pearlite

And while I'm regretting the loss of MEK, allow me to deny Edith Piaf, and offer another regret where cast is concerned. I'll just slip into something animal printed so I seem mildly cougarish: Ravi! He was fun, great to look at, and the character was a damn sight more interesting than the Natey Nate Nates, Elena, and Hilary 2.0.

Oh, MEK, my little silver-haired cherub! Show had a really good thing with Dr Neville, and they blew it massively. MEK could do the multi-faceted character thing in his sleep, and he really brought a lot of added life to the show. It's just too damn bad that Valentini and GH got to him, and show was too dumb to counter-offer [I assume].

Working online is a tough adjustment for nearly everyone in educational and business scenarios. Of course, the universities are doing a big sell on it for the last few months, touting it as "the way of the future," and all. As someone who's taught online since 2000, it has some positives, but it's not THE ANSWER. It's cheap of course, no overheads in terms of building use--and this is a big one with postsecondary, where everybody's afraid of decline in numbers for fall. Unlike public schooling systems, postsecondary is a numbers-based game--it's business. But there are an incredible number of negatives of varying degrees, including major issues for students who need labs and studios to actually do their work. And yes, people/students find online work formless and silent--not to mention the issues involved where people don't have the computer hardware or power to run applications required by their institutions/businesses. PLL is stewing to the point where she's considering opting for a three to six month break if the fall semester at University of Toronto is completely online. Lack of human contact and stimulation leads to depression on her part--this is far from uncommon, especially in what we're living through. End of speech. As I go back to contemplating how to deliver an online lecture to 75+ students in the fall...

And as I waffle on...it's Victoria Day here, and I'm pro-Brit [pasty Anglo thru and thru], so I'll send this along to remind you of the glories of the Empah. This is not a political post; this is a statement of personal preference. And red maple leaves or no, it's the Union Jack all the way. And yes, I make PLL sing "Land of Hope and Glory, " the chorus of "Rule Britannia," and "England's Green and Pleasant Land." And then the board had multiple hiccups--apologies.

I managed about 10 minutes of this episode--that's good going for me--alone in my not-fondness for these episodes. That said, I wondered why Gina had a Christmas ornament in her hair. And on another note, true confessions time: call me a chubby chaser if you will, but I'd have had a go at the actor playing Brock meself. Partial to the larger ladz.

Okay I'm uninspired and procrastinating today, so here's something that may amuse you. For those not from Ontario, the OPP is the Ontario Provincial Police--kind of like state troopers, I guess. They cover areas and highways not in major cities. For a moment, i thought this was serious: .

Vaughn isn't even traditionally speaking a burb--it's part of the giant northern sprawl of the GTA. And people in retail and media who need warehousing or a lot of footage started migrating north several years ago. They may have some chic little office/meeting space downtown, but it's so expensive... As a downtown person [who has to drive north to the university where I teach], I'm always surprised by how many operations moved north. I need an oxygen mask if I go north of St Clair...

And Kristen? She's changed now.

I read about this recently, and set it to record on Tuesday when it airs. I'm sure most of it won't be all that fresh, but I'm interested in soaps and media, so... https://people.com/tv/story-of-soaps-first-look/

Isn't that way up in the boonies? Vaughn? Outer Exurbia?

Do I remember that you have a chiweenie?

I always liked her too, and I thought she had the real "Days" flavour--a little rough at the edges, with a good heart. Pure new-world counterbalance to the Mediterranean Evil Bookends, DiMera and Kyriakis.

Not just super-cheap small, but... Did they re-use a sign from some earlier sequence? I ask because the sign behind Soliloquizing Sarah read, "Billets de Spectacle." That means show tickets. Well, maybe Sarah's performance had been advertised as a show? [Billets de Train means train tickets] I've grown fond of Rex, which surprises me. Line of the day, "Nothing says I love you like ten to life."

Hah! Rats! My neighbour and I's backyards are wildlife festivals. And as of a year or so ago, rats got into the show for both of us. I live a coupla blocks up from Lake Ontario, but I doubt they're here for the water sports. My house is 1890s, but that's not the issue--it's likely about the numerous restaurants and food stores three houses away on the picturesque retail street next to us. Good eats. And because we've got sheds and stuff stored in our not-so-picturesque yards, rats just love the shelters from the weather. And I've just observed...they have babies in the spring. And they'll duke it out with the squirrels on our back stoop. And once in a while with our visiting indoor/outdoor cat belonging to another neighbour. Mind you, Tabby got a few of them.

Not-very-subtext from DG: "And my agent said it'd be a good way to keep my face in front of fans." Sidebar from PL: And, sure, sure you built it all your own little self...

And then there's the enchantment of Mother's Day in Toronto. Actually, it sort of came and went, but compared to last Sunday with 21C...

I think I lasted a little longer with yesterday's CDN. Don't know why, except there was Ashley, who they'd managed to wrangle into what looked like a blond fright wig [I know, I know--then she made the video, but I'd checked out by that point]. And Sharon being her usual MEMEMEME annoying self. And so on. It was of course Nikki and Victor's umpteenth wedding. Fine. But check out the processional music, guys and gals! "Deutschland Über Alles" no less. Unusual, you say? A little something from EB's personal request list? Stopped watching, because unless they featured "Springtime for Hitler" at the reception, nothing could top that.

Yes, and I enjoy hearing others' stories about this. I didn't really come to soaps the same way; however, I agree about the intertwining in odd ways. Case in point, as a child, I'd come home for lunch every day, which coincided with two things: my father calling my mother from work, and the intro announcer from The Edge of Night intoning Many years pass, and I'm in grad school, somewhat prematurely married, and too much time on my hands. I tune into General Hospital, for gawdknows what reason. I remember, and this is crucial for me, that it looked like hell visually--not just that it was B&W, but that it was static-looking and sounding. Nevertheless... Jessie and Steve at the nurses' station. For some reason, its very crappiness drew me in. Later, my entrance into Coronation Street was kind of the same--I resisted its surface, but scooched down and got into it.

I just dream way more than I'd like to. Some weird, some stress-replays, and some visits to the past. In general, I don't like this.

Snap, locusts? As long as huge white horses don't show up... Beyond Meat's really pricey here, too. There are getting to be a couple of competitors, so maybe that'll affect prices.

Unfortunately, neither am I. The novelty of seeing Terry Lester again...for a few minutes, okay. Seeing Jerry Douglas...for a few minutes, okay. Cricket, shit no. And yes, hasn't ED aged well? Those eyebrows had a life of their own, like caterpillars, and the perm'd hair pile-up, argh. Then I hit pause and erase. I swear I'd watch zoom episodes, just for something new.

Oops, another erase episode for me. There was a hair-off between Danny and PC3 --badly acted, badly written; there was some mewing from Cricket to Mme Chancellor, and then I stopped caring. Sorry, I'm the least nostalgic person you can imagine, so I'm not the audience for these episodes. Back to Doc Martin.

Hey jasoncc, I'm reading it too! Or rather I just started. How are you finding it? Me, I enjoy her style--she's really personable for an academic. [And I say this as an academic who hates academic style] She doesn't seem heavy-handed with the research and I really liked her intro with her history of watching GH.

DOOL did a pretty good job on the zoom parody, complete with the old-school soapy organ chords:

And here's a Days zoom parody: