proserpina65

That one actually sounded interesting from the brief synopsis I read - oh well, I may try it sometime anyway but thanks for the head's up. I was disappointed by Beautiful Ruins. Some of it (specifically the main plot) was quite interesting and well-done, but the book kept getting bogged down in what, to me, was a pointless and stupid sub-plot and kept veering away from characters who were quite fascinating. Entire sections of the book were a real slog to get through just to get back to the parts which were worth reading.

I didn't get a sexytime feel from any of that opening; to me, it read more like a torture scene, although I knew full well it would turn out to be something innocuous instead. Maybe that's because I'm most definitely not a Ichabod-Abbie shipper. I want them to just remain friends. (Now, it's really too bad they killed off Miss Caroline, because that was a ship I could've gotten behind.)

My vote is: both. Not at the same time, obviously, but alternating between the two since I can't make up my mind which I prefer. Oh, and although I want Ichabod to continuing wearing his colonial (and colonial-style reenactment) clothing most of the time, an occasional reappearance of the yoga togs would be most acceptable.

Thank goodness Matthew is gone. I couldn't stand another day of him. (Yes, I know that makes me superficial to judge him on how he comes across on television, but it is what it is.) I got the FJ, but only after first answering "Sticky Fingers" because I've actually been to that restaurant in London, then realizing that Sticky Fingers was the title of an RS album, not a song. I was surprised that the guy who won was credited with a correct answer since I've always seen the song title as "Ruby Tuesday", not "Goodbye Ruby Tuesday", but Jeopardy has gotten sloppy about that sort of thing lately.

Yeah, what was up with no Shirtless Renard in the hospital? Juliette's not my favorite character; I don't hate her but she is the most dispensible member of the cast, still, I didn't get this from her at all. What gave you that impression? (Not being snarky - I honestly want to know.) Isn't she dead? Didn't Nick's mother kill her in a fight?

Missed almost all of Friday's show, but I did get Streisand for the FJ so that's something.

It might be done, but only those within a day's ride would get notice. There simply wasn't a fast way of getting a message out, what with no trains or telegraph; it was horse and rider (or public coach) or nothing. In all likelihood, a lot of the out-of-the-area guests would show up because there simply was no way to let them know not to come. I wouldn't have. Other characters, yes, but Lydia (and, for that matter, Mrs. Bennett), no. I'm finding the casting overall to be very spotty. Jenna Coleman was a good choice, I thought, and James Fleet, as well as the actor playing Col. Fitzwilliam, but the rest of the main characters seem very dull, lackluster choices to me. I usually like Anna Maxwell Martin, but she just isn't giving me Lizzie's wit and spark here. And the less said about Matthew Rhys' boring and charmless Darcy, the better. But I'll keep watching, I think.

My thoughts exactly. They were both in the wrong. But there was no point in either them of continuing to argue about it instead of just getting their damned clues and getting on with the race.

"Who is Jesus these days?" "Charles Dance"

I'm pretty sure Keith and Whitney were one of the two teams still trying the twirling detour at that point. All the other teams were at the tea task, including Misti and Jim, so Shelly and Nici had no way of knowing where M&J were but could see that K&W were behind them. I would've U-turned M&J to flush out that Save, but I don't blame S&N for U-turning a team they could still see, whatever the motivation. (Unless you mean they shouldn't have used it all and saved it for later in the Race because they knew there were at least two teams behind them, which is a valid point and probably why no one ahead of them used it.)

I'm not a fan of it either, but AR has done that for the last few seasons at least. The Cowboys were U-turned right before the pit stop last time. But, as you said, other than that the race/task design has been very good so far this season, and I'm loving the destinations.

That does seem like it should've been ruled as incorrect. (And sounds vaguely familiar, so maybe I heard it while trying to corral the cat.) Thanks. * Turns out this was Monday's game. Guess I just wasn't paying that much attention for a moment.

Thanks, JustAPerson. I can't take 100% of the credit, since it was inspired by Brooks Peck's deeming RvP "Robin Van Twunt" on Dirty Tackle, but I like to think I gave it my own spin. (If you don't read Dirty Tackle on Yahoo, you should. It's rather funny.) I was really hoping we could at least beat Hull, but the injuries to our key defensive players are really problematic. Good that Wellbeck is stepping up in the front - I take back all my "useless Danny Wellbeck" outrage after Arsene signed him from Man U. For the time being, anyway.

Tasmania was discovered before Cook's voyages. First European siting/landing was by Abel Tasman in 1642. I guessed Dijon at the last minute only because I was trying to think of a food named after a French City and that suddenly popped into my head. I thought someone got C&O correctly. Port Said didn't surprise me - I didn't get it - but the Panama Canal and Dunkirk? Really?

What was the clue? The contestant's answer didn't strike me as wrong at the time, but it's been a couple of days. * Just realized this was probably on Tuesday's show. Jeopardy was half-way over by the time I got home that night, and I ended up having to try rounding up an escaped indoor cat and missed most of the show. So I likely didn't see this part anyway. Whoops!

I guessed Baffin Island on Wednesday; I knew it couldn't be Tasmania since it was called Van Dieman's Land until 1856 and wasn't even discovered until after the date in the clue. And I know this makes me a terrible person, but I really wanted something heavy to fall on last night's winner; he had the flattest affect of anyone I've ever seen on the show. I think I won't be watching again until after he loses because I simply can't watch him.

I'm guessing the need for it hadn't come up before. But Ichy definitely needs to get on that right away.

I actually thought the opposite, that the episode started out strong and became really creepy, but then got to the answer of the Weeping Lady mystery way too early and went downhill from there. Except for the reveal to Ichabod that Katrina had lied to him about one more thing. And Henry getting reamed out by Moloch. Those two bits rocked.

Maybe not. Many people didn't learn to swim in the 18th century. Including a large number of sailors in His Majesty's Navy, surprisingly enough.

I personally think that sandwich task was killer. I'd have been there for hours trying to remember the ingredients of all four sandwiches and their names and numbers. The Parklet task seemed easier to me, since there was a photo and I'm good with details in general. But neither I nor the friend who'd be my Race partner (if we ever were on AR) would've had an easy time with the sandwich task.

It's Disney. I fully expect them to fuck it up the way they did The Black Cauldron and The Dark Is Rising. Wait, what? Maybe I should try reading Outlander! (Nah, not really, the plot descriptions I've read of that series start out ridiculous and get even less believable. But falling into bed with Frazer Hines circa Doctor Who sounds like fun to me.)

The first three books are dynamite, and if the series had continued to be that excellent, you and I would be squaring off in a bear pit somewhere. But while A Dance With Dragons has some wonderful chapters, it also has some real clunkers, and the less said about most of A Feast For Crows, the better.

I'll agree that it does kind of drag a bit in the middle, but I was determined to stick with it and was extremely glad I did. It finished up like gangbusters. You may want to give it a try again sometime. White Teeth by Zadie Smith made me break my old cardinal rule about books: finish it no matter what. I got so bored with the stories of the two main male characters about 1/4 of the way through that I stopped reading it. I found the women's stories to be interesting but unfortunately not enough to stick with it. And as a result, my new cardinal rule is: if a book can't hold me interest for the first 100 pages, I give up. Life's too short, and there are too many other books to read.

I used to like Chelsea, and my best friend actually supports them. Imagine the awkward conversations twice a year. We couldn't even discuss the weird pushing/tie pulling incident because I'm basically thinking "someone needs to punch Mou in his smug little face" and she's all "wasn't that funny?". I had hopes for a hard-fought draw (with Fabretwat proving to be utterly useless) but the current state of Arsenal, with all the injuries in vital places, put end to that yet again. At least it wasn't 6-0.

Not sure how I feel about the trailer either, but I will be right there in line for the movie. I don't have as much of a problem with Ron Howard as you do (I loved Rush, for example), and, as you say, the subject matter is fascinating. Plus, the cast includes a semi-obscure Scottish actor of whom I'm very fond - the second time Mr. Howard has used him - so I can't resist.