Bastet

I, too, like my immersion blender. Also, my mandolin slicer. I just use a knife for routine cooking (which is for one), but when I'm having a dinner party I pull that thing out for fast slicing. I'm not big on one-purpose tools, but I make an exception for my garlic press. If I'm mincing more than a couple of cloves, I calculate that I'll spend less time cleaning the press than I would chopping the garlic, and go for the press. I have the Kuhn Rikon recommended by America's Test Kitchen, but my mom and best friend both have the Pampered Chef press and I really like that one, too.

I think Alex's bad imitations are a whole 'nother category -- where he pronounces English words in the (alleged) accent of the person speaking them -- from his pronunciation of foreign words. He doesn't do a bad job with much of the latter (while he certainly does with the former), it's just that he over-does it. Peeayebee, I commented on the compilation video in Alex's thread, and "genre" was the word I singled out, too. That one is classic.

So is everyone on television; the AC is cranked up to counteract the heat from the lights. It evens out to something pretty "normal." But even if actors have to be draped with a jacket or robe as soon as cut is called, they can be outfitted in clothing appropriate to the climate in which their characters are said to be living.

An all-male final. Gee, funny how Alex didn't remark on that gender make-up, when you can bet your bottom dollar he'd have done so had three girls been set to compete for the big prize. I was proud of running the Math category, since some of the clues dealt with things I probably haven't seen since I was their age (many, many moons ago).

I'm making these shrimp tacos with mango slaw that I could eat weekly and not get sick of. Right now I'm enjoying a pre-dinner margarita. I don't use a bagged slaw mix, so if I happen to only have cabbage when I get the urge to make this and thus can't make a proper slaw, I do it with just cabbage and it's plenty tasty. I also use real corn tortillas, because those pre-made things freak me out. And I cut the recipe down quite a bit. But, still - the basic idea = YUM.

I love Deborah Madison's Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating From America's Farmers' Markets. It's important to me to eat seasonally, either from my backyard garden or local family farms. But some of the things I pick up at the farmers' market because it just looked, smelled and/or tasted so good, I have no earthly idea what to do with. This book is my go-to for such situations: look up the ingredient in the index, and find simple, tasty recipes using it alongside other seasonal ingredients. Michael Pollan called this book "indispensable" for those trying to eat locally and seasonally, and I must agree. Also, I must give a shout-out to Cheryl Sedaker's 365 Ways to Cook Chicken. There isn't much particularly innovative or exotic in there (Thai chicken with papaya and lime gets labeled "au courant"), but it's good food. There are chapters for appetizers, soups, salads, fried, roasted (one for whole chicken recipes and one for cut-up roasters), casseroles, chicken with pasta, skillet meals, a whole chapter on chicken breasts, quick meals, low-calorie ... it goes on.

That's fantastic! I think "genre" is my favorite.

Yep, I took one look at the screen cap in the post and thought, "No way in hell am I watching that commercial again." As I said when I complained about that commercial a little while ago, I got hauled around in a powder blue boat of a Chevy. It beat walking. And no one with that hair has the right to comment on anyone else's coolness factor.

I came in nearly 20 minutes late and then only saw bits and pieces, so I didn't even bother paying attention to the case. I'm all for Angela spending some time without a man, since she went from a long marriage to another relationship fairly quickly, but a fortune cookie as her impetus? And if one has the means to quit a job without having another one lined up, more power to them; I've done that, and the time off in between was invaluable. But wasn't she pretty much scouring couch cushions for spare change recently? And they needed to either tone down Jane and Maura's reaction to Angela's outfit or put her in something hideous enough to justify them gasping as if she has donned the most unflattering clothing and makeup in the history of fashion. Why did Jane have her hands in front of her stomach pretty much the entire episode? I know she rests her hands there a fair bit - because it always stands out to me like Angie Harmon can't figure out what to do with her hands when she's at rest - but it was almost constant. It's not like she has a baby bump to rest them on. It was distracting.

People also need to be honest with themselves about what they do and do not know -- they're hiring a decorator because that person has skills they do not. It's not my profession, but I'm good at it, so friends and family have asked me to help them. My mom was a pain because she just wanted to pick out what she liked without any thought of whether everything coordinated (or she'd go to the other extreme and match too many things) and would get mad when I'd veto something for being inappropriate to the room. My dad would yell, "That's why we asked her to do this! We don't know how to pull it all together and she does." So while there have certainly been some questionable decorators and designers foisted on HHs by the show, I've also nodded vigorously along with some as they caution HHs freaking out over one element or another to just wait and see it all come together.

I use a lot of "men's" toiletries - razors, shaving cream, antiperspirant, etc. - because they're actually just toiletries without the gender surcharge. I have yet to develop a Y chromosome.

At 14, one should be a kid. With ambitions, and a variety of interests, yes, but good night, Irene -- I'm an EMT, a chef, a guitarist, a this, a that, I've already plotted my life's path ... pull back on the throttle a bit and take time to explore this life you're racing through.

Heh; for me, it's omitting that middle syllable that makes me cringe. I missed the game other than FJ, which was an instaget for me because what little Spanish I have retained over the years includes the days of the week.

I'm missing something -- what's the inconsistency?

It's a little diminished by knowing how much of that was shot with doubles (thanks to his shoulder and her pregnancy) - or up against a rug-covered wall - and I really hate what leads up to it. But, to this day, as soon as I hear those opening beats of Be My Baby, I grin like an idiot thinking back on my 1987 self absolutely freaking out that "No more between the lines, tonight's between the sheets" had actually, finally happened.

It was really clunky writing, like they were looking back over the script and Chris said to Frank, "Should we throw in a line about Samantha somewhere?" and Frank didn't have the sense to say, "Dude, she's starlight; move on."

I might be able to top that: I had to go look him up on IMDb, as I have no idea who he is (no wonder; I haven't seen anything listed in his credits).

Same here; I've never had any interest in those franchises as comics, cartoons or now films. I'm pretty sure the last one I saw was Superman (with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder), and that was only because a friend wanted to. I understand these movies do big business and the franchises have devoted followings and thus who plays these characters is A Big Deal, but my person reaction is a resounding "Eh, whatever."

Sophia's behavior was the ugliest in that episode, although Gloria and Stan certainly gave her a run for the money.

I've been getting into Modern Family via syndication lately, and just saw an episode with Benjamin Bratt. Wow, that man is as fine as he has ever been.

Here's a UO, or at least one that is unpopular among fellow fans of classic cinema: I kind of, sort of like the '90s remake of Father of the Bride better than the 1950 original. And that stuns me, because the original was written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, whom I adore (for The Thin Man and so much more). And, of course, stars Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Bennett. Directed by Vincente Minnelli. The remake shouldn't have stood a chance, and in fact I almost didn't watch it. But there's something about it that charms me, even slightly more than the original. Maybe it's just updated enough, but with a fundamentally classic feel. I can't explain why it edges out the original, but it does, at least in terms of rewatchability -- if the original is on TCM while I'm going around the dial, I may stop and watch depending on what else is on. But if someone is airing the remake, I will stop and watch every time.

I always stop and watch that one, too. And if it's followed by the sequel (Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit), forget it -- there go four hours of my life.

Is Liberty Mutual also the company behind the commercial in which some hypothetical driver being addressed is terrible at parallel parking, and will thus inevitably tear the bumper off someone's car at some point? According to the person in the commercial, this leads to two options: taking the bus, or buying insurance from X company. Um, how about option three: learn to parallel park, and park in lots until you do so.

The clue sought the noun, so I, too, thought accepting accelerate in place of accelerator was a stretch. "Want to go faster? Step on it!" The "it" in question = accelerator. However, in thinking on it some more, I can see accepting his answer on the reasoning that "Step on it!" - especially with the exclamation point - could have been interpreted as an instruction to do this, meaning accelerate, rather than literally seeking the "it" in question. (The category merely called for words with "cc" in them.)

It's all in the delivery on that one. They all - but Rue and Bea, especially - were so adept at elevating sharp writing to the next level, making this a highly quotable show.