Bastet

Well, sorry you missed dinner, but the portion of the project for which my dad and I needed a third person (a fully functional third person, which ruled out my mom as she's working on only one good knee until her second knee-replacement surgery next week) went amazingly smoothly (one never knows with old houses, but we powered through like you wouldn't believe) and thus I was able to shop in the afternoon and churn out a nice dinner this evening -- the rib-eye steak, herb mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and mixed-greens salad I discussed above - before we all conked out. I most often stay in the sixth, but you’ve picked a nice Left Bank neighborhood in the 7th arrondissement! Will you have a view of the Eiffel Tower from your hotel/flat? It’s plain beautiful in the daytime; at night it lights up to something just short of Vegas-style garish, but manages to still be a sight to behold at least once in a lifetime. As for food, you'll be near lots of great cafés and markets – really, that’s true of most districts, but you’ll have Rue Cler for desserts (and so much more) and the Pont de l’Alma market (and several others in the area) for even more than the usual from which to choose. I’m pretty sure Joel Robuchon has a place there. I can recommend Auberge D'Chez Eux for traditional fare and ambience, but other than that I’m afraid I’m blanking on names even though I know I’ve noshed well in the area. I believe it’s also a great shopping district, in terms of home goods and clothing, but I don’t have any personal recommendations on that front; I tend to travel light, and thus don’t send a lot home. The Rodin Museum is in that district, and I highly recommend it. It’s pretty evenly split between indoor and outdoor space, and the garden portion is my favorite. I’m a big fan of Rodin’s sculptures, but I really think just about anyone would enjoy strolling the garden. If I’m remembering my Parisian geography correctly (unfortunately, it has been several years since my last visit), I think you’ll also have the Musée d’Orsay nearby (a collection of Impressionist paintings housed in a former rail station). Also, you’ll be close to the entrance to the “Sewers of Paris” tour. Which, yes, sounds gross – and does, in fact, smell that way – but getting your Victor Hugo on makes for a truly interesting experience. As it’s your first visit, I’ll tell you it’s one of the few cities in which I encourage a typically-touristy riverboat tour – if you hop on a tour of the Seine upon your arrival, you’ll get a decent feel for the layout of the city, and see some great sights along the way.

I used to be non-committal on Aaron Rodgers despite my dislike of the Packers (since much of that dislike was the result of Brett Favre), but he has bothered me all on his own for a couple of seasons now. I don't know who Kevin O'Leary is, but, regardless, I'll definitely be rooting for the astronaut in that one (Mark Kelly is also Gabrielle Giffords' husband).

But they never specify gender or race when talking about white males. So I don't think it's just a narrowing down - in which case we'd also see "Male World Leaders" (or, you know, "Men World Leaders") or "White Authors" - but instead a reflection of the idea that white and male is the default when it comes to these professions; a category that just specifies the profession will be about white, male members of it, because women or ethnic/racial minorities won't be in the mix, they'll be shunted aside to their own category and ignored the rest of the time.

What a lazy defense of the indefensible. I was already giving the side eye at Noah characterizing his tweets as "jokes that didn't land," as if the harm was simply that they weren't funny, but at least in the rest of that statement he was hinting at a sense of "I screwed up, please give me the chance to show I can do better." But now - please. So he's just going to dismiss the criticism as typical media overreaction and never bother to examine the impact of what he posted given the world in which we live. Because, hey, if something matters more, then this doesn't matter at all, right?

I think the writing is still generally on point in season seven. (I think season eight is where I just kind of throw up my hands and say, "Some of this is still good, but hang it up, please.") Roseanne and Dan's relationship and storylines still feel organic to me, as do those of Roseanne and Jackie, Jackie and Fred, Bev and the family, David becoming more and more a part of the family, DJ at an awkward age (well, all ages are awkward for DJ, but you see my point), etc. Even with Becky and Mark or Becky and her parents, I can sometimes see what they were going for and how it might have worked with Lecy. But the new Becky and Darlene dynamic is just out of some other world, and one I don't care to visit. There's a scene where Becky scoffs, "Nice hair" at Darlene (although it's during a period of great hair for Darlene) and Darlene comes back with "Nice life." If that was the undercurrent of all of this - that Darlene was angry, sad, disappointed, frustrated, etc. by Becky's chosen path - that would make sense. But it would have to be rooted in the fact Darlene loves Becky and knows she deserves and is capable of better and that the longer she's in stasis the greater the chance she's going to wind up stuck. There is none of that - or any - subtext, to Darlene, though; it's just all dismissive contempt. They don't feel like sisters at all. And Darlene changing after getting out of Lanford to live on her own in Chicago, especially at a younger age than normal, and having already tallied up two serious relationships (she was contemplating moving in with Jimmy, which I found oddly glossed over), is certainly to be expected. But not for her to just change into an unrepentant asshole.

I, too, can easily restrict myself to small portions of sweets, but put salty and crunchy in front of me and I have no willpower whatsoever. Especially chips; I can eat a whole bag in one sitting, so I hardly ever buy them (I at least have that willpower -- it's just once they're in the house that I can't resist). Nuts are among my favorite snacks; pistachios, peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts ... yum. I also love cheese, salami, and crackers. Or buttered popcorn (the real thing, made on the stove; I hate the microwave stuff). Chip and dip. Veggies and dip (especially cucumber with dill dip). Shrimp cocktail. Dark chocolate. Damn, now I want a midnight snack.

I don't recognize any of Markinson's credits, but I don't remember him being among the actors who underwhelm me in this episode; if I ever watch this again, I'll have to pay attention to him. Apparently he showed up again later in the series, in Folie a Deux.

Hmm ... I could do Julia Child's beef bourguignon, as that's a bit more special than grilling some steaks, but I don't like it so they'd feel bad that I'd just be sitting there eating salad. Same with meatloaf -- I wouldn't eat that with someone else's mouth. So maybe just grilled rib-eye steaks, some herb mashed potatoes I've made for my parents before that went over really big, roasted Brussels sprouts and a mixed greens salad. That way I like everything but the potatoes, and everyone else is happy with the whole meal. Or, if my aunt says they like crab (but, yeah, she's of the "oh, we'll eat whatever you cook" mentality when I want to make sure it's something they're loving, not just putting up with) I could do surf and turf with filet mignon and crab cakes, plus some roasted asparagus and a salad. I just got home from hours spent at the emergency vet with my friend and her cat (he's my "nephew") and he has to go back tomorrow to see a neurologist as we ruled out the simpler causes of his listing walk and head tilt. I don't know if I can get away - I can't leave my dad and uncle hanging when it's my project they're working on - but she always wants me with her because I retain information better, ask better questions, etc. I just hope it's one of the more benign causes, and not a brain tumor or similar.

I don't know amounts, but picturing it in my head, I'm pretty sure it's just macaroni (the kind cut really short), mayonnaise, shredded carrot, sliced hard-boiled eggs, diced bell pepper, diced red onion, pimiento, and salt & pepper. It is most delicious warm, but almost as good cold, so I always take the leftovers home with me. It's the only macaroni salad I like, and now I really want some! My aunt and uncle are in town, staying with my parents (because my uncle is going to help my dad and I with the "this takes three people" phase of installing my air conditioning), so I'm sure we'll all have several dinners together ... I'll have to make sure my mom makes macaroni salad for one of them. (Tonight she's making pot roast, which is something I dislike so much I just flat-out won't eat it, so I'm staying home.) Speaking of my wonderful uncle (and aunt), I need to figure out what to make them for dinner when we get this all done. He has incredibly boring taste, heh. So I want it to be something that looks special, like "you put in all this effort to help me, so I put a lot of effort into your thank-you meal," but it also has to be something he'll enjoy. The man is going to be crawling around under my house bending line sets; he deserves a good meal. We just don't eat the same things -- they're very meat and potatoes and I'm very ... not.

I'm now halfway through season seven and, wow, do I miss Original Recipe Becky. For numerous reasons, but perhaps the strongest of which is what the characterization shift did to the relationship between Darlene and Becky. I love the way they are the ones to call each other on their shit, and get through to each other when no one else does -- Darlene to Becky when Becky runs away to Jackie's, Becky to Darlene when Darlene milks her depression to get out of having any responsibilities to the family, Darlene to Becky when Becky is asking Mark to turn down the job in Minneapolis, etc. And I love their antagonism, too, and it works because the things they use to insult each other are things that are true (the See ya, Bubblebutt/Later, Morticia scene is perfect) and because it's just the kind of thing that generally springs from being sisters; they do love each other and look out for and stick up for each other as well. But with New Coke Becky, there's nothing but disdain, and Darlene repeatedly insinuating that Becky is too dumb to live. It's so out of place. I had forgotten how awful David and Darlene are for each other as they get older. They were a good match for each other at 15-16, and came into each others' lives at a time when they really needed each other, and then drifted apart as their lives moved in different directions. That's a good thing. With David being part of the family, they'll always have even more connection than being each others' first loves, and developing a new friendship would have been an interesting thing to watch. But that's all it should have been, because they are just not suited to each other anymore by this point in the series. I'm curious to see how things progress, because I don't remember the specifics of how we got from where things are now to the wedding. Interestingly (to me, anyway), I like David more now than I did during the original run, and I like Darlene less. She's kind of insufferable at this point in the series. I think maybe the first time around I was distracted by how awful Sarah Chalke's portrayal of Becky was that I didn't take note of Darlene, but she's just kind of a shitty person right now. I like the Fred and Jackie arc as much as I ever did, though. It plays out a nice pace, with the end result inevitable but no less compelling for its predictability. They cared about each other, and wanted to make a nice little family, but they just weren't compatible enough to make that work. I'm just at the point where Fred leaves because Jackie had been spending time with another man, and I can't wait to see the final break-up again -- that scene of them sitting there at the table, realizing they have nothing left to say to each other is really well done. I like break-ups on TV that aren't the result of one, dramatic thing. The recurring theme of Jackie being torn between Roseanne and Fred is a good one, especially when Jackie realizes that it's not just force of habit that leads her to put Roseanne first, it's genuinely the way she's most comfortable. It's understandable - Roseanne has been her sounding board, protector, source of honest advice and unconditional love for a very long time, and will always be her sister, come what may - as is the guilt that makes her feel.

I won't judge him by a handful of jokes in the sense that I'm not going to say none of his comedy is thought-provoking and funny because some of his jokes are offensive. (I liked some of Joan Rivers' comedy even though I absolutely hated some of it, too.) But damn straight I'm going to judge the jokes themselves, and the thread of sexism running through them. If he brings that aspect of his comedy to TDS, I'll pass. Regardless, the fact he thinks it's harmless fun is disturbing. And I'm tired of it.

That's how I am with a few things my mom makes exceptionally well. "Write it down, I'll watch you do it, and when I have to take over, I will. Until then, why would I bother trying when I know it's going to be perfect if you do it?" Maybe I'll never be able to replicate them, though. Case in point: People love my mom's macaroni salad. My best friend and I grew up together, and her mom is a great cook, too, so she had my mom give her mom the recipe so she could eat it at home, too. But it just doesn't taste quite right when her mom makes it, even though it's a simple recipe. On the flip side, her mom makes pan-fried steak that makes me drool, and I'm not a huge beef fan. But when my mom makes it from that very same recipe, nope. It's fine, but not great. So they both just gave up long ago -- if you want macaroni salad, you go to my parents' house, if you want pan-fried steak, you go to her parents' house.

And artists, scientists, leaders/heads of state ... The J! crew should be ashamed of themselves for still peddling this crap in 2015.

The post referred to hosts of late-night talk/variety shows in speaking of the lack of women, and since Bee's show is in such an early stage of development, it has not been announced when it will air.

I think I'm glad I missed tonight's game. Prefacing various professions with "Female" (or, worse yet, "Woman") drives me nuts, and as a woman whose preferred method of travel is to explore alone, the whole "OMG, really, you go by yourself?!" response - which I have yet to ever see directed at a man - bugs me on an even more personal level.

I'm procrastinating today, so since I only listed the songs that make me cry previously, I will now think of those that make me laugh: It Wasn’t Me by Shaggy Just a Friend by Biz Markie Barbie Girl by Aqua You Never Even Call Me by My Name by David Allan Coe - For those who don't know this one, there is a hilarious interlude where Coe tells the listener that he disputed the songwriter's assertion it was the perfect country and western song; it couldn't be, because it didn't say anything at all about momma, trains, trucks, prison, or getting drunk. So the songwriter sent him back another verse, which made it the perfect country and western song: Well I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison And I went to pick her up in the rain But before I could get to the station in my pick-up truck She got runned over by a damned old train Bust a Move by Young MC I Got a Man by Positive K Guys Do it All The Time by Mindy McCready Put Another Log on the Fire by Tompall Glaser I'm Gonna Hire a Wino (To Decorate Our Home) by David Frizzell Girls Lie Too by Terri Clark Celebrity by Brad Paisley I Spent My Last Ten Dollars (On Birth Control and Beer) by 2 Nice Girls Shitlist by L7 A Boy Named Sue and One Piece at a Time by Johnny Cash Stupid Girls by P!nk I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred Did I Shave My Legs For This? by Deana Carter The Humpty Dance by Digital Underground O.P.P. by Naughty by Nature Fuck Me Pumps by Amy Winehouse The Mississippi Squirrel Revival by Ray Stevens All My Exes Live in Texas by George Strait The Pill by Loretta Lynn

I was getting ready to articulate why I think largely-new blood is a better choice than putting one of the veteran correspondents behind the desk, decided to read the NPR blog linked above in the interim, and realized I could just quote from that:

CeCe Peniston had a big hit with Finally, and I think had some lesser dance hits and some R&B as well. But I think she was also part of a gospel group, yes.

I'm generally fond of the guest acting on this series, especially during the Vancouver years, but not in this one. And Maggie Wheeler is one of those people who bugs me in whatever role she plays, for largely nonspecific reasons.

Oh, Sabrina was definitely my favorite of the Angels, but I don't put her up there with the others on my list. As for current shows, I don't watch very many, but Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles fit my criteria, as do the two leads in Playing House. Both shows revolve around the friendship between two women, which means I forgive a lot of storytelling flaws because I'm just so damn happy to see that.

I can't get into this one, because the girl looks like a very creepy version of one of my closest friends in elementary school, and I think Maggie Wheeler is a horrible actor. And the one playing the dead guy's wife is even worse.

Yes. Yes, they can.

I just called my mom to ask, "Before I was big enough to handle putting the cart back myself [because that was my job; I thought it was fun to collapse one into the others], what did you do with me while you put it back?" The answer, of course, was "Um, either left you in the car or took you with me; what else would I do with you?" So I explained that, apparently, my existence entitled her to just leave it around the parking space, because pushing it where it belongs is just too much to ask of someone who has kids with them.

Ha! Yeah, that would be much worse. Okay, I just looked up that Chowhound thread and it is cracking me up. So these people managed to walk all around the store with the cart and kids just fine, but somehow when they got to the parking lot, the ability to walk the cart to its designated spot evaporated due to the presence of the children?

This made me think of George Costanza, after his new boss finds out he had sex with the cleaning lady on his desk: "Was that wrong? Should I have not done that? I tell you, I gotta plead ignorance on this one because if anyone had said anything to me at all when I first started here that that sort of thing was frowned upon ... because I've worked in a lot of offices and, I tell you, people do that all the time."