Bastet

Going back to holding places in line, a couple of years ago, two friends and I were going to attend a screening. It was one of those deals where you had to have a (free) ticket, but only the first 400 ticket holders would actually get in. One friend and I arranged to leave early in order to secure a place in line, but the other friend (her fiancé) couldn't, so she wanted to save a space for him. I said there was no way in hell I was holding a place in line for him -- we were probably around 350th in line, so if 50 people among those ahead of us let "it's just one person" come join them, we are no longer getting in, and I will be pissed. I'm not going to do that to people behind me. He agreed, and was rather appalled she'd made the suggestion in the first place, so he just skipped it. (And the people ahead of us who tried to pull that crap were soundly informed by the people behind them that it wasn't happening, so we got in.) Re. the coffee order, you have to be an asshole to know you have a giant order and there's someone stuck behind you and not ask, "Are you just ordering one drink?" and then, upon confirming that, invite that person to go ahead of you. But the barista also should have called someone else up to help with the big order or take the single order, or, if no one else was available, ask the customer with the giant order, "Do you mind if I pause for a moment to make her drink so she can be on her way?" Situational awareness, people.

Normally, there's quite a gap between the end of filming the regular season and the filming of the finale, so they wouldn't be staying put, they'd be coming back. But it was shorter this season; if they were ever going to do it in the same city, this would have been the time -- maybe in the finale they could have finally shown us something of Charleston.

It's funny that the discussion of the show's references to character ages was revived last night, because one of the episodes I watched while awake in the wee hours overnight included a conversation between Sophia and Dorothy, in which it's said Dorothy was born in 1932 (which would make her 53 at the start of the show). It was in Two Rode Together, from season four.

I heard one of the local news anchors last night refer to "Valentine's Eve." Stop it.

Oh, I forgot about that one when I mentioned her "I live 80, 81 years [followed by list of things she's survived and prediction that one night she'll belch and "Stable Mabel here will blow my head off]" line several episodes later, but you're right -- that's another one establishing her as 80 years old at the time the show starts. "How long is this story? I'm 80, I have to plan."

Nor was I. I liked Kristen and Brooke so much, I was very excited about a finale where I'd be thrilled with either winner -- only to have that joy marred by such a ridiculous format. If Brooke winds up in this finale via LCK, I'll be happy if she wins, but equally happy if Shirley or Sheldon wins (not so much - or at all - with John). But if Brooke did win, it would be a little something extra, erasing that bad memory. I said from the time the contestants for this season were announced that Brooke had the most to lose by coming back, so I really like that she put herself out there for it; she could have rested on a "she kinda got screwed" sentiment, but instead opted to try again, risking being eliminated mid-way through and changing the general perception to "Gee, I guess it was a fluke she got as far as she did the first time."

I agree, Aja; it's handled so much better than on 99% of shows that do a "teen gets drunk" storyline. I, too, love when Roseanne says she doesn't so much care that Becky took a drink -- she tried it, she got sick, she got caught -- but what bothers her is not being able to trust Becky, when she always thought she could. I also like that Roseanne effectively dismissed Becky's "Well, you guys drink" argument by asking her if she can't grasp the concept that there are things adults do that kids can't. I love the "reincarnated as a rag" line and use it whenever someone has a wicked hangover. "My parents listen to stuff from before music was invented." "Mine too. Have you ever heard of Albert Herbert? He's from Tijuana."

The Netflix documentary The White Helmets (nominated for an Oscar for documentary short), about a group of rescuers in the Syrian Civil Defense, is not for the faint of heart, but I'm glad I watched it. Seeing these people rush towards a bomb is really something, especially knowing that "double tap" attacks - hitting a target a second time to kill off first responders -- have become frequent, and in fact nearly 150 White Helmets have been killed. There's a scene where a rescuer, who hasn't been able to get in touch with his son after an attack, finally hears a message from him and realizes he's okay. Within moments of that relief, he wonders to his colleagues, "But what's really the difference between my son and another person's? Aren't they all innocent?" To so quickly go from relief for himself to empathy for others was incredibly moving to me.

I still quote from Moonlighting with some regularity, so that theme song is absolutely what I think of when I hear Al Jarreau's name. (In fact, I found out about his death not via this thread, but by email from one of a group of people with whom I occasionally gather to watch favorite episodes of the show.) I know nothing about him as a person, but that song has made me smile for over 30 years now.

The hand-painted curtains were the ugliest for me, but the patterned back splash butting directly up against the patterned wallpaper was second - and, while only second ugliest, I regard it as the worst design choice, since it would require stripping wallpaper (or demolishing tile, but that was a great back splash) to undo, while the curtains could just be taken down.

I just got to see this episode from last year via a re-run tonight, and oh my god, those curtains were too ugly for words. The very worst Trading Spaces designer with a tiny budget would have nixed that. I liked the HHs, and appreciate that their renovation was much more interesting than the repetitive norm. I love the red of their living room, and like that they used a lot of different colors, but they're not very good at combining colors. The kitchen cabinet handles looked like sausage links. Great episode for deviating from the typical script and featuring pleasant-to-watch HHs, and all that matters is they like the house (and I easily could, too, with a few changes), but I seriously can't get over those hand-painted curtains.

Weird, because we have both Dreyer's and Breyers here in Los Angeles.

Tonight is going to be one of those nights I make a vat of spinach, artichoke & cheese dip, open a bag of tortilla chips, plop down in front of the TV and call it dinner. To balance that out in advance, last night I made a stir fry with snow peas, bean sprouts, and chicken (that was marinated with garlic, ginger and lime juice).

I don't have any problem with it, and sometimes I'm bad about opening a cabinet with hands that are goopy from whatever I'm in the middle of making; I just use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and even something dried comes right off. (That's what I use to clean my white refrigerator, too. Also light switch covers, doors -- anything with fingerprints, it's great for.)

I once had an attorney pull that shit in a letter to opposing counsel (blaming his failure to respond on her not putting the deadline on the calendar, when in reality he forgot). I didn't see it before it went out, just happened upon the copy of it when I pulled up the file. I told him to never do that again, since - beyond the should-be-obvious facts it's unfair to the assistant to blame something on her when she didn't actually do it and, even if the error had been hers, it's completely inappropriate to air that dirty laundry - it makes us look ridiculous. And to thank his lucky stars he didn't try that in front of a judge.

Is that not an exaggerated version of reality in your area? Because it is here -- they're fairly expensive, and their size makes them easy to conceal and thus steal (who would be doing this en masse, I do not know -- it doesn't seem high on the list of items stolen for personal use, nor do I imagine a tremendous black market) -- so they're locked up in many grocery and drug stores. (Meaning one doesn't have to undergo Hanns Scarff style interrogation to procure one, but again with the exaggeration of a real situation in which one must track down an employee to unlock the case.) I get my razor blades at Costco -- a nice, big multi-pack no one is afraid of me stuffing in my pocket, so I simply drop it in the cart and head for check-out at a good price. But I'm familiar enough with the different scenario at many grocery/drug stores that many of those commercials make me laugh.

I decided to watch the first Tampa episode while eating lunch. Too much time with the cops, or maybe it just seemed like more than the New Orleans shows. “Unfortunately, in Florida, we’re not too hard on juveniles.” Oh, really? Tell that to the kids abused in your private youth prison system. Or those direct filed into the adult criminal court system. That cop (Robb, I think) can miss me, and maybe his partner, too – they both seem like the type who resent the checks on their police power -- but I like Roni so far. Oh my god, that woman who fell through the window and cut the ever-loving shit out of her arms and leg! A friend of mine when I was a kid went through her sliding door, and she was stitched up like a rag doll (plus a bunch of internal sutures) and on crutches for a while as the muscle healed. It was horrible. But she was preternaturally calm when it happened, just like the victim in the show. That hypoglycemic seizure was intense! I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this before, but I like the little glimpses we see of what they have to do to clean/sanitize the ambulance after a call. The firefighter/paramedic cross-training they have in Tampa is the type of system my friend’s brother works in (in CA). He was a firefighter for years, and then studied/trained as a paramedic so he could get a job in such a system; his vast fire experience let him come in at a much higher level than he otherwise would have started at. Where I live, all firefighters are trained as EMTs (and some are paramedics), but as far as I know not all EMTs/paramedics are also trained as firefighters. What is with the font used on Fire Rescue's t-shirts? It looks like that used by a strip mall Chinese food restaurant.

Yep. Oftentimes, people who have cats with chin acne see it clear up when they switch to stainless steel bowls, because the plastic ones were harboring bacteria. Can you find a mini bundt cake pan you could use as a slow-feeder bowl?

I recorded it, but didn't have a chance to watch it last night. The NOPD Propaganda Hour that preceded it, I could have done without. It’s a shame, because they could have easily told the tale of good cops and community policing by simply being honest – police oppression and brutality is a systemic problem, not a series of isolated incidents, and black people are completely logical in being afraid of the police unless they have evidence to the contrary – but opted instead to blather about the media, downplay the longstanding and ongoing history of police misconduct in New Orleans and instead act as if NOPD is being blamed for things done by other departments, and showcase a bunch of, “Oh, I started out angry, but now I’ve seen the light and love the police” folks. All that footage of proper and positive police interaction with the community in general and suspects in particular would have been nice to watch had reality been more acknowledged in the talking head interviews. The dangers and uncertainties police face are real, and by all means they should talk about that, but so are those faced by the black community, and they need to be honest about that. This bullshit false equivalency (given the power differential) of "how you feel being judged by the police because you're black is how I feel being judged by you because of my uniform" is not getting us there.

I think Emily could potentially be a great sous chef; she has skills, she's just a basket case in competition. So she might be really good, with the pressure off, keeping her head down and helping someone else shine -- it would be nice redemption for her to help the winner, but so much about Sheldon that she doesn't feel the pressure enough to freak herself out. Or she could be a total clusterfuck. We'll see.

Give me seven kinds of break that Sheldon is the only one who recognized the voice. John doomed his wife on the sauce, when he told her to spoon it on, being careful not to use too much, while he was just pouring it on straight from the pan. It’s interesting that Brooke, who is such a creative chef, has trouble when told “make something inspired by X” and prefers a straightforward challenge, within which she just naturally thinks of a creative twist – my mind works much the same way. That’s probably why I like her literal concept: You want to know about my “journey” here, I’ll make a dish that combines ingredients from some of my favorite challenges. I hope she’ll come back via LCK (even though it will mean I have to read more conspiracy theories). Wow, Shirley nailed that dish, judging by the comments at the dining table – that was some incredible feedback. So I was surprised when Sheldon got the win. I really miss the blogs. Does Padma have an entire wardrobe of outfits that have cutouts on the sides?

Heh. Drifting away somewhere in season six (probably early; I don't remember, but for a very long time I thought I'd quit in season five, so I can't have stuck around for long), I'm forever grateful for having been spared that image. The very idea of them together romantically repulses me.

I also have a standard temperature lower than average, but my doctor understands 98.6 isn't some universal rule (and my mother, who also has a lower resting temp, understood that when I was a child saying I didn't feel well enough to go to school [I liked school, other than the getting up early nightmare, so I wasn't prone to faking illness]) -- I have a fever if my temperature is elevated above my normal, period. This takes me to an overall peeve: when people take something that is a general guideline -- e.g. 98.6 as a normal temperature, XX-XX as a lab's range of normal for various values in blood tests, pooping once a day as "regular" -- and turn it into a bright-line rule, not allowing for the fact individuals can be a little above or below with that being a perfectly healthy norm for them, and thus the important part is looking for changes as compared to their norm, not deviations from the average/standard.

By the VRC Facebook page, it looks like they're fine. The Assumption Parish shelter was rather surrounded by tornadoes yesterday, but came through unscathed. There's nothing posted specifically about the warehouse, but there are several business as usual posts from yesterday and today, so I think things are fine all around.

With how Teen Vogue has been outpacing much of the corporate media in providing actual journalism since the election, I'm looking forward to that one.