Blergh

I hate the fact that these commercials not only are doing what Walmart wants [encouraging the kids and parents to needlessly spend money on tie-in toys -which I dislike but I know that where they're wanting their bread to be more buttered ] but gives the impression that the impending movie is going to be every bit as warm, magical, and positive as the original, uncut "Star Wars" movie was back in 1977. However; the spoilers I've had foisted upon me via the media, etc. seem to point that the impending movie will likely be closer to the jaded, cruel,cold and cynical POV latter-day trilogy, novelizations, games, etc. have been and I hate that there's now a younger generation getting all hyped up to anticipate something that may be the opposite of what Walmart, etc. is hyping. ETA- punctuation correction

Anyone read Mary McDonough's 'Lessons From the Mountain'? Let me put it this way, I'd like to have read the book Alison Arngrim said in her review had 'no whining here'.

Without going into detail: GO AWAY, FLO! I'm sick of you and your creepy 'family' & 'friends' and since I use some other insurance company I'm perfectly happy with, your annoying voice and smug tude popping up on my television and 'Net sites is completely USELESS!

Lana Lang from "Smallville". I mean, the very first episode she brags about wearing some kind of jewel made from the very meteor that had killed her parents in front of her. Were we supposed to be impressed or feel sorry for her? I just thought that was creepy! I actually disliked her character so much that it was a significant contributing factor re my quitting the show altogether before even the end of the First Season because I never could see how [or why] Clark was supposed to think she was 'all that' instead of just vaguely flirting with her before running off to Metropolis to pine over Lois Lane( as in the comics' storyline).

Actually, I'm a bit surprised Miss Carne lived as long as she did as it seemed almost certain that she'd die young from her addictions or her physical traumas. Well, she was an excellent comedienne and it's too bad that she didn't have much of a career after "Laugh In".

Interesting, Giovanni. I actually liked that episode not because I was a fan of hunting but because it was refreshing to see innocent, naïve and seemingly perpetually idiotic Gilligan think on his feet and outsmart the evil,calculating wannabee murdererer AND I liked that every single one of the other Castaways did something to help contribute to his survival. I mean, even Mary Ann and Mrs. Howell had their moments instead of being frilly and useless! OK, I agree that, for "GI", that was rather dark and heavy subject.

Not all Heavy Subject eps are successes. Even the renowned "Mary Tyler Moore Show" had the closest ep to a 'clunker' with one. In 'Some of My Best Friends Are Rhoda', a new acquaintance named Joanne (played by the future "Newhart" wife Mary Frann) literally bumps into Mary and keeps putting off repaying her for the damage to Mary's vehicle while seeming to want Mary to participate in her 'fun' activities with her but, oddly enough always finding an excuse not to include Rhoda. Anyway, it all comes to a head when Mary starts to realize that the woman dislikes Rhoda solely for being Jewish and calls her on it. Even the studio audience seems a bit unsure how to react when Mary pretends to be Jewish to see the woman attempt to admit her prejudices and backtrack. Not that Mary isn't right to call her on it or that Rhoda doesn't deserve to be stood up for but it just doesn't work for the show or the character. I mean, just showing Mary being friends with those of different backgrounds without making any kind of deal about it is all that was needed here, IMO. Ironically, Valerie Harper has said that the late Mary Frann was one of her best friends.

One WKRP Very Special One I think worth mentioning was the one in which Jennifer gets roped into being a last minute replacement for an on-air call-in advice columnist and, with her witticisms and sharp one-liners, she's big hit with the viewers [and imagine if they could have SEEN her]. Anyway, there's one 'regular' caller who keeps aluding to trouble in her marriage and Jennifer keeps shooting the zingers -until the woman tells her that she's being physically abused at which point Jennifer soberly guides her to a domestic violence shelter . After which, she ends the advice business upon realizing that other people's lives are too important for her to do nothing more than give zingers that do nothing to help and could wind up making things worse for the desperate callers. It's one of the very few times Loni Anderson was allowed to be serious and she has rarely done serious roles but I thought she did this turn quite well.

I'm a bit amazed they let someone who'd been persecuted for being a Protestant become a 'file du roi' [and a widow with child NOT an unmarried girl,to boot] but lucky for her, Marguerite , was able make a new life in the New World for herself and her young son. No doubt life on the wild Quebec frontier with far harsher winters than France had, and starting a farm and bearing so many children was quite challenging but I'd like to think she found some peace in doing so especially after what she'd barely survived back in France.

I wonder if Grandpa Cranston KNEW of the divorce by his first wife or did he just go ahead and marry Grandma Cranston without bothering with the crossed t's by continuing to simply deny his 1st wife and daughter's existance counting on no one checking to find out otherwise as in his WWI records [and DID he marry Grandma before or after the 1st wife's divorce ]? Ironic that his OWN father HAD had a stable marriage and was a devoted family man in spite of what his actual male DNA progenitor pulled by abandoning him before birth. I wonder if Grandpa Cranston had ever HEARD about what his father had had to go through as a fatherless boy in an orphan's home but instead of using that as a spur to do right by his offspring, decided to follow his errant grandfather's ways. Also, Mr. Cranston kept saying he admired the women who perservered in spite of the abandonments but did he find out what became of them? I wonder if any of them may have somehow remarried or even had children by more stable mates afterwards. Yeah, I agree it would have been more respectful had Mr. Cranston bothered with long pants at the Cathedral and archives but after all the trouble the researchers had gone to [even to anticipating answers to the likely questions he'd ask], was there ever a possibility they'd have said 'Sorry, don't bother coming in unless you have your knees covered or I'm ditching all this research I spent days on'

I think it needs to be said that, with Anna's bro publically bucking the familial party line and DISSING Josh's actions as well as offering help for her and the kids OUT of this mess, there does exist the tiny possibility that she may come to an 'unexpected' realization. Since her parents and in-laws prioritizations have NOT been working out for her or her kids, she may want to consider that willful ignorance is NOT bliss and bite the bullet and start anew despite the immediate flak. That's not to say she's not under TREMENDOUS pressure by [almost] all sides to 'keep sweet' but it's less likely she will do so than before with someone she knows actually defending and advocating for HER. reason for edit : someone for somehow

I don't mind being told to smile at work because I know that I'm not on my own time and I usually can at least keep from openly scowling on the clock. However; somewhat along those lines off the clock, I hate being asked 'Are you having a GOOD day?' . This usually happens when I'm in a very long line and there's even more folks behind me so I when I'm not, I just say 'I'm doing the best I can' but what I'd REALLY like to say is 'NO I'm NOT having a good day and if you REALLY cared about that fact, you wouldn't be asking me a question that's impossible to give a negative reply and receive the solution in the 10 seconds everyone else in line expects us to have completed our transaction!' What's wrong with just asking folks 'How are you?' . At least we have the option to keep things as terse as possible if we want without being dishonest or rude in the reply.

All this talk about the Jennifer Anniston/Brad Pit/ Angelina Jolie triangle got me to thinking of a 'classic ' one. Bogie/Bacall and Bogie's then[3rd] wife Mayo Methot. Bogie had been somewhat stormily wed to Methot for a few years when he met the 19-year-old bombshell Lauren [actual name Betty] Bacall and fell hard for her. It wasn't long before their torrid affair became an open secret in Hollywood and everywhere else with their on-screen chemistry being so strong that the public in general rooted for them and cheered them while Miss Methot [a one-time promising onscreen performer ]did her best to hang on as long as she could before finally agreeing to a divorce. It's well known that she finally agreed to it and soon Bogie and Bacall made things 'legit' by marrying and, to his surprise [since he'd had none by his previous unions] having two kids. And, by Bacall's account, being totally devoted to each other until Bogie breathed his last . Now, here's the terrible irony. In her account of the affair in her bio written decades after the fact, she didn't have even the slightest sympathy for what the 3rd Mrs. Bogart was going through nor any acknowledgment of helping to pour coals on Miss Methot's head. Yes, she actually admitted how sad Bogie was in hearing of his former wife's death from acute alcoholism but didn't feel any regrets for having been a contributing factor. Oh, and after she wed Jason Robards and found out HE was cheating on her, she totally vilified him and his co-adulterer yet refused to own up to her own previous role. I know she only recently left us but it would have been nice had Miss Bacall just said at some point 'Mayo Methot wasn't as worthless as I wanted to think and I'm sorry I was part of her downfall since I later became the wronged wife and gained some insight in what that was life.'

I actually liked the Alfre Woodward episode but wish we'd found out if there was anyone in the area still living on or near the road named after her ancestor's BIL - or has everyone in the area totally forgotten WHY that road was named after a former slave?

Can we all agree that NOT Curt Episode was a BAD DREAM [in every sense of the word] of Mary Ellen's? UGH!

I'm so thankful I quit "Lost" in the first part of Season Three and didn't get suckered in like so many others only to get BURNED at the very end. I only wish I'd quit at the end of Season One when The Hatch was JUST a hatch that lit up. reason for edit- take out duplicate hiccough

Somewhat along those lines are those who do VERY dumb stunts JUST to get on YouTube or otherwise broadcast. I was watching "The Weather Channel" the other day [you know, to try to find out about that rather trivial topic.. .the weather]- and they had some moron who filmed himself SKIING down three flights of escalators (barely missing one pedestrian who only managed to get out of the way at the very last moment). Not only was I furious with how this person took a needless risk with his OWN life by doing that moronic stunt but he didn't care enough to even have attempted to make sure ALL WAS CLEAR to keep others from being put in harm's way by his selfishness. And I'm not happy [but, sadly, not surprised] that The Weather Channel put this on because this will only encourage others to do the SAME [and how long before some poor innocent bystander DOES get seriously hurt]? I'll save my anger towards The Weather Channel and others who televise these stunts for another thread but it IS a pet peeve of mine re folks who do these things JUST to get broadcast.

Mountain air, Sorry to hear about your fear of frogs. I always liked them and my father had a HUGE collection of frog knick-knacks, stuffed critters,etc. Anyway, I myself can't stand squirrels since I think they're rats with cute tails. As for another of one of the many pet peeves I could mention [in the to-each-their-own-BUT-I- dislike category]. Here's one- nail polish in colors other than pink or red. Frankly, I think natural nails look best but if one MUST color one's nails, then I think dark red is fairly good followed by pink being tolerable since those colors are close to what nails, skin and blood look like. But seeing folks with green,yellow, blue,etc. Can't dig it. And bad enough to see it on teen and 20something girls in that I can somehow excuse them because they're young enough to be whimsical enough re trends and trying to be 'edgy' but even WORSE to see it on women over 40 who are DEFINTELY old enough to know better and look tacky trying to look as though they're in their teens and 20's but completely failing at that. The worst though was seeing some preteen boy with [presumably] his mother in a grocery store wearing green toe nail polish. I didn't know them from Rumpelstilskin but it was all I could do to keep from asking the mother [?] aloud ' Why are you letting him out in public like that? Isn't life tough enough for a kid without letting him draw a target for bullies on his back or toes?' I reiterate that I myself wear no polish on any nails and have no interest in wearing said polish and respect that there are those who choose to wear polish and would never dis them BUT I dislike this different colored polish and won't be sorry to see it go.

I thought it was Match! Too bad the kid doesn't ask the CEO ' So are and Missy's Grandma still together? If not, then why should anyone pay you to pick someone for them! '

I'd like to think there was at least ONE person they pounced on who said "Nunuhyerbiz and buzz off, Weirdos . Get that camera outta my face or I'm suing!'

Since Salome evidently brought up her son on her own without anyone's help until her marriage, who his bio father was seems rather unimportant in the grand scheme, IMO. However; I'd like to know whether she lived to see WWI with the outcome of her son having won that Croix de Guerre AND seeing her hometown being repatriated back to France after she and her family had had to endure that brutal occupation by the Prussian troops. I'd like to think the fact that her picture shows her with grey hair is evidence that she DID live that long and felt somewhat vindicated re what she'd had to endure.

Not to dispute the late Mr. Geer's and Miss Corby's possible gayness, but both of them DID get married (and Mr. Geer did have quite a few children) so its possible that one or both were bisexual rather than strictly gay. No, this is not something I would have imagined to have been the case for the Walton Grandparents but that just goes to show what great actors they were.

I wonder where/why Nellie picked up the surname of Barton from? It wasn't her parents' or any of her three husbands' surname but her estranged son [Miss Goodwin's grandfather] used it for a middle name. If I were to conjecture where/when Nellie picked up the syphilis, I'd say it was most likely from Al Goodwin sometime after the birth of their son -if for no other reason than it doesn't appear that their son this disease which often gets passed down to babies being born to syphilitic mothers. Now whether his half-brother by her 3rd marriage had it may be another story [though he was still living at the time of her death at age 84(!)]. In that time and place, moonshiners were usually looked upon by their neighbors with nudges and winks so until he got a lengthy sentence, I don't think they were in any way ostracized. Speaking of incarceration, I wonder if Nellie found out about the nameless 'little short woman' who visited Al when she attempted to visit him but was told that 'Mrs. Goodwin' had already been there and it wasn't she then after proving her ID and marital status to the guards' satisfaction, got them to tell about a 'little short woman' who'd claimed to be 'Mrs. Goodwin' visiting Al. She didn't have much better luck with #3 but, despite the fact that she had gotten two divorces previously, she DID stay married to him until his death [and even was incarcerated as 'Mrs. First Name #3' instead of 'Nellie#3'. My guess is that Pearl may have died of asthma and perhaps even morphine withdrawal not too long after her own time in the treatment center. The obituary listed Nellie being survived by seven grandchildren and since we don't know if Miss Goodwin's grandfather had more than her father for a child [and nothing about her younger son's progeny], it's possible Pearl may have had up to six surviving children before her own death. I wonder if any of Nellie's other surviving descendants had known her story before this episode. Yes, I agree that Miss Goodwin was right to sympathize with Nellie's rather sad, troubled, tormented life but it cannot have been easy for her elder son to have grown up with an incarcerated moonshining father and a morphine addicted mother [and it's likely Nellie never intentionally told him she had syphilis since this would have been considered too 'shameful' to have shared with one's offspring- though it could have possibly come out during a 'morphine high' ] and I have to give him credit for somehow becoming a productive citizen and diligent family man in spite of his challenging childhood.

I'm giving no prizes for how either of them 'parented' Bobbi Kristina but can we hope/pray that this will be major wakeup call for Bobby [with- a- y]] and he will consider ALL the stuff that happened to his late daughter to spur him to ensure that his months' old baby daughter will NEVER be exposed to the same stuff that its no good for any child to have to witness?Oh, and I hope there's a very thorough investigation to any possible assaults that led to that vegetative state. If somehow some parent out there [especially Bobby-with-a-y] can learn how NOT to parent their child from this tragic outcome, it will at least mean that some good came from all this waste and sadness.

Can I use this forum to mourn the demise of a personality I formerly liked and considered helpful and entertaining but now comes across as completely arrogant and snotty? I refer to Alton Brown .IMO ,he was fantastic in the early years of "Good Eats" and even was fairly good in "Iron Chef America" but somehow was started to fray by the time "Good Eats" finished and become completely a smug bore by "Next Food Network Star". Now with "Cutthroat Kitchen" , he comes across as downright cruel and unpleasant with virtually no trace of his onetime likability. May I ask what happened to him? I'm not going to speculate on his personal life but was it a case of him at one time being a pleasant, intelligent and clever person who seems to have morphed into someone he'd have wanted to avoid or was he always mean and snotty but disguised it under a civilized veneer? I'd like to think it was the former and if by chance the Good Alton wants to overcome the BA side [and apologize for it and own it], I'd be willing to welcome him back but for now I have to say I miss him and have to say goodbye. reason for edit- clarification