CousinAmy

I noticed their house, too, and at my age I don't even want to think about climbing all those stairs. It looks like you enter on ground level, then the living room/dining/kitchen is over the garage, and the bedrooms must be on the third floor. She said that they don't have any health issues so they probably are not bothered by the stairs much at this point. But think of lugging all those groceries up a full flight! Speaking of which, Michelle made a point of stopping to pick up prepared baked ziti instead of cooking dinner (and I realize that this was the "excuse" for her deciding to leave her humdrum bubble, which led to the trip to D.C.) but Jen Arnold is criticized for feeding her children take-out - and she's a working mother who, if anything, has even less time to cook dinner. Michelle has time to go to the gym, stop off for coffee, etc. But all's well that ends well, because dang if she wasn't inspired to fry up some chicken for her family, as if that's the first time she ever cooked a meal. The relentlessly princess-y party for the girls with the boys dressed as knights was grating on my feminist nerve, but that's a post for another day. And "yankee"? Some of us are Mets fans, you know!

I wear glasses. I make a concerted effort to only associate with people who also wear glasses. We spend most of our time sitting around talking about our glasses. Next month I'm going to have cataract surgery and hopefully can throw away my glasses after 60 years of wearing them. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I won't have any friends left.

There could be a perfectly logical reason why they didn't use the question. I can't believe that Jen is so ashamed of having people find out that she has limitations that she would do something underhanded just to avoid answering a question. Just because it seems important to members of the audience doesn't mean that it has the same importance to her. We will have to wait and see what questions were selected.

I know many black people born and raised here on Long Island who talk with a Southern drawl, and have never lived in the South. I don't think Whoopi is any more fake than they are - I suppose it is a cultural thing. The stars of Live get paid $10M just for getting out of bed early? I remember when Kelly was on All My Children and left to take this job - I had assumed that being a soap star would pay much more than being on a daytime talk show. Since Regis left I haven't watched it more than once or twice.

I think at this point we just have to accept that this is the show - Whoopi and 4 minor-leaguers who just want to talk about light topics. It's never going to be anything more scandalous than the show, "Scandal" and if one wants more, than there are other talk shows and news shows that cover politics and world affairs. I was fascinated by Whoopi's story about her child-self trying to get away with telling her mom a big lie. It was funny and human and revealing. I don't bother with the guests anymore, because they don't interest me. But her stories, the ones that made her appealing when she first hit it big, about being a little black girl in the projects, are worth the show to me. I can't stand The Talk - if I'm home I'd rather be scrubbing toilets than listening to Sheryl (?) acting like a buffoon. I like Aisha Tyler and would love to see her take over The Daily Show (ain't gonna happen) but I can do without the others.

My mom was pretty clear until the last few months before she died but I've heard of others whose parents became extremely paranoid about people stealing from them, blaming children, etc. My boyfriend's father lived to 100 and did start suffering from dementia about a year before he died. He also voiced resentments towards his two children. For some reason, he wrote a new will when he was about 97. He cut both his daughter and his step-daughter (who was the one in Florida basically taking care of him) out of the will, left some money to the step-daughter's brother - whom he barely knew - and left about $40,000 to my boyfriend. (He never told his sister that she wasn't in the will, but he will share his inheritance with both women.) We discussed whether the will could be challenged based on his mental condition, but he had been in complete control three years before, so it would have been fruitless. I'm hoping that they have both a treatment and a cure for Alzheimer's before I hit that danger zone in 20 years (I'm in my sixties now).

I don't think Bill and Jen care what is discussed on this message board. I think some of us are bored with the repetitive posts.

Now we have the contrast/other side of the "making adjustments" coin - on one side, the Arnolds have a house that is adapted to their needs. This family rejects adapting, as if it's a sign of weakness, and wants to show that they're just regular folks. I come down on the side of adaption. Better to make your living environment as safe and as comfortable as possible, then to live in an environment that's not suited to your needs. I wonder if, in the second or third or fourth season, they will also build a house that's customized? Thanks to the TLC Gravy Train. (I'm short, not a little person, but I reached my height of 5 feet tall at age 10, and never grew another inch. Sometimes I have to go around my well-stocked supermarket aisle by aisle, asking someone taller than me to reach an item on a shelf. If an employee isn't around, I'll ask another shopper. No big deal.)

I might agree with you about trivialities, but a hurt or aching leg or foot can be very debilitating, since it makes movement very difficult, and is so disruptive to one's life. I had some pain in my knees last year, and was diagnosed with advanced arthritis in both - at the young age of 65. It was more than embarrassing to be limping everywhere, it made me feel old and sick. Fortunately a few months of physical therapy really made the difference, and since I "graduated" (actually Medicare was limiting my visits) a few months ago I haven't had any more pain. My mom had unexplained pain in her wrist when she was just about bedridden (by her own choice, there was nothing physically wrong with her) which turned out to be a strain from using the TV remote all the time. If there is some kind of PT you can take, consider doing that. And I have a very pretty cane that I'm not using anymore, so don't hesitate to "lean on me."

It was exercise (while lifting a weight) that caused the back problem. I'm not sure how much exercise he is getting, since his recovery has been very painful. If he's able to tolerate physical therapy now, that should help his recovery. But he - like many of us - will have to watch his diet while he's in this painful condition. I try to eat healthily in my everyday life, but splurge on special occasions. Since we mostly see the family during special occasions, that could be the reason why we see them splurging!

Whoopi is able to push back against Nicole in a way that Rosie couldn't. Rosiecseemed to be so emotionally charged, while fragile at the same time. I always had the feeling that she could pop her cork at any time. Whoopi isn't all that fragile, and doesn't seem like she needs to be calmed down. Nicole is showing her true colors - finally - so I'm glad that other members of the panel are also not holding back.

I wonder if the parents of those young playmates might read TV forums and message boards, and hesitate to put their children on reality TV where they fear that they will be criticized for putting their children on reality TV. Zoey is just three years old, but I think she's at the level of a 2 1/2 year-old. (At this young age 6 months is a huge span in development.) I don't expect a girl of that age to be comfortable around a lot of older, bigger children, and would only have one or maybe two friends/playmates. Will I would expect to be more social, being older and having lived in the neighborhood longer. But he's not, or at least not ready for that kind of interaction on screen, so I'm content to wait and see.

I would like to know why people who are against seeing children on a reality show are watching children on a reality show. I would think that that hour once a week could be spent watching something you do enjoy. I understand the concept of "hate watching"- I watch The View, after all - but if I was fundamentally against the concept of comedians moderating talk shows I probably wouldn't bother to watch it at all.

I was hooked from the beginning because my ex worked for the City and was longing for a promotion to Deputy Commissioner if his department. But he was passed over many times, and it was disappointing and humiliating to him. He never made big bucks working, but retired with a great pension so he actually is better off financially now. The brownstone looked like it was two houses that were joined together, being so roomy and spacious inside, with a double-sized backyard. Maybe they bought it cheap as a fixer-upper? The problem with the slap itself was that it wasn't done to discipline the child, but an expression of an adult's out-of-control anger. That's why it was more egregious than a swat on the bottom, which I don't condone, either. Connie wasn't old enough to drink, so she could have been twenty. She had a responsible position at the clinic, so she wasn't a child. I would hardly call Hector a pedophile.

I wonder just how many hours we are talking about. This show seems to have a very short season, and most of the children's episodes revolved around special events. They are not on camera 24/7, they are not being forced into unnatural situations, they are having fun while maybe being inconvenienced slightly by having to wait. (Most little kids hate waiting, anyway, but they often have to do it for reasons that they will never understand.) We don't see them at school, which is good, I don't think the general public even knows where they go to school, unlike the Gosselins, Duggars, and Roloffs. (And if you do know, I don't want to know.) I wonder what the reaction will be to the new "little family" on TLC? Will they be accused of exploiting their children for the sake of a TV show, or will they get a pass because they're not rich and famous?

I'm not sure if they know, yet, what a bank is. But I'm pretty sure they are happy to be living in a big, warm, safe home with two loving parents and tons of grands, aunts and uncles. They have access to the best doctors available, healthy food to eat (as well as some unhealthy food to eat!) lots of opportunities to meet and play with other children (at school, gym, etc.), as well as a swimming pool, a nearby beach, and local attractions - farms, playgrounds, pony rides, etc. Yes, I believe we have seen each child smiling a time or two.

Thanks, everyone. I'm so happy that the playground has hosted over a thousand children since 2004. (And it's "CousinAmy" after my cousin Amy; I've never watched the Duggars!)

OK, full disclosure: in 2002 I started volunteering at a rundown daycare center for underprivileged children. The playground was terribly unsafe, with rusty bolts holding the equipment together, and no safety surface. The Director, who had only started about 6 months earlier, was determined to build a new playground. I didn't know anything about writing grants, but I dove right in. The Director turned out to be a flake, so I spent most of the time alternating between writing letters to her divorce attorney! and ex-husband and writing grants. The first one I went for was Rosie's charity, which I think was called, "For All Kids." I asked for $15,000. Her focus was on providing playgrounds for underprivileged children. She grew up in a neighboring town. Everything seemed perfect. And then I didn't get it! I was so disappointed, even though looking back my submission must have been pretty amateurish. Fortunately I regrouped, and started pursuing other avenues. Eventually I wrote enough grants to cover about $130,000 - enough to build the playground that is still being used today. I guess I still haven't forgiven her yet.

I don't see any of this. I think Whoopi's fun. The show is not the same show as the one that debuted X number of years ago, but so what? It's changed, this is how it is now. There are people who once lived in my town that are always complaining about the changes in the town - why can't it be the way it was in 1960? Why do things have to change? But the answer is, some people grow, some people move on, and some people are content to stay. If it is the raucous Whoopi and Nicole show, with over-the-top Michelle Williams or Stacy London, that's what it is now. Wishing it could go back to the days of Meredith and Star Jones, etc., is useless. It just ain't gonna happen.

Was that her baby, not the prize winners' child? I don't know her baby's name, but I assumed that was her.

Wow. How did Jen become a prima Donna and teacher's pet? I think she's a skilled and compassionate doctor and I can't say I've seen anything on screen that would negate that image.

I can see bringing Barbara back but I gather she was getting tired of the daily grind. Maybe a few times a week. I didn't mean to suggest that Rosie tell the audience exactly when her marriage ended, just that it seemed shocking when the two pieces of information came out. I'm not so much invested in the continuation of this show, I know if it becomes unwatchable I'll just stop watching. Especially if the new co-host is someone like Naya Rivera, who may be ready for prime-time but not so much for a daytime talk show. I never liked Rosie's old show - I hated the way she gushed over her guests and her pretend crushes on Tom Cruise and other stars. I admire her politics but I have no desire to watch her on another show. That's just me, I guess. Differing mileage, you could say.

Here's the link: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/rosie-o-donnell-earlier-exit-view-article-1.2110156

That's not a bad idea, but what's the saying, Wherever you go, there you are. Rosie would have to be in complete control, and not have anyone over her. Because she has a history of chafing under a producer's interference. Wherever she goes, she'll be the one constant.

I don't think it would have been perfect if Whoopi had been fired and Rosie suddenly became the moderator. There are plenty of stories from many sources about how tempermental Rosie has been behind the scenes on not just this show, but her Chicago-based one, as well. And her problems seem to stem from arguments with the producers, not so much from on-air conflicts with Whoopi. Rosie is a loose cannon, you never know when she is going to fly off the handle. Is she sitting there silently seething? If she is, whose fault is that? She needs to find a way to work with people behind the scenes, and in front of the camera. It's not a day care center. It's a tough business, and no one should have to cater to a woman with such anger issues. According to a story in the Daily News, she didn't tape Friday's show today (Tuesday afternoon) and will say her goodbyes on Thursday.