Bastet

It has always amused me that in real life home pregnancy test results are awaited by people hoping for a positive result, people who aren't entirely sure what result they're hoping for or how they're going to react, and people who spend those minutes promising the universe they will never, ever have sex again if it will just let that test turn up negative, yet in commercials, it's only the first group. And there's obviously some sense to that from a marketing perspective, to focus on happy users, but the product's selling points are about speed, accuracy, and ease of use, and that applies to everyone. I'd love a commercial that incorporated a greater array of users, and especially love a humorous one that included someone from the third group.

I remember Mary McDonnell (one of my favorite actors) played his mom, so now when I'm watching and he mentions his parents, I picture her. Anyway, that's a very good point about the Carter/Keaton dynamic; I was trying to figure out why I had an uneasiness about it, and that might be it. The imbalance of power is obviously problematic, but she wasn't his immediate supervisor -- her dating Benton, or Benton dating Carter, would have been wholly inappropriate, but having that degree of separation is what the show used as its explanation for why it was okay and I kind of went with that, but was still a little creeped out by the relationship. I think that maternal/boyish vibe may explain it.

Mine was Television for Women Who Hate Themselves, but I picked that up from someone else. Now, with the existence of the Hallmark channel, if a gun was held to my head and I had to pick a movie from one or the other, I'd probably go for Lifetime. But I'd still rather stare at my wall for two hours.

I liked season nine when I did a re-watch a couple of years ago. At the time, it was so jarringly different I didn't like it, but that far removed upon re-watch I had a completely different perspective. I generally cringe at revivals, because shows seem to be a product of their times and best left in the past, but the fundamental issues explored by this show are just as relevant -- a feminist, blue-collar examination of America? Hell, yeah, then and now. With so much of the behind-the-scenes team returning along with the actors, I'm less hesitant about this than I'd otherwise be. I will definitely be tuning in, and probably not even peeking out from behind my fingers hoping it doesn't suck; I'm expecting a bit of "Wow, I tend not to think about how much time has passed," and some awkwardness like the first season, but also not only hoping for but genuinely anticipating this will feel like it fits within the series as a whole, and includes some moments that would feel at home in seasons two through six. (Four is my favorite.)

Yay - the syndication episodes have cycled back around to the beginning, and I finally get to see the pilot (although not in its entirety; my cat decided to be a pill and take me away from it for nearly 10 minutes). My program guide describes them as "disparate gal-pal crimefighters," heh. It's an interesting narrative choice that they went immediately to a case that ties into the past, a past we didn't live along with the characters. It's decent, as pilots go; I'm not sure I'd have been hooked had this been my introduction to the show (I came in a few years later). Jane saving herself, and the interaction between her and Maura probably would have been enough, though. I'm laughing out loud at Korsak's Boston accent and realizing why McGill ditched it. Kudos for being the only one who even tried. Jane's ringtones also amused me. Bass and Jo Friday! Eek - Billy Burke is serial rapist and murderer Philip Stroh (The Closer/Major Crimes) to me, so seeing him as an FBI agent is causing some cognitive dissonance; I keep wanting to shout at Jane to run away.

Yeah, the spoiler tags make this thread annoying to read. I understand that the season-specific threads shouldn't spoil anything that happens in subsequent seasons, but in other threads it makes more sense to acknowledge this is a show that's been off the air a long time.

She looks great in that picture. She has for years; once all the plastic surgery "settled" and she got a little older, she looked very good. Not that I ever thought she looked bad, mind you, just that I really dig her look.

I wonder how that myth got started. It used to be such a cliché in stories and such to find a wayward kitty and give her a bowl of milk, and then it seemed like all of a sudden any time that happened people started jumping up and down hollering that cats are lactose intolerant so, OMG, don't give them milk ever! Well, yeah, some are, but certainly not all, and it's usually pretty obvious if they are. If the cat has the runs every time you give her milk, then don't give her milk anymore. Otherwise, dairy is a good treat for cats - they need a lot of protein, and are able to handle a moderate amount of fat. Yep, and it's unfortunate that when it comes to pet nutrition, the professionals are often not the experts. At least with the internet it's easier to find published articles, but I wish more academic articles were accessible to all. Owner to owner communication can help fill in the gaps; I checked out a Yahoo group for feline diabetes a while back and was so impressed by the library of information that had been amassed and willingness of owners to help each other. Because it's downright shameful how many of them had asked their vets if a diet change could help, so maybe they don't have to give insulin, and the vets either just pointed to the prescription food or flat-out said no, it wouldn't matter what was fed. The latter is simply wrong, and the former isn't as useful as giving a brief overview of cats as obligate carnivores and how carbohydrate consumption affects blood glucose, so owners understand why a food is being recommended (and can evaluate food choices). I guess it's somewhat a reflection of what can go on with our own doctors, but at least where someone needs a nutritionist as part of their healthcare team, it's pretty easy to find one. Nutritionists for cats and dogs are still pretty small in number. Oops, I got distracted and forgot the story I came into this thread to post (and I didn't even have Bloody Mary's this morning, jeez). There are two pairs of doves who often hang out or look for food in my yard (they don't nest here, unfortunately), and one pair has recently developed a routine of scouring the patio for goodies every evening around 6:00. The French doors in my office look out onto the patio, and I keep the shades raised to Riley height so she can look out. So, she now dutifully sits at those doors every night at 6:00 to wait for her birds. She doesn't do the "I see a bird" chatter so many cats do, just silently observes. But she's never previously shown any interest at all in birds, so it's really cute.

Ha -- I quickly ran through my mental list of Blake scenes that might link to, and decided on that one. Susan was a good character, a nice balance between confidence and self-doubt, cynicism and hope, etc. -- very appropriate for where she was in her life in general and career in particular. I was sorry to see her leave. I vaguely remember (I know, that's my MO with this show) her coming back, and some sort of relationship with the greasy, gross flight EMT played by Donal Logue, but it will pretty much be new to me.

The potential problem with that is actual feline nutrition experts are hard to stumble across, as many are owners who took on the research themselves. Many, if not most, although it's improving with every passing year, vets are woefully uninformed about nutrition; it's not part of their curriculum or continuing education credits, and thus a lot of their information comes from Hill's. A great vet has parsed the data on their own, and a good vet admits what they don't know, but a lot of this comes down to educated owners reading the research studies themselves and disseminating the information. I like my vet (she's very knowledgeable on general feline and canine nutrition, and very honest about the fact she hasn't done the studying necessary to educate herself on the special dietary needs caused by individual medical conditions), but even with her I've had to keep myself abreast of emerging research via VIN (I have her log-in info) and various veterinary journals. Some of the research memos the practice hands out to clients have been written by me, not any of the vets. It's a shame the average owner can't just rely on their vet, or even easily locate a nutrition expert in their area, but at least the internet has made it easy for those who have become experts, whether it be their primary field or not, to connect. Of course, it also makes it easy for people to access misinformation by simply Googling and reading merely anecdotal data (not that it doesn't have a place in research, as it absolutely does, but it should obviously be a supplement to scientific research), but at least the information is out there for those who have the time, inclination, and abilities to examine the research. That's great! The familiar smell will likely be a better lure than the food, so hopefully you'll all have a pleasant surprise soon. Good luck!

I guess I repressed that memory. I remember the "we're trying to have a baby" scene when Dan and Roseanne were going to ask Mark and Becky to move out, but not that she actually got knocked up. Well, that's sad, but there's still the possibility that she's the one who made more of her life than Darlene did, which, after what a horrible beast Darlene became in the later seasons, is my wish.

Yeah, Anspaugh came in as the new Chief of Staff (meaning for the entire hospital, not just the ER) after the county shut down one of the other hospitals. I don't think we saw the Chief prior to him. He's the ultimate head honcho, other than the Chairperson of the Board (and he'd be a member of the board via his position). Morganstern was Chief of Surgery, I think. Or maybe Chief of Emergency? A level down from Anspaugh, at any rate -- he was chief of a major department within the hospital.

Aww, what did Bilgisticat think of the accupuncture experience?

She wanted to go to college and maybe become an EMT or physical therapist, and Mark translated that into she was going to go to med school and leave him. There was a wonderful storyline building there in Becky Howser, M.D., but then Lecy couldn't get away from school to go film the Disneyworld episodes, and they reverted to Sarah's ditzy, unambitious Becky.

Lecy left for college, not to do humanitarian work, and while Roseanne would have obviously preferred to keep her until the show was over, they're still in contact with each other (the entire cast is), so I don't think there is any lingering bad blood (or even that it was a big thing then, since Lecy was invited back whenever her schedule allowed). The Becky working at Wal-Mart thing seems simply an accurate representation of the character's employment options.

The varieties of fish used in most cat foods are the most-polluted fish (and, in too many brands, they're the substandard offerings rejected by the human food industry). So there are general toxin concerns, and specifically PCB, because cats are shown to retain that in their systems at greater rates than dogs. And if you see "fish meal" on the label, there's an additional worry because the preservative often used with fish meal is one that I'm forgetting the name of, but it is a carcinogen. Fish-based foods are generally high in phosphorus and magnesium, so a fish-based diet puts cats at increased risk of urinary tract issues, especially male cats (e.g. excess crystals, which can lead to life-threatening blockages), and is not good at all for cats with kidney disease. Fish is an allergen for a decent percentage of cats, meaning it causes systemic inflammation. This can cause or aggravate many conditions. There's some evidence that cats don't properly process vitamin K or E on a fish-based diet (maybe a little weird, but maybe logical - fish is not part of a cat's natural diet, and metabolic difficulties with species-inappropriate ingredients are not unusual). Research also suggests a possible link between fish and hyperthyroidism (related to the iodine). There is also a thiamine deficiency risk, but that's mostly from raw fish or A TON of fish. So, fish is best reserved as a treat, rather than a regular diet, especially in male cats. Sardines and salmon (wild only, not farmed) are good, omega-3-laden treats that don't carry as many downsides for cats as most other varieties of fish.

I only eat rice if it's necessary to the dish, e.g. to soak up the liquid in a curry. I never just eat it as a side dish. I don't dislike the taste, I just find it rather pointless. And I use brown rice, because it at least has a little interest to it; white rice is completely boring to me. The first time I heard about a fluffernutter sandwich, I thought someone was toying with me. I don't like marshmallow (or Wonderbread), so that's not something I'll be trying.

Heh; no problem. Saying I hate potatoes sometimes inspires responses that would be more in line with my having announced I like to eat small children topped with puppy dust, so joke away.

That has always been such a fascinating - and fascinatingly unaddressed - plot point to me. That would bother anyone, but someone as private and independent as Scully? To me, that's a storyteller's wet dream, yet it's pretty much ignored.

I think that's the easy part; neither couple is likely to still be together, so Mark not being around is easy to explain, especially if they split up without having kids. But, since they tend to like a degree of symmetry with real life, maybe they'll have Mark be dead rather than just gone. They could go with Roseanne's idea, years ago, of Mark having enlisted in the military for the money and benefits, and gotten killed.

Topping today's line-up, the one where Carol makes a chest tube out of a tampon applicator. With Ewan McGregor as the robber. I don't often like these change-of-pace episodes, and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one. It kind of feels like Carol is being shoved down my throat, but Julianna Marguiles plays her in a way that keeps it from being annoying. Plus, Ewan McGregor. I like how they keep having the phone ring, as the cops try to make contact; it's a really annoying sound, so the temptation from a production standpoint would be to do it once and forget about it, but they kept it up. Ha - I love Carol's mom. "Fine. Go be an astronaut." I like that "You hold you back, not me" conversation, about nursing school being the one thing Carol ever finished.

How they explain Dan being alive will be quite interesting, but the core issues explored by the show are just as relevant today, so this is one of the few sitcom revivals I can get behind.

I hope the resolution of the William storyline is that it turns out he's safe and happy with his parents. The greatest of the many sacrifices Mulder and Scully made was worth it, and they can move on (and I don't have to hear any more about the damn kid). I, too, just want to see Mulder and Scully working together as the revival continues. I don't care whether they are also sleeping/living together at the time, because they clearly love each other deeply and permanently. As was true of every season, I'd like minimal mytharc. So, bookend the season with mytharc episodes again, and make the rest MOTW. I'll be going into this the way I went into season ten: I hope nothing major pisses me off, and that there are some great M&S moments. I got that, with the added bonus of the weremonster episode which immediately took its place in my top ten of the series, so I've honestly already forgotten most of what annoyed me about the revival. I've never re-watched any of it other than the weremonster, so it wasn't great, but I'm not actively annoyed by it after the fact, so it wasn't bad.

Dolly Parton is a national treasure. I hadn't thought about it in a very long time until you posted, but I remember watching Tammy Wynette's service. Her life was a country song, as the joke goes, and the things she suffered are no joke at all. I love her voice, and still listen to it fairly often.

If it's the commercial where their situation is contrasted with another family, whose insurance plan doesn't cover changing a flat in the middle of the night (24/7 roadside assistance), yes, that's her son.