Bastet

Bingo! She attacked the two kids she was taking care of, thinking they were wolves. You're up.

---- -- --- ----- ---, ------. ----'r- ----- ---- -- --. Redux II: R Redux:

Yep, her husband was out of town, and it was the next-door neighbor she shot. Thankfully, she missed the dog. :-) The babysitter's victims didn't die.

Oh yeah, I was supposed to put up a puzzle, wasn't I? Okay, another from the "lines I hate" file: ---- -- --- ----- ---, ------. ----'-- ----- ---- -- --.

I finished season four last night, and the way they let Lanford's economic collapse play out over the course of it is just masterful. Economic conditions when Dan buys the bike shop are so different than what they become, and it's interesting how things slowly change, almost in the background, creating the perfect storm. I could not love more in the season finale when that state representative comes to the Conner house and says he's going door to door to get to know his constituents, and Roseanne tells him he should just go down to the unemployment office and see everyone at once (by this point, Wellman has imposed a series of layoffs and is pretty much history, and Rodbell's has shut down the restaurant in order to replace it with a bargain bin section, reflecting the reality of people's altered spending habits). He starts in about how he's going to fix that by offering tax incentives for businesses from other states to relocate to Lanford, and Roseanne says what he really means is the union jobs will be replaced by those paying scab wages, and on top of that the workers will have to pick up the slack for the taxes those businesses aren't paying. "Is your husband home?"

Yeah, the babysitter is a tough one because we don't see it, we just hear Mulder tell Scully about it. It's at the beginning, when he's telling her that Patnick thought he was killing someone else; he says it's similar to another incident in the neighborhood, and then briefly describes what a babysitter did. You got everything right on Patnick (I don't remember the war criminal's name, either, just that he was called a "modern-day Hitler" and both of Patnick's parents were Holocaust survivors). Who did Helene Riddick actually kill?

I'm perfectly happy watching an asshole character, until the show starts trying to tell me it's okay he's an asshole and everyone should just put up with it.

It doesn't look like anyone is going to get this one, so let's move on. The autopsy of whatever they pulled out of Ray Soames' grave begins at 10:56, alluding to CC's birthdate of 10/13/56. Next up: In Wetwired, the signal emitted by the cable device causes delusions based on people’s greatest fears. For each of those who commit a crime while in the grips of those delusions, who do they think they’re attacking and who do they actually attack? We’ll leave Scully out because we all know that part. But how about the rest: Joseph Patnik (five victims, but we only know one) Babysitter (we only hear about her actions, we don’t see them) Helene Riddick

At least the woman is fully clothed; that's about the only positive thing I can say about that GoDaddy commercial.

I like when clues require contestants to do math, rather than just answer questions about it, because frighteningly few know how. I missed chunks of clues throughout the episode thanks to having to fuss with my satellite receiver, including the entire category about identifying sounds. FJ was an instaget for me; say UNESCO, and my mind automatically adds World Heritage Sites to it.

I think Roland has the same mildly patronizing attitude towards those with developmental disabilities that shows up in most media, and I am irrationally annoyed by the fact they put Scully in a blouse she'd never wear (which, for season one Scully, is saying something, because girlfriend clearly was not picky about her clothing) just so Roland could have something to count. It's not a total clunker for me, but it's pretty boring and one I rarely watch.

Because of her hand, it looks to me as much like a grimace (which is presumably what she'd be doing in character) as it does a smile.

Yeah. He was the one covering Kearse when Kearse made that catch on his back.

I hope the tape of that call gets played in training sessions for 911 operators, because I think he handled it wonderfully -- they probably get FAR more crank calls than they do distress calls disguised as food orders, but he doesn't automatically write her off. He repeats that she has called 911 a couple of times and asks if she has an emergency or not. When she says yes, he immediately knows the score and asks the relevant questions. And all credit to her, too, because that was brilliant. Getting the address out there right away, asking how long it will be ... giving everything they need without ever saying something suspicious, and getting off quickly.

Okay, I take it back - there is one of those Liberty Mutual ads I hate slightly more than the others. The one where those who can't parallel park and will thus inevitably ("it's just a matter of time") tear the bumper off someone's car are encouraged not to learn how to parallel park, but to buy Liberty Mutual insurance. Because the only other option is to take the bus. Learning how, parking in lots or spots that don't require parallel parking ... nope. Take the bus or buy LM insurance. So they're encouraging people to go around town ripping the bumpers off other people's cars because, eh, no big deal, LM will pay for it.

Don't say I never did nothin' for ya.

I think I hate them all equally; everything they're complaining about is just the way insurance works, and there's a valid reason for every one of the policies they're so appalled by.

Why should Mei or anyone else who feels as she does give it a break? She wanted it to be her and Melissa in the finals because they have become friends and because that would guarantee a female winner. Stephanie was very happy the Kristen/Brooke finale meant there would finally be another woman in the winner's circle with her, and the two of them felt the same. I don't see why they shouldn't talk about it when asked (or on their own); it doesn't matter to everyone, but it matters to them, and they're saying so.

No, 11:21 is for CC's wife's birthday.

No to Bellefleur -- that was a twist on his hometown of Bellflower, yes, but that's not about his birthdate. I think no to the Pentagon door, but now I have to double check. That's not what I was thinking of, but maybe that alludes to his birthdate and I didn't realize. I'll be back ... ... I'm back (you've got to be a little impressed I had the self control to just go directly to that scene rather than watching the whole thing) and, no, there's nothing alluding to CC's birthdate in the Pentagon scene.

But that's not what the test says.

I liked Mei saying she wants to win for herself first and foremost, but also for Melissa, and for all women, and also acknowledging the pressure she feels as the only woman in the final three given the dearth of female TC winners. I'm glad they didn't include much of Blais, since I was far from enthused at him being one of the guest judges at this stage of the game. I enjoy hearing what the chefs did during their time between Boston and Mexico, even though it was pretty short this season, and Greg certainly seems to have made good use of his time. Doug not being able to make a great dessert when his only requirement was to use chocolate is pretty pathetic. I think he's a great chef and would love to eat his food, and there's nothing wrong with him, in the course of business, having someone else handle dessert. But to be so inept that he couldn't rise to this simple challenge on the show, when he knew he was likely to have to make dessert at some point -- he's lucky it was just a QF. All the food looked good to me, so I was not at all surprised to hear Tom say it was another challenge in which someone was going home despite great food. That's the way it should be, and it has been like that for several rounds now. Good season. And nice vacation for the previously-eliminated chefs not chosen as sous chefs -- their filming commitment is minimal, and the rest of the time they're enjoying free room and board while roaming around a beautiful location. That's quite the consolation prize.

She did the "best friend" role so many times it should have become tiresome, but it didn't (to me, anyway; she may have felt differently) because she was just so damn good at it. I always enjoy her.

Slight exaggeration referred to gazillion.

Not to me, because it's no different than dinner theatre, a comedy club, etc. -- it's just background noise that I don't even notice.