Bastet

Because in today's Republicans, we have a government being run by people who think the market is good and government is bad. Chuck Schumer described it as an "ideological and visceral hatred of government." They don't want the government telling businesses what to do, and they don't want it telling people what to do -- their people, anyway; it's fine and dandy to tell people who they can marry or tell women what they can do with their bodies. (Government just small enough to fit in your uterus.) And looking to how things work in other countries? That's just crazy talk! America, being a young country in this world, has come to remind me of a teenager -- thinks the lessons learned by those who've been around longer and been down these roads before are totally irrelevant, and he knows best, dammit.

Yeah, that's what I'm speculating -- Fox and CC want this more than GA and DD do, so where there are points of contention in the negotiations, it's the production side that's going to have to give in or this is not going to happen, because the actors (especially GA, I suspect) are fine with walking away if it doesn't come together just the way they want it. This isn't charity work they're doing, obviously, as they get paid well for it (well, not so well for IWTB; while still not charity, I do think it was nice of them to take peanuts for up-front pay and for GA to drop out of another project and I think they did that largely for CC), but if I'm generally correct about how things are playing out, I am fully supportive of the actors putting the ball squarely in the Fox court by saying, "If this can be made the most convenient thing in the world for us to do, and if our pay reflects the advertising dollars you can bring in for this based on season 10 ratings (and is equal down to the penny), we're in. If not, we're not doing it. You decide."

Gillian said she wanted to do season ten because IWTB didn't give them closure, and then Chris wrote a cliffhanger. The studio tried to screw her out of equal pay yet again, so they'll probably try it again this time, too. Limiting it to six episodes was a huge part of getting both Gillian and David to agree to season ten, and this time the studio is pushing for more. I would not be remotely surprised if either one of them, especially Gillian, took the stance that if another short-run series would happen to fit perfectly into their schedules, they'll do it, but otherwise, no - they're not inconveniencing themselves in the slightest to make it work. From IWTB on I think loyalty has been a factor in them signing on. They're getting plenty of work elsewhere, these roles aren't particularly fulfilling creatively anymore, etc. I don't think they're angry, bitter, or anything like that - indeed, they seem to really enjoy getting the old gang back together when it works out - but I do think they're content to leave it behind and thus the heavy lifting and compromises to make this thing come together would have to come from FOX to make it happen.

The President-Elect Is an Internet Troll (And the media has no idea what to do with him):

Getting caught up on a magazine backlog over the holiday, it was brought home to me how three of my long-standing sources of news (via actual journalism) are going to be more important now than ever: The Nation, Mother Jones, and Ms. When I got home, I signed up for early renewals of each, to give them a little extra cash now rather than waiting until my subscriptions are running out. Anyone not reading these, I urge you to (and if you like what you read, I encourage you to subscribe, rather than just read online). Fact-based news, insightful columnists whose opinions are derived from reality, in-depth reporting, investigative journalism, international coverage (particularly from Ms.), CONTEXT -- all the things missing from so much current media are still intact with these publications. I've been reading all three magazines for nearly 30 years now, and what these crews have continued to produce with slashed budgets is nothing short of a public service, and it's going to be even more important.

My plan to wear shirts with anti-sexist and anti-racist slogans/images during my Thanksgiving trip yielded a poignant conversation. As I (a white woman) was on a walk through the campground, sporting a Black Lives Matter tank top, a black woman of probably 60-ish walking in the other direction visibly stared at my shirt and then stopped as we drew close. She said, "This may sound silly, but seeing that [gesturing to my shirt] is somehow comforting to me; I'm kind of anxious out in public now." I said, "Well, this may sound silly, but that's why I wore it" and told her of my strategy (to wear message shirts to subtly indicate I'd be a protective ally should some Trump supporter lose their shit and start something). We talked briefly about the election, and she said, "I knew we had a long way to go still, but I at least thought my days of fearing for my safety while going about my business were behind me." Heartbreaking. One motorhome had a blown-up image of a safety pin taped inside the windshield. An SUV had "Michelle Obama 2020" painted on the rear window. (I also got several compliments on my "A woman voting for a Republican is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders" shirt.)

I have about half a dozen different perfumes at any given time, and there are a couple that are always in the rotation, but otherwise I try new things (I usually sniff at the department store and then buy cheaper online). But the commercials are still ineffective on me; they can't tell me how something smells, so they rely on pitching a celebrity, or a lifestyle, or a song, or whatever. A commercial has never sent me looking for a particular fragrance. When I'm picking up those bottles and sniffing and spraying, I may be reminded of the commercial once I see the name on the bottle, but the only way the ad is going to affect my purchasing decision is in a negative way; if I found the commercial offensive, I won't be buying the perfume even if I like how it smells.

I got annoyed with one of the family members in that film, as it drives me crazy when doctors try to tell people that based on science it is almost certain X is going to happen and people just stand there declaring that Y is going to happen instead because of a bunch of stuff that has no effect on reality, but on the whole I thought it was a great, but brief look at end of life decisions, particularly, as you said, from the perspective of the medical personnel.

My Top Five Movies (Silent Era Through 1980): I have to start by saying this is nearly impossible; The Thin Man and Bringing Up Baby will always be on the list, and by instituting the 1980 cut-off, the third film that would always be on my top five list - Thelma & Louise - is eliminated, but the other three spots have at least ten films battling each other. Based on today's mood: 1. The Thin Man - My most-watched film (and that's saying something, as I have quite a handful of films I've seen so many times I can recite along verbatim). Myrna Loy and William Powell, martinis, playful banter, Asta -- I love it all. 2. Bringing Up Baby - Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, screwball comedy (and George)? Yes, please! Watching this movie can instantly snap me out of all but the worst moods. 3. Libeled Lady - My favorite of the non-Thin Man collaborations between Loy and Powell. Screwball is generally the only way I enjoy romantic comedy, and the cast and script make this one of my favorites. 4. 9 to 5 - Between the cast and the explicitly feminist viewpoint, this film had me at hello, but add in highly quotable dialogue and wacky hijinks and this becomes another film I can recite verbatim. 5. Psycho - My stumbling block with many Hitchcock films is the main female character, so maybe the fact she's dispatched with early on in this one helps it work so well for me. At any rate, it's one of my favorite horror films, thanks largely to Anthony Perkins' performance.

Every weekend I laugh at this commercial, which I see numerous times while watching football, and every weekend I forget to mention it here. I love the State Farm ad with Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews, when Rodgers attempts to take out a fly with a golf club and winds up taking out his windows instead. And it's all because of Matthews -- him asking, with mouth full of food, "Well, did you get it?" and waving the broom around in the background in the final shot, trying to shoo the fly out the busted window, are my favorite parts.

I had already read about that one here before I first saw it, so I knew she was picking up the phone to order whatever is being advertised, but otherwise I'd have assumed she was going to call the brat to say, "You can just stay home with your technology, then; more food for the rest of us." Complain to your friends about the fact you have to be away from your precious internet connection and may have to put your phone down to interact with human beings, fine, but do not post on something your grandparents have access to that going to their house is hell.

We never have them, either. It's tradition to have the cornbread dressing from my dad's family recipe with Thanksgiving dinner, so that's the starchy side dish. I don't like potatoes, and I don't like the dressing, either, so maybe another reason for the lack of potatoes is that my mom would be making two dishes that only two people would be eating, but even back when my grandpa was still alive, I can't remember there ever being mashed potatoes on the Thanksgiving table.

Barring a kidnapping, there is no chance of that happening, so I'm safe.

Forget the targeting penalty, the Notre Dame player who should have been ejected from the game was that Suh Jr. asshole, Tillery. That move against Ware was particularly odious, and the officials didn't even see it. Ware was lying on the ground because of a shot to the head, so he could have had a head/neck injury for all anyone knew at that point, and Tillery, as one sportswriter put it, acted as if Ware's head got in the way of his foot. What an asshole.

When that woman said they assumed the old dog died because they can't find him, I was hoping that foreshadowed him turning up. That poor woman, in ill health, carrying one heavy dog under each arm. I'm glad they included the conversation between Suzanne and Dr. Kristen about how fast it happens, because so many people don't understand that and thus sit and grouse, "Why didn't they get out sooner?" I'm glad Cypress Lake was able to get up and running again so quickly. I can just imagine Dr. Kristen helping at a nearby shelter, only to get the call that her clinic was flooding. The bottom line is all the animals are okay, but I, too, would have needed to take a moment to sit and cry that the practice I spent my entire professional life building was flooded. Tia is right that the storm got less national news coverage than previous ones that caused the same amount of damage. I saw a little bit on PBS NewsHour, but when I mentioned it to a friend who watches cable news, she hadn't heard anything about it. I don't blame them for being nervous when it comes to adopting a pit out to a first-time owner. Tia has said (about first-time owners), "you have to start somewhere" - everyone is a first-time owner once. But pits have been unfairly tagged with such a bad reputation, that if an owner makes a mistake and the dog gets into trouble, it will unfortunately reflect on the entire breed.

This is, by far, the most common misspelling of "definitely" I see, and I'm always curious what the writer spewed forth that spell check (or, now, a phone's auto-fill/auto-correct) found it closer to defiantly than definitely. Switching gears, I have no problem dealing with a dead mouse or rat. My problem is what to do with a live one who has made it into the attic space. Outdoors - live and let live. But indoors? It can't be there, but I won't set out poison (lest it ingest it, go back outside, and be consumed by another creature; it's bad enough I'm killing one, I don't want to cause collateral damage). The traps make me sad, but it's what needs to be done.

I like Whitney Houston's absolute nailing of a straightforward rendition of the anthem as much as the next person, but I just a) don't much like the song to begin with and b) don't understand what the ever-loving hell it has to do with a sporting event, so I don't care what anyone chooses to do with it. And Aretha Franklin, especially, can do whatever the hell she wants.

Actually, while VRC requires a fenced yard for many of its dogs, we've seen them adopt to people who do not have one. A lot of rescues have a long list of bright line rules, but - going by the adoption information on its website as well as the various adoptions shown on the series - VRC has a list of hard and fast requirements and then a much longer list of considerations that are based on the needs of the particular dog and the circumstances of the particular prospective adopter. (I looked into it when I first started hearing good things about the rescue and its parolee program, and then again when the show took off and really put VRC on my radar.)

In Betsy DeVos, we'll have an Education Secretary who is committed to killing public education. Which makes sense, as in a Trump presidency, we'll have an administration committed to dismantling the federal government. Anti-government nutjobs running the federal government. Yeah, this is going to end well. HuffPo has an article on how Trump's Cabinet and collection of key advisers is on track to be the least-experienced in modern history:

The only positive thing that would come out of Ben Carson having a role would be getting to see Trevor Noah's imitation of him every time he does/says something.

Trixie Belden was my jam! My best friend and I each had either the whole series or something close to it, and read at pretty much the same speed, so it was a like a two-member book club.

You're in luck, because you need not even go under the, uh, scissors. Just put your hair up in a bun, and then let it down. And, even if you don't already wear them, put on some glasses, because removing them will complete the transformation.

A Patriots v Cowboys Super Bowl would force me to root for the meteorite I'd hope would hit the stadium. Under normal circumstances, I'd root for the NFC team. But never the Cowboys. Switching to tonight's game -- I grew up going to see the Raiders in the L.A. Coliseum. Fast forward, and for a variety of reasons the Giants became my first and foremost team, but I've always continued to root for the Raiders on the AFC side. I love Jack Del Rio, but I've liked many a Raiders coach who oversaw a craptastic team. I love Derek Carr, but, again - been there, done that. To see things finally coming together, such that it's been about 15 years since we had this kind of record -- it does my heart good.

She's talked about it quite a few times; it's what leads to the increased "we need X,Y,Z" posts during hiatus. I'll try to do a search and post some links tomorrow; otherwise, it will be after Thanksgiving (I leave Wednesday morning, and it's busy here!). I love that you're "adopting" animals this year as the beneficiaries of your generosity. Four boxes of blankets is great! VRC is my charity through Amazon Smile, but I have several ethical objections to Amazon so I only order from them when it's the only convenient choice, so it doesn't add up to much. I give VRC a monthly donation, again not all that much because I have so many organizations I want to support on a monthly basis, and then I try to kick in with extra during the hiatus months when they're in extra need. They're doing so much, so well, with so little, I want to help however I can.

I join my parents camping every year for Thanksgiving - in their motorhome, so not exactly roughing it, lest you think I'm more robust than I am - and this year, as most years, they're at a lake in southern California (yes, we have them, they're just pitifully low by now). The campground is a state park, and Thanksgiving weekend generally attracts a fairly diverse group of people in the decades we've been doing this. Of minority groups, Latinos are most common. I'm packing my clothes tonight, and since I'll be camping it's all jeans, lounge pants, and t-shirts/tank tops with a sweatshirt for the evenings. I've decided all my t-shirts/tanks will have progressive political messages, focusing on those with statements against sexism and racism. It will be my way of saying, as I wander the campground, lake trail, and surrounding hiking trails, that I'm an ally if some hate-spewing fool starts shooting off his mouth. It's always been a generally harmonious time in the park, with a few exceptions, but this is not anything resembling a normal year, even in this blue state (and lake's surrounding area is a little more purple), so I'm ready.