Mondrianyone

Ah, that makes sense. I thought I must've zoned out, because it just didn't figure they'd missed something so obvious. Thanks!

Re Mark vs. Russell Armstrong: The one time we really got to see Russell spending major one-on-one time with his daughter, he was very tender and engaged with her--in a way that did not look faked for TV, based on how Kennedy responded to him. He might have been a bad husband (though I'm not sure it was possible to be a good husband to Taylor), but he seemed like a kind father who genuinely loved his child. Mark? Oy vey.

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned. I tried to read all the posts on the Cari Farver case, but I might've skimmed over something. Her car was supposedly examined by forensics--that's when they found Liz's fingerprint on the mint tin. But on a later examination, they found all that blood under the lift-up part of the console. How could they have missed that the first time around? It's big, it's obvious, it didn't look as if you needed to disassemble something to find it (I could be wrong about that). Did I nod off, or was the forensics as slipshod as the overall investigation? I figured it was Liz when she just happened to drop by when he had a date at his apartment. She was obviously stalking him--convenient coincidence. (And who believes Cari called a total stranger a bitch for no reason? Not me.)

That reminds me of one of my main pet peeves with cooking shows in general. They make a dish and say, "See how easy and quick that was?! I made it from start to finish in the five minutes you've been watching!" Well, yeah. You had eighteen different little bowls filled with already chopped tomatoes, peppers, chilies, parsley, already grated ginger, premeasured oregano and rosemary and salt and pepper and flour, and on and on. Add the time for that into your five minutes and let's see where that takes us.

He acted like a freakin' four-year-old during the intros. I'm honestly wondering what's wrong with him. It's interesting that he dialed it all the way back after Alex referred to him as "our very shy champion" or words to that effect. Either he suddenly realized he was looking like an asshole or he just wanted to be the opposite of what Alex labeled him as. Gad. I knew FJ instantly, since I was born in Brooklyn, and that 4th-largest city bit is a point of pride there, for some reason. I got one whole category wrong (I've blocked out which it was), but I ran the movie quotes, including Annie Hall, Austin. (Who's a bartender in NYC but oddly didn't know yesterday which Ivy League school is on 116th Street.) Now I really want to know where he tends bar.

I expressed the exact same opinion in the Jesus Saves thread. And whoever does the casting for this show obviously shared her assessment of her comedic talent--God knows why. They have Kate saying at least once an episode that Jen sucks at her job, "But she's hilarious." So Jen seems to have someone trying to push this delusional narrative to the extent that it's actually worked into the script. Beats me.

Oh, buh-rother. I suspect I may be getting a half hour of my life back five days a week for the foreseeable future. I will admit to being delighted when Austin swung his arms around and dropped the buzzer. Nothing says triumphal like having to disappear under the podium. Dennis might have lost, but he's cemented himself a place in my heart. My best friend's husband (who was chairman of the English department at a branch of SUNY) used to regale us with the prologue to Canterbury Tales in Middle English (we really knew how to party back then), and it was just beautiful. So I got all kinds of feelings hearing Dennis the handyman do the same, and so well. And he wrote "Thank you" on his FJ screen. For once I had the right first impression of a J! contestant.

For two people who supposedly have sex at least once every day, Cary and Mark have virtually no chemistry. They look like they can barely stand to touch each other. Which I guess is why she has to keep telling us that's the case. (Actually, I can't think of a single reason she has to tell us anything about how often they have sex. Who does that? Except people who don't.) About Andy and the gay "accusations," I think Andy is always more about the bottom line than about decency. Brandi looks so lovely in that photo. I don't understand why these women, across all the branches of the franchise, don't see how much better they look au naturel than with the makeup gun set to howitzer.

It made sense to at least one other person in the universe. That would be moi, as Ivan might have said, bless his coeur.

Exactly what I was coming here to say. I was rooting hard for Dennis. I think Ivan underestimated him.

I thought that pizza with figs and prosciutto Jeff made today looked to die for, so I went hunting for the recipe on FoodNetwork.com. (I hate that site--it is so freakin' hard to navigate, even when you know exactly what you're searching for. Especially when you know.) Eventually I had to Google it and get there that way. I mention this because a few hits down on Google was a recipe for the same thing by Ree Drummond. So I clicked on that one as well, and the two were very similar--hers used fig jam or preserves instead of fresh figs (which I guess would be good when you can't get fresh figs) and no Classico sauce. Also piled with arugula before serving. Both Katie and Marcela sure were dressed for frying in hot oil, weren't they?

A little bit of pink is apparently not a deal breaker. USDA says you should go by the temp, not the color. Obviously, if it's totally raw and red and dripping blood, that would not be wise to eat.

Yeah, but she uses sardines to vandalize them, so she's obviously conscious of her omega-3s. I think this was the second case this week where seafood was used to wreak vengeance on someone else's property. Is that now a thing that's trending? You'll be deeply missed. Maybe you can buy a bunch of houses next door to JJ's! Be sure to plant some hedges just over her property lines. And paint your side of the fence brown. And let your pigs run loose in her yards. See you on the show!

I feel sorry for whichever designer draws Margarita's model from last night. There are going to be some major fit issues trying to work around that knife she has stuck in her back. I love Kentaro, and his garment last night was fabulous, but he really made me wince with the "homeless" bit. Haven't we already been there, thinking that homelessness is an adorable jumping-off point for fashion? I'm hoping it was just another language misunderstanding, but if not, that really isn't cute and winsome.

I've obviously been telecommuting from home for much too long, but . . . wouldn't forcing/allowing an employee to serve as a human food tray normally be considered fostering a sexually hostile workplace? I know, "normally" doesn't really apply here. But it's not just when women are the object of that kind of attention. I thought that business with Bruno was really creepy, and if the captain knew about it and didn't object, then he's no better than any of the jerks under his "command." I don't think Jen has had a lifelong love of boats. I think she's auditioning for her own sitcom, and this is the show she managed to get on.

The Brooklyn in me hears you. And I'd add that the victim was twice that kid's size. Mace-y would not have walked out of that salon on her own power if that had happened to most people I can think of.

Jason Sartorius, who I've never even heard of. Sounds like a Roman centurion. Greasy Wig Mom's hair apparatus made me think that someone's found a new use for recycled plastic shopping bags and old truck tires. Mind you, I'm not making fun of her if she has alopecia or some other form of hair loss. But if that was me, before I'd go renting limos and buying expensive concert tickets for an eight-year-old (who looked a lot older to me in the brief glimpse we got of her), I'd be addressing my hair-replacement options with that money. And not going on TV till I got that sorted out. And even then.

Those side-by-side photos of Kim and NeNe--am I going crazy, or is their plastic surgery morphing them into each other? A couple more procedures and there'll be two of the same person.

That right there is how you go on the JJ show smart. You present yourself as intelligent, respectful, beautifully dressed and groomed. You have a solid case, which you go on to win. And . . . you flash your book cover to 10 million people, for a very excellent chunk of free publicity. Which JJ kicks up a few thousand notches by asking to keep her copy, possibly because given the way you look and speak and behave, she thinks you might have something worthwhile to say on the subject. It can be about more than the cash award and the free hotel room. Watch and learn, the rest of you troglodytes.

Maybe at Ball State University??? But seriously . . . So GG is transformed by being able to hear well at last. (I admit I teared up a little, too.) And then she goes on to show her new, improved self by first taking Annalise outside to bring up the whole cheating thing. Because . . . Thanksgiving. Who wouldn't? And then gives the most hostile toast I've ever heard. Leila didn't come into the house spoiling for a fight, but GG made sure there was going to be one. Because . . . Thanksgiving. That's how you do Thanksgiving, I guess. Also, I understand being private and not wanting to be on a reality show. But your partner is eight months pregnant. (Really? She's pregnant?) And again, it's Thanksgiving. Jermaine really needs to get over himself. He's how many generations away from the Jacksons we actually cared about? (To be honest, Michael and Janet are the only ones were truly cared about.) And you're so special you can't be with your ready-to-pop girlfriend and your almost-baby because you're Jermaine Jackson XVII or whatever. I mean, Asa is a kvetch and a phony and a snake, but you picked her. Plus, this is where she gets her paycheck. So show up one time, you self-important fool. I guess they're a good fit in at least that way.

Thanks from me, too, Skyfall! I didn't even know my local PBS was airing this till a few days ago, when I saw it on the satellite guide. I don't know how many episodes I've already missed, so it's great to be able to watch on your links. So far I've watched the baking episode--chocolate prune rum cake and brown sugar tart. I'm always very interested in new piecrust techniques, so this is one I'll absolutely try soon. The dough looked beautiful, but hers really shrank away from the pan a whole lot. Mine never shrinks like that, so I'll be curious to see if it was the recipe or the cook. I think I liked the bright whiteness of the kitchen segments. Added a kind of science-in-heaven feel. Or something. I hope all the people aren't quite as white this time, though. I did appreciate not having to listen to Bridget saying "I'm gonna go ahead and . . ." before every single step. I hardly even noticed there was an audience--seemed a bit pointless. I get the feeling this is going to be a lot more adventurous than ATK and CC, and if so, I'm on board.

Do you think the producers choose/supply their wardrobe? Honest question--I have no idea, but my instinct would be they dress themselves. I don't know how else to account for Sunny's lipstick colors and wigs. That doesn't seem like something someone else would impose on you (unless that someone really hated you). It would be interesting to know how it really works. That dark-contouring trick to give you cleavage has been around forever. It just ends up looking like you have dark contouring between your boobs. Or you haven't showered in months. Not a good look. If you want people to think you have major cleavage, put those chicken-cutlet thingies in your bra--perfect for a cooking show! Better yet, wear appropriate clothes for your job and save the cleavage. Marcella's been looking ridiculous, and she usually dresses pretty nicely.

Based on products the hosts do commercials for? I'm guessing Subway S'mores!

Thanks for letting us know about Linda, jjj. I hope she proves all the medical predictions wrong. Imagine what we could accomplish if we aimed our resources in the most urgent and humane directions.

I think they had more dishes to choose from than just the number they had to ID. If that's the case--and that's how it looked to me--then it wasn't just a simple matter of switching the two wrong ones.