BckpckFullaNinjas

@Yours Truly, well stated, ITA & you kids, get off my lawn!!! I worked in publishing for 25 years and was so genuinely burned out by the time I retired that I easily gave up looking at print media for quite a long time. Recently, picked up the local daily metro — and wanted to cry. Talk about a shadow of its former self.

Ive never liked Ramona but a highway billboard gave me a chuckle today: VAPOR MAVEN ”Ramona’s diversifying again!”, I thought.

Sociopathic! THAT’S the word I’ve been looking for, for Ramona. I don’t understand how people can find her funny nor amusing. Her total lack of concern for others and consistent excusing herself for any and all behaviors chills me to the bone. Who would be her friends, invited to her place for that dinner for 10 or 12? And Carole, “loathesome?” Yep!

I recorded the episode when it reran early Tuesdsy morning. I’ve always ff’ed Past Ramona and did so in her lengthy discussion with Dorinda. Then I ff’ed Thru Carole’s Long drawn out commentary on Lu’s arrest. Then I ff’ed thru most of Beth (as I usually have) and Carole’s predictable makeup date. Long story short, I watched Sonja atthe event, Tinsley at the hotel, and Dorinda talking to Lu. Let’s hear it for ff’ing! An hour-long program can be enjoyed - so to speak - in under 10 minutes, and I’m not tired out from smh!

My dad passed in 1999, but I clearly remember him marveling when Nicole Kidman ( IIRC) was lauded as the first female star to get $22 million for a movie. Dad said, “These people, they never have to work another day in their lives. Why dont they just retire & enjoy their money?” I confess I’ve wondered that, too. @Jextella, your insights make as much sense as any other reason I can Imagine!

I didn’t see it but your burn is lava-worthy!!! “Keeping your skin drum-tight across your skull” ”I saw you in the daylight. It Ain’t all that” And forever: ”Andplusalso” You are my QUEEN and I’m stealing everything! Especially Andplusalso !!!!! LOLwhilst bowing low. 8-)

FWIW, I agree.

Oo, no, I wouldn’t use SSS on my face without reading up on it.

That SkinSoSoft SERIOUSLY WORKS AGAINST BITING BUGS!! I finally tried it a few days ago and LOVE it! Wouldn’t try it on my face though. Maybe now, I will...’

@SunnyBeBe, if you don’t have dry flaky patches, SKIP the microdermabrasion, I’d say!!! I should have mentioned I use the sugar exfoliant once a week OR on the rare occasion I’ve been outside sweating up a storm, or on the only-slightly-less-rare occasion I’ve worn makeup overnight or a few days in a row. Moderation In All Things, etc.! Im an old old crow but genetics and a little obesity have given me oily skin even now — if I weren’t paranoid about the sun I probably wouldn’t even be wearing the Neutrogena. But do let me know if it works for you!!

OooOOOoo, skin care! Can I leap into this convo, please? From ages 11-19, I had what could charitably be called Terminal Acne. And Pops and Mom Ninja did all they could to try and help me. In the end, hormones balancing themselves out cleared all up. But in the meantime, a wonderfully competent and kind dermatologist told me I had some of the most sensitive skin he’d seen in 30 years’ practice — so I largely stopped blaming myself! And I became an expert at minimizing breakouts from other causes, including extreme caution around skin creams & makeup. And oh yes, recently the years of sunlamp treatments against the acne came home to roost as basal cell carcinoma, which we got all of and because of which I get a full body check annually. All that said: I swear by Neutrogena high-spf moisturizing sunblock every day, and wide brimmed hats or parasols. I have Rosacea so I should apply metrogel under my Neutrogena but sometimes I forget. I dust on a little powder blush and then a little loose powder and that’s makeup (other than a little powder eyeshadow for depth). To deep-cleanse I use ... don’t fuss at me ... granulated sugar. Heckuvan exfoliant. And here’s my biggest confession: I figured out a DIY microdermabrasion. My facialist is great, I love her, but I peeked and saw that her microdermabrasion was simply a very fine blade that she lightly used on the dry parts of my face. One day, just because I could, I tried the dinner knife from Mom Ninja’s silverplate flatware. It has tiny serrations, I guess the better to cut meat on the plate. I carefully tried it on the driest parts of my face — above and to the outside of brows, temples — and the results were immediate and FABULOUS. Thanks for letting me put in my oar! It’s been blessed YEARS since I’ve talked about skin care, nice to know others are working through their issues, too!

As I have never ever felt that I could even sell a lifesaver to a drowning man, I watch this show with a mixture of apprehension, terror, hope and gratitude for Ryan and his desire to help others develop their chops. I like the show very much but really hope it doesn’t have a second season, for the reasons mentioned in various posts, above. Til then, I’ll watch it happily. It’s a very nice change-up from the overload of reality shows that feature people who are paid to spat with each other!

Looked up @Spunkygal‘s link. Verdict: ho-hum, at least everything wasn’t white & black. Their grinning countenances jumped out at me from the magazine rack at the grocery the other day. HGTV STARS COLLECTIBLE VOLUME! Its amazing, what sells.

Carole gets 95/100 ninjas on standing up to Bethenny in an argument. I’ll watch the first part of this upcoming week on a PTVer’s sage advice, hoping for more! Bethy’s THs: can she get more bitter and poisonous?

Thanks to ALL who offered opinions! I knew “beat down” probably was overstating the case, but having survived my adulthood DESPITE close living quarters with someone who argues like Bethenny, I have waited long to see someone finally shut her up. In my case, “you’re scaring me! You’re freaking me out!” — was hollered by my opponent as, “you’re confusing me!” — to which I eventually figured out to respond either with a shrug and “but you’re so easily confused” or, “I doubt that.” I learned very early on not to chase the red herrings my opponent threw out, and certainly not to raise my voice, but to continue making my point as calmly as I could. Thus it’s been my dream to see one of these women put Bethy’s harpy self in her place and I’ve wondered why no one ever has til now. It only made sense that the producers discouraged them from acting like semi-sane grownups and shutting her down “because the way it is now makes great [sic] television!” Even Luann, enduring Bethenny’s filthy f-doll tirade — it would’ve been SO satisfying if Lu had stood up and said firmly and as evenly as possible, “this is out of control; you don’t like me but I do NOT have to listen to this outright abuse.” Walked out the room and left Bethenny without a target for her spew. In my own addled brain, THAT would’ve been good tv. And even if the B/C set-to turns out to have been scripted, at least the concept that a raging bully can be handled has been put out there. I’ll probably watch the 15-minute bits, as one of you wonderful PTV-ers suggested.

OK, my PTV gurus: I come to youses for guidance. i haven’t watched this episode because it doesn’t sound like it’s worth 42 minutes of my dwindling time (I’m not sick! Just realistic). HOWEVER! I’d like to watch Bethenny not get the last word, *finally,* in a HoWife argument. Is Carole’s beat-down worth the watch? Please advise. And — thank you!!!

Ah. Things I did t know, and points taken. PS: nice to know about Ramona’s BS. I can continue to really really dislike her. Icky woman.

ITA but OTOH she might figure more court time = more air time. She’s certainly getting more attention than if she’d just owned up, paid up & shut up. As much as I dislike Ramona, I’ve come to admire her response when asked to talk about her divorce during a reunion: “Next package, Andy!” IMHO Lu would’ve been much better off putting a bow on it and moving along.

Because she’s never been a writer. She worked as a producer for ABC News, a key job involving logistics of reporters, interviewees, locations, equipment, etc. Reporters write the scripts* that we watch them (or news anchors) read, or - more commonly these days - mentally organize their notes for the reports they give us on-camera. I couldn’t abide Aviva, but her accusation of a ghost-writer didn’t faze me in the least. At the very least, Carole’s memoir had a slew-ton of editing. I read it early in Carole’s first HW season; and listening to her - even back then when her personna was all about being witty and above it all - there is such a disconnection between the way she speaks and the cadences of the book. Of course, we don’t communicate verbally and in writing in the exact same way, and I wouldn’t expect that of any author. Carole had at least a very involved editor. I aver this after a fairly long career of writing & editing for a living. As much as I can’t stand her anymore, I don’t think less of her for that, at least. Although she did catch me off guard with her violent reaction to Aviva’s accusation. That’s probably the first time I realized, “This chick is not the chill, urbane creature she wants to project. She’s wound tight, and especially insecure about the book.” It would’ve been way more in character for her to have replied to Aviva, “Thats the word on the street, hm? How close to your corner?” - and smug and shrug away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *”scripts” not used in the pejorative - short for manuscripts ETA: I appreciate all y’alls’ discussion this week more than ever. I actually set the show to record last night, but reading your accounts, it sounds way too dark and humorless to watch until I’m in the strongest happy-mood ever. I remain morbidly fascinated with this bunch, but far prefer reading others’ accounts of them to actually, y’know, watching (and FF’ing most of the packages)!

Thank you for a much-needed chuckle!!!

Recently minted Japanophile here! It’s a typical thing over there to serve different foods on separate dishes at each place setting. I used this to good advantage at a lunch party I hosted. A bowl of stew, a smaller bowl for slaw, a small plate for garlic bread — everybody absolutely COMMENTED on how MUCH there was and how wonderful it all was! That said, Carole IS ridiculous and I FF’ed right thru both packages featuring her. (I hadn’t planned to watch but my houseguest had it on when I got home and wisely handed me the remote. Heh!)

Richard was a member of the CFR? Holy smokes !! I knew he was a wheel in the Democrat party but CFR — that’s something else ALTOGETHER. Which makes me wonder if Slurinda ever showed up whilst Mr. Medley walked the earth with her. i would think that would be a very major no-no by even a cute, young trophy spouse in that milieu.

I’ve been alcoholic-adjacent for most of my life (it’s not in my immediate family, but my most beloved friends have had to deal with it). As I’ve come to understand it, one cannot be polite when confronting an active alcoholic because alcoholics tend to be grand masters at weasel-wording and shmoozng their ways out of admitting they have the problem. Thus, “you’re a drunk” actually is most effective —and in a way kindest—because the only response it leaves for the accused is to reply, “Am not!” —and because it’s important for the alcoholic to hear it said. At least, so I’ve been told. If Bethenny has done any kind of work on her family of origin’s Problems, she’s probably heard that advice or a version of it.

Three out of four uses of the toilet involve the seat being down. Ergo, to wit & therefore, DOWN is how it should be left. I rest my case. Literally. Heh!

With the poster who said this ep seemed sad: Agreed, just from reading here & Dame Brian’s recap. I’ve decided not to watch it. However, with one woman floundering in unresolved grief & drunkenness, another woman mucking up her relationship with her daughter, and another woman - er, GIRL - acting a fool who’s never eaten an egg before (c’mon, Princess, you ate eggs when you were a poor commoner upstate) ... this one surely deserves the title “real” over many of the storylines we’ve seen.