Bastet

I like that Mark recognized the teen version of himself in Rachel and the adult version in his dad; he grew up resentful of his dad's career-induced reduced availability - physical and emotional - in his life, and now Rachel feels the same about his. He tells her he'd take back every negative thought/moment about his dad if he could, but he can't, and it's okay. It was a wonderful thing to leave her with - she, as a teen, isn't going to magically transform into middle-aged awareness (at least on this show, thank gods), but when she gets older and starts feeling like shit about their relationship, she'll remember it, and know he understood it from both sides. That you have to grow up to get it, and he'll be gone by the time she does, but he died knowing. She won't be crippled by the "if only"s; she'll have the same wish he did, but also know she can't change it, and that's okay. (That won't be an easy process, certainly, but he set her up to deal with it as best as anyone can.)

Exactly; you don't get a cookie for doing what you're supposed to do (and certainly no cookies for the ones doing about 35% of what should be their equal share, and wanting props because, well, hey, most dudes do even less). It's why, while, yeah, it's nice to see men doing the chore at hand in a few cleaning product commercials, first, obviously, that should not be so rare, and second, the few times we do see it, they should not almost always be the only adult in the commercial. Because that raises the implication men only have to keep their kids in clean clothes when Mom isn't around to do it. No. Start mixing in some commercials where while Dad is folding towels and talking about how great the detergent is, we see Mom in the background. Heading in/out from errands, watering the yard, taking a break to watch a game on TV, whatever. No storyline, just a visual acknowledgment that with two people to divide up all the shit that needs to be done, you make those decisions based on things like who hates the chore less, not who has what chromosome combination. Because now when we get a man and a woman in these commercials, either she's joyfully cleaning up the mess he and the kids made - because women who love their families love taking care of them - or she's fixing his bungled attempt at cooking/cleaning/laundry - because those are things to which women are inherently suited, and men just aren't made to waste their precious time and superior skills on.

I like that the write-up acknowledges the answer to "What if?" could have wound up being that she was remembered as a woman in cowgirl outfits who had a rash of hits for a few years and then faded, and thus her ranking would be much lower based on her overall career, where right now it's top ten because all we have is her prime. But that there's also her influence (and I love that the entries always acknowledge when an artist was particularly known for championing other women in country), and the fact compilation albums sold well long after her death. She had a terrific voice, and that no one sounded remotely like her until LeAnn Rimes speaks to how unique it was. There are numerous terrific artists who, upon hearing a new song of theirs for the first time, I may need a few lines to answer the "Wait, is this Artist A or Artist B?" question. But Patsy Cline's voice, that I can name in one note.

This episode annoyed me. Why don't they have a portable x-ray machine, when farm calls are a significant portion of their business? (That poor horse and his owners; a freak accident that wound up being the worst-case scenario.) Did determining which cows were pregnant have to be done that day, so Dr. Brenda had to be pulled out of her sick bed after only one day of rest when Dr. Pol was too sick to keep the appointment and had to instead take his flu-ridden self to bed? Because that sounds like something that can wait. More fucking breeders. Thirteen more puppies in a country that already has millions more of them per year than there are homes for them, and it's great because they're cute? I respect you Dr. Emily, but on this subject, get stuffed. You know who else is cute? The dogs euthanized in over-crowded shelters. The two dogs with the porcupine quills - ouch! The one pawing at his/her face particularly had me sitting forward in my chair, anxious to get them anesthetized so they could stop feeling it and get those suckers out. All 500 of them. Yikes! The rest of the herd wondering what was going on with their injured friend, and then welcoming him back when his hoof was all healed, was a real bright spot. And, wow, that was a lot of pus.

This commercial just aired, and she says "Santa," not "Sandra." (There's something after that about the North Pole, so it's definitely Santa.)

I went to a friend's house last night for movie night, and before we settled in - but after we'd already had a couple of drinks to fortify ourselves - we gave her cat (my "nephew" Shermie) a bath. He licks himself constantly, so he's Smelly Cat and he's turned much of his white fur brown with saliva stains. We've ruled out allergies, and it seems to be a psychological (self-soothing) thing rather than any sort of full-body hot spot, so the bath wasn't going to help his skin in that way, but it would get us a fresh start on the smell. He's declawed on his front paws (via his previous owner; my friend adopted him that way, and would never do that to a cat on her own!), and he used to really know how to use his teeth and back claws to compensate -- she'd get mauled putting him in the carrier for a vet visit. But he's mellowed some in his old age (he's about 17, if the previous owner's information that he was 12 at the time of surrender to the shelter was accurate), so we figured we'd give it a whirl, expecting quite an adventure. But he was a pip! She held, I washed, and not a drop of blood was shed; he started hissing when we were drying him, because that's the "I'm wet, cooling, and realizing what an indignity has befallen me" stage of things, but until then he cooperated very well. We wound up wishing her husband had been home (he came home later, but he just chats for a bit and then goes into the office and later to bed to leave us alone during "our" nights) to take a picture because Shermie sported some pretty funny looks on his face throughout the process. And when I was doing the initial dry, while his mommy went to get the next towel, he rested his head on my shoulder and let out a big sigh. It was adorable. Yes, folks, that is how I roll on a Saturday night.

Yeah, @2727, I somehow missed your post, but I'm going to second a strong "No, don't do it!" to adding your sister to any accounts or titles. Given the history and situation, she should not have access to any of your assets while you're alive. If you want to leave some assets to her upon your death, structure your will accordingly (if allowing her to avoid probate and the hassle of being an executor is your concern, set up a living trust instead [avoids probate, plus being the administrator of a trust is less hassle than being executor of a will - easy money, really], but, in your shoes, I'd be more interested in making things simple for the charities than the obnoxious rich sister, so let her deal with probate if you want a will; you'll be dead, and thus won't care), and she can have at it when you're gone.

Well, so was Sipowicz, so clearly they have a loose definition or consider the main characters as a whole.

Fucking asshole? No, of course not. Under normal circumstances, it would be devastatingly rude and hurtful to divide the grandkids by parentage, taking one out for a treat and leaving the others behind without bringing anything back for them. But when they're stranded with limited resources due to a natural disaster?! That's despicable. How did he respond when your daughter confronted him (assuming she did)? And what did your son-in-law have to say about his dad's shithead antics?

I don't use the bathroom in which the litter box is placed anywhere near as often as the main bathroom, but whenever I did and Maddie was nearby to hear I was doing so, she ran in and hopped in the box to go potty with Mommy. And, yes, that's what I said every time in my annoying "I'm talking to a cat" voice: "You go potty with Mommy (or Momma)" as I reached down to scratch her head. Riley is the only cat I've ever had who doesn't do ever do that; everyone else, I had to remind, "You know, if you trip me, and I break my body, no one will feed you." Riley doesn't do it because, for as comfortable and secure as she's become at home, she still doesn't get too close to me when I'm walking and she's on the ground. If I walk up to her when she's on the bed, couch, table, etc. and thus there's not such a massive difference in height, it's fine (unless she senses I'm about to grab her and trim her claws). But if she's sitting or lying on the floor, I can't walk right up to her; I have to stop a foot or two away and let her come to me. So she's the one cat I'm not in danger of accidentally kicking - or being laid out on my ass by.

I don't think they'll devote an episode to it, because the series will be dealing with current events and by the time we get past the few episodes already in the can to the ones to be filmed, and with a short turnaround, Queen Aretha's death will be "old news" - plus, they have a limited number of episodes, period, and a whole hell of a lot to cover - but I'll be stunned if they don't address her death and honor her legacy/impact on Murphy in some way.

I may have inadvertently started this by noting the fact we saw them signing (legally meaningless) church paperwork but did not see them signing the actual marriage license/to-be certificate. I posted I was pleased to see that Cristina, who had kept so many rooted-in-sexism traditions, apparently did not change her last name upon marrying Angel -- when they were introduced to the reception guests, they were simply introduced as Angel and Cristina, rather than Mr. and Mrs. [Angel's Last Name I can't recall], as usually happens when the wife is changing her last name to the husband's. I noted it's not as if only first names were used to keep their last names private because it was being filmed, because both last names were said in the episode (and are in articles about the show). So then I posted, wait, this was a legal marriage, right, meaning she indeed could have changed her last name and opted not to, or was that church rigamarole not just the only thing we saw being signed, but the only thing they actually did sign, meaning this was a commitment ceremony and they're calling themselves married/referring to each other as husband and wife as a commonly-understood way of defining their relationship, but they're not legally married -- and thus of course she's still Cristina [last name I can't recall] and there couldn't have been a last name change (without a lot more legal steps than just checking a box and signing a line on the marriage license/certificate) and that's why the intro was simply of "Angel and Christina" (just like for my friends who didn't change their last names to that of their husbands, and thus the reception announcement was something like, "For the first time as spouses, here are [First Name] and [First Name]." Discussion evolved from there, about the various reasons it would make more sense for them to be "married" than married. Based on that, I think they're not married, because the drawbacks greatly outweigh the benefits. (And, to be clear, I have no issue with that.)

The song is mocking and rejecting the "You're just a girl and therefore must/must not be/do X,Y, and Z" shit foisted upon women, not seriously saying, "I'm just a girl and therefore must/must not be/do X,Y, and Z."

I've been trying to figure this out for a couple of days, and still come up empty, so it's time to ask: Why? The song sarcastically and exasperatedly calls out sexist stereotypes and attitudes. The commercial shows some of the ways women prove those same things wrong every day. How is it tone deaf to use one for the other?

I actually find the grounds far more beautiful than the palace, because the palace is so over the top. I've never gone in, but I love the view from Montmartre. (And the pigeons.) It's especially beautiful at dusk, to sit at the top of the steps and watch as day turns to night far below. It's so crowded, though; you really have to work to tune that out. I was a bit underwhelmed, too. The Louvre is filled art I wanted to see (and oodles more I had no idea was there but was pleased to discover), and I wasn't going to be that close to such a famous portrait and not see it, but I was far more impressed by far more things. Maybe it's the distance and the glass. It's hard to pick a favorite museum in Paris - and, really, the city itself feels like a living museum - but mine is probably the Rodin museum, particularly the gardens.

I don't eat a lot of bread, and the kind I buy has nothing in it other than (whole wheat) flour, yeast, salt, and oil, so it molds quickly at room temperature. I have to keep it in the fridge, which I've come to terms with (as opposed to bread that has been frozen and defrosted, which I do not like), but I wish the bakery would make half loaves. Their loaf is a little smaller than average, but it's still too much for me.

That's what I meant; that after his mom was gone and his dad was dying, Mark finally got to know his dad and vice versa. I'll fix the wording, because it can read the way you took it, too.

They went into some of it when Mark went to San Diego to see his parents, and then again when he was talking to Rachel in his final days. I don't remember specifics, though. My general memory is that his dad was pretty detached and critical, but Mark eventually realized there was an extent to which life - the generation in which he was raised, the experiences he had supporting a family, etc. - made him that way, and thus in hindsight wished he'd tried to understand his father just like he'd always wished his father had tried to understand him. That they were both products of their time, and flawed, but fundamentally decent, and some of it just wasn't that big a deal yet it compounded and then, fast forward as life does, and it's not until his mom is already gone and his dad is dying that they bothered to get to know each other.

Interesting; the first two entries in the top ten are artists I'm pretty "meh" about, especially Kitty Wells. I don't dispute her place on the list, given her contributions to country music, I just don't much like her voice or her songs. I do love Allison Krauss's duet with Brad Paisley, Whiskey Lullaby, though. I like her voice, but don't love it, and that's how I am about most of her music. (I love the mash-up of her version of When You Say Nothing At All and Keith Whitley's original, but hers alone is just pretty good to me.) My like of bluegrass has its limits, too. So she's not a top ten for me, but, again, with her record, it's hard to argue her placement.

Exactly; those best by/sell by/expires date are not what determines whether something is or is not edible, and going by them, rather the smell, texture, and taste of the food itself, contributes to the tremendous amount of food wasted each year.

You're talking about a transgender woman, not a male. This goes back to the fact gender identity and sexual orientation are two different things; orientation is not determined by body parts. So a transgender woman is not automatically attracted to women because she has a biologically male body. She is transgender because (in the most rudimentary terms) the sex of her body and the sex of her brain don't match, and she is whatever orientation she is for the same intrinsic reason anyone is whatever orientation they are. And, yes, that orientation remains after transition. Which is why it's not "unfathomable" that a transgender woman is a lesbian.

And to shut up her minions. This is a series that has brilliantly handled dramatic events in realistic, appropriate, sensitive ways without losing the comedy (e.g. Fisher abusing Jackie, Al dying, and several lesser events). This will be its biggest challenge yet, certainly, but I am hopeful good writers and a core cast completely in tune with each other and the characters they play can pull it off, even if it's just for one wrap-up season. But I am nervous, too. Season five, without Becky, was not as good as season four. Later seasons, with Becky gone or replaced by an inferior version and Darlene having a reduced role, are not as good as earlier seasons. This was a sitcom, yes, but one rooted more in inter-personal relationships than true situational comedy, so you remove/reduce one core character and there's an inevitable effect. Removing the matriarch? That inevitable effect is magnified. But those "not as good as" seasons were still good (and, in the case of season five and six, still great). So it's not a choice between wonderful and disastrous; it can be a matter of degrees of good. So I hope it's both good and well received, again, even if it's just a limited run. Selfishly, for my enjoyment and closure on characters I've loved half my life already. More broadly, for the cast, writers, etc. who'd like to rise above the low note Roseanne Barr could have sent them out on. And for the larger point about holding people accountable for their actions, which will get muddled if this flops. I agree the characters' history means Jackie's inclinations towards and acceptance in a Roseanne-less role within the family will be particularly interesting. There's the obvious devastating loss everyone will feel - Dan of the woman he's been with since he was 16 years old, the kids of their mom, Jackie of the sister with whom she shared a bone deep but somewhat unhealthy bond, Bev of the woman she tragically defied statistics to outlive, etc. - but how they all pull together in the usual ways and transform in the wake of this unprecedented tragedy is just as compelling. And I think where the best opportunity lies for continuing the series' tradition of weaving tragedy and comedy together.

Why is that unfathomable? Gender identity and sexual orientation are two different things. Transgender people who are not heterosexual to begin with don't magically become so upon having gender confirmation surgery; just like cisgender people, they are intrinsically straight, gay, bisexual, pansexual, etc. -- whatever they are, in terms of orientation, they are, with or without hormone therapy and/or confirmation surgery -- and they figure out how they identify at whatever stage in life that becomes clear.

Not according to people who knew her then, and are equal parts shocked and disappointed by the last few years of her (and unequivocal in their denunciation of modern-day Roseanne - no wishy-washy shit about what she's said in recent years, a full-throated condemnation of it, but alongside a bewilderment that such words erupted from the same woman they used to know) and not evidenced by her public statements then as opposed to the last several years. I generally think one becomes emboldened to let her or his racist flag fly rather than becoming a raging racist, but this person was conscious of racism and racial stereotypes and putting a stop to them on her show in the past. There was an entire episode about progressive folks having to confront and acknowledge their subconscious racial bias. It's hard to get a grasp on the nature of the change in her over the years. But the viewpoint of the show for those original nine years was a breath of fresh air, and even Roseanne Barr can't eradicate that. Overshadow it, unfortunately, yes. And damn her for that, among the other things. But it existed, wonderfully. And it existed in part because of her.

I love Roseanne Conner, and it will make me sad that after struggling for so long, she died at a relatively young age. I will always be thankful to Roseanne Barr for sticking to her guns back in the day, so that for nine years we had a feminist, blue collar perspective on television - a nine-year exploration of class in America was quite a legacy. She alone chose to create a different legacy for herself and the show she effectively created, so I will also always resent her for turning into a racist asshole, and one so unprofessional to boot she couldn't keep her damn fingers to herself and instead sent out a tweet after the show was revived (during which she was warned her Twitter rantings of the last few years were unacceptable) that inevitably - and rightly - meant the network was going to fire her, which, on a show named after her, means canceling the show. But once they decided to continue on with The Conners, so a different but similar show could go on without Roseanne Barr, what could they do but kill off Roseanne Conner? There's no other believable explanation for her complete absence from her family's lives. I find this death a lot more respectful of the character than alien abduction, running off and abandoning her family, some outlandish cartoon death, or anything like that - things that have befallen tertiary characters to much comedic effect, but which would be a slap in the face to this main character. It's a realistic cause of death, and one that has a basis in events of season ten, and in that I think it shows care was taken to differentiate between Roseanne Barr, who's a shithead who deserves to disappear from our screens, and Roseanne Conner, who isn't. Only time will tell if I'll ultimately wish the Conner family universe had simply ended with the season ten finale of Roseanne (which ABC was unlikely to do, since they'd rather take a shot at a spin-off rather than just pay out for no product to those who were contractually owed money for the season eleven that now wasn't going to happen), but it didn't -- The Conners was greenlit. So I'm not mad about killing Roseanne off, or doing it in this way.