magicdog

Just became reacquainted with one on Bluebloods: In, "Bad Company", one of the subplots involves a woman whose family was slaughtered when she was 6. Frank investigated the case, and the murderer subsequently arrested, tried and jailed for life. Frank and the woman keep in touch and he becomes a surrogate father of sorts to her. Fast forward to her getting married and asking Frank to be the man to walk her down the aisle. Shortly before, she receives a letter from the killer asking to meet with her. They meet and he tells the woman how sorry he was about everything - as he had been hearing voices and got treatment while in prison and also found God. However he did attempt suicide before he found spiritual comfort. The woman gave a great retort which was something rarely seen in media in such cases (in fiction or real life)... she not only doesn't forgive him, she gave him a richly deserved rant on the lives he ruined and how her family couldn't be there for her wedding or that her 5 year old brother never even had a life. Her final words were that he go back to his cell, slit his wrists again and get it right this time! I was so "Hell Yeah" during that scene!

I had to create this thread just to vent about a scene I saw last night on "All In The Family": In, "Mike's Mysterious Son" (1972), a woman asks if Mike Stivic lives at the house; she then leaves her 4 year old son there with barely a word. Edith of course is freaking out and suspects that the boy may have been Mike's from a past affair. Eventually, Mike gets home, sees the boy and doesn't think too much of it until he is shown a photo of the kid with his mom - who turns out to be a former girlfriend. It has the entire family arguing (mostly Mike & Gloria) all night about the issue and the responsibility of what to do next. The following morning the kid's mother returns for him, admitting she was missing him. Eventually it's revealed the kid was not Mike's child but the product of a failed marriage the woman had after dating Mike. She snidely remarks how the bio-dad liked kids about as much as [The Bunkers]. Archie speaks up and reminds her she left her own child on a stranger's doorstep and virtually no other information. She gets all indignant because she couldn't date anyone since most men were running the other way once they saw the kid and she was trying to care for him alone. Archie, in an almost cow towed tone, says good luck to her, then the woman and child leave. I was so incensed at this final scene! Archie should have been allowed to take it all the way home! This woman dumps her child on a strangers home only because she saw Mike and Gloria together previously and thought they looked "happy" and how they might be a good fit to take care of her son. I was also pissed that she told the Bunkers virtually nothing (putting them through the angst of a child who may have been created by Mike and making it look like he was shirking his responsibility), put her child at risk since for all she knew, at least one occupant of the house could have been abusive, and it was all for her social life! She was upset single men would duck out on her because she had a young child! Perhaps I could have had some sympathy if it had been a job interview or was living on the streets and was trying to keep a roof over their heads, but it was all about her trying to get "another dad" for the kid! Here's what I wish Archie (or even Edith or Gloria) had said: Look lady, Mike isn't the baby daddy so he has no responsibility to the child one bit! Not only that but you dumped your child on a stranger's doorstep in the hopes of snagging a guy. Were you expecting to get married in Vegas that night and spring the surprise the next day? There's nothing wrong with single childless guys choosing not to stick with you knowing you had a child. They are not obligated to raise him just because you made a bad choice in a husband earlier. Plus, you didn't even tell us anything vital about the boy like allergies or something. What if he was allergic to that peanut butter sandwich we fed him? I'm sorry you have to raise him alone, and I hope things improve for you both, but you have earned no sympathy from me. All of this is the result of your poor decisions, and you're lucky we didn't end up calling social services to have the kid picked up!

The Step By Step reboot is a bit too close to the Full House sequel series, Fuller House that's currently running on Netflix. At least in the sense that the basic premise of the original is mirrored in the reboot and taking place in the same old house. Yeah, but I'd miss the episodes that took place between the 50s and the early 80s. Maybe it can be tweaked so that the "Sam" character could travel to a wider range of times. The whole point of the original was to lament the ghetto lifestyle the Evans family wanted to escape. They'd want to either welcome the gentrification or they'd move to the burbs (via Section 8) and then you'd have a story of trying to leave the ghetto life behind but still can't. As for the Different World reboot, considering Bill Cosby's public image is in tatters, I'd doubt any project he was ever affiliated with would fly now.

I know some people who use ASL (American Sign Language) to run people off. I took classes in sign and one of my teachers who was a CODA (Child Of Deaf Adults) used to tell us just signing freaked people out! They acted like being deaf was contagious. Of course it stands to reason the [solicitors] would be unlikely to know sign and wouldn't want to waste their time with someone who can't hear their spiel !

Ditto. For me, my childhood knowledge of most [DC] superheroes were Silver Age interpretations via shows like "Superfriends". I really liked how this show condensed and reinterpreted a lot of old characters into reasonable characters we could still enjoy watching regardless of how much or how little one was into comic lore. Impulse's introduction (so very complicated in the comics) came off as far more engaging and interesting here. I have no doubt Wally would have been discovered alive had the series gone another season. Without knowing much about the comics version of Wally West, I'd like to think he was thrust into the future Impulse came from and had to find a way to return to his proper time. IIRC, Greg Weisman said there was no "Speed Force" in the YJ universe so there probably wouldn't have been a storyline about him being trapped in it or something. I wasn't crazy about Impulse becoming the new Kid Flash (even though in the comics that was the case and Wally in YJ gave his blessing since he and Artemis were planning to return to civilian life), if only because he seemed to look too much like Wally and he seemed more distinctive in his Impulse costume. Plus, I was dying to know how the team was going to correct the scorched future. All we knew was that Impulse helped fix Neutron, save Blue Beetle from The Reach and saved Barry's life but not much else had changed. Was Darkseid the cause of it all?

I liked this film for the most part (saw it in theaters at the time it was originally released) but I was a bit annoyed at the events towards the end when That said, I loved the scene in which Peggy Sue is in her past self and answers the phone - and it turns out to be her long dead grandmother. Peggy turns in silhouette and you can see her turn into the adult woman she really was talking with a long lost loved one. Very emotional moment.

I happened to come across a movie I hadn't seen since it was first released to theaters, "Heaven Help Us." (1985). The film is set in Brooklyn back in 1965, and generally dealt with Catholic high school students (the boys went to an all boy school, the girls to an all girl academy). I remember being a bit bored by it when I saw it in theaters. I was however taken aback by the violence in the film - as the Brothers who ran the boys' school were seen beating the students with no mercy (as a Catholic girl myself who was attending Catholic HS, these were not the kind of nuns and priests I was accustomed to dealing with). I caught it on cable recently and I thought they did a good job in recreating the place and time without it looking like a bunch of 80s teens were walking around in the 60s (then again, some parts of NY - especially some Brooklyn neighborhoods have barely changed at all). When I mentioned to my Dad about the beatings the boys got from the Brothers, he said that was the way at the time. He even begged his parents to not send him to the local Catholic HS for fear the Brothers would split him in two (he was a free thinker before it was cool)! It wasn't until the late 60s and early 70s when the church instituted a "kinder gentler" way of teaching. More impressive is the cast- considering I'd forgotten them until I rewatched it: Andrew McCarthy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kevin Dillon (Matt's lookalike kid brother), Donald Sutherland (and the head of the boys' school), Patrick Dempsey and Yeardley Smith (the future VA for Bart Simpson)! Wallace Shawn also played a priest who gave an infamous speech warning of the dangers of teenage lust before a school dance! One thing that I didn't get were the scenes showing the "raids" the Brothers would put on at the kids' local hangout (a soda fountain). Since it wasn't on church property and the Brothers weren't cops, they had no right to regularly go in like gangbusters and turn the place upside down.

I understand that, I wasn't crazy about it or the explanation for it (molecular manipulation - speeding them up to cause an explosion). Being able to control time itself - even if in limited amounts or methods would make for a far more powerful witch. However Pyrokinesis wouldn't make sense, especially since we're going based on her earlier personality traits. Perhaps Cryokinesis could have been better since it was a literal freeze and could be used offensively as well as defensively.

Came across this video on YT about the state of pop music today. I can't help but agree with him as I listen to my iPod Nano rather than local radio and have very little interest in current Top 40.... or much of the Top 40 for the past 15 years. I came to a similar conclusion ages ago but thought it was just me getting older.

Speaking of...... I was driving to the bank yesterday and passed a local elementary school. it was near the time of dismissal so lots of parents were parked on the side of the road waiting for their little darlings to come out. I noticed one woman sitting in her car with her bare feet hanging out the driver's side window like she was casually lounging! I'm sorry, but that came off as very tacky to me! I feel your pain. If I can't find something, I usually find a great seamstress to make it for me. In one case I had to have one make some age appropriate clothing for my niece when she was little (about age 7 or so). So many items at the clothing stores were selling kid's clothes that IMO were far too revealing (hip huggers that were too low on the hips, crop tops, etc.). My family wanted to raise her with a sense of modesty and respect for her body.

I loved the power discussion we had in the old forums! Half the fun was doing a better job than the writers ever bothered to do post season 3. Morality Bites gave us a great sample of what the sisters could have been capable of - and that being only a decade after having their powers! It killed me that by seasons 5-8 the powers were never really developed properly and so many more powerful beings turned up (not to mention students at Magic School) it made the Charmed Ones afterthoughts! All three [original] sisters should have been growing in strength and wisdom but they seemed to get dumber and sloppy as time went on. Big fat ditto to this!! Then the writing geniuses had Phoebe's powers stripped! Perhaps they thought they could start from scratch but they failed miserably. Towards the end of Season 1 ("Power of Two") Phoebe was starting to feel the energy in her visions (like the heat of the flames in a burning building) so it seems she was meant to develop empathy in some form. She really didn't get another potential upgrade until Season 5 (The Eyes Have It) but that was only due to the gypsy amulet she was wearing. Then flash forward to her vision of the demon free future with daughter, "Ladybug" - in which Present Phoebe was talking to her Future vision self. That could have been a nice trick to see more often. Shall we work on a new round of powers and development? Let's go as we did before with Connie Burge's plan to have three powers per sister and rooted in their emotions: Prue triggered her powers initially via anger/agitation and developed mind based powers. Prue: Offensive power - Telekinesis - she would have developed it as we saw in Morality Bites. Of course this means she has to maintain greater control over it to avoid knocking down buildings or nearby innocents. Defensive Power - There had been a rumor that Prue would get her past self's ice power but it seems a little random. Conjuration (creating something out of thin air at will) could work since it's a mental ability and Prue could temporarily create a defensive object in a fight (sword, etc.) if her mind can properly envision the object (she could create a gun too but if Prue didn't know the exact working parts to a .38, then she'd have a prop gun that won't fire). Passive power - Bilocation - The power to be in two places at once (not to be confused with cloning - which on the show was demonstrated to be several copies at once). My guess was Prue would have been able to remain conscious after creating her duplicate (as we saw in "Primerose Empath"). She could have had one double doing a specific task (spy on a demon) while the original is working on a potion or fighting. Piper triggered her powers via fear/nervousness/shyness. She developed power over time itself. Piper: Offensive power - In the show, she got the power to blow stuff up but I never considered it a proper power advancement for her. I'm sure Connie didn't either. Defensive power - Freeze/stop time - Her powers initially manifested this way, and it allowed to to escape dangerous situations (or freeze Leo for her personal jollies). We saw it develop to the point in which she could freeze a city block ("Morality Bites"), freeze and unfreeze an opponent entirely or in part at will. She should have been able to reverse and move forward in time to limited amounts (say, five minutes maximum) in order to correct a mistake or prepared a better defense (think how the demon Rodriguez from "Deja Vu All Over Again" used it in his battles). Perhaps she could have sped up time for herself enough to move quickly (everyone else appears to stand still) to get something or research an entry in the BOS. Passive power - Invisibility - This would have suited Season 1-3 Piper, although perhaps not necessarily her character in later seasons. Of course if we go with the assumption that the original Power of Three remained intact and developed as initially intended, I'd agree with it. Phoebe triggered her powers via her empathic, youthful nature. Her development became more emotion based. Phoebe: Offensive power - Empathy - She would also develop mind links (as we saw her do with the succubus and Bo the Indian). Then develop the electrokinetic power she used on Cal Green in "Morality Bites". That would be the energy of the pain someone had inflicted on them. Phoebe would use that vision to kill or cripple an individual with the very pain they caused to someone else. Defensive power - Power duplication - how her empathy was used in later seasons of the show - to copy a power used against an opponent temporarily. Passive Power - Premonitions & Healing - her premonitions would have developed to the point in which she could get them on command and not necessarily touch an object. She could walk into a building or room and feel the psychic energy. Intertwined with her empathy ability, she'd be able to feel emotions and the world within her individual visions (feel the terror of a victim, or heat from a fire). Since we have her using the empathy to destroy a demon with the pain it caused, perhaps she can also use her power to heal a victim spiritually by channeling the good someone has done for others.

ITA!! I can't stand seeing people so darn lazy they couldn't be bothered to put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I'd give these people the stink eye, but they'd accuse me of being, "judgemental" or something. My mom and dad were like this. Mom used to tell me she was always grateful to hear his snoring, because that meant he was alive and well! It makes me wonder if old wealthy families didn't have it right by having married couples sleeping in separate rooms! Plus, many of them lived life in the fast lane and were "rode hard, put away wet". None of that can be good for one's looks or overall health. They'd be lucky to have survived it since there are so many who didn't.

The old WCBS FM did little things that were similar, like "Same Title, Different Song", so you'd hear, "Stairway to Heaven" by Neil Sedaka (1960) and Led Zeppelin (1971) or "Gloria" by Laura Branigan (1982) and The Them (or Shadows of Knight) (1965). Then they'd change it up and have "Same Title, Same Song" which featured covers and then ask listeners to vote on their favorite version.

Ditto. BTTF did s great job of showing mid 50s America and both Glover and Thompson looked like they belonged in that era. My parents (who were from that generation) loved the film too and thought the 50s portion was spot on. Far too often people behind films set in another time think all they have to do is put a few vintage cars and clothes and references in it and that's enough. Not so.

Sometimes I find certain stories set in the past lacking in both atmosphere (mistakes in wardrobe for example) and mores of those who grew up during that period. For example, "Dirty Dancing" was set in the summer of 1963. While some people looked like they belonged in that world (usually the older adults), some teens (specifically Jennifer Grey) looked very out of place physically. Baby would never would have worn her hair like that. Both she and her older sister were also contemplating sex outside of marriage. While there were obvious exceptions, the average teen girl at that time wasn't planning on having "a first" sexual encounter. Baby's older sister was telling her how she was going to make a certain boy her "first" and was going to see him - until she walked in on him having sex with a different girl. This was something written by someone acting with a more recent frame of mind. On average, most teen girls back then were expected to wait until marriage, and those who didn't tended to get caught up in the heat of passion rather than actively seeking out a sex without commitment arrangement. The spiral hairstyle on one female character in "The Help" was also all kinds of wrong for the era. Ralphie's mom's hair in "A Christmas Story" was also not a 40s style, although I think that was the only thing out of place in that film. In "Titanic" - we got a spoiled Rose who was planning on running off with Jack (with whom she was sexually intimate with in the backseat of an early automobile no less!) once they arrived in NY. In reality, Rose likely would never have met up with Jack (since ships like the Titanic strictly controlled each class of passengers) and she certainly wouldn't have been able to survive poverty as it was in 1912. No rational woman of Rose's station at that time would have contemplated this. Other period details including clothing and modeling the ship as it looked however was stellar! I even appreciated how the director allowed the water to sweep away the grand staircase as it might have on the real ship!!

I'm surprised - I'd have figured they'd have played, "Chain of Fools". They probably did though, didn't they?

So sad to hear about these recent passings - especially that of Earl Hamner, Jr. Not only for his body of written work, but for his folksy narrations for "The Waltons" and the original "Charlotte's Web" (1973). Now I can't help thinking, "The real John Boy is gone!"

Same for me - at least based on my music preferences. Sadly, many stations (both music and talk on both AM & FM) went to either sports radio or Mexican music. How much sports radio does one need? When I first moved here, there was plenty of variety - especially Doo-W**/50s music to enjoy. I'm too young for the original era but I love it! One of the AM stations used to replay old radio shows from the 40s and 50s ("it was from a canned feed called, "When Radio Was") which really gave me a better understanding of entertainment in the theatre of the mind (other than books of course!). There was a good oldies station that used to play lots of 50s music but now barely plays any music from the 50s at all - and skipped straight to the period between 1965 to 1975. While there's plenty to like in that era - it's repetitive. Not to mention way too much focus on The Beatles (part of their slogan brags they play mmore Beatles than anyone else - whoopee!). No one had the thought to play b-sides or "lost gold" either. I swear the playlist is on a loop because I hear the same songs in the some order on my way to work as I do coming home! I'm also a talk radio junkie but many of those stations dropped their formats (especially on weekends) to air medical talk (with "Dr. So & So'), Real Estate talk (boring!), and financial talk (even more boring!). I thank my iPod Nano for at least playing some obscure stuff that breaks up the monotony. Being a native New Yorker, I really miss the old WCBS-FM (101 FM). The one I grew up with played Doo W** and all sorts of music up to about 1976 (this being the 1980s when I used to listen most). They had great DJs (Like Cousin Brucie, Norm N. Knight, Max Kinkle, et al), Top 40 countdown on weekends from that day and year (May 3, 1966 for example) and you'd heard not just some of the hits you knew, but more obscure tunes and songs that "bubbled under" the top 40. A lot of old rare records went into those shows! In the 90s or so (early '00s?) The station went to an automated format (sort of like "Bob") and played top 40 and listeners went nuts! I remember the news went national because the DJs weren't even notified of the change. I they got rid of "Bob" eventually, and I went to listen to it live online but the station just isn't the same anymore - the damage was done IMO.

Sorry to hear about that. Have you tried coconut oil? That stuff is great for skin - moisturizing and even healing. It's one of nature's anti-virals. I use Vita Coco brand but most any brand will work as long as it's virgin (not processed, and is a white solid until it reaches 76F or higher). I myself used it on bug bites and the itch disappeared immediately! Maharincess, Lordonia, I'm sorry about your dental woes. May I also suggest this book which offers lots of advice on how to protect your teeth (in some cases, they say it's better NOT to see the dentist!) .

I've seen this sort of arrogance with various skilled types - for the longest time it was common in doctors and lawyers. Some doctors feel superior because they studied medicine and supposedly have the power to cure or kill you (actually, so do pharmacists!). Lawyers feel superior since they can get you in and out of trouble due to their knowledge of the law - If they're prosecutors, they are smug about how they'll indict the proverbial ham sandwich. Defense attorneys brag how they can get you off - and you can't likely do it on your own.

Don't take this lying down Petunia13! I'd report that person immediately. That attitude is unacceptable! Maybe she needs a reminder of how people with better attitudes are more likely to keep their jobs. If this is something she regularly does, there is probably a record of complaints. If not - it could be a wakeup call for her.

This could be interesting if Charlie is reunited with his family. I remember the TV movie, "I Know My First Name Is Steven" about a real life case in which a boy is kidnapped at age 7 and comes back to his family nearly a decade later. The movie explored how the little boy they knew was gone and there was a lot of clashing since Steven had a loose upbringing (not to mention having been molested for most of that time) and he eventually moved out. I can see Charlie's life on the street and independence causing friction for the family.

Please be careful. You don't have to like or vote for Trump, but keep in mind he is being protected by the Secret Service for the duration and a post like that can be seen as a potential threat. As for Kitty Kelly, I never took much stock in her work. I was so sorry to hear about Frank, Jr. however! Tunia, cool story! My parents remembered his infamous kidnapping case back in the 60s.

So glad to be able to talk abut this show again! I watched YJ during its initial run on CN until it was unceremoniously dumped by the network and the majority of the DC Nation block scrapped. What annoyed me most was the fact it was dropped just as Darkseid was to be introduced! This could potentially be rectified. The show is currently available on Netflix and it's been reported that Netflix will consider reviving the show if there's enough interest. Here is one of several YT videos reporting on the news. If Full House can be brought back (Fuller House anyone?) this show could have a shot. Bring Back Young Justice!

My guess is he was at a friend's house or part of some recreational activity when the invasion happened. They showed the kids near the Santa Monica Pier, so I don't think it's too far fetched to think he went with some friends (perhaps those who were with him in the scene) to play and got stuck.