pasdetrois

Because of my job, many white people claiming native ancestry (usually a Cherokee great-grandmother, or something similar) approach me about tribal enrollment. They either want tribal benefits or a "government grant." I ceased being shocked at how many of them are furious at the notion that there's a good chance they do not have native ancestry, or that it cannot be proven for purposes of benefits (there are no government grants). Also, in about 80% of the cases where I mention that I work with tribes, such as at dinner parties, people tell me they have native ancestry. It is indeed a very big Thing.

Regarding NAs and AAs, in the southeast there was some mingling between the two groups, mostly in the 1800s; the Five Civilized Tribes owned AA slaves. If one goes to a pow-wow in the southeast these days, one sees tribal members who have physical features of both. For a long time white people hid their native ancestry because it was considered shameful. Then in the 60s it became fashionable to appropriate native culture and ancestry.

From Ayn, the brunette senior citizen who sits in the middle of the other two: "I told them to just take a little off of the top."

I liked the episode because it reminded me of some of the basics, which I struggle to keep straight. Mitochondrial DNA = mommy DNA; autosomal DNA = both sets of grandparents' DNA. (Do I have that right, or am I still getting it wrong?) Don't many scientists believe we all came from "Lucy in Africa?" I remember learning from my participation in the National Geographic project years ago something along those lines. Very cool that someone is building a native database. Many contemporary Native Americans are suspicious of DNA collection and testing, which makes it hard to research native ancestry. And the other databases are large enough now that researchers can discover an ancestor in the absence of any documentation. So cool.

Somewhere recently there was an item that stated that Poodle and SB "had received their checks." Maybe a gossip site. It was when SB was complaining about having no money and being homeless.

The acting and writing are so godawful I can barely watch. These extended prison/GovernorTown/hospital scenes come off like Acting and Screenwriting 101. Long ago there was a movie called "Who'll Stop the Rain" and at the end Nick Nolte's character (a fatigues-wearing Vietnam vet) dramatically drops to his knees, back to camera, and then dies, still kneeling. I'm thinking someone at WD remembered it and had Abraham copy the look. Anyway, Abraham and his self-indulgent, crybaby posturing infuriates me. Are we certain that Father Pee Pee is a real priest? I guess we saw photos of him as a priest? It just feels like he's mascarading as a priest, and that he's hiding some kind of dastardly behavior.

We saw a rare flash of the hapless Dawn's excellence as a nurse when she stood her ground with the young doctor. Boorstein plays Dawn so brilliantly, because I want to knock some sense into her, then in the next moment give her a hug. Having a baby was Dawn's big chance to shine in the spotlight: have a boyfriend, a cute apartment and revel in the attention one gets when pregnant. It will be interesting to see whether Patsy runs screaming for the hills now that he's not about to be a daddy. On the other hand, Dawn strokes and manipulates his ego expertly, and it's a siren call he cannot resist. My family member had life-saving surgery recently, and while his basic medical care in a "Top 50" American hospital was excellent, much of the attendant support was infuriating. We regularly received conflicting guidance and had to be diligent to get some basic questions answered. Everyone was so rushed and busy; I felt we were seeing the underlying "profit-is-all" approach in effect.

I was prepared to be slightly uncomfortable with this episode, but I was quite sad instead. I had a lump in my throat as I watched Valerie struggle to control her humiliation as they prepared for the scene. Kudrow was brilliant. Agree that Lance Barber is killin' it as Paulie G. The portrayal is dead-on - the colleague whom you know loathes you, you're not really sure why, and there's nothing you can do about it. It's such misery. Seth Rogan has the best voice in the business.

Isn't the magazine pronounced "Mary" Claire, despite its name being "Marie Claire?" Alyssa kept saying "Marie." Why couldn't the challenge have been more simple, like create a party dress that expresses love, instead of the convoluted past, present and future? I cannot stand Justin's quivery, teary-eyed heart-tugging stories one more second. So of course he'll probably remain in this season until the bitter end. Maybe Michelle's raspberry dress read better in person, but on my TV the color was horrific. And on my TV, Kate's dress was a very pale green.

June did not threaten Alanna directly with the baseball bat. Alanna was supposed to be practicing her pageant routines on a big stage - I think in the pageant venue - and June was watching from a distance away. Alanna was unfocused and rolling around and not paying attention, and June was forceful, annoyed, and very domineering, trying to get Alanna to practice. She was holding onto the baseball bat at the time - I think it was part of someone's pageant costume. At the time I watched, I was more perturbed at how mean June was being; she came across as a bully. I didn't feel the bat was part of the threat. But June's persona in that scene was very different than what she trotted out for her Honey Boo Boo TV persona. And, the crazed, bullying pageant mothers were quite routine on TnT. So June didn't stand out for that reason alone. ETA: I watched a couple re-runs of the old Intervention series (about intervening on substance abusers to get them into treatment). There were two different mothers of addicts/alcoholics who refused to believe their boyfriends had raped their young daughters. Years after the incidents these resentful mothers were still complaining bitterly that their young daughters had "stolen" the boyfriends. One of the daughters was 12, the other 15. If memory serves, there were other mothers who behaved the same way.

I covet Jane's home (and animals). Brad Goreski was a stylist on Rachel Zoe's reality show, and there was major drama when he went out on his own. He and his partner Gary Janetti, who is an acto, scriptwriter and producer, had their own short-lived reality show. It was interesting watching Brad decide how snarky to be about Valerie, given that in real life he would never publicly humiliate a client (one assumes). I liked this epi a bit more than the first one. The Washington Post TV critic says the series picks up come epi three.

So, is this "charity" registered with the IRS and other regulatory bodies? Does it submit GuideStar or other public-scrutiny reports? No? Color me surprised. If I recall from the one season I watched, the family collected toys donated from friends and neighbors and then claimed to redistribute them. Hardly a charity. Plus, Toys for Tots does it better. And legally.

Loved seeing the great Betty Buckley. This show does physical comedy very well. Poor unflapplable Didi nearly lost it with the hysterical Patsy. Whoever wrote the dialogue about profits and how to work the hospice/hospital/medicare system deserves an award.

I get excited every time someone explores a beautiful, unspoiled building. I keep imagining how great it would feel to find safe water and food and self-help books. I love the way the writers find new ways to present zombies. The invisible, fumbling zombie-trapped-in-a-tent was hilarious. Anybody who has ever tried to quickly get out of a tent in the middle of the night will appreciate it. Poor Carol, slammed around in the van flip and then smashed by an ambulance. Maybe she threw herself in front of the ambulance to be rescued from the existential conversations with Daryl.

My latest take on this mess: June DOES realize that things have changed from her TLC glory days, and she's frantically trying to put her own spin on everything and salvage the gravy train, but she's not smart enough to pull it off. (It's one thing to clip coupons and get yourself on trashy TV, it's another to talk your way out of being an extremely shitty parent.) Greatest trashy June hits: choosing her child's molester over her children; hinting that she may have cancer for sympathy; and spending all the money that should have gone to her children (which I suspect she did do because otherwise she'd be desperate to provide real proof otherwise). I think TLC knew about the crimes a long time ago, but figured they could be on the gravy train as long as the molester was in prison. They may not have expected June to pick up with him after his release. As soon as TLC's legal department vetted whether TLC was free of liability, and knowing the public would not appreciate or watch the show in light of this despicable behavior, TLC cut the gang loose. They made their sizable profits and moved on. Alanna and her minor siblings are lost, because it appears no one has committed any crimes or violations, and June will be free to proceed as she planned. However, with no cash coming in, and with scrutiny over his behavior, the molester will probably move on to another shitty mother with vulnerable little girls. June and her family will be back where they started, maybe with a nice house and a little money in the bank. But they'll keep getting unhealthy, there will be more underage pregnancies, and I question whether the girls will finish high school.

An off night for me, and not just because of the Euros. I guess the couchers didn't like the shows, because the energy was low. I had urged a conservative family member to watch the show, so of course last night we had porno dancers, pussy jokes and splayed legs. He hated it. Family Bed Dad annoys me. He's very "on" and aware of the cameras. Tries too hard.

I thought Valerie accidentally barged into the auditions. Didn't she march over to HBO to throw a dramatic fit on camera ("I'm mad!) and then events ended up with her in auditions? So the vicious monologue was in the script, showing the supposedly reformed Paulie G.'s continuing rage and contempt for Valerie, and she bizarrely (and brilliantly) ended up trashing herself through Paulie's words. She is so desperate for work and attention that she is willing to play herself in a new show that is clearly going to demean her. It was brilliant to watch her flip from I'm mad! to going along with a cruel audition in order to get some work. Her husband gets how insane this is. I agree that the opening was too long and too irritating. All that stumbling, doors slamming, Mickey's unctuous playing with the hair, Valerie's trademarked spurts of random commentary...but still I'm delighted this show made it back. That's a Hollywood success story in itself. Lisa's so smart to be having an interesting career at this stage of her life (given how hard it is for "aging" actresses).

My favorite show is back! I love the perfect blend of pathos and laughs, because that's life. Miss Birdy playin' possum is hilarious. Patsy's and Dawn's scenes are brilliant. So many quick little nuances between them, as he tries to figure out what he wants from her and manipulate her as well. Her little face shows her struggles to keep up with him. That sunbeam smile she shot him was pure joy in her moment. She doesn't get many of those. We should all have a DiDi at the end of our lives. I did not realize she is "only" an LPN. She does all that hard work for $12.44 an hour! Anyone who has dealt with big hospitals, home-health care, hospices and Medicare will appreciate the genius of Dr. James' closing chat. And I recognized Jayma Mays from Glee.

That mess tacked onto the back of Eugene's head is one of the worst TV wigs I've ever seen. The thing is its own walking dead. The Abraham-family backstory was badly done because of the jumpy editing; all I got was that they were scared, Abraham killed a bunch of people, and his family got eaten.

So it's obvious this series is nothing more than a chance for DVF to promote her brand. In the course of doing so, she makes vague comments about empowering women and mentoring young women. Yet much of what we see are catfights and other childish behavior? It's off my DVR.

Never mind Alyssa's white outfit - what about the blue denim overall/jumpsuit she wore in the opening venue? And her voice is just horrible. Loved Justin's and Fabio's looks. Michelle's was Sears catalogue 1972. I'm trying to ignore the two idiot "judges" that showed up. One of them looked like she had just wandered in from an all-night bender. Who sits with her legs splayed like that? I'm wondering if Chris M. is unwell. His color is off. ETA: Maybe Dmitry used the bungee cords because that's all he had once he scrapped the green outfit.

How many cemeteries can there be in the town where Jenna's mother died? Anyone can look up a death record if they don't remember an exact date, and I imagine the cemetery officials will tell you if your loved one is buried there. These days, there are also websites like FindAGrave.com.

I don't connect Kate's comments with other people in society bashing thin people, and I don't think she focused on the Jersey eaters because she is thin herself and suffers because of it. I don't think she's anorexic; I think her body looks good in a bikini. However, Kate is a snob, and she clearly looked down on the Jersey gang, reacting specifically to their physical appearance and geography. Most of them were overweight, some of the women had the Snooki look going, and they loved to eat. Kate made several comments about them eating during the charter that clearly conveyed a superior snobby attitude. Her reunion comment about the eaters was an extension of that.

Nothing brings this home to me in relatively current times more than the Shoah documentary. Made in 1985, it shows how casually but determinedly hateful some Polish people still are about the Jews. And in the south, the KKK hated Jews and Catholics along with black people.

The mass shootings were very common and not limited to one town or country.