S10.E06: Grief and Relief

[ShawnaLanne]

Sonja with the photographer is embarrassing me too.  God,  these women.

[ryebread]

44 minutes ago, lezlers said:

I'm not saying Beth is like Obama, that's ludicrous!  I'm just saying some people's hatred for Beth clouds their judgment and makes it impossible for them to recognize any good thing she does, kind of like Trump is just trying to undo ANYTHING Obama did, even if it was something great for this country, just because he hates him so much.

LOL. 

34 minutes ago, Jel said:

I also give her the side eye for serving alcohol to someone she recognizes as a drunk, if that's what she did.

I think she did it on purpose.

We don't know Dorinda personally like Bethenny does.  But even we know that if the opportunity ever arose to invite Doris to a function that was important to us, we wouldn't be encouraging her alcohol use. Hell no. Little lapse in judgement on Bethenny's part.  Or was it?

[chewycandy]

1 hour ago, AnnA said:

Dorinda.....advise is the verb

You should have used advice, the noun.

Isn’t advise, the noun, used in British English? I’m not totally sure, so maybe someone could help out. Dorinda lived in London for a time.

Someone posted on an earlier page that it was odd that Luann called her daughter “sexy-looking” when they met for drinks. Luann often says that she enjoys the adult relationship she has with her kids now, so I didn’t think anything of it...she sort of talks to Victoria like she’s a “girlfriend” now.

I wonder how much money Beth is wearing on her wrist...she has like four Cartier bracelets along with a watch. I love seeing her accessories.

Man, I can’t wait to see Carole confront her about the “puppet” stuff next week...

[hottesthw]

Well at least Beth does good deeds without needing someone to watch and constantly praise her. Oh wait....

She was there before Trump ya know. Because just stating she was there wasn't good enough. Because it can't be said enough, STFU Bethenny!

I'm pretty much convinced now Sonja suffers from mental illness of some kind. She's sad to watch .

[sasha206]

I don't disagree with anything Dorinda said about Bethenny!  While I didn't think Beth was responsible for her drunk ass, Beth is way too full of herself (although I do respect her PR efforts).  I loved Beth before her ascent to multimillionaire status.   And I could love her again if she wasn't such a know-it-all and became a little more humble again.

[ryebread]

3 minutes ago, chewycandy said:

I wonder how much money Beth is wearing on her wrist...she has like four Cartier bracelets along with a watch. I love seeing her accessories.

 

I do, too.  She dresses like money, now, head to toe. 

That said, the 3 carat studs that were weighing down her earlobes weren't the most sensible things to wear while climbing over debris to greet the poor people who had lost everything.

[Neeners]

I finally got to see the episode and will watch it again at some point before next week. Did anyone else notice that Bethenny could barely look at Dorinda when she was confronting her on the plane? About the only time she actually looked her in the eyes was when she said the words, "You're (a) drunk".

[sasha206]

7 minutes ago, ryebread said:

I do, too.  She dresses like money, now, head to toe. 

That said, the 3 carat studs that were weighing down her earlobes weren't the most sensible things to wear while climbing over debris to greet the poor people who had lost everything.

I do love her style.  Even before she had a lot of money, she always dressed well.  With money, even better.

[zoeysmom]

2 hours ago, Reality police said:

Just read luann's blog. She is very condescending IMO to Dorinda. Her statement is not too bad on the outside, but ugly between the lines. I don't know how link the blog but it is worth the read. Read Dorinda's while you are there. She takes no responsibility for her actions with B and alludes that B had an ulterior motive in taking her. Wow!

 

Dorinda is aggressive when drinking.  I didn't think there was much between the lines Luann wrote it.   Luann had to calm her down at her home in the Hamptons and sit through Dorinda going after Sonja again.  Bottom line-Dorinda is not that good of a friend.  She has lashed out at all of them.  When Luann was at her happiness Dorinda was belittling her.  I think a little Dorinda goes a long ways.

Bethenny did have a motive for taking Dorinda and she said it-she is connected in the charity world.  

Regarding Dorinda's tweet about Luann-Dorinda might want to remember having to be escorted out of The Regency for attacking a man with her shoes.  https://pagesix.com/2016/10/05/housewife-dorinda-medley-allegedly-attacks-banker-with-high-heel/  Somehow Harry Dubin was involved.  

I hope Dorinda comes to the realization she is an alcoholic-she certainly has the denial and projection sides down.  It almost seems like they are picking sides for the Reunion.  I wonder which team gets Jill Zarin next year?

Edited May 12, 2018 by zoeysmom

[zoeysmom]

2 hours ago, film noire said:

Dorinda ain't happy about Richard being insulted -- from  her blog:

*************

"My late husband Richard raised millions for humanitarian efforts. In one noted evening at my townhouse, standing alongside Desmond Tutu, they raised nearly 2 million dollars for those affected in Hurricane Katrina.

...Does everyone notice that Bethenny not-so-subtly puts people down to make herself look bigger, better, smarter? I often wonder how that is working for her. As far as her referring to my late husband as “slightly powerful and slightly political,” let me get another thing straight: Richard, a man Bethenny never met and, of course, never asked about, was a sought-after advisor to financial icons like George Soros and politicians on both sides of the aisle from senators to presidential candidates. He also served in the Vietnam War and earned a doctorate in political science.

So Bethenny, stick to what you know — the booze business. And by the way, he’s Doctor Medley to you."

*********

....all of which would be a scathing retort (hanging at home with an international figure of epic proportion? Check! Raising money for a historic disaster? Check! Husband advising the most powerful men in the world? Check!  A doctorate AND a Vietnam vet? CHECK! CHECK!) except I keep hearing all of it in that slurred voice: "My ate husb Richrd raised illions for humana forts. In one eve at townhus stand DesTutu, 2 million Katrina, trigsome deep conversation but ethenny put peple down Ductor Medly to you!"

My big question-why did Dorinda give up her townhouse for the tiny apartment she lives in now?  Supposedly she sold the place to Richard and that is how they met.

Dorinda was the one slobbering all over bald Dennis claiming had it triggered memories of her late husband.  Dennis is a glorified loan shark or usury lender.  His latest claim to fame is he is on Michael Cohen-personal attorney to the president's speed dial.  

What is wrong with Dorinda-Ductor Medly's family is probably embarrassed out of their minds by her.  Unlike Dorinda's shiftless daughter, Hannah, Ductor Medl's children from his first marriage actually are contributing members of  society.

Having said that-Bethenny did kind of deliver a low blow about the late RHM.  

[Chicosan]

Ok, I’m really really pissed off right now and please correct me if I’m totally wrong about this. I just got done watching the movie “Patriots Day” for the first time and at the end, they showed real footage from how Boston recovered as a city from the horrible marathon bombings. I saw a scene from what I believe is Fenway Park and the baseball players and crowds had “Boston Strong” as well as “B Strong” on shirts and caps.  I googled the phrase and it does show up as “B Strong” (to represent the strength of Boston in the aftermath) on many sites selling shirts and caps.  

How the hell does Bethenny get away with appropriating this slogan for her own use????  Maybe I’m missing something as I admit I don’t know many details about the Boston bombings and maybe this is a slogan now used to represent people helping others.  But if it isn’t, there are no words to describe the disgust I feel towards Bethenny, Andy Cohen and Bravo.  Wasn’t she up in arms about Sonja using stupid Tipsy Girl??? Please, someone tell me I’m wrong because I don’t know how she could sleep at night and I’m deeply disturbed by this whole thing. 

[WireWrap]

6 minutes ago, Chicosan said:

Ok, I’m really really pissed off right now and please correct me if I’m totally wrong about this. I just got done watching the movie “Patriots Day” for the first time and at the end, they showed real footage from how Boston recovered as a city from the horrible marathon bombings. I saw a scene from what I believe is Fenway Park and the baseball players and crowds had “Boston Strong” as well as “B Strong” on shirts and caps.  I googled the phrase and it does show up as “B Strong” (to represent the strength of Boston in the aftermath) on many sites selling shirts and caps.  

How the hell does Bethenny get away with appropriating this slogan for her own use????  Maybe I’m missing something as I admit I don’t know many details about the Boston bombings and maybe this is a slogan now used to represent people helping others.  But if it isn’t, there are no words to describe the disgust I feel towards Bethenny, Andy Cohen and Bravo.  Wasn’t she up in arms about Sonja using stupid Tipsy Girl??? Please, someone tell me I’m wrong because I don’t know how she could sleep at night and I’m deeply disturbed by this whole thing. 

I just googled this and you are right, they did use B Strong for what happened in Boston, http://archive.boston.com/sports/blogs/thebuzz/2013/04/how_to_get_the.html  They have been using it since the bombing in 2013. I guess no one thought to trade mark it and Bethenny jumped on it for herself. The type (B) is different though for what it's worth.

Edited May 12, 2018 by WireWrap

[LadyK]

5 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

This entire post was brilliantly written, I'm saying YES... YES..... YES in my head

Thank you Ms. Blue Jay.  While I think the entire housewife franchise is rapidly deteriorating, NY has remained my stalwart. For not much longer if this same narrative continues. 

[QuinnM]

https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/02/27/the-boston-red-sox-may-be-sued-for-their-b-strong-logo/

4 minutes ago, Chicosan said:

I saw a scene from what I believe is Fenway Park and the baseball players and crowds had “Boston Strong” as well as “B Strong” on shirts and caps.  I googled the phrase and it does show up as “B Strong” (to represent the strength of Boston in the aftermath) on many sites selling shirts and caps.  

Turns out MLB appropriated B Strong as well.  The B strong was the Boston Red Sox take on Boston’s Strong.  They dropped it after the lawsuit.  My guess is that when Dress for Success went with B Strong they made arrangements first.

[WireWrap]

Just now, QuinnM said:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/02/27/the-boston-red-sox-may-be-sued-for-their-b-strong-logo/

Turns out MLB appropriated B Strong as well.  The B strong was the Boston Red Sox take on Boston’s Strong.  They dropped it after the lawsuit.  My guess is that when Dress for Success went with B Strong they made arrangements first.

Wait, I thought B Strong was Bethenny and her tie to dress for success, not that DFS came up with the idea/name.

[Luciano]

11 minutes ago, Chicosan said:

Ok, I’m really really pissed off right now and please correct me if I’m totally wrong about this. I just got done watching the movie “Patriots Day” for the first time and at the end, they showed real footage from how Boston recovered as a city from the horrible marathon bombings. I saw a scene from what I believe is Fenway Park and the baseball players and crowds had “Boston Strong” as well as “B Strong” on shirts and caps.  I googled the phrase and it does show up as “B Strong” (to represent the strength of Boston in the aftermath) on many sites selling shirts and caps.  

 

B Strong was the way the Red Sox chose to incorporate their 'B' logo with Boston Strong. It's officially Boston Strong, you would say it as Boston Strong - like it's the Boston Red Sox, not the B Red Sox.

[zoeysmom]

2 minutes ago, WireWrap said:

Wait, I thought B Strong was Bethenny and her tie to dress for success, not that DFS came up with the idea/name.

Bethenny came up with the name in December of 2016-it has been used by others for quite some time.  Braden Aboud Foundation sued MLB over the use:  https://www.bradenaboud.com/ourstory

[QuinnM]

3 minutes ago, WireWrap said:

Wait, I thought B Strong was Bethenny and her tie to dress for success, not that DFS came up with the idea/name

Dress For Success is the partner in B Strong.  B Strong is not independent of Dress For Success.  The name was announced back way before Texas, Florida and PR.  It was originally for women in crisis.  The Texas/Florida money from B Strong went only to Dress For Success participants.  That pissed a lot of people off.

2 minutes ago, zoeysmom said:

Bethenny came up with the name in December of 2016-it has been used by others for quite some time.  Braden Aboud Foundation sued MLB over the use:  https://www.bradenaboud.com/ourstory

It was part of the 2014 launch with Dress For Success.  So a little before that.  Not sure of the legalities of it.  The lawsuit with MLB seemed to be more about the logo than the name.  But suffice to say it’s been out there for some time.

[Chicosan]

Does anyone know if Bethenny is donating any money from her B Strong to the Braden Aboud Foundation or is she also receiving a cease and desist order from them?  Don’t her lawyers check on shit like this BEFORE they let her use it or even say she thought of it?  

[QuinnM]

2 minutes ago, Chicosan said:

Does anyone know if Bethenny is donating any money from her B Strong to the Braden Aboud Foundation or is she also receiving a cease and desist order from them?  Don’t her lawyers check on shit like this BEFORE they let her use it or even say she thought of it?  

I think the Braden Aboud Foundation jumped the shark when they sent the cease and desist to the Bee Strong charity that was raising money to help a teenager named Bee with cancer.  I bet they lost the suit with the MLB and that opened the door for anyone to use it.

[Sweet-tea]

On 5/10/2018 at 2:23 PM, absolutelyido said:

think that may be why Dorinda has a problem with alcohol, she doesn't learn. I'd guess goes into these situations thinking that she will be able to hold her liquor and control her behavior but then she can't.

This is classic alcoholic behavior. We rationalize to ourselves that this time will be different or we'll just have a few drinks. In my case, sometimes I could go out, have a few drinks and then go home. But other times, I would intend to do that but would lose control and get wasted. That's when I realized I was powerless over alcohol. I never knew what was going to happen once I took the first drink.

Dorinda needs to go to treatment and then 12-step recovery IMO. Therapy will not resolve her drinking problem. I know many alcoholics, myself included, who went to therapy for years and either lied about their drinking or were never asked. 

Edited May 12, 2018 by Sweet-tea

[coops]

2 hours ago, ryebread said:

I think she did it on purpose.

We don't know Dorinda personally like Bethenny does.  But even we know that if the opportunity ever arose to invite Doris to a function that was important to us, we wouldn't be encouraging her alcohol use. Hell no. Little lapse in judgement on Bethenny's part.  Or was it?

That's certainly what Dorinda thinks from reading her blog. Dorinda claims that the meal was sprung on her at the last moment, just as she was settling down for the night to sleep for a 6.am wake up call. But if she had no idea they were going for dinner that night was she not going to eat at all?  She must have known about the dinner, or at least asked if they were going to go for a dinner, otherwise she would have already eaten. She was all dressed up so she must of known they were going out somewhere.

I don't think it was a set up. I think Dorinda started drinking a lot and Bethenny didn't stop her, knowing full well what Dorinda becomes when she's drunk. Bethenny didn't need to concoct any plots or plans for this to happen, it was a plot that practically wrote itself. 

[bref]

It is absolutely possible to critique Bethenny's behavior, including her actions WRT Puerto Rico, and not be a jellus hater. Liking or not liking her does not confer moral superiority on any of us.

Good grief. 

Edited May 12, 2018 by bref

[QuinnM]

1 minute ago, coops said:

I don't think it was a set up. I think Dorinda started drinking a lot and Bethenny didn't stop her, knowing full well what Dorinda becomes when she's drunk. Bethenny didn't need to concoct any plots or plans for this to happen, it was a plot that practically wrote itself. 

I figured that Dorinda is a drunk.  So she had drinks with Bethenny and then more drinks in her room.  Then she realized that it was 2 hours later and she was still drinking but she had to go to dinner and she forgot to sober up.  That’s how a drunk does it.  And I believe she was drunk when she wrote that blog.  The best part of the blog was that even drunk she writes a better post than Carole does sober.

3 minutes ago, bref said:

It is absolutely possible to critique Bethenny's behavior, including her actions WRT Puerto Rico, and not be a jellus hater. Liking or not liking her does not confer moral superiority on any of us.

So today we saw the roof top terrace to Bethenny’s new place.  If this is shared space I’m jealous.  If this is hers alone I hate her with everything possible.  The sucker has 360 views, every landmark in NYC.

[WireWrap]

42 minutes ago, QuinnM said:

Dress For Success is the partner in B Strong.  B Strong is not independent of Dress For Success.  The name was announced back way before Texas, Florida and PR.  It was originally for women in crisis.  The Texas/Florida money from B Strong went only to Dress For Success participants.  That pissed a lot of people off.

It was part of the 2014 launch with Dress For Success.  So a little before that.  Not sure of the legalities of it.  The lawsuit with MLB seemed to be more about the logo than the name.  But suffice to say it’s been out there for some time.

B Strong isn't just with DFS, according to her own web site, they/she have expanded to include crisis around the globe. http://www.bethenny.com/bstrong-2/

[QuinnM]

1 minute ago, WireWrap said:

B Strong isn't just with DFS, according to her own web site, they/she have expanded to include crisis around the globe. http://www.bethenny.com/bstrong-2/

True but that started with PR.  As of the hurricane in Texas it was exclusively DFS.  

[WireWrap]

2 minutes ago, QuinnM said:

True but that started with PR.  As of the hurricane in Texas it was exclusively DFS.  

But Bethenny came up with the name B Strong, not DFS correct? And then Bethenny expanded it beyond just DFS correct? Do those donating money need to chose where they want their money to go or does Bethenny/B Strong decide?

[QuinnM]

2 minutes ago, WireWrap said:

But Bethenny came up with the name B Strong, not DFS correct? And then Bethenny expanded it beyond just DFS correct? Do those donating money need to chose where they want their money to go or does Bethenny/B Strong decide?

Initially it was B and DFS, so I don’t know who came up with the name.  Bethenny has done work with DFS for years before this.  The donating changed during the PR crisis.  There was a way to direct money at one point, Texas, Florida, PR.  Not sure now.

[WireWrap]

10 minutes ago, QuinnM said:

Initially it was B and DFS, so I don’t know who came up with the name.  Bethenny has done work with DFS for years before this.  The donating changed during the PR crisis.  There was a way to direct money at one point, Texas, Florida, PR.  Not sure now.

I clicked on "donate" at her B Strong site and it seems that Delivering Good is the real work horse for disaster relief and B Strong is one it's partners raising the cash/money/goods and that " Allocations are determined by the Delivering Good Board of Directors", not by B Strong.

[hoodooznoodooz]

4 hours ago, Giselle said:

 

 

http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city/season-10/blogs/luann-de-lesseps/luann-de-lesseps-its-not-a

I should not be surprised that Lu thought commenting on Dorinda’s drinking was a good idea, yet I sit here sighing.

[WireWrap]

6 minutes ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I should not be surprised that Lu thought commenting on Dorinda’s drinking was a good idea, yet I sit here sighing.

I'm not surprised. It happens sometimes when someone quits a bad habit/addiction, be it smoking, drinking, drugs, they can get a bit preachy (or self righteous) to others still doing it. Those that have gone through rehab are counseled not to do it but alas, some just can't help themselves and I think Luann is one that can't. 

[breezy424]

Well, on the Beth declaration that Dorinda is drunk versus Dorinda is a drunk.  The first time I heard Dorinda is a drunk and I went back and replayed the scene and once again I heard Beth declaring Dorinda is a drunk.  Just sayin.

Is Dorinda an alcoholic?  I don't know.  Is Lu an alcoholic?  I don't know.  All I do know is that they both have some issues when it comes to alcohol.  Alcoholics?  Umm.  Not in any position to make that diagnosis.

Were Beth's parents, and/or stepfather, alcoholics?  I don't know.  And I will never rely on Beth's proclamations on any of them.

I thought Beth's comments about Richard was total 'shade'.  That's what she does and I get Dorinda's reaction despite her behavior that evening.  You don't do that.  But that's Beth's MO.  She will throw shade every opportunity she gets.  I'm waiting for when she starts throwing shade at Tin's boyfriend.   

[FozzyBear]

So I’m late to this episode, but nothing could prepare me for the horror...of Dorinda’s romper. What clearance rack is she shopping at? Sweet baby Jesus it was like Forever 21 and Sears got drunk in the back of trans-am and had an ugly baby. Not a good look for Dorinda or anybody. Oh yeah, also order some Chex mix the next time you want to pregame before a charity dinner. I can’t drink on an empty stomach either or I get sloshed on 1 drink and start thinking grown up ladies can wear cheap looking fancy shorts to dinner.

[HunterHunted]

They were Emilio Pucci. She loves Pucci. She wears a lot of it. I'm sure it cost well over a thousand dollars. Perhaps they weren't very flattering.

Despite what people claim, I've never found a single DvF that was flattering on me.

[zoeysmom]

1 hour ago, breezy424 said:

Well, on the Beth declaration that Dorinda is drunk versus Dorinda is a drunk.  The first time I heard Dorinda is a drunk and I went back and replayed the scene and once again I heard Beth declaring Dorinda is a drunk.  Just sayin.

Is Dorinda an alcoholic?  I don't know.  Is Lu an alcoholic?  I don't know.  All I do know is that they both have some issues when it comes to alcohol.  Alcoholics?  Umm.  Not in any position to make that diagnosis.

Were Beth's parents, and/or stepfather, alcoholics?  I don't know.  And I will never rely on Beth's proclamations on any of them.

I thought Beth's comments about Richard was total 'shade'.  That's what she does and I get Dorinda's reaction despite her behavior that evening.  You don't do that.  But that's Beth's MO.  She will throw shade every opportunity she gets.  I'm waiting for when she starts throwing shade at Tin's boyfriend.   

Here is what Luann said in her blog:

Bethenny invited Dorinda to Puerto Rico because she believed that she would be an asset on this relief trip. Instead, in an effort to appear relevant, Dorinda insulted Bethenny’s partners after she drank too much. You would think that by now Dorinda would realize that drinking makes her aggressive. It’s not a good look, and I hope she took to heart what Bethenny had to say about her drinking.

I don't think Luann was calling Dorinda an alcoholic.  I think it was wisely couched that Dorinda becomes aggressive when drinking.

What I heard from Bethenny is at the beginning of the conversation she advised Dorinda she is afraid of her. I don't think anyone not even Bethenny needs to explain why they are uncomfortable around a drunk like Dorinda.  If someone when drinking actually frightens friends, family or co-workers and they have the advantage of being able to relive it on tape-take note.  My theory is Dorinda, who was lucky to find and fall in love with Richard, the met and married the same year, and six years later he died of liver failure. Dorinda has always been very quiet about what led up to Richard's liver failure and death.  Dorinda also left out Richard's children were minors.  She made it all about her daughter, who has a father.  I am guessing that alcohol played a part and that is why Dorinda is in this tailspin about being accused of being a drink.  

Dorinda's excuses are terrible.  How many hours of sleep does this grown woman need?  It is either about her missing her 4:00 pm nap or having to hit the hay at 7:00 pm because she missed nappy time and she had been up since 5 am.  Wow a grueling 14 hours of staying up.  

These women need to learn if you get drunk, be it once or a dozen times on tape, it doesn't matter how much some one else had.  Your booze, your liver.

I do think it should be noted, and Bethenny would have to correct me, but I get the impression she is far more impressed by money and someone making a lot of money than education or politics and public service.  Dorinda's husband was widely respected as being educated in both political science and economics.  

[Happy Camper]

3 hours ago, bref said:

It is absolutely possible to critique Bethenny's behavior, including her actions WRT Puerto Rico, and not be a jellus hater. Liking or not liking her does not confer moral superiority on any of us.

Good grief. 

 

I was relieved to read this statement. I come to this board to offer my opinions about what I observe each episode and often I have a negative comment or two to make about the behaviour of a housewife. Being perceived as a "hater" or "jealous" of a housewife based on my posted opinion would feel offensive and unfair to me.  

I just hope that I am correct in assuming that people are referring to haters outside of this forum. 

Edited May 12, 2018 by Happy Camper

[HunterHunted]

8 hours ago, ryebread said:

Believe it or not, I think I understand what Dorinda was trying to drunkenly convey at the dinner. When she was talking about how the effort had to start on the homefront, I think what she was referring to was the corruption by the leaders in Haiti and even buy some of the people who were raising the funds  - how they had to clean themselves up before they could help their country. A lot of money was raised in 2010 for the Haitians and a lot of the money disappeared. She asked if the relief effort was going to be able to be sustained. I took that to mean, that there's still a lot of crookedness there and the people still aren't getting the help that they need. Richard was surely aware of that corruption and I think this is what Dorinda was referring to.  

 

This is a hard enough point to make when someone is sober, informed, and capable of making cogent arguments. Furthermore, it's one that requires a nuanced understanding of former colonies and their issues. There are enough details to explore for a hundred dissertations and books many times over. The fact that Dorinda thinks she can speak with any expertise on this because she once heard Richard talk about it is laughable. That she thought she could do this while drunk is the height of delusional arrogance. I mean come the fuck on! It's not like this was either her or Richard's areas if expertise. He was an economist and a political scientist. He wasn't a sociologist, anthropologist, or historian. There's no way he even half understood the cultural and historical forces that led to the endemic corruption and fractured systems in former colonies. And if Richard didn't understand it with the level of expertise necessary, then Slurinda has got to be fucking clueless. People can dedicate an entire career to understanding the cultures and systems in a single country.

My family comes from a former colonial African nation. While Richard was accomplished and educated, there's no way he really understood the hows and whys these cultures have the corruption that they do. I'm from that culture and have a similar-ish education and work background as Richard and I don't truly understand the ins and outs of reasons for the corruption.

Edited May 12, 2018 by HunterHunted

[LIMOM]

6 hours ago, Sweet-tea said:

This is classic alcoholic behavior. We rationalize to ourselves that this time will be different or we'll just have a few drinks. In my case, sometimes I could go out, have a few drinks and then go home. But other times, I would intend to do that but would lose control and get wasted. That's when I realized I was powerless over alcohol. I never knew what was going to happen once I took the first drink.

Dorinda needs to go to treatment and then 12-step recovery IMO. Therapy will not resolve her drinking problem. I know many alcoholics, myself included, who went to therapy for years and either lied about their drinking or were never asked. 

How do you feel about an ambush intervention/being called a drunk/being exploited by scums on cable tv?

would you say it is conducive to recovery?

3 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

They were Emilio Pucci. She loves Pucci. She wears a lot of it. I'm sure it cost well over a thousand dollars. Perhaps they weren't very flattering.

Despite what people claim, I've never found a single DvF that was flattering on me.

I love Pucci. DVF is meh. It is all marketing. How many wrap dresses can one have???? 

DKNY was much better as far as fit when Donna was still in charge, imo.

[film noire]

49 minutes ago, HunterHunted said:

He was an economist and a political scientist. He wasn't a sociologist, anthropologist, or historian. There's no way he even half understood the cultural and historical forces that led to the endemic corruption and fractured systems in former colonies.

 

He was also a (life time) member of the Council on Foreign Relations, so I think his grasp of the cultural/economic/historic forces driving places like Haiti could be more informed than the rest of of his resume (hedge fund/Soros/advisor to polticians/speechwriter to Ferraro/ etc) might suggest. (eta: I have no idea if he was an expert on Haiti, just saying his membership points to a deep interest in the complexities of foreign economies/cultures/how they interact -- and of course, an interest in becoming ONE OF OUR NEW OVERLORDS*)

 

*the internet told me so 

Edited May 12, 2018 by film noire

[LIMOM]

3 hours ago, zoeysmom said:

Here is what Luann said in her blog:

Bethenny invited Dorinda to Puerto Rico because she believed that she would be an asset on this relief trip. Instead, in an effort to appear relevant, Dorinda insulted Bethenny’s partners after she drank too much. You would think that by now Dorinda would realize that drinking makes her aggressive. It’s not a good look, and I hope she took to heart what Bethenny had to say about her drinking.

I don't think Luann was calling Dorinda an alcoholic.  I think it was wisely couched that Dorinda becomes aggressive when drinking.

What I heard from Bethenny is at the beginning of the conversation she advised Dorinda she is afraid of her. I don't think anyone not even Bethenny needs to explain why they are uncomfortable around a drunk like Dorinda.  If someone when drinking actually frightens friends, family or co-workers and they have the advantage of being able to relive it on tape-take note.  My theory is Dorinda, who was lucky to find and fall in love with Richard, the met and married the same year, and six years later he died of liver failure. Dorinda has always been very quiet about what led up to Richard's liver failure and death.  Dorinda also left out Richard's children were minors.  She made it all about her daughter, who has a father.  I am guessing that alcohol played a part and that is why Dorinda is in this tailspin about being accused of being a drink.  

Dorinda's excuses are terrible.  How many hours of sleep does this grown woman need?  It is either about her missing her 4:00 pm nap or having to hit the hay at 7:00 pm because she missed nappy time and she had been up since 5 am.  Wow a grueling 14 hours of staying up.  

These women need to learn if you get drunk, be it once or a dozen times on tape, it doesn't matter how much some one else had.  Your booze, your liver.

I do think it should be noted, and Bethenny would have to correct me, but I get the impression she is far more impressed by money and someone making a lot of money than education or politics and public service.  Dorinda's husband was widely respected as being educated in both political science and economics.  

Alcohol is now recognized as a carcinogen substance.

Women, do not drink if you value your breast.

it increases the chance of getting breast cancer by 15 percent even if you only drink one glass a day. 

49 minutes ago, HunterHunted said:

This is a hard enough point to make when someone is sober, informed, and capable of making cogent arguments. Furthermore, it's one that requires a nuanced understanding of former colonies and their issues. There are enough details to explore for a hundred dissertations and books many times over. The fact that Dorinda thinks she can speak with any expertise on this because she once heard Richard talk about it is laughable. That she thought she could do this while drunk is the height of delusional arrogance. I mean come the fuck on! It's not like this was either her or Richard's areas if expertise. He was an economist and a political scientist. He wasn't a sociologist, anthropologist, or historian. There's no way he even half understood the cultural and historical forces that led to the endemic corruption and fractured systems in former colonies. And if Richard didn't understand it with the level of expertise necessary, then Slurinda has got to be fucking clueless. People can dedicate an entire career to understanding the cultures and systems in a single country.

My family comes from a former colonial African nation. While Richard was accomplished and educated, there's no way he really understood the hows and whys these cultures have the corruption that they do. I'm from that culture and have a similar-ish education and work background as Richard and I don't truly understand the ins and outs of reasons for the corruption.

Which country may I ask?

[HunterHunted]

7 hours ago, film noire said:

He was also a (life time) member of the Council on Foreign Relations, so I think his grasp of the cultural/economic/historic forces driving places like Haiti could be more informed than the rest of of his resume (hedge fund/Soros/advisor to polticians/speechwriter to Ferraro/ etc) might suggest. (eta: I have no idea if he was an expert on Haiti, just saying his membership points to a deep interest in the complexities of foreign economies/cultures/how they interact -- and of course, an interest in becoming ONE OF OUR NEW OVERLORDS*)

 

*the internet told me so 

 

I've never read a single policy paper that the CFR has ever published in my areas of semi-expertise that truly captures the nuances of the topic or the cultural and historical issues. While I'm sure that their topical and regional policy and subject matter experts have a much stronger understanding of these issues, I don't have any faith that someone at Richard's level would have a particularly deep understanding of these issues beyond what he's read in documents written by the SMEs and PEs, unless he had a particular interest in that subject. That's basically been my experience when working with organizations kind of like the CFR, not on the same level of course.

7 hours ago, LIMOM said:

Which country may I ask?

Nigeria.

Edited May 12, 2018 by HunterHunted

[LIMOM]

Just now, HunterHunted said:

I've never read a single policy paper that the CFR has ever published in my areas of semi-expertise that truly captures the nuances of the topic or the cultural and historical issues. While I'm sure that their topical and regional policy and subject matter experts have a much stronger understanding of these issues. I don't have any faith that someone at Richard's level would have a particularly deep understanding of these issues beyond what he's read in documents written by the SMEs and PEs, unless he had a particular interest in that subject. That's basically been my experience when working with organizations kind of like the CFR, not on the same level of course.

Nigeria.

Thanks.

It is hard for Caucasian American to understand the African American community, let alone former colonized nations.ymmv

However, Richard was still more informed than most Americans by virtue of running in those circles. 

As far as Haiti, yes there are mudslides, Earth  quakes and so forth but they are still economically disadvantaged by the debt demanded by the French. If I remember correctly, the debt was finally paid off after WWII.

How can one nation become independent and prosperous while still being enchained to its former colonial master?

[HunterHunted]

Just now, LIMOM said:

Thanks.

It is hard for Caucasian American to understand the African American community, let alone former colonized nations.ymmv

However, Richard was still more informed than most Americans by virtue of running in those circles. 

As far as Haiti, yes there are mudslides, Earth  quakes and so forth but they are still economically disadvantaged by the debt demanded by the French. If I remember correctly, the debt was finally paid off after WWII.

How can one nation become independent and prosperous while still being enchained to its former colonial master?

Is Richard more informed than your average American? Absolutely and completely. Might he be more informed than Bethenny's partners about the day to day on the ground impediments in Haiti and PR? Probably not, but Richard probably had a solid grasp of some of the macro issues. That's my biggest problem with Dorinda talking about this. She was trying to have a macro discussion on issues she understood poorly, while they were largely talking about micro issues. Furthermore, the extent to which racial and imperial disadvantages are built into the foundations of these countries makes true independence almost impossible.

So Dorinda slurring about Haiti still being a mess is so fucking ignorant and makes my blood boil. Hell, one of the big problems in Haiti is that in trying to help them recover, foreign relief workers accidentally introduced cholera in Haiti. It also makes me angry when westerners are quick to point out corruption in the 3rd world, especially countries of color, as an example of how we might be wasting resources in those countries without ever acknowledging similar issues in Western countries or even the US. It's rare to have those same conversations about whether FEMA funds have been misappropriated after a US disaster. I'm sure they have been. And while we sometimes have superficial conversations about the wisdom of rebuilding on coastal areas that get hurricanes, tornado alley, and places prone to wildfires, the conversations often end in a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Dorinda's "ish shustainable to gif Haiti money. Ish been 10 years and ish stil mess" can have two whole scoops of parts of New Orleans and the Jersey Shore still look like a bomb went off.

[LIMOM]

Bollore is being prosecuted in France. Nantes is finally assuming its past.

As far as Dorinda, she is shining a light(albeit a drunken one) to something that most trashy show viewers like myself know nothing about.

Pragmatism....

[AttackTurtle]

I wondered if Dorinda was drunk when she wrote her blog.  I expected her to take exception with Bethenny over her comments about Richard, but her response to Luanne was over the top. Luanne has gone to rehab.  She may have gone as a form of damage control after her arrest, but she did go.  She’s been publicly humiliated since her divorce with Tom.  Dorinda could’ve politely agreed to disagree with Luanne’s blog, but instead she took the low road.  

[BonesMom]

I am an alcoholic and have been sober for the last six years. Watching Dorinda in the past and during this episode is just one tool to keep me that way well into the future. The excuses/explanations she used with Bethenny on the plane the next day harkened back to days of denial and just wanting to get to the next drink. I sincerely hope she can get the help she truly needs. She can't be proud of watching herself in this condition.

[Alonzo Mosely FBI]

Bethenny can tweet all she wants about having said  “you’re drunk”. 

but this is ver batim what she actually said:

“The way that you sometimes treat me is worse than Ramona [Singer]. I just cut you slack because you're a drunk."

Lost at sea, homeless, doesn’t have parents...... she is a fraud. #sorrynotsorry

The help individuals received in PR is, at the same time, from her was certainly appreciated and needed and gracious. Does not change the fact that inside she is DAMAGED and unstable. 

[lezlers]

On ‎5‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 1:34 PM, HunterHunted said:

No one would think anything about your daughter as a busy mother of 2 or you not looking her best on a random day. However, Victoria is a 23 year old scenester and artist who knew she was going to be filmed that day. She could have put a little bit of an effort before she got miked up. It's the same way that we know that these ladies all put in more effort to look presentable on filming days. Victoria could have run a comb and brush through her hair.

As @zoeysmom said unkempt is often associated with smell. I was the person who made the original joke. Kristen and Jax are two cast members from Vanderpump Rules. They aren't particularly unkempt or disheveled looking, but the rest of the cast says that Jax and Kristen reek of staleness--cigarettes, booze, coffee, and body odor in the case of Jax. The joke about Victoria is that she looks like the person who would actually smell like Jax and Kristen do. It wasn't necessarily that Victoria smelled. It was an inversion of the stereotype.

Exactly.  Victoria knew she was filming AND said she had a date later.  That tells me she intentionally looked like that.  It wasn't accidental, she MEANT to look that way.  I don't get it.  Of course, I've never thought Luanne's children were attractive anyway (I usually hate when people talk shit about kids' looks on these boards, it's kind of gross in general, but Victoria is 23 so she's no longer a "kid.")

[Giselle]

13 hours ago, KungFuBunny said:

They were in Bethenny's room packing the cash cards.

The bag was a perfect fit...once they were done...BETHENNY said "Let's have a glass of wine"

 

That's not an invitation to a kegger and Dorinda could have chosen to not have any or stop at ONE. She keep pounding them down. Her fault.

Bethany may have very well mentioned the dinner earlier and Dorinda forgot about it or didn't hear it because she's to busy ordering another round. Even if Bethany didn't tell her. It's Dorinda's fault.

And... While Bethany could have suggested to go sleep it off it is still not her fault as Dorinda is an adult and made choices. Slurinda's fault 

Even if Bethany was trying to show Dorinda at her worst, ok fine, it's still Dorinda's fault. Maybe Bethany was livid that Dorinda would do this on her aid mission and wanted to punishp. Still it's Dorinda's fault.

None of this would have happened if Dorinda refused to drink or didn't keep drinking. Dorinda is at fault.

People keep saying Bethany knew Dorinda has issues with alcohol, the flip side of that is Dorinda knows how Bethany can use a situation. Dorinda could have excused herself from filming. Dorinda is still at fault.

[AuntieDiane6]

Quote

Women, do not drink if you value your breast.

it increases the chance of getting breast cancer by 15 percent even if you only drink one glass a day. 

Statistically, that only increases the rate from 12.4% to 13.6% or 1 in 100.   And coffee DECREASES the risk.  So have a cup of coffee in the morning and a glass of wine with dinner.

French women, who drink more wine, have a lower rate of breast cancer than American women.

I believe in everything in moderation. Dorinda, in my opinion, HAS gone over the edge.  One thing I wonder is if Richard's liver failure was due to alcoholism.