. I couldn't tell if she was just awed to be speaking to AT or if she actually had a visual impairment. I liked her more as the show went on but was kind of relieved she didn't win.

Don't be embarrassed Trey - it was my first thought too. Next I tried desperately to remember who was the current NSA Director and then thought "doh, I bet it is Snowden" although I couldn't get his first name out of the recesses of my brain so if I got a BMS, I would have said Carson Snowden.

I sort of feel like someone owes me 2 hours of my life back (admittedly no one forced me to which the Chicago episode but I feel like someone should have warned me to run away). I have had enough affection for this show that I formerly loved that I waded through the first hour and agree with many of the comments already made about that - Hurrah for Anna Deveare Smith, Carisi and Barba! I have never seen a Chicago PD episode or their prior crossovers with SVU. I do not feel that I have missed anything. Jon Seda was good although I kept wondering when he left Baltimore Homicide - yes I have watched the Mother Ship and H:LOTHS for far too long. The rest of the Chicago people kind of blobbed together for me and I ended up disliking their female detective so much that I was almost rooting for the bad guys. If she moves to NYC, I will most probably be done with the show for good and that thought depresses me mightily. May the rest of the season be better (which for me is a very low bar to surpass). On a cheerier note, even when the show has bothered me, I have enjoyed the commentary here so thanks for that everyone!

i am surprised no one here commented on AT referencing the wrong Emily/wrong school and calling the dude by the wrong name. He addressed it before double jeopardy (I think) but until then, I thought I was losing my mind in listening to him [not an impossible outcome for the Monday I had]. Also I was rooting for Emily over hyper Niki until I saw Emily's FJ cross out of William the Conqueror - glad she realized her error but there is a whole lot of difference between 1066 and 1604,

I wanted to root for Amanda (we share a first name) but she lost me at Roosevelt and I ran away screaming at the Urals. Both the guys had goofs but neither bugged or engaged me enough to care one way or another who won.

(aside back to Browncoat - you are correct - Go Tribe! - so you know I could never root for someone from "that school")

Feeling loyalty to my alma mater (which Thomas Jefferson actually attended), I couldn't bear to root for UVa dude but I did feel for him when he missed the UVa centered question. There were silly guesses all around but could I have done as well at their ages, probably not a chance. Although I do think I could have gotten the Grand Canyon even though I aassociate Teddy with more northern areas.

Apologies to all who really liked Claudia - her outfit was distracting but what really led me to root against her was the conversation about home schooling her twins and being able to guide them according to their strengths and weaknesses. My evil mind was suggesting that she needed to improve her weakness in recent American History and betting theory. She got several answers I didn't but FJ was an instaget for me and when I saw her bet, all I could think was "what a waste of a Jeopardy return". I will need you all to post lots of comments about tonight's game since it is bumped in the Detroit area to listen to our Governor explain how he didn't really know the water was bad in Flint for months - should be a fun time for all. (Again I do really have an evil mind sometimes.)

I was raised as a Unitarian and would consider myself as lapsed today. So Hymns is not going to be my strongest suit. But I couldn't believe how easy the FJ clue was to me. Of course now I have the song caught in my head - although I am singing it to the rhythms of Gilligan's Island since they are interchangeable. I have a strange brain.

I feared the champion was doomed when the first home ice clue was Joe Louis and she couldn't hit the buzzer in time. Not to get the Red Wings when your hometown borders Detroit is a portent of doom. Did anyone else fund the new champ slightly scary? Clearly knowledgeable and I liked her interview story but she looked like she would cut you if she had to. :-)

I at first thought toll roads should have been accepted but then wondered if it was because it is turnpike is clearly one 8 letter word while toll road might really be two words. Have to root for today's champ - she is from a next door to me suburb in Metro Detroit.

I am old enough to have gotten Ava Gardner and Nelson Riddle without thinking about it. I figured out the Hoboken 4 from the clue and I distinctly remember that Agatha Christie died in the 1970s so I was stunned when two players used her for FJ. Beatrix Potter popped in my head from the date of death and a mystery book series using her and the animals at her farm as characters. I was glad the champion pulled it together and one, especially when he was the only one to get FJ. I am also old enough to know the difference between one and won but clearly my brain was asleep for a moment. With my luck that would happen if I were ever to appear on the show.

Don't worry Mojoween! Laura may not be that bad tonight. The bleeding from my eardrums caused by her voice on November 6 did eventually clear up - I heard most of the TOC. Tis the season of holiday miracles so anything is possible. Seriously, if Kerry bothered you, have earplugs ready.

Out of the 3 finalists so far: 1) Liked Blais on his season of Top Chef but he has lost all rooting likeability for me for his constant focus on how he should have won that season. Did you "choke" or did Stepanie kick your butt? I actually turn the sound off when he is a judge on Top Chef now because I want to scream everytime I see him; 2) Didn't care too much for Justin on NFNS until we saw him with the other remaining contestant from Alton's team - "older lady" - probably younger than me. He had a really sweet bond with her even as he was winning; 3) Fabio - loved him on Top Chef and he hasn't done anything to tick me off too much yet. I would prefer someone I can really root for in the 4th slot but until then ABB (Anyone But Blais) for the win. Clearly I watch too much Food TV for my own good and take it all a wee bit too seriously but I am a newcomer to Cutthroat Kitchen and don't want Blais to ruin it for me by winning.

Halfway through the show all I could think was what would everyone here say about the voice. By the end of the show, I was screaming "someone beat her, please!!!!". Now I am just glad I have two weeks to stop the blood flowing out of my ears.

I loved the Comic Strips catagory but then I used to read most of them as a kid. Not surprised Pogo stumped them all but it hurt because it is a personal favorite. When my mom was pregnant with me, she gave me the nickname Grundoon based on one of the characters who only spoke in consanants. As you can see from my user name, I still use it sometimes. Mom also wrote Walt Kelly who created the strip for a picture of Grundoon and he sent a whole original strip with a letter authenticating. Go Georgia for keeping Pogo alive!