becauseIsaidso

The second I heard Floki say something about Ragnar wanting him/Floki to build him/Ragnar one last boat, I got the image of a Viking boat, carrying the body, set to sea aflame and in a nanosecond the thought of Magic Mushrooms came in (a la Thorsten when Floki was charged to kill someone close to Ragnar in order to prove his loyalty to Jarl Borg. PERFECT.....They must have (based on the use of the stuff with Thorsten) some idea of how long the state of catatonia would last and, IIRC, as in when Floki brought the magic brew to Rollo, he referred to the healing properties of the stuff - jump ahead a season or two and we have a not-so-dead Ragnar jumping out of the coffin and the oh-so-perfect "I win" moment. I understand not telling those emotionally closest to Ragnar (Lagertha, Rollo, Floki) about the ruse - their lack of grief stricken reaction to the 'death' would have been a dead (pun intended) giveaway - Ragnar was wise in not underestimating his opponents powers of observation. As next in line to the throne, Bjorn needed to prove his princeling chops, and did so admirably - that actor's done a very good job of character immersion - well done. Warriors who are relatively emotionally removed from Ragnar (he's their King, but not their best-bud-for-hitting-the-mead-bars-after-a-hard-day's-raiding) would be far less likely to display an out of sync emotional state than those who are closest to Ragnar, and thus be the best to serve as the pall bearers, and the most likely, having seen Ragnar's battle strategies in action MANY times in the past, to react properly when Ragnar-in-the-box pops out to win the day. This was the ultimate test for Bjorn - how to carry out his father's plans without giving into the temptation to let those closest to him (Lagertha & Rollo) in on the secret....well done, all around. It is a lesson battle state kings must learn. I especially loved Rollo's reaction and brief greeting to his bride to be....I have no doubt he understood the gist of her speech, if not the actual verbage, and simply decided to go for it since they had had an earlier eyeball to eyeball connection across the battlements and Rollo is, after all, a Berserker....something I think Giesela can easily grasp (literally and figuratively)....and appreciate. OK....some aspects of BDSM can be downright hot and sexy...but....with Odo? (now, Rollo....well....yum...there could be a definite temptation factor there!) But, Odo? Not so much. I have to wonder what the woman's motive really is...just a kink, or some deeper, darker, political motivation of whomever it is that is controlling her. More fodder for the next season. And.....MORE LAGERTHA!!!!!! I just hope TPTB are not using the time between seasons to do some sort of rehab on Kalf....once a traitor, always a traitor.

I almost, kinda, sorta thought Christian's father was trying to be complimentary to Maria when he went through his whole 'when you pay for something, you value it' spiel....but....it STILL relegates the woman to the category of 'thing owned' as opposed to 'human being cherished'. Guess I'm totally not understanding the Romani worldview of women as subservient pieces of furniture. I was quite happy to hear Maria, albeit it rather quietly, point out to Christian how all he had to do was listen to the GPS and (at least I think so, but it could be my own wishful thinking) sounding rather exasperated with him when he whimpered and whined until she repeated the GPS instructions to him. Does he not realize that as Maria is relating the info to him, there could be ANOTHER instruction coming through that is being missed as they play a hi-tech version of the old 'telephone' game? I am thinking/hoping her mother taught her (along with the cooking and cleaning) that quietly stating her truth will (eventually) make a better impression than screaming at him (which, judging by the personality he has displayed thus fare, would only give him cause to feel that every negative thing in their life together is her fault) I am very surprised that Christian's mother is coming across as such a bitch. She has, quite literally, been exactly where Maria is now - have a little empathy, bitch! Every time I hear Maria's parents referred to as good and upstanding people who simply don't want to appear on TV, I have to wonder if they (Maria's parents) were strong-armed into this whole fiasco for financial or other reasons. However, since they are the only truly 'arranged' couple on the show, I am (against my better judgment and to my utter horror at how far into reality TV I will stoop) going to watch, at least, their segments. I will watch the Indian couple as I am very interested in just about anything that has to do with Indian culture, etc. (Yup, Monsoon Wedding is one of my favorite movies EVER, followed closely by Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Jewel in the Crown, etc.) I have NO idea why - I'm a 2nd generation American of 100% Polish ethnicity (as far as I know, but with Eastern Europeans, you just can't ever be totally certain), but I did once have an Indian neighbor who what SUCH a totally smokin' hot fox I can't BELIEVE I let that pass me by - not to mention the fact that in our conversations, every single thing he revealed about himself was completely appealing to me! Chalk it up to being young, foolish,stupidly scared of cultural differences, and focusing more on having a heavy duty catholic background while going through a divorce of MY choosing (first female of my generation on either side to choose divorce). Southern bride & her inlaws from hell can shove it...I am acquainted with enough Southern Women to know this chick is a pitiful caricature whose only function is as a designated place holder. The less I see of that couple the better.....although....I MUST admit I am rather intrigued by something posted earlier that I inferred to hint that perhaps Southern Hubby-To-Be isn't all that interested in the...ahem...ladypond....Can't WAIT to see how that plays out!

Not a stupid question at all. Some do and some don't, but it has become more likely that rehab is covered with the increased understanding of what truly counts as mental health/medical treatment. If the insurance plan does cover rehab, there is the further problem of whether it will be covered as a 'medical' condition (which gets the higher %ages of payment) or as a mental health condition which, traditionally, has gotten paid for at a MUCH lower %age than medical conditions. There are some mental health conditions ( Manic-Depressive Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, Severe Depression, Bi-Polar Disorder, for example) that are covered at what is termed 'parity' with medical/physical conditions - which means if your medical insurance pays 80% when you break a leg, but only 50% for an anxiety disorder, they would have to pay the 80% rate for the 'parity diagnoses like Severe Depression or Anorexia Nervosa. It's complicated, that's for certain. However, most SA recovery agencies (not the gold-plated kind kimmie would probably see as the only ones good enough for her, so this is likely a moot point) to have means of helping clients qualify for the dreaded public assistance programs.

Well, maybe so...but I find it rather refreshing that there is at least ONE of these hw's who doesn't go totally catatonic at the very mention of being referred to as 'grannie'. Gives a rather different perspective to the 'menopause mamas' slam often uttered by the resident 'slut-pig' BG.

It was NEVER a question of having the 'stamina, patience, or peace' in an effort to save myself. It was the painful process of making a choice between continuing to allow myself to be sacrificed/destroyed and sucked into the vortex of someone (whom I deeply loved at the time and continued to love for SEVERAL years thereafter) who simply DID NOT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN HIMSELF AND HIS 'PLEASURES', (AND, who to this day, more than 30 years later operates in EXACTLY the same manner - so much for 'when the coast is clear'); or cut my losses and try to start over for the sake of my own sanity, self and soul. I chose to live, to rebuild my life free of relentless manipulation and constant pressure to both 'accept' and participate (to make him happy, dontcha know). That does NOT mean it was easy, or that I DID NOT CARE EVEN AS I CUT MYSELF FREE. It simply means that I recognized the realities of his choices versus my desire to have a life free of the drug induced miasma he chose to impose upon our life together...I do, after all, have the right to choose for myself. And it most assuredly means I never have and never will apologize nor feel the slightest bit guilty for the choice I made to cut MYSELF free.

kimmie bolted the interview!?!??!!? Holy crap. This is TOO perfect for words! This WILL be ratings GOLD for good ole Dr. Phil! I MUST make certain to see that show! AND I pray to whatever gods there may be that there is no way for kimmie to stop said broadcast. Dare I hope she watch and actually learn something? Nah....silly pipedream.

The trouble is that there are many addicts who do, and will always, interpret the 'acceptance' as 'approval'. I was married to one, so I know this first hand. I have also worked in the SA community and have see this first hand. My ex did not seek any treatment until after I left him. He would contact me to tell me that 'other guys wives are there (i.e. at group therapy) to support them', to which I asked - did these 'other guys' seek treatment BEFORE or AFTER their wives left them. He hung up - manipulation unsuccessful. In my mind, the word ' acceptance ' is the most slippery slope of them all. He never did understand that while I 'accepted' him and wanted to do anything I could to help him, I did not and would not accept his addictions as a viable part of our marriage. It's a fine line, and many, many addicts are able to manipulate their way around the difference, and that is exactly what I see in Kim. I have said before - I do NOT think Kim is a nasty, self absorbed, narcissistic piece of work BECAUSE she is an addict. I believe she is a nasty, self absorbed, narcissistic piece of work who also happens to be an addict. If she was completely, truly, clean and sober, I think she would still be a nasty, self absorbed, narcissistic piece of work.

I am filled with joy at the prospect of a brandi-less next season of BH!!! Now if only kimmie would recognize and accept that achieving true (real, real life) sobriety is NOT best accomplished on a 'reality' show, she could actually be on the way to the first 10th of a step (hate to use that word because I am not talking about the AA 12 Step program) toward doing what is actually best for her private self rather than display the 'ongoing, heartfelt, desperate struggle' of the public kimmie. I am beginning to form an opinion that somehow kimmie has become unable to see anything in any terms other than how it plays out on TV....I still think she is a nasty, narcissistic, piece of work with a horribly overblown sense of entitlement....but she should at least be able to view her own life in terms of 'real' reality - as opposed to the TV version of reality. Earlier on someone mentioned having a hard time believing LVP could have forgotten the slights/sins kyle committed against her/LVP, and I totally agree. I am thinking that LVP's 'forgive but don't forget' attitude with kyle is simply not as intense as that which she has for brandi....both of which, imo, are amply justified. It's only that kim's extreme behavior seemed to have pushed most of the other inter-cast problems/conflicts to the back burner. Hopefully they will take center stage - along with Eileen and Lisar - in a new, brandiless, kimless season.

As much as I am quite happy to see Owen go, I gotta say the actor absolutely nailed it regarding Owen's devastation when Anna very calmly agreed he should go and went off with the baby. And, this makes the Anna/Tim setup I was speculating over just about a dead certainty. Sally's gonna have a field day with that combo. The little scene toward the end of the episode, with Carla & Nick getting cosy was a fair stomach turner for me. Surely she deserves better than ANOTHER one of Leeann's cast offs!. I didn't like Carla at all during the days when Paul Connor was alive and running things a Underworld, but she has grown on me. At least Nick seems to have shaved.

As much as it PAINS me to say anything positive about kimmie - I must agree. At the very least, it puts the behaviors/mindset of those who are like kimmie into public view....everyone must decide for themselves if kimmie is rational or a raving drunk/druggie. For quite some time (like for SEASONS) I have known how I feel...and now, due to kimmie's own actions, it is really out there for everyone to make up their own mind.....Namaste, y'all.

I never had any doubt that kim was using/abusing...I felt it only needed one person to actually say it out loud for all to hear, which in this case would need to be on camera. I was glad LisaR was & had the balls (production driven or not, I do NOT care) to make that step. I could not understand all the pussy-footing around kim's obvious 'issues' and bald-faced lying/denial - I've seen it FAR too often IRL and have a serious urge to reach through the TV screen ( if only such a thing were possible) and throttle her every lie (which is probably why I never had a bad reaction to LisaR's whole kinda reaching for the windpipe thing during the most recent dinner from hell). Kim was NEVER in the same league as people like Elizabeth Taylor, or Audrey Hepburn, or even Natalie Wood (BTW, I have NO idea if any of the aforementioned had serious SA issues [OK - knew about the ET & JG rumors/probable realities, but just don't recall any horrendous public displays aka kimmie] - they were simply the darlings of my childhood, some child stars in their own right, and the new ingénues of my adolescence - Shelly Fabares, Annette Funicello, etc - had a sparkly clean public image (ASAIK) during my formative years - yah, I'm old - 65 years old, so deal with it) But, the point being that kim richards was NEVER EVER real, honest to goodness, true Hollywood 'royalty - no matter HOW much she fantasizes about herself through a drug-induced haze. The sooner she is gone from RHOBH, the sooner I am likely to watch it again. After all, I'll still have VPR to satisfy my LisaV needs. YAY.

Oh HELL NO!!!!! I want her gone! No more accommodations for her shitty, intoxicated behavior!!!! The situation with Alexia on Miami was completely different....if widdle kimmie can't do the whole nine yards, she needs to be gone and (hopefully) tucked safely (for the rest of the world) tucked into rehab.

This may seem to be coming from left field, but it is also something I have on occasion wondered about when I was in the SA industry. That it is not just that one has a disease, but the causative factor involved in developing the addiction. Yolanda's Lyme disease, afaik, come from exposure to the deer tick that carries the disease. When someone is diagnosed with Lyme disease, the only 'cause' the person is involved in is to have been in an area where they became a host to a deer tick - for lack of a better word, it is a 'passive' method of contracting a disease - by which I mean the person who became ill did not knowingly engage in an activity they knew/could expect would result in contracting the disease. It is something for which I have never heard any blame placed on the patient. Kim, and every other addict that I can think of or imagine, engaged in actions (snorting, drinking, shooting up, whatever) that carried the potential of addiction and, as they became addicted, chose to continue engaging in those actions. For those reasons, I regard diseases such as Lyme as 'opportunistic' (the deer tick either jumps on you, does the deer, or it does not - lucky you) and the disease of addiction to alcohol/drugs/substances as 'deliberate'. I do not mean that anyone sets out to become addicted to alcohol/meth/coke/whatever, but that once they (as human beings) realize they have become/are becoming hooked, do little to nothing to put an end to the behaviors that encourage/reinforce/cement the addiction. Then comes denial - which is the place where kimmie is wallowing and does not seem to have any desire whatever to leave.

bitch, please...this is just SO fucking ridiculous! SURE she wants a sober companion.....about as 'sober' as bff BG....this sick fuckwit will grasp at any straw to try and make it LOOK LIKE she is 'working' on sobriety while she continues to party, party, party. There needs to be ZERO kimmie on tv/big screen/radio/ANY media until and unless she gets her shit together in a healthy and socially acceptable manner. She is a nasty slap in the face to EVERY addict who is earnestly/honestly doing their level best to function in today's society in a sober manner - and that ain't easy! Life doesn't go 'on hold' while a person gets sober/straight - the recovering addict has to contend with BOTH their work toward continued sobriety AND all the crap daily life is dumping on them! I no longer work in the SA recovery community, but for when I did, I am truly grateful that I let the clients I knew know how much I admired the strength and determination they exhibited (not just lip service, but actual WORK) as they made their way, piece by piece, to a clean and honest life. That is something kimmie will never know, nor (as far as I can determine by the behavior I have seen) care to. A mind, a body, a soul is both a gift and a horrible thing to waste. Slow clap to kimmie for shunning every effort to help her help herself...slow clap to kimmie for proving (once again) that she doesn't give two shits about any and all people/family/friends who actually care about her wasted carcass. That must be some TERRIFIC stuff she's shoving down her throat and up her nose! Single finger salute to kimmie for what she has allowed herself to become.

This is starting to look like an Anna/Tim set up. That's almost as disturbing as Carla/Nick.

Been watching reruns & have come to the conclusion (as I may well have done before, just don't recall if I ever posted as such or not) that Kyle is just as fucked up as Kimmie, just as arrogant, and knows perfectly well how EVERYTHING she does creates a particular impression in the minds of the viewers...but Kyle is just a bit more subtle about it.... ....true, this is coming from a non-fan...BUT..I had never heard of either Kyle or Kim before the show began, and my first impression of Kyle was the same as it is today, my estimation of kim has gone rapidly downhill... ...They are both mean, both have an overblown sense of entitlement, both are exactly what they were raised to be... ...I have seen a lot of praise of LisaV (whom I have liked since day one, so, yes, there is a definite possibility of bias on my part) for having Kyle's back & I can easily think of several instances where this has been true....but....I just can't think of a single instance where I have seen Kyle have LisaV's back...which, to me, speaks volumes of Kyle's innate sense of self-importance...she really did luck out with a devoted hubs, lots of money, house full of lovely kids...yet, to me, there always seems to be something about Kyle that says there is something MORE she thinks should have been hers... I would be perfectly happy with a season of BH that was a Brandi & Richards-free zone...then we could concentrate on trivial drama, house and food porn and much good times - hopefully with LOTS of Eileen and LisaR! I started out as a big LisaR fan - and still like her, but am not so sure about her on this show - but have found myself totally on the good ship Eileen - whose characters on the various soaps I was at best ambivalent about. Go figure.

ITA about Faye, Owen & just about everything Windass can get off my tv screen forever. I do, however, like the way they have developed Craig - I really had no use for him when he was first introduced, but the character has gotten some fairly decent development & the actor seems to be growing into his craft (unlike adorable little Simon who is the same wooden boy he's been since the get go). I was, however, of the opinion that Faye was a bit more than 12 - but I can't remember how I got that impression. Haven't like the little snot since she first showed up. I'm just imagining the part of the storyline that's going to assume that Craig is daddy and drag that crap out forever, even though it can be easily and quickly disproven. Tracy Barlow is another who could disappear into the fog without being any loss at all to the street or the story....I have an evil little wish that she'll get fed up with Tony continually hitting on her, bash him over the head with something deadly & end up going back to prison where she belongs.

I made no accusation. I merely said that in Kyle I see sympathy but not empathy. That is not calling her an evil person or a rotten mother. My sense/understanding of empathy is to truly put oneself in the place(including the mindset) of the other person ( as if I were putting myself in her place, experiencing HER feelings/emotions/psyche) rather than 'this is how I would feel it it were happening to me' with no inclusion of the other persons known or perceived mindset. I was a Psych major; for me, the observation of human behavior and what it may reveal about the inner workings of the mind is a study of infinite variation and fascination. 'Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks'. I did not like my mother at all - we had a VERY adversarial relationship. I can easily imagine being very pissed off at her and understanding the desire to pick up a big ole axe and doing her in - that would be the sympathy side of it. BUT, putting myself in Lizzie shoes (taking her history and life circumstances into the mix), deliberately and empathetically investing myself into what she may have been feeling, what she may have been thinking, imagining myself as Lizzie picking up the weapon, approaching the woman, raising my arm, axe in hand AS IF I WAS HER - well, that makes me shake and recoil with the realization of the depths of darkness a human soul can experience. And it scares me to understand how much the human psyche is capable of. For me, that is empathy, albeit a rather extreme example.

I do not deny that Kyle has been able to show sympathy for some of her castmates, but I remain steadfast in my belief that she has not displayed empathy. There may seem to be little or no difference between the two terms, but they are, in fact, quite different.

H to the ELL, YES!!! Which I feel is a perfect example of her inability to show empathy - IMNSHO, she can not put herself in someone else's shoes because she only sees things in terms of herself. In the 'nature versus nurture' debate that has been ongoing for decades (if not centuries) I have always been on the side of 'nature'. I see these sisters as an example of that argument. As far as I know, Kyle has a loving husband, great kids, good friends, and, on top of it all, money....yet still I see those telltale signs of (unnecessary) nastiness. Kim had it all, chose to piss it all away, blame everyone except herself, and has no scruples whatever about displaying her innate nastiness.

I have never liked either Kyle or Kim since day one, and have always seem them as equally able to go from zero to nasty in a nanosecond. Kim has simply not bothered to try and hide her nastiness.. As I was watching limogate unfold, it struck me as Kyle making a snap decision to seize the moment and take full advantage of being handed the opportunity to out Kim. I feel certain she knew, even as she pointed her finger and yelled Kim's 'secret' for all to hear, that she would take considerable heat for her actions, but felt the overall benefits could easily be worth it. I have never heard/read anything to indicate it as a set up. I believe Kim's deer-in-the-headlights expression as Kyle ranted on was one of total disbelief that Kyle actually, finally, went 'there'. On Camera. To a national TV audience. That is the moment when the battle lines were drawn. Payback is a bitch, and the bitch's name is Kim. I have always felt Kyle's whiney, croaky, sobby voice saying how much she loves her sister, how she only ever, ever wanted to protect her sister, how she only did xyz because someone was trying to come between sisters, etc, etc, etc. has been her way of deflecting any attention away from her/Kyle's real feelings about Kim and, instead, painting Kyle as the good sister, the long-suffering sister, the martyr who has been pushed to the limits of endurance. But Kyle has let her cover slip often enough in smug comments, smirks, sarcastic TH's, and rapid fire finger pointing to give a very broad hint of her true colors, if not make them abundantly clear. Although I have at times watched the escalating confrontations between the sisters with something bordering on disgusted amusement, nothing over the life of the franchise has changed my opinion of either sister in a positive direction. They have both sunk in my estimation and I have finally reached the point of quitting this show (as I did ATL and NJ) because of the continued presence of people whose behavior I can not in any way tolerate or consider entertaining - meaning Kim and Brandi. Kyle, at least, exhibits some control over her inner bitch and could possibly be tolerable if the other two were gone. The other two have no redeeming qualities that I can discern and no number of cast changes can get me to tune in again if they are both still there.

100% goddamn fucking A! You nailed it!

Watching the reruns of both last season's and this season's reunions & am astounded at both kyle's and kimmie's attitudes and statements...never liked either of them from the start; kimmie MUCH more so as she is much more overt/obvious in her nastiness, but kyle's smirking-superior-arrogant condescension is no prize either. At first I thought this was a set up for a kimmie redemption season, but now I can see how things have been orchestrated to first put a halo on kyle's head....guess TPTB must have decided that she/kyle would be much easier to rehab to the viewing audience - given kimmie's totally over the top nastiness coupled with her/kimmie's obviously UNsober behavior all season - to, of course, be followed by a next season full of kimmie seeing the light, finding her way to sobriety, whatever bullshit they think we will buy, ANYTHING to get kimmie back in good graces with anyone who is not already one of her 'fans'. But, the bulb has lit up and I see this for what it really is - 'fixing' kyle first (as she's deemed to be the easier of the two for the audience to forgive/understand/and especially commiserate with - and then the next season was for the original golden child kimmie to shine. Too bad I (and many others, I suspect) simply can't be bothered to tune in for yet ANOTHER season full of Bitchard Sisters Bullshit.

ITA totally! I would love to see brandi gone as well, but decided to not tempt fate (yet) by saying so, openly, and without reservation. BUT, I must (in my shriveled little evil heart of hearts cuz I fully recognize the inner bitch in me MUST occasionally have her say) hope to have the pleasure of seeing those two beasts at each others' throats - for that I would actually watch one more episode (NOT season) of kim.

I have to wonder if the idiots in charge of bravo are trying to use this season as a set up for making next season the year of the poignant, tearful, soul-sucking kimmie redemption saga - complete with interim/pre-season stories of kimmie's sudden journey into self-awareness and 'struggles' with 100% pain, anguish, family strife, and yet even more pseudo-sobriety. I would not put it past them. If this is their plan, then AFAIC they have waited one season too long as I will never watch this show again as long as it includes that nasty piece of work.