Flamingo

As boring and just stupid as this episode (the actual TV episode not the podcast) was, I was so happy to come on over here and listen to the podcast. As we got closer to the election, I started spending less time on-line because it was just too much. Then that terrible night plunged me into despair and disgust and I've avoided going online. I don't even want to see anything having to do with him or the election* so much as linked on a page. I'm living in denial as long as I can or someone tells me that it turns out 'Russia' hacked the system and changed the results. All that being said, I couldn't miss AWT. The side stories about Santa who smelled like pee, Darth Vader at the Firestone, and the A&W bear were delightful. Y'all always make even the worst episodes entertaining. I love a good Sarah rage too. :) Anyway, thanks for lifting my spirits this week! I never sat on Santa's lap. None of the four of us kids in my family did. My mom was quite a bit like Felice when it came to my boyfriends (and sex). She never tried to bribe any of my boyfriends but she was just as judgmental and disapproving if they weren't the 'right" class. Of course, she was a southern belle so she covered it in sugar. Felice is the best in her awfulness. I do think she feels a bit of shame for her actions. I hate all these baby story lines. I'm not a parent. I've had very little contact with babies. Still, I know that they don't know or understand any of these things at Hannah's age. She's not going to be confused. It also doesn't take any experience to know not to take a baby to midnight mass.** What a couple of idiots. Plus, who cares? NO ONE. I hate Kelly and her stupid baby talk. I hate her and her victimhood. I understand she went through a traumatic event not being smart enough to go out the window above her. Anyone who has been through something like that deserves some extra kindness and support, no doubt. I understand that burns are painful. But, come on, there is no way she had anything worse than 1st and some minor 2nd degree burns. I'm not trying to minimize burns as I know they are horrible and painful (poor marceline - sounds awful). But she's acting like she had full thickness burns over most of her body. And most of it has to do with her looks. She doesn't really act like she's in pain. Get some perspective Kelly. Take a walk down to see the patients that have to be kept in a coma because the burns are so bad. Check in on the patients that lost limbs or have dozens of painful skin grafts and reconstructive surgeries. Also, just because YOU freaked out over the other burn victim in the diner doesn't mean everyone else did. I was never a huge fan of this show and most of the episodes I saw were the first four seasons. I so look forward to the Val - Kelly bitchiness that I've heard about. (I'm literally watching the episodes now simply because this podcast is so entertaining.) *I'm in NC. While the Governor's race still hasn't been officially called, it looks like we might be rid of the asshole McCrory. I guess that's the bright spot. I'm trying not to get my hopes up though. **If you think your baby will be fine at midnight mass, go for it. But have a plan and don't act like it's Ohhhhhndrea's discomfort with Christmas that made your baby cry in the middle of the night. Idiots.

Sorry to be that girl. Helen Baldwin's family does not clean and wind the clocks. She is a socialite. Charlie talks about the woman whose family has been cleaning and winding the clocks for generations and her integrity for not wanting to write a book in contrast to Helen Baldwin, a socialite, who is writing a book.

ha! I figured it would come back around to that. I didn't intentionally not talk about it; I also don't know what people already know about it, so: ask and I'll answer! I didn't know about TWoP until its last days. I've only heard that there was something that happened in the forums with Aaorn Sorkin and he didn't like "the internet". And I think the episode with LemonLyman.com was his response? Did he not like what people were saying about the show? Did he post? Was there a "fight" of some sort?

Me too!

I forgot! LMAO at "Jesus seems to be like a weird little hype man on her shoulder."

I tend to skip Season 2 of Friday Night Lights. Besides the whole murder plot, I hate Lyla's reborn Christian story, I hate Street's experimental surgery story (although I do love Riggins in that story line and their friendship), I hate Julie as usual, and I hate the story with Matt and Carlotta because I can't get past he is a high school student and she is an adult. I also can't believe anyone would pick the swede over Matt Saracen. I would have loved to have a Matt Saracen in my life in high school. "Last Days of Summer" is a perfect pick for the nonac. I'm a big fan of The West Wing and have watched it more times than I can count. I never understood why some people wouldn't accept any criticism of the show. It's quality TV with often great moments but it isn't by any means perfect. Count me as one who doesn't love The Jackal. I like the idea of it. I like that story line because I can see how people who spent 24/7 together on the campaign trail for months and then work in demanding jobs might get excited about something stupid one of them does to kill time. To me, it isn't The Jackal so much as the camaraderie and nostalgia. Also, I was not a fan of (SPOILER ALERT) the Donna and Josh romantic pairing. My solace is that it happened toward the end and after Donna took some control. At least they didn't give them a stupid dating plan like Dana and Casey in Sports Night. I'm one of the few people who liked (mostly) Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The big Gilbert and Sullivan style opening number for the new show under Danny and Matt was a ridiculous idea for a late night comedy sketch show. I'm not 100% on the Sorkin boat. I HATE The Newsroom. Any chance the link to the canon entry for Celestial Navigation can be fixed? Current link goes to Felicity (Spooked) and the link for Felicity is to the correct podcast.

Yea, I had that bra in multiple colors too.

Do you listen to The West Wing weekly podcast? They're just at the end of S1 and I chuckle when they talk about not spoiling future episodes. I think "who hasn't seen the West Wing??!" But there is probably a whole generation of people who didn't see it when it was on NBC. Or Bravo. It's my go to television when nothing is on and I just want to relax. I can't tell you how many times I wake up on the couch and the Netflix screen says "ARE YOU STILL WATCHING THE WEST WING" It's my comfort TV and what I've been escaping to during this election season as well. I watched it during the initial run. Then again on Bravo which is when I truly fell in love with the show. I miss the marathons they used to run, particularly on Memorial Day and July 4th. When Bravo started turning into the junk channel it is now and quit showing it, I had to buy the DVD set. Then I watched on my lunch hour back in the day when it was actually on Amazon Prime and there were maybe only 40 people who knew you could watch it on Prime. And, finally, now I stream on Netflix although sometimes I pull out the DVDs for the extras. All of this is to say I've made sure not to be without TWW since it went off air. I've watched it all the way through more times than I can count. But, here I am, re-watching again to go along with The West Wing Weekly podcast. There are other WW podcasts but I like TWWW the best not only for their discussion but for all the special guests they have that really add to the discussion. Like everyone else it seems, Season 5 is my least favorite. Most of it, I don't really mind and there are good episodes. But, I hate the Josh story line in the earlier part of the season and with the intern which they could have done so much better with it. I hope newbies love it just as much.

I'm wondering what kind of gift Dylan could give Kelly. Other than a brief interest in Lucinda's BS, she has no interests. I'm not saying that's why Dylan hasn't given her a thoughtful gift like he gave Brenda. I'm just trying to think of Kelly's interests.

I don't understand why Kelly wants to go to the brunch. She hates Dylan, she hates the scamily, it's not her money, she doesn't approve of Dylan investing in this venture; and, it is at the Walsh house where they run the risk of Dylan being distracted by Brenda. Why go?

Legit, straight up, super thanks for the double warning about the fake puke.

Not too long ago, one of my coworkers came to me to tell me she just found out someone (via someone else) in another department we work with on occasion is gay. Then, like Steve, she said she didn't care as long as the other person didn't hit on her. I just told her she was pretty egotistical to assume the person would be interested in her to begin with, that she had known her for two years and nothing had ever happened, and asked why would anything suddenly change just because she knows. I know I can't believe I was having this conversation more than 20 years after this episode. But, then, I do live in the once progressive but now rapidly devolving North Carolina. One of the things that bothers me about the whole "as long as this gay person doesn't hit on me" narrative is that it seems to support the assumption that if someone of the same sex hits on you and you're heterosexual, somehow that's way worse than if someone of the opposite sex you aren't interested in hits on you. It basically implies that there will be some kind of "trouble" because they are deviants or something. It's gross.

A-freaking-men. Shut up, Brandon.

I enjoyed the scene with the guys in the yard for all the reasons mentioned. In addition, Cindy was being such a mom. I thought is was cute when she told the boys to come in because she was going to microwave brownies and then came back out to tell Brandon to come in with his friends for brownies and ice cream.

Huh, this made me tear up. I wasn't expecting that reaction. I don't think I saw the entire run of the series. The amount of physical comedy is something I didn't remember; but, I do remember the dance with that Billy Vera and the Beaters song and Alex driving through the night to get to Ellen. It might be time for a rematch. Thanks for posting this compilation. It was fun to watch.

I really miss Clearly Canadian. I loved that stuff. A Designing Women reboot is something I could really get behind. As far as Major Dad - you didn't miss anything.

My mom was 100% ashamed of me when someone else told her I had premarital sex. She was ashamed of me, thought I was going to Hell, and thought I had broken some trust between the two of us (I never made any promises-it was assumed). If I had gotten drunk at the prom, she would have insisted I take whatever punishment the school rightfully doled out and added her own on top of it. I definitely wouldn't have had one last carefree summer before college if she had allowed me to go away to college at all. She basically was Felice but without the extramarital affair. I can almost identify with Donna yet she still annoys me with the whole almost got caught and I'm changing my mind because my parents don't want me to have sex although I was completely on board a few minutes ago inability to make my own decision BS. I'm on board with the theory she might belong on the short bus.

This made my day.

Between watching Call the Midwife this morning and hearing today's cannon submission, it's been all about the ugly cry here.

I was thinking the same thing. The next day, at work, conversations were: "Did you see E" "YES!" Everyone fights back tears, swallows lump in throat. "So, OK, the weather is nice today"

He was in San Diego, so -- too far for them to have to worry about him walking in, I guess. Oh, right. I wasn't really making the Chargers/San Diego connection. Fair enough.

I've never actually seen this episode so maybe I'm just confused. But, didn't Lucinda say her husband is "far away" which to me means across the country or in another country, not at work at the local university or giving a lecture nearby. Also, I took the whole Brandon and Lucinda thing as Brandon decided it was OK to sleep with a married woman as long as her husband is "far away" and she says they have an agreement until he thinks it could impact his grade? So his moral high ground is that he can't sleep with his professor's wife because he might get a bad grade not because you don't sleep with a married woman without being sure the husband is totally down with it? I think I've seen maybe 20 episodes of the entire series. Still, I love this podcast. I look forward to listening to it while working on seemingly endless spreadsheets.

I totally would have worn that polka dot jumper/stirrup combo monstrosity. I think I actually did. Except mine was Bermuda short length and I wore it with a silk white top and black stockings with black flats. I'm not proud.

I don't understand how Brandon didn't get why Andrea was upset. They had plans. Yes, Andrea should use her words "we had plans" but she shouldn't have needed to do so. I think in my younger years I thought he was the good guy. I was an idiot. Kelly doing the whole "don't we make a cute couple" thing was a bit bitchy given she knows Andrea's crush. The red dress Donna wore was ridiculous but she did look fabulous. I agree with others, must have been some really quick and tame sex given how perfect Brenda's hair remains. On the one had, I've always hated Kelly so I was cheering on Steve's nasty comments to her in the hotel kitchen. On the other hand, wow was he out of line. The time table makes no sense and he wasn't acting upset about the whole adoption/birthday thing until after he saw Brandon and Kelly kiss so, what a load of BS. They were being teenagers so I appreciate that aspect of it but they were both complete jerks for whom I had no sympathy. I loved Mabel's contribution and timing! I saw someone wear that very same black and white dress to a funeral. Yes, a funeral. I suspect it had been bought for a formal and since it was black the girl wore it to the funeral too.

I went to a school with a pretty wide ranging socio-economic mix although, objectively, we tended to be more upper middle class than lower class. Most students were expected to go to a college of some sort ranging from Ivy League (we usually had 1 or 2 per class) to not Ivy League but tough to get into (Duke, MIT), as well as a wide range of state universities and private colleges in the region (UNC, Clemson, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Davidson, Appalachian State, Emory), and community colleges. Most of us took the PSAT in our Sophomore year before the SAT in our Junior year/summer between Junior and Senior year. Our school offered free study guides and practice tests as well as summer SAT tutoring to students. It was something like one 3 hour class a week for 4 weeks. They had classes specifically for the math portion and separate classes specifically for the language portion. Everyone was encouraged to take the SATs at least twice. My score was in the 1260 range before the tutoring in math and went up to 1360 (roughly, I remember they were 12XX and then 13XX) the second time. I don't specifically remember anyone freaking out about them like Andrea; but, they were an important part of the whole package. It was really important to our school's administration that we all do well. Mostly, I remember SAT day being more like just another milestone to share with my classmates rather than a stressful test. This was in the stone ages of 1984-1985. I graduated high school in 1986. After this episode, I really hoped for the Steve and Andrea pairing. On a side note - these podcasts make my day. I don't know how I always missed out on the level of crowd noise on this show. It cracks me up now that I know to pay attention to the random cheering, jeering, and Southern Baptist congregation level crowd participation that happens.