Bastet

I made it through four (of eight) episodes, and threw in the towel with Stranger Things. I liked the '80s nostalgia, as I was a teen then, but other than that it really doesn't have anything going for it; the story itself is just too much of a mess for me. It doesn't help that I don't like sci-fi, for the most part. A friend told me everyone she knew was raving about it, and since we were hanging out at my parents' house last night and they have Netflix while neither of us do, we decided to give it a whirl. Neither of us were impressed.

Kraft macaroni & cheese, with sliced Hillshire Farm hot links mixed in. A week's worth of sodium and chemicals in one trashy, delicious bowl. I think that's about it for true crimes against food.

The American idea that ability to receive quality health care is largely dependent on financial status is, well, foreign to much of the world. So while some HH are moving to countries where the healthcare is not the greatest for anyone within its borders, those moving to countries with high-quality care are not terribly burdened by not being citizens of those countries. There are different processes and such, but health care is considered such a fundamental right in most industrialized nations that being an immigrant is not a major obstacle.

I'm so bummed not to get MTV Classic; I would have loved to see these early seasons again. Didn't Cory inadvertently say something offensive about the girlfriend, and then burst into tears when it was pointed out to her? (Maybe something about whether she was biracial?) I have a vague memory of something like that. Cory was interesting to me, such a sheltered person just starting to learn about the world beyond her bubble; she was naive, but kind-hearted. I liked Judd a lot - he was so my type back then - but I imagine I'd find him harder to take now. But that's what I loved about these early seasons; with the exception of the occasional cartoon character like Puck, the ways in which people were annoying were all the natural ways in which people are, in hindsight, annoying at that age as they figure themselves and the world around them out. The show was still populated by people rather than characters. People were genuinely annoying, not playing an annoying role.

I can't believe kids are allowed to have phones in class! Not just for tests, but in general. Yeah, we wrote notes during class, but that's because it could look like we were taking notes rather than writing our friends who we just saw in the hallway before class and are going to spend every break and lunch with. Having a phone out would be so obviously not for class purposes, I'm surprised schools don't prohibit it. Or is that how kids take notes these days, by pecking away at a smart phone?

I didn't like those Cheez Balls/Curls; to me, they tasted like the inside of the can. I had a friend who used "Cheetos" as a generic term encompassing Cheetos and those Planters things, so I had a few disappointments when she'd suggest we munch on some Cheetos and then turn up with the can instead of the bag. I'm a Cheetos Puffs gal; if Frito Lay ever discontinues those, I'm storming headquarters.

Should I just be grateful they had Jane decide to take the FBI job before the cute agent showed up again, rather than writing him as one of the reasons behind her inexplicable choice? Is that what it's come to for me trying to enjoy the final episodes of this show? Shall I call it a success if the finale does not consist of one big wedding for Jane and FBI guy, Maura and her ex-husband, Angela and Ron, and Nina and Frankie?

Yeah, I look at the shrimp, rather than the clock, so I can't say for certain how long I cook shrimp, but I can't imagine I've ever cooked them 8-10 minutes. More like five.

Tough makes me wonder if it was overcooked, which can happen in less than a minute with shrimp.

I cheated in high school. The only C in my entire academic life came in Geometry, and if I hadn't cheated on the final to counteract my horrible average up to that point, I'd have never passed. I had tried everything legit, but that part of my brain just doesn't exist. But that was my justification in ninth grade. In college, and certainly in law school (which I attended as a second-career student, similar to the students being described), I'd have grown up enough to face the GPA consequences rather than cheating my way to a better grade in a difficult course. So I can understand being particularly flabbergasted that people in this phase of life cheat (and do it so brazenly, stupidly, and needlessly).

My favorite is her cream of wild mushroom soup. I use one more type of mushroom than she does, use less butter to cook the leeks, use my regular stock (which is made with plenty of mushroom stems) rather than making her specific quick-cook stock for this recipe, and use all half-and-half rather than half-and-half and cream, but it's still fundamentally her recipe. Whenever the weather turns chilly, I make it. Good thing I live in a warm climate, or I'd live on it.

The breathable underwear commercial with the bridal party in the dressing room is 98% stupid because they don't untangle the poor woman from her bridesmaid dress before quizzing her about her underwear, but the two percent where the actor playing the bride says, "I don't think you should get that dress; it doesn't fit you" just delights me. The delivery and the arm gesture are perfect.

It's part of a series. He's the father of the bride. Why he's twirling his wedding ring and looking like someone pissed in his corn flakes, I don't know. (I'd guess he hates the groom, except in the other one he's practicing his toast in which he's positive about the marriage.)

Plus any of the many people who've recorded the classic. I'll go with The Cleftones.

I still chuckle thinking of the scene in Safe Passage when Susan Sarandon gets thoroughly fed up with long-time husband Sam Shepard when he tosses his used tea bag into the sink instead of the garbage, as he always does -- she snaps, "For 25 years, you have been dunking your tea bag exactly seven times and throwing it in the sink. Who do you think throws that tea bag in the garbage?" He responds, "Where's the garbage?" And this: Is classic. I have a friend whose husband always puts his dirty dishes in the sink rather than undergoing that arduous task of moving a foot to the right and opening the dishwasher. If she ever files for divorce, I swear it's going to be Petitioner's Exhibit A (or an affirmative defense for why she smashed a dirty plate over his head; could go either way at some point). Anyway, I am going to change "trash can" to "dishwasher" and share it with her. Examples like these are just two of the 873 reasons I choose to live alone.

Little Miss Sunshine is an utterly charming movie that I have watched countless times. Myrna Loy never being nominated is the Academy's greatest snub, IMO, and I agree it's most surprising for The Best Years of Our Lives. That role is Oscar bait of the best kind, and they still ignored her. One of the many reasons she's my favorite is how natural her acting style is, and I've long wondered if that blinded voters to how much great work was going on in her performances (that TCM piece narrated by Julianne Moore points out a few examples, including from Lives). I've also seen it theorized that being an outspoken liberal long before that was common in Hollywood played a role. Whatever the reasons, it's too bad.

Yeah, I was turned off by the first episode and the promos for the season, with all the stuff clearly done just for the show, and didn't watch another episode until last night's. I think it's something I'll watch occasionally and keep up with via this thread, but that's it. I hate reality TV (as opposed to documentary series). I cannot stand Sean or his parents. But at least we got a real moment when he turned into an anger ball because he was stressed out moving into the house, seeing how he acts and how his parents - and Steven and his parents - react to it. I was surprised to find myself liking both Elena and her mom last night.

Yeah, it's a lot of research up front, because you have to know the right ratio of muscle meat to organ meat to bone and how much of what supplements (e.g. taurine) to add, and then you need freezer space or you'll be forever making small batches, but if you can make the time investment, the cost winds up not being all that bad. Or, for convenience sake, you can be pre-made (frozen) raw from Nature's Variety, Primal, or the like. One of the many benefits of a raw diet is good poop. But, some cats just won't take to it. What millennial glued to his iPhone came up with that idea in the first place? A program that large and that important should never implement a system that excludes those who do not have cell phones, and certainly not when it's a program for seniors.

We did that field trip when I was a kid, too, and it was fascinating. I also got my Victor Hugo on in Paris and went on a tour of the sewers. The science of how we deal with waste is interesting, and it's even more interesting to me how it was dealt with long ago, without the knowledge and capabilities we have today.

Oh my god, that "And my fear is, she won't" scene in Stepmom! Yeah, it's been discussed here before, but it sucks so hard we can do it regularly. I know Sarandon and Roberts had been wanting to work together for a long time, so I really wanted to like the film. And I didn't hate it, but that scene! Ugh! That fucking twit of a woman, standing there talking to the woman who is dying young -- as if anything she could be worried about could compare to the fears Jackie has for herself and the kids she'll leave behind, but what she comes up with as her biggest fear is some future scenario where the daughter is getting ready to walk down the aisle, the trophy wife stepmom is helping her, and the poor young woman will be wishing her mom was there?! Of course she'll be wishing her mom was there. Whatever her relationship with Isabel is by then, she'll be wishing that; if she thinks Isabel is the greatest thing since sliced bread and is so happy her dad left her mom and married her, she will be wishing her mom was there alongside her. Also, that stupid revenge plot Isabel concocts for the daughter to get back at her little boyfriend is beneath everyone involved, and a pathetic example of how ill- equipped she is to actually parent these kids, not some shining example of how cool she is and how well off the kids will be in her hands.

Oh my god, I should have tried tequila. This show is ridiculous, and if there weren't only two episodes left, I'd just spare myself the rest of this decline. Jane and Korsak and Maura and Korsak had nice scenes. Otherwise, this episode was actively awful.

I waited until the late airing because I figured I should start drinking before watching, and now I'm not sure I can consume enough to continue. I don't even recognize this show anymore. Just so much whatever. And if that kid with the terminal disease magically gets better, you will all hear me screaming from wherever you are.

Brenda turned 40 or 41 during one of the early seasons. One of the few things I disliked about Fritz is how he kept on about kids after they got married, when she'd made it clear she didn't want kids. That wonderful conversation about school districts/bigger houses (in other words, kids), when she asks if that's something he wants, he says that would have to be a joint decision, and she says, "I don't think we need to worry about schools." It was settled, but then he'd bring it up sometimes. Um, Fritz, does that really strike you as something about which she's going to change her mind? Or something it would be a good idea for her to change her mind about? The other strike against my otherwise TV boyfriend is how he'd get huffy about her job being dangerous and try to stop her from doing certain things. I hate when people do that -- choose to get involved with someone who has a dangerous job (or a time-consuming one, which is the other scenario in which this is typical) and then complain about that fact. You knew going in! It was particularly ridiculous here, since he's an FBI agent. Being concerned, sure. But not when he'd try and tell her not to do something.

Oftentimes, extra stinky poop is because of diet, so maybe a different food would help. Is he eating something with grains, particularly rich/fatty, or anything like that? As for wayward peeing, in the absence of a medical issue (e.g. UTI) it's generally behavioral, and often related to stress, particularly territorial anxiety. Your vet has hopefully covered everything in her advice, but check out some articles on feline idiopathic cystitis for tips to see if there are any you haven't tried. In nine years, I'm sure you've tried it all, but just in case. Bandit has anxiety which is pretty well managed, but he does occasionally mark his territory in the house. That's frustrating enough, having to soak and soak again with enzymes to eradicate the smell so he doesn't keep marking the same spot, so for a cat who never pees where he's supposed to -- that's rough to live with. I recently overhead two people engaged in a conversation so littered with "likes" (including "...and I'm like..." and its cousins "...and then she's all..." and "...so he goes...") that it sounded like a parody.

They switched back and forth (from week to week) as to who got top billing, because they were equals.