Bastet

Chris Meloni. I first saw him on NYPD Blue, where he played an awful person, and it caused such a disconnect for me because I found the actor so magnetic I kept forgetting the character was slime. Pierce Brosnan obviously became a movie star and has aged like a fine wine, but my crush on him was at its height during Remington Steele. (My all-time crush is Cary Grant, and Brosnan as Steele was reminiscent of him.) Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs, but the stumping for Romney took care of that. Jon Stewart. Benjamin Bratt (I recently saw him in a syndicated episode of Modern Family, and he looked as good as he ever has.) I watched The Practice almost exlusively to look at Dylan McDermott. Among women, I think Cybill Shepherd is one of the most beautiful people on the planet, especially during the Moonlighting era. And my X-Files era girl crush on Gillian Anderson has only grown stronger.

I'm one of those peevish holdouts on less vs. fewer, so watching TV - especially commercials - can be quite aggravating. A few years ago, Mercedes ran a commercial for a coupe, touting more power, more this, more that and then ending with "less doors." I'd have to change the channel lest my blood start (figuratively) boiling. The oft-noted use of "and I" in place of "and me" is also a major irritant, and it seems just as widespread on television. Characters saying "imply" when they mean "infer" (or vice versa, but it seems more common that way) bothers me, so I enjoyed an episode of Law & Order: SVU in which Munch corrected someone. I'd like to drop Munch into a few shows with characters who don't understand the difference between inter and intra. Like several others, I'm tired of hearing just about anything described as "amazing," but what bugs me even more is "awesome." Thanks to Eddie Izzard, I say to the television, "It's the dog's bollocks, that's what it is."

This is not my style of food at all, but I've made it as comfort food for those who do like this sort of thing, and they have loved it. I think it's tailor-made for the unadventurous eater. This yields a ton, because the idea behind the recipe as given to me was to freeze half for later; unless you want to do that, too, cut it in half: NEOPOLITAN BEEF CASSEROLE 1 T oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 4 medium-sized carrots diced 1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef 10-ounce box of button mushrooms, sliced 2 (6-ounce each) cans tomato paste 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, broken up 2/3 cup dry sherry 1 ½ tsp. each, salt, sugar, dry basil and dried oregano ½ tsp. Each, pepper and garlic powder 1 lb. elbow macaroni 2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 10-ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated Heat oil in a good-sized dutch oven type pan over medium heat. and sauté onion, garlic and carrots until onions are golden, about 5 minutes. Add beef and cook, stirring, until browned and crumbly. Halfway through, add the mushrooms to get them started cooking. Add tomato paste, tomatoes and their juices, (break them up with a spoon), sherry, and all seasonings, and cook, uncovered for about 30 minutes, or till somewhat thickened. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water, according to package directions. Al dente is best, as it cooks further in the oven. Drain well and mix with the drained, squeezed spinach. Layer half of the macaroni mixture in a lightly oiled large lasagna pan. Top with meat sauce and ½ of the cheese. Repeat layering, ending with the last of the cheese. Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, or till bubbling.

How could I forget In-N-Out given the fuss so many people make over it? That's another one I've tried -- the law school I attended would bring the trucks in on the last day of classes each year to treat the students before finals started. I ate it, sure, because no one paying for law school turns down free food, but it was simply a decent fast-food burger. NOT something to cross state lines for.

I like the "Maternal Reflex Technology" part of that ad, because to this day - decades after I stopped being a kid - if my mom has to stop short while I'm in the passenger seat that arm comes out. I've had friends who are moms do that to me, too. "Sorry, force of habit."

I'm sick of the sob stories and over-scheduled teens, but I liked the group of kids in this latest round in terms of how they interacted with each other. Especially the two who made it to the dessert round.

My favorite lines from DJ's religious phase come when he explains he has been going to church because he had questions about "God and stuff" and Roseanne says he should have come to them, since there is no one better to answer his questions than Roseanne and Dan. DJ: Okay. What religion are we? Roseanne: I have no idea. Dan? Dan: Well ... my family is Pentecostal on my mom's side and Baptist on my dad's. Your Mom's mom is Lutheran and her dad was Jewish. DJ: So what do we believe? Roseanne: Well, we believe in ... uh ... being good. So, basically, we're good people. Dan: Yeah, but we're not practicing

Ice cream made with fresh vanilla beans, yes. With "natural flavors," no. I only like flavors that are made from a vanilla base -- cookies and cream, chocolate chip cookie dough, vanilla chocolate chunk, etc. Even something I like - mint, chocolate, strawberry, peanut butter, etc. - I do not like as an ice cream flavor, only as an ingredient mixed in with vanilla ice cream.

And an animal lover, who adopts rather than buys and helps low-cost spay/neuter programs (he provided the artwork for California's "Pet Lovers" license plate).

This was an example of how situations we've seen a thousand times on television can still be gripping if we care about the characters. I was really into everything that happened once Jane found the girl. Having said that, though ... It wasn't necessary to make that girl so utterly perfect for Jane - and us - to care about her. I suppose next week we'll find out she reads to blind puppies in her spare time. Maura - as a doctor and her best friend - would have known by her voice Jane was in pain, and asked her about it. It wouldn't change anything in either's course of action for Maura to know Jane was likely suffering a miscarriage, so having her accept Jane's "I'm fine" just made her look daft. As obvious as it was, it wasn't overdone, though; kudos to Angie Harmon for not over-acting any of it. That vest was ridiculously short, and they even made a point of her pulling it down. New Boyfriend needs to have a seat. "I want to help." Do what, Professor? You're just wasting time. I did like the three of them in the beginning, though, and loved Jane telling Maura to relax instead of spending the whole time wondering if they were enjoying themselves. That is the world's slowest elevator, and quite impressive in that it can continue to run after Jane cut power to the entire building. A hitman who can hit an eyeball through a peephole can certainly hit at least one of two downed targets, so the fact they were able to get back inside without being shot again was ridiculous. I'd say maybe he's only good at close range, but he plucked the two of them off just fine with his first two shots. The scene between Maura and Angela had an off vibe to me, almost awkward - it was if those two had never acted together before. And is there anyone who didn't know a) Angela was going to clean the ball a little too well and b) it would turn out she'd bought a replacement dress? No big deal, just quite predictable. I'm sure next week will be one cliché and inaccuracy after another, but hopefully by the time it's over we're back to normal.

Or even bother to learn what she actually did and why, but she lays it all out here.

Weekdays, milk (1%). Weekends, Bloody Mary. I don't drink coffee -- I love the smell, but not the taste. My favorite tea is green tea (decaffeinated, as I have both a low tolerance for caffeine and a heart condition that doesn't like it). Whatever the tea, I add nothing to it. (But I'm much more apt to drink it at night than in the morning, so I didn't vote for it.) During the day, water. With dinner, water or wine.

"These things are power!"

I had a McDonald's hamburger once, about 20 years ago, when that's what the friends I was with wanted. Gross. An experience not to be repeated. Tasty fries, though. I used to treat myself maybe once a year to the only fast food burger I've ever liked -- a Super Star with cheese from Carl's Jr -- and an order of McDonald's fries (the two restaurants are essentially right next to each other), but I won't give Carl's Jr my money anymore thanks to their sexist advertising. Every once in awhile, I'll pick something up at Subway. That's all I can think of; clearly fast food is not much a part of my experience even though there are a ton of options here. We almost never had it when I was a kid, so I guess just out of habit I haven't tried very much of it. Oh, wait -- one time on a road trip I had KFC. Not terrible, but not good. .

Yes - there should be a Pop-Up Video version of HH! When a HH complains about a bedroom being too "tight," a little chryon bubble pops up saying the average size of a bedroom in that area and at that budget is actually X square feet less than the room being shown. When they complain about a black or white finish on a good-quality appliance, we learn via the bubble that the stove in question is worth X more than a builder-grade stove with a SS finish. When they bust their alleged budget because they saw something pretty and shiny, we get data on percentage of income spent on a mortgage 20 years ago vs. today's average (plus how much of the purchase price one used to put down vs today's "WHAT?! I put down five percent and you want to me to pay closing costs, too?). When a HH frets about the death trap that is a staircase, unscreened window or other hazard, we're treated to statistics on serious injury or death resulting from said features. When they whine over the lack of double sinks in the master bathroom, we're told she gets up a full hour before he does or there is an unused bathroom down the hall. This is a series I could get behind!

I've never had a problem doing that, and I'm not seeing anything in the ingredients that would constitute a risk. I did that with either simple syrup or hummingbird food -- I don't remember which specific sugar and water combination it was, but one of those. By the time I remembered I had it on the stove, the water was completely gone, the sugar was completely oxidized, and my pot was completely screwed.

I don't remember her in another role, either, and IMDb only lists the one appearance. (But by looking that up I did learn there had been a TV version of The Client and Holliday played Mama Love, with JoBeth Williams as Reggie and John Heard as Reverend Roy -- that was the only film based on a John Grisham movie I liked, and the TV series has a great cast, so I wonder a) how I missed it and b) if it was any good.)

That's the only way I ever make it; I'm not waiting for the kettle to boil when I'm sick.

It was common practice to "recycle" actors in the '70s and '80s, so I don't think it was anything specific to older actors with respect to this show.

Yeah, no Myrna Loy day in this year's Summer Under the Stars, but through William Powell's day we get a number of the films they did together: Manhattan Melodrama, Libeled Lady, Double Wedding, I Love You Again, Love Crazy and the first two Thin Man movies. And, yes, despite the fact I have all those on DVD, I do anticipate TCM blaring from my TV pretty much all day long. We also get Wife vs. Secretary by way of James Stewart's day (Thu 8/7) and, on Cary Grant's day (Wed 8/13), The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.

I mostly just eat peanuts, but when I want a slice of peanut butter toast or am making cookies, I use crunchy. As a kid, I was always so disappointed if I was at the home of someone who used creamy. Or if they used Jif instead of Skippy. (Not to mention if they didn't have honey, since I ate peanut butter and honey sandwiches rather than peanut butter and jelly, but that's another story.)

You'd take a few swigs from the bottle to make room, and then pour in peanuts. (I don't remember who wrote the song, but it was neither Mandrell nor Jones; she recorded it with his guest vocals. It was written in response to the Urban Cowboy era, when that non-traditional genre of country music became a fad - to the dismay of many fans - and became something of an anthem.) Although I've always preferred Pepsi, I don't dislike Coke. But since I drink soda so rarely, when I do I go with my favorite. Root beer floats made with A&W root beer were a treat when I was a kid. And I remember drinking RC for a while. And Squirt, I liked that. (A friend of mine still drinks it, only now with tequila <g>.) I never liked Dr. Pepper, but had an uncle who would drink that stuff by the case.

That was Barbara Mandrell, with a guest appearance by George Jones. It was Pepsi, but yes, of course - my dad is from Oklahoma. :-) It's delicious.

Me too; that's one of my staples. I'm very neat and orderly, so I have strict rules on how much stuff can be in my house, including cookbooks. With most authors, I'd rather just input individual recipes into a hardcover spiral notebook than take up space with their entire book. Everyday Mexican is one of my few exceptions.

"I'm just going to sit here and think about plutonium and the things I can do with it."