mamadrama

It made perfect sense to me. Dude is a sarcastic guy with a seemingly tough exterior, but inside he's sentimental and has a heart. I liked the comment because it seemed to be said in irony and both he and June knew it wasn't true. FWIW, someone can both dislike kids in general in that they don't want them and don't care to be around them for long periods of time, yet still want to see them safe and taken care of. The two are not mutually exclusive.

I write paranormal books and am invited to a lot of horror cons and scarefests. My kids have grown up around scary crap. Little one wants to be a special effects artist.

Also check out "Flowers in December." Beautiful orchestra arrangment and ethereal sound.

Has anyone seen anything about what S4 may offer?

Honestly, I didn't get all the soapy window stuff. They weren't getting there until after sunset...close the curtains.

I don't want "smears" of food. My kids made those when they were toddlers and I wasn't impressed then, either. Also, I want more than a taste. If I have to swing through a McDonalds after my $200 meal then that's a fail for me. I am not a food snob. I enjoy things that taste good. I have been just as happy with the 6-course meal at a well known Viennese restaurant as I was with the chocolate crepe from the sidewalk vendor hslf a block away.

You'd have to live here, where I am, to find those prices. Our mortgage for a 3500 4-bed house on 2 acres is $550 a month. Apartments run around $300. The trade off is that we're isolated and there aren't any jobs. The ones that DO exist are only minimum wage. Jenny moving to India makes me think of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Ressurrecting old post here.. US doesn't officially recognize dual citizenship, but you can still do it. My kids have it: US and UK.

Ha ha, I tried a bunch of different ones. I'll post another one over in Small Talk so that I don't go off topic too much. It's kinda fun. I also thought parking might be a problem. I've never rented a car in a foreign city. Now,to get from one side of the country to the other or for long trips I've rented abroad, but in this situation a cab should've been offered. She'd never even been there before. I can't imagine how intimidating that would've been.

Playing with filters and apps. The one on the left was actually a pretty good picture even before I did this to it. I'm not very photogenic but once in a blue moon I'll inadvertently slip a good one in. The other one was some pictures I had to take for a Horror Con thing I was attending. I can see why the women on these shows (and others,too) want to use these filters. It's pretty cool to kind of smooth out and amplify yourself like this. But if they're depending on those photos to find themselves a husband then they might want to reevaluate their plan because he's gonna see you in person eventually. (Well, maybe. I still think some of these folks aren't real: Maria, I'm looking at YOU). I made these the other day and now I can't remember which program through FB I used. I tried a bunch of different ones. I'll retrace my history and then share the link if I can find it. Here's a new stocking stuffer this year: MamaDrama Barbie.

I know this is going to sound weird, but I kind of feel like the series in general was rushed. When we started the series it was already several years into the Gilead reign. S1 showed a lot of the Gilead and Handmaid world, but S2 went right into June escaping the Waterfucks for a while and plotting. S3 was literally about getting people out. Now that the Waterfucks are in Canada and Rita's escaped (along with Emily and Moira), and June is probably NOT going to go back to Handmaiding it, I feel like a big bulk of the story is over. I honestly wanted to see MORE. I want to see more of the Gilead world. In a terrorizing regime like that, it's often the tiny little details, like no words on food containers, that are the scariest things. I wish the show had devoted more time to that. I feel like I could get to know Gilead and the laws, entertainment options, socialization of the Econos, holiday celebrations, etc more. I just feel so rushed. Now that S4 will probably focus on fighting with the resistance, we're going to lose a lot of that stuff because Gilead will have to batten the hatches. The show was so intent on showing the BIG things-June's rape inducing labor, cutting off SJ's finger, SJ's spanking, etc-when I honestly think they missed the boat a little. The show's been the best when it's far more subtle IMO. I'll say it again...I didn't hate this episode. I quite enjoyed parts of it as long as I was just processing it as midnight viewing fun. But the fact that things could have been better bugs me. As long as Mossy is a producer and has so much control, this is going to trn into the exact thing she SAID she didn't want-a vanity project. They can't even see the issues that most of us are aware of.

I think they might already know that and it's one of the things she has immunity from.If they're going to stick her with things, looks like it's going to be the rapes. Hell, I'd stick her with unlawful imprisonment and abuse. I bet Rita knows stuff...maybe even about the first handmaid who died there.

So I've been thinking about these people and their "filters." Rebecca is not unattractive.I know WHY she used the filters, but I think he probably would've been just as attracted to her if she'd sent her own. The desperation is strong with that one. (And dude totally needs to wash his hair. Like 10 times.) The women who go to such extremes to hide what they really look like and then seek someone from another country is, IMO, really saying something about their self esteem and maybe even some mental health issues. I'm not ragging on them. I also went through the K1visa and married my own foreign spouse. None of the things they do really scream "desperation" on their own, it's the cumulative effect that makes me raise my eyebrows. I'd have been so mad about renting that car and then driving in Tunisia. I think I'd have had a heart attack, to be honest. I like our roadways: clearly defined lanes, rules of traffic that people actually follow, and stop signs that aren't just there as suggestion. Oh, Darcy...No. Just no. Grangela makes me sad. The weird thing is that I actually LIKE her. Her segments have me rolling my eyes back into my head, but she underneath all this other crap she actually seems like a decent person. She also reminds me of a lot of the people where I live, as well as family members. The rest of them just kinda fade into the background for me. Now: filters So I went ahead and pulled up one of those FB apps where you can upload a picture and make yourself look like a Barbie or whatever. I don't have a cell phone at all, so I worked with what I had available. This is me, the real MamaDrama, filtered. It's not a lie, per se. None of it is "fake." That's my skin, those are my eyes and nose, that's my real hair...But I can assure you that I do not look like this in real life. I'm a babe! If I were to send this out on a dating site I'd probably get some hits, at least from some Tunisian love rats, but they'd be awfully disappointed once they met me. It makes me feel sad for the women, and some of the men, who do this and think it's the only way they'll find someone.

That's where I'm at, too. Glad that Serena will have to answer to her crimes, sorry that Fred and his smug little grin had to be the one to turn her in.

The dental school in my state has a very complicated procedure for appointments-basically, you can't make one. You have to show up early on one of the 3 days of the week it's open and even then you may or may not get seen. Basic care such as fillings, extractions, and cleanings are free but anything other than that is offered on a sliding scale. It's also a time-consuming process. A friend had a root canal and crown put in and it took 4 separate visits for that single tooth.

My area doesn't have policies anywhere near that. We were able to get subsidized insurance through the ACA and the lowest deductible and premiums available to my family of 4 were $3,500 per person or $5,000 for family and $625 per month. Even then, insurance only paid 40% in a lot of cases. It's one of the reasons why my family is currently more than $100,000 in medical debt. When you have a chronic condition, lots of shit happens. I shouldn't complain because before the ASA we didn't have insurance at all, so this IS a step up. It's just not cheap. As a social worker I helped people sign up for different government programs and I became very familiar with Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance purchased and subsidized through the marketplace. Our state does not have ANY policies with a $0 deductible. The lowest deductible on a plan is $500, but the premiums for that are more than $1,000 a month. Now, if you don't go to the doctor often then you might get away with the "bronze" plan here, but the lowest available has a $10,000 deductible. Of course, monthly premiums are only $175 per month, but it also only covers 20%. SOME states did accept "Expanded Medicaid", which may be what you're thinking of with the $18,000 a year (it actually goes up to $24,000 in some states), but not all states took it and it's not available to those who live in non-participating states. Sorry, didn't mean to ramble, but my entire life's revolved around medical treatment, insurance, and doctor visits for the past 3 years. I can definitely understand why people may not be able to go to the doctor. If you're low income then sometimes even that $25 office co-pay is too much. If you don't have it, you don't have it. Many of these things on this show would be considered "cosmetic" issues and there's a good chance insurance would not cover them. Insurance did not cover the removal of the cysts on my scalp or the pore of winer on my back. Dermatologists are like a lot of other specialists-some are good, some are not. Some really don't want to take the time to investigate a complicated issue. Some of these people in these episodes have dealt with their issues for 20 years or so. It can feel overwhelming to look for a good doctor and to try and pay for the various treatments (especially if it takes several tries to find the "right" one), If you've already been to one or two who acted like they just didn't want to deal with it then then I could see not wanting to go back and just living with what you have. Dr. Sandra is someone willing to investigate, research, and really come up with the right answers. She's not afraid to be wrong or to admit that she just doesn't know. It appears that the patients on her show are comfortable around her and that says a lot as well.

Ladies, you better hold onto your guys when you visit the Wal-Mart now...

I guess I should've worded my post better. I meant "interesting" in a sarcastic kind of way. I pretty much figured out why Fred brought that one up.

Thanks. The show is so dark that even watching in a dark bedroom with all the lights off it's still hard to see faces clearly.

Carly is not "their" daughter, she's B&T's daughter and as her parents, they have the right to choose who they allow around her. We don't know the full story, either. It could very well be that CARLY has been the one to say that she doesn't want to see THEM. It happens. I trust B&T, as Carly's parents, to know what is best for her. In a previous episode it was reported that Carly was seeing a counselor. We have no idea what's going on in these people's lives. I don't think they're being selfish by withholding Carly from C&T. In fact, I think they're making a very mature decision. I also don't think they're holding Carly over their heads. C&T are perfectly capable of sending letters, pictures, and presents to Carly throughout the year. And they choose not to. When it comes to my kids, I absolutely get final say over who they are around. If I don't like the way someone is acting and I think that their behavior is going to be hurtful to my child in some way, and it doesn't appear to be improving, then I will absolutely keep my kids away from them. It's not a punishment, it's a concern. Asking C&T not to post pictures of Carly or to talk about her on air are not unreasonable requests. B&T knew that C&T were going through a "rough time" when they met them...how many years ago now? They were children then. Exceptions were made at that time and B&T were very compassionate and understanding. That doesn't mean that they owe C&T anything now. C&T can't continue to hold the adoption over B&T's heads by continuing to play martyr. It still feels like C&T are acting as though this is just a temporary situation and that, one day, Carly will come back to them. They still feel entitled when it comes to Carly. Having given birth to her doesn't make Cate a mother, and once she signed those adoption papers it no longer gave her any rights. They have no control over the way B&T raise her. They DO have a choice, however. Several, in fact. They can choose to correspond with her throughout the year, for starters. And they can choose whether or not they want to follow the requests that B&T have made of them. They may not like those "rules", but their options are either to work with B&T and be able to see Carly or to disregard B&Ts rules and not see her. And as her parents, B&T have every right to create whatever rules or parameters are the safest and healthiest for their child-whether C&T and their "fans" like it or not.

I can just picture them rolling out the Carly blanket right there in front of B&T.

I understand why some of the handmaids didn't go on the plane, but what about the other Marthas? Wouldn't they expect punishment, most likely death, if they returned "home"?

When the epi started, my daughter said, "I bet you money that one of the last things we'll see is a shot of June's face in a fakeout to make it look like she might be dead." I now owe my 8 year old $100.

I did appreciate the way they put the red glowing lamp in the window to parallel the Underground Railroad when the people helping would set out the lanterns. That was a nice touch. Yeah, the other words I could use are things that would make a sailor blush. Hopefully, with Rita there now, they'll get even more dirt on SJ and make her pay for ALL the shitty things she did.

Them carrying June at the end, her cape folded around her to make it look like a coffin. So that guard in the beginning, the one whose attention June was trying to get when she wanted to know about Hannah? That's Kiki/Rebecca's dad, right? It looked like it could've been. My suspension of disbelief was really tested in this one. They had to come up with "another" plan to get them to the airport because of the guardians, but what was the original one? I loved every second with NotRory, Rita, and Samira. Wish there'd been more of them. I did tear up when the kids reached Canada. Many of the scenes just kind of dragged, though, and it made me feel like I was watching Mossy in a vanity project. At one point I wanted to scream, "It's one word, June, one word! Say 'yes' and quit dragging this out!" Interesting that out of all Serena's crimes that she could have been charged with (ones Canada didn't know) it's weird that it was the Nick/June bit that they chose to go with. What about when Serena held her down so that she could be raped and go into labor? I was happy that there was at least a storyline there. I didn't always like it, but it was there. So much of this season has been a rambling, directionless mess. I predict that in S4 they'll do a soft reset. June will probably be in trouble and get a slap on the wrist. The others, of course, will all get that special kind of surgery and then a limb hacked off. Because, you know, JUNE. The show likes to leave us hanging but each time the new season has started, things aren't nearly as bad as it looked like they'd be. Within a few episodes, Gilead will probably be back to its normal, psycho self and June will have another epiphany and decide to be a boss woman. Again. Rinse and repeat. If the show left us with that final scene because they wanted to shock us or leave us anxiously waiting a year for the new season, then they didn't succeed as far as I'm concerned. I was hoping she was actually dead. Didn't hate this episode at all. It was entertaining at least. I did ff through quite a few scenes that just seemed to go on forever, though. Mazzy Star...sigh...happy memories.