Bastet

Yep, Mod Squad. The episode was Cricket.

The only time I ever waited in line more than a minute or two to vote was in CA's gubernatorial recall election, and that was only about ten minutes. Most of the time, there's an open booth. Granted, the fact I've always had the flexibility to take a break and go at an odd time rather than having to vote during the before- or after-work rush is undoubtedly a factor. I have my official voter information guide from the state, which is a whopping 223 pages long, thanks to our many propositions, but my sample ballot has yet to arrive. It was pretty late to arrive in the primary, too. We don't have early voting here, but one can vote by mail. With how problematic the mail service is in my neighborhood, I opt to vote in person. I just hope my polling place is at one of the schools again this time; it hops around a fair bit, and I don't appreciate having to go into a church in order to vote.

I probably refer to myself as my cat's owner, guardian, or parent fairly interchangeably, since they all describe my relationship to her. (As, of course, does "servant.")

That's how it has been all along -- Trump gives a speech (or, now, engages in a debate) and proposes a bunch of horrible and/or unworkable things, lies about things he and his opponents have said/done, and throws in a few particularly crazy comments. The latter is all that gets talked about in the media afterward. The Daily Show did a good piece back during the primaries about how dangerous that is, and they could run it again today with equal relevance.

Yes, therapy animals are to help other people, but I've lost track of how many people refer to an animal that makes them feel better (as, you know, pets do) as "my therapy animal." And then there are those who call their emotional support animal a service animal and expect all the access rights that come along with that.

But make her very popular on the other half.

My peeve on this issue is people who don't understand the difference between a service animal, an emotional support animal, and a therapy animal. They're all different things, with different access rights.

As per usual, I only recognize about half of these people by name, and looking up their prior appearances shows I'm happy to see everyone other than John Tesar again. I'd rather they just keep on with fresh contestants, because how will the returning contestants' experience be accounted or - or ignored - as compared to fresh meat, but if they're going to bring people back this seems like a talented and largely inoffensive group so I look forward to the food.

I haven't yet seen the episode, as it premiered when I was asleep, and I don't much care for Ina's attempts at acting out a storyline with Jeffrey and/or their friends so I haven't exactly tracked it down, but these are at least ostensibly people they are close enough with to share a vacation. If she can't trust Jeffrey after all this time to do something as innocuous as take a walk with a friend, she shouldn't be married to him. So if this silly storyline reflects reality, good on her.

Ooh, I like that -- to walk around all day with my "I voted" sticker on my pantsuit (my suits are split about 50/50 between skirts and pants, so I have several to choose from). Thanks for an idea that will give me a smile during a day of anxiety.

That is my new favorite thing!

This came up in conversation tonight, but none of us had seen it since it was in theatres, so I may bungle it, but the scene in Kissing Jessica Stein when Jessica and her mom are talking in code makes me tear up with joy. Jessica is involved with a woman for the first time, and unable to be open about it (and having difficulty with the sexual intimacy). Her mother is a stereotypical NY Jewish mother, perpetually trying to set her daughter up with eligible, mom-approved men, complete with declarations that "he's a very nice boy." Jessica figures her mom would plotz if she brought home a girlfriend instead. After Jessica has brought her girlfriend around as a friend a few times, there's a scene in which Jessica and her mom acknowledge the true nature of the relationship without ever saying it outright. When her mom says, "I think she's a very nice girl," that moment of acceptance warms my heart. I don't remember the film as a whole well enough to recall if I found anything annoying or offensive, but that snippet of dialogue has been stuck in my head ever since.

I do, too, no confession necessary. I wash and reuse them until they sprout holes; it would pain me to throw them away after one use. I believe that referred to the extra plastic used to make the "zipper" on a resealable bag.

My condolences on the loss of your father, Moose. I love that episode, so much it's near impossible to choose a favorite moment, but Toby's "I can only hope, Sir" answer is definitely in the running. Also Richard Schiff's line delivery when Toby says he's a very influential person.

Those in Congress who would rather see the country fail than Obama succeed will be the same way with her if (please, universe!) she's elected.

I love "no fucks left to give" Obama even more than I've liked "presidential even in the face of obstructionists and fear-mongers" Obama.

Two quick dishes made with boneless chicken breast I turn to frequently are: - Spicy chicken and mushrooms, in which I sauté garlic, ginger, mushrooms, green onions and red pepper flakes with cubed chicken breast and then stir in some tamari, rice vinegar, and chopped cilantro at the end. - Mushroom chicken, in which I sauté mushrooms and onion, add some chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and thyme and simmer before adding a pat of butter and pouring it over baked chicken breasts. And when tomatoes are in season, another quick dinner is to coat chicken breasts in Parmigiano-reggiano, cook in a hot skillet, and top them with chopped Roma tomatoes and basil.

Bloodworth-Thomason and Burke both commented on that time, and the misunderstanding of each others' motives, most recently in a really nice group interview about the series. Edit: Because that interview as long as it is wonderful, let me quote the most-relevant section:

The only frozen vegetable I buy is chopped spinach for dip (and that's not resealable, but it doesn't matter because I use the whole bag). So I never thought about it, but it is rather odd that some vegetables would come in resealable bags and some not; I wonder what the reasoning behind what gets the resealable bag is. (I love cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts - and love that all three will grow pretty much year-round here - but no way, no how to green beans.)

It's also more abrupt than Jackie getting some of the storylines and interaction with Roseanne originally intended for the stock "wacky sitcom friend" character, because that transition happened early on and Crystal didn't disappear until much later. And she's rather purposely not spoken of when the tight-knit cast reflect on the show, even when they're doing DVD commentary and Crystal is right there on screen.

Ooh, another peeve - living with people who fail to do that. Thankfully, I've lived alone a long time now and will hopefully never cohabitate again, but my mom is prone to leaving drawers just slightly open rather than pushing them all the way closed, and my friend's fiancé leaves kitchen cupboards wide open. It looks like poltergeist have been there.

When the Bell/Shepard commercials first began, I thought they were fun -- the one where she's helping him prepare for an audition, the Christmas one, etc. But then they got obnoxious, first with the freak-out over the toy with juice on it and then with the one where she can't stop scooping out melon balls long enough to walk five feet and check the fridge. There have been some others mixed in that were just boring (e.g. the chardonnay and gravy drawer). I haven't seen a new one in a while, and keep hoping they're done.

I've always wondered that, too, but never come across an explanation. It did seem to have been the result of some sort of issue (or at least that there was something going on in addition to a character having run her course), and it stands out because the rest of the core cast was so close and remains so today. I didn't miss Crystal, as I could only ever handle her in small doses, but her absence was noticeable and made me curious.

The first time I saw an episode of Monk (in which the titular character has OCD), he was asking the dry cleaner to fix his shirt because when she'd sewn a button back on, she'd sewn it with the stitching in parallel lines, while the other buttons where all sewn in an X (or vice versa). The audience is supposed to laugh at him, and his obsession with it was certainly over the top, but I just turned to my aunt and asked, "Well, who wouldn't be bugged by that?" I notice if people put their switch plate or outlet covers on without making sure the screws are tightened so they're facing the same way. The difference between Monk and me is I don't have to go grab a screwdriver and fix them (although I make sure mine are all aligned).

"Retarded" has such an ugly, hurtful history I never use it and don't like to hear it, but one of my friends uses it - as a synonym for stupid - a lot. I've told her it bothers me, and she catches herself afterward and apologizes, but she never remembers not to say it in front of me in the first place. Simply for the sake of accuracy, I'm pretty consistent about saying I'm particular about something rather than tossing around the term OCD, but I'm regularly guilty of referring to my ever-worsening eyesight as "going blind."