Mannahatta

Clearly Shawn's ability to sew let alone design was very limited. So it really pissed me off when she tried to turn her ineptitude into an act of nobility - "I concede." Concede, my ass. The judges would have sent her home anyway. And l for one would have liked to see how Claire's blue outfit turned out. ETA: Awaken I see we were thinking along the same lines there.

Is anyone watching Street Justice: The Bronx? It's another one of these series based on the recollections of a retired detective. Since I had worked in the Bronx for 25 years I had some interest in seeing this show. So I watched 2 episodes but both times felt that there was something so off about this show. The detective, Ralph Friedman, relates the stories in a flat workmanlike fashion with a minimal show of emotion, wit, or insight. The reenactments are cliched with dialog straight out of a 1970s cop show. Plus the pacing is wierd. Interspersed between the cheesy re-enactments they'll throw in some random news footage of the Bronx burning or whatever, and have a random talking head (another detective usually) make some kind of social commentary. And, most important, unlike Shattered, this show is unable to convey any true emotion - any sense of what the victims went through, what made the criminals tick, or even how the people in law enforcement felt. It's like it's going through the motions but it doesn't have any heart. At least, that's my take on it. I'll be curious to know what others think.

I found it to be interesting too. For starters I hadn't realized (or had forgotten) just how sleazy and manipulative Gary Condit was: married with multiple girlfriends, very secretive, bad temper, attempted to obstruct justice by asking women to lie for him, etc, etc. I also didn't know that Chandra had told someone (I forget who) that she had wanted Condit to leave his wife for her. And then there's the question of why Chandra went to a isolated trail in Rock Creek Park that was so rocky it wasn't even suitable for running. Did she go there to meet someone? Also, unlike a lot of the well publicized cases that keep getting rehashed - there has been a major development in this case over the past year: Ingmar Guandique, who was originally convicted of her murder has been released from prison and the decision was made to not retry him. So unlike other cases that are being solely retried in the media this one could actually be retried in court - in the unlikely event that any new evidence pops up. What a sad mess of a case. One more thing - I had to google this - Gary Condit is still married to his wife. WTF

I was struck by how all the women started to talk over Tinsley just as she was expressing her vulnerabilities. No matter what they said to or about her- the point is they weren't really listening to her. They all needed to be in control. I'm of the opinion that they perceive her as being weak and dependent and that's what struck a collective raw nerve. True or not; the one thing these women pride themselves on is projecting strength. And since they refuse to acknowledge their own vulnerabilities Tinsley probably represents all their inner fears. I actually think Tinsley is a great addition to the cast. She's stuck in the past on so many levels and it's fascinating to watch her try to grow. I'm rooting for her. And at least she's not bitchy.

Not to worry. He was probably too busy with his new play. http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/news/ct-mel-brooks-chicago-theatre-20170327-story.html http://www.playbill.com/article/casting-announced-for-uk-premiere-of-mel-brooks-young-frankenstein

Ah but Dorinda's walls are lacquered. It's a more expensive, labor intensive process than just using high gloss paint and it's probably even more difficult to paint over. I actually like the look of her walls and that she's not afraid of color. Not that crazy about some of her knickknacks, like those green guys above the fire place, but at least her place looks comfortable. https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/4438234/list/lacquered-walls-rise-and-shine

This episode was a bit of a game changer for me. Tom wasn't presented as being just a womanizer. He was presented as being a sexually aggressive dick. To me that puts his behavior in a whole new light. Guys like that are scary. Years ago the boyfriend of a friend cornered me and out of the blue tried to aggressively kiss me. When I told my friend she chose not to believe me. I think Lu is suffering from the same level of denial. Even if she loves being married for the sake of being married, and is accepting of Tom having affairs - I find it hard to believe that she would find sexually aggressive behavior acceptable. I can see how the other women would want to warn her - not that I think that they'll be able to break through her denial.

Did the coroner test specifically for Ambien? In 2011 Diane's husband, Daniel, sued New York State (blamed the crash on the road) and his brother-n-law (Diane had borrowed his supposedly defective car). http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/07/26/report-widower-sues-state-after-tragic-wrong-way-crash-on-taconic-parkway/ So I think it's fair to say that the husband has to be one sick and twisted individual to sue the very man whose 3 daughters died in the crash that occurred while his own wife was behind the wheel. So sick in fact that I began to wonder if Diane's husband had slipped her an Ambien before she hit the road. With Ambien a person's mind can fall asleep while their body appears to be functioning as if they were awake. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/15/ambien-side-effect-sleepwalking-sleep-aid_n_4589743.html This side effect can be abrupt in its appearance. It would explain how Diane went from appearing sober to driving in a completely irrational manner. Plus the husband is the one who said he didn't want children. It's rare but not unheard of for a man to kill (or try to kill) both a spouse and a child both to avoid responsibility and to appear like the victim. Going on Reddit and Web Sleuth requires a commitment to reading that I'm not ready for. I'm already getting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from scrolling this site. LOL So my question is this: has anyone else theorized that the husband was directly involved? Or do I just watch too much true crime on TV?

http://gawker.com/everything-we-know-about-dee-dee-blanchardes-twisted-oz-1712087183 The Gawker article says that the mother forced Gypsy to take anti-seizure medication that caused her teeth to fall out. It really is mind boggling that the mother was able to get away with torturing Gypsy all those years with the complicity of the medical community. Very scary stuff. That doctor who said that the mother wasn't neglecting Gypsy - just being overly concerned - conveniently left out that the very nature of Munchausen by Proxy means abuse was taking place. And that scene of Gypsy singing (dreadfully) on stage in that Shirley Temple outfit really skeeved me. It just seemed so patronizing. Didn't anyone in that audience think something was very wrong with the dynamic between mother and daughter?

I recorded it so I'm now 6 minutes into it.... I do believe ID may be trying to attract Comedy Central's audience. So far the style challenged Josh, whose family owns a 180 acre dairy farm, has informed us that "Sex with Donna was unbelievable." and shortly afterwards "Just as soon as she started milking cows I fell in love with her." Meanwhile Donna has a vocal fry so pronounced that her voice sounds like a death rattle. I don't know who eventually gets harmed in this story but I feel the greatest sympathy for them - not only for their unfortunate end but for having their name forever linked to this show. Not sure if I'll be able to make it much further myself......

Just finished watching it and I thought it was worked well as a dark comedy. Naturally, if it hadn't ended the way it did there would have been nothing to laugh at. And although Joyce probably isn't as hapless as they made her out to be, the movie struck just the right sardonic tone. Those two cons were able to play her like a fiddle. But she was using them just as much because where in the real world would she have been able to play the femme fatale? And then there was this bit of dialog: I don't know if she actually said it or if it came from the writers' imaginations but it pretty much summed up her defense. Oh and that she was afraid of them. Meanwhile last I heard her husband is still patiently waiting for her. He even wrote a letter of support for her recent (unsuccessful) parole hearing. Guess it's true - you can't fix stupid. http://www.newyorkupstate.com/northern-ny/2017/02/joyce_mitchell_parole.html What she did was unconscionable. She's lucky no one was killed by Matt and Sweat when they were on the run. She would have been looking at a lot more than 7 years.

On the subject of DNA - last summer, as I was waiting for the dentist - I came across a July 2016 issue of National Geographic. It's cover story was about advances in forensics as well as its widespread misuse: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/07/forensic-science-justice-crime-evidence/ While the article then goes on to note that the NSA's one exception was DNA, it then points out that "...a DNA sequence in a lab is only as good as the training of the person conducting the analysis." It's a very well-researched and scary article. It makes one wonder how many innocent people have been found guilty due to evidence that- unbeknownst to the jury - was based more on subjective interpretation than objective science. And if you add corruption, bullying, and an agenda by the police and the DA's office - then the whole process gets even scarier. As for ancestry.com and any other DNA genealogy website - I guess I won't be sending them any of my saliva. lol

Late in the episode, when the reporter was interviewing Raymond McCann, he said he hadn't lied at all but plead guilty to perjury because he was being threatened with a long prison sentence if he didn't. Innocent people do plead guilty if they're intimidated by the police enough. Still, one wonders where his lawyer was while all this was happening. Currently, the Michigan Law School's Innocence Clinic is trying to have his perjury conviction overthrown based on hours of still existing interrogation videos. I really feel bad for the guy. http://floridainnocence.org/content/?p=12677

Those two are textbook psychopaths to the core, and they'll be free in their forties! Free to threaten, harm and perhaps kill again. A few months ago Crime Watch Daily had a segment about them. What really stood out to me was a tape they showed of the twins, in prison of course, attending their GED/high school graduation ceremony. And who was there to celebrate and praise them but their maternal grandmother. Yes, the mother of their own mother, whom they had almost decapitated during their killing frenzy, was there on tape proclaiming how proud she was of them. How sick and twisted is that? If you care to be horrified further it's in the third tape of this link: https://crimewatchdaily.com/2016/10/27/single-mom-killed-by-twin-daughters-in-rage-over-strict-home-life/

A few random thoughts.....A few weeks ago (or was it months?) I had sworn off RHBH, due to the dumbness of pantygate, etc., but still continued to read this forum. Big mistake - I should have gone completely cold turkey. My curiosity got the better of me. I fell off the wagon and binge watched all the episodes that I missed. (Hangs head in shame.) But enough about me..... Some observations about Erika: her anger at Dorit and Eileen in Hong Kong was both amazingly over the top and devoid of any insight. She would rather be on the attack and full of the thrill of self-righteousness than question the reasons behind her own contradictory acting-out behaviors and emotions. She's kind of exhausting. Another thing - for all the efforts of her glam squad there's a weird 1960s/1970s Playmate-on-steroids/ mother-of-the bride look to her hair, make-up, and clothes. In fact, I was switching the channels today and came across an episode of Wonder Woman from 1976. Is it just me or is there an uncanny resemblance between Wonder Woman's mother and Erika? http://www.wonderland-site.com/html/photos/wonder/ww0256.htm

I know the story but I haven't watched any episodes of the documentary yet. I plan to yet I'm dreading it. It is a horrific indictment of our entire criminal justice system.

I had recorded the episode of Evil Lives Here titled "Trapped in Hell". It was so disturbing that I had to keep interrupting it. After 3 days. I finally finished it. It's insane to think that in this country, in this day and age, that an upper class woman with a law school degree, Susan Hamlin was her name, who had been close to her own family of origin - could become so completely trapped in a marriage with a psycho. Of course, intellectually I know that it's possible but wow. That show was insane - especially how the father ( Richard Hamlin, a successful lawyer - oddly enough) was able to convince, through fear and manipulation, all 4 children that the mother was the member of a cult who deserved to be beaten even killed by him. It was the kind of show that makes me question not only what's going on behind closed doors but just how thin is the line between sanity and insanity. What thought process kept the wife from leaving before it got so out of hand?..... Of course, there are people (probably not on this forum, lol) who may ask why I'm watching these type of programs at all if I find them so upsetting.... Well, at least the ending was happy.... sort of. The psycho husband was locked up for life. But of course the rest of the family still remains traumatized. In fact, I think I'm experiencing second-hand trauma from watching this show.

I think the restaurant is supposed to be Perinos. It was known for it's chandeliers and pink and peach color theme. Here's a 1940 photo of Joan Crawford taken in Perinos: https://www.joancrawfordbest.com/40perinoscafebevhills.htm Here's another link about the now closed Perinos: http://www.iamnotastalker.com/2012/08/14/perinos-restaurant/ A scene from "Mommie Dearest" had also been filmed there. Yep. It was definitely Perino's. Here's a link about the set design that includes this quote: "Since many of the era’s hotspots sadly no longer exist, Becker and her team recreated locations such as Perino’s restaurant." http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/ryan-murphy-feud-set-design/all

I remember one juror saying after the trial: "We shouldn't have had to connect all the dots." What a dumb ass. I guess critical thinking was too much work for her and apparently all the other jurors as well. That verdict was a travesty.

Right now I'm in the middle of watching Evil Lives Here. I had to pause it and come to this forum to see if anyone else was as freaked out as I am about the consistent under reactions by Choyce's wife. Glad to see I'm not the only one who was horrified by her willful naivety. She had so many warning signs that her boyfriend was disturbed. But she chose to minimize them all. And then she marries him! (This has nothing to do with being liberal or open about sex, or being conservative or prudish.) I would have been out of the house with my kid after he let on about his fantasy of having sex with his mother - especially after she had seen how his own mother recoiled from his touch. And she should have had some inkling of how terrorized her daughter felt being around the father. And what about the time she comes home and finds him in bed with a prostitute! Sorry but this wife must have serious issues to be so in denial. The person I do feel very sorry for is the daughter. And now back to the show......

Tieler absolutely wins in the personality department. He's a sweetheart. Love how he refers to Tim as "Mr. Tim". He's very talented and I was rooting for him, but the first words that popped into my brain when I saw his collection were - nursing home chic. The blue coat had the silhouette and length of a housecoat, and the shoes looked like they would be perfect if you had to work a 12 hour shift on your feet. Even the embroidery seemed safe. Still, based on the rest of the season, I would love to see more of his work. Maybe TPTB can have him on All Stars in a couple of years.

Yikes! Good choice, AUNTJESS. I just looked that one up on Wikipedia. Very, very weird and I had never heard of it before. I would definitely watch a show about that one. It sure was, WRITING WRONGS. While I enjoyed it overall I could have done without the scene of those two singularly messed up people going at it in bed. I also cringed in second hand embarrassment when one of the commentators said she was "jealous" of Dolly Oesterreich. So a homicidal manipulator is her role model - because she wasn't much to look at? Otherwise it was good to see a story that 1) took place long enough ago that I didn't feel sad about grief stricken survivors (although there didn't seem to be any in this case) 2) isn't well known, and 3) had a twisted psychological element to ponder.

I do believe that I'm officially sick of this program. I'm tired of watching how hard they have to work at the gym. I'm tired of hearing all of their giggly anatomically incorrect references to their "vaginas" and the "vaginas" of others. I'm tired of their shopping trips to buy more of the same stuff they already own. I'm tired of their mincing little steps as they scurry to greet each other with phony enthusiasm in too high heels. I'm even tired of their house porn. And don't even get me started on their meaningless verbal exchanges. (I hesitate to qualify them as actual conversations.) But yet, like an addict chasing that first high, I will probably continue to watch. Is there a 12-step program to stop watching this crap?

You mean that some of the Kendra episodes aren't factually correct? Say it isn't so!

Re: Evil Lives Here - that episode about Paul Keller was absolutely chilling. The parents seemed like decent people who repeatedly and fruitlessly tried to get help. It boggled my mind that - after an extensive series of tests - they were told by a neurologist that he was merely hyperactive when he so clearly was hard wired to have an antisocial personality. (Unless perhaps the parents hadn't been forthcoming with all of Paul's violent episodes?) But even if they had been told he was a sociopath - then what? What are parents supposed to do when they have a child who is incapable of experiencing empathy? In this case it seemed that they ultimately grew afraid of him and what he was capable of doing. He really ruled that family. I think that it wasn't just love but chronic, pervasive, underlying fear that was behind the father's wish to include Paul in the family business. What a nightmare. And Paul's casual demeanor in that police interview was exactly the attitude that the parents described seeing in him since early childhood. Well good for them for turning him in. It's a shame that they not only felt so much guilt for his behavior, they also paid financially with the loss of their business, home, and savings. And while I'm glad the mother experienced a spiritual epiphany - for her sake - I still wonder: how were they able to rebuild their lives from such devastation?