pasdetrois

Dipping into the shallow end of the pool - has anyone speculated that Jennifer had a face lift? She has odd folds of skin in front of her ears.

Some of my male relatives in the South have dipped their entire adult lives. The scare tactic ads are exactly that, meant to show the consequences of tobacco to teenagers. I supported a bid to win the ad work. The ad money comes from the CDC, FDA and tobacco settlements. There are tons of data that show how different populations react to anti-tobacco messages, in the US and globally. A key finding is that only scare tactics work on kids, because they are too young to absorb, accept and respond other types of messages - the dry recitation of facts, for example. While it's true that not everyone gets mouth or esophageal cancer from dip, how does one know whether you will be one of those who doesn't get it? And, one's chances of avoiding significant dental problems are low (says my friend who is a dentist in Appalachia). I'm very surprised Craig dips. It's a nasty habit and he's so fastidious about his appearance. My theory is that he does it to keep his weight down and/or reduce drinking and smoking. Given how the Charleston locals think Southern Charm is simply dreadful, there's no way Cam's physician husband would appear. He may be status-conscious. Naomie reminds me a little of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

One reason I'm annoyed at Craig's mansplaining is that the conversation between Kathryn and Landon was insincere and purely for the cameras. They loathe each other and were going through the motions per the script. If they really wanted to reconcile, they didn't need Craig to lecture them on how to do it.

I spent a milestone birthday in Key West last winter and adored it. Like Whitney I was covered the full time (pre-skin cancer findings). I love that Cameron has a rockin' body but resists the temptation to expose her various body parts (see RHoA). I guess Danni's goal is to marry money. I appreciate that Kathryn did not provide her screeching psycho self for the cameras. If she didn't worry about custody, I wonder if she would have gone for the Full Kathryn? Give it a rest JD: "Do you have Gentry bourbon?" Cameron and Chelsie spying on the flirtatious Landon was gold. Craig's pole vaulting around the table to mansplain the women's conversation was obnoxious. Good for Danni thundering a little smack-down on him.

I did not know this was shot in Louisiana, my home state!

When I read the Bravo website item about Kathryn leaving rehab, I wondered why they would reveal this info. Of course it was to fan the drama flames to drive up viewership.

I don't think anyone's buying the salon. I think Desna is trying to get approval to rent in a more prestigious area.

When Kathryn was in rehab in CA, there were social media reports that she either left early, or was in and out. Here's what Bravo said online: "A source has now come forward and reported that Kathryn has left the rehab facility, and that’s likely why she’s going back to her old ways. She has not been committed to the treatment program and has left. She’s hooked up with a shady character. This man is not good for Kathryn’s recovery. In other words, Kathryn has hooked up with yet another drug addict, and we’re curious as to if she found this dude in rehab? Who the hell goes to rehab to pick up on guys? Anyways… Kathryn posted a picture of her new boy toy on her Instagram account"

I'm slightly distracted by Miss Niecey's huge hair and exaggerated figure. I will watch anything with her and Carrie Preston in it. And the other actors are holding their own, including Tran. I'm not quite in love with Dean Norris' portrayal of Uncle Daddy - I think it's the bad southern accent. I was reading recently that the federal government emasculated the Dixie Mafia - maybe in the 80s? My school friend's uncle was rumored to be in it in southern MS and was a scary dude. Love that they have an autistic character as Niecey's brother. Some of his behaviors and conversation are dead on. It's fun to see the bright exteriors and wild nail art.

Hannah and the other chief stew Kate have trouble dealing with conflict. To borrow an overused phrase, they "lean in" toward conflict instead of avoiding or mediating it. They seem to be attracted to the drama.

Holy cow. I know of the primary's company - I thought Novotny's name sounded familiar. CSI is a tribally-owned federal contractor. Interesting that he's willing to be seen sailing on yachts and flashing his money around. Government contractors are usually more conservative than that, because their income is derived from taxpayers and there are a boatload of regulations about stewardship of government funds. Some of these tribally-owned companies have been criticized for not passing enough profit back to tribal members.

I believe Shep is a charming sociopath. I don't mean that in a clinical way, but he himself said he doesn't care about anything. Oh wait, he cares mightily about how viewers perceive him on the show, and whether he is able to one-up his male friends. And he's a snob. Kathryn knows how to present a docile sweet demeanor. I remember her doing it when she first appeared on the series. But she can't sustain it. I wonder if she's been abusing drugs and alcohol for a long time, throwing temper tantrums when she doesn't get her way and trying to control her romantic partners. I really like Chelsea. She's playing the reality TV game very smartly. Craig and Naomie - this young in their lives - have settled for becoming a bitter dysfunctional old married couple. Naomie panders to their friends by throwing shade at him.

Is Kathryn paying her legal bills? If not it would explain her current attorney (as described by seasquared). I suspect the two of them are simply making a hard and desperate run for Thomas' cash. My good friend is an attorney in Columbia and a member of the state legislature. I've asked him about some of the legal goings on but he's too professional to gossip.

Why did they pull Malia off of anchor watch to serve food? Shouldn't seasoned chief stews and all the other supervisory types know better? Didn't anyone say "who is watching the ancho?" I really appreciate Captain Sandy's cool head and unemotional demeanor. Captain Lee would have been yelling his head off, complete with profanity and steam coming out of his ears.

Georgette Mosbacher - what a flash from the past. She was constantly in the media here in DC during the opulent 80s. Later she started a cosmetics business that I believe petered out. Thomas is not complicated. Initially he was very taken with Kathryn, a young, beautiful, sexy woman from a known family dynasty who could provide children, be a glittering social hostess, and manage the household staff. He's immature and impulsive and he dove right in; the drinking didn't help. He envisioned continuation of the two family dynasties, with Kathryn as his adoring partner. He probably thought Kathryn's early histrionics were immaturity; many men are drawn to damaged women. She was looking for wealth and stability and to be taken care of. She was going to churn out the children and then turn the child rearing over to nannies, which many wealthy people do. They briefly had a common vision for their future, based on their experience, history and culture. I wonder if Kathryn presented her disordered behaviors earlier in her life. Maybe her family was anxious to secure her future and pushed her toward Thomas. I have known several extremely damaged women like Kathryn. They are all mothers who stayed in their marriages and their children were exposed to these mothers' excessively destructive behaviors, day after day as they grew up. These women did not have maternal instincts or behaviors. Their children are all now adults, from the 20s to the 60s, and every.single.one of them is very damaged as the result of not being protected from their disturbed mothers. Thomas, the courts and the psychiatric professionals must protect the children from Kathryn and carefully manage her time with them. It's not a diabolical plot. I agree that she probably has a severe psychiatric disorder that is very difficult to treat, especially coupled with addiction. In this day and age, I doubt that Thomas "bought" the court's favorable decisions. The judge may have appointed an independent psychiatric evaluator and a guardian ad litem to represent the children and endeavor on their behalf and make custody recommendations. I truly believe that Kathryn has a very long road ahead of her, with many ups and downs. It's a tragedy for her children because they will suffer the consequences of having a mentally ill mother.

Forgot to ask this: did Craig really buy that house without Naomie's knowledge? That's the way it played out on camera. I'm not convinced she didn't know and they were faking the storyline.

She suffers from the dreaded Foot o' Cleavage Syndrome (see RHOC).

I'm enjoying this season's minimalist approach to Kathryn. I don't even like to hate-watch her. I guess she has a Bravo stylist sometimes, because when she apparently does her own hair and makeup, she looks weird. I like Chelsea and Austen, but not necessarily together. The women in my southern family are a lot like Chelsea. They love "masculine" country guys - trucks, hunting, cowboy boots, t-shirts and jeans, the entire shebang. None of them live in cities, however. And the men don't buy new clothes to go hunting, other than camo wear. Agree that this show is becoming too scripted. I suppose it's an effort to course-correct after the last couple seasons' horrors. Saint and Kensie look like their mother - the big blue eyes that tip up at the corner.

Is Naomie sticking with Craig solely for the Bravo opportunities (payment for being on the show, endorsements, etc.)? Can we have her on the show without being coupled with Craig? Maybe she thinks she cannot. He's a smooth-talking, attractive charmer who knows how to move in certain social circles and wear pretty clothes, but his thinly-disguised arrogance and disdain for her are wearing thin. If someone spoke to me the way he did, especially publicly, his stuff would be out on my front sidewalk. She's not behaving well, either; her patience is gone and she's frustrated and angry at him. It's her job to move on, not keep berating him. He's using her. He'll drop her like a hot potato if a better offer comes along, or if the relationship doesn't pay out in the way he expects. Loved how Michael picked up poor chubby Chauncey and loved on him as he carried him into the AC. Shep looked notably healthier without drinking - his face had been looking rough. Jennifer's definitely trying to earn that Bravo foldin' money. ETA: I once knew a VA Tech football player who loved to sew. One of the most masculine men I ever knew. I once warned a close friend that I would walk away after she kept me waiting in a restaurant for an hour, and after earlier similar incidents. She did it to everyone. I left the friendship.

This series has become a soap opera, which is so disappointing. What's worse is some of the amateurish acting. In the past week or so I've seen news stories about immigrant physicians secretly doing female circumcision in the US. I think they were arrested and stopped before it happened. During the Cuban missile crisis I lived on an air base that had lots of missiles and was a strategic target. My dad took off with his bomber crew and was gone for weeks as they patrolled US borders. All the families on base had to put sand bags in our basement window wells, to protect us against radiation and attack. We had to sleep on cots down there, keeping chemical toilets and lots of canned food and bottled water. It was very scary.

He almost always seems strange to me. Except when he's hanging with the other "husbands," he seems detached, probably stoned. I think he's the one who pressures Kandi to be on the show, as a way to market their brand and make him money. I believe that some day there will be stories about how he used Kandi.

Speaking of Instagram, I'm assuming that Craig's and Naomie's Instragram posts are sponsored. I'm thinking of their frequent travel. I could have sworn that Jennifer said she went out with Thomas - maybe during one of her talks with Kathryn? I could be wrong Major Bigtime. Does Shep smoke? He sounds like he has a smoker's voice. That and the drinking and his father's cardiac history - it's time to get healthy.

Too bad we didn't get to hear from the women on Andy Cohen's show. We saw them for five seconds. It's interesting to me that Jennifer and Josh are choosing to reveal their trouble on camera. Perhaps they are trying to control the narrative on his troubled history. Despite his charisma, he appears quite ill at ease sometimes, like he's not ready for the real world. I'm excited this series will be back in July. I love it.

I didn't say she wanted to be a main cast member. She has inserted herself into the show since the beginning, including going online at the old TWoP and challenging posters there about their mean comments. She dated Thomas, then railed against him when she sided with Kathryn, and now she and Kathryn aren't on good terms (understandably). The fact that she has an ill child doesn't mean she's not camera-hungry; apparently it pays pretty well.

Kathryn cannot stand the thought of anyone else getting camera time because of their problems. That's HER schtick. A lot of people expressed sympathy for her in the beginning, which she masterfully played. She was projecting like crazy during that lunch. Her narcissism and addiction have rendered her inhuman. That said, I do feel that Jennifer has been angling for a spot on the show since it began. In one of the media links there was mention of Kathryn losing endorsements due to her behavior. I'm speculating that some of these folks early $300K or more annually, based on their Bravo paycheck plus endorsements and paid appearances. Craig is bad news. His ego and arrogance used to be kind of funny - kind of an early adult thing - but it's settling in for good. Run Naomie - being called stupid because of a differing opinion is a deal breaker. Craig was expecting adulation at dinner and instead Naomi confronted him. He was furious. Kenzie going to ballet - one of my all time weaknesses is little girls in ballet gear. I hope Shep was exaggerating his nightly drinking load. I bet he thinks he's going to control the narrative in his new show. Perhaps he will if his "dates" are nincompoops. ETA: was that Danni who was sporting a new engagement ring in the boat episode? Also, I owned a rental property, and it was a challenge to keep long-term tenants, even in a desirable neighborhood. It was an older home, so maintenance was ongoing, and you can get some really loonie tenants, even with background checks. Craig will probably have a management company handle all of that, but where I live it's not cheap to do so. One of my tenants was doing a lot of cocaine, and evicting her was a nightmare.