dcubed

Some random thoughts : Re Malik going to Harvard and then "working" in a restaurant, it's pretty clear to me that he owns the restaurant. He told Randall that he wanted to go to an Ivy league school and then open a Michelin-rated restaurant. He cooked for Randall and Beth when the told them Deja was going to leave school and move in with him. Getting a degree makes sense to me since so many restaurants and other businesses close because the creative force behind them has no business sense. Running a restaurant isn't only about the food itself. And I don't think he ever said he was majoring in Russian Lit. He was simply taking a class in it. I assume he studied business. Jack didn't leave his hospital bed to get coffee. When he met the other father in the restroom, he said he was waiting to see someone which indicates to me the bandages were applied by an EMT. I work at a hospital and patients may arrive my ambulance and sit for a long time after being triaged because their symptoms are not life threatening. And yes, they will wander to the cafeteria (if open) or vending machines. I didn't find it unusual or inappropriate at all that Rebecca waited for Kate to arrive before dying. After 13 days of around the clock visitors, my mother quietly passed away with just my brother and me present. I am convinced she waited until it was just the two of us around and she absolutely awaited my arrival. That scene just about did me in because like Kate, I wasn't particularly close to my mother through my teenage years/early 20's though we were much closer as we aged. I agree with the others that I wish there had been a different exchange between Rebecca and Miguel. She looked confused which in hind sight,\ makes sense to me (she was not walking through her later years when Miguel was her husband but her earlier years when Jack was). But I admit I was a bit confused initially.

Nope. While most of the stories here are tied up fairly quickly, Nicky was "fixed" way too quickly.

Thanks for the link. I really like that she said the following : As someone who taped with both Ken and Mayim, who do you see as the best choice for a permanent host? "I would say Ken because of his history with the show. As a contestant, there’s something really special about being onstage with the greatest player of all time. Someone who understands in a very visceral way what it’s like to be in your position. Mayim is fantastic, but she doesn’t have that same experience."

There's something that happens when you get older, a resistance that sets in where you refuse to see things as they really are. I see it again and again in my job today and lived it when I cared for my mother. My best friends and I have vowed to help each other see the truth of where we are and what help we'll need when we get older. We always say that we'll be truthful even if it hurts and remind each other that we don't want to be stubborn and blinded by pride and fear or whatever it is that keeps people from having an accurate picture of what help they need.

She said something like, "I don't normally..." I think she made a pass and he turned her down because he had some kind of connection with Sofie earlier that evening. She was embarrassed because he turned her down. That's my prediction, anyway.

Here's a way to date myself....I went to buy my first BB and they were around $235. I really didn't want to spend that much so the man at the AT&T store (or maybe it was Cingular at the time), convinced me to get this new phone that hit the market, telling me it was going to be a huge hit. He spent some time showing me how to use it. It was the 2nd generation of iPhone before they numbered them) and I paid $85 for it.

I think he does leave questions but not because he wants the others to get some money since they don't get to keep what they "earn" but get the flat rate at the end. I think he leaves those to given himself a rest, maybe even tune out and recharge. Giving them those clues doesn't hurt because he has a huge lead by then.

I think he and many contestants ring in figuring that they will "know" the answer before they've even digested the question. My interpretation of his counting was that he truly was trying to figure out if he had enough syllables or if he needed to add an "ly" or "able" to the end to make it to seven. He missed one of the questions when he added an erroneous ending to a word to make it to seven syllables (can't remember the clue)

I immediately thought of Edgar Rice Burroughs

I disagree...I don't think what happens in the flash forwards dictates the present day storylines. Simplified for argument, in the case of Randall and Beth, the present day story line showed a couple that was once very connected who were encountering difficulties and stressful life events that resoundingly affected their marriage. Their flashbacks showed us how they got to where they were 1. Randall determined/tightly wound/apple to Jack's tree) 2. Beth, a girl that got the wind knocked out of her sail and struggled to find her sense of self, 3. their connection as a couple (often finishing each other's sentences), 4. the familial influences, etc. The present showed us clearly how they got to where they are and whether their marriage survived was up in the air. The flash forward let us see what the end result of their struggle was. That we didn't know if they stayed married or not did not dictate that story line. The flash forwards provide a conclusion to what we have been viewing all along. But again, different strokes and all...

Certainly different strokes and all but if that was the case, this show wouldn't work at all. Because from the 1st episode, there were flash-forwards/flash-backs from the past to the present. The ending of the episode showed Rebecca and Miguel arriving at Randall's door. Remember the shock and outrage? All the discussion of where's Jack? It created nothing but intrigue and water-cooler talk. I don't mind them at all but again, that may be just me.

I think it's interesting how many think that the characters have changed/diverted from how they were initially portrayed. I never bought into Season 1 "Jack is the best, Rebecca is the worst, Kevin is a brat, Kate is spoiled, Randall is awesome" theories. Season 2, I didn't buy into "Jack is stream-rolling Rebecca, Rebecca is horrible to Kate, Kevin is a bigger jerk, Kate is a bigger brat, teen Randall is still awesome and Beth and Randall are perfect." All along I saw things in all the characters that said they were not everything one could initially think. I think it is quite normal as you get to know people, I found out things about them I didn't expect and that some of my initial impressions were not completely accurate. As the layers of the onion was peeled, I found that some of the layers stunk and others were sweet. I never expected that what we were shown initially was ever thing there was to know about them, it would have been too much. I think this was written intentionally, to show that humans are complex, they are not all good, nor all bad and they couldn't show all that immediately. It needed to be displayed over time because that's how people are. I personally think the Pearson's are more "good" than "bad" but their faults are not uncommon and it makes sense the family pretty much follows in lock step in their most endearing and most annoying characteristics. JMHO.

If I could give 1,000,000 ❤️ to this, I would. Brilliant!

Bravo! This episode provided an example of what happens when you ignore the signs of incompatibility hoping that the partner will change. Having the same argument for 20 years? How many people do you know that say the same thing? I know many, including me. Their fights seem very real to me -ugly but real.

The R Kelly story tells us that yes, there are young girls that experienced sexual pleasure from abuse, that “love” him and defend him, the same with some girls part of Warren Jeffs cult, David Koresh and others. What these groomers/abusers have in common is the ability to find the vulnerable and exploit them.

Want another creepy as f picture...this is one of his nephews, supposedly for an album. Michael encouraged him to dress/not dress this way. The nephew was 17. You can see his pubic hair. WTF????

Oh I don’t know...maybe because he was seven? Women (and some men) stay married to spouses that physically beat them. Why would they go back to people that hurt them? It’s too much to try to explain the psychological impact of being a victim of abuse but if we can understand the reasons why adults stay in abusive relationships, I’m not sure why we’d think a child would be different.

Agree and yet there’s ample proof if someone wants to see it : nude pictures found of a victim, wedding rings, drawings of Jackson’s genitals by a victim that match his genitals, pornography found, witness statements by household staff, admitting he slept with boys, faxes upon faxes, and more. Yes, the proof spans time over time, some have been questioned and disputed but added with the victims very similar testimony, it should be enough for most people to see the writing on the wall. Rape doesn’t typically happen out in the open. There usually are not witnesses. And it doesn’t always involve bruising and cuts. The proof is all there if people want to see it.

If you ever want to feel super sickened, check out NAMBLA, an organization that supports abolishing consent laws for men and boy relationships. They think that what they have is “special “ and “love”. I think Michael really thought it was fine and that they rest of the work didn’t get it. As for hetero-porn, based upon research I did in college, the vast majority of men who have been arrested for sexual abuse of male minors self-identified as heterosexual. Many live “straight “ lives with wives, girlfriends and children. Men that are attracted to boys are generally not gay, they are pedophiles.

This is very true of anyone that is a survivor of sexual assault with someone they know and love. Bodies can and often do respond physically even when raped/assaulted. And they willingly participated- not that they could make a mature, consensual decision at their age. They continue to say that they loved Michael. They are conflicted. They know what happened was wrong because their age and maturity say so. But they can’t help but look at it all through their young child eyes and those eyes adored him because they didn’t know better or understand. If they use the correct terms of rape/assault, they’d have to come to grips with the knowledge that MJ didn’t love them, that they weren’t special, that they were just being used. Beyond the physical piece, that’s a pretty big thing to come to terms with. And they certainly weren’t feeling loved and cared for by their mothers.

I have no doubt that MJ was a pedophile. I think it is wrong to project what we think is the "truth" on others, especially potential victims. It is not for us to call them out and demand the truth. It is their truth, their experience and their story to tell if they want to. Pedophiles do pick and choose. We don't know much about Brett or how involved his parents were. Mac was extremely popular in his own right. Molesters don't molest every one they come in contact with (substitute the word rapist and it might make more sense). Pedos know how to pick and choose victims that will remain silent and are easily manipulated. If Brett and Mac say they were not victims, I believe them just as I believe those that say they were. I say this kindly. I understand the outrage. I want all his victims to come forward. I want the parents to be charged with child neglect and endangerment. But I don't want to "drag the truth" out of someone that does not wish to share or maybe even hurt the case by including people as victims that might not have been. I think there are enough out there around. Like what happened after the R Kelly series, I think the floodgates will open with many more victims coming forward. I hope this documentary gives them the courage to do so with the hopes of peace and strength as the end result.

It is a requirement in 16 states that insurance pay for infertility treatment, including IVF.

Not paying for her expensive dance conservatory doesn’t squash dreams. Beth could have continued a less expensive route. She did quit on her dreams when she put away her ballet shoes for 20+ years. As someone else said in a different post, she even said to her dad’s empty chair that she couldn’t do it without him. Great inspirational story about the football players but I don’t think they’re comparable. One required tens of thousands in investment (dad has to get a 2nd job), one required minor investment (weights, tackling blocks, etc). One had two involved parents. One was a single mother. When one was told she couldn’t get expensive lessons, she quit. When the other was not drafted, he continued to work out. But the biggest thing that makes them different is that one had a brother constantly bringing the other up for consideration. If Beth had a Shaquell maybe things would have been different. This is a YMMV and we probably won’t agree and that’s ok.

It would have been funny, if not a bit out of character, if she had joined them. Didn’t Beth say she had left-over weed from her father when she smoked with William? There’s a lot of old weed in that home.

As someone with a performing arts background, if you haven’t stood out by high school, you’re 99% not going to make it. I stood out and then was background scenery in college. No one that knew anything about music pegged me to have a career in it and they were right.