suomi

Mariah looks more relaxed but Meri looks like she's doing OK. I don't know enough about it to say who has the better form. Meri does look good in that blue, very flattering.

OMG OMG it's like she's standing there naked. Naked! Myy eyes!

Pandemic sanitation hasn't been a big change for me because for as long as I can remember I haven't liked "outside" clothing in my house. I shed my outer clothing and wash my forearms when I get home and I consider my car to be a lost cause at this point. I refuse to sit in a waiting room or restaurant or movie theater and then sit on my couches or beds with those same clothes. And crapola from those armrests being transferred to my armrests? No. Way. My car gets me from there to here so I gave up on it a long time ago. The seats and armrests smell clean and look clean but... they're not fooling me with that come-on. You should see my eyes dart around when someone comes over and I have to let them sit on something that isn't washable. I "get" Marie Barone's plastic-covered furniture on Everybody Loves Raymond. I don't lose sleep over it but I don't gladly accept it. I guess it's a middle-of-the-road mania or fixation or whatever. I went from "aware" to "alert" about this 15 years ago when I was a CNA working in a memory care unit where about 70% of the patients were fully or partially incontinent. I picked up on that during my first shift and decided to never sit down in a patient area, and I never did. Then I saw a co-worker changing out of her scrubs every night at end of shift and thought "OK, that too."

This photo is a perfect example of someone in the public eye who doesn't judge her outfit from at least ten feet away. Does she not have access to a dressing room big enough for that? The view from three feet is nothing like the view from ten feet. The photo shows two women of similar height, build and coloring. The one on the left is wearing a solid color from top to bottom that flatters her shape (or what we imagine it to be). We can't actually see her shape or her proportions but they appear to be pleasantly balanced, because of what she chose to wear. And, her inseam is a flattering length. The contrasting colors at Kyle's waistline do her no favors because they emphasize the width there. Her legs are short in proportion to her torso and starkly defining where her waist is makes her legs look even shorter than they are. The patterns and color placement (and WTF shoulder pads or bunched up excess fabric) define the distance from shoulder to crotch and emphasize the short distance from crotch to ankle. Her inseam is much too long. Kyle dresses like she thinks "This looks good on the hanger so it will look great on me" and she is wrong seven out of ten times.

He (along with his team) was in my town shaking hands and talking with the public on the day before the team's first positive test status was announced. Shaking hands. Let that sink in. No one in the photos was wearing a mask.

"Make normal surgical masks much more effective." https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/this-mind-blowing-trick-will-make-your-face-mask-so-much-safer/ar-BB15ikGN?li=BBnb7Kz

I like Garcelle. 😄 I wish we saw more of her.

GWTW is a history book. You won't admire or sympathize with people dedicated to national and personal lost causes but after reading it you understand how and why it went down. "The Cause" was about so much more than slavery. GWTW can be compared to the bodice ripper "historical romance" novels in the '70s and '80s that tucked a lot of historical perspective and information among highlights such as "the glory of his manhood filled the room." LOL As for the oft-cited marital rape scene in GWTW, in context it portrays a particular era in a culture when females were conditioned to deny their sexuality and were rewarded for that behavior. (And it still goes on all over the world today, often without a reward). Husbands and wives didn't discuss what happened between the sheets even if the desire was overtly mutual, and it rarely was. With mistresses and whores, yes; with wives, no. (I'm not co-signing the concept, just recounting it). Scarlett resisted because she was expected to resist (and was not allowed to admit her desire); Rhett plowed through her hesitation and therefore absolved her of guilt. Quasi-rape Fantasy 101. They were incapable of communicating in a clear and open manner; the women in his sexual history admitted wanting him as much as he wanted them. He hated himself for that interlude with Scarlett, which confused her because she found it pleasurable. It was her first pleasurable sexual encounter. Quasi-rape fantasies are very common and absolutely cannot, in any way, be compared to rape. (I hope I made that clear. I tried to). My however-many greats grandmother lived near Atlanta and survived Sherman's March. She was a dirt poor third-generation widowed seamstress. Three generations of widows who never re-married and stitched their eyeballs out until they keeled over. I read the book for the first time during the summer of my 16th birthday and read it again for my next 15 birthdays. 16 for 16, and then I was done. The book is so much better than the movie, although I adore Vivian and Clark. If I could be a fictional character I would be Melanie Hamilton Wilkes. Meghan never passes up an opportunity to misstate and misinterpret concepts that are practically self-explanatory. I just can't with her and her shit-stirring. By the sixth week of life an infant's brain is pruning some of the pathways it has learned to make room for the heavy traffic, the complex concepts, to come. Good luck with that, Meghan. I hope your baby isn't stuck overly long in scowl mode.

Dang. I forgot it was Wednesday, even when I gave my sister her meds from the W compartment - and I can't find it in Xfinity's lineup anytime soon. Gah! (Says someone who swore not to watch this season). Did I miss some juicy commenting? TIA

Ohhh man, that photo never gets old! LOL

Whoa! My stepmom would say "She looks like 40 miles of bad road." And, regarding Christine's thing with toasters "She's like a flea on a hot griddle."

I have been enjoying the heck out of the life experience posts and I'm impressed by the way we feel free to share our innermost thoughts and the respectful tone when we discuss our differences. I've had a few color blind experiences, some were great and some left me SMH. I realize that the numbers in my sampling are quite small compared to many here but I can only share what I know. During the late '60s there was one Hispanic family with kids in my small SoCal mountain town (which mainly offered seasonal employment related to tourism. Even long-time locals scrambled for year-round jobs). Their oldest daughter was nominated for Homecoming Queen during her freshman year at our one and only high school, when I was a senior. She was gorgeous but honestly seemed unaware of it and was liked by all. She won by a landslide, which I knew because one of my BFFs was a class officer who helped with the vote count. A freshman had never won HQ during the 30 years or however old the school was at that time. I never heard or heard about a slur during the campaign (and the other nominees and the entire school knew from Day One that it was no contest). The take-away wasn't that a beaner won but that a freshman won, and that's what blew me away. Yay, Yoli! Thirty years ago I met someone who became a close friend when we worked in a salon in Phoenix and we ruled that place for a couple years. I ended up chasing a position in a Scottsdale salon and got it, woo hoo. It was a perfect fit, and a good salon is like a second family for those who work there. A few months in I found out they were hiring and I told my Phoenix friend that she should swing by for an interview, and my manager was expecting her. She was hired on the spot and I heard some version of "I didn't expect a black gal to show up" or "OMG I was so surprised when she walked in" from Every Single Person who worked there except for the manager, bless her heart. Because it was unanimous it felt like they wanted to open my skull to see what went on in there. Depending on who I was talking to my responses were "It didn't occur to me to mention it" or "She has killer skills and she's smart and funny" or "Stand by, 'cause she's gonna blow the doors off your totals" or "WTF is wrong with you?" In addition to that, in between my Phoenix and Scottsdale jobs the regional manager in Phoenix (a black guy) left his corporate position and opened a salon. That friend and I worked for him and I was the only white chick among the employees and the clients. Never gave it a second thought and I moved on after a few months only because it wasn't busy enough, soon enough. No one gave me a hard time and I would've stayed there longer if the money was better. I have a few complaints but many good feelings about the way I was raised. During the early '60s we lived in the El Lay basin. My stepdad was a first generation Italian-American who owned a music store and his weekly poker game was held at our house because we had the best record collection and hi-fi. The other players were store owners in the same mall and they could, I suppose, be categorized as two Jews, a black and a gay. To us kids they were Jack, Larry, Sam and Larry. We referred to the Larrys as Big Larry and Little Larry; they weren't Jew Larry and gay Larry. Sam wasn't black Sam to us, he was Sam the barber. The five wives and nine kids got along like ham and eggs. They took turns hosting pool parties and BBQs and the adults made frequent trips to Vegas because it was "only" a 4-hour drive. Those were The Rat Pack days and my stepdad loved shooting craps because he was a degenerate gambler. (Tip o' the hat to Tony Soprano). My parents made their share of child-rearing mistakes but they woulda handed us our broken teeth if they caught us talking or acting like bigots. My Anglo-Saxon maternal grandparents were extremely prejudiced and very free with name-calling and insults. They referred to my stepdad as The Dago and The Wop (behind his back) until they day they died. I loved them dearly but their mindset revolted me from an early age and I had that for reinforcement along with liking my teeth right where they were. Flash forward twenty years and my daughter was attending my K-8 school (again, the only one in town). A few black families had moved up the mountain by then and one of the daughters was in my daughter's class and in her posse. The kids called her Foxy Karen or Karen B (her last initial), no one called her black Karen or referred to her race in any other way. Crushes on boys, roller skating, dancing, avoiding chores, worrying about test scores, begging to wear makeup and praying for breasts united them. Nothing divided them. You know how some kids love to be rebels? I saw a few outlaw biker kids turn out straight-arrow while I was raising my daughter. That was a freakin' hoot and the parents were dumbfounded. "Where did we go wrong?" LOL Little eyes and ears are like sponges, they absorb everything and we never can know what they will decide to accept or reject. We can hope but we can't know. We can't ignore differences but we don't have to focus on them in ways that continue to divide us. We need to examine and validate pain instead of ignoring it. We can't overlook historical injustice but we can be agents for change. I have really high hopes that today's youngs will be the turning point in all of the ways that matter. I think they are the most inclusive generation the world has ever seen. They leave no stone unturned. It's not like they accept A, B and C but say nuh-uh to D and E. They're all in for everyone, and it's about damn time. Let's hope their kids don't rebel! Many cultures still lag behind in enlightenment, yes, but I think they will eventually get there. Not the leaders but the masses, and that's where eventual change arises.

The first four links are nice, long interviews. January 10, 2019 David Chase & ‘The Sopranos’ Gang Look Back 20 Years Later: Part I https://deadline.com/2019/01/the-sopranos-david-chase-interview-oral-history-james-gandolfini-steven-van-zandt-lorraine-bracco-20-year-anniversary-1202532570/ January 10, 2019 The Sopranos’ 20th Anniversary Look Back: Part II https://deadline.com/2019/01/sopranos-20th-anniversary-interview-david-chase-matt-weiner-terence-winter-look-back-1202532700/ January 11, 2019 ‘The Sopranos’ At 20 Part III: Mobster Mishaps & When David Chase Knocks On Your Door, You’re Dead https://deadline.com/2019/01/the-sopranos-character-deaths-set-mishaps-20-year-anniversary-1202533468/ January 13, 2019 ‘The Sopranos’ At 20 Part IV: Real Mobsters, Great Gandolfini & The Most Debated Ending In TV History https://deadline.com/2019/01/the-sopranos-james-gandolfini-controversial-ending-20-year-anniversary-1202534204/ January 22, 2019 ‘Sopranos’ Prequel Film Finds Young Tony: Michael Gandolfini Is Chip Off Old Block https://deadline.com/2019/01/the-sopranos-prequel-movie-michael-gandolfini-tony-soprano-james-gandolfini-the-many-saints-of-newark-james-gandolfini-david-chase-1202539160/ February 27, 2019 Ray Liotta Returns To Mob Movie Fold With ‘Sopranos’ Prequel ‘The Many Saints Of Newark’ https://deadline.com/2019/02/ray-liotta-the-sopranos-prequel-film-goodfellas-mob-movie-david-chase-the-many-saints-of-newark-new-line-warner-bros-1202566594/ March 15, 2019 Warner Bros Dates ‘Sopranos’ Prequel ‘The Many Saints Of Newark’ For Fall 2020 – Update https://deadline.com/2019/03/sopranos-prequel-movie-opens-september-2020-1202575803/

What a pleasure today, channel surfing and coming across Dr Blue's smiling face. PLUS a marathon! I wish "all" the shows on AP were shown in regular rotation instead of the few-and-far-between marathons. Is it something contractual, the way they do things? Because it doesn't satisfy "this" viewer. It seems like they regularly cram three days of Tanked or the Alaska shows down my throat while not showing me these guys or Dr Jeff for weeks at a time. Gah!

At one point, Kyle forfeited her turn to answer and earned a buzzer. SH came to her, said her name, looked straight at her and asked the question and she just looked at him like wildlife taken aback by headlights. When the buzzer sounded she said [paraphrasing] "Oh, was that me? Was that my turn?" LOL because she had been quoted in a blurb somewhere saying that she's looking forward to appearing on a show she grew up watching. (But didn't learn how to play, evidently).

A happy pandemic story. A furloughed child-care worker turns an act of kindness at a tire shop into many more https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/04/furloughed-child-care-worker-turns-an-act-kindness-tire-shop-into-many-more/#comments-wrapper

Best Wishes to you and Congratulations to the Mr!

When Joy said "Fifty two years ago..." she was referring to 1968 and our involvement in Vietnam ended five years later. US troop levels had reached their peak in '68 (536,100). Looking at troop levels five years in each direction: 1963 (16,300) and 1973 (50). The anti-war movement began in '64 but the huge demonstrations in '68 had everything to do with ending the war and they also ended the military draft system. The government was taught that the people would not tolerate a draft during unpopular wars; the draft was last implemented in 1973 and the armed forces went all-volunteer. Every war since then has relied on enlisted personnel supplemented by National Guard units which have served repeated rather than singular deployments. Joy got this one right.

Given the context, the stills of those two faces are perfection.

IA. Unlike most EPs who are generally unknown to the public, Andy's name and face are second in recognition only to those of the various HWs. Frequently, EPs are those who created a concept and they earn their share of a show's profits by managing and coordinating production. They do that by acting as a liaison to producers, writers, editors and other staffers (and enforcer to recalcitrant cast members). While it's true that shows can have more than one EP it would defy logic in this show's universe for Andy to not be an active participant in a process that generates his fame, influence and (current and residual) income. For all of those reasons I think Andy has everything to do with who we see and don't see [Brandi].

I have emphysema and my sister has developmental delay with the intellect and judgement of a first-grader. We are in our third month of isolating: curbside for every purchase and two doctor visits have been the extent of our outside interaction. We are very much overdue for haircuts and color - but I can't see us mingling with our two stylists who are mingling with the public. I think of it like unprotected sex - I'm being intimate with everyone my partner has been intimate with. I can only guess about other people's standards meeting mine so I can't give up the little bit of control I have. I think deciding about who to mingle with depends on what you stand to lose and your comfort level with risk.

"I thought the Beverly Hills Housewives were great," says Cohen. "I knew they were going to be great." However, Lewis believes the ladies were a bit tough. "There was a little psychological warfare," Lewis says. "There was almost bullying. I was hoping they'd be nicer in real life — not so much. They're bitches, basically." https://people.com/tv/andy-cohen-rhobh-celebrity-family-feud/

Was Rinna acting stupid on purpose? "What wives said they wished would hit their husband as he was leaving them." "A loaf of bread!"

I recently gained access to the show and binged both seasons yesterday. I have some gripes but mostly enjoyed it, especially the ranching scenes. Longtime Costner, Birmingham and Hauser fan. Team Beth. I see her as someone with a gaping emotional wound who doesn't (and perhaps can't) recognize her condition and I don't fault her for that. Also, she physically resembles Costner to a satisfying degree that the casting of the sons doesn't even come close to providing. The Yellowstone is the largest contiguous (under one fence) ranch in the US. The Yellowstone's RL counterpart, Waggoner Ranch in Texas, had 520,000 acres (800 square miles) when it sold in 2016 for $725 million. It currently has 535,000 acres (836 square miles). That isn't an exact comparison of value because WR has 1,100 producing oil wells (although production and profit fluctuate) but it does put John Dutton's potential to exert power in perspective.

You know she scarfed down the sour cream and bacon with cabbage under it.