Bastet

I suspect it was just that he was talking from the immediate emotion of seeing the dog he saved do so well, and when time passed and Hilda was ready for a home, he saw he was either not ready to be a first-time dog owner, or that his lifestyle wasn't the right fit for her needs. The second one was another good episode; the show had moved away from the parolees a bit over the last season or two, so I'm glad the shift back towards that focus we saw near the end of last season seems to be picking up steam in this one. Darius has big shoes to fill, being the second person they get through the prison program that brought them Country Matt. (And, jeez, I love programs like that and wish more prisons would implement them. That the rehabilitation prong of our criminal justice system has all but disappeared is a considerable frustration to me. As is stuffing a 15-year-old first offender into the adult prison system for 12 years for a non-homicide crime.) He seems like he really wants to make something of his life, and appreciates the chance VRC can give him to do that. I hope he succeeds. Joe and Lizzie made a good team capturing the scared stray, Savvy, who looked relaxed and friendly in the update. Yay, a Jake update! He was such a huge part of their lives, never mind the rescue, it was sad for him to bungle the way he announced he was leaving. I liked hearing him address that in a previous update, saying basically that he didn't know how to do it and just shut down and wound up handling it badly, so I'm glad to hear from him again with all that behind him. I hope the rescue he and his wife started is doing well; if anyone has the experience to successfully get one running from the ground up, it's him. And a Country Matt update; I like him so much, too. Love hearing that he and his wife are happy with their three dogs and a cat. I was surprised at first that Ryan was so standoffish for having already had a dog, especially since we saw their dog curled up in his bed, but then I thought maybe he just really likes the quiet, personal aspects of having a dog - like lying in bed with a reading buddy - and is a little shy, at least at first, with the playful ones. And then I saw him rocking himself, obviously dealing with being a little overwhelmed by everything going on, and wondered if it's a medical condition, not just personality. Regardless, Tyrion certainly brought more out of him than either of the others, so I think they'll be a good match. Emma slept in the dog's crate before he even got there. I don't like kids, but that is freakin' cute. And it's great that the parents are dedicated to teaching her that when the dog wants to be alone, he must be left alone. She seems really good with him at her young age, so I think Tyrion is set all around. He certainly looked happy in the update pictures! This is yet another example where they'll adopt to someone who has an unfenced yard when it makes sense given the environment, the dog's personality, and the owners' experience of only letting a dog out when supervised.

My late aunt made delicious pickled okra; that's the only way I like okra on its own, but she's been gone for some time now and I've never tried anyone else's. I don't mind okra in a dish like jambalaya or gumbo, but I really only eat those when I'm in New Orleans. It's okay in a Bloody Mary, but I only encounter that a few places. So, basically, I don't eat much okra.

The first episode was a great start to a new season. Matthew was too much for me just in the teaser, so I was not looking forward to his segments. And, indeed, it turned out to be one of these parents who lets a kid run around like a lunatic in public/at someone else's place and laughs like it's cute. That fuckwit just sat there as he got into shit, and didn't react even when Tia told him not to do something, when Tia should have never had to be the one to do that to begin with. And then he thought it was funny to lock a dog in the crate and then throw toys at him, and Lisa just sat there smiling like an idiot, repeating, "Matthew, sweetheart." I wouldn't have adopted any dog to them, either. She seemed like a very nice woman; when it was just her talking to the camera, I quite liked her. And I know she's a single parent, and presumably doing the best she can. So if she had been trying to stop her kid from disrespecting people's property and, especially, teasing a dog, and the kid was just a brat in spite of her efforts (over-stimulated, showing off for the cameras, whatever), I'd credit her for doing her job, and feel sorry for her that she wound up with a kid who makes that job even harder than it inherently is. And maybe she was embarrassed that her kid was acting that way, especially on camera. But damn. (I still wouldn't have adopted her a dog, but I wouldn't be disparaging her in print.) I figured the fact they were on the show meant they were going to get a dog - she wouldn't have signed the release if it ended with Tia saying, "Go turn your kid into a decent human being and then come back" - so I tried to prepare myself for that, but kudos to Tia for having more sense than Matthew's mom to say he's not ready, and she's not putting one of her dogs in that situation before he is. So that Lisa comported herself well in the interview segments, and allowed this to be shown, I'll have some hope that she didn't go home and head to the nearest shelter that does no screening. Sean, the good samaritan with the dog dying in the street, is my kind of person. Not just to call for help, which anyone should do (but obviously many don't), but to sit there with her, and cry over this dog he doesn't even know - when he isn't even a dog owner himself - because it's just that awful to see. That he asked for updates, and came to see her - and called seeing her alive and well the greatest day of his life - is so sweet. She looks like a completely different dog in her new home! (I knew Sean was just speaking from emotion, and wouldn't actually wind up adopting her, but it was lovely.) Lizzie driving as fast as she can, leaning forward like that can make the car go faster, and yelling at traffic -- I've been there, and it's so frightening. The way Hilda kept looking like death was seconds away and then popping up was heart-wrenching; she's a tough little cookie. I think she sensed she was being helped, and mustered the last of her energy to keep going long enough for them to be able to save her. I hope we'll continue to see more of Joe this season; I got a really good vibe off him the moment he was hired (similar to Sui), and have enjoyed him ever since. If this is the first time he's heard of a guy harming his ex's dog to get back at her, he's lucky. Seeing Gator reunited with his mommy was sweet. But is he un-neutered? I liked seeing the update from Deshaun; I hope they'll continue to do those on parolees from the Agua Dulce facility. J.D. from the little "Looking For a Home" segment seems so sweet! I hope the old guy finds an adopter now that it has aired.

Ha! I built a shelf into my laundry room to turn wasted space between the wall and the dryer into a table for folding (and then the hamper slides right underneath it), but sometimes, especially with towels for some reason, I instead haul the pile into my bedroom so I can fold while watching TV, using the bed as my "table." Riley must assist, of course, so I have to distract her with toys to avoid that exact same scenario.

Speaking of Murphy Brown and menopause, though, when it was decided that Murphy would battle a serious disease in the final season, a network exec suggested menopause. Diane English had to explain that menopause is not a disease.

Exactly; a lot of people say it wrong, but Toby would not be one of them. In fact, under appropriate circumstances, Toby might very well comment on someone's incorrect use of the phrase.

@Melancholy, you have Two Cathedrals listed twice; one of them was meant to be 18th and Potomac. Voting out: The Fall's Gonna Kill You Ranking the rest: In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (Parts 1 and 2) 18th and Potomac Two Cathedrals Bartlet's Third State of the Union Noel

Cybill did good stuff about menopause, laughing at some of the physical stuff, but also skewering the ridiculous attitudes about it, and the pressure to just take the hormones and shut up about it.

With Dan alive, Darlene married to David, and Becky having been married to Mark, it seems clear they are ignoring the finale's revelations. No one has said yet (at least that I've seen), though, how they're going to handle that discrepancy. Perhaps just ignore it, although this is a series with a history of poking fun at its obvious inconsistencies (e.g. the two Beckys), so I doubt that. Maybe the whole final season will be said to have been a dream -- Roseanne dreamed that Dan died, and baby Harris nearly died, and she dealt with it all by writing a book about her life, in which she got to make people do what she wanted plus do crazy things like win the lottery. Hopefully something more clever and original. But whatever they do to explain away the finale's revelations, I think it will be quick -- make the joke and move on.

Oh, what a dunce - I couldn't come up with the word because I was reading as one word what's actually two (I thought the "in a" preceding bathrobe was another "and" and thus thoroughly confused myself). Jed: How you doing? We met last night. You were singing and dancing in a bathrobe. Ainsley: Yes, sir. Jed: Why were you in the closet? Ainsley: I had to pee. Jed: They won't let me smoke inside but you can pee in Leo's closet. I won't be online much this weekend, so I'm going to wait until Monday to put up a new puzzle -- anyone who wants to jump in and put one up now is welcome, though!

I'm the opposite with carrots. I like them raw (they're not a favorite vegetable by any stretch, I think because of the starchiness, but they're fine), but I dislike them so much once cooked I won't eat them.

Oh, I had forgotten that stupid "when is the anniversary of her coming to work for him" argument/"I wouldn't stop for red lights" declaration was in that one. I might have voted for it sooner than planned had I remembered.

You guys were prolific between my last visit and now! This is another exchange I love. But there's something I can't quite pull up in my memory of the first line. N

The Fall's Going to Kill You - Because, on my death bed, it will still bother me that C.J. - the one who is going to be the hottest seat other than Jed's, when every single news network assigns an intern to pull up every briefing in which she's ever said anything that remotely relates to the president's health and then runs them on an endless loop, looking to catch her aiding in deception - is told almost last, and told by Leo, not Jed himself. Bartlet's Third State of the Union - For the horrible grammar in Sam and C.J.'s otherwise fantastic bathrobe exchange? Because both C.J. and Ainsley sat in wet paint despite the signs in the first place? I don't know, I have to pick something to go and I don't seem to be ready to vote for any of the others yet.

17 People was next on my list because C.J. isn't in it. This season's choices are all about minor flaws in excellent episodes for me. I can't quite decide yet on today's votes; I need to go refresh my memory via detailed summaries.

Ugh, neighbors across the street installed a home alarm a couple of years ago, and they manage to set that thing off all.the.time. If anyone is ever actually breaking into their home, no neighbors are going to bother looking out the window and helping, because of the whole cried wolf factor. I wish it was one of those alarm systems that automatically notify the police when it's activated, because with such systems in my city you get one free false alarm per year and then after that if you can't remember how to operate the thing and set it off, you get charged for every subsequent trip the cops make to your house because you're forgetful. I'm not a home alarm person, but if you want one, go for it. But, jeez, learn how it works and keep it in repair; everyone can have the occasional "oops" moment, but people like my neighbors who repeatedly set it off themselves, and well after the learning period should be over, drive me batty. That is an annoying noise! And, like car alarms, increasingly useless, as most people don't react anymore, assuming it was just user error rather than a security breach (because, most of the time, it was).

Do you know if Rachel is still doing the office job that we saw in the first season? She seemed to enjoy that a lot, and take great pride in it.

Of course I am. If he had a son instead of all daughters, would he still have given it to Charlie to honor their special relationship, or would he have kept it in the family per tradition and bestowed something else on Charlie? We don't know, but I don't think he would, and I think that stinks. Thus my vote.

There's a lot of stuff. It sticks very close to reality in that there are traits that may indicate abuse, or may not, because they can also exist in healthy relationships, so you don't see them for what they were until looking back. I like first how the Jackie/Gary relationship helped set the stage for Fisher; Jackie in no way invited the abuse, but her proclivity toward subjugating her interests and desires - and agreeing to accelerated relationship trajectories - in favor of keeping a boyfriend happy did make her more vulnerable to someone like Fisher. She doesn't think she's good enough for him as she is. Once Gary realized what Jackie was doing, he encouraged her to voice her opinions and show him her true self, and never seemed to be intentionally controlling her in a malicious way. Then I like how Jackie and Fisher meet - at a singles dance. That fits nicely into the abuse arc in hindsight; not that all women who go to those functions are vulnerable or all men who go to them are predators, of course, but it is believable that a young, attractive man with a good career looking for women he can control would think a woman Jackie's age going to a function whose sole purpose is to find a date is someone he should chat up. And, indeed, like with Gary, Jackie doesn't think she's good enough for him. Pretty early on in the relationship, Jackie reveals she is no longer in therapy. Roseanne asks Jackie what her therapist had to say about something, and Jackie reveals she's not seeing her anymore because "Fisher says I don't need it, he says I can run my own life." That's an early red flag; control and isolation in the guise of building her up -- give her just enough confidence to pull away from her usual support system. We also learn early on that he monopolizes her time; there's a fair bit of commentary about this even in episodes where we don't see Fisher - Roseanne noting how Jackie keeps blowing her off in order to spend even more time with Fisher. Jackie even ditches Roseanne (in terms of handling the Lunchbox and dealing with Bev) on Christmas. And their relationship moves very quickly, which is classic abuser strategy. And even before they move in together, he's overbearing - calling constantly, always sending her flowers, etc. A charm offensive that's so much darker than that. We see hints he keeps tabs on her, and he refuses to stop being in her life the first time she breaks up with him. Like I said, very realistic -- abuse is gradual, and on a spectrum, and the abuser and the victim are both actively concealing it from loved ones, so there's a lot they don't know about to begin with, and then so much of what they do observe could have a benign meaning. So when the abuse is revealed, things pop out all over the place in hindsight, but that doesn't necessarily mean they should have known what was going on from the beginning.

Yeah, each segment is powerful, but that one especially. (Also that she says, "When you get pulled over ..." Not if. When.) Oh, and, yes, the racists are freaking their shit over this. "Identity politics pandering." "Black Lives Matter propaganda." Well, that's from the National Review; the online commentary is less articulate. Boycott P&G! Because acknowledging racism is what's racist, you know.

Shibboleth - I held off on this one because of the turkeys, but I loathe with the heat of a nova the knife storyline, so it's time. ("This has been in my family for hundreds of years, but I only have daughters, so enough of that." And instead of just giving you a gift and asking you to go find me a new knife [and tell you what damn knife I want], I'm going to send you off on some ridiculous quest while I sit back and amuse myself by watching you waste your time on my orders.) In This White House - "Sam's getting his ass kicked by a girl." Fuck you, Sorkin. (Also, I don't like Ainsley, although that's not really true yet in this one. I do think the delivery of her "I'm their lawyer" speech is bad, though.)

The original "I Am Jazz" documentary is available on YouTube, too.

I left my cell phone in my purse and my purse on the dresser, so if I had put these things where they belong I wouldn't have had this problem, but: I was awakened this morning by my cell phone's low battery warning. Okay, annoying, but I'll just roll over and go back to sleep. Except the damn thing went off again about ten minutes later. What is this, a snooze alarm? This happened several times before I finally mustered up the energy (and disturbed Riley) to get up and turn the phone off. Why must it go off so frequently? Tell me the battery is low and then shut up. If the battery hasn't been charged (or died) an hour later, tell me again. It's hardly an emergency that warrants squawking at me every ten minutes.

I love Katharine (not Katherine, btw) Hepburn in general, and some of her movies are among my favorites, but I also like even more the acting style of someone like Myrna Loy. It Happened One Night underwent a lot of changes between when the script went out (at which point Loy turned down the lead female role for how awful it was, which was no small thing for a studio actor, even of her caliber, and for which she got unending shit from those who'd never seen that draft) and when it got filmed, and I think there are vestiges of that problem in the final product. The Citizen Kane discussion always interests me, because every amateur movie buff I know greatly appreciates its place in the history of American cinema, but doesn't rank it very highly on their personal list of best films; it's almost always only professional film critics who list it as such. Casablanca is probably my prime example of "beloved film from Hollywood's 'golden age' that I think is good, but nothing more."

I don't think it was abrupt since it ended with two episodes about the big DS ball; I don't know for sure, but I assumed part two of that was the season finale. I think that's right, though, because a) I don't see any upcoming episodes listed or advertised, and b) that was episode ten, and the two previous seasons have consisted of approximately the same number of episodes.