Blergh

As much as many of us liked seeing Michael J. Fox showcase his excellent comedic and physical skills, surely there were things that the show might have done better to have done without (e.g. making Alex's best friend being a cartoon nerd rather than a nerd who could have been relatable ). If so, this might be a good place to discuss them.

As long as we're singing the late Miss Nixon's talents, let's not forget that she DID appear in person as one of the catty nuns singing 'How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria' in "Sound of Music"- and did a fairly good job both in singing and being comedically snide. Sad she suffered at the end and that her family has had to lose her but no doubt she's made the Heavenly Host more harmonious. RIP, Miss Nixon.

S'mores with dark chocolate instead of Hershey's. Anyone who thinks one MUST make that treat with that particular brand of chocolate has NO idea how to REALLY live. LOL

I'm grateful that my fave restaurant ALWAYS give me something yummy (extra food, money) should they accidentally delay/mess up my order.

A very valid point but the REAL question one should ask when considering going to back to school is how old do they think they'll be when they FINALLY pay off college loans. Somehow, having to pay off those loans past retirement age takes a bit of the shine out of attempting to fulfill a dream.

I'm happy I'm getting grey hair- because that means there are less and less folks who think I should follow the latest . .. whatever but with grey hair, I can openly enjoy my out-of-step likings.

Maharincess, Sorry to hear that with ALL the other stuff on your plate these days that there are folks getting THAT obsessed over a fictional kind of character dumping on you for no other reason than you're not part of their cult. Remember that episode of 'Star Trek: TNG' in which virtually the whole crew save Westley got into a game to such a horrible degree that it put the entire ship in peril? Didn't think that prediction for this kind of obsession would come true THIS fast. But then, what do I know? I got over any interest re computer games right about the time Ms. Pac Man peaked (and folks back then got upset when I asked why she was called 'Ms. Pac Man' instead of 'Pac Woman' ).

Who Miss Montgomery may have loved, how and to what extent is NOT the saddest irony re her story. What IMO is the saddest irony is that she struggled with a tsunami of depression for so long and yet expended so much energy trying to cover up that fact rather than solely trying to combat it or confront its causes. It seems a virtual certainty to me that she seems to have ended her life (or, at the very least, put up zero resistance to whatever physical ailment may have ended it) but it seems the walls of denial got thrown up almost instantly once this news was released so many decades after her death. I wonder who it was who found her & under what circumstances and did they agree to obscure the details to ensure a Christian burial? This doesn't take away from her literary works or talents but, rather shows that a tortured genius could produce amazing works despite the torments in her life. Boiled down to essentials- it seems to me LMM may have wanted the world to think she was Anne Shirley but the reality seems more as though she was a far more troubled Rachel Lynde.

Just when I thought there was no way I could dislike and wish Flo were GONE more than I already do, they DID it. 'Ghostbusters'. Makes me SO mad that I'm very tempted to boycott THAT movie just to punish them for having extended Flo's shelf life another 30 seconds beyond the already 20 years past her 'deserved' 15 minutes of fame (and I used to like 'Ghostbusters'). Just boo!

Actually, I consider "Bob Newhart" to be a timeless classic (even with its relentless 70's setting) whereas "Newhart" IMO seems to embody the least pleasant aspects of the 1980's. Seriously, if they released an edit of nothing but Larry and the Two Darryls, there'd be no reason for me to bother with watching another second of "Newhart". Maybe in part because ALL the sweaters in the world cannot erase the fact that the late Mary Frann's character had the depth of an oil spot on a mud puddle whereas the late Suzanne Pleshette played one of the (if not THE) coolest of sitcom characters as Emily Hartley -and even all those sweaters couldn't muster up the tiniest spark of chemistry between Mr. Newhart and Miss Frann whereas it was downright atomic re him and Miss Pleshette.

This is a good a place as any to let Prairie fan who may be interested that Charlotte Stewart has written her autobio "Little House in the Hollywood Hills. ..". First to get this out of the way, there's a LOT more to Miss Stewart than her character Eva Beadle Simms and her bio is quite a ride! I won't give it away. However; I will say that Miss Stewart is justifiably proud of the fact that her character as an ideal teacher became beloved by so many to the point that she has had hundred of folks say that SHE was the inspiration for their own academic career! Also, she gives some good insights re how she performed and her friendships with other castmates. Though she initially treated the audition as a lark, she the part to heart as her own grandmother had been a pioneer who'd journeyed from Iowa to California in the 1800's AND she had a godmother who was a teacher in a lumber town who inspired her own personal fave episode. I stress that Miss Stewart has had a very different life than Eva Beadle Simms would have had and her most iconic character would no doubt have been shocked at many of the twists and turns the performer's story would take. However; as detailed as Miss Stewart is in her account , she kept everything in good taste with only a minimum of profanity and I think many who've had similar twists could benefit. Moreover, she owns her missteps and regrets but, like Miss Beadle, she illustrates them as a means to somehow grow from them and encourage others to do the same- and there are quite a few downright funny tales mixed in with the sad and poignant ones. One tiny tidbit that Miss Stewart revealed about her performance was that Pa Ingalls wasn't the only one in Walnut Grove to go sans drawers on the Prairie. She herself did so under her character's otherwise conventional attire as a means to combat the incredible heat during production. Anyway, I hope anyone who gets to read this book enjoys it!

Always liked her answer to folks who asked her how it was that Lois couldn't tell Clark was the Supe in glasses- " I don't want to lose my job!". Fly high, Miss Neill!

The Alex Falls for Ellen two-parter is easily my fave set of episodes. Yes, it was already in the script that these two characters would fall in love (AND that Ellen would read him better than anyone )- and his two physical bits re his wrestling her bookshelf then literally jumping out his shoes getting shined to chase after her were outstanding. However; the undeniable chemistry between Mr. Fox and Miss Pollan is the icing on the cake inasmuch as it was beyond a mere physical attraction from two folks thrown together to play parts as professionals but (as per Mr. Fox's own subsequent telling) ironically mimicked the bond that spontaneously happened between two humans who had not anticipated this when they signed up.

Thanks for linking [doing?] this! Regardless of Mr. Fox's current state, nothing can erase how much of a GENIUS he was at both physical and verbal comedy re this show. Too bad he and Mr. Hanks haven't performed together since as they had an undeniable comedic chemistry and could STILL do an outstanding job even today. I know that one couldn't include everything but since I just rewatched the two-parter in which Messrs. Fox and Keaton fall in love in Tracey Pollan and her character Ellen, his antics re safeguarding her and, in vain, trying to salvage a jerry-built bookshelf, were outstanding re chemistry and timing.

Sad to hear about Mrs. Summit's passing from such a wretched condition. However; I do take some comfort that she DID get to spend the last day or so with family, friends and former players visiting her to tell her how much she meant to them. Even if she didn't know who they were or why they were there; I think having folks being around expressing affection had to be far better than the fate of all-too-many Alzheimer's patients of being left alone in empty rooms to rot because no one is sure what to say or wants to see them in that condition. I can't say I follow sports that closely but I greatly admire the facts that she almost singlehandedly turned a very neglected sport (college women's basketball) into something folks considered worthy of widespread acclaim(not just her own University's team) AND that she made sure every single one of her players actually COMPLETED their college educations in spite of sometimes incredible odds and obstacles. RIP and I hope &pray that your memories and health have been restored to you in the world beyond.

As for the postal clerk not reading your number:I'm not sure that that's correct that she was unable to (because they have ZILLIONS of regulations for how they're supposed to do things right down to the number of steps taken from the counter to mailbin). However; I DO agree that she was needlessly rude even if that WAS the case and, yes, I think you should discuss this with her branch manager so she'll be put on notice that even enforcement of regs doesn't justify rudeness to customers.

SO, More often than not I've seen feet atop legs than beneath knees. Again, I stress 'to each their own' and if you're more comfortable with this than not that's your own call even if it stresses joints and circulation in the longrun but I just was wondering the MO for those options where chairs are available.

I get where you're coming from, GH. I've had bad customer service at post offices but that's happened in cases in which we were all the same pigmentation. However; on the flip side, I was furious with another CUSTOMER once who loudly dissed the solo postal worker trying to do her job the best she could while dealing with the line going out the door. After his rant, I actually TOLD him that he shouldn't have taken it out on HER because she was trying her best to take care of this huge line ALL ON HER OWN (and I've been in that spot more than once in my job life). He snarled that 'she didn't care' then left the Post Office. I usually would have let this go but, having been in that spot, I hated seeing someone who WAS trying to do the best with what resources with no one helping her get dumped on just because the customer happened to be on the end of the line. I mean, his rant didn't help the situation nor make anything better.

Never been to Iceland but I agree that it IS a great thing to be able to travel around and see different parts of the world and experience people and sights one wouldn't be able to imagine in one's usual corner. As long as I have my health, enough spare income, and folks who will help care for my elderly mother while I'm not there, I will keep travelling! Let others blow their cash on new gadgets, fashions and parties, travel is what I crave.

Have had personal stuff (and food) stolen by colleagues, classmates, etc. over the years and I agree it sucks. Nothing more to add on my part here. To change the subject. Not a 'pet peeve' per se but more a 'why are they doing it?' deal- folks sitting in chairs with their legs folded in lotus positions. As I stress, 'to each their own' here BUT I gotta admit I've been tempted to call out 'You're in a perfectly good chair on terra firma so why are you doing the leg pretzel deal like you're at a campfire on the edge of a cliff?'

Never been to North Dakota but here's a pet peeve of mine: folks who move to a new town and spend all their time griping about how it's not like their birthplace but don't even bother to look around or accept guided tours just so they can hear themselves complain. But the good news is that if one's not related to them, one's exposure to them is only temporary.

I agree! And I also get mad at the girl's unseen parents who seemed to have no problems jaunting off to wherever- leaving behind a child too young, inexperienced and too small to help with a sitter who was too old and frail to not need to have someone looking out for her. I'm guessing that the child was by Grandma's change-of-life lastborn son who himself waited until he got a trophy wife before his own retirement to sire her. Sorry, I'm reading too much into this but having to make sure my own elderly mother is okay gets me mad at these sandwich generation dorks who seem to care more about 'free' sitters for folks too young/old to be on their own.

Rinaldo, I think they were hoping to make a combined spin-off with Wojo& his girlfriend and their domestic life rotating with Harris& Dietrich and their 'odd couple' domestic life the other weeks. However; Wojo & his girlfriend didn't even work out in their two-parter episode (and she was never seen or referred to again)- and aside from a few Squad Room cracks between Harris & Dietrich re their temp arrangement, nothing came of that part of the intended spin-off. Oddly enough, the performer playing the-edge-of-retirement call-girl Wojo romanced also seemed to have entirely dropped out of known film or television productions after this two-parter. Yeah, I agree that this particular arc didn't work for Wojo. However; I think they COULD have done an after Barney spin off- perhaps having Wojo help rehabilitate ex-cons. At least Mr. Gail still seems to be working.

Jaded, If it's any consolation, if (in X number of years) Miss Blonde Ambulance Chaser were to do a spot urging folks to go after their coffers, it wouldn't come as a total surprise to me.

Sometimes I see those ambulance-chaser ads with that individual come right after the 'cure all' stuff pitched and I wonder how long it will be before Miss Ambulance Chaser goes after them, too ?