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New Hawaii Five-0? Oy. I hate when they try to capture the TV gold of the past. Nothing will ever replace Steve and Danno!
LisaG
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Not sure how many of you still watch "Lost" but Daniel Dae Kim has been chosen to be in the new Hawaii 5-0!
Christine
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I agree...
Christine
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So they're remaking Robin Hood (again!) this time with Russel Crowe. Eh. I'm watching LOTR and I think Viggo Mortensen would have been a better RH. Crowe looks too paunchy and bloated. And they have him with short hair...RH should have longer hair IMHO.
LisaG
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Now they are saying 6-10".
Christine
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Yikes! A foot! They're predicting snow here for tomorrow but up to 4"!
Christine
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Wild...we got no snow at all! My mom in mid-NJ got about a foot or a little more. I hope you made out ok, Anita!
LisaG
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these are incredible! http://www.dailyartpress.com/2009/08/beautiful-pencil-sculpture.html ------- you can see more at her website: http://www.jennifermaestre.com/portfolio.php
lisag
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Interesting, Connie.
Diane
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Anita - I have family in PA, so I've been reading about your big storm that's coming. Here's an interesting bit from one article -- "This winter has seen many snowstorms travel north after hitting southern Virginia , 'where a new ice age is forming because they're getting one storm after another,' Head said. Areas around Roanoke and western Virginia had more snow this winter than the Boston area, and 'that's a major shift in the weather pattern,' he said."_______________ Not much comfort to you, but at least it explains why you're getting so much snow and LisaG is getting so little. Stay safe, and take lots of pictures!
Connie
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Oh Anita! Take care and stock up on supplies. You might be in for a long one.
christine
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check this bird out...he's so kewl! he looks like a piece of candy! http://petoftheday.com/archive/2010/February/05.html
lisag
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Anita - they're telling us that the bulk of the storm will miss us...we may get a couple of inches. I can deal with that! Good luck! Hopefully it won't be too bad.
LisaG
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okay here, preparing for the BIG storm..they say it will be bigger than the storm we had before Christmas.. from 2 to 3 feet of snow! FEET!!!! we're in the band that is flagged at "potentially paralyzing"
Anita
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My mom, not the family members, but I bet they do too!
Christine
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It has been quiet. Interesting news, my mom has been attending the pretrial for Drew Peterson. She is really enjoying it. Talking to family members, wanting to strangle Drew.
Christine
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Doing fine
Christine
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wow...quiet around here. hope everyone is doing ok.
lisag
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What's next? Underwear insurance?
Diane
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Yeah, it's like handing them an extra $5 and whatever claim you might try and bring, they will say that kind of wear is not covered. I order clothing from a catalog, and they always ask me "Do you want to get the $2 insurance so that if your package is lost or stolen, it will be replaced." Oh for Pete's sake NO. Use a traceable shipping method, you dodos. They want to add a few bucks all the time to EVERYTHING. On Buy.com, they try and sell insurance with everything we buy there. It's such a scam.
Diane
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That is silly!
Christine
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LisaG -- I never heard of such a thing! Shoe protection -- ridiculous! Whatever happened to (1) making a quality shoe to start with, and (2) taking care of them so they last a long time??? I guess the latter, though, can only happen if the first is taken care of.
Puck
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Unbelievable story...I went to the local Sports Authority to get new walking sneakers since my old Reeboks finally bit the dust with a ripped side seam. So I pick a new pair and then I decide to look at the suede UGG boots, just to see how they fit, etc. They didn't have them out (clearly $100+ boots are probably kept in the back), but I *did* notice a display of suede boots of various colors that looked just like UGG's but were on sale for $30. Hmmm! So I find a size 8 (no half sizes) in a sand color and try them on...very nice! Comfy and warm shearling inside...a slightly cheaper made material from true UGGs, but I'm only planning to wear them to dash to the store in chilly and snowy weather, since they say these kinds of boots are horrible for insteps. So anyway, I decide to get them (saving $60 over UGGs!) and the guy at the register says that for $5 more, I can purchase a "shoe protection plan" for the boots. I looked at him and said "you gotta be kidding! Shoe protection?!" He said something about wear on the outside of the suede, blah blah blah...and I tuned out. How ridiculous! I'm sure there are plenty of loop holes in the coverage, like it has to be "normal wear & tear" and they only give a replacement, not a refund of the price and I betcha they stop making them after this year. Unreal how companies are trying to squeeze more moola out of customers with ridiculous stuff like this! Yeesh!
LisaG
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well, the duggar's had their 19th kid...poor thing was born 3 1/2 MONTHS premature..i hope she'll be ok. i certainly hope they take this as a sign to stop having kids. i mean 19th is enough (heck 3 was probably enough!) and at 43, the mom should realize the danger she'd be putting a fetus in...it's really starting to look more like an addiction to having babies, rather than bringing a HEALTHY new baby into the world.
lisag
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JD Salinger died. What a week!
Christine
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Go the light, all are welcome! Godspeed, Zelda!
Puck
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LOS ANGELES (AP) Zelda Rubinstein, the 4-foot-3-inch character actor best known as Tangina, the psychic who tries to calm a family inhabiting a haunted house in the 1982 horror film Poltergeist, has died. She was 76. Her agent, Eric Stevens, tells the Los Angeles Times that Rubenstein died Wednesday at a Los Angeles hospital. Stevens says she recently suffered a heart attack. Rubenstein made her film debut in the 1981 comedy Under the Rainbow and went on to roles in Sixteen Candles, Southland Tales and the TV show Picket Fences. She returned for both Poltergeist sequels. The Pittsburgh native also appeared as the mother figure in a high-profile mid-1980s AIDS public awareness campaign and was an outspoken activist for the rights of little people.
.
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Oh wow...PR is now gone, so all the Cartwrights have headed to the big round up in the sky. :( ------------- Puck - here's a link to Eastern Promises... http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2947612953/ It was a good movie and Viggo was great in it...he was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, too. But Cronenberg makes too many dark movies for me.
LisaG
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She doesn't strike me as overtly religious........ Just read that Pernell Roberts passed away. Boy he was a handsome man......
Christine
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Christine -- I'd be more interested in WHY she thinks we ought not help the Haitians. Does she think they made a pact with the devil, for example?....................................................... Lisa -- naked fight scene! Why haven't I heard of this film? ..................................................... RE: the new Emma. Well, I watched it last night finally, and it certainly grows on you. I actually like Jonny Lee Miller's characterization of Knightley. He is believable -- and still a viable candidate for a husband -- whether he is loverlike, brotherlike or fatherlike. In any incarnation, you can see his affection for Emma. One objection, however -- my favorite line in the novel is one of Austen's rare double-entendres (and a rare instance of man-watching in any novel of the 18th century), when at the Coles' party, she spots his "tall, firm, erect figure" among the crowd of men. I'm sorry, but the girl playing Emma in this one is taller than JLM. But Jeremy Northam was perfect for that line, running through my head, at the moment she looks at him from a distance at the Coles' party!
Puck
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Oh, Lisa! Too funny!
christine
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Just did a double feature of a couple of Viggo Mortensen movies. I watched "A History of Violence" and "Eastern Promises"...wow...very intense! I guess it's a Cronenberg thing, but boy, were the violent scenes accurate and gorey...some were a bit too much for me. There's a steam room scene in EP where Viggo's character, Nikolai, is attacked by 2 opposing Russian mafia hit men. The scene was so intense, I didn't get to enjoy the fact that VM did the scene nekkid! ;) I must say that the man is in incredible shape for his age...now if only a nekkid scene was in a more calm scene or movie! I think I need to go watch some of my LOTR dvd's to see a sweeter VM character!
LisaG
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I like the Paltrow version alot. And then there is PnP!! Colin Firth.....
Christine
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Puck- I own the paperback of Emma. I should probably read it. I've seen all of the Austen novels on PBS, on Masterpiece. The one Emma I did see, I didn't like. I guess it's because of the Paltrow/Nortam chemistry. But I should still do the author the honor of reading her books since I have liked the mini-series so much. And the subsequent movies based on her. Has anyone seen Lost in Austen? I loved it.
rebecca
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That doesn't seem like a lot.
Christine
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Thought I'd check on Slezak: (335 episodes, 1971-2009) I'm sitll surprised it's so few! In one way, it's amazing, because the lines are different every day. It's like being in 335 plays, but over 38 years? You'd think she'd have been in more.
Cat
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I checked again and the 10,295 episode was the other day. the 10,000th was a tribute to yrtle. Anyway - Lucci has been on only 600 ish or so. Still, a small number considering she's an original member. But, my God, she is a miracle of nature. She looks FABULOUS, I think. Better now than years ago.
Cat
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Grrr... just lost it with a friend's sister on FB. THe new post is about not helping the Haitians. Do people not realize the risk of having a Hugo Chavez or Castro come in and be a savior to the people? Do some people not know the level of poverty in that country is staggering and mind blowing? The poorest of the poor would only wish to be poor in this country! I'm not turning out my pockets, but I gave, just as I give to charities in the US. I'm sure alot of the same people who complain, don't donate a dime to anyone. Okay, rant over! Sorry!!
Christine
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But it changes the tenor of the story! There's a vast difference between lovers who are equals, and lovers where one is pretty much a brother or father figure. BIG difference! IN any case, I don't object -- JN was indeed too gorgeous to trifle with such things. It would just be nice to one day see the story as Austen intended it!
Puck
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I remember seeing that and saying "Hey that's Palmer!"
Christine
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This is interesting about Mitchell....His best-known role on film was in Agnes de Mille's spectacular dream sequence as 'Dream Curly' in the 1955 musical classic Oklahoma! (1955) He worked in tandem with the famed choreographer quite frequently.
lisag
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Cat - maybe they meant he was in 3000 eps?
LisaG
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Puck - who cares? JN was gorgeoous! ;) Oh, and the BOOTS!!! :P ----------- Horrid weather here in CT today...the only saving grace is that my car is not parked in the garage, so it's getting a pretty good "washing". I can't imagine how much snow there would be if it was colder!
LisaG
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That's so sad. He was lucky to make it to the 40th anniversary. Will the character go as well, do you think? And how can he only have appeared in 300 episodes? That seems so few! I just checked Susan Lucci - she's been in 648 episodes in 40 years. Why does that seem such a low number to me? If there are 250 episodes a year (give ore take - 5 a week for 50 weeks), just to use an easy number, that's 10,000 episodes! I looked it up just now and saw a reference to episode 10,295 - so that number is close. Of course, I think it started out as a half our, and moved to a full one, but still, I thought both actor's numbers would have been higher.
Cat
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I liked that Gwyneth version too, but hunky, beautiful, gorgeous Jeremy Northam was not right for the roll! Knightly is supposed to be nearly 20 years older than Emma!!
Puck
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LisaG- I totally agree with you on the movie version of Emma. I love Gwenneth and Jeremy together. "And now I may call you MY Mr.Knightley". Swoon. What a man.
rebecca
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I was just going to post that, RIP Mr. Mitchell!
christine
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Mitchell, who for nearly three decades played gruff patriarch Palmer Cortland on the ABC soap opera All My Children, has died, his longtime partner said Sunday night. Mitchell died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, partner Albert Wolsky said. Mitchell had suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for years, complicated by a recent bout of pneumonia. Mitchell appeared in more than 300 episodes of the popular soap from 1979 until a 40th anniversary episode this month. He was a regular on the show until 2008. Mitchell enjoyed playing the icy, wealthy Palmer, who wielded power over his children and the show's fictional town of Pine Valley. "He loved playing mean," Wolsky said. "A soap gives an actor a chance to develop something because it goes on for so long." Born in Sacramento in 1920 and trained as a dancer, Mitchell had leading roles in the Broadway musicals Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon, and danced on stage with the American Ballet Theater. His film credits include 1953's The Band Wagon with Fred Astaire, 1954's Deep in My Heart and 1955's Oklahoma. Mitchell also taught movement for actors at Yale University and Drake University, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate. Funeral plans were pending.
.
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HI all - i agree hat Robertson and Limbaugh are beyond disgusing. How they can look at what happened and not only not help, but then try to discourage others from helping, is just plain evil.
Cat
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rebecca - i watched...was ok. they really make emma into a b*tchy snob...i didn't care for the characterization. the movie with gwyneth paltrow and jeremy northam will still remain my favorite emma...jeremy is the perfect mr. knightly! :)
lisag
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Hey ladies, don't forget. There is a new version of Jane Austen's Emma on PBS tonight. I have the DVR set. It doesn't come on until 10 pm here and I will be long gone by then. Have a great night.
rebecca
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If you go to YouTube and type in "sand art" in the search field, you'll find several more of those videos.
LisaG
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Holy crap that was good! Thanks for sharing!
Christine
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LisaG- thank you for sharing that. It truly was a very moving experience for me. I have never seen anything like that in my life. I am going to share this with my friends.
rebecca
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This video shows the winner of " Ukraine’s Got Talent", Kseniya Simonova, 24, drawing a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table showing how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II. ----- Her talent, which admittedly is a strange one, is mesmeric to watch. The images, projected onto a large screen, moved many in the audience to tears and she won the top prize of about $130,000.00 ----- She begins by creating a scene showing a couple sitting holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear and the happy scene is obliterated. ----- It is replaced by a woman’s face crying, but then a baby arrives and the woman smiles again.. Once again war returns and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman’s face appears. ----- She quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, before the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier. ----- This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking out on the monument from within a house. ----- In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside and a man standing outside, with his hands pressed against the glass, saying goodbye. ----- The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine , resulted in one in four of the population being killed with eight to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million. ----- Kseniya Simonova says: "I find it difficult enough to create art using paper and pencils or paintbrushes, but using sand and fingers is beyond me. The art, especially when the war is used as the subject matter, even brings some audience members to tears. And there’s surely no bigger compliment."
lisag
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This is pretty kewl... http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=vOhf3OvRXKg
lisag
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ouchie...just got my free h1n1 flu shot. i'm such a big baby!
lisag
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CHRISTINE - LOL!! That IS good!!
Diane
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Doh! That's just priceless!
Lisag
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Awesome Christine! I'm passing that one on.
rebecca
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From the Minneapolis Star Tribune "Satan" writes to Pat Robertson---------------------------------------- Dear Pat Robertson, I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I'm all over that action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I'm no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth -- glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake. Haven't you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"? If I had a thing going with Haiti, there'd be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox -- that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it -- I'm just saying: Not how I roll. You're doing great work, Pat, and I don't want to clip your wings -- just, come on, you're making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That's working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract. Best, Satan
Christine
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Glad I went with Unicef__________________ Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation under fiscal scrutiny
Christine
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Well said Janet!
chrisitne
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Oy! Robertson really said that? And Limbaugh, not surprising. A (figurative) pox on both their houses.
Janet
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So true, Diane.....
Christine
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Oxfam is another excellent place to donate money for Haiti.
Diane
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Pat and Rush exhibit such shameful and cold behavior. When someone can close off sympathy like that, it's called a sociopath. That's what I believe both of them are. They are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually ill. Karma WILL teach them both, I have no doubt of that. Their life review after they leave this world isn't going to be fun either.
Diane
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I went with UNICEF. I also posted an angry tirade on FB about RL. I take this very personally as this could be my family out there! I hope he rots! Or when he meets his maker, he is called on it.
Christine
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Christine - I split my donation between Americares and the Red Cross...they may provide support differently and through different paths, some of which may be better than the other. I was starting to watch some coverage on a late night news special and I just couldn't watch for more than a few minutes...it was devastating and heartbreaking. I can't imagine all the families that are broken, all the children that are orphaned, all the injured in pain, etc. It's overwhelming.
LisaG
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Lisa, I'm not surprised by Rush either. I'm doing my donation today. I might go with Wyclef Jean's charity.
Christine
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BTW - the text donation will appear on your cell phone bill and it goes to the American Red Cross for the Haitian Relief fund.
LisaG
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For those looking to donate to the Haitian relief efforts...1) You can text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to American Red Cross relief for Haiti. ----- 2) Americares: https://secure.americares.org/site/Donation2?idb=78993387&df_id=5083&5083.donation=form1 ----- 3) American Red Cross: https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=254911611&df_id=4437&4437.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=t4mrv2z3b1.app196a
LisaG
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Oh how sad...I just read the post about Teddy Pendergrass. :( He was only 59...God speed, Teddy. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/arts/music/15pendergrass.html
LisaG
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I just read also about Rush Limbaugh also saying we shouldn't contribute to the Haitian relief effort. That if you go to the American Red Cross website, what's the chance of your donation really making it there. The man is sociopath...he's reprehensible. There are HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of people (including innocent children) dead...even more injured, homeless, without food and water. My God, what kind of heartless people are these men???! They both absolutely disgust me.
LisaG
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I was just going to post about that Anita. Pat Robertson is a idiot! ------------------------------------My family felt very little tremors in DR. My cousin posted something quite touching in FB. She thanked God for sparring her country and prayed for "our brothers and sisters, the Haitians". It could have been them. I was reading how DR is considered richer with better buildings and infrastructure. I know my mother's house that she was born in is still standing. Its not to say everything is fine in a crisis there, but the level of poverty in Haiti is SO high in comparison.
Christine
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heartbreaking news in Haiti and then Pat Robertson says they brought it on themselves...someone needs to stick a sock in his mouth....what a fool...God doesn't work that way.
Anita
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RIP, Teddy Pendergrass!
Christine
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I agree. Roscoe Born is such fun, but yeah, there's something about Mitch this time around that is disturbing. I'm so busy that I'm not watching at the moment, but I think I may pick it up this week.
Puck
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I have to admit, I do like Mitch, but he is really slimey this time..... I find him disturbing. Still the actor, Roscoe Borne(?) is pretty nice to look at.
christine
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Isn't Rene condescending to Kim? I mean, she wasn't much more once upon a time... she gets so high and mighty but forgets her past? ... they've written her into such a shrew...
anita
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LOL, good to see David Vickers is back.. and to see him burst into the Commissioners office... with Blair and Eli on the desk.. LOL... maybe he can get Dorian to get some smarts. I'm sorry but I do NOT like Mitch Lawrence.. I don't even like to hate him.. the whole storyline is beyond stupid.
Anita
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I would love to see it when the cat shows up!
Christine
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I'll bet a lot of people make up crazier stories than that to get our of jury duty. So it's probably routine for the court to say "show up!" and that will be a hilarious courtroom!
Janet
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They probably just associated Sal the cat with one of it's owner's SSN. I think it's so ridiculous that they didn't excuse him. Too funny.
lisag
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What I don't get is that Sal doesn't have a social security number so how did he get called in the first place? Hey, Hi ELESSANN! I think we were all shocked by Merf's sudden passing. Nice collage at the top. She's happy with Big R now.
Diane
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LISA - Oy, what next? A cat on jury duty, ok. I hope he pees in the jury box, and that will empty THAT courtroom for quite awhile!
Diane
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Thank you CAT! glad to have the GB back :)
Anita
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Well - when goDaddy says your domain is expiring, they mean it! I thought it was set up to renew automatically, but the card probably expired in the meanime. BUt - we are back in business.
Cat
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Yay! We're back!
Christine
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LisaG - Too funny! Be sure to watch the video on that page also.
Connie
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Only in America... http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11790367 --------- Cat called for jury duty --------- BOSTON, MA (NBC) - A Boston family is trying to figure out how their pet cat was summonsed for jury duty. --------- "I said, Sal, what's this? You know, I don't believe it I was shocked," said Guy Esposito, Sal's owner. Sal's owners, Guy and Anna Esposito, think they may know the source of the mix up: Sal really is a member of the family, so on the last Census form, Anna Esposito listed him under "pets". --------- "I just wrote 'Sal Esposito', scratched out the 'dog,' and wrote, 'cat,'" said Anna. --------- Anna filed for Sal's disqualification of service. However, the jury commissioner was unmoved and denied the request. --------- Sal's service date at Suffolk Superior Court is set for March 23. Anna said that if the issue isn't cleared up by then, she will simply have to bring the cat to court.
lisag
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She was rather creepy!
Christine
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oops - that was supposed to be "brought me by here" (not "her") in the first sentence. And it was not Kathy Brier's mother, as I found a photo of KB with her parents on KB's webpage. So - sister or other relative?
Elessann
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The thought that brought me by her tonight concerns the actress who is playing Mitch Lawrence's henchwoman - the blood-toting, needle-bearing (and subsequently wearing) nurse who tangled with Stacey on today's show. The actress looks like she could be Kathy Brier (Marcie McBain)'s mother or older sister. No acting credits at the end of the show, though, so I couldn't find out. Did anyone see the show and think the same thing? Same facial expressions and mannerisms, but with a lower-pitched voice. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Elessann
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1/7/2010 Hello all - I came by to make a stray comment and to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and was stunned when the photo at the top of the page loaded. I'm heartbroken to learn of Merf's death, but at the same time, it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to think about her and all of our old conversations. She was truly one-of-a-kind. I never see an e-mail of cute cat photos without thinking of her.
Elessann (whose e-mail address can be found at the (disgustingly old) Tulane University Archives website with a bit of digging)
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me second!
Christine
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Don't forget to enter... http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv-dream-home-2010-giveaway-enter/package/index.html -------- if anyone here wins, I call dibs on the first guest visit! ;)
LisaG
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Oh how wondeful, the snow is falling.....
christine
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Watching AMC now - just saw the map pinning Pine Valley. So Llanview is right near Bryn Mawr, which makes sense, with the Welh spelling and all. But Pine Valley is near Villanova? With a yacht club? You gotta love the geography. You always knew the towns were near Philadelpha, but that's the first time I remember seeing it placed on a map near real towns.
Cat
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Geography ( and alot more) flies out the window with the sopas!
Christine
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Oops, that's what I meant to say --- Twenty Ten! I like that.
Diane
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I prefer a TARDIS!
Christine
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Or Hover-craft? I think I'll be calling it 2010 as in Twenty-ten. Sounds cool.
rebecca
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Yeah, but where's the jetpack I was promised 30 years ago???
Puck
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It does sound "space age"
Christine
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Happy 2010, Everyone! I love the way "two thousand ten" sounds. Sounds a bit Star Trekky to me.
Diane
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Happy New Years to all the ladies of the GB, and to Mike. hope it is a better year than the last one. Be safe.
rebecca
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Thank you Anita & Cat for the tribute picture to Merfuff. If memory serves me correctly, she & BigR were married on [or near to] Jan. 1st. If so, maybe they are having an anniversary waltz this New Year's Day.
kmp
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Happy New Year to all the 'GBers' - now & in the past...
kmp
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Very cute... http://video.yahoo.com/network/100000086?v=5289218&l=100000085 ------- HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
LisaG
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Happy New Year to all my GB friends!
Christine
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I am but I always thought they were a local paper. Did you try googling them?____________________________ Found out I need more therapy on my finger. Still can't straighten it and usage is difficult.
Christine
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19 degrees here, no wind, but snowing. I just had a thought: Merfuff often contributed to the Pioneer Press, an online paper . . . perhaps they'd appreciate knowing she's passed away? Is anybody familiar with the Pioneer Press?
Janet
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Holy cow is it COLD outside!!! Temps in CT are in the low 20's, but the wind is howling with gusts up to 40 mph. BRRRRRRRRRRR! Stay warm everyone!
LisaG
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That sounds really neat!!!
Christine
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Puck: What a great gift. I love the sound of a dulcimer. Keep practicing!
Janet
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Sweetie gave me a mountain dulcimer for Christmas. Four days later, and I can pick out Amazing Grace, This Land is Your Land, Shortnin' Bread, Angels We Have Heard on High, and Camptown Races. This is FUN!!!
Puck
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Our neighbors gave us an early Christmas gift..... Tejano music full blast at 3:30am... we called the cops twice. They had a big party, windows were closed but the music was sooooo loud! Part of me wants to go ring the doorbell etc... as they are probably sleeping it off.
christine
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Yes indeed, thank you CAt for the GB. Merry Christmas to everyone!
rebecca
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Thank you , Cat! _______________________________Merry Christmas to all!
Christine
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Merry Christmas to all. And I hope our GB friends on the east coast are all safe and warm.
rebecca
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Thanks, Cat! Happy holidays to all.
Janet
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Thanks, CAT!!
Diane
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I just struggled to get that out of my iPhone's email and uploaded! Timing is everything...
Cat
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The photo is courtesy of Anita. Sorry it took so long to post. Marry Christmas to all.
Cat
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Yeah, seeing MARIELLA's name again is so cool!!
Diane
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Anita, thank you...
Christine
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Mariella! Good to see you again. Anita- very nice collage of Merfuff. Thank you.
rebecca
-

So good to see so many old friends. Thanks Cat for keeping this place alive for us all to visit with each other. Wishing you all a safe and a happy holiday season. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzza, Peace on Earth, Joy to the World.... and the link below this I posted solo, it's a tribute to Merfuff, no password needed, it's a direct link to the photo.
Anita
-

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/anitastreet/merfuff/inmemoryofDebby.jpg
Anita
-

We travel tomorrow, so Merry Christmas to everyone! I'm so happy to see old friends long lost to us, and hope Merfuff is happy this holiday season, pain-free and with her Big R.
Puck
-

Thanks to Diane E, I have found you ladies again. I'm just heading off to bed but finally have the log in to send you all a message and say how wonderful it is that so many of you are here again. Missing absent friends, though - so sad to hear about Merfuff.
Mariella...yes, really
-

Happy Holidays to everyone... For everyone who's traveling--->safe trip.
kmp
-

I'm off to bake cookies and pack for my trip to the momster's for Christmas...I probably won't be back until sometime next week, so MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone and a very happy and healthy New Year!
LisaG
-

To you too Boston!
christine
-

If don't get the chance to get back here, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy new year!
Boston
-

Christine: I remember reading about that terrible winter. Our three winters there were milder. In fact, it was colder at times in Utah, but everyone thought we were freezing in Chicago.
Janet
-

Well, when all was said and done, we got about 6" of snow total. My mom got about a foot in NJ, so it looks like we missed the worst here in western CT. The roads, driveways and walkways are all cleared...I don't understand why people freak out so much these days and buy out the grocery store...it's silly.
LisaG
-

Thanks, Anita!
Caitlin
-

photos sent. please let me know if you don't get them.
Anita
-

Cat, I'll send you the photos.. thanks!
Anita
-

We had a blizzard back in 79 that people were climbing to and shoveling the roofs!
Chrisdtine
-

thouight I'd try to find the link to a photo of Merf. couldn't. If any one has one to post send it to me at bluedoor(four) at comacast.net, except the (four) is the number. I'd spell it out right, but I'd get loads of spam. We had a fair amount of snow here - about 6-8 inches. Not too bad. Still haven't gotten much for Etain for Christmas so I think I'm going to try ot get Max out to help me with that today. He's getting cabin fever. LisaG - I just read about the DVR inquiry. I have Tivo and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. Bite the bullet and get the HD Tivo with the lifetime plan. you won't want to watch TV any other way ever again. If you want to save shows forever, get a 1TB external hard drive. You can export files to that and save them without compromising your Tivo. The lifetime plan is for your Tivo, not your lifetime. It does work out better after about 3 years, though, so it's worth it. I have 4 Tivos. 2 are HD and 2 are regular. The first one I bought went a little wonky after 3 years, but the others are going strong. I also have Comcast and use the HD cards for HD broadcast, rather than a box. They go into the Tivo. The only drawback is no on demand. Other than that, it's great. If you get two cards, you can watch one channel and record on another, or record on 2 channels and watch the recording on Tivo. Any questions, I'll be happy to answer.
Cat
-

Take care, blizzard-bound people! Check in so we know you're OK.
Janet
-

snow just started here in CT about 9pm...so much for the "hurry and get everything done early in the day" warning. glad i didn't listen and went to TK's for hot wings at 6pm...only ONE friend showed up. everyone is a wuss...especially my friend in the same town i'm in...no excuse for not going out for at least one drink. lol...weather.com is calling this "THE BLIZZARD OF '09!!!" gimme a break. i remember REAL blizzards from when i was a kid. are they really so hard up for news that they have to embelish anything that happens? sheesh!
lisag
-

Stay safe, Anita!
Christine
-

we have clost to 2 feet of snow so far.. it's still coming down, we lost power once, it's stayed on since they repaired it at 1:30 this afternoon.. hope that it stays that way. Our roads are not driveable..the State Police want everyone stay home so they can get the roads in better shape...Gary cleared our driveway but now it's up big climb up to the road.. LOL! keep warm, keep safe!
Anita
-

I hope all our GBers on the east coast are safe and sound. You all are in my prayers.
rebecca
-

Watch full episodes of AMC and OLTL daily at abc.go.com.
.
-

That sounds neat! And I'm glad you made it home okay!
christine
-

We have about 6 inches on the ground. It's very cold tonight! We just got home from the historical farm, where Darling Granddaughter had a pony ride and a train ride. She loves it.
Janet
-

One of my friends in NC has 13 inches of snow and counting....
Christine
-

Hope all those fellow east coasters do ok with the storm coming up the coast. I'm hoping it skims us here in CT...the news stations are all giving different forecasts, so who knows anymore!
LisaG
-

LisaG... Here is another person who does impressive origami...Make sure you click on all of the links at the top of his home page, especially the one for 'musicians'...http://www.ericjoisel.com/home.html
kmp
-

Cat, golf was around before him, it will be around after him. Maybe not as big, but it will be there.
Christine
-

These are awesome... http://thedesigninspiration.com/articles/won-park-the-master-of-origami-paper-folding/
LisaG
-

Golf will be fine without Tiger. Rounds played have been declining for more than 10 years. you should hear Tery's thoughts on why tiger is bad for golf. He'll likely be back by the Masters, anyway.
Cat
-

I'm so sorry to hear about Merfuff. I thought of her today while I was watching the Nigel/Neville scenes and I thought I'd pop in and see what she had to say about it. At least she's finally with Big R. I know she missed him very much.
Josie
-

I think if TW had one mistress, maybe then as a wife I MIGHT consider a reconciliation, but being as the number is in double digits, no way Jose! Ever! Ever! What kind of example is that for your children?? The iimpact on golf is interesting. Golf isn't exactly a "cool" sport to start, but he helped make it cool. They are talking dip in sales etc....
Christine
-

Cat, I don't have your email address but have photos.. feel free to use any of the ones I shared in the photobucket link down below.
Anita
-

I heard that TW's wife is consulting a divorce atty...I can't say I blame her. I don't know how so many of these women play "the good wife" when the infidelity happens. And he had to know if it ever got out, it would be an even bigger nightmare and embarrassment for the family. This situation reminds me of Clinton and Lewinsky...only thinking of himself and not the ramifications to his wife and children. I feel so sorry for them...bad enough to have to deal with the cheating, but to have to do it in a public forum is horrible.
LisaG
-

Interesting to read about Tiger Woods - I hope he can deal with his issues and that his family will be OK. I'm not writing about the scandal, whatever that is - just the impact he has on golf and other activities. If he misses a tournament the attendance (and revenues) drop by 50%. Thousands of employees everytwhere are economically dependent on this super-star in one way or another. Imagine the pressure. Also, you'd think that sponsors, etc. would plan ahead for the times Tiger doesn't play (as in another major injury, retirement, etc) because it seems like all the eggs are in one basket. Don't they have a Plan B? He is, as we've learned, only human. And I do wish him and his family well. Wish I could live on that island in Sweden where his wife has bought a house - it's gorgeous there, and hopefully they'll have much more privacy there.I would surely hope so.
Janet
-

Hello all - so nice to see some familiar names, but so sad an occasion. If anyone has a photo of Merfuff I will happily post it.
Cat
-

Starla- email coming at ya.******Janet-you be careful too. This is why I live in AZ.
rebecca
-

Lovely GB friends: ___________I've been thinking about our dear friend Merfuff and some of the things she inspired here: the Hats for Big R initiative, the Mooch relay, sending flowers after her spinal surgery, how her friend Jan died of cancer after Big R (hats involved there, too), and how Debbie always wanted to take a challenge and meet it._____________ So I'm thinking I might like to make a donation in Debbie's name to a charity that provides hairpieces to people with cancer and other medical conditions. ____________________If anyone wants to join in, feel free to e-mail me. I'll put my e-dress at the end of this and spell out the "at" instead of using the @ sign so I don't get spammed unmercifully. But I'll check in here from time to time, too, so for anyone having trouble finding me, you can leave a message.______________I'd gladly entertain other notions -- and I'd be more than willing to do the legwork and find the "right" organization and collect funds (doesn't have to be my idea) -- but I think that would be a fitting tribute to her._____________Anybody who wants to contact me can e-mail ____________ hootieperch(at)yahoo.com _________
starla
-

I thought our roads were messy with this latest snowstorm, but they don't compare to your driving experience, Lisa! Of course our traffic isn't as heavy. There is a canyon between us and Salt Lake City that can have whiteout conditions - but sometimes you won't know until you're actually in the canyon. The roads can be dangerous, slick, icy , , ,
janet
-

LisaG- I don't know how you do it. It would scare the heck out of me to drive those roads. Glad you are safe. I would love to have a 'tini, but I'm still on major antibiotics, so have one for me.
rebecca
-

You deserve the drink! Glad you are okay!
christine
-

Lovely "pome", Cawdor...thank you. ------------- I hope everyone in the northeast is ok...what a horrid day of weather! I was at my mom's putting up the tree and lights...it took me over 5 hours to get home to CT from NJ because of the icy overpasses on some roadways. At one point it took me 1 hour to go 4 miles...it was a parking lot. I nearly did a 180 over one bridge, though, and I was only going 1 mph! Luckily, the accidents on the bridges were more nuisance spin outs and bumper crunchers, but there were several that caused miles and miles of back up on the highway to get around them...the DOT was nowhere in sight to salt the road, too. Grrr! I was never so glad to be home...I had me a big ol' Appletini and now I'm feeling fine! %)
LisaG
-

Thank you Cawdor. That is beautiful. It was good to hear from you again.
rebecca
-

Thanks, Cawdor.
Diane
-

beautiful...
Christine
-

For Merfuff . . . I. There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, The earth, and every common sight, To me did seem Apparelled in celestial light, The glory and the freshness of a dream. It is not now as it hath been of yore Turn whereso’er I may, By night or day, The things which I have seen I now can see no more. II. The rainbow comes and goes, And lovely is the rose; The moon doth with delight Look round her when the heaves are bare; Waters on a starry night Are beautiful and fair; The sunshine is a glorious birth; But yet I know, where’er I go, That there hath passed away a glory from the earth. XI. . . . . The clouds that gather round the setting sun Do take a sober coloring from an eye That hath kept watch o’er man’s mortality; Another race hath been, and other palms are won. Thanks to the human heart by which we live, Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears, To me the meanest flower that blows can give Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears. Ode / William Wordsworth
Cawdor
-

I haven't watched GH in years..... same with most of AMC. I had to scale back... not enough time for so many soaps.
Christine
-

Puck, especially good since Jason was finally acting like the father he imagines he is.
cw
-

Okay, time to watch soaps. Anyone watching GH? I'm finally watching my recordings from last week -- Wednesday's episode was FANTASTIC! Jason yelling at Michael, and giving him the beechslapping he's been needing for a long, long, time was amazing! I had to watch that scene twice.
Puck
-

Its been a thrill to see so many familiar faces (names) on here again.
Christine
-

So glad I was able to reach many of you and that others have been reached too. So many of my emails bounced. and yes, I do wish I had the Merf to English dictionary somewhere. Who had that anyway? Was it Chris Green.. way back when? and yes, Merf had a big heart.. never a mean word about anyone. .the worst I ever heard her say was the "Damty Vikings"...she loved her football and I really thought that's why she hadn't been around the GB, because it was football season.
Anita
-

Diane, that is too funny! Merf, making us smile even now!
Christine
-

Hi STARLA! I remember a post once where she said she had to go for a hair bite and had to put on a damty undergarment which she hated. And someone asked if they could translate and kindly tell them what Merf was going to do!
Diane
-

{{{Merfuff}}} How could such a small lady leave such a huge void? Anita, thanks for letting me know. Just because long hours at work are keeping me away, that doesn't mean I don't think of this place often. But I can't quite imagine it without our dear Merfuff. As others have said, our only consolation is that she isn't hurting any more. Why is that cold comfort? The world is a smaller, sadder place. I miss you all.
starla
-

She once called me at home -- this, despite the fact that I had never given out the number, nor could I recall giving out Sweetie's real name! She put pieces of my life together, and called me in a down moment, and really cheered me up. I wish we COULD have taken that job in Rubber Balls, and spent some time with her in real life.
Puck
-

MERF was helpful like that. She used to send me little donations to help me buy cat food back when I was caring for 16 cats outside. That was so sweet of her, and it helped.
Diane
-

I just heard from MARIELLA! She was so glad to get my e-mail but so very sad to hear about MERF. She thinks about so many of the GB'ers and wants to say hi. She's super-busy right now with family things but will have more time later.
Diane
-

Connie- you always have the backup info! Nice to see you again. Cawdor- ahhhhh- maybe Cawdor could find us a po-em!
AnneM
-

I used to have Mariella's real address- I will mail her a note. Eless will show up here eventually and read. Elizabeth- wherever you are, darlin'- you were a great addition to the Merf Times!
AnneM
-

Now I will take particularly good care of the shamrock she sent me in honour of my birthday( and some TK related joke) over 10 years ago.
AnneM
-

And Merf- my goodness- so many poignant feelings about her! What a lovely soul- so generous and kind, so funny, a kindly tactful straightshooter! But she'd been in so much pain and for so long, and lonely since Big R passed away. When I first met her live, I was amazed at how frail she was for her age- but only in bosynot in spirit.
AnneM
-

Anita- thanks so much for thinking of contacting me- Tink has my co-ordinates.
AnneM
-

Morning all - Thank you anita for emailing me about Merf. Such a loss. She once offered to help pay my rent when she thought I was struggling. So sweet. I have passed the news on to Ace, AnneM, BelCanto, JulieR and RH.
Tinker
-

why did I spell hear as here???
christine
-

The posting page has a hint to the password on it. The user name is the first half of the presenter's name.
Puck
-

Connie.. .try that same address but at gmail.com instead of email.com..... I don't have the email.com one anymore.... first part is the same.. and yes, they would need the password for the GB you're right.... hadn't thought of that.. but AnneM and Elessann should have it...
Anita
-

Anita - One last thing -- Thanks for sharing the pictures of Merfuff. :')
Connie
-

Anita - Also, if folks haven't been around here in a while, they will need the GB password.
Connie
-

Anita - I just sent an email to an old email address I have for you -- ...@email.com I'll check back tomorrow to see if it bounces or if you have a newer one you could share. The email I sent has a few distribution lists that Cat used to send out various emails to everybody way back in '02 and earlier. You can figure out who some people are just by their email address. Of course, lots of them will be outdated, but maybe there are some on there that will be helpful.
Connie
-

Thank you for sharing those pictures, Anita... Looking at them brings back memories of that trip to visit Merf & Big R.
kmp
-

I just read the sad news... It's hard to wrap my mind & heart around that Merf is gone...
kmp
-

Wonderful pictures. Makes me sad.... but Merf, if you can here me, man TK looks wonderful!!! You lucky lady!
Christine
-

Diane :)
Anita
-

This morning, I was talking to myself in the bathroom and caught myself saying "iffan that doesn't work...". Hmmm.....I think Merf is putting words in my mouth. :)
Diane
-

I found an e-mail addy from 4 years ago for MARIELLA. I sent her an e-mail and will see if it bounces back or not.
Diane
-

Those are wonderful pictures -- thank you, ANITA!!!
Diane
-

okay, here's a password for sharing purposes.. not MY password. knew there was a way to do this :) .. .. .. it's nita1108 let me know if it works thanks!
Anita
-

hmm... let me figure another way to share then.. I really don't want to post my password to photobucket...brb..
Anita
-

Anita, it wants a password.
Christine
-

http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a261/anitastreet/merfuff/ here is an album with the photos I have of Merfuff... my favorite is the one of her and Big R.. but I have the ones of her meeting TK in there too.. they are from her website, which has been gone for a while..... I've sent email to a few folks .. but I don't have a lot of addresses anymore. My email to Elessann is bouncing.. and I don't have email for AnneM anymore.. I'd like to let them know.. and wish I could reach Mariella.. and even Elizabeth.. I know Merf was so fond of them... and all the posters her at the GB.
Anita
-

CAT - I agree, it is shocking. So many unexpected deaths this year. Would you please be able to post a picture of her at the top?
Diane
-

OH MYGOD!!! I just checked in quidkly and read that Merfuff passed away! How awful. She was such a bright light. I know we will all miss her tremendously.
Cat
-

man! it's like one big slushy outside! 3-4 inches of snow and now rain...it's pretty icky.
lisag
-

I agree! __________________________________ Hope everyone is staying warm and safe with the bad weather going on!
Christine
-

OLTL is a GREAT show these days, and I sure hope ABC isn't dumb enough to axe it. If any ABC show needs the axe, I'm sorry to say it's AMC.
Puck
-

That would be great, LISA!
Diane
-

I still have my hat and pin too. TK autographed it for me. It's starting to fade a little.
rebecca
-

I watched OLTL as a kid! I hope it doesn't go!
Christine
-

ROTFLOL! Wow, you all have a good memories! The roller blade ceremony! What TK eats for breakfast, the poems, etc. OMG, we were wacky back then...drunk on Thorsten and Patrick Thornhaaaart essences! ;) I know I have a LOT of the old GB posts saved on diskettes...maybe over my holiday vacation, I can try to pull up some of them and repost them for some reminiscence of Merf and the good old days.
LisaG
-

Me, too, PUCK! Maybe we'll have a reunion when we are all in our 70's. :) Sad that AS THE WORLD TURNS got the axe. In that article, they said it was RUMORED that ABC was thinking of axing OLTL. Gosh, I sure hope not. The article said that cable channels and news shows and other talk shows are taking the place of daytime dramas -- as well as women being in the workforce now to a great degree. I get sad for actors because it was tough enough before for them to get a part on TV and now it's even tougher because of the game shows and reality shows. If they take the Daytime Dramas away, that will be even more parts. We might never have known TK if not for the daytime dramas. OLTL seems like part of my life since I watched it as a kid.
Diane
-

Great memories, everyone! BTW, I still have my GB hat and pin!
Puck
-

Oh, Diane that is too funny. I remember those days too.
Christine
-

Hi CONNIE -- Sorry, didn't read your post down there! The cats are doing ok, thanks. They are almost all 18 or 19 years old now. Many have died. There are 6 left total (including my couple indoor ones). 4 of the cats are 18 or 19 years old, another one is probably 13 or 14 and the last one is about 7-8 years old. Thanks for asking! As soon as there are only 2 of them left, I really want to move out of this crummy old apt building I've been living in for so long just so I can care for them. It will be nice to move to a nicer place! A place with no cracks in the walls for one thing.
Diane
-

I'll never forget the first month or two I found the GB in late '95, I think. It was back when so many whiners were on. Merf and a bunch of us started wondering what Thorsten Kaye eats for breakfast, and someone said he probably eats Nutella on toast or something (since he's European). They were going on and on about it until Merf posts, "What the H is Nutella?!" LOL! Then the whiners kept posting to talk about the SOAP but we all kept talking about Nutella. The posts were just flying back then. Ian, the webmaster was not around, but the whiners threatened to complain to him about us talking about Nutella and not the soap. :)
Diane
-

wow, as you all know I don't post alot but I do read the GB when I can and I stunned. Merf was a fantastic lady who smile came thru her written words. I personally will miss her posts, most I had to read 3-4 times to understand them!, but I pray she is sitting on a cloud with BigR and at peace. God Rest your Soul Debby.
Boston
-

I love that TK story!
Christine
-

KATHLEEN - I think the poems were from "Cawdor". You were close with the "C"!
Diane
-

Oh man...the GB hat!!! I had one of those!!!
Kathleen
-

Now that you say that Connie, I do remember them being anonymous. Maybe I always suspected you, I don't know? Or did you used to post something every morning as well?
Kathleen
-

You are are bringing up such great memories. Ah, MERF, it stings to have you gone. I remember LISA and TINKER visiting TK in NY and telling him about MERF because he was going to do a Wisconsin soap thingee the next week or so. They described her and described her GB hat with all the buttons on it. So when TK was in Wisconsin at the table signing autographs, he recognized a little woman in the line wearing the GB hat covered with buttons fiddling with her camera. In his booming voice he said, "HEY MERFUFF!! Quit fiddling with that camera!" LOL! Merf was dumbstruck and turned a thousand shades of red!!
Diane
-

I confess to posting a few poems. But only when I opened the page and there wasn't one posted yet. Man, I am fighting the tears today. Actually I'm not fighting them, I'm just letting them come.
becca
-

I think the morning poems were done anonymously, but I always suspected it might be by Anne M. Any confessions? ;) ____________________ Hi, Diane! How are the kitties?
Connie
-

A poem for Merfuff: She walks along my country's shore behind her lonely guard and holds in every step the rhythm of my heart. Oh broken cliffs of Ireland lay down as soft as white sand and guide her on a steady path when I can't be at hand. And raging winds that shaped these hills caress her face with care. Forgive the sadness in her eyes and gently stroke her hair. Now Mother Ocean lift her high if she must leave by sea. Take her safely where she must then bring her home to me.**********Thorsten Kaye's Mother Ocean. God speed lady.
rebecca
-

Kathleen - I do miss those days. Remember the ice cream social on Friday nights? And Deety's ditties? Those were good times.
rebecca
-

{{{Merfuff}}} I am so sad today. I can't believe it. I had just sent her the Firefly series on VCR tapes as she couldn't use the DVDs. And she was loving it. And she is the only one that ever called me Becca. She was one in a million. I will miss you very much.
rebecca
-

This was one of the first websites I visited when I first got the internet!!
Christine
-

....and CW would type out the happenings of the show LIVE each day. It was always funny when there was obviously something happening 'on screen', but there was no dialogue, so cw couldn't tell what was going on!
Kathleen
-

And Connie would open us every morning with a poem, and Tiffany would close us every night with a summary...MEMORIES!
Kathleen
-

Yes, the GB was one of the first places I visited on the internet, too. And Merf, along with many of you who are posting now, are among the first people I remember meeting online! It's hard to believe how many years have passed... Remember that Halloween slideshow 'parade' we did?
Kathleen
-

Sometimes, I would read what she wrote and not understand a word!
christine
-

Connie, That was my experience, too. The GB was one of the first places I visited on the Internet. Merfuff was one of a kind. "Kind" defines her, too. Always concerned about others.
Janet
-

I'm so terribly sorry to hear about Merfuff. She was one of the reasons I started posting here - so long ago. That and LisaG on roller skates I believe having a wedding ceremony with "Patrick." Merfuff and I had a bet that I was older than she was. She didn't believe me. Merfuff - you still owe me those chocolate covered donuts!
jennifer
-

and she was obviously feeling okay when she last posted as she had just had a "hairbite" :) I know she was looking forward to the weekend and football.. and I figured that's why she hadn't been around here because it's football season. I haven't been around much either since I was sick for most of November or running around with the kids. Guess I should check in more often.
Anita
-

Yup, Merf always said that her brother would take Mooch kitty.. that was one reason she didn't want a shelter cat, they wanted it returned if something happened to the owner.. she said she'd feel better knowing her cat would be with family. I have her brother's phone number. I will call him this week if I don't hear back from Klaus. I know Klaus and family visited Merf this past summer. She had so much fun with his little girls even though the kids spoke no English. She adored little people :) Klaus didn't say what happened but I do know that a couple years ago Deb had surgery for major blockages (100% blocked) of the femoral ateries... she had severe PAD....so I don't know if maybe it was what caused her death. I just hope it was painless and quick. I feel so bad thinking of her all alone in that big house. I do know she had several people that looked in on her regularly. She last posted her and on her football forum 11/4.... and passed away 11/10, that's all the details I have.
Anita
-

Kathleen - I do, too! It's a reinforced hole that the ropes go into on a sailboat -- I think that's what it was, anyway. I, too, wish I knew what happened. She seemed fine at her last post. Perhaps she passed quietly in her sleep. Poor Mooch. Big R left her and now Merf. But ANITA said that her brother said he would take Mooch so I feel confident she is with him now.
Diane
-

Diane- I remember her using that expression! I also remember a discussion about what a grommet actually was, LOL!
Kathleen
-

Thanks for sharing that memory, Anita. Merf will definitely be sorely missed! It just feels so weird that we don't know what happened, since we've all 'known' her for so many years! :-(
Kathleen
-

Here are a couple of sites...one with a story about Merfuff and another with a photo and a little about Merf and this web site. -------- http://mfinley.com/articles/cyberfriend.htm -------- http://www.mfinley.com/articles/internet-cat.htm
LisaG
-

CONNIE R - It's so nice to see you after so long. :)
Diane
-

So sorry to hear about Merfuff. The GB will never be the same.
cw
-

really irks my grommet, I'm going to start using that!
christine
-

Yeah, she gave us "that really irks my grommet". People always stop in amusement when I inject that into a conversation. Thanks, Merf.
Diane
-

oops, that was ARIEL in the pic with Rebecca and TK. Dang, I can't find the pic I had of TK and Merf. Of well, it will show up sooner or later. I think using ANITA's pic would be the best.
Diane
-

I have everything from Merf's website still. I never delete anything.... I have a great pic of her and Big R together too.. they are all on my external hard drive. And I have pics from the summer of 2000 from when we got to visit in person at the Jolly Ranch.. she was such a gracious hostess. And she knew how much I wanted to go to the Mall of America but she wasn't up to it.. so Richard took me.. we had a grand day.. he walked the whole mall with me.. carried my packages.. we had a lunch and laughs.... it was a great trip. I still can't wrap my brain around the fact that she's gone.
Anita
-

she definitely had an interesting way of speaking!!! :-)
christine
-

I think I have an old pic of Merf, too, but she's in the pic with Rebecca and Thorsten. ANITA probably has a better pic of her by herself.
Diane
-

I am in shock about Merf. It seems so sudden, but I know she has been suffering in that body for quite a long time. Things will never be the same without her. I remember her Merfese in the early GB years and how funny it was. We will miss you greatly, Debby. You were one of a kind.
Diane
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Puck, here's the obit.. it really doesn't say much at all... http://www.hillfuneralservice.com/index.cfm?event=memorials&id=385 I'm still in shock and can't imagine the world without our Debby Merfuff .. now I know why she didn't reply when I told her Gary was coming her way.. the really sad thing is he was up there(Minneapolis) when she passed away...last time he went to Minneapolis, Big R picked him up and he had dinner with Deb and Big R...he is in shock by the news as well.
Anita
-

Anita -- do you mind sharing the obit?
Puck
-

I’m so sad to read the news about Merfuff. The GB was one of the first places I found on the Internet back in ’94, and Merfuff was the greeter to all newcomers. It was a delight to read her posts, filled with humor and her unique way of “speaking”. (Didn’t someone once make a Merfuff-ese dictionary? lol) She will be sorely missed, but I am glad she no longer has pain and limitations.
Connie R
-

I just heard the news about Merf, and am so sad that she is gone. Like you, Lisa, it's hard to imagine not seeing her posts here :-( But yes, she is now free of pain and with her love!
Kathleen
-

Anita -- thank you so much for finding out -- I was wondering why she hadn't posted recently. Oh how sad for us.....but yes, she is finally free of her pain and limitations, and reunited with Big R. Godspeed, Debby! We loved you very much!
Puck
-

I so don't know what to say...... wow.....God bless you Merfuff, you will be missed.
Christine
-

Anita - Bless you for posting such heartbreaking news. It's truly such a shock, I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the concept that we won't see her posts anymore. But as you said, she's finally free of the physically limitations and pain of this world and is dancing away with Big R again. That's how I'm going to try to remember her. If you get any more information on any charities she may have wanted us to contribute to in her honor, please let me know...I'd love to recognize her unique and brave way of going through life. -------- God speed, Merfuff...you will be sorely missed...but say 'hi' to Big R!
LisaG
-

Cat, can I email you a photo of Merfuff to post on the GB? I don't think I have your email address anymore... do you still have my old yahoo address?
Anita
-

I have some really really sad news. My friend and our dear beloved Merfuff has passed away. I had an email from her friend and mine Klaus that I had missed in my Yahoo email account. He hadn't heard from her in some time and could not reach her by phone. He was able to reach her nephew and found out she had died. I am shocked and stunned. In looking through the GB I see she last posted on 11/4. I found a small online obit that states she passed away in her home on 11/10 and at her request there was no funeral or memorial. She is now with her beloved Big R and in no more pain. Hopefully tapdancing her way across the heavens. .... .... .... .... .... I am still in a state of shock. I've emailed Klaus for more information if he has any. I know her brother had agreed a long time ago to take Mooch if anything happened to her. She was only 59 years old.
Anita
-

This woman could barely breathe... asthma! I wonder why?
Chrisitne
-

Christine - I saw that episode, too. Clearly, these hoarders are mentally ill in some way. What's amazing to me is that they're not ill from the germs and other gunk in the house. Ick!
LisaG
-

sorry toddler
chrisitne
-

The woman had a package of toodler diapers.. her son is 28!
Christine
-

I was watching Hoarders just now. This woman had 8000lbs of trash taken out of her home. The cleaing crew also found 2 dead cats that were almost skeletal and nearly petrified. How can anyone live like this???
Chridtine
-

We are do for a real good snow on Wednesday. Of course I work the late shift as always when it snows. I only hope its not bad as I'm not sure what the hand will be like come then.
Christine
-

Winter is here! We're going to get the first 'real' snow of the season tonight, but hopefully it will only be a couple of inches and will melt later in the week. We already had big wet flakes falling today...good day to stay in and start the Christmas decorating, cards and present wrapping.
LisaG
-

that is too funny! I told DH who is hunting for a light up tree "just like the enighbors"/
christine
-

LOL! This is pretty funny... http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Neighbors-Ditto-Display-Looks-Like-a-Bright-Idea-78523157.html?yhp=1
LisaG
-

Because they are "soulmates!" (cue violin crescendo) They are IN LUUUV! Love means never having to say you're sorry! It was....DESSSSTINYYYYY!!!
Puck
-

I guess I'm lucky because I don't know any slutty women so I can't compare. I did have one friend 25 years ago who fooled around with a married man, and he left he wife and kids to be with her. I was very disturbed by that and never had the same respect for her again. She seemed to feel justified and have no remorse. She was married, too, at the time. How could you have no remorse for the people who were hurt? And the vows you tread upon?
Diane
-

Yeah, you're right, ANITA. You've been blessed to have a husband like Gary. I think so many women have known so many deadbeats (SO MANY) that it's easy to throw the whole lot of them in the toilet. I really wish there were an end to all tabloid 'news'. It takes us away from what is important and that is the state of domestic and world affairs. If we diddle our lips about Brad Pitt and the alleged affairs all these celebrities have, we pay no attention to things that need out attention.
Diane
-

oh, I'm known my share of slutty women too.. I don't think it's fair to lump all men into one category. There are a lot of good ones out there. Everyone makes mistakes.. it's just when they are in the limelight everyone else knows about their mistakes. I'm not defending Tiger's actions, I feel bad for the whole family. Just be glad not all our mistakes aren't broadcast by the media or on the front page of the tabloids.
Anita
-

That's a big reason I see men as the weaker sex. Like LISA said - they think with their little head most of the time.
Diane
-

it was deliciously campy!
chrisitne
-

Yeah, the coffin was a bit campy. And yes, how can he be free?!??! -- several people saw him shoot Jared!
Puck
-

He admits to having an affair...shocker...not. I am so thoroughly sick of hearing about these men who have everything good pulling crap like this. Tiger says he wasn't living up to his values...what values? He's healthy, wealthy, has a beautiful and loving wife, plus 2 little innocent girls...what the heck was he thinking? The stupidest part is that as a celebrity, these guys HAVE to know these kinds of reprehensible behavior is going to be easier and more likely to be found out about because they're so well known. Unreal.
LisaG
-

Mr. Woods is on tape!_________________________________ What is everyone thoughts on Mitch so far? On what planet caould he possibly be free? But I did like him coming out of the coffin! Classic Mitch Lawrence!
christine
-

Reminder...they're lighting the Rockefeller Center tree tonight on NBC...starts at 8pm, nut they usually don't light it until the final 10 mins or so. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is also on CBS at 8pm.
LisaG
-

We just watched that video... how cute!!!!! ______________________ looks like Tiger had more then one "liason"
Christine
-

this is SO cute!!! http://video.yahoo.com/network/100284668?v=6522901&l=3774740
LisaG
-

That works for the politicians, but the celebrities don't need marriage...it's acceptable for them to not marry and have a family...look at Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. They've been together for like 20 yrs and refuse to marry...people STILL ask them when they'll marry...it's ridiculous. And I know there are women that cheat, but the majority are men...it's a congenital flaw that their 'little head' rules over the big one. ;) And people wonder why I don't date. Ha!
LisaG
-

They get married because they need a wife to take care of the kids. They need the IMAGE of an all-American family.
Puck
-

I agree, what's the point of getting married if you're going to fool around? Isn't that the whole point of being married, to commit yourself to ONE person mind, body, soul and spirit? The worst offenders to me are the sanctimonious politicians who go on and on about "family values" and have illicit affairs with women, hookers, even homosexual liasons. I have nothing against gay relationahips whatsoever...I think they should be afforded the same rights as any heterosexual couple...it's the hypocritical "family value" politicos that condemn it, then practice it, that disgust me.
LisaG
-

Though why get married in the first place?? Image, power? Who knows. And I am sure there are enough women too doing the same thing!
christine
-

Maybe he ws in a rush to get to the after Thanksgiving sales?? Lisa G, I agree with you for the most part. The power, the money, the fame... the women throwing themselves at you..... your ego soars and if you aren't grounded it is too tempting. I know of a few musicians who have open marriages. One has been married for 30 years. I don't condone or like it but at least its honest.
Christine
-

I agree that it does NOT look like a DV situation. But I kinda see where Tiger's coming from as far as embarrassment and not wanting to talk about it. I'm going to bet the story goes something like this -- "My wife and I had an argument (maybe about a mistress), and to prove my point, I decided to leave in a huff, and instead I ran into a tree and had to be rescued." That IS embarrassing, and childish, and who wants to be seen in that light?
Puck
-

Mike - Them and Mark Harmon! ;) Hubba hubba!
LisaG
-

Yeah, 2 a.m. backing out - and he hits his neighbor's tree and fire hydrant and his wife has to break a window to get him out of the car? I'd say that was an unusual accident. Most of us back out fairly slowly. He must have been in a huge hurry. But I really admire the guy and hope this doesn't get any more publicity. Let the paparazzi grill someone else for a while.
Janet
-

Lisa, so I assume Lee Majors and TK are two of the first 198 that are not pigs? :-)
Mike
-

Mike - that is truly bizarre. I can honestly say I don't care about Tiger Woods and this whole situation. In my mind 99% of rich or famous men are pigs and will at one time or another cheat on their wives...I wouldn't expect anything better, unfortunately. Sad, but true.
LisaG
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Just want to clarify that I in no way condone domestic violence nor find any humor in such. What I find amusing in this is the fact that this particular chinese network went to such great lengths to report this story that many are likely tired of hearing about. I apologize to anyone who thought I found humor in domestic violence, real or alleged.
MIke
-

Watch this! Chinese coverage of Tiger Woods, complete with computer renderings of "what happened". HILARIOUS! http://deadspin.com/5416369/chinese-crack-tiger-woods-case-with-dramatic-cgi-re+enactment
Mike
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I'm tired of it too. But I do think there is more to it then a simple accident.
Christine
-

Leave Tiger alone already. sheesh!
Janet
-

I know, not good! I don't see him running for President any time soon.
christine
-

Yeah, methinks I smell another Dukakis.
PUck
-

Glad they caught the Washington police shooter and some of his suspected accomplices. He should never have been out of jail. Huckabee had granted him a pardon. Oy!
Janet
-

LisaG- yes, we do something like this every year. It really is cool.
rebecca (Xerox employee for 28 years now)
-

Oh, yes, after all their challenges, a full-term pregnancy and a healthy baby would be a miracle. Absolutely. And we'll just have to celebrate without them and maybe I'll fly over in the spring, depending on other factors . . . Darling Granddaughter had a grand visit in Ohio with her daddy - thanks to our friends who flew her out and back with them parents of #1's best friend).
Janet
-

Janet, she needs to stay home and rest and #2 son should be with her. It might be tough, but it will be worth it when the little one is born. _____________neat story about Lucy.....
Christine
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This only takes a couple of minutes to do. It is really quick and easy. XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL ----- If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services. ----- How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second. ----- Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them. ----- This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. ----- Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. ----- We can never say enough thank you's.
LisaG
-

Oh, dear, my Finnish daughter in law is in the hospital and won't be able to fly here for Chritmas. They've had numerous in vitro attempts, and this one has complications and they don't think she should fly at all during the pregnancy, if she is able to stay pregnant. She will be hospitalized 1-2 weeks. #2 son is going to cancel her airline reservation and I think he should cancel his, too. She should come first. Shoot, he's the organizer of fun during the holidays, so we'll have to carry on without him. If necessary, I'm willing to go there (if invited) to help out. He's on top of things - he has brought her a laptop and videos and books and magazines, and her sister has brought "her girly stuff" to her. Still, it's a very anxious time for them.
Janet
-

warning: long post, good story Wrong Number Miracle Mom was going to miss mortgage payment if she sent daughter money Virginia Saenz could hear the desperation in the voice of the telephone message. It was 5 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving, and the caller, Lucy Crutchfield, was trying to tell her daughter that she'd send money for groceries -- but she'd have to miss a mortgage payment to do it. But Crutchfield dialed the wrong number. Instead of getting her daughter, she got Saenz, a real estate agent from the San Diego suburb of Tierrasanta. "I know right now we are all struggling," Saenz said. "Lisa on the phone, she sounded so desperate for her daughter, it broke my heart." Saenz did the only thing she could think of -- she called Crutchfield back and said not to worry. Crutchfield would pay the mortgage, and Saenz would handle the groceries. "She said, 'You have the wrong number ... don't worry any more,' " Crutchfield recalled. For Crutchfield, it was a holiday miracle. Her house is already in foreclosure. Her mother recently passed away, and Crutchfield is now trying to pay off her house. She had a money order prepared to make a mortgage payment on that house -- but was going to cash it in when her daughter called asking for money. "I thought I was going to lose that house, too," Crutchfield said. Saenz told Crutchfield to keep her money and promised to take care of her daughter. The real estate agent then called Crutchfield's daughter. "I asked her what she would like, what her kids like, and then I felt really bad because she said she only wanted eggs and milk," Saenz said. "When somebody only asks you for eggs and milk, they are in a really bad situation." So Saenz went grocery shopping on Thanksgiving morning with her 14-year-old son in tow to tell her what kids liked to eat. They bought food for a Thanksgiving dinner and enough groceries to get Crutchfield's daughter through the end of the month -- her next payday. She said the act of giving made "the day special for me." "I helped somebody," Saenz said Friday. "I think it's what anybody would have done." Eric S. Page reports about all things San Diego, but he draws the line at cat stories. You can
Janet
-

Kelly will have many opportunities stemming from this experience. She really blossomed. I understand she has a fiance. She has the most radiant smile and infectious giggle. Louis was the PERFECT partner for her and I saw tears in his eyes more than once. What he accomplished with her was wonderful. I know that other contestants have had career opportunities stemming from appearing on DWTS - Mario Lopez, for example . . . any exposure is good exposure, and on DWTS they get a LOT. I wonder if they have a list of celebrities dying to get on, or if they approach some with invitations. I really do enjoy the show, even though it gets campy and tacky at times. It's still very entertaining and has heightened an interest in dance in many people, and that's great.
Janet
-

FInally saw it -- yep, Donny was good, but I was more touched my Kelly! Oh well -- it's not a loss that Donny won, anyway! He IS great!
Puck
-

Yes, Donny won!He was flawless Monday and Tuesday nights and on his game. I was really pleased for him. He is one of the Good Guys.
Janet
-

Just heard from #1 son, and they're back with the family that flew Darling Granddaughter to Ohio. She was anxious to see them and "dance with Charlie." Now I'd buy a ticket to see that. So pleased they are having a great visit.
Janet
-

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!
christine
-

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Christine, glad you are successfully out of surgery! So, I take it Donny won? -- I haven't seen my tape yet! He's great of course, but I was soooo rooting for radiant little Kelly!
Puck
-

I just want to take a minute and wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I love the picture Cat. It makes me miss my mom and gramma a lot. And I love the little guy peeking back at the "camera". Anyways, have fun all, and be safe!
rebecca
-

uh . . .make that 250 miles round trip just to get Darling Granddaughter off to Ohio. Still it's worth it. I think Mr. J will do the driving when she arrives back in Salt Lake City on Sunday - and deliver her to her mom.
Janet
-

Christine: sit back and let the others help. You are so lucky to have a mom around who can do dinner, etc. for you................. Last year I was recovering from ankle reconstruction and we didn't even put up Christmas decorations. Instead we flew to Ohio (wheelchair transit at airport and hotel) and our kids spoiled us. It was actually easier to get in the car, go to the airport and get on a plane than stay here and try to deal with snow and ice. You do what you gotta do. So this year I am sooooooooo grateful my ankle is healing well. What a difference 13 months can make. ..................Darling Granddaughter is in Ohio with her daddy. Our friends were flying there to visit their son (#1's best friend) and they offered to fly her out with them - a 2 year old! They said she was an incredible traveler and so much fun. But I had to drive about 150 miles round trip to pick her up from her mom's and deliver her to our friends' home so they could take her with them. Her mother was, shall we say, uncooperative. But we were determined to make this week happen. I broke my trip up and stayed at my niece's the night before Darling Granddaughter's flight, and we played dress-up (niece has all kinds of fun stuff). It was really a hoot to see Darling Granddaughter get into it. She is sooooo verbal and funny. And really quite resilient, for which I am also very grateful......ordered some pies from Village Inn and picked them up, will bring that and some fresh fruit to SIL's for dinner tomorrow. That makes for an easy day. And her kids do the cooking. She's not able to.................. We will have all 3 boys for Christmas so there will be plenty of cooking then. However, #2 really likes to grill and that's a great help. They will come from Finland and stay about 2 weeks. #1 will come from Ohio and stay about 3 weeks, and his daughter will make several visits during that time. #3 is coming from Berkeley for 5 days. So it will be a little crazy but nice to have the kids around.
Janet
-

Christine - Glad your surgery was successful...that must be a relief. Might I suggest, if you need to get your hair washed, go to a salon and get it done...one less thing to deal with when you have to shower with a covered hand. I know what a pain that is...I had the same issue last year when I cut my finger with scissors. -------- Just got back from buying T-Day food and the grocery stores are mad houses! Of course, I find I forgot one thing, so now I have to go out again later. *sigh* And the bizarre thing is everyone seems to be out of regular whipped cream! All they had was the one with artificial sweeteners, so I drove to 3 more stores and finally found one with light cream at the mini mart in the gas station. The cashier said everyone was buying it there, too...I told her everyone seemed to be out. This is the 2nd year this has happened to me...you'd think they'd order extra. Next year, I buy it a week in advance!
Lisa G.
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thanks Janet. They didn't have to do a graft for a piece of nerve which is good. Doing stuff is hard though. Showering with a bag on my hand and trying to do my hair! I am less mobile then when I had the stitches so its even harder now. We are going over to my moms tomorrow. I have her my stuff and she is goign to prepare everything, so thats a big help. Got the guys working around here. But its frustrating! Putting jup my tree on Friday should be fun!
Christine
-

Christine, glad surgery is over and was successful.
Janet
-

Doesn't Kelly have a radiant smile? I thought Louis handled her so well - his maturity was key to her success, I think. And Donny just did not make a misstep at all on Monday or Tuesday - - - to be the last dancer Monday night, do a show-stopping routine, and get 30/30- wow! He is an incredibly hard worker. I've seen him in concerts and in Joseph and truly admire his talent. He's also funny - and really devoted to his family. He is the real thing. .........We have a lot of Utah connections with the show. The Houghs are natives, Donny and Marie are, and now Louis lives in Orem (not far from Donny). I wonder if he's teaching with Ashley del Grasso (sp?) at her studio? And Louie the snowboarder lives and trains in Utah. Chelsey Hightower is also a native. We seem to turn out singers and dancers. It must be in the water? I am a native of California so that explains me.
Janet
-

YAY! Donny!
christine
-

HAPPY THANKSGIVING (a little early) to everyone! Hope your holiday is dafe, happy and filled with good food, good friends and family. :)
LisaG
-

surgery went well. They were able to connect the nerve. Wearing huge splint!!!!On vicodin.... rested alot, watched dwts, love Donny and Kelly, but pushing for a Donny win!
christine
-

Janet - i ws just saying pretty much the same thing at lunch. I have far more respect for Donny Osmond now than before the show. And Kelly Osborne has been delightful. Not the best dancer, but her personality is a hoot - and that smile of hers lights her up.
Cat
-

Just thoughth I'd weigh in on DWTS: Donny is the man. Mya is the better dancer but has been trained, starting with ballet, since the age of 2. I think his fan base may make the difference in the end. He is really a good, decent guy, a devoted family man and a hard worker. Loved his Broadway routine last night. Kim was right on target with the level of choreography and it was definitely a razzle-dazzle judge- and crowd-pleasing number. Clearly the best of the free style dances. Dmitry didn't choose well for Mya's freestyle number as it wasn't unusual in any way and didn't demand as much as she can do. I was sorry to see Joanna go as she deserved to be in the finals. That last waltz they did was just breathtaking, and what a song! Anyway, I'm hoping Donny will go all the way with this cuz he's deserving. I just hope he doesn't goof in the dance-off. Not sure how much weight that carries, but only the judges vote on that one. I think it's still added in to last night's scores, though. Whatever. Go, Donny!
Janet
-

Thanks for the picture, Cat - I have always loved that one. ............Hope Christine is doing well post-surgery. Drove 230 miles round trip to deliver Darling Granddaughter to friends who flew with her to Ohio so she could be with Daddy for Thanksgiving. They said she was a "phenomenal" traveler. (It could be said that her mother less than cooperative, thus Grammy did the driving). We had so much fun Sun. night playing dress-up with Cousin Amy, who has a child's paradise of toys at her place. We will have some visits with her over the Christmas holidays, so that will keep us busy.
Janet
-

Elessann, if it makes you feel any better, I missed it too.. remembered the day after :) Good to see you here...hope all is well. .. things getting busy as the holidays approach...shopping, cleaning, parties...school, PTO, volunteering.. life is good, I can't complain.
Anita
-

Elessann - hopefully Mickey will still be around next year! ;)
LisaG
-

Dang it! I even have a "Happy Birthday Mickey" button, made a mental note to remember to wear it, then promptly forgot and neglected to wear it yet again. Oh well, there's always next year... Hope all of my old acquaintances are hanging in there!
Elessann
-

Thanks Janet and all of you!! I'll be doing the one hand typing again.
Christine
-

Christine, so sorry you're having to undergo surgery. Will be thinking of you.
Janet
-

I get to be put under! I can't move during the surgery at all.... worse part, no food after midnight on Sunday until the surgery!! Which is in the afternoon!!! I will make it a point to stuff myself silly this weekend!
christine
-

Great puns, Lisa. I just blogged them. Christine, hope you are healing well!
Janet
-

He looks good for 81!!
Christine
-

Happy 81st Birthday, Mickey Mouse!
LisaG
-

Could have been worse.....
Christine
-

Christine - Ugh! So sorry to hear...I hope surgery goes ok. What a bummer.
LisaG
-

Thank you. My co-workers husband calls the shooting pains "fireballs". YEp, thats what they feel like. Since I have less of a bandage on it and am moving it more, I am feeling that more.
Christine
-

I saw your post on Facebook. We'll be thinking about you during your surgery.
Puck
-

severed nerve. I need surgery on it. He did the old pin trick and I fifn't even feel it. The way its numb is like the finger is divided in half. The half that I cut deeper is the numb half.
Christine
-

So Christine...what's the verdict?
LisaG
-

I am on my way! Tomorrow, 10am!
Christine
-

Christine - Sorry to hear about your finger...I hope there isn't any nerve damage. Go to the specialist ASAP! Sending positive thots your way! OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!
LisaG
-

Great! I need to go to a hand specialist as my finger is still numb. And to top it off, I have my blood pressure is high!! Of course waiting an 45 mintues for my appointment proabably didn't help!
Christine
-

Wow...I was painting tonight...did the walls last year a soft wheat/tan and now I'm finally getting to the trim. It's been 15 years since I've painted (when I first moved in) and boy does the "off white" paint left on the doors and the trim look dirty and dingy! The white I'm using really makes the wall color POP! The only problem with painting trim is having 2 cats that like to be near you all the time! Poor Jake got a little paint on his back, but I cleaned it off. Would be nice if they offered their tails and helped paint with them! >^..^<
lisag
-

Another death...Ken Ober, MTV's 'Remote Control' Host, Dies at 52.
LisaG
-

LisaG- we have the DVR box for DirectTv too. And we love it. Treat yourself. You deserve it.
rebecca
-

I know that show was one of my favorites
Christine
-

Oh, how sad! I LOVED the Equalizer...that was a great show. I even have DVD's of the show. RIP Mr. Woodward.
LisaG
-

We are in the same boat, out VCR no longer works with our TV. We have digital cable and have mulled over our options. ____________________________________ Just saw Edward Woodward died. He starred in The Equalizer years ago and was in the original Wicker Man. I always liked him.
Christine
-

LisaG -- I don't have tivo, but i have the DVR that comes with DirecTV service. LOVE IT! I bought mine on eBay two years ago for half the price it was selling through DirecTV, and I pay $5/mo to subscribe to the DVR recording service, so all is well. As to picture quality, I don't see a diminishment at all, but then again, I don't have an HDTV. If you have an HDTV, you need HD service from your provider (if you want the HD picture) AND you need an HD DVR/Tivo. That's just to make sure you can receive and record in HD -- if none of that matters to you (it doesn't matter to me), then just a regular DVR will work, and they are cheaper than HD DVRs.
Puck
-

Tivo help! Anyone out there have Tivo? Since I got my new LCD tv, my ancient VCR is just not doing the job with the quality of the picture when recording. I was thinking of getting a DVD recorder, but they're kind of pricey and some of the reviews I've read say some pretty bad things about the picture quality, too...plus they say the units break easily. So, I was thinking maybe going with Tivo, but I have no idea of the equipment needed or how to order the service. Any suggestions? Thanks! :)
LisaG
-

I always like his character, so deliciously evil! And he was so good with Tina!!
Christine
-

I think our beloved Elizabeth established that rule. But how did Mitch supposedly die? He is a delicious character, one of the best ever. But why do the writers have to make his victims so stupid - like Jared? Exactly how would anyone prove that Charlie killed Jared step-father? The only two witnesses didn't speak up at the time and Jared can just say he lied in prison. By allowing himself to be blackmailed, he gives credence to the story and lets Mitch run around. Sheesh, he's dumb.
Cat
-

Is everyone watching "The Wizard of Oz"? It's on TBS at 8pm tonight, tomorrow and Sunday!
LisaG
-

Geeky Puns...Conversion Units: -------- Ratio of an igloo's circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi 2000 pounds of Chinese soup = Won ton -------- 1 millionth of a mouthwash = 1 microscope -------- Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement = 1 bananosecond -------- Weight an evangelist carries with God = 1 billigram -------- Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour = Knotfurlong -------- 16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone = 1 Rod Serling -------- Half of a large intestine = 1 semicolon -------- 1,000,000 aches = 1 megahurtz -------- Basic unit of laryngitis = 1 hoarsepower -------- Shortest distance between two jokes = A straight line -------- 453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound cake -------- 1 million- microphones = 1 megaphone -------- 2 million bicycles = 2 megacycles -------- 365.25 days = 1 unicycle -------- 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds -------- 52 cards = 1 decacards -------- 1 kilogram of falling figs = 1 Fig Newton -------- 1000 milliliters of wet socks = 1 literhosen -------- 1 millionth of a fish = 1 microfiche -------- 1 trillion pins = 1 terrapin -------- 10 rations = 1 decoration -------- 100 rations = 1 C-ration -------- 2 monograms = 1 diagram -------- 4 nickels = 2 paradigms -------- 2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale University Hospital = 1 IV League -------- AND....... 100 Senators = Not 1 decision
LisaG
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They gave me one in the ER.
Christine
-

CHRISTINE - Have you had a tetanus shot in the last 10 years?
Diane
-

Or to take a lead from DALLAS, they could have the 'death' of a character simply be a shared dream of everyone in any given SOAP-ville and when everyone wakes up, lo and behold, there is the 'decease' alive and well...until the next time everyone falls asleep... This could give a whole new meaning to the song: "I dreamed a dream in times gone by..."
kmp
-

And they can always keep the essense of the character alive by doing a brain transplant! Remember on Friends, Joey's soap character came back with the female lead's brain! ;D
LisaG
-

Amen, Mike...
Puck
-

Mike, even then that might not be the real end!
Christine
-

Re: Mitch Lawrence. As was said here oh so many years ago, "Thou shalt not be truly dead, unlesseth, on screen, thyne head rolleth away from thyne limp body."
Mike
-

No one dies on a soap!
Christine
-

Hello all - Mitch Lawrence. Well, OLTL is really pulling out the creepy stuff. How did Mitch supposedly die the last time? Why was he only soap dead instead of dead dead? And you can realy tell he loves sinking his teeth into that character. Someone has to drive a stake through his heart this time.
Cat
-

wow! lowes is a great store! i just called to try to find out about my storm door...the guy that measured said because of the inconsistent size, it would have to be a special order, but when I went to Lowes, they said a standard door could be ordered with just an extra $40 for installation to fit it behind the siding. well, i just called to see where things stood with scheduling the installation and she said the door wasn't in and that it would need a special order because of the size! i almost blew a gasket. i told her that i specifically asked the salesman about what the measurer said and he replied that a standard door could be used. so she went to talk to the mgr of the dept and they're going to eat the extra cost of the special order door! it's just going to take a couple more weeks to get in the door. i better go buy another powerball ticket with that kind of good luck!
lisag
-

When I was younger and would go to the Domincam Republic to stay with my cousins... I remember Dark Shadows playing (pre cable etc... days), the maid/cook (more like a family member) would stay up and watch it with us.
chrisitne
-

You must be practically asleep!
Christine
-

LOL i got chinese food for dinner and the fortune cookie says "To lower your stress level, get a cat." I have 2, so I must be VERY relaxed!
lisag
-

Dark Shadows... I was in college when it first aired and a lot of us actually arranged (or at least tried to) our classes around when it was on, so we didn't miss any episode (back in the 'pre-taping of shows' days)...
kmp
-

I knew he was on his way! Must watch it!
Christine
-

Dark Shadows! Oh wow, what a blast from the past! Really creepy show...Barnabas was nasty!
LisaG
-

I always liked Carlo too. However, my alltime favorite soap villain goes back to the 60s, the guy that played Nicholas Blair on Dark Shadows, Humbert Allen Astredo. I mean for crying out loud, the deliciously evil Angelique was absolutely terrified at even the mention of Nicholas.
Mike
-

pssssssssssst! carlo hesser is poseidon!!!
blast from the past
-

OMG! OMG! OMG! It's Mitch Lawrence!!! Heavens, Roscoe Born is one of those men who just gets more good looking as he ages. He's my favorite OLTL villain! -- well, him and Carlo Hesser...
Puck
-

chocolate.... yum..... ______________________talking about chocolate, I bought some new ice cream. Edy's hot cocoa with marshmallows... it's the light but is really good!!
christine
-

Christine.. did you ice it with vanilla or choclate frosting? :) sorry, I keep thinking of the icing on a cake everytime I see that post! .. Merf.. Gary is up near you again in the Twin Cities...wish he had more time, he still fondly remembers his visit with you and Big R years ago......he flew out this morning but is booked solid..will be a short trip.
Anita
-

I iced it a few times and that really helped. No red streaks or itching. I felt a few twinges but it is feeling what I excpect it too. The tip is still a bit numb. Tonight I'm going to probably open it and put antibiotic cream on it.
christine
-

christine - i would ice your finger to take down the swelling. also, if it start to itch or if you see any red streaks coming from it, go back to the ER asap...since it was metal that cut you, it could be infection or blood poisoning.
lisag
-

And my mom is on vacation! I really wanted her... called her from the ER.
christine
-

My finger is bruising and still numb... I can't unwrap it yet... I don't even want to see it. I call it Frankfinger!
christine
-

Christine - ouch! Not a great present after all huh? Hope the finger feels better soon. Reminds me of the time I accidentally cut my lower index finger with a pair of scissors when I was cutting something in my hand...boy did I fee stupid at the ER. The worst part was the numbing stuff they pumped into the finger. Later I took out the stitches myself because it was healing over them!
LisaG
-

We were at the ER LAst night. Cut my finger really bad trying to take a harmless looking wire off a new pan I got ( free gift for my work anniversary.). I needed six stitches. Staying home today... much pain.
Christine
-

2 PM 11/4/09 Got a hairbite today. Weight off my mind ;)____Can someone (perhaps a 2nd time) please refresh my memory? Why did Joe (I understand Ray MacDonald) retire and appoint Dr. Demento hospital head? Was Joe blackmailed?____And is David's custody of Trevor the only sword he has over Amanda's head? Why don't she and Jake apply for shared custody? There's a laundry-list of Dr. Disgusto's crimes - no time served but plenty of people to testify on their behalf as to Dr. Dipwad's crimes._____Lovely pity parties by Jake (who thinks with his penis - only of sex with Amanda) and Kendall (in hog-heaven at home up till recently rather than a nasty prison) whinges any time she is away from Zach and the boys for a couple of minutes.______BIG problems those are not.___And what a LAUGHER - Clint Buchanan attracted to skanky Whatshername? Hope the writers cannae manage that.____Ooooh, Nigel and Neville - treat X 2!
Merfuff
-

DOH! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFMaS0PEWqk
lisag
-

They had a pharoh hat on clearance... no point, he just pulls it right off. I bought some chocolate for the guys yesterday as none of our candy was. _______________________________ Found out today at work, one of our most difficult, annoying and memorable (as in roll your eyes and hide she is coming) patrons passed away. They suspect complications due to H1N1. She was morbidly obese and had many underlying health issues such as diabetes and had had respiratory issues for years.
christine
-

Ha ha ha...I would never even attempt to put anything on a cat! I was missing leftovers, since I didn't do Halloween this year, so I went down and bought myself some mini Reese's. :)
LisaG
-

i put my cat's chicken head costume on and he was NOT amused. Pulled it off twice.
Christine
-

I put a black-and-orange jester collar on Niki, and she sat soooo pretty at the door while I handed out candy. But then the tiniest little girl you ever saw came up to the door by herself (well, parents were about 15' away at the end of the sidewalk), and she said, all in one breath, "TrickOrTreatI'mAfraidOfDogs". But she braved it out -- there was candy at stake, of course.
Puck
-

I always tell my husband, you just never know. I think for us, with halloween being on a Saturday and the weather being pretty decent, alot more people came out. Mostly real little ones. Don't think the older one wanted to as our hours only went until 6pm. Kind of lame for the teens.
christine
-

Bought four bags, gave out three or four pieces at a time, and still have half a bucket (two bags) left! First time in a new neighborhood -- we don't have a feel for it yet.
Puck
-

We always have lots of kids. We had about 5 groups of kids and that was all. I have so much leftovers. I'm taking it to work. I don't want it in the house.
rebecca
-

I went shopping for Halloween and made sure the front lights didn't go on...I had a feeling it would be a bust this year because it was on a Saturday and kids would be going to parties all day...plus it was drizzly and rainy. I was right, there were hardly any kids around when I got home at 7:30pm. The only down side is now I have no leftovers to eat!
LisaG
-

I am so glad I decided to buy 5 bags of candy, even though we only get a few kids each Halloween, even if DH told me I was nuts.... we had more kids then all the years we lived here (4) combined! We were ready to have my son go out and ToT for candy!
Christine
-

Love that cat!
Christine
-

Some fun for Halloween... http://www.onlinepumpkincarving.com/ ======== and tell me if you don't think this poor cat is contemplating ripping his owner's eyeballs out for dressing him in this silly costume. http://catoftheday.com/archive/2009/October/31.html
LisaG ...... BOO!
-

"That's the last time I mix beer, wine, and sushi".
rebecca
-

caption c/o Three Dog Night: "Mama told me not to come!"
janet
-

I really can't wait to go home!
Christine
-

"Who put NUTMEG in my beer!!!!!"
kmp
-

5 AM 10/29/09 "It was that durn fresh apple that did it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it."
Merfuff
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Love, love, LOVE that picture!!! There are actually websites devoted to this stuff. I'm just reading a book "cake wrecks" which is based of the website of the same name. I wonder how some baker's could be so stupid or how some think some of these things look good!
Christine
-

2.30 PM 10/28/09 Wouldnae it be deliciousssss to see someone tell Joey (Fillion, natch) of Dori's plan to marry her lesbian lover (NON-lover)? Oh my, could Fillion make much of that! Dori/Robin had best not attempt to speak French too much or often or she'll either choke or swallow her own tongue. Talk about Accent Overkill.
Merfuff
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I wanted to do that to a pumpin this year! -- but I'm out of money, and won't be paid until too late for the holidays. Of course, I have candy! -- I have the important things covered! HA HA!
Puck
-

Ha ha ha! That's what I did with my pumpkin last year...everyone loved it! -------- this is terrific...bet it makes you smile! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw
LisaG
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OK - I rarely am amused by what I am sent (which is mercifully little) by friends passing along internet jokes, etc., but this was too funny! If anyone wnts to come up with a caption - post ideas and I'll try to get it up. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Cat
-

3.45 AM 10/27/09 Wow, double Barlett - wahoooooooo! Thanks for the scoop.
Merfuff
-

Merfuff - This will be of great interest to you -- "Word has it that Peter Bartlett will being doing double-duty soon as Neville, butler to the London branch of the Buchanan clan, who bears a striking resemblance to his Llanview counterpart Nigel."

-

He could also dress up as Joey??
Christine
-

Ladies, and Mike- don't forget to watch Castle tonight. It's the Halloween ep. One of his costume changes invloves a long Browncoat, with suspenders, and a lovely pistol. Yes, he's dressing up as his own character Captain Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly/Serenity. How cool is that?! What a great shout out to his Browncoat fans. I can't wait.
rebecca
-

I'd be happy to take some of that rain off your hands, if I had the powers. Thought I heard thunder this morning but it was not to be.
rebecca
-

has everyone on the east coast grown gills yet? yeesh! it may have been a quiet hurricane season so far, but all the summer storms and now these few early nor'easters we've had are aggrevating...especially when they ruin an entire saturday! :(
lisag
-

I think Adam?
Christine
-

So who did kill Stuart?
Janet
-

these are sooooooooooo kewl! click on the photo number or the right arrow key to see all the shots! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33445823/ns/technology_and_science-picture_stories/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1
lisag
-

Christine.. my spoiler is I was right.. as to who shot Stuart.. we heard it today out of Emma's mouth finally!
Anita
-

The girl looks like a Roger Howarth Todd....
Christine
-

Merfuff -- yeah, they had such minimal build up. I remember that Ross wouldn't give her the divorce until she "gave him what he wanted" -- presumably, in hindsight, it was the kid. But they could have done a LOT more!
Puck
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3.45 PM 10/23/09 After Ross and Tea spent some weeks in other pursuits, all of a suddy the child is of paramount importance. A smaaaack to the writers for a poor build-up to that storyline._______starla, ya still checkin' in now and again? I've good-dayed your bud Max every day since ya told us about him. How 'bout an update?
Merfuff
-

what spoiler???
Christine
-

AMC................spoiler....................................................................................................................................................................................finally................................................................................................I was right....
Anita
USA -

I read the child is a girl who goes to the school...... RIP Soupy Sales......
Christine
-

Soupy Sales is dead at age 83.
Puck
-

For some reason, I thought Tea's child would be a girl, and a love interest for Matthew.
Puck
-

6.45 AM 10/23/09 Christine, SO glad your friend is improving._____Janet, LOL! That dance marathon was a disaster from the get-go. Yep, Nita, bet ya pegged Matthew's roomie...kid should be about 5 ;)
Merfuff
-

who wants to bet that Matthews new roommate Tom is Tea and Todd's son? just finished watching on soapnet.. and the kid kind of looks like a big brother to Jack. hmmm.. of course the kid is SORAS'ed big time.. he should be MUCH younger.. but then this is a soap!
Anita
-

Merfuff: HA! Great analysis. Every time I tuned in, for about a month, it seemed they were in that dreadful dance-a-thon. That was grimmmmmmmmmmm
Janet
-

My friend is back home and off of work for 2 weeks, taking blood thinners... thanks for asking. And thank you all for the prayers and good thoughts for her.
Christine
-

Oooops, Frankie the Brilliant burned the vids/tapes.
Merfuff
-

2.30 PM 10/22/09 Anyone notice almost NO one can keep their flappin' traps shut on soaps? They speak aloud in public places where they're highly likely to be overheard, they tell secrets to folks whose tongues flap at super-sonic speed and other equally idiotic mouth-blasts.____Then there are the AMC Hubbard dolts. These folks take at face-value the crocodile tears of Madison's father. Then Jesse the Brilliant burns (after enough of a view of the tapes for any minimally intelligent person to determine the tapes were edited/falsified) the tapes Madison's father so generously provided; thus destroyin' the evidence (which any PD computer tech could have proven to have been edited). Hoist by his own petard - the hammer is about to descend on the Hubbards; The Idiot Family of PV. Natalia, who to this date has not been a brain trust, is the only one to vaguely smell a rat.____And I figured out why the Chandler murder has been dragggggged out so long. It gives the writers on that storyline a nice, 5-month vacation; just recycle the same dialogue (ditto Kendall and Zach and assorted others). Oh yeah, and Jesse is Cop King, Angela and Jesse are vested doctors in PV. Remind me to avoid PV like the plague!____While I'm on the Irritation Highway, the perky woman for the Progressive Insurance ads could irritate the bark off a tree._____Mike, yes, Al Martino had a smooooth voice...sad he is departed.______I still cannae find what happened to your toes, Becca, but I'm glad to hear things are better, hon._____Christine, how is your ill friend? Much improved, I hope.___Nita, yep, as it looks, I still watch OLTL.
Merfuff
-

Rebecca: take care of your foot and don't use it too much. Glad it is improving! Anita, so sorry about the flu. What are symptoms, again, of S 1 N 1?
Janet
-

Rebecca, glad your foot is better...... Anita, here is hoping to a speedy recovery! __________________________ YEs I still watch OLTL. Getting ready for it now. I don't get to see it as often as I like, but I still watch it.
Christine
-

I have the swine flu and it's no fun. Merfuff, yeah I noticed how much Ross and lawyer looked alike before we knew they were brothers.. I would actually get them mixed up at times. good casting IMO... and hmm, is anyone else still watching OLTL?
Anita
-

Janet- I woke up feeling much better this morning. Not so sad and foot not throbbing as much. If only the show was tonight. :)
rebecca
-

rebecca: Three Dog Night actually came to our town this summer - - and we had to miss them! They are still so good, and we've gone to CA to see them - but when they came here, we were out of town. But it sounds like you just couldn't manage the physical demands and I'm so sorry.
Janet
-

Hey, has anyone talked to Tinker (Jennifer) lately? I've been wondering how she's been doing.
LisaG
-

@Janet- thanks. I had to sell the U2 tix for tonight. I just did not think I could last all night in the elipse with the surgi-boot. People accidently stepping on them and all that. Plus the energy level is very low. Sucks. But I got a really good chinese dinner out of it. And a glass of plum wine. So it's not all bad. No, not true, it really does suck. It's U2. My boys from ireland. sob....
rebecca
-

Glad Kelly will be okay... I really like her. Yay, for the encore!! Wow, after 30 years I am crushing on Donny Osmond again!! Wow how sexy was that dance!!!
Christine
-

I'm betting Donny's the encore dance. Kelly hurt her foot in her dance and did the group hustle w/o shoes. I thought her partner might have kicked her accidentally . . . . plus, Kelly's done an encore already.
Janet
-

I am adoring Kelly, as much as I thought it was a wack-o choice before! I don't see the shows until days later (haven't seen this one), but if I were voting, I'd be splitting votes between Kelly and Donny.
Puck
-

I agree that Donny will probably be the one to do the encore dance tonight. I just hope that Kelly's foot injury doesn't force her to drop out. I know that she's probably a long-shot as to winning, but there's something about her that makes me want her to go all the way to the end.
kmp
-

I didn't see it last night, but heard he was excellent. I have to catch the recap tonite. I also heard Kelly danced to "Crazy Train"!
christine
-

DWTS: DONNY O ROCKS! I knew he was good, but I didn't know he could become that good. Go, Donny! Plus, he just brightens the show with his humor. Rebecca, so sorry about the toes. I feel your pain.
Janet
-

4 AM 10/20/09 Anyone else notice the marked physical resemblance between Ross and his brother/attorney? Wonder if they are really related.____When I was about 14, my folks would let me take our li'l red Mercury Comet about 4 miles west and north to a deep hollow with a river (small one). Bein' careful to avoied rattlesnakes, we'd ding around down there. Things were surely different back then, eh?
Merfuff
-

LOL Christine! That was why I *NEVER* let my mother teach me or be in the car when I was learning! ;) I only wanted to learn from my dad or my older sister. My sister was great, she just got in the car with her friend and said, "Drive wherever you want." Once I got the hang of it, I would drive up and down the block by myself...I got real good at doing K-turns! :)
LisaG
-

Gack! I finally drove with my son!! DH sat in the front and I sat cringing in the back. He's not a bad driver, but I just couldn't look. Every time I did I thought he was going to hit car.
Christine
-

I caught the video on the news!!!
Christine
-

7 AM 10/19/09 A 125# bear wandered into a convenience store somewhere in Wisconsin and headed for the beer cooler. He simply curled up in it for an hour or so...last arctic blast before hibernation? Gives a whole new meanin' to 'Clean-up on aisle 49!' However, the bear must be from elsewhere...he did NOT drink any beer!
Merfuff
-

Lisa, that is horrible.
Christine
-

I mean great news about your photos, not the exec of your company . . .
Janet
-

Great news, Lisa!
Janet
-

Oh my company makes me so proud to be part of them...NOT! I just found out one of our top executives, Robert Moffat, was arrested along with billionaire Raj Rajaratnam in that insider trading case. Their unbounded greed disgusts me. At a time when Americans are losing their jobs right and left, even though execs are still getting millions in compensation, they still need to break the law because they don't think they're getting enough money. Really pisses me off.
LisaG
-

What disgusts me most about the Heene's is that they took away resources that could have been needed to help or save someone that needed them. They absolutely disgust me and I hope the really do put them up on felony charges in addition to requiring them to make full restitution for the costs associated with the "rescue" and the ongoing investigation.
lisag
-

I so agree... we watched some of the interviews last night and I was so creeped out! The guy basically pimped out his son for a reality show! And all the manpower trying to "rescue" the kid! Makes me so sick.... DH also said the media should be blamed for making this story bigger then it should have been. And we wonder why people pull c--- like this? becuase they get their 15 minutes of fame and try to stretch it into a tv show and $$.
Christine
-

2.45 10/18/09 Congrats, Lisa!____Now, I hope the news media, instead of whoring the story of the Heene family, will draw back to bare bones reports of only real developments. Do NOT show that pimpy father onscreen at all. Cameras on law enforcement agents or attorneys - NO shots of a father who would so teach his son and possibly endanger his life. What if the li'l 6 year old got confused by the instructions and DID take off in the balloon? I also want Child Services to make an exhaustive report and if warranted, get those kids OUTA the clutches of those pimps.
Merfuff
-

Fantastic!
Christine
-

Wow! That's awesome LisaG. Congrats!
rebecca
-

KEWL! I submitted several photos from my trip to Tuscany for The Wayfarers' 2009 contest and they picked 2 for their 2010 brochure! I get a free Wayfarers shirt and credit next to the photo. :)
LisaG
-

Going to see Loggins & Messina tonight. And U2 on Tuesday night. To tell you the truth, I'm more excited about tonight. 7th row seats a little off to the right, seats 1 and 2. So perfect.********************Tried to have a yardsale today. It took 5 hours just to haul everything out and set it up. So I will have it tomorrow morning. Everythings already tagged and ready to sell. I'm just going to throw a few sheets over everything for the evening and hope for the best.**********************LOL, Roy is watching an old episode of Miami Vice and Bruce Willis is on it. He has all his hair. Too funny. But he was so good looking then. Still looks good to me, actually.
rebecca
-

@LisaG- that's funny.
rebecca
-

How I learned to mind my own business... ----- I was walking past the mental hospital the other day and all the patients were shouting, '13....13....13...' ----- The fence was too high to see over, but I saw a little gap in the planks, so I looked through to see what was going on..... ----- Some idiot poked me in the eye with a stick! ----- Then they all started shouting '14....14....14...'
lisag
-

I'm in CT. Most of it isn't sticking, but still...BRRRRRRRR!
lisag
-

Lisa, where are you again that you have snow? Of course the diet pop cancels out the candy! Just like when you put artificial sweetner in your coffee and have a dessert!
Christine.
-

christine - i hope your friend gets better soon. i understand about the combo...the diet soda saves you the calories so you can eat the candy bar! perfect rationalization, if you ask (as i eat my m&m's and diet pepsi).
lisag
-

holy crap, it's snowing here
lisag
-

Thats an inside joke between me and her.
Christine
-

thanks... she seems pretty chipper, but I still worry. I only wish I didn't live so far, I would go see her and bring her a snickers and a diet pepsi.
Christine
-

Christine -- ***hugzzzz***
PUck
-

Please say a prayer for my best friend. She had pneumonia and pluersy awhile back adn just starting feeling sick again. She went to the doctor and they sent her to ICU with a blood clot in her lungs.... she is now in the cardiac unit. I am so scared for her! I can't imagine my life without her! WE have been friends for 30 years.
Christine
-

You can take my cold weather!
Christine
-

GLobal warming is a misnomer -- it should truly be called "climate change". For example, when the Greenland ice melts and plummets into the sea, it will chill the temperature of the ocean, which will stop the Gulf stream from flowing to Britain. The gulf stream is the only reason why a city like London, on the same latitude as Fargo, ND, has balmy weather. Britain will go into a chill. But it will be hot as blazes down here in the south!! ARGH! I wish I had yall's cold weather.
Puck
-

I think Adam too, and as you said, a great way to write off Zach!
Christine
-

cold here too... well, for me.. 43 and rain.. yuck! and I think Adam killed Stuart.. he was so messed up on the drugs from David.. if and when he realizes what he did it will kill him....I bet Zach will confess and Adam will never admit it...that's how they'll write out Zach....he'll be in jail....of course this is all my opinion.. I don't read any spoilers or magazines...
Anita
-

7 AM 10/15/09 Yep...global warming (earth temp has not increased in 11 years)...as polar bear populations INcrease and each 'green' job costs two other jobs.______My question of the day, dame it, is who DID kill Stuart?
Merfuff
-

I know our high today is what should be our normal low! It got cold so fast, I haven't even finished cleaing my yard for winter!
Christine
-

wow...another freeze warning tonight! it's too dang cold for only mid october!
lisag
-

My heart's with Donny. He's the hardest worker! Mya was in "Shall we Dance," I'm pretty sure. She has danced before, definitely. Donny is really a perfectionist and hard on himself. While we saw scenes of pairs being hard on each other, he takes it all on himself. I think Kym is a great match for him. She really plays to his strengths.
Janet
-

I thought I heard Mya is a professional dancer/choreographer. Is that really fair? I love Melissa Joan Hart and Kelly Osborne. On the guys side, Donny all the way. I think for the oldest, he is the best!
Christine
-

Loved the puns! So glad all went well, kmp! So who's gonna win DANcing with the stars? I'm thinking Mya? Glad deLay is done. Carter and Erving and snowboarder guy could go w/o breaking my heart. .....................................Go to my facebook wall if you want to see a video clip of darling granddaughter introducing herself to a herd of goats. She is just 2 years old! And happy birthday to ms. jennifer. Where are you keeping yourself?
Janet
-

Sad that this isn't making the news rounds as it should. Al Martino died. http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2009-10-14-martino-obit_N.htm
Mike
-

OMG. https://www.snuggiefordogs.com/flare/next?tag=os|sm|go|gn
lisag
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PUNS FOR EDUCATED MINDS -------- 1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi. -------- 2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian. -------- 3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still. -------- 4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption. -------- 5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery. -------- 6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering. -------- 7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blown-a-part. -------- 8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie. -------- 9. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it. -------- 11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization. -------- 12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.' -------- 13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me. -------- 14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.' -------- 15. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large. -------- 16. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran. -------- 17. A backward poet writes inverse. -------- 18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes. -------- 19. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion. -------- 20. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.
LisaG
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ALERT!!! Exploding Pyrex! This is true...here's the Snopes article... http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/pyrex.asp
LisaG
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Happy BD tomorrow, ARIEL!
Merfuff
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happy birthday Jennifer!
Christine
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Happy Birthday, Jennifer!
Puck
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Happy BD, JENNIFER!
Merfuff
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A day early, but... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNIFER!!! Hope you have a fantastical day! *<|:)
LisaG
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I had my 30 year 8th grade reunion last night. It was alot of fun. We tried to trick on ex-classmate into thinking DH was an ex-classmate. DH ended up winning most changed! lol! Both of us are so tired this morning as we haven't been out and about til after midnight in years!
Christine
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Merf -- a lot of the titles are pretty darned clever! OLTL's on to something there...
Puck
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It wasnae THAT funny ;)
Merfuff
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3 AM 10/11/09 It is doubly tragic that so often when a woman has decided to get OUT of a bad marriage, that kinda murder happens._____OLTL's title of the window scene, 'The Defenestration of Blair Cramer', had me roarin' with laughter!_____Think Jake/actor does not wanna move to CA / stay with AMC. They seem to be de-Amanda-ing him.OLTL's title of the window scene, 'The Defenestration of Blair Cramer', had me roarin' with laughter!_____Think Jake/actor does not wanna move to CA / stay with AMC. They seem to be de-Amanda-ing him.
Merfuff
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Hmmm....sounds to me like she had reason to believe her life was in danger when she carried a gun to a soccer game. You never know what goes on in a marriage. THe sheriff was an idiot -- the right to carry a handgun is not limited to just those places where there are no kids. Which would be a stupid rule, anyway, since -- I assume, since I'm not a parent -- kids are one of those things adults want to protect from harm!
Puck
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and does a person really need one at a kid's soccer game?
Christine
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How ironic..... http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/09/gun.soccer.mom.dead/
christine
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Tea's hysterical screams, though, were pretty darned good. Dang, that actress is a good one, and OLTL is lucky to have her!
Puck
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3.45 AM 10/10/09 Blast, DWTS ran over, so I missed 'Castle' but I'm armed with the title for reruns._______I've NO problem with our playground loadin'...it's the intense stuff like heavy graphics or vid which defeat my li'l dial-up buddy ;)______Even for Dori, the gay stuff was heavy-handedly written and...not what I'd call any help for the program. Waaay over the top for even Robin to handle.
Merfuff
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Trim, pretty please?? Last trim was in March. I can't imagine how long Merfuff has to wait to get this to come in.

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Another issue -- last we saw, Max was at the carnival and then in the hospital where his legs wouldn't move. NOthing since!!! Where is Max and is he okay, and how come Sonny didn't visit THAT loyal lieutenant in the hospital in place of Dominic???
Puck
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Okay, several things. OLTL -- if Tea had divorce papers in her hands, she does NOT necessarily need to file them in Tahiti. As I understand it, she would have to present proof of divorce before marrying in PA, and that would make her marriage to Todd legal. The existence of the dissolution of divorce (the papers) I think would matter, not necessarily that they were filed (which is just public notice of the divorce). ............. GH -- So, Dominic/Dante wants to take down Sonny. What does it take? He was just directly ordered to kill someone by Sonny! Isn't that attempted murder??? Isn't that what allllllll federal agencies have tried to get out of alllllllll mob bosses??? What does it take? -- sweeps week?
Puck
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Wow...are they rebuilding the OLTL cast from back in the TK days?
LisaG
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Wonder why they are getting rid of Jared? I rather liked him. I could do without Natalie on a million levels, though....
Puck
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Jared Brotherton Booted by 'One Life' (SoapOperaNetwork.com) — According to the Soap Whisperer, a new addition to the Soap Opera Network family, we can confirm that actor John Brotherton has been let go by ABC's "One Life to Live" in the role of Jared Banks after two years on the soap. Brotherton joined the cast in August 2007 and has since enjoyed a dysfunctional relationship with Natalie Buchanan (portrayed by Melissa Archer). The two were married in May 2009 in a private ceremony. Brotherton is expected to air into the fall. Prior to joining the "One Life" cast, the actor appeared in an episode of the canceled CW television series "The Game" in 2006. In 2009, he will have appeared in three films including "Gone," "Surprise, Surprise" and "Taken by Force." He starred in, directed, wrote and produced the 2007 short "Smith and Mike on a Tuesday."

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Laura Bonarrigo Returns to ‘One Life’ (SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Laura Koffman, now going by her maiden name Bonarrigo, is returning to ABC’s “One Life to Live” in the coming months as Cassie Carpenter returns to Llanview for a visit. Soap Opera Network has learned that Bonarrigo was seen on the set of the soap last week filming two episodes that will air sometime this fall. Her return is hot on the heals of the news that Robert Krimmer is reprising his role as Rev. Andrew Carpenter, Cassie’s ex-husband, also this fall along with Gina Tognoni who will reprise her role as Cassie’s cousin Kelly Cramer. Will the two be crossing paths? Tune in to find out! From 2008-2009, Bonarrigo appeared in a number of episodes of “All My Children” as Rebecca Fowler, mother of Natalia Hubbard (Shannon Kane) and lover of Jessie Hubbard (Darnell Williams), Natalia’s father. She played the role of “Angie” in the 2009 short “Concerto” starring actor David Zayas (”Oz,” “Dexter,” “All My Children”).

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Krimmer Brings Andrew Back to Llanview (SoapOperaNetwork.com) — In the midst of “One Life to Live’s” recent casting blitz comes word that Robert Krimmer will be reprising the role of Rev. Andrew Carpenter sometime this fall. Andrew was last seen in December 2008, when he attempted to help Marty Saybrooke regain her memory after a serious accident. Prior to that, the good Reverend’s last appearance came when he visited Todd Manning, while he was on death row for the ‘murder’ of Margaret Cochran and their unborn baby. Originating the role of Andrew in 1991 Krimmer (known professionally as both Robert and Wortham, his wife’s maiden name), remained on contract with the show until 1999, when he was placed on recurring status. Seldom seen since in the decade that has followed, Andrew has remained in Llanview, while the actor enrolled in law school and is now an attorney near Los Angeles. The soap is keeping mum on the exact length of Krimmer’s return to “OLTL,” and no first airdate has been announced. It is also unclear exactly who he will be interacting with. However, given Rev. Carpenter’s history of dealing with homosexual issues and bigotry, it isn’t too far of a stretch to assume he may be drawn into “OLTL’s” current gay storyline, although it remains only speculation at this time.

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The latest info. Cassie on two episodes. Andrew performs big gay wedding only. No guarantee they interact. Kevin on three episodes in London with Nora, Bo, Matt, Destiny. Kelly starts taping in January 2010. She shows up during February sweeps.

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OK, you cannot make this stuff up. If you search "circus" and find a post by me below about a local trial that WILL (I swear, it HAS to) become a movie on Lifetime, well, it did end a few weeks ago with the same result, the dude was found guilty. So, on Monday he was senternced, and on the VERY day of the sentencing, just as something happened on the day he was sentenced before (again, see below), the alibi witness who came forward on the sentancing day of the first trial, got arrested on Monday for beating his wife (the guy on trial was for murdering his wife on 9-11-2001) and is now in the very same jail. You cannot make this stuff up. How can this not be a movie someday? I know it's hard to "see' based on two posts I made here, but trust me, here it's all the talk and we've had plenty of murder tirals before, but this one is on a whole new level of "Hollywood worthy".
Mike
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I think Wortham was his then wife's maiden name and he took it for his first name. Kind of weird... I guess if he is back to his old name they must not be together anymore....
Christine
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"Robert (formerly Wortham) Krimmer". Formerly Wortham? New to me, is this old news? And why? Anyone know the story?
Mike (formerly Emmanouil)
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Yeah to Kelly and Kevin, but whiney Cassie looks to be back too. That negates anyone they'd bring back.
Mike
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Yay! WE get Kevin back!!
Christine
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MORE SOD TIDBITS -- Gina Tognoni will reprise her role as Kelly Cramer on OLTL starting in NOvember. Hubby Kevin (Dan Gauthier) will also return! YAY! Also, Roscoe Born (Mitch Lawrence) will also return to OLTL, which may resolve the "who's your daddy" story about Rex's parentage. Also seen at the studios were Laura Koffman (Cassie) and Robert (formerly WOrtham) Krimmer (Rev Andrew) -- although the show dropped back to "we don't comment on rumors" at that point.
PUck
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Greg Vaughan has been fired as Lucky, and Jonathan Jackson was asked to come back -- in that order! What a bunch of maroons.....
Puck
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11.15 AM 10/6/09 Purportedly (DTV onscreen guide), 'Castle' was on at 3 AM and I videod it. Niiiice.
Merfuff
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It will be on reruns. It is not like soaps or DWTS
cw
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Merfuff - That's what I was afraid of. Sorry. Maybe someone can share with you if they've taped it.

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Hehehe, streaming vid and dial-up work like oil and vinegar...an epi would take 3-4 hours...nice dream tho.
Merfuff
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Merfuff - Not sure if you still have dial-up internet and if that would allow for staying online long enough, but you can watch the full episodes online at http://abc.go.com/watch/castle/186439

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1PM 10/5/09 There is a male actor on AMC who seems to think that if he hesitates, stammers and repeats phrases that it brings a foundation and adds deep emotion to the scene. He is a real irritant and has the depth of a raindrop...only the raindrop's depth is of value. Gack._______Due to the fact that local ABC has chosen to air the MN Vikings / Green Bay Packers game tonight, no 'Castle'. 'DWTS' WILL be on middle of the night, but I've heard no such save of 'Castle'. Grrrrrrrrrr and wahhhhh.
Merfuff
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rebecca - i watched wall-e last night! :)
LisaG
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Merfuff, I am so sure he will do that ;-)
christine
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1:45 PM 10/4/09 Thorsten's exuent stage left has certainly been well-set-up with Kendall bein' a clone of selfish me-me-me Erica. Will miss his smilin' face._____Was also disappointed by Natalia's 'I MUST win!' attitude at the dance marafake.___Colby looks better and better as a responsible, carin' adult.___I want Annie to get a MAJOR come-uppance - the snooty, murderous, society-climber twitch.____I read that Michael Moore really disdains capitalism. I expect annnny day now we will read that he has dispersed his millions to all of us and others; moved to a 5th floor cold-water walk-up, and seeks a minimal salary job ;)
Merfuff
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LisaG- watch WALL-E on your new set. It is awesome. And wait til you see UP on it.
rebecca
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love TZ
Christine
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Creepy and cool! Not sure how he does it...must just be a numerical calculation thingy... http://video.yahoo.com/network/101149635?v=5949466&l=5218106
lisag
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This is pretty cool. Rod Serling graduated from the same high school my mom did. Twilight Zone premiered 50 years ago this weekend and they are having a ton of activities. The neatest thing is one of our local drama clubs and the local PBS station have worked together to broadcast several LIVE performances of Twilight Zone episodes that had local ties (episodes that mentioned Binghamton or took place here or in other local communities. Watching one now. (black & white of course).
Mike - from another dimension
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Congrats LisaG! If you get digital cable and extra HD channels, if you think the over the air HD channels are clear, just wait until you see stuff like the Discivery channel, national Geo etc in HD. Also, any live sports or shows recorded live like leno, letterman, etc. They blow away HD shows in prime time (which are amazing in their own right.) A MUST watch if you get HD box is Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel. it is THE MOST AMAZING thing in HD there is Znd there are 11 episodes.
Mike
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I can see the difference with the HD channels, but I never was so gung ho on them. As long as I have a good picture I'm okay with it. We have the new boxes on all but one of our TVs. Comcast sent out a notice at to why we have one tv without a box. It kind of creeps me out that they know this!! DH called them and said it was none of the business what we do with our TVs!
Christine
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wow...they delivered my new tv set today...it'a amazing how clear the hd channels are! the non-hd stations aren't quite as nice to watch, though...colors and clarity vary, so i might bite the bullet and get the hd cable box. dvd's are amazing tho...especially the animated ones like monster's inc...amazing!
lisag
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As much as I hate the abusive boyfriend storyline on GH, I gotta admit, the kid who plays Kiefer is selling it. It's like he's been counseled on all the classic ways abusive men manipulate women. Today, it was the crying about how much he loves Kristina, after he got teeth-spitting mad that she wouldn't have sex with him, grabbed her by the throat, and threw her to the floor. Real tears in his eyes -- and you can just see her melting about how he must love her soooo much to cry about how much he loves her. MY GOD! The acting is tremendously good. But I'm not buying how a girl like Kristina would fall for it -- but the guy playing Kiefer is a worthy choice for the story. One only wonders what will happen when Papa Corinthos finds out.
Puck
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YAY, Kmp!!
Puck
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2.30 AM 10/2/09 SO glad to hear it went so swimmingly, kmp!
Merfuff
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kmp - That's terrific news! I'm so happy for you!
lisag
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10/01/09 (8:40pm)...Just a quick note to let everyone know that I'm home from the hospital. I got home this afternoon about 4 pm - following my second PT session today. Everything went well and I can already see a big difference in my *new* knee's mobility. So much so that both the PT with whom I worked in the hospital & I can already see it becoming the stronger of my two knees. So barring anything major changes, I'm planning on having my other knee done early next summer. As for pain post-surgery, on a 0-10 scale [0 = none, 10 the worse pain imaginable], I've never really had more than 2 and even that was more discomfort than pain. Now I'm off for my *bed* as I am weary but hopefully now that I'm home, I'll be able to get a full-night's sleep.
kmp
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Time for a trim?
Floyd
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Maybe they should have renamed the show to "Jon's Gone" instead of "Kate Plus 8". DOH! --------- Re: Thorsten...maybe he's gonna do the Mr. Mom thing for a while. :)
LisaG
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That's what I have been hearing as well.
Christine
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According to TK's official website... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ladies, this is what we know and can share from Thorsten. Thorsten is not relocating to LA with AMC, and he is not commuting to AMC after its move. It looks as if his last AMC tape date may be in November. If that changes, we will let you know, but that is where things stand for now.

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Maybe they could recast him?
christine
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sure its a show and he lost his "role".....
christine
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So, Jon has been "fired"...they're going to continue the show (unreal!) as Kate Plus 8. Yeesh. http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv-zone-1.811968/tlc-fires-jon-gosselin-or-he-quits-whatever-1.1484717
lisag
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It is really a great show...
Christine
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Sweetie now works at a state park, and he heard about it today, so we are taping it. It sounds great!
Puck
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Any of you watching Ken Burn's National Parks? It is really a great show. IT also gives me some great travel ideas ;-)
Christine
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Hey ladies, and Mike. Don't forget Castle tonight.
rebecca
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They were alot of fun... and I got to meet one and get an "autograph". There is something to be said about live shows
Christine
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Blue Man Group is hilarious! I'd see them again in a heartbeat. Last night we saw an excellent production of To Kill a Mockingbird. We are so fortunate to have good touring groups come through town, and a wonderful old historic theater with great acoustics, too.
Janet
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But I lost the rest of the money I brought!! lol! We did manage to eat well and saw Blue Man Group. WE also took a trip to REd Rock Canyon which was gorgeous.
Christine
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Welcome back, Christine. $100 up is good! Much better than losing anything.
LisaG
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Back from Vegas, no big win (I managed $100). So much to catch up on and unpack!
Christine
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3.15 PM 9/24/09 Mefinks it is a Jessica character who assaulted Jared. She is not a butterfly of a human and note the 3 fingernail scratches on J's neck. Also, Nat is as nervous as can be._____The dance marathon is one of the most laborrrrious plot devices the writers have ever resorted to in my memory. Ugh.____I abHOR what the writers are doin' with Jack. Hope his parents explain tohim that the character's behavior is reprehensible.
Merfuff
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went out to water the plants tonight and saw my froggy friend from a few months ago...not sure exactly where he's living, but he's a neat guy. *ribbit*
lisag
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Some of the women are going to be hard to beat on DWTS. I'm very impressed. But WHAT did Len have for dinner? He wasn't even civil until the last 30 minutes. I've never seen him so cranky and negative. I hope Tom Delay gets eliminated very soon. I predict he'll go after Ashley Hamilton.
Janet
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GH -- highly impressed with Anthony Zaccara's erudition -- his Shakespearean (and Iago-ian) mention of Johnny and Olivia "making the beast with two backs".
Puck
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Still watching my tape. WOW! -- Kelly Osborne was a revelation! I was tearing up myself....
Puck
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Great god in heaven! I just say Tom Delay dancing to "Wild Thing" on DWTS. It IS the coming of the apocalypse....
Puck
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woo hoo! uh huh, uh huh, uh huh! NCIS season 7 premier tonight! mark harmon. oh baby! :P
lisag
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i don't watch dwts, but i saw a commercial with tom delay...creeped me out. ick.
lisag
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Aaron Carter and the Iron Chef guy both have great potential. I think they'll do well.
Janet
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Went home and watched my tape of DWTS -- Aaron carter was good, but the UFC guy was dismal!
Puck
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DWTS has quite a few Utah ties, surprisingly. Of course the Osmonds are natives, and so are the Houghs (Julianne and Derek). Chelsea Hightower is, too. The skateboarder lives here now as he's training for the 2010 Olympics and Park City is the home of the Olympic ski team. Remember Ashley, who danced in the first couple of seasons? She's a Utah girl, too. She has a dance studio and probably lives close to Donny! I knew Donny would get flustered at some of the dance holds. He'll just have to deal with it. He and Kym had a good laugh over it. I thought the judges might chide him for having too much space between him and his partner in the foxtrot but they didn't. ...................was anybody surprised at the outcome of America's Got Talent? Much as I like the guy, he hasn't got a great voice, and I don't know if he can sustain a whole show. I really thought the soprano would win. "Cheesy" as they are, I also had hopes for the Texas tenors. What great voices!
Janet
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You can roll your ankle in a hospital parking lot when there are long, wide crevices criss-crossing it, and you happen to step into one. About 4 inches wide and 3 inches deep. I made sure the security man took pictures, and noted that there were no cones or signs. And there were workers nearby. Sheesh. Can't believe a hospital would be so careless. ....................well, I enjoyed DWTS. There will be some surprises, I'm sure. I thought they gave Donny such a great song that it would be hard for anyone to not be theatrical ("Chicago- All that Jazz.") He did well in the samba, too, and he does have rhythm. The snowboarder's going to be fun.
Janet
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Christine - I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Janet - I hope that you have a speedy recovery from your injury.
kmp
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9/21/09 (9:37 pm)...Merf: Thanks for asking about my knee surgery - but ask me again next Monday evening. :-D It's scheduled for Sept. 28th @8AM. Barring any difficulties, I should only be in the hospital for 3 days and then have home care [physical therapy] for at least a week or two - then out-patient therapy (3x's a week) for 4-6 weeks depending on how I do. I should be able to go back to work (one day a week) in about 4 weeks post-surgery. I have exercises that I'm doing in preparation for the surgery. I will be using a walker for the first week or so; then graduate to a 3-prong cane before finally walking unassisted on my own again. My goal is to be able to ride a bike again.
kmp
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2.45 PM 9/20/09 KMP? Christine, sad news of your uncle. I always liked my uncs.____Janet, how ratty to injure yourself at a hospital! Hope it heals (heels? ;)) fast.____Anyone else think Marissa is hopelessly vapid and insipid? How could JR fall for her after a firebrand like Babe? Change?___Got a huge kick outa the 'superb' coverage Jesse's 3-day trained cop daughter Natalia gave to North. Natalia couldn't follow a CA garden slug.____Dancers took more breaks than they danced / earned...laughable.____Becomes more obvious Thorsten / Zach is...waning.___And how is Susan Lucci gonna handle move?
Merfuff
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LisaG - congrats on the new TV. Before you get HD cable (WORTH it), try a 25$ pair of rabbit-ears and run the over-the-air auto-programming for your TV. YOu likely wil lget a bunch of free ones if you are near any metro area where you used to be able to get over-the-air analog. YOu should at least get PBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS.
Mike
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7 PM 9/19/09 KMP, check in when ya can and let us know how the knee surgery went. I hope WELL!
Merfuff
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ROTFLOL!!! This "attack kitten" is hysterical... http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5970824/15531413
LisG
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Woo hoo! I finally bought a new TV set for the one that died months ago. Got a 40" Sony Bravia LCD...can't wait to see how it looks in the finally complete wall unit. And the nice thing is I get free delivery and they're going to haul away my big old HEAVY tube TV that is sitting in my garage. My only fear is that the cable picture won't be good enough and it'll push me to buy HD cable. Ah progress!
LisaG
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LISA - A lot of check-outs in 2009 for sure. When they do that collage of them at the very end of the year this time, it's going to go on forever. Of course, a lot of the check-outs have been in people's personal lives with their loves ones and their animal family members, too.
Diane
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i was just looking some stuff up on IMDB and saw that Larry Gelbart (writer for MASH, Tootsie, etc) passed away on 9/11. also, Don Galloway from Ironsides died in January. Geeze it's been a really bad year.
lisag
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I wish TK could do some UK film work but I guess then he'd be away from home which he doesn't want to do. I know he would be excellent in some of those classic roles.
Diane
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I'll bet OLTL will fit TK in. I have no TV anymore, though, so I won't see him even if he is. The only thing I miss about having a working TV (I do use my old one as a DVD player, though) is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE USC's Mascot, Traveller. I LOVE that beautiful white horse. I only would watch the football games to see Traveller ridden out by the Trojan rider when there was a touchdown. Thankfully, in the past, the USC team has been so good that Traveller would ride the field all the time. Some say he's a "magic horse". :) He must be --- he got me to watch football.
Diane
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I must have missed it. Where are you off to, CHRISTINE? I'm sorry about your uncle passing away.
Diane
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Part of the problem is alot of stuff I used to take on my carry on I can't and 3 ounces of shampoo won't do it for more then 2 days...... so I need to pack most of my stuff. I'm only taking some carmex, a 3 oz bottle of contact saline, my case, kleenex (never know when a bathroom has no tp!!) and a book.
christine
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Well, I think the suitcase should be fine.....
Christine
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Just got back from my Uncle's memorial.... 2 hours one way in rush hour! I want to crash, but I need to pack. I really hope my suitcase isn't overweight!
Christine
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Janet -- so sorry to hear about your ankle, and glad you were proactive and got on the hospital about their shoddy parking lot! I rolled my ankle in May and it's still slightly swollen! I'm miffed because my ankles and wrists are about the only thing on me not fat, and now one is a "cankle" from the stupid roll. Oh well...just gotta lose weight so more parts are thin!
Puck
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TK was the only thing making AMC worth watching. I wish he would come back to OLTL -- what trouble he would make for Marty/John! -- which is okay, because I'm over them. I'd love it if he were not Ian or Patrick, but a new character and Marty has to...well....make him fall in love with her! It would be nice if, for once, SHE were the one feeling the all-consuming passion and running to a man she wants, rather than the one others fall in love with and have to coax her into a relationship.
Puck
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Janet- OW! And a hospital of all places!
Christine
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Janet - Ow, ow, ow, OW!!! I *SO* know what it's like to roll your ankle...mine are shot from injuries in high school gymnastics, so I can just be walking and it can go out. I just did it carrying Jake to the vet in his carrier, and again on vacation in Nantucket...I just need a slight slope and it can go out. Luckily, they're so bad (ligaments never fully heal) that it doesn't hurt too much. Hope yours is better soon! -------- TK can also do plenty of theater in CT and there's also Williamstown during the summer (it's over now) would be good. There are tons of famous actors in CT that put on plays here.
LisaG
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I saw OLTL yesterday and it looks like Todd's been up to something again, probably contributed to several fatalities (?), and I hated to see the neurosurgeon's family doubt his skill when he couldn't save his brother. they really beat up on him, as if he wasn't doing that himself already. Nobody had any empathy for him. That was a little much, I thought. And is TK leaving AMC? Or I guess AMC is leaving TK? He should just do theater in NY. I'd go to see him :). it was nice to see Matthew maneuver out of the chair to comfort his friend. A & E had a nice bio on Patrick Swayze. What a guy. Henry Gibson? that was Henry Gibson on Boston Legal? I didn't recognize him. He played a judge, right? If it's the character I'm thinking of, he was absolutely hilarious. ..............sprained my good ankle yesterday. In the hospital parking lot of all places. .. ..there were long, snaking, (4 inches wide, 4 inches deep) wide fissures all over the parking lot, no cones or roping off, and I stepped in one, didn't see it, and rolled my ankle. So I'm wrapped and braced and filing a report with risk management. I showed them the fissure and they photographed it. If a hospital doesn't have a safe campus, who should? I'm surprised some little old lady hasn't fallen and broken her hip or worse. Plus, the mini -ER room S-rayed, wrapped it and braced it and said Ok you can go home - - - - - - and then I couldn't put a shoe or sock on, so I had a half-bare foot, had to go to a med supply place and buy a surgical velcro "shoe" to wear to keep it protected and clean. I wasn't impressed with that, either. What were they thinking? the nurse finally did give me a "bootie" sock with non-skid bottom, but that got filthy just getting back to the car.
Janet
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Diane - yeah, that chocolate almond toffee crunch is phenominal. I actually still have some of the Aunt Leah's fudge left...I bought 1/2 lb of the heath fudge...they have so many other flavors tho. http://www.auntleahs.com/
LisaG
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Diane, others we lost, which really started to steamroll after Ed McMahon passed, are: Karl Malden, Dom DeLuise, David Carradine, Gail Storm, Billy Mays, Fred Travelena, Harve Presnell, Walter Cronkite, Frank McCourt, John Hughes and probably others.
Mike
-

LISA - You're killing me telling me about the chocolate toffee Nantucket crunch!! Wow, that must have been awesome. They make the best fudge on Cape Cod, too. I have ordered from there and have had it sent to my sister and cousin.
Diane
-

Wow, this sure has been a GOODBYE year, and we still have 3.5 months of it to go. From the celebrity crowd, we lost (and unexpected at times!): Natasha Richardson, Michael Jackson, Pharrah Fawcett, Ed McMann, Ted Kennedy, Henry Gibson, Mary Travers, and Patrick Swayze (I'm sure I missed some). I unexpectedly and suddenly lost my good friend, John Urban, after what should have been a simple non-surgical procedure. As far as cats, it also has not been good. I lost Streudel and Ophelia, and my friend Scott lost his sweet cat, Shakti. So many many departures. How many more before 2009 lets out?
Diane
-

the last time I went was with my ex... DH hasn't been there in ages. I can't wait!!!
Christine
-

oh Vegas.. sounds fun.. I'm going next fall... for a big birthday... me and 3 of my cousins.. we all turn 50 and our birthdays are all 2 months apart.. it will be a blast.. just us girls :) .. Have fun Christine! I haven't been there since I got married in 1993.. and it's changed a lot...
Anita
-

For a few days..... we really want to see Penn and Teller, being fans of theirs for years. I also heard of a very risque hypnotist show that's description made me laugh out loud. That might be back up. There is also a Price is Right show and as I am a TPIR junkie that might be good too. I have heard good things about Mystere, but DH isnt' too interested. And after having a rather cool and rainy summer, its going to be high 90s and sunny!!!! And hopefully the dry air helps my sinuses and allergies!
Christine
-

I'm really surprised TK is leaving the show, but from what you guys have been discussing, it sounds like his character isn't as good as it used to be. I would probably try watching OLTL again if he went back as Patrick or Ian.
LisaG
-

Christine - how long will you be in Vegas? If you want a recommendation for a show, go see Cirque du Soliel's Mystere...awesome. Don't bother with the Beatles Love show...way overpriced and not worth it.
LisaG
-

3 PM 9/17/09 Re Christine's share of a comment from another website, I can see that AMC's writin' of Kendall's ridiculous stances and her nasty treatment of Zack could be his/Thorsten's write-off from the show. And Kendall IS ridiculous. Abject gratitude she is not in an 8 X 12' cell (her absence is also ridiculous) would be more proper a response._____Thorsten is an enthusiastic dancer!_______Happy birthday, Constitution of the United States of America!
Merfuff
-

Woo hoo, 2 more days and Las Vegas here I come!
Christine
-

Wow, another one....
Christine
-

Henry Gibson was great on Boston Legal, too. I'll miss him.......
Puck
-

Wow...Mary Travers died in Danbury Hospital..that's a few miles from me. I didn't know she lived in CT, let alone so close.
LisaG
-

Went to see Julie & Julia tonight...very cute movie. Meryl Streep should get nominated for an award for her portrayal of Julia Child...she really brought her back to life!
LisaG
-

Oh, I loved Henry Gibson! I remember his poetry bits on Laugh-In. We are losing so many this year, it's so sad. :(
LisaG
-

and Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary has also died at the age of 72... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090917/ap_on_en_mu/us_obit_mary_travers
Anita
-

I just saw that....
Christine
-

:-( Henry Gibson died. Page has a nice picture of him. http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/obit-laugh-ins-henry-gibson-dies-73_7251
Mike
-

I watched yesterday and have to say I got a bit misty eyed when Matthew got out of his chair to comfort Destiny....
christine
-

I am posting this verbatim from a OLTL board that I visit "Looks like TK is not going out to LA to do AMC. Maybe they'll have him commute. But there are rumors that he will be coming to OL as either Patrick or Ian, Patrick's brother the character he played on Port Charles."
Christine
-

2.30 PM 9/16/09 Yep, Shaun's condition was soap hype to keep us hangin' on, grrrrr. I hope the writers 'save' him.___What with so many crummily written storylines (Kendall, Krabby and Ungrateful, in her locked room [I'd like to slap her] with a doeppleganger in prison for her, for one example), it was nice today to see the awards ceremony on OL with the Commish Bo/Robert doin' a grand job of it.
Merfuff
-

Did you really expect more from these networks that would send reporters out into the worst of the storm and risk their lives?
Christine
-

Man, it's pathetic...Weather.com and the Weather Channel have resorted to "Remembering Hurricane xxxx!" stories. Can't they just be happy that it's been a relatively mild season so far and hope that it remains that way? I hate when they try to frighten people or bring up sad and depressing past events.
LisaG
-

I am sure he has.... what a nice, decent man.....
Christine
-

They showed an interview with PS and Barbara Walters and she quoted from the movie "Ghost"..."you take the love with you". Hopefully, Patrick has taken all the love with him to the next phase of his existance.
LisaG
-

Oh, and he could dance. Godspeed, Patrick. He fought the good fight. He will be missed.
Janet
-

I am just so sad. My momma loved him. Dirty Dancing was her favorite movie. God speed Patrick.
rebecca
-

God speed, Patrick. :( -------- 'Dirty Dancing' star Patrick Swayze dies at 57 -------- LOS ANGELES (AP) - Patrick Swayze, the hunky actor who danced his way into viewers' hearts with "Dirty Dancing" and then broke them with "Ghost," died Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57. -------- "Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," said a statement released Monday evening by his publicist, Annett Wolf. No other details were given. -------- http://apnews.excite.com/article/20090915/D9ANESBO4.html
LisaG
-

Yet again.....NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I loved Patrick Swayze.....
Puck
-

Patrick Swazye died.... :-(
Christine
-

I kind of like him!
Christine
-

NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Puck
-

Not sure about Shaun...looked bad, but couldae been soap suspense garp.
Merfuff
-

Shaun didn't make it???
Christine
-

3.30 PM 9/14/09 Not only is Kendall a bleepin' twit, she's selfish and downright stooooooopid. I mean really stoopid to risk so much; like Zach's freedom (admittedly, he has committed a fraud) and the kids' sanity ('Mommy's here? Mommy's not here?')._____Dame, I wanted (or was this soap melodrama) Shaun to make it through surgery.
Merfuff
-

It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years since Mooch was adopted by Merf. I'm glad that she's been such a good companion.
kmp
-

ROTFLOL! Now with my DSL back, I can play the pod cast from Saturday's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me". I looked up this story and laughed... "More than half of all british people injured by cookies ----- An estimated 25 million adults have been injured while eating during a tea or coffee break - with at least 500 landing themselves in hospital, the survey revealed. ----- The custard cream biscuit was found to be the worse offender to innocent drinkers. ----- It beat the cookie to top a table of 15 generic types of biccy whose potential dangers were calculated by The Biscuit Injury Threat Evaluation. ----- Hidden dangers included flying fragments and being hurt while dunking in scalding tea through to the more strange such as people poking themselves in the eye with a biscuit or fallen off a chair reaching for the tin. ----- One man even ended up stuck in wet concrete after wading in to pick up a stray biscuit. ----- Custard creams get a risk rating of 5.63, the highest of all. ----- This compared to 1.16 for Jaffa cakes, which was the safest biscuit of all in the evaluation. ----- Research company Mindlab International were commissioned by Rocky, a chocolate biscuit bar, to conduct the research. ----- It found almost a third of adults said they had been splashed or scalded by hot drinks while dunking or trying to fish the remnants of a collapsed digestive. ----- It also revealed 28 per cent had choked on crumbs while one in 10 had broken a tooth or filling biting a biscuit. ----- More unusually, three per cent had poked themselves in the eye with a biscuit and seven per cent bitten by a pet or "other wild animal" trying to get their biscuit."
LisaG
-

For anyone in Jay Leno headline withdrawal... http://www.thejaylenoshow.com/video/clips/best-of-headlines/1135821/
LisaG
-

I'm hooooooooooooooome! :) Weather was so-so in the morning, so I tried to get on an earlier ferry home...missed the noon boat by 2 slots. Then I was on standby for the freight boat and the weather got downright nasty...wind and rain, but I managed to get the last car spot on the boat. WHEW! Was pouring rain along most of Cape Code and into RI...I was so glad to be driving in that mess in the daylight vs. night, which would have been the case with my original ferry reservation. The boyz are purring away, happy to see the mommy is back...and bringing Nantucket kitty treats! >^..^< Mrow! Also, SO nice to be back on DSL...I had to use a dial up connection in the cottage with a max of 54K...horribly sloooooooooooow.
LisaG
-

Thanks, Lisa, he had been sick the last couple years and had a bypass years ago. Still he always looked good when I saw him. I guess he went down hill the last month so I was not expecting it. He died at home so at least he was with his family.
Christine
-

4 AM 9/12/09 Yes, Nita was part of the Internet Kat Kindness...she took Mooch to kmp, who brought her the rest of the way to us (with a visit to Ariel) because Big R had just been diagnosed with cancer and Bro Fred was horridly sick with bronchitis. A great, great kindness from all of you here...thank you from the bottom of my fuzzy heart and Mooch's furry black feetsies.
Merfuff
-

And I've surely enjoyed your vacation, Lisa!
Janet
-

I'm always relieved when idiotic behavior isn't reported from MY state. We have enough that goes unreported anyway. But holy cow, did he think he would be below the radar? Or did he want the press?
Janet
-

Christine - I'm so sorry to hear about your uncle.
LisaG
-

Got the news today my Uncle passed away....
christine
-

LisaG- I am so jealous. Lobster is my very favorite. Of course I am always jealous of your vacations. They sound like they are actual vacations, you know...the kind with much relaxing and good food, good books and music. I'd kill for one of those. Well, maybe not kill. But you get the idea.
rebecca
-

Following up with Nantucket Chocolatier toffee/chocolate/almond crunch. *sigh* I'm in heaven! The best part of this vacation is that I've also actually LOST a few pounds just from all the roller blading, walking to dinner, and walking on the beach. Oh, if I only lived here, I could be a skinny lobster eating fool! :)
LisaG
-

Mind you, I said ALMOST in that other post! ;)
LisaG
-

OMG...I am almost having orgasms eating this lobster! :P Nothing like a cool rainy day to eat freshly steamed New England lobster with TONS of butter and lemon, a nice glass of white wine and soothing jazz playing. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
LisaG
-

What's worse is that his apology was only grudgingly given after the Rep party chastised him into it. Now he's trying to us it for his re-election bid. Supposedly, the Dem's are going to officially reprimand him and I heard the Rep's may force him to apologize on the Senate floor, too. Just goes to show who is a mature adult with class and who comes from South Carolina! ;)
LisaG
-

I like that list! I am still speechless at the complete last of respect people have for our president. Sure I was no Bush fan, but if anyone heckled him during a speech I would be just as outraged. I also thought kids should look up to our leaders as shining examples of what hard work, staying in school etc... can get you. Nothing is sacred anymore... presidents.... authority figures... even God. And we wonder why there are so many problem kids? They are taught to respect a gang leader more then the police!
Christine
-

Lisa, #10 is my favorite. Hit me funny bone.
Mike
-

Mike - ROTFLOL! I loved #2 and #1! With Sanford and Wilson, South Carolina must be so proud....NOT!
LisaG
-

From Dave Letterman ***** Top Ten South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson Excuses ***** 10."Shouldn't have gone tailgating before the speech" 9."Ashton Kutcher put me up to it" 8."Was trying to impress that hellcat Nancy Pelosi" 7."Thought I was in the audience at Maury" 6."Uh...swine flu?" 5."I'm an idiot" 4."Yeah, I accused a politician of lying. What was I thinking?" 3."I thought it was a roast" 2."It's been weeks since a Republican politician embarrassed the state of South Carolina" 1."Nobody cared when McCain yelled, 'BINGO!'"
Mike
-

I might be wrong, but I also feel that all this lack of any respect, the heckling, the signs etc.... who is to say that doesn't give some sicko the idea he should kill the president? There ARE mentally unbalanced people and it might not take much to push them over the edge.
Christine
-

I'm with you Janet. I remember all the other presidents speaking with our kids. And it was never a big deal. And the day before the actual speech Roy and I saw Obama crossing the lawn to Helicopter One and commented how beat down he looked. It was really sad. You could tell he really took this to heart. Which makes me back him all the more. My opinion is the majority of the people against him are just lazy Americans that don't want to change their "entitled" lifestyle.
rebecca
-

I've seen some Parliamentary debates, but correct me if I'm wrong -- aren't they occurring during their own internal debates? The queen is never heckled when she addresses Parliament. I'd LOVE to see Parliament-style heckling during those long and tedious floor speeches, when Congress is debating INTERNALLY their own bills and proposals, because sometimes their self-righteous pontificating needs to be taken down a notch or eight. But the President is NOT their peer, but their superior, and should not be heckled when he (or she!) addresses Congress.
Puck
-

There was some background grumbling and then the "He's a liar!" outburst could clearly be heard. One congresssman had a poster that he pointed to whenever the camera looked his way: "what plan?" ..............Yeah, I've seen Parliament on TV and they really go after each other and the P.M. too............that's pretty racous, but somehow we've been more respectful of some things on this side of the pond. I think the opponents lost some ground with their boorish behavior. Especially when Obama wants input from both parties. And invites it. I'd be just as mad if someone had treated a Republican president that way, too. Opposing Obama's speech to school kids (which, incidentally, Reagan and GHW Bush both did during their presidencies and nobody fussed about it) and then this . . . . I really feel that Obama's working so hard and is really dedicated and I'm open to what he has to say. He is our president. It angers me to see people behaving like this, it really does. But I hate politics anyway.
Janet
-

okay, sorry for the multi posts. My bad.
rebecca
-

Anita- I remember your trek with Mooch. It was the talk of the GB for days.
rebecca
-

Janet - The English would probably say "it's about time"! You ever see any of their sessions? They heckle constantly! It's unreal.
LisaG
-

On the lighter side, I have a funny story...was on the beach Tuesday and a woman was sitting with her friends in a group. He husband threw a scrap of food to a seagull...bad move! All of a sudden, tons of seagulls surrounded them and a young brown seagull swooped in and yanked the sunglasses off the top of the woman's head with it's beak and flew off with them! I think she said they were either $40 or $400, so her husband had better track them down. They were lost for good! ------- Then today, it was sunny, but far too windy to be on the beach, so I just went for a walk and took photos. Coming back, I felt like Marcel Marceau walking against the wind, it was so strong! I definitely worked off all the calories I just ate at the restaurant tonight! :)
LisaG
-

I was listening on NPR and heard booing at that point...I bet it was people booing his outburst. Bet he feels like an idiot now. ------ One thing I love about going to Nantucket for vacation...there's no TV, just a radio, so I listen to the local NPR station and get massive entertainment and education in a week...it's amazing. I'm listening to a Fresh Air session now about how some super right wingers are calling Obama a Nazi...how they say he's going to put all gun owners in a concentration camp, etc. I'm shocked. How assinine are these ideas?! What's more scary are these wacko right wingers who come up with this crap...they live amoung us! *SHUDDER!*
LisaG
-

I agree, Janet
Christine
-

I was shocked by the heckling, too. I understand he immediately apologized to CNN, and Obama seemed to handle the interruption w/o distraction. And we wonder why certain generations seem to lack manners. That was a huge breech of Congressional conduct, I understand, and downright disrepectful. I would have felt the same way if it had been G.E. Bush speaking and a democrat heckling. It's just not the way we should operate at that level. And what does that make us look like to other nations?
Janet
-

2.15 PM 9/10/09 '...they became fur friends.' LOL! Thanks, Nita, for the clarification. I was more than a hair upset at that time about Big R, but our beloved Mooch was a great boon and is my bosom buddy now still.____Look at how lovely the orange strains of color in her coat are.
Merfuff
-

March 1999 is when we brough Mooch to Merf... so she's about 11 years old.. my vet put her age at about 9-11 months when I took her to the vets office here for all her shots and a checkup before we even make our trek west and north. She's about the same age as Susie and Sasha, who turned 11 in May.. .I remember she and Susie would both curl up in my lap. That was before Sasha came home to live with us. She was a good cat. Not afraid of the vaccuum cleaner, let me give her a bath, loved to be brushed, never scratched the furniture. So glad she's found such happiness with you Merfuff! Katie loves to hear the story and see the photos of Susie and Mooch here at our house. She was with us for over a month and they became fur friends. I just couldn't keep a cat with my allergies. It all worked out perfectly.
Anita
-

looks like his opponent for the upcoming election "suddenly" had 5000 people contribute money to his campaign this morning ;-)
christine
-

I didn't catch the president's speech (working) but was shocked to hear about Rep. Joe Wilson shouting "You Lie!". If he was my Rep. I would be calling his office immediately. What boorish behavior. I don't care if this would have happened with Pres. Bush or whatever. That was completely uncalled for.
Christine
-

Whew! I go away for three days, and there's tons of discussion! Howdy KMP! Long time! Sorry to hear about the cancer and the knee, but glad the cancer, at least, was nothing to worry about! Knee troubles seem to be going around. I'm certainly a limper these days. ..................................... Spent three days with my Dad and his sister, my aunt from Puerto Rico. Had a BLAST! It was her first time meeting Sweetie, who she adored on the spot. They left an hour ago, and I'm so bummed.
Puck
-

Listening to Obama...damn, he's GOOD! Clarifying all the misconceptions of the health care reform...and getting some good digs in at "Dub-yah" about not having a plan to fund the wars.
LisaG
-

Click on "The Art of Pencil Drawing"...it shows the original b&w drawings...the colored copies are much cheaper! Three of the now 6 I have are "Nantucket Cottage", "Old North Wharf" and "Nantucket Steps".
LisaG
-

Janet - LOL! The sharks are staying away from me! Luckily, they're all over by the mainland. Plus it's too cold to go in further than my calves now! -------- Diane - The artist is George S. Hill...he had stopped doing the hand colored pencil drawings for a while to do oils, but those were just too bright. The pencil ones are much softer and prettier and I like that each one is hand colored, so each one is slightly different. I now have 6 of his pieces! His wife runs the studio and thanked me for buying them all...ha! Here's his web site... www.gshill.com
LisaG
-

Oh, LISA, you are killing me with memories here!!! I would love to see photos of those drawings. I'll bet they are awesome. What is his name? Maybe I can look up some of his stuff. FUDGE! I was just thinking about Cape Cod fudge this morning. And chocolate shops!! There was one in the town of Falmouth we used to go to. The lady would sit in the window with that big swirly machine and we'd watch her make chocolates. How are the hydrangea?
Diane
-

kmp, nice to hear from you, congrats on your parents' birthdays and anniversary - what a legacy. So sorry about the knee. Hope all goes well. ...............................I think Barbara Padilla is superb. But she's not "an ordinary mum" as Piers keeps saying. Surely she has a gift but has had much training and experience, too? I wonder what type of cancer she had? The way they present her - with the gowns and the staging, and then her lovely face and voice - she's clearly the frontrunner. But you have to think, with that voice, why she isn't singing professionally already? She surely gets my vote. I heard Ave Maria for hours last night, just running through my head, with her beautiful rendition. I'm sentimental about the Texas Tenors. There were some bad flubs last night, though . . . . "professional suicide," as Piers calls it. The "mad scientist" pianist played more wrong notes than right, although the lighting effect was cool, the dancers from Chicago didn't impress with their routine, the circus act was odd and distracting, and the singer from CA was trying so hard to be somebody else - he didn't give us his rich, smooth voice. The 3 sisters were "pitchy" and not together . . . . Loved the Ricki and partner dancers, but they are so young. Imagine what they'll continue to do. I love the KY singer, too, but he's got his limits, and so does the other "rock" quality singer. Love the cloggers, but hard to know where they'll go next with it. Love the Voices of Freedom, what great kids!I think the recycled rhythm guys may make it to the finals. But the two groups of semis really don't feel equal- so many were so good last week, and so many were so bad this week! Oh, and Grandma Lee will probably make the finals, bless her heart. My money is on Barbara Padilla but I do see the Texas Tenors on a billboard, too. They could give a great show. So there you have my running commentary. ...........LisaG, I hope you are staying away from the sharks!
Janet
-

Hey Diane - Just got back from doing some major damage on my credit cards. Oh well. On the good side, the clothes store I usually visit is gone, but on the bad side, the artist whose hand colored pencil etchings is doing them again. I already have 5 of his pieces...all scenes around Nantucket and I just bought another today...a rooftop view of downtown Nantucket as seen from the top of the Congressional Church. Then, of course, there were the obligatory stops at Aunt Leah's fudge for Chocolate Heath flavor...and then Nantucket Chocolatiers for homemade chocolate covered cranberries and their version of heath bar with toffee, chocolate and almonds. YUM!
LisaG
-

MERF - About 11 years then! Mooch looks good! She's probably about 13 now then?
Diane
-

3.30 PM 9/9/09 Diane, I count back...Big R died 10/2001, and I think he was diagnosed 2 and 2/3 yrs before his death. Right after the diagnosis, the KIND GBers brought us Mooch. So I think I was March of 98. KMP? Izzat right? And, KMP, great good luck with the knee replacement. Dinnae be stubborn (please): rent either a power chair or a wheelchair for use as directed by your orthopedist.
Merfuff
-

LISA - You want to show up in front of one of the cam's today??
Diane
-

http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/articles/2009/09/09/30329792/index.xml -- This is a good article on the President's address to the students bru-ha-ha
Diane
-

Christine...I totally agree about Barbara Padilla. That song [i.e., that version of Ave Maria] always gets to me... It is my mother's favorite song and the only one she wants to be played at her memorial service....As far as the rest of the contestants, I don't think anyone comes close to her. Not the best performances for any of the others tonight, in my opinion.
kmp
-

has anyone watched America's Got Talent? Barbara Padilla the opera singer made me weep tonite.... wow what a beautiful singer!
christine
-

Oh and the ferry that takes cars is the Steamship Authority...the old slow ones. Hyline and Fast Ferry are the high speed lines (1 hr) but is only for passengers and those with bicycles.
LisaG
-

Diane - Sorry, missed your question about the ferry...I go out of Hyannis...I'm not sure if they even still run out of Woodshole, where we used to go when I was a kid. On Nantucket, there are 3 web cams...one at the ferry station, one looking at Jetties beach and one in front of Arno's restaurant, where I happened to have eaten tonight!
LisaG
-

hello kmp!
Christine
-

LISA - It seems we burn the worst when it is overcast and cloudy, doesn't it? I guess because we don't feel the heat of the sun and we don't think we're getting burned.
Diane
-

KMP - I know A LOT of people who go through that same thing with an HMO. I also experienced it with an HMO. I'll take universal not-for-profit health care any day over that. As long as it is funded well, it works. 57% of our budget goes to wars. It's sick. We spend more than any other nation on that while our citizens are suffering from lack of healthcare.
Diane
-

Well, it appears the big "socialist" message (insert eye roll here) from the President to work hard in school was much ado about nothing...making those up in arms look like idiots. Yeesh. ------- I just heard on the WCAI (Cape & Islands) NPR radio, an interview with the biologist tagging the great whites off Chattam on the mainland. They said they're attracted to the big herd of seals there...a positive sign for both the seals and the sharks. They've closed down all the beaches in that area to swimmers, just to be on the safe side. ------- Was a mostly cloudy day today, but I somehow managed to get a little red, sheesh. I guess I wasn't paying attention because I was so into my book...reading "Prey" by Michael Crichton...such a shame he isn't around to write any new books anymore. :(
LisaG
-

per my daughter who has first hand knowledge of the British health system: For everyday or basic care, it's great! For anything more involved [esp. during the diagnostic stage], there can be a lengthy and frustrating wait. For example, one of her brother-in-laws has some very serious health issues which after about 5-6 years still haven't been conclusively diagnosed. Her mother-in-law has had to fight for nearly each and every test that has been given to him. But over-all, my daughter feels it works but acknowledges that it might not work as well for the US. One thing I did observe first-hand when we were there last Christmas [2008]: One day our daughter was not feeling well [mildly feverish, etc.], so she called the clinic she would goes to and described her symptoms. About a half-hour later, the doctor returned her call and based upon our daughter's symptoms determined that she did not have to see her in person, with the instructions that if she was not better in 48 hours or if her symptoms worsen, she was to come to the clinic. The doctor then called in a prescription for our daughter.
kmp
-

Great to see you, KMP! Thanks for updating us on what you've been up to!
Diane
-

LISA - What ferry do you take to Nantucket? Hyline Ferries? There is a cam for there. We can watch you come back maybe. There is also a cam at the Hyannis harbor.
Diane
-

Oh...and I have a new daughter-in-law. Last November, my oldest son married a very lovely young lady from Argentina. They had known each other for several years. We all think the world of her [unlike his ex-wife]. So we are definitely an international family now. :-)
kmp
-

I feel like it's been forever since I've been here...So here are some highlights of the past few years for me: In June 2008, I retired after 36 years of working as a SLP in the public schools. In Sept. 2008, I went back to work part-time [for my former employer] doing speech-language assessments in various school districts within the area. As of now, I'm scheduled working just one day a week. ... In June of this year, I was diagnosed with a basal cell cancer lesion which was successfully removed. On Sept. 28th, I'm having a complete knee replacement. Any and all good thoughts will be appreciated. Other than that, not much to report.
kmp
-

Normally, I do not get involved in political discussions but I would like to say that I would LOVE to see term limits for our Senators & Representatives, much as there are for our President/Vice-President. Frankly, I don't trust few if any of them at this point.
kmp
-

Good for the sharks, not good for the poor person caught swimming when they are around;-) but I know what you mean. Good for them, it is after all their home first.
Christine
-

MERF - How long have you had Mooch now? I think it's been more than 10 years, right?
Diane
-

They say this is actually a "good" thing biologically speaking because Great Whites were becoming too low in numbers and headed towards extinction -- so I read.
Diane
-

Another shark??? Yikes! Makes me in a non-swimming mood....
Christine
-

I just read that the 5th Great White Shark was tagged off of Cape Cod. One man was filming his son surfing when he saw a commotion in the water nearby and saw a Great White stick up out of the water for a second. He got his son out of the water really fast.
Diane
-

The problem is a 3rd party has been trying to break through for decades. They don't have a chance, though, as long as our politicians are controlled by big money. If the 'democratic' party takes big corporate money and are, thereby, beholden to big corporate interests when they get in the White House. Someone who is not controlled by big corporate money will NEVER get in the White House at this time. It's all too corrupt. In a way, many say is only one party in our government -- the Party of Money. Where are the people's interests??? They go last to the interests of the insurance companies, big pharma companies, banks, Wall Street, etc.
Diane
-

CHRISTINE - That's pathetic they gave that crying woman air time. She wants something to cry about? How about a REAL tragedy? Boo hoo, stupid woman.
Diane
-

Good Lord! NOw they had some woman on the news crying about her kids "being exposed" to the president's speech!
Christine
-

I agree, Mike, a strong 3rd party would be good to see. I agree with you, I really hate how people have to vote along party lines, and not just look at what is good for the people. ____________________ No speech at the high school level. I don't know if the district is playing it however.
christine
-

Mike - I think a 3rd party is definitely needed..somewhere between the extremes of liberalism and conservatism, which, I bet, is where 99% of us fall! While lazing on the beach today (someone has to do it!) I was listening to the local NPR station and they were reading ed ops and taking calls from people about the president's upcoming school speech. Lots of great opinions, but one in particular from a guy who said Obama is a genius...he merely SAYS he's going to address the children of the USA and he's got all kinds of press going on about it. You can't buy that kind of advertising! There was also one Republican ex-senator cum journalist who basically was lambasting the Republicans for overreacting to this Presidential address. Seriously, it makes all the opponents of it look like paranoid idiots. ------ On the up side, although it was a bit cloudy today, I managed to find a few hours of sun on the beach, then hit the roller blade (bike) paths in preparation to eat a lovely dinner. Had a chocolate martini for dessert...very interesting, but I don't think I can do that again! Too much liquor! *hic*
LisaG
-

I would never wantr to see one party. That could never happen anyway. HATING the partisan crap that is prevalent from the national down to the local comunnities, I've often wondered if things would be better if we had three near equally powerful parties. The major downside (I think) is we'd probably rarely have a national or statewide election with someone garnering >50% of the vote. Haven't given it any deep thought or analysis though. I'm really very weak in political discussion or knowledge of the issues, especially in presidentia lelection years. I just don't pay attention because if I did I'd probably be even more stressed and I don't need that, especially when it would be over stuff I could do NOTHING about. The main think politically I can say is I am sick and tired and mad at just about everything divided in votes along party lines, especially on the local level. It's amazing on how our local city and county governments each and every single vote comes out exactly the same along party lines OR a unanimous one when a vote the other way would mean political suicide. Argh!!!!!
Mike
-

CHRISTINE - Yes, it would be nice for all the people to be introduced to ALL the candidates and to hear from each of them equally. Many people don't even know the best candidates who would have made the best presidents in our lifetime. No one knew they even ran. That is not right. If a candidate is very honest and for the people, they don't accept corporate bribes -- and therefore, the media 'invisibles' them. That's Fascism. It's scary but that is what is going on now and probably has for some time. We are not a complete democracy and we'll have to work like the devil to become one.
Diane
-

CHRISTINE - Yeah, maybe parties wouldn't be so bad if money wasn't controlling one of them more than the other. I forgot to add that in addition to finance reform, it is imperative that we have a transparent election with paper ballots. And anyone caught trying to prevent others from voting, illegal tampering of ballots, or falsely purging people from voting lists, should get a MANDATORY 25-year jail sentence.
Diane
-

I do think we need parties, one party would be a bit to dictatorship for me, but I do agree on finance reform. There could be some great candidates out there but without the $$ backing they never get the chance.
Christine
-

I would like to see NO parties. I wish we could all be ONE. I don't like this "them" and "us" thing that the parties cause. More importantly, I would like to see corporatism get it's filthy greedy hand out of all of our elections. The elections should all be funded with each candidate getting the SAME amount of money and the SAME amount of media coverage. Then let the people hear the candidates and decide for themselves. That is a true democracy.
Diane
-

Wow, that was good, PUCK. That's how I see it, too.
Diane
-

Did you see the guy on th enews who says he doesn't want his child to be raised a "real community organizer".... huh????
Christine
-

Anon -- if you dig deep enough, you will find ideologies. Sorry, but the Radical Conservative Right doesn't have a leg to stand on. They just want to fuss, because they are dying breed -- and they can't die soon enough, IMHO. It's the strangled cry of the dying who know they are dying, and they cry out against the injustice of it all.
Puck
-

I think you are all totally missing the point of the "Republican side". The fear is that President Obama will put a political slant on what he says, and influence a demographic that has ALWAYS been the most influential. Go back 8 years in time and if in late August 2001 President GW Bush had the same announcement of the intent to adress the entire student population of the country the Dems would have been just as equally in an uproar. No? I would too be initially against such a thing until it was made clear any such address to our children was 100% free of any political slants or idealogies. Sorry, but I am going anon on this.
anon
-

It seems to be that we all oughta be on the same team - recovery for the country. If we disagree on how that should be done, we'll refine the process, and compromise, (and we should) but I'm really shocked at this petty and spiteful response.
Janet
-

3 PM 9/7/09 I thought since political terminology is bein' sprinkled, I'd offer some dictionary definitions for consideration._______Socialism: a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole (my loose interpretation: what's mine I must give to others)______Fascism: a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism (our presidentS had better steer clear of THIS one - it's historically the stuff of revolution (I am a generous person, but I like the right to CHOOSE my points of generosity - the Rubber Balls Public Library, a needy family in Rubber Balls)______Those are both heavy terms. Had the Administration simply, openly offered the text/content of tomorrow's speech sooner, how much less foofaroo would there have been?_____It's grand the Prez will exhort our kids to stay in school, study hard and do well._____His 'advisors' flunked Public Sentiment 101 on their preparation work for this assignment, though. Simple explanations, no hysteria, IMO._____LisaG, have a grand vakay and whomp any shark-al interlopers square on the nose with a 2" X 4"! ;)
Merfuff
-

PUCK - Yeah, and I think that's one of the best speeches I've ever read from a President to the children.
Diane
-

Thanks for posting that, JANET. Note that Reagan and Bush both made similar speeches. So why the boycott of a RIGHTFULLY elected President? Isn't that anti-American? Another thing occurred to me -- if the children in these schools, especially in inner cities schools, listen to Obama and stay in school and make themselves better, thereby making their country better, wouldn't that be against the "class system" that this proponents of Obama support? Aha. These 'elitists' actually WANT a large lower class to 'control'. You cannot control an educated populace. It's shameful that our prisons are like 85% filled with black males. What if those males were steered away from that life by the motivation of Obama when they were kids -- Then things would change. And the status quo does not want change. God forbid more people in this world should be on equal footing. That would damage the picking-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps load of bologna. Some people have no bootstraps.
Diane
-

Well....ain't that a dangerous message.... *eyeroll*
Puck
-

CHRISTINE - Right! Because it is for the good of the country, right?
Diane
-

Aha! Here's some of the propaganda our little children might hear: WASHINGTON – In a speech that drew fire even before he delivered it, President Barack Obama is telling the nation's schoolchildren he "expects great things from each of you." "At the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world," Obama said. "And none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities." The White House posted Obama's remarks on its Web site at midday Monday. He's scheduled to deliver the talk from a school in suburban Arlington, Va. Tuesday. Obama's planned talk has proven controversial, with several conservative organizations and individuals accusing him of trying to pitch his arguments too aggressively in a local-education setting. White House officials, including Education Secretary Arne Duncan, have said the allegations are silly. In the remarks set for Tuesday, Obama tells young people that all the work of parents, educators and others won't matter "unless you show up for those schools, pay attention to those teachers." Obama made no reference in his prepared remarks to the uproar surrounding his speech. Nor did he make an appeal for support of tough causes like health care reform. He used the talk to tell kids about his at-times clumsy ways as a child and to urge them to identify an area of interest, set goals and work hard to achieve them. The president acknowledged that "it's hard to be successful," but told the students the country badly needs their best effort to cope in an increasingly competitive global economy. "What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country," Obama says. "What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future." Obama noted that he was raised by a single mother, who made him buckle down and work harder at times. He said he's glad she did. The president also warned students that if they quit on school, "you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country." Some conservatives have urged schools and parents to boycott the address. They say Obama is using the opportunity to promote a political agenda. Schools don't have to show the speech. And some districts have decided not to, partly in response to concerns from parents. Duncan's department has also taken heat for proposed lesson plans distributed to accompany the speech. On Sunday, the secretary acknowledged that a section about writing to the president on how students can help him meet education goals was poorly worded. It has been changed. "We just clarified that to say write a letter about your own goals and what you're going to do to achieve those goals," Duncan said on CBS' "Face the Nation." Former Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush delivered similar speeches to students, the White House has said. Obama will deliver the speech Tuesday at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va. It will be shown live on the White House Web site and on C-SPAN at noon EDT. from Yahoo
Janet
-

People want him to fail... I want him to succeed, not cause of who he is, but because we NEED him to succeed.
Christine
-

LISA - I take it you brought your laptop with you?
Diane again
-

LISA -- Yikes, I didn't know most shark attacks occur in waste-deep water. Yeah, be careful! (insert Jaws music here)
Diane
-

I agree with all of you. I think a big part may be that they do not WANT people to hear Obama because they just might like him. They want to keep poisoning their children's minds with their hate cr*p. If the children hear Obama and see how inspiring he is and how decent a person he is, the children will not believe every hateful lie coming from the mouths of their parents. God forbid their child should form their own opinion, right? NOW, who's practicing Facism? ALSO -- I read this several years ago. When you are guilty of something -- you can confuse the public by accusing your opponent of the actually things that you yourself are doing.
Diane
-

I smell Karl Rove in all of this anti-Obama rhetoric...it's just the kind of trickery that he pulled for Bush to get him elected, etc. And yes, I agree that some of this may be prejudiced Americans showing their stupidity and bigotry, but I also see this as the Republicans running scared and trying to do anything to undermine the new President. I can understand they want to set things up for a win in 4 years, but they're doing it on the backs of already suffering American citizens. WE elected Obama, so let him run the country and DON'T try to stop him from improving things...from turning things around and solving all the problems Bush & his cronies got us into. Maybe this is what the liberals need to get them off their butts and fight back for a change!
LisaG
-

I know someone who posted a facebook quiz they took "Would you let President OBama overturn the constitution?" he said no. So I asked him would you have let MCCain do it? HE said no, I asked what is the point of that quiz then? I like how they word it to make Obama the plotting schemer....
Christine
-

Well said by all. I wouldn't care if there were McCain or any one of the other candidates if they were president..... he is our president. Seems for some people he can't do ANYTHING right. DH says its prejudice, even if people don't want to admit it.
Christine
-

I'm horrified over the whole Obama Addresses the Children brouhaha, too. I agree with all your points, and only add this. Yall know I live in the rural south, where there is a huge population of poor black people. Dogbreath County was 60% black, and Sweetie's Dad's county is 90% black. Not unheard of around here, although pretty rare in the north and midwest. I can think of no population who is starving MORE for a positive black male role model than southern black children. Their only role models for the most part are basketball stars and rap stars -- their own men are often on drugs or in jail, in percentages that have not, for some reason, caught the eye of the CDC, who should label the absence of men (in the lives of women, in the lives of the children they leave behind, etc) an epidemic. When your role models are multi-millionaire, foul-mouthed, and education-less rap stars and basketball players, what do you do when you realize that path to fame and money is never going to happen to you? -- you look around for other men, and by the numbers, most of them are dead, stoned, or in prison. It is refreshing to the soul to see a black man who is neither screaming about his historic injustices (Sharpton, Jackson, etc), nor just one bad event away from screaming about historic injustices (Gates, etc) -- and who makes no apology for being smart, for believing in "being white" (that is, as the meaning of that phrase goes, getting an education, getting jobs, working hard, believing in yourself, and doing the AMERICAN (not "white") thing to get ahead in life), believing in the power of the self to overcome obstacles, and one who has had (er, absent being elected president!) a fairly normal path to fame and glory, one that most Americans can follow through study, industry, and being ready to take advantage of opportunities. The black community is in desperate need of such a role model, and I can only hope that our local schools have not been dumb enough to deny a viewing of the Prez's speech. But since Georgia went "red" in the election, I have no doubt it was pulled. Sigh............
Puck
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sadly the speech isn't allowed to be broadcast at Katie and Lizzie's school.. too many squeaky wheels and now after being told they can hear it (Katie's class was going to have lunch in their room, they do that on special occassions) now they can't. It will be available on DVD for teachers that want to show it after the fact.. but if parents don't want their kids to hear it they won't be allowed.... what kind of message are we sending out children on citizenship and respect for the President? And I'm sorry but you don't need special permission to listen to the President. When you send your child to school you give permission to teach. Lots of people will address my child over the course of her education. Guidance counselors, librarians, substitute teachers, assembly guests, including those that are at school for those darn fund raisers. I seriously doubt one televised speech is going to "harm" them....regardless of the politics of the President I wouldn't be opposed to his message .. stay in school, stick with your studies, be responsible for your education.....How can anyone be opposed to that? what's more important are the conversations we have every night at the dinner table, the influence Gary and I give as parents, the examples we set, the role models we pick to have in their lives..... Katie was very disappointed that her principal cancelled this speech at school. I let the principal know it too, politely. If we didn't live so far from the school I'd go pick the girls up and bring them home to watch but it's 45 minutes of driving round trip and Katie would miss out on a reading project that afternoon. And the speech is all about school.. and school is very important to her so I will record it and we'll watch it as a family Tuesday night.
Anita
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In the inimitable words of George Dub-yah Bush..."Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?" Oh yeah, we DEFINETELY need Obama to help turn things around!
LisaG
-

Janet - Isn't it incredible the BS that is going on with this Obama message to the children? I can understand that for some schools, the logistics will prevent it from being seen (the time is when the kids have lunch), but the Republicans are going off the deep end with this, saying it's a socialist message. Give me a big fat break! The President of the United States is addressing the kids of this country, trying to urge them to better themselves and apply themselves in school...since when is that a subversive message?! For Pete's sake, SOMEONE has to kick the apathetic generations in the butt, along with their parents, to ensure this country doesn't sink in the future...too many other countries are passing us by in knowledge, education and skills. Unless we want to keep having jobs outsourced, we NEED to have children strive to be the best they can be and have their parents and teachers urge them to do so. If that's "socialist propaganda", then bring it on!
LisaG
-

I cannot believe people are trying to keep our school children from hearing from the president. He's wonderful with kids - and no matter what your politics, kids need to hear from leaders who care about kids. I have always thought so, no matter who the president happened to be at the time. Did you see the interview Obama did with a young reporter? I think the kid was 10 or so. He was great. Talked with him about how school lunch needs to be improved, bullying, etc. Can't we just appreciate the good stuff that goes on?..........Lisa, be careful and have a wonderful time.
Janet
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Diane - Yes, I've been here since Saturday (it's Sunday evening now). The weather has been beautiful, though today was a bit windy...thank goodness for my beach umbrella that I laid down to block the breeze on Surfside. The temps have been cooler, but I prefer them in the upper 60's to the low 70's...it seems hotter when the sun is shining at those temps. The water on Saturday was refreshing on Steps Beach (my favorite place), but I still usually only wade in a bit and don't swim. Many years ago, I had a scare with what I believed to have been a shark in the water...I was waist deep (usual depth for shark attacks) and saw a BIG shadow to my right. I freaked and ran out of the water so fast, my parents didn't know what was going on. They didn't really believe me, but ever since then, I only swim if 1) I'm deathly hot and need to cool off, and 2) there are other people swimming around/further out than me! :) The great white they reported up here was over at the mainland where there are herds of seals, which are the shark's primary food source. I will err on the side of caution and just stick with beach combing.
LisaG
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Oh gee, I need to READ someone's full post. I see you are on your way to Nantucket right now, LISA!! Hey CHRISTINE -- Sounds like you are having a fun weekend!!
Diane
-

LISA - When are you going to Nantucket? I just read today that Cape Cod closed the waters off to swimmers because of a Great White Shark siting. It's Jaws again ...... (insert music). Ironic since Jaws was actually filmed off of Martha's Vineyard. Do you typically do any ocean swimming when you go to Nantucket? Or do you prefer to stay on the beach and read and relax? You usually go when it's cooler so maybe you don't swim in the ocean anyway.
Diane
-

CHRISTINE/LISA/ANITA - I totally agree with all of you. This madness makes me crazy. The hypocrites are out in force again. Bash bash bash Clinton -- Bush walks on water and it's 'unAmerican' to say anything against him -- back to bash bash bash Obama -- all this by the same people. And since the airwaves belong to the PEOPLE, it's beyond me why an ignorant racist homophobic xenophobe like Rush Limbergerbutt gets airtime. It proves our corrupt our so-called 'mainstream' media has become. It is why I no longer have a working TV set and I don't miss it.
Diane
-

The owner/chef of the place we go to is from Louisiana.... he is "Cajun Ron"! There are threads devoted to him on chowhound.com
Christine
-

Christine - sounds like a great day...I LOVE gumbo, too. There's a place in Hartford that makes decent gumbo, but nothing like in N'awlins. :) -------- Gorgeous beach day today. I was surprised how crowded it was, too. I guess everyone is taking advantage of the nice weather and the long weekend...I just hope the crowds are gone after Monday!
LisaG
-

What a day! Went hiking for nearly three hours to Starved Rock and then had a wonderful dinner at Ron's in Utica.... His gumbo is the BEST ever!
Christine
-

That is such a lovely area. I adore the east coast and hope to go back soon. And the friendliest big city people I ever met were in Boston.
Christine
-

What people seem to forget is that Obama INHERITED the mess that we now have. In my opinion, he's made astounding progress halting the financial free fall and is trying to rectify all the bad cr@p that Bush and his cronies (Cheney & Rove) got us into...namely the wars. Watch the movie "W"...very interesting...though it was directed by Oliver Stone, so you know it's got a liberal slant...still it's eye opening. --------- All that aside, I'm here! Well, ALMOST "here"...I'm in Hyannis for the overnight and will be on the ferry to my beloved Nantucket in the morning. I hope to be on the beach by noon time! PSYCH! :D
LisaG
-

I so agree, Anita. I get sick when I hear every comment on the news against the president. Did Bush walk on water or something? I don't remember it being this bad for Clinton. Hitler? Muslim? Communist? Good lord! You might not agree with the man, but he is trying to HELP this country to the best of his ability. He is not intentionally setting out to harm us!
Christine
-

Diane, lol, the Santa Clause era.. and yes, it was unAmerican to say anything against the President post 9-11, but these days, geez Louise...it seems to be fair game to bash the President. I get so tired of the name calling and nastiness. I don't mind if people actually debate the isssues if they could only do it without being so nasty and rude.
Anita
-

I am sure many of them are getting paid. I know they bus people into these things just to cause problems. Did you see about the poor guy who got his finger bit off? Hope he has a good lawyer cause I would be suing! And a good doctor as I heard the chewed on the thing.... maybe the poor guy whose finger he chomped on is HIV positive or has hepatitis?
christine
-

ITA CHRISTINE and PUCK!! Some say these people who are shouting Hitler and fascism (hello? What did the last several years look like to you -- the Santa Claus era?? but I digress) are actually getting paid by the big insurance companies. Back during the anti-war gatherings in the early part of this decade, it was discovered that Clear Channel was paying people to counter-act the anti-war crowds by paying people to be across the street shouting "you're un-American". I went head-to-head with these people, and they had NOTHING ELSE to say but "Um, you're un-American". Some of them didn't even speak English. Anyway, I think the "hitler" shouters who have no other argument are likely those people who are getting paid. Of course, they are fighting against their own best interests and don't even know it! PUCK -- ITA Obama should keep using the words that this is a MORAL ISSUE. That's what it is.
Diane
-

If a person doesn't know Hitler was a facist, how can they possible give me a valid debate on health care or understand any aspect of it?? I have some friends who are against the bill, but they discuss it in an intelligent manner.
Christine
-

Christine -- the hysteria surrounding the health care debate is ridiculous. I never thought so many Americans could be without basic common sense, but we sure look like idiots in the eyes of the world. I'm doubly upset that my President isn't taking hold of the debate. If he would frame it as a moral imperative, it would go through. (Of course, I don't care for the current bill -- I want universal health care, single-payer system, and I want it NOW!).
Puck
-

Okay, I hear on the radio about all the health care rallys going on. They play a clip of a guy saying "Obama wants to turn us to communism just like Hitler did"... excuse me last I heard Hitler was a facist and obsessively anti-communist!
christine
-

If you go to Susan's website they have a clip of her speech. She did mention tk though she said "most of you know him as Zack Slater" and mentioned their children by name. Wasn't sur what she meant by "kindergarten performance."
Janet
-

LISA - Yes, thanks for asking. Got a lot of smoke in the air that blocks the sky especially in the morning and again at the end of the day. This place is such a tinderbox this time of year.
Diane
-

KMP -- oh, that was totally cute!
Puck
-

DianeE - I hope you're safe from the LA fires. What a terrible disaster that is!
LisaG
-

that was so neat, kmp! Thanks for the link!
christine
-

They were recognized by Willard Scott during his 'birthday' segment...Thank you for posting that link... Here is a direct link to the particular segment that they were mentioned on: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/18424808#32655453 [At least I think that it is.]
kmp
-

so wat did susan haskell say in her acceptance speech? did she mention tk?
lisag
-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083103922.html __________________________________________ Very sad article regarding the cookie dough recall and about a woman who is dying from E. Coli.
Christine
-

Merfuff or kmp, which part was it on? Here's a link to watch all four hours of today's show -- http://today.msnbc.msn.com/

-

Darn, I missed it!!!
Christine
-

Excellent, kmp, just excellent!
Merfuff
-

Merf, yes, that was them [or should that be 'That was 'they']. I totally agree that they are lovely people. :-) We had a nice mini-family reunion over the weekend to celebrate Dad's birthday and their anniversary. Our daughter even made it 'home' from England for it, although her husband was unable to come.
kmp
-

3 PM 9/2/09 Think I may have made mention of this before, but it bears repeatin', and as it is complimentary, I'll give examples of the characters (dunno actors' names) I speak of about this. It is a real TREAT to see women who do not look like their last meal was two weeks ago but who are also not overweight or obese. Liza, Amanda and Taylor are all attractive women but not 'toothpicks'. They're 'matchsticks' and look lovely and healthy._____kmp, were those your folks from KY on the 'Today' show? Lovely people and lovely mention.
Merfuff
-

YAY Susan! I haven't been able to keep up. Did any other ABCers win?
Puck
-

Boston - I hope so, too!
LisaG
-

LisaG: I hope this weather holds out for you and your trip to the Cape. This past week and the upcoming weekend have been the best weather of the summer!
Boston
-

Congrats to Susan Haskell for her Daytime Emmy Best Actress Award! Wish Thorsten had won in his category, too . . .
Janet
-

er...batter = batterY.
lisag
-

Ok, I am convinced I live in some kind of electronic vortex...BOTH my laptops died this morning! The primary wouldn't boot up because of a fan error...fan died. So I'm like, ok, I'll use the one I was supposed to return months ago...same error! Right now I'm limping along with the first one that I managed to nudge up by removing the batter and run strictly off ac/dc. They have a new laptop heading my way tomorrow. At least I got the day off on the company, but I have so much to get done before vacation.
LisaG
-

Kendall is, IMO, not only neurotic but stupid.____Were I Ryan I'd extract Spike from that batty house too._____Hmmm, didnae David drug about 2/3 of PV with the sex drug, among a zillion other illegalities for which he is always given secular and legal absolution?____I wouldnae allow him to care for a dead cat, much less a kid._____Wonder what would happen if Dori were recruited to help bring Lowell down? Heck, she could be the woman of the hour in the spotlight; her cup o' tea.____Todd should be muzzled or duct-taped!
Merfuff
-

It sounded like this was a suprise one.
christine
-

Christine: I'll bet they're planning on 20 . . . . unbelievable. home schooling and all.
Janet
-

I have nothing nice to say about the Duggars, except that they at least live debt free.
Puck
-

Michelle Duggar is going to be having #19!
Christine
-

And as of April 2006, Great Britain repaid us...it was tons of pounds, pardon the pun ;)
Merfuff
-

11 AM 9/1/09 Janet, we basically subsidized WWII, so countries owe(d) us...as well as Finland owin' Russia for a, sorta, sub-war. I'd ask Dr. FIL and see if he can illuminate this more for us.
Merfuff
-

Oh LisaG!
Christine
-

Well, new news on my wall unit...you know the one I ordered back on March 3rd...the one that arrived for delivery in mid June with the center hutch that couldn't be assembled because they sent 2 right sides instead of a right and a left...the one that took another 10 weeks to get in a new hutch? Well they finally delivered and assembled it today! Only took 6 months...ha! It looks nice, but some of the pieces have a slightly lighter finish...I guess that happens with cherry...it's supposed to darken slightly over time, so it'll probably lessen...still it's barely noticeable. Oh, but get this...the saga of the wall unit is NOT over! The guy that placed my order back in March ordered the wrong side molding pieces for the side bookcase piers! I wanted angled molding, as it has in the front...just like the picture I printed and showed him from the store's own website. One stupid little digit off on the item number and he ordered flush moldings. I wanna cry. Actually, I did a little. I called immediately and they had the delivery guys take photos and told me to write the problem on the delivery sheets. The way this thing is going, I'm betting I'll get replacement moldings by about Thanksgiving time! Unbelieveable! But on the up side, I can actually use it now and put away all the stuff I've had in boxes and laying in piles on the living room floor. YAY!
LisaG...don't ever shop for an entertainment center with me...I'm baaad luck!
-

Holy cow! Anyone ever watch the A&E show about hoarders? My God, the condition these people live in are horrific!
LisaG
-

What that poor woman must have suffered.....
Christine
-

3 PM 8/31/09 Janet, will get back to ya on Finland/reparations repayment after I talk with my Bro to check some facts.____Am wonderin' if Fish will be a casualty of the soon-to-happen big drug bust.____I read some entertainment writer's suggestions of cast additions to current programs and one was that Betty White join 'Castle' as his eccentric grandmother. Betty does eccentric really well. Didja see her on the Daytime Emmys show? She looked SO much like Aunt Clara from 'Bewitched' that I did a double-take!____I saw a television ad for the insurance company featurin' the famous duck. Two farmers and a group of talkin' animals discuss insurance. There was a white-faced Hereford BEEF cow hooked up to a milkin' machine. Astonishin' lack of continuity check! The milk of Herefords is generally for the consumption of their calves and the calves usually get it themselves. The ad gave me a grrand giggle!
Merfuff
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JANET - Shudder -- they stopped moving the butter knife around when she got incoherent. What a CRIME. It seems like something someone would have to go to jail for. I think you are right -- she probably wasn't really clinically "retarded" after all but that was a more acceptable term. I have a friend, ironically her name is Rosemarie, from NY. Rosemarie is not retarded yet she is very very slow to process information. Yet, at times, she was quick on the draw with a joke. But that was rare. Anyway, I saw that it stemmed from a very a severe low self esteem when I saw that this adult could not take one step without mean criticism from her mother. So maybe Rosemary Kennedy was the same. With the fierce criticism from Joe, she froze a bit and was perceived as "slow" and "retarded".
Diane
-

Yeah, it was beautiful...and big...about 5" across!
LisaG
-

LIsaG -- what a beauty!
Puck
-

With all the Kennedy talk, I remember reading that they pretty much all spent alot of time with Rosemary in later years, expecially Eunice.
Christine
-

Lisa, fo r a second I thought you really meant a man! But really he ended up being very pretty indeed!
christine
-

I went walking today, late afternoon and walked up to this pretty guy on the sidewalk... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Antheraea_polyphemus_female_sjh.JPG --------- I thought he was dead and tried to gently lift him, when I discovered he was still alive, so I tried to move him off the sidewalk into the bushes and he flew away into a tree. I think he'll be ok...probably still recovering from the rain caused by TS Danny.
LisaG
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Merfuff: I read that Finland did pay war reparations, but I thought they were owed to Russia, which I never understood. So cast some light on that, would you? And I think Finland was the only country to honor its debts from the war. And they now have one of the strongest economies in Europe. Their banks are pretty stable and certainly didn't make the poor loan decisions ours did.
Janet
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3.30 AM Sa 8/29/09 (Insomnia?) Janet, do your son and DIL know that after WWII the only country which paid the USA back their war debt was? ...Finland. Yeppers.
Merfuff
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It's like I've always said...I would LOVE to see men live the life of a woman for a full month and go through all the wonders of being female. ;) I also remember a great joke that if it were up to men to have children, the human race would have died out centuries ago! (Mike - forgive me!)
LisaG
-

Diane; don't forget 'hysteria' and 'hysterectomy' and that connection, also invented and propagated by men.
Janet
-

Diane: And evidently part of the outbursts were due to frustration because Rosemary couldn't keep up with her supertalented siblings. From what I read about her reading and writing and math skills, she wasn't that impaired intellectually/academmically. Can you imagine Joe Sr. doing that, without Rose knowing? Rosemary was only 23. And there is an account of the surgery that just makes you sick. Rosemary was conscious and "when she became incoherent we stopped moving the butter knife around." That's how primitive the surgery was - it was a terrible thing to do to his child and she lost so many of her abilities, she couldn't function on her own after that at all. But the family always said she was retarded, though perhaps mental illness (or had normal emotional outbursts, as Diane points out) was more accurate. It was more acceptable for her to be retarded. And that is such a shame. When you think of the losses that family had, it's overwhelming.
Janet
-

Wow, what a betrayal to Rose by her husband. I might never forgive him for that. And Rosemary was so wronged. What a tragedy. I had read, too, that she was high-spirited and prone to outbursts. But so was I. If you have a highly emotional nature, that's the way it is. Reminds me of the 1800's when they used to try and remove a woman's ovaries when she was found to be 'too emotional'. They used to call her "the poor thing". Countless women died from the surgery because they didn't know how to avoid the arteries in the area, and the women bled to death on the operating table. MEN!! Grrr!!!! Ack, here I go on my men rant....
Diane
-

Lisa, interesting tha tDH was telling me about his uncle today. Uncle remarried a few years ago, he is older with grown children, she is also older but never had children. They want to have a child. Problem is he had a vasectomy! She refuses to adopt. She is from Vietnam and I can understand the desire to have your first child, but didn't you think the guy was fixed when you married him????
christine
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Several years ago I read a really good book on the Kennedy women and from what I got out of it, Rosemary was not retarded, she was perhaps a step slower then the others but she was high spirited. The book said that the family was having problems with her trying to sneak out of home (or hotel) at night etc..... it really is such a shame.
christine
-

I had a friend who went through all kinds of hell with fertility treatments because her husband absolutely REFUSED to raise a kid that wasn't "his". I used to bring up adoption to her all the time, and she would have done it if not for her selfish husband. Still to this day, I can't stand that guy...for doing that and other emotionally harmful things to her. He's a real @ss.
LisaG
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Janet, I am glad they are open to other alternatives. 3 of my best friends are adopted and I am so glad their parents made the decisions to have them! _______________________ Neat on the satellite thing. I wish I had that.
Christine
-

Diane: According to a bio that I read, Joe Sr did it when Rose was out of town, w/o her knowledge. When he came home, her daughter was . . . . incapacitated for life. Rose, understandably, was furious and heartbroken.
Janet
-

CHRISTINE - I just read that another neighbor said he called the police when he saw children playing in the yard "a few years ago". He said the police came and he saw them talking to that couple. But nothing was done. The police left. DOESN'T that make you see red. A FEW YEARS AGO. They could have been saved then, maybe.
Diane
-

JANET - Did Rose not know that her husband had arranged the lobotomy for Rosemary?
Diane
-

LOL at her hair. Funny, that hairstyle has been around a long time, but it just seems....obvious....on her. I mean, you look at her, and the first thing you say is either "My eyes! My corneas are burned by the teeth!" or "What happened to her head??"
Puck
-

And yes my son is a citizen of the US. Finland allows dual citizenship. So when they become parents all he has to do is register the child's birth at the US consulate and the child will have instant US citizenship................as the mother is Finnish, the child is also a Finnish citizen. Just like that......................... And this is so cool ...........we set up a slingbox that is hooked to my computer and one TV set . . . . and somehow he can see EVERY channel we receive on our TV satellite service. And it's legal. He pulls it up on his computer and there's even a remote control that shows up, just like ours, and he just clicks on it and can navigate all over the place. Now he can watch his beloved college football games. the BIG ONE is next week: Utah State (where we live) v. University of Utah and it's a hot rivalry. Most likely we will be pummelled but you never know. He lives for college football so he's very excited for this new technology to work for him. And he likes to call in to the radio talk shows after the game. As he does it on skype it's pennies for the minute. The funny thing is he's becoming a little famous here as "BJ from Finland" who calls in to discuss USU football on our local radio station. They have never had callers from Finland.
Janet
-

I mean, Anita - re the last post!
Janet
-

Christine: and they're just next door to the Russian border. And there are Russian babies in need of homes. However, there are issues with Russion adoption . . . . as I'm sure you know. But I'd welcome a child of any race or nationality into my family in a heartbeat. DIL is going to counseling and attending a group so maybe she'll be considering other options. I know you have had splendid success with your adoptions, and that you've worked very, very hard to integrate those lovely girls into your family and community life. And they are thriving. You're my hero, honestly.
Janet
-

Janet.. your son is still an American citizen? then they could adopt internationally from a lot of different countries.. even if living abroad..I know lots of family that did.. and I know families in Iceland, Norway, and other areas that have adopted....so it maybe be an option.... it's an AWESOME way to build a family... China is not a country I would chose right now because the wait is VERY long.. unless they would be open to a child with a minor special need.. but I know families adopting from Korea, the Marshall Islands, Kazakhastan(sp?) and Ethiopia....and I'm sure there are a lot of others.. as for Jon and Kate.. I think most of those bikini shots are taken by papparazzi over fences and from trees into her yard...with zoom lenses.. they need to leave them alone...as for the number of children someone has I have no problem with it.. it's a personal choice.....as for their money, I would suspect a lot of it must go into a trust for the kids? I would hope so at least....and MERF.. LOL at the Boobsie twins.. that's a great one..
Anita
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Regarding that kidnapping case, it really bothers me that a neighbor thought something was going on, seeing kids living in tents in the backyard, and her husband told her to mind her own business, and that maybe they like living in tents! Tents??? For 18 years?????!!!! This poor woman and these two poor kids could have been out ages ago!
christine
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And I also don't want to see another bikini shot either! And I'm tired of her hair!
Christine
-

Janet, "grandkids in the freezer", I kind of like that saying. I think they need to try again, if that is an option, but also need to bear in mind your DIL's health first and foremost. I wish them luck. And please tell them to look into adoption. My good friend went through IVF for years, then after no success, and many health issues, kept putting off looking into adoption (after talking about it for years prior).... finally when all was said and done, she decided she and her husband were too old to start a family (she is in her mid 40s he is a few years older).
Christine
-

I don't believe there are really any adoption options in Finland . . . and as her dad is a physician, he would have more opportunities to know. Abortion and single moms probably have created a situation where babies just aren't available. My son would adopt in a heartbeat, but for any number of reasons, his wife doesn't feel the same way. It's a decision each couple has to make. But it's so hard to see them going through the heartbreak.
Janet
-

One word----------- Octomom.
Christine
-

Christine -- I agree. Jon and Kate had two children, and for some reason, that wasn't enough for them. There's nothing admirable or miraculous about that -- just something very sad and very troubling. I have a lot of sympathy for people who want children but can't have them -- but there are other choices than fertility treatment (such as adopting children already born). And as Janet pointed out, fertility treatments are VERY harsh on the female body, and have killed some women. I'm very worried about a culture that glorifies genetic offspring to the point where women are willing to kill themselves, rather than adopt a child already on this planet and already in need of a loving family. Now that women are delaying reproduction (in order to finish school or get established in a career, or in order to find the right partner), we really need to have this discussion as a society -- to what extent is it the responsibility of insurance companies (that is, we who pay premiums) and/or the government to fund a personal choice? -- that is, the choice to delay childbearing beyond viable fertility, and/or the choice to procreate, period. I know many people take a medical stance -- that infertility is an illness. But it's an illness that isn't harmful to the body -- you can live a long life without ever having children. A broken arm, cancer, stroke, heart disease -- these are true diseases that are damaging to the human organism -- but not infertility.
Puck
-

Fertility treatments do have their place.... and I agree "just relax" is not the thing to say. But I sometimes get angry when I see a couple (example J&K) who have 2 wonderful daughters, knowing they have trouble conceiving, knowing the chances of multiples and going through it again. Then boom 6 more! And then the public and companies are supposed to donate time, things and money to "help them out". You knew the chances, you took them, now take care of them. If you can great. And maybe its the only child in me, but aren't 2 healthy wonderful kids enough? Okay I will stop ranting now.
Christine
-

Fertility treatments have their place. . . . . I have four grandchildren "in the freezer" (fertilized eggs) as our son and his wife are struggling to get pregnant. It has been an agonizing process and physically very difficult for our daughter in law to go through. Their docs would never implant more than 2 eggs (which is standard) in hopes of getting one healthy fetus, and then hoping to carry it to term. Their last effort ended in miscarriage at 12 weeks and was a heartbreaker......... ......................... and I really got furious with SIL who said "they just need to relax and let nature take its course." I tactfully informed her that nature would never take its course as there were medical issues, and she stopped making her suggestion. In the case of the octomom, didn't the doc know he was implanting multiple eggs and did so anyway? I think he's being investigated and I surely hope so. That's unethical.........and who's paying the bills?????? But some parents would never have children without the intervention of fertility treatments. Responsible and ethical doctors are the rule, with the ones that get in the news being the exceptions. OK, off my soapbox. ......................oh, and enough shots of Kate in her bikini. Plz. .....I hope she doesn't last on The View. Seriously. She does need to deal with her 8 children and make a secure life for them.
Janet
-

Yes, I was referring to Rosemary, the daughter of Rose and Joe Sr and the sibling of all the exceptional Kennedys including John, Bobby, Teddy, etc. She was probably of average intelligence but happened to be born into a family of above-average siblings - bright, competitive and ambitious. She wrote diaries, was good in math, and loved theater, opera, etc. but was still slower to learn than the rest. Then she began to have mood swings (some writers suggest it was due to frustation because she couldn't keep up with the others) and Joe decided on the lobotomy, which had been performed less than 100 times and never on someone with her characteristics. She was 23. After the procedure she lost all her academic skills and was incontinent, etc. It was sickening to read about the procedure in the doctor's own words. When Rose came home and learned about the surgery she was furious. Joe felt responsible for Rosemary's compounded problems for the rest of his life, apparently. The "denial and secrecy" I mentioned were suggested by biographers and researchers who insist that mental retardation was more acceptable in the Kennedy family than mental illness. ..............because the family always indicated that Rosemary was retarded. ................................and Chappaquiddick was a whole nother issue, which still angers me. ........................however, I have read that Teddy was a good senator and represented his constituents well. I certainly admire the way he coped with his alcoholism and how he cared about all his nieces and nephews.........and I do admire his passionate work for health care reform. A complex man, indeed.
Janet
-

I think JANET was referring to Rosemary with the secrets and mistakes with her mild mental retardation that Papa Kennedy had so much trouble accepting since excellence is what he wanted in all his children. And the unnecessary fouled lobotomy.
Diane
-

"secrecy and mistakes and denial" -- are we talking Mary Jo Kopechne and the Chappaquiddick incident?

-

Exactly! The first couple of shows that were just specials were cute and charming... but this isn't a soap.... those kids don't need that kind of life, they need their mom and dad (even divorced) to give them NORMAL PRIVATE lives.....
Christine
-

I despise all the hooplah around Jon and Kate. Okay, so they had eight kids. Big deal. If they hadn't played around irresponsibly with fertility drugs, it never would have happened. AND since nowadays, so many people are playing around irresponsibly with fertility drugs, big families through fertility are a dime a dozen. I realize both of them are now used to the lifestyle that $75,000-per-episode buys, but if they frittered away that money and now have to go work for Walmart, that's not my problem. Get those nutjobs off my TV!!!
Puck
-

There is alot of backlash against The View for putting her on. I have read on several boards about many people complaining to ABC about her being on. I say, get off TV go take care of the 8 kids yuo so desprately HAD to have.
Christine
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6 AM 8/28/09 Stacy and Kim - the Boobsie Twins. Ick.
Merfuff
-

wikipedia says Rosie died in 2005 with Jean and Teddy by her side. What a tragic life - secrecy and mistakes and denial in how she was treated/managed by family and medical profession. And then a lobotomy, after which she lost so much of her ability, which may actually have been in the average range. So very sad. I read that when Rose was away from home Joe Sr. arranged to have it done - - w/o his wife's knowlege or consent. Couldn't have predicted the awful outcome, I guess.
Janet
-

Lisa: I know, we have been force-fed Jon and Kate ad nauseum. They have 8 children to raise. Enough already.
Janet
-

Janet - I'm so disgusted with Jon and Kate and how they treat...or rather MIStreat those poor kids. I don't agree with Hasselbeck that "Kate should get a job"...what does she think taking care of EIGHT kids is?! That's multiple jobs! Well, that is when she's actually HOME it is. Just because Jon is gone, doesn't mean she should further tie up her time away from the kids with a job...if anything, she needs to quit with all this interviewing crap and pay more attention to the needs of the children going through the havoc of divorce.
LisaG
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I can't remember if the other Kennedy Sister is still alive . . was her name Rosemary? She's the one who had some limitations and was institutionalized. Our neighbor's son was on Ted's staff until a month ago . . . got acquainted with some of Ted's neighbors (including McCain) by walking Ted's dog. Wonder if that's the dog Ted gave to the Obamas? I'll have to ask Nick's folks. I think Ted was very good to Nick.
Janet
-

Oh, please say it ain't so1 The Yahoo home page had this tidbit and it's a good thing I don't watch the View: When Elisabeth Hasselbeck said Kate Gosselin should "get the camera off the kids" and "get a job," she didn't mean her job. But desperate times call for desperate hosts, and The View says Gosselin will serve as a fill-in host for Hasselbeck Sept. 14 and 15. (And you thought the show jumped the shark when it announced LaToya Jackson would guest-host .) News: New and Improved View Coming Sept. 8 The View appears to be scrounging for a ratings similar to those of Rosie O'Donnell days. Gosselin's Jon & Kate Plus 8 TLC series is also struggling with a ratings drop. Hasselbeck said Gosselin should get a job after she and her husband announced they were filing for divorce in June.
Janet
-

so should his wife!
Christine
-

The guy should have his privates cut off! Sorry, but he disgusts me.
LisaG
-

Now I am reading she was held (with her two kids by the abductor) in a shed!
Christine
-

Its been confirmed it is her. A couple has been charged, he is a registered sex offender.... how sad.... but she is alive. From what they said, her stepfather saw her get taken but could not get to the van to save her. He was a suspect for awhile.
Christine
-

I hope so too, I just hope she hasn't been suffering all these years
Christine
-

CHRISTINE - I just read that, too. It would be amazing --- I sure hope its her. It sounds like it is!
Diane
-

Just saw a news report of an 11 year old Lake Tahoe girl who was kidnapped 18 years ago... apparently a 29 year old woman walked into a police department claiming to be her.
Christine
-

Kmp, that is so neat! I'll have to tune in.
Christine
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4 AM 8/27/08 Wow, congratulations to your folks, kmp!
Merfuff
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ow...ow ow...ow...OW! i was just in the crawl space putting down these natural rodent repellent sachets (www.earth-kind.com) but i also put down tomcat mouse traps, just in case that stuff doesn't work as well as reported. i think i caught my left thumb when setting the darn things about 10 times! YEOWCH!
lisag
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kmp - that is SO cool! and 104! wow! My mother's aunt in germany lived to 101 or 102 i think...my father's father was 94 or 95...we aren't sure how accurate his driver's license was...he may have fibbed a little on his age so he could drive sooner. ;)
lisag
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Forget to say that my mother was 98 yrs. old this past January... Out of the six children in my father's family, all except his oldest brother lived well into their 90's. His only sister lived to be 104 years old...
kmp
-

If anyone is watches The Today Show, this coming Wed. [Sept. 2nd], Willard Scott is going to recognize my parents for the 75th wedding anniversary [Sept. 1st] as well as my Dad's 100th birthday [Aug. 21st]. We're having a mini-family reunion this weekend to celebrate both....They are still living in their own home with a minimum of outside help - mainly for transportation, shopping, and cleaning.
kmp
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That was pretty neat, Mike.
Christine
-

Nope, looks like Jean is still alive. Born 5 years before Ted. Nice interactive family tree of the nine kids. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/kennedy-family-tree.htm
Mike
-

re: The Kennedy reunion. His generation is all there now right? All the children of Joe and Rose? Plus whatever of Joe/Roses grandchilren and after.
Mike
-

Imagine the Kennedy reunion on 'the other side'. And his sister just passed away like 2 or 3 weeks ago? So close in time.
Diane
-

RIP, Ted.....
Christine
-

Ah, godspeed Ted.....
Puck
-

Ah. Godspeed, Teddy.
Janet
-

God Speed...Ted Kennedy Dies of Brain Cancer at Age 77...Sen. Ted Kennedy died shortly before midnight Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 77. ----------- I wonder what's going to happen over the coming weeks...I head up to Nantucket on the 4th and will stay in Hyannis overnight, where the Kennedy compound is.
LisaG
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I hate when people are so busy talking at a check out they can barely get their money out etc.... and take MORE time, thus wasting MY time. I grew up an only child, I don't mind spending time with myself.... again I understand stuff comes up, but please, can people go 5 minutes alone? Oh and those blue tooth things, it always looks to me like they are talking to themselves! There is no one, no one, I want to talk to THAT much!
Christine
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Oh, never mind. Sorry. That site doesn't know what it is talking about. It references an ABC article. The ABC article just says AMC is going. They summarized incorrectly.
Diane
-

Read this at Popcrunch.com: ABC daytime dramas All My Children and One Life To Live are moving production from New York City to Los Angeles, ABC News announced on Tuesday. I thought I read only AMC was going?
Diane
-

CHRISTINE - It seems that way. How many times do you see someone walking down the street these days just quietly thinking their own thoughts? Or just walking and smelling some blossoms and enjoying the air? Does that ear nipple have to be at everyone's ear 24/7???
Diane
-

DH says people just can't be alone with themselves for 5 minutes anymore.
Christine
-

Also, pedestrians who are walking and talking or walking and texting are hazards, too. They step right out onto the road causing cars to jam on their brakes and possibly causing an accident from cars coming from behind. I've never seen so much jaywalking from people on their d*mn phones.
Diane
-

I don't even like to talk on the phone while I drive and avoid that unless its an emergency situation.
Christine
-

Mike - That's very disturbing, but in a good way. I hope it saves some lives. I know I still get so pissed when I see adults driving while on the cell phone.
LisaG
-

Very cute web site to a store my friend/co-worker's wife runs...read the "meet our staff" and "test labs" sections. www.saltypawsbiscuits.com
LisaG
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Watch the video at this link, then send it on to every single parent you know tha thas a child old enough to drive. It's a don't Text and Drive PSA-type video that I hope the USA networks all join forces in airing at the same time one evening. It's quite graphic (acted, not real accident footage), so be prepared. ALL driving kids with cellphones should watch this. http://www.break.com/index/dont-text-and-drive.html
Mike
-

I took him out for lunch!
Christine
-

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/DancingStars/story?id=8400802 ................. The list of which dancers are paired with which stars, on DWTS. OMG! OMG!! OMG!!! Maksim is paired with Debi Mazar! I hope she has even a modicum of skill, because I would love to see the two of them every single week, until they win! I bet they are a glorious looking couple..... Donny Osmond gets Kym JOhnson. Poor Cheryl Burke is with Tom Delay, who I hope leaves the first week -- sorry, I can't separate his dancing (if any) from his politics.....
Puck
-

er...good AT falling back to sleep.
LisaG
-

Mike! DOH! I don't think I've ever gone that far on a weekend or holiday. Maybe got up early and realized I didn't have to go in, but that's about it. I've always been good and falling back asleep too. Funny though, when it was a snow day, we'd be up and at 'em to go sleigh riding or play in the snow!
LisaG
-

CHRISTINE - You are so funny! Your son will rub this in good for years to come. :)
Diane
-

Argh! Another double post! :-( and I meant meal of course, not mean.
Mike
-

That IS one of the funniest things I've read here Christine! You owe him his favorite mean AND desert for supper tonight :-) Reminds me of one day I myself got up early as usual, ate breakfast and walked to school (maybe 300 yards) in the winter. I was always an early bird so there was no concern that when I got there there was no one in the halls, swimmers were in the pool for an early morning practice as usual, so I went to the homeroom and sat, then after a while when there should have been others showing up and a buzz in the hallways it suddenly dawned on me that it was SATURDAY! Idiot. Anyway, again Christine, LOL!
Mike
-

Make him his favorite dinner...that should help!
LisaG
-

I apologized about a thousand times!
Christine
-

ROTFLOL!!! Oh Christine!!! You owe that poor kid BIG time for that one! I woulda killed you! ;)
LisaG
-

I am so bad! I woke up my son for the first day of school, 5:30am. Made him breakfast etc.... see him off to the bus stop. He comes back to the house 20 minutes later, no bus, no other kids... I assume the bus company screwed up as usually, til I double check the school calendar.... school starts tomorrow!!!
christine
-

Ahhh, gotcha, Puck. Thanks...my memory is good, it's simply short like the rest of me ;)
Merfuff
-

Merf -- way back when Tea and Todd were stranded on the island, they were stranded with Ross, a guy Todd hired to seduce Tea (so he could get out of the marriage). Todd rowed away from the island, leaving Tea and Ross together. That was the last we heard of them, until Tea showed up representing A Martinez....
Puck
-

5A< 8/24/09 Plz, who's Ross?
Merfuff
-

I have read that Tea's secret is that she is married to Ross.
Christine
-

LisaG- have not seen the Cake Boss yet. I had forgotten it was on. I'm a big Ace of Cakes girl. I have the Charm City tee shirt too. I love Mary Beth and Duff.
rebecca
-

LOL...anyone ever watch "Cake Boss" on TLC? It's about this baker in Hoboken, NJ and he makes some of the neatest, biggest, coolest cakes ever! He did one for the Grucci fireworks family...it was amazing! Here are some photos... http://tvnewsreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/cake-boss-finale-fireworks-falling.html
LisaG
-

6PM 8/22/09 OK, when is Tea's kid gonna show up?____And is Mayor Lowell a drug user (hence his hostility to John and desire to nail Cole?)?
Merfuff
-

Hi all - what kills me is how together everyone is with a missing baby. The whole thing is just nuts.
Cat
-

Merf -- LOL at the coin landing on its edge! Too true....
Puck
-

3PM 8/21/09 I bet if we flipped a coil to 'determine' which storyline: Kendall phony in prison/Kendall undiscovered at home vs Randi and DOCTOR Frankie want to blithely, illegally keep and raise the seemingly abandoned baby, is blatantly sillier and more stupid, the coin, in sheer disgust, would land on its edge and refuse to 'answer'. And Tad? He is no longer an irresponsible, batty teenager. Ditto CHIEF Jessie and DOCTOR Angie...how can the writers write that drivel without cringin'?
Merfuff
-

I loved that!
christine
-

HA HA! That cat is TOAST!!!
Puck
-

Thought you'd all get a kick out of this beautiful boy's name... http://catoftheday.com/archive/2009/August/20.html
LisaG
-

watching the finale of Top Chef Masters...i'm DROOLING over these dishes! YUM!
lisag
-

Mike - Heath, of course! :)
LisaG
-

So true it really gives him dimension....
Christine
-

I gotta say, the actors playing OLTL's Kyle and Fish are really pulling off the gay storyline. I actually like Fish much better as a gay man -- he has more depth and layers, than he does as Layla's love interest.
Puck
-

8/19, 9:00am LisaG, I know who you'll vote for! This particular poll is TODAY'S poll, it changes daily. Favorite TV Cowboy Poll...http://www.imdb.com/poll/
Mike
-

I so agree....
Chrstine
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>>How on earth was Kristin/Starr omitted from the 'younger actor' division of Emmy awards?<< I've been saying that for 12 years. It's obvious thru the years by younger actor they mean 21+. They should have a child/teen award. The gal should have had 6 Emmy's by now.
Mike
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Merfuff, yes I wonder who will decide enough is enough. Maybe not so much the younger actors just starting out, but maybe some of the older ones who just don't want to uproot their families etc..... _____________________ I also think Debi Mazar is very interesting looking with her cat eyes.
Christine
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I LOVE Debi Mazar, though. I totally love her exotic look.
Puck
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How on earth was Kristin/Starr omitted from the 'younger actor' division of Emmy awards?
Merfuff
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1.45PM 8/18/09 Yep, Moocher is a cute keeper-kitty ;) Glad y'all like the photo of her and her beloved Freddy Frog.____I am findin' it hard to believe how bugged I am about this AMC move west. On behalf of the actors I'm FURIOUS at the jerky last-minute 'decree' to them. They have families, lives, property (ies). I'm sorta sick imaginin' that actors/characters whom we like will leave (or be forced by circumstances, to leave the show; OR, will be forced by circumstances (recession / soaps dubious futures, etc.) to stay with the show. All around a ratsPit situation which really torques my grommet. Reminds me of the vise grip the NFL has over seemingly every aspect of pro football. OK, is Bobby/Krystle the first to jump the AMC ship with this sudden Africa jaunt? Forfend, Lucci/Erica too? And if MEK/Tad goes...wow.____Just as an aside, do ya know how MUCH I wanna paragraph when I post here? After all these months! LOL! Can happily forego paragraphin' to have dear Cat maintain this lovely, lovin' playground. THANK YOU, Caitlin!
Merfuff
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I had to laugh at the Chairman's nephew from Iron Chef. They make him so mysterious on the show and one night I saw him in a bad SciFi channel movie! Now he is on DWTS!! lol!
Christine
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Tom Delay killed it for me. UGH!
Puck
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Duh, I was thinking Sharon Osborne. I guess Kelly is the daughter? So many names on the list aren't familiar to me. Donny O and Marie have a sold-out show in Vegas for the next year or so, so he must be commuting, or flying his partner out to Vegas for rehearsals. He really is a great guy - saw him in concert here on Memorial Day, which he did as a benefit for our university's music department. He can still deliver the goods. Wonder who his pro partner will be?
Janet
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Kelly Osborne is actually a fairly average size woman. I think its her round face that makes her look "plump".
christine
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MERF - Aw, your Moochie looks so cute up there. She's thinking, "Hey, this stuffed animal isn't taking MY place around here."
Diane
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Very cute kitty.
rebecca
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Kelly Osborne?! Not to be cruel, but the girl is quite the little butterball...I can't imagine her having the stamina to do that show.
LisaG
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NEW YORK - Entertainer Donny Osmond will join 15 celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports in kicking up their heels on the new season of "Dancing With the Stars. Other hopefuls includeFormer Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay; singers Mya, Macy Gray and Aaron Carter; actors Melissa Joan Hart, Debi Mazar and Ashley Hamilton (son of George); models Joanna Krupa and Kathy Ireland; reality stars Kelly Osbourne and Mark Dacascos ("the Chairman" on Food Network's "Iron Chef America"); mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell; professional snowboarder Louie Vito; Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin; former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin and the 62-year-old former congressman from Texas. The contestants were announced on Monday's "Good Morning America" by "Dancing" host Tom Bergeron. He also unveiled a new competitive twist. "In the middle of our season, over three weeks, we're going to have double eliminations," said Bergeron. "We'll lose about half of our cast within that period. It will be a ballroom bloodbath." Samantha Harris returns as co-host, with the panel of judges including ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer-choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba. The ninth season of the hit ABC show premieres Sept. 21.
Janet
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The just announced the DWTS cast! They have so many people this year!
Christine
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What a cute picture!!
Christine
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What a cuddle kitty! >^..^<
LisaG
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How adorable!
Puck
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Darling Mooch photo!
Janet
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Sorry for the delay in posting Merfuff's photo. Hope the summer is going well for everyone.
Cat
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This is too adorable! Those squirrels are such media hogs! http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92911?fp=1 -------- http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2009/08/ground-squirrel-photo-crasher.html -------
LisaG
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I would have loved to have seen that! REmember when they did that with Blair at Asa's funeral?
Christine
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HEE-larious scene when Viki was showing Noelle pics of all her former hubbies, including Clint Richie as Clint Buchanan, with Noelle and Viki both commenting at how much he's changed! HA HA!
Puck
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Mike -- LOL at Viki's remaining marriages! No doubt! ................................................ TJS has been gone a while. He showed up for a few days at some point this year, though. He's supposedly in Chicago...I think.........
Puck
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Oh, and by the way, the last few week's I've been able to catch a few OLTL's on the 9pm re-broad on Soap Net. Nora and CLint? NO WAY that would have happened if CLint Richie (God rest his soul) was still playing Clint. It never even would have been brainstormed in any storyline sessions. The nuClint seems like a good re-cast and is clearly a better fit with Nora than CR ever would have been. Noticed RJ is not around. How long has TJS been gone?
Mike
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ES is only 63? Heck, Vicki's got a good 4 or 5 marriages left in her then.
Mike
-

Erika Slezak just turned 63, BTW, per media report.
Merfuff
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Forgot to mention that when Cat has the time she is gonna post to show y'all an updated photo of my beloved Internet cat, Ms Mooch. This summer, my friend Char came to visit (Wow, can we TALK a lot! Comes from a 56 year friendship.) and brought me two adorable new frogs. Both are stuffed plush. One has poochy RED lips and if ya push his tummy, he makes smackin' smooch sounds. T'other is tall and slender. Mooch took to the latter with a determination. It has elongated, slender arms and legs and the legs must seem like the arms/legs of a mama cat. Mooch curls up within its embrace and all is right with the world. Amber snapped the photo for me so I wouldnae tremble and wreck it and she got a dandy pic of Mooch and Frog...or as I call him, Freddy Frog ;) 'Mama Frog' didnae cut it with me or make me grin as much as namin' him after my Bro._____So, once again, thousands of thanks to the GB as forum and the three wonderful women (and Nita's husband) for savin' a puddy-tat and a Merf-meistress and providin' years of love, fun and companionship.
Merfuff
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My earlier truncated comment meant that *I* (not Puck) had 'guessed at cost' considerations coast/coast....Mike, OLTL is movin' INTO AMC's buildin'...Robin/Dori says it's considerably larger than their current area._____Also struck me that ABC/AMC knew for much longer than a week that they were movin' the show. Yet, IMO rather than give their people time to make proper arrangements they did it about as stealthily as possible; makin' people choose between their livelihood and their lives (and real estate situations in this dandy time to hafta scramble to try to sell or sublet homes or apartments). Unless I have this wrong, it surely lessens my opinion of the two entities.___Oh my, the coup de grace suckin' chest gunshot wounds which dispatched Patrick was a lie promulgated to ensnare the Men of 21? How shockin' they'd employ such a device ;)))
Merfuff
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Kind of feels odd to take the soaps out of NY!
Christine
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It's probably only a matter of time before ABC tell's the OLTL folk that they too are being moved to LA. (although I would bet should Erica Slezak leave the show while it's still in NYC, they might fold the show within say, a couple of years of that retirement rather than move it to LA). Any other soaps still filming in NYC?
Mike
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"Lucci's kids are grown, so it would be easier for her to make the move than it would be for co-stars like Kaye, who has small children with partner Susan Haskell, who toils on the New York-based "One Life to Live" as Marty. --------- Would ABC consider letting Kaye return to "OLTL" as his former character, Patrick Thornhart?" --------- Ha! Wouldn't THAT be a kick?! Yes, come on back Mr. Thornhaaart!
LisaG
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Here's a link to today's NYDaily News about AMC move ...... http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/08/14/2009-08-14_soap_dish_all_my_children_cast_and_crew_face_moving_dilemma.html
Rachel
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Guessed at cost, Puck...makes sense, altho both coasts are absurdly expensive to my thinkin'. Other reason given was lots more studio space. Hmmm.
Merfuff
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It's all about cost cutting -- LA is cheaper than NYC, although if they REALLY want to save money, they should relocate here, to South Georgia! Super-cheap here!! HA HA!
Puck
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I've thot for weeks now that Emma found Adam's omnipresent pistol and shot Stuart.____Well, I'll be dipped. Never did find a reason for this AMC move of production to the West Coast.____Wonder if Thorsten and Susan would even be willin' to uproot the kids so Thorsten could re-locate or commute.___Bet Dr. Demento is now firmly in charge as I doubt Ray/Dr. Martin would uproot family at this time of life.___And how 'bout Canary/Adam? His status is already up in the air.___LOL! I've an ol' rerun of 'The Golden Girls' on and Virgil, VIK's angel guide, is on this one.____Shame about AMC - it will be vastly changed for viewers. To read about it: http://www.amcpages.com/soapcentral/index.php
Merfuff
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7 AM 8/14/09 Today would be my mom Fran's 86th BD!________Janet, what's this about AMC movin' to LA? Heh? Reported somewhere?
Merfuff
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Really? That will be interesting...we know Thorsten prefers the west coast and I would assume his salary is probably bigger than Susan's, so I would assume they'd move.
LisaG
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If amc is moving to LA . . . what will that mean for Thorsten and Susan? I assume OLTL will stay in NY? Lots of changes for everyone involved in AMC.
Janet
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LOL...was going through some old saved work emails and found one from a guy named Thorsten Wustrack. What are the odds of seeing that name more than once in your life if you live in America?! Everytime I see those emails or when someone sends me a shorthand thanks (TKS), or I read or hear the word Toast, my mind goes directly to our mahn. ;) Now that's an impact!
LisaG
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He usually looks great!
Christine
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I tuned in on amc the other day and did a double take when I saw TK. He's had a haircut (not too short, long enough to show the wave) and looks trim. Looks great, in fact.
Janet
-

Very cool! I love astronomy!
Puck
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What's amazing is the rings are 170,000 miles wide, but only about 30 feet thick. You would thinkg they'd crack apart.
LisaG
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I saw that... weird....
Christine
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Pretty interesting! "Saturn's Rings to Disappear Tuesday"... http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090810/sc_space/saturnsringstodisappeartuesday
LisaG
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Yeah. What Lisa said. Only in all CAPS! I will not watch that show or any other like it.
rebecca
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Agree, I wathced the show on and off several years ago, but will not watch it anymore.
christine
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I think I read that they get $75k per episode. I imagine, then, that the show is like crack. I bet they can't imagine how they could give it up. They probably spent all the money they've earned.
Puck
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What Lisa said.
Janet
-

OMG I am *SO* sick of the Jon and Kate stuff. Now she's doing interviews with her perfectly coiffed hair (I still hate her cut) and perfectly manicured nails, sobbing about how she loves her kids and it hurts so when Jon does things to hurt them, blah...blah...blah. How about continuing to do a TV show when their parents marriage is falling apart?! How is that not hurting the children? Kids KNOW what's going on and she should just get off the reality merry-go-round and take care of her family. I'm not saying Jon is innocent, but she's a real beast to live with...quite the little dictator, so I can't really blame him for being unhappy. The 2 of them are so hooked on all the goodies they get from being on a show, it's disgusting...they're essentially prostituting their kids for this stuff. GRRRRRRRRRR!
LisaG
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Neil Diamond fans rejoice: Fri 8/14 8PM E CBS - a selection of his songs from recent concerts!
Merfuff
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Home from a week of Shakespeare: Comedy of Errors, As You Like It, Henry V, Foxfire, Private Lives and Secret Garden (of course the bard didn't author the last 3). Free literary seminars, orientation, Greenshow, costume seminars . . . . everything was so well done! Utah Shakespeare Festival continues to deliver. Will be 50 yrs old in 2 yrs. Won a Tony a few years ago........Foxfire was especially touching. Hume Cronyn wrote it for wife Jessica Tandy's 70th birthday, as a play for her to act in. The TV movie was dreadful - - not sure why, but it just didn't capture the feel of the play. Puck, of all the bad luck! ...............Merfuff, sorry you are in continued pain. I wish there were some remedy for it.
Janet
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back from a weekend at the beach.. ah, I love being in Florida.. 2 months! :) Lisa, Puck..it's a different world then when we were kids...we didn't see anyone breastfeeding so of course we didn't know what it was.. but kids today know.. and my Lizzie HAS pretended a babydoll was breastfeeding...she's fascinated by it.. and asks all the time why she couldn't .. I've explained that it's because she was adopted and my body didn't produce milk.... so she had to have formula...too bad because breastfed babies are SO much healthier and there are so many advantages to being breastfed.. I don't have a problem with talking about it or the kids pretending...it's a very natural loving fact of life.. there's nothing wrong or dirty about it......
Anita
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8 AM 8/9/09 Saw KdlR in a small role on 8/2 'Law & Order - Criminal Intent'.
Merfuff
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Hey Mike- I have a book autographed by Bob Hope. It came out the year I was born. It's called "I Owe Russia $1200". I sent it too him a couple of years before he passed away and he signed it for me. I wish he had put a photo in with it. But stil, it's cool to have the book.
rebecca
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8/8, 11:30am - I'm watching a 1971 interview of Bette Davis on the Dick Cavett show. It's great! So I started checking out IMDB.com as Bette mentions some stars I either never heard of or long forget. They start talking about how the majority of male great actors are British and the American females dominate that accolade for their gender, and they eventually mention Bob Hope being British and their banter indirectly alluded to how he was not a "great" actor but great in his own right of course. Anytway, so I check out Bob Hope on imdb and stumble upon the fact that in May of this year his widow Delores became a centenarian too! How rare is that? That spouses both reach 100 (albeit in this case separately). Of course I have no idea if her quality of life at 100 is satisfactory for her, plus the fact she has spent the last six years of her life without her beloved Bob, but I thought I'd just share this news. They were married 69 years!
Mike
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There's a new Simon's Cat cartoon...too funny! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1qHVVbYG8Y
LisaG
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I would agree on girls NOT playing breastfeed naturally. Never heard of it, never did it, never saw it, never heard it whispered in the cloakroom, nothing.............................. Surprising, but then again NOT surprising, RE: Billy Mays
Puck
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I think I might have had my Barbies breastfeed (I had one of the early Barbie babies), but by then I wasn't playing baby dolls. _____________________- So now the question as to why Billy Mays is shouting can be answered.
christine
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I'm sorry, little girls do NOT play "breast feeding" naturally. I never did. I don't know anyone that did. We played with dolls, but not that realistically. -------- Re: Billy Mays...so THAT'S how he got so geared up for those commercials!
LisaG
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They say little girls do that naturally, well that's fine if they do, but why encourage it commercially? There are other things kids pick up on naturally, but they don't self products to aid them ;-) ._________________________________________________ Bill Clinton is a great diplomat, I agree. I always said he managed to get by so much because people really liked him. I have heard how people have said he is just so easy to talk to etc.... And I recall one news clip of him with Boris Yeltsin, the two are laughing hysterically like two friends in on a secret. ________________________________________________________ I just read that a contributing factor to Billy Mays heart disease (and death) was cocaine use. They say he used it days prior to his death. What a shame, I expected more.
Christine
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Bill Clinton was very good at foreign diplomacy. I agree, if I were a political prisoner, I would have so much hope at knowing Bill Clinton was fighting for me. During his 2 terms, he came to the rescue of other Americans in bad political situations in other countries using his foreign diplomacy skills. I can't say that Hillary has the same skills, unfortunately. A much better choice for Secretary of State would have been someone more like Dennis Kucinich who also has outstanding foreign diplomacy strengths and is very well liked by foreign leaders. Like Bill Clinton, foreign leaders are willing to work with them for a resolution.
Diane
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That's pretty gross...and creepy. It's like the inventor is a pedopheliac, trying to get little girls to lift up their shirts and play "mommy" putting the baby to her breast. Ick.
LisaG
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Spain (and Italy, and Greece) are in a fertility crisis -- women don't want to have kids (I wouldn't either! -- not in a country where men say things like "you're the woman, you take care of the kids"). I imagine this doll is some kind of propaganda. Although I can't imagine why they would think a doll like this is appropriate -- what would they think if a child puts the doll up to her breast???? ICK!
Puck
-

I just saw that they are marketing a breastfeeding doll for girls in Spain! The doll makes sucking sounds....While BFing is a natural thing, I am not sure if that is a good idea......
Christine
-

If I were held prisoner, no hope and saw Bill Clinton walk in I would dance!
christine
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Puck, not your fault. When he has the vehicle in his possession it is his responsibility to keep it safe etc.... I watch enough People's COurt to know the lawas ;-) Now if you hadn't paid him.... etc... then he can wash his hands of it, but in his care, his $$
Christine
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Man, I grew up watching those movies.... I could recite the Breakfast CLub by heart! They filmed so much in my area. The El Rancho hotel from Planes, Trains and Automobiles was on my route to the bars in Wisonsin back in my day! Every Saturday I drove by it! I still watch the movie and go "I remember that place!!". He collected alot of memories, for everyone and left a real legacy of fun, angst and belonging. RIP Mr. Hughes.....
Christine
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Yes, thanks Mr. Hughes. 59. Too young. And it is so sad. I spent the morning getting a heart stress test done. So this really hits home for me.
rebecca
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God speed, John...and thanks for all the great 80's films! --------- Director John Hughes Dies at 59 --------- John Hughes, director of iconic films of the 1980s such as "The Breakfast Club," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Pretty in Prink," has died of a heart attack at age 59 while visiting family in Manhattan, according to his spokesman. --------- Born in 1950, he landed on the Hollywood map as a screenwriter, writing the classic 1983 Chevy Chase family road trip film "National Lampoon's Vacation" and the Michael Keaton dad-at-home comedy "Mr. Mom" the same year. --------- Hughes's ear for teen speak and for honing in on the minutiae of high school life inspired high critical praise as well as box office gold. In 1984, his first successful film, "Sixteen Candles," honed in on the pubescent humiliations and coming-of-age trials of an offbeat heroine, played by Molly Ringwald, on her 16th birthday. --------- Hughes, who set most of his films in an upper-middle-class suburb of Chicago, had a keen ear for teenage angst and the social strata of high school life, themes he developed with great success in "The Breakfast Club" (1985), "Weird Science"(1985) and the wildly successful "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986). --------- He continued to be a prolific screenwriter, writing standout films such as "Some Kind of Wonderful" (1985), "Pretty in Pink" (1986) and the record-smashing "Home Alone" (1990). --------- He used many of the same actors in his films, launching the careers of members of the teenage "Brat Pack" -- Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Rob Lowe. Later in his writing career, he wrote vehicles for the late comedian John Candy including "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987) and "Uncle Buck" (1989). --------- He continued writing films in the last two decades but took a step back from the spotlight to spend time with his family and work on his farm in northern Illinois. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Nancy, two sons, John and James, and four grandchildren.
LisaG
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Mike -- LOL at suing god! If there were a chance of winning and collecting, I just might! Yeah, and the luck gets more rotten -- a few days prior, someone cut the fence on his shop's property and stole a 100hp outboard motor out of a client's boat, and when he called his theft insurer, they said he had a no-theft rider on this theft insurance policy, and wouldn't pay! He was so mad he (wait for it....you know it's coming....) CANCELLED HIS INSURANCE, and was going to sign a new policy today with a new company. So he is, in his own words, "between insurance". He says he will likely pay out of pocket, or pay against his personal auto insurance, which he DOES have in full coverage. All I know is I want my truck fixed, and I want no fallout against myself. How can I possibly be at fault in all of this! -- and he didn't even discount my bill! HARUMPH!
Puck
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I dunno Christine. If it were God's will that the mechanic crash the truck and damage the bumper, maybe God SHOULD fork over the cash to pay for it. Maybe it's time that God be held responsible for something like this. Puck, want to be on CNN? Hire a lawyer to sue God to pay for these damages. Might even get you on Letterman and Regis! (seriously though, Puck, what rotten luck. I have to say in all my years I do not recall ever hearing of a mechanic crashing a car on a test drive. I am sure it happens, but this has to be very rare)
Mike
-

Yes, I was so glad to hear that the reporters were finally freed!......................... Christine -- I didn't get one penny discounted! ARGH! I hope my insurance rips them a new one.
PUck
-

Er, uh. I posted that twice because it was TWO US reporters that got freed. Yeah, that's the reason. One for each of them.
Mike (no idea how nor why that happened)
-

What a great end to a horrific story. Can you imagine, being jailed in a communist country half-way around the globe, a 12-year sentence hanging on you, day in and day out prison life, get called to a room in another building, walk through the door and the first thing you can focus on is seeing the former PRESIDENT of your country standing there? Can you imagine that INSTANT thrill of joy they must have felt? Right then and there they knew they were going home. They knew in a tenth of a second. What a moment that must have been. Would have loved to see a video of that moment.
Mike
-

He better for over some $$$ (the mechanic not God!)
Christine
-

The mechanic who was repairing my truck crashed it while test driving it. He says it's just a bent bumper, but I haven't seen it yet. I just can't get a break with this stupid truck!!! I suppose God is angry at me because we aren't on speaking terms anymore, but this doesn't really make me want to reopen the lines of communication!
Puck
-

My "baby" passed his permit test.... only one wrong!!!
Christine
-

"Hand raised" ...................first thing I thought.
Christine
-

Am I awful for thinking that I'm glad Stacy has miscarried? And yet, raise your hand if you smell a "I'm faking my pregnancy with ever increasing pads on my belly" story.....
Puck
-

Good one, Mike!
Christine
-

Mike - LOL! I think Cat might not enjoy that one as much as me! ;)
LisaG
-

LisaG my dear, this one's for you!....A man boarded an airplane in New Orleans with a box of frozen crabs and asked a blonde stewardess to take care of them for him. She took the box and promised to put it in the crew's refrigerator. He advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for them staying frozen, mentioned in a very haughty manner that he was a lawyer, and proceeded to rant at her about what would happen if she let them thaw out. Needless to say, she was annoyed by his behavior. Shortly before landing in New York, she used the intercom to announce to the entire cabin, "Would the gentleman who gave me the crabs in New Orleans please raise his hand?". Not one hand went up, so she took them home and had a feast. Two lessons here: 1. Lawyers aren't as smart as they think they are. 2. Blondes aren't as dumb as you think!
Mike
-

LOL at "Box of hair"!! I wonder how long they think they can pull off the "hiding deceased kidlet" thing? Until college?
Puck
-

I just saw the Grey Gardens skit on OLTL, very funny. Then I watched the TV movie with Drew Barrymore, what a fascinating story. I caught the documentary many years ago (the last half of it) but really want to see it again.
Christine
-

Merfuff- I was unaware of your diagnosis. I am so sorry. Must be why my husband hates doctors and hospitals. Big hug coming at ya right now.
rebecca
-

I LOL when a PO'd Liza in the empty courtroom inadvertently hauled off and clocked David in the face!_______I repeat: Kendall is dumber than a box of hair._______I wonder if Jake and Amanda (and Taylor and Tad) ever considered locking the door of the apartment in which they are hiding a supposedly deceased kidlet? Nahhhh...way too normally smart.
Merfuff
-

11 AM 8/4/09 Becca, your offer, were ya close-by, of a prepared meal or a house-cleaning giftie, was sweet. It is rather surprising how few realize how great those small deeds would be. As to my not-relieved pain, I think the neural damage from the lonnnng undiagnosed spinal stenosis damaged SO many nerves SO much that.....________I wonder, sometimes, why the writers drag on [such as Kendall trial] for so long. It irritates the H outa viewers, who then begin to FF._____Cole is SO unlikely as an undercover drug dealer I giggle thru the scenes.______Oh yeah, I'd like to slap Kendall silly, and then Ryan, Erica and Zach. The li'l boys are the only ones with brains.
Merfuff
-

Diane - LOL! Sounds like the start of a scary movie!
LisaG
-

LISA - That is creepy. Being all alone in a building like that and having evidence of a stranger being in the building, too, and that scary knocking on the door! I rented half of the garret in a big old house in NY state 25 years ago. The whole thing was divided up into apts, and the front door was very old and always unlocked and open. There were a couple nights when I came home and went upstairs and realized I was the only person home in that huge big old house. My heart was pounding. I felt so vulnerable. All by myself.....creak....creak....creak...
Diane
-

How hilarious were Blair and Dorian in their Grey Gardens spoof?
Puck
-

That is creepy.... And while you have the pool to yourself.... you are by yourself!!!
Christine
-

This has got to be creepy... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090801/ap_on_re_us/us_lonely_highrise
LisaG
-

I hope so!
Christine
-

Christine - wow...no charge? It sounds like the sider knew better what was going on. I hope this fixes your problem once and for all!
LisaG
-

I sometimes think about Lasik surgery and then when I think of SURGERY on my eye, I get nervous. I am not even sure how much it costs. _____________________________________________ Our contractor who was supposed to work on our house has not returned our calls in over a week (after the low estimate from insurance). So today we had a sider come out to look at the issues the contractor said were present. He said there are no problems with the flashings at the windows and he found an issue up further. He fixed it, didn't charge us and we are keeping our fingers crossed it works.
Christine
-

Yes Lisa, I agree. My mom had both eyes done (separately) and she was SHOCKED at the difference AND the ease of painlessness of the procedures. HER mom had cataracts in both eyes and really struggled for ages with the poor vision.
Mike
-

can you imagine years ago when they didn't have cateract surgery and you just had to live with cloudy vision. It's just amazing what they can do now.
lisag
-

Janet, my mom recently had cataract surgery and she now doesn't have to wear her glasses.... after years of wearing them. So it must be pretty standard though I had not heard of it before.
Christine
-

Ok that I have to see!
christine
-

HEE-LARIOUS! SOD reports that on Aug 3, Blair and Dorian will "channel their inner Edith Beales", and do a Grey Gardens spoof, in a fantasy sequence where Blair laments that she will forever be living with Dorian. So, tune in!
Puck
-

Congrats on Mr. J's cataract surgery!
Puck
-

Lisa: he is imposing, no? I love the way he makes an exit sometimes. He'll grab someone as if to make them stand still, and stride around them. As if he's rearranging the furniture or something. I don't know if I described that very well at all. But he is very good at action, and I'm sure he would like more of that. .............glad your mom had such a successful result, too!
Janet
-

Janet - LOL on Tk's driving...he really is a hyper actor, meaning he seems to prefer moving when acting. ------ Glad Mr. J's surgery went well...cateract surgery is amazing, isn't it? I took my mom to her 2 cateract surgeries and she also said the results were immediately clear...literally! She was amazed at how she'd gotten used to the "dirty" cloudy view she had and she wanted to start cleaning stuff because she started to see little things like a spot on the kitchen counter, etc. ;) The funniest part was how looped she was from the liquid valium they gave her for the surgery...powerful stuff!
Lisa G
-

Lisa, anybody who protects frogs has to be a great person. I find frogs quite interesting and harmless . . . glad you let them hop away. I guess they eat a lot of bugs, too. . . . . I watched amc the other day and TK was "driving" a car . . . he was going straight down the road, it appeared, but his hands were constantly moving the steering wheel, which didn't seem realistic at all. I'm sure an actor wants something to do with his hands, but I never have to drive like that. Just a picky note on the driving "technique" ......... ..............Mr. J had successful cataract surgery this morning. First thing he said to me when I came to get him was "I can tell the time from that clock on the wall." Instantly gave him clearer vision. The sedative is still in his system, I think, as he has dozed most of the day, but that's OK. He's not uncomfortable, no pain meds, has a clear plastic protective cup over his eye, can take it off starting tomorrow, can work, drive, etc. tomorrow after seeing the doc. Amazing, absolutely amazing. Miraculous. In 15 minutes they accomplished an ordinary operation, but the results have made him so happy. Will have the other eye done in 2 weeks. So we are very grateful here.
Janet
-

The economy is still fairly robust around here -- military base AND a university -- and prices haven't dropped as much as they have other places. So I have higher hopes! -- but in any case, I'm just piddling with it, and not after a new career. But a couple grand a year wouldn't be unwelcome!
Puck
-

Congrats, Puck! I hope the economy picks up, so you can use that new license! -------- RIBBET ALERT! Today, the siding company finally removed the empty pallets from the parking spots in front of my unit...they used to hold all the siding panels & foam boards. I went down to move the leftover roofing shingles that fell back to the grass and there on the asphalt where the pallets used to be were 2 little 3" frogs! I guess the pallets made a nice shelter that provided shade and kept rain moisture from evaoprating. I made sure they hopped into the rhododendron bushes to find a new home and so they didn't get crushed. BREEP! :) I let the slugs fry in the sun. >:)
LisaG
-

Yay, Puck!!! Congratulations!
Christine
-

As of today, I am officially a licensed Real Estate salesperson in the state of Georgia. That's what I did with my summer! -- studied, hard, spent boatloads of money (this RE stuff is a real racket, I'm tellin' ya!), and today I passed my exam and came home with a license.
Puck
-

I grew up listening to him and have that CD and like you know every song and every word! Back in my youth, we all could sing the Edmund Fitzgerald by heart.
Christine
-

We saw GL about 5 years ago. He was great. Said he'd stopped drinking and worked out every day . . . actually he did look a little gaunt. But his voice was as mellow as ever. Sometimes you just have to hang up that voice and stop touring, though . . . sounds like he's maybe reached that point. Too bad. My favorite album is Gord's Gold. I like every single song on it!
Janet
-

Mike, I saw him about 10 years ago.... wonderful show. I saw him last year and I know what you mean. Still I LOVE GL!
Christine
-

LisaG, I saw the same Travel network shows over this weekend. The Vermonster was a bit decadent no? Did see the 16lb burger? The worlds largest deliverable pizza? The hot sauce one? (three DROPS on a fried chicken wing is all you get. Have to taste-test a quarter of a drop and sign a waiver before they supply you with the wing. The hottest is like 16 million on that heat scale.
Mike
-

Saw Gordon Lightfoot last night. He really doesn't have it anymore, kind of has that octogenarian-revision Katherine Hepburn sound to his cadence at times while singing, but if you could get past that, it still was a good show and brought back lots of memories from his heyday...damn he had some classic songs. He even sang this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLaPtQuZaos&feature=related This one best exemplifies what I meant about the Kate Hepburn-sound. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta0a3DFUU0Y&feature=related Oh, and I ran into a pal who had an album on his iPod that I had been DYING to get a stereo CD of (is not on Amazon) and never searched iTunes for it. The original soundtrack from the Zorba The Greek movie! Some of the best recorded Greek music EVER! (if you all do not recall, Mike be 100% Greek). So I be dancing and opa-ing all afternooon :-)
Mike
-

I can't imagine even enjoying some of that food!
christine
-

Lisa -- that Voodoo Donut sounds wonderful!! Sweetie would love to have some of those....
Puck
-

Ok...even more disgusgting...the Vermonster. Twenty (!) scoops of ice cream (which is roughly four and a half pounds), three cookies, four bananas, one brownie, four ladles of hot fudge, ten scoops of peanuts, three scoops of sprinkles, three scoops of M&Ms, and a whole lot of whip cream. In total, it weighs six to seven pounds. It's a whopping 14,000 calories! Ugh!
LisaG
-

And I would just like to add that is is so nice to open this page and still see my little Sophia. She sent me her first email this week. A video card from the Disney webpage telling me that she misses me. Awww. I miss her too.
rebecca
-

LisaG- I would make one of my daughter's stepmom.
rebecca
-

{{{Merfuff}}} - have you ever thought of going to a new doctor. It's been years since your surgery. You should feel better by now. You should not be in this kind of pain for so long. I wish I lived closer so I could hug you, and clean your house or something for you. Still, I'm glad your visit was a good one.
rebecca
-

I think I'm nauseous...watching the Travel Channel and they're doing food. They just finished a bit about VooDoo Doughnut shop in Portland, OR. OMG, some of them are just too much...too many sugary toppings, plus one TexAss doughnut that's 1400 calories...it's HUGE! The funny one is the VooDoo doughnut that's in the shape of a person and you can stab it in honor of someone you hate, then bite off the appendages, head, etc. LOL! http://voodoodoughnut.com/menu.php
LisaG
-

LOL, Christine...shared experiences DO relate despite language barrier._____Got a giggle; both Bo and Clint have accused (to other people) the other of bein' more and more 'like Pa' (So far, IMO, Clint 'wins' the comparison.).____If Tea moves into Dori's house, I'm renamin' La Boulais - 'La Bou-lingerie'. Clothes scattered all over.___And I literally LOL when Starr came down on Todd on yesterday's epit...'YOUR sex life is YOURS and so is MINE!' Go, Starr!
Merfuff
-

Merfuff, we had some good German friends who stayed with us for a several weeks mnay years ago. The husband went on a trip to Alaska with my dad and several other German friends, leaaving his non-English sspeaking wife with my non-German speaking mother. The men were gone about 3 weeks. My mom and the woman got along splendidly. My mom only had to say a few words to her in English "shopping" "coffee" "eat" and she would answer "ya". They had alot of fun together.
Christine
-

Oh yeah, if the AMC writers don't stop with the multiple mini-cliffhangers and progress on this murder...grrrrr, Stuart will have died in vain.
Merfuff
-

1.15 PM 7/24/09 My German friends just left this AM after a visit since late Monday afternoon. We had a lotta fun, altho I didnae go on outings with 'em...too much pain and I woulda slowed 'em waaay down. The li'l girls (10 and 7) are adorable. Altho we could only minimally verbally visit (language barrier), we managed quite well. Last nite Helen told her folks, 'Gee, tomorrow we must leave after getting so comfortable here with Tante Merfuff.' ;) They are well-behaved, happy, really pretty li'l twerps. Klaus and his wife and I had great visits and of course decided that if our 49ers cannae win the Super Bowl, then either their Steelers or my Chargers should.__________Janet, I am truly saddened at the depth of your boys' woes._____Clint is bein' selfish ('I wanna be marrrrrrried' whine with a minor point about cheerin' up Matthew). Stacy is simply certifiable. Dori is beyond certifiable. And there was a NIGEL sighting!
Merfuff
-

Heavens, that is hilarious!!!
Puck
-

A new Maru video! I'm laughing so much, I'm crying! This video is the best one yet! Especially, :21 to :24, :55 to 1:05, 1:45 to 1:55, and 2:34 to the end. Maru's obsession with being IN something, especially boxes is a hoot! ----- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhrS3axiPEE
LisaG
-

Just waht we are planning on doing.....
Christine
-

Christine - I would use a different contractor...this one doesn't sound reliable. Can you ask friends and neighbors if they can recommend anyone?
LisaG
-

Our contractor appears to be avoiding our calls and email. Maybe because the insurance said we were getting overcharged? I really just want someone to fix this!
Christine
-

LISA - I think I've been to that Christmas store on Nantucket when I was kid. There's another one of those all-year round Christmas stores off the Pacific Coast Highway. But when I passed it a couple months ago, it also looked like it was now closed down. They had one up in Solvang, too. A lot of people looking, but no one buying. But it was like that in every store I went into there. The bakery had a few customers but other than that, people were just window shopping.
Diane
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Congrats Mike!
Christine
-

DianeE - On Nantucket there used to be a store that sold Christmas deocrations all year round. It was kind of fun to go in there and look while there in the summer. Unfortunately, they started to get crappy stuff in and they went out of business. Figures. :(
LisaG
-

Congrats Mike!!
Puck
-

attn, MIKE! Can you drop me an email at janet.jensen@comcast.net? You are a winner in my "locked my keys in my car" blog contest. Yours was voted the "most illegal." Great story! I need your snail mail address, too, in order to send your prize. A key chain, of course!
Janet
-

At this rate, maybe they should just leave out all the holiday decorations all year long, huh? ANITA -- LOL! Good for Katie! I love how outspoken she is when something seems amiss!
Diane
-

That means the halloween candy should be out soon. And if you buy it early, you eat most of it before the 31st.
Christine
-

Heck, Hallmark previewed their Christmas ornaments in July....I remember when Katie was little and a store was putting up Christmas decor in Sept.. she put her little hands on her hips and told the guy on the ladder.. "Christmas in winter.. it still warm out.. it not Christmas".. he chuckled and agreed! DIANE..sorry to hear of legal problems with your aunt's house.. yeah, why didn't they say something months ago? and Janet.. sorry to hear about your DIL miscarrying.. how sad.. and sorry about oldest son's divorce. it's never easy but so much more complicated with children involved.
Anita
-

Geeze...I was just in Michael's (craft store) and they already had HALLOWEEN decorations out!!! it's not even August! Yeesh!
LisaG
-

The Walmart by me had a back to school display BEFORE the 4th!!
Christine
-

LISA -- LOL! Oh, that video is so sad!! Those poor kidlings. Gosh, I remember those horrible back-to-school commercials in August. They are probably running them all the way thru July now, huh? I remember it used to seem like summer lasted forever. What a grand thing to be off all summer and barefoot. Ah.....
Diane
-

LISA - Yes, it is so scary to see family members seemingly become devoid of any heart when it comes to inheritances. I sometimes wish a person's assets would just evaporate when they die so this doesn't happen. I know people like that sister you are telling me about who falls apart instead of being able to fight. What a shame her own sister is putting her through this. I know there are good lawyers out there like Cat, but many of suspect the first lawyer was planning on stealing my half of the inheritance. There have been signs pointing that way, and the Trustee dismissed him and hired a really great lawyer in his place. The first lawyer was furious and called the Trustee up and yelled at her for dismissing him. Are they supposed to have such a personal stake in a case that they are so offended because they are dismissed?? Soon after, this lawsuit came out so we think perhaps lawyer #1 contacted Juan's lawyer to try and get the whole estate for Juan so the 2 lawyers could split my share. Who knows. 10 months after my aunt's death is a strange time to claim my aunt was coerced and wasn't in her right mind.
Diane
-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPIIMbG9R4w
LisaG...still laughing!
-

To me, if it's a valid will, the no one should be able to contest it...period. Too much of this stuff is set up only to benefit the lawyers (apologies to Cat!) and not protect the deceased, their assets and their beneficiaries. ------- My poor friend lost her mother suddenly last November...she's been living at home with her parents all her life (she's 40!) and now is basically care taker for her ailing father. She and her 2 sisters have inherited the house from their mother (father was taken off because of his mental health issues), so now one of the sisters is demanding her share of the house. My friend has to now buy her out, so she has to get a mortgage, etc. Personally, I think it's outrageous, because what if she wasn't living at home? Would the sell the house out from under their father? And what about the dad? Who would they get to care for him? I told her go shopping for a mortgage now and she can probably get a really low rate...also, she may be able to get the $8k first time home buyer's taqx credit. In any event, it should be a low enough monthly payment (I'm sure she had TONS of $'s saved, too) and that sister will be off her back. But what a horrible and stressful situation! The girl is a wreck between working too many hours and having to deal with her wacky father and now her greedy sister...and she's not the kind of person that stands up for herself, instead she just falls apart. I think if she had lived on her own for a while, she'd be better prepared and stable for all this. But anyway, my point is, money does strange things to people, even between family members...it's so sad.
LisaG
-

Oh Diane, what a mess.....
christine
-

Thanks, REBECCA, LISA, and PUCK. I hope his illegal or non-citizen status will help, too. The Trustee is having to pawn her engagement ring to pay an attorney to protect her in this lawsuit. What a mess. Why can't people just play nice when it comes to wills and trusts? I wish sometimes the deceased person could come back down here and say "Yeah, that's what I wanted and that's final!" And then go back up.
Diane
-

I love that ad. It's so hilarious!
Puck
-

I saw my favorite commercial last night...the one for Staples where you see an aisle in the store and hear the Christmas song playing..."it's the most wonderful time of the year..." Then you see a dad dancing and hopping by while pushing a shopping cart, followed by 2 little kids trudging behind him very sullen and depressed. The ad goes on to talk about back-to-school savings! It's soooooo funny!
LisaG
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Puck- don't apologize for that. I agree with you. I hope the guy doesn't get anything. First off, if he's here illegally he needs to go. Second, half is more than fair. If he is that greedy that he would try to take it all from a blood relative then he doesn't deserve a damn dime. I'm so sorry for your troubles on this Diane. I hope it works out fast and in your favor.
rebecca
-

Diane - How horrible! And really stupid...doesn't he understand that half of something is better than all of nothing? I also hope he's illegal and gets deported...you don't need to deal with that garbage!
LisaG
-

...and I can't believe that just came out of my mouth! But seriously, if people won't play nice, you have to play dirty.
Puck
-

Diane -- whoa, that stinks! I hope he's illegal, and you can get him to back off quickly.
Puck
-

My latest saga is that my aunt's house FINALLY got a decent offer after 10 months. Juan (the handyman) and I were supposed to split that nice sale price. But guess what he did. He just SUED the Trustee claiming my aunt was out of her mind for months before she passed (A BLATANT LIE!!) and that the Trustee (my aunt's S-I-L) coerced my aunt into changing her Trust 2 weeks before she died -- which was not true. I learned Juan showed up drunk at the nursing home and got thrown out. My aunt had seen the bad side of him while she was so ill and called her lawyer to only give him half the house instead of the whole thing. So now the house sale has been FROZEN and we will probably lose the only decent buyer we'll get. PLUS, the Trustee (a senior citizen who is on social security and cleans houses for a living) and I (with my small but hard-earned savings account) will have to each get our own lawyer! We both do not have the money for this. We have a new estate lawyer, too, who is much better than the shady one the Trusee fired. He told us we both need a lawyer because Juan is suing her and trying to take my half of the estate. Plus, Juan from Guatemala may still be illegally in the country if he hasn't gotten his green card yet. The lawyer said that's the first thing he's going after.
Diane
-

Oh boy, these dealings with ex in-laws and ex's in general are sure a tightrope act sometimes, huh? PUCK -- Oh boy, I was not expecting that to come out of her mouth, and I guess that's why she did it like that. JANET - I feel so much for son #1. He didn't deserve this. He has so much hard work and school ahead and he didn't need this emotional mess now. And he can't come home every night to his little girl jumping with glee and yelling "Daddy!" That stinks. I guess it's a lesson to everyone. Never let anyone manipulate you into doing anything you are not ready for. They obviously do not care about you if they don't care you aren't ready so you are headed for more trouble down the road. SELFISH these kinds of people are. The same pushy types are the ones who walk away with someone else's husband and break up families and don't feel one ounce of guilt about the whole thing.
Diane
-

My ex pretty much took his clothes and that was it. I gave him an old couch and an old TV (he didn't realize it was getting bad and thought it was the better one). The bedroom set once belonged to my parents, my son needed his set and he let me take the kitchen and livingroom stuff.
Christine
-

Puck - ROTFLOL! I would have busted out lauging!
LisaG
-

Oh, Puck, that's a classic. Hopefully issues like that will be handled as advised by the attorneys. #1 son is still pretty naive.
Janet
-

Oh Puck!
Christine
-

er...rather, "he would leave me".
Puck
-

From the other end of the divorce story -- So, I was divorcing her son, when one day I saw my soon-to-be-ex-MIL in the grocery store. Now, she liked me, but I had a hard time dealing with her, because she was WEIRD! I tried to put it down to different cultures (she was Iranian) -- it was she who got me a subscription to an Iranian woman's magazine, where the letters to the editor usually extolled the pleasures of wearing the hijab, and was always talking about how I needed to cook better, or I would leave him. She came up to me in the store, with the most loving and sympathetic look on her face, drew me into a big, long hug (my aunt and cousin, standing by, started to wonder if they needed to save me), then when she drew away, she gently patted my cheek and cupped my chin, and said, "You know, you shouldn't be asking for the TV and the VCR in the divorce, because he earned them with his money."
Puck
-

rebecca: that must have been so difficult. I am hoping that in the big picture, this may be for the best, but it is so tough for him now.
Janet
-

Janet- so sorry to hear about your family woes. For years, I bent over backwards to be cordial to my ex and his wife. They are the ones that had the major custody of Bethanie. But I finally decided after Sophia was born that I was done with them both. I have explained it to my daughter as politely as I could. But her step-mother has been an evil thorn in my side for years. I don't see the need to "pretend" to be friends. We're all adults. It's time for her to get over it. I have spent my last Christmas or Thanksgiving at their house just so my daughter doesn't have to choose between us. She has to grow up too.
rebecca
-

The dynamics are very difficult. I try to leave the main communication between my ex and myself and its mainly about my son. He used to call and try to engage my current husband in conversation, but my husband has made it clear, he will be cordial, but they are NOT friends. It is tough, but you need to do your best when kids are involved.
Christine
-

Chrstine, it's very touchy, isn't it, when family relationships change. I'm not comfortable now when she asks questions about how my son is doing. I give a generic reply of "fine." If they're not communicating (and he needs some space so he's not taking her calls or texts for a while) I don't want to be pulled into that position either. I guess we'll work out our boundaries as time goes by.
Janet
-

Janet, my ex had a friend who was married many years ago. Prior to the marriage, she was the one who forced the issue, then she was the one who wanted 2 children, and of course they bought a huge house. About 7 years into the marriage, she told him she had what she wanted a house and kids and it was time for him to move out. The poor guy was devasted. ______________________________ My ex MIL would be calling my house weekly talking about this and that not relating to my son. I finally told me ex that I was no longer married to her and didn't need to hear her go on and on about such and such. Now when she picks up my son, she doesn't come to the door..... from one extreme to another. I'm not terribly depressed about it, she never liked me when I was married to her son.....
Christine
-

Diane - yes, that's part of their history - but I don't enjoy being "right." I'd rather they worked it out so our granddaughter could have a 2 parent home . . . . . I had thought they were doing fine and didn't see this coming. When they decided to get married I was their biggest fan, which is a mother-in-law's job. You want it to work. But his soon-to-be ex is relocating within 100 miles of us and is talking about weekend visits, which we'll be happy to do - with our granddaughter or her mom as well. You have to preserve that relationship when there's a child involved. But #1 will be in med school in Ohio for another year and then have 4 years of residency, who knows where, so that's tough for him. So I feel we'll be "filling in" for him and would like to see our granddaughter as often as possible. She just turned 2. As for #2's situation, they're doing all the medical stuff, including in vitro, so this is especially disappointing. And very hard on her body and emotions, which worries me. Thank goodness her mom is nearby. And nothing we can do here. Thanks for your concern.
Janet
-

JANET - So sorry about the bad and sad news in your family. I am shocked about #1's wife. I remember she was the one who pushed so very hard for him to marry her, and then she pulls this. She is not even thinking about her child, I imagine. It sounds like #2's wife might have a medical issue if she's miscarried before? Have they looked into why this is happening?
Diane
-

Frank McCourt, Author Of Angela's Ashes, Dies At 78. :( http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/hc-frank-mccourt-author-angela-ashes-tis-dead-dies,0,6088220.story
LisaG
-

RIP Frank......
Christine
-

CBS has a wonderful Walter Cronkite special on right now. Everything from Vietnam to Kennedy to the space walk to even the Grateful Dead is being covered. What a wonderful send off!!!
Christine
-

Janet - so sorry to hear about your family's trials...so sad. Also sad about Frank McCourt...I met him at a poetry reading that TK also read at in NYC. It was just when Angela's Ashes came out. I read all 3 books, but the first was the best, I thought...I was laughing, crying, shocked, etc. throughout.
Lisa G
-

lol!
Christine
-

Ladies. Read this just now on a local forum. Figured you'd all get a good guffaw from this one...... Fresh from my shower, I stand in front of the mirror complaining to my husband that my breasts are too small. Instead of characteristically telling me it's not so, he uncharacteristically comes up with a suggestion. "If you want your tiny breasts to grow, then every day take a piece of toilet paper and rub it between them for a few seconds." Willing to try anything, I fetch a piece of toilet paper and stand in front of the mirror, rubbing it between my breasts. "How long will this take?" I asked. "They will grow larger over a period of years," my husband replies. I stopped. "Do you really think rubbing a piece of toilet paper between my breasts every day will make my breasts larger over the years?" Without missing a beat he says, "Worked for your butt, didn't it?" He's still alive, and with a great deal of therapy, he may even walk again, although he will probably continue to take his meals through a straw.
Mike
-

I'm so bad! -- I was interrupted and did not finish reading Janet's message, so I missed the bad news. I'm so sorry for all concerned.
Puck
-

That moment, the moon landing, and when he reported on President Kennedy - he was momentarily overcome, and knew that silence carries meaning, too. . . . I heard that he owned a boat he named "Assignment" so that when he didn't appear on the news, they could say he was "on Assignment." Whether that's true, I don't know, but it's a great story.
Janet
-

Janet, sounds like you had a great trip.......................... so sorry to hear about sons 1 and 2. No one wants their kids to be sad, it is hard. __________________________________ I like your Walter Cronkite story. They showed a clip from him reporting on the moon landing and how he was so overcome with astonishment and emotion. I can just imaigne him "conducting" the choir.
Christine
-

Janet -- sounds like a great trip! Glad you had a great time. So sorry to hear about Frank McCourt...
Puck
-

8.30 AM 7/19/09 Thanks, Mike. It is nice to know one is among friends...with only the occasional kabob lobbed ;)________Janet, glad your trip was largely wonderful, but sorry for the boys' troubles._________Got a giggle to see Tea wearin' elephant pants on Friday's show...70's flashback.
Merfuff
-

oops, Malachy played Mr. Keneally . . .. . and Frank made a guest appearance. Can't believe I mixed that up. sigh. I miss the good old Patrick/Margaret days.
Janet
-

Malachy McCourt reports that big bro Frank McCourt (aka Mr. Keneally of the Wild Swan), author of Angela's Ashes, is seriously ill and not expected to recover. He is 79. Few writers can do the audio version of their own books, but his was wonderful, and what a gifted storyteller. Didn't care for 'Tis, but I loved his 3rd book, Teacher Man. Was out of town/out of touch during all the MJ frenzy . . . but I will comment on custody. Evidently MJ indicated in his will that his mom was to be guardian of the children. Maybe Grandma J is wonderful, but she is 79 and she is married to Mr. Jackson, who has never been portrayed as a Nice Guy. That doesn't sound like a great or stable future for the kids . . . and ya know, it seems like every time I see a clip of MJ's astounding dance moves, here comes the crotch grab to ruin it. Just MHO . . . Very sad ending to a very sad life, amazing talent. Got to see Walter Cronkite in person in 2002 . . . he was guest narrator for Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert (wonderful job with the narration) and then conducted the choir in the Hallelujah Chorus. We watched the choir rehearse with the regular conductor, who put his hands behind his back and just let them sing in autopilot mode, because, bless him, Cronkite loved to guest-conduct military bands with an up-down motion . . . . so the performance was actually excellent, with Cronkite beaming, loooking like a kid in a candy shop, doing his up-down motion with the baton and the choir taking care of themselves. A lovely memory of a great man. Just got home from 3 weeks of travel. Took advantge of #2 son living in Finland and #1 son having a grant to study in Helsinki, to visit both of them, and then #3 and Mr. J joined us in Copenhagen for a 10 day Baltic Nations cruise. . . . fabulous country to see, but many ports quite crowded. Would do the Hermitage Museum in the dead of winter instead of July, tho . . . and we were able to see Swan Lake performed by a Russian ballet company in St. Petersburg . . . still a bit jet-lagged but it was really nice to be together and see some amazing sights. LOL, Merfuff, re Dorian's cork never quite being firmly in place, only you said it better. Sad news, #2's wife has miscarried at 12 weeks, another heartbreak in a series for them...we had celebrated the pregnancy on the cruise . . . and #1's wife is divorcing him. Devastating for all of us, and as there'a darling 2 year old granddaughter involved, a tough future for the child as well. And we didn't see this coming. New challenges every day, I guess, but hard to see your kids hurting.
Janet
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Have to tell you all briefly about a trial (a.k.a circus) going on around here that if it does not become a 4-hour TV movie, well, I don't know what I'd do other than be as shocked by anything that ever shocked me. On the late afternoon/early evening of September 11, 2001 (yep, THE 9-11) Michelle Harris went to work near her Owego NY home (maybe 17 miles from where I type now), left work after her shift and was never seen again (she may have had a liason with her BF before the disappearance, I cannot recall for sure). A very pretty 30-something married mother of three(?), in the middle of a very bitter divorce with her filthy rich husband Cal - he owns many car dealerships - Cal immediately became a suspect. They ruled out her boyfriend very quickly. Even with no body, no physical evidence and no witnesses of THE crime, Cal was convicted of her murder in 2007 based upon all the other evidence provided. I honestly think you'd be hard pressed to find 50 people in the three local counties who thought he was innocent. The prosecutions' case stated Cal killed her that evening after or during the very early hours of the 12th (before sunrise). A month or so after conviction, the VERY DAY that his sentence was to be read, THAT VERY DAY, some guy comes forward to say that he saw someone he thinks was Michelle standing next to a truck at the foot of her driveway and talking to some man. He siad he waited because he was hoping Cal would be acquitted so he would not have to come forward. The judge listened to this guy's statement and threw out the case just completed. The new/second trial started last week, same judge, same courtroom. There's a lot more, affairs by both Michelle and Cal, another witness who has since died, etc etc. Stay tuned for the Lifetime Movie Network presentation. I'm already stocking up on the microwave popcorn. (by the way, 20-20 of one of them major network shows did a piece on this last summer, so it has caught the eye of the networks/Hollywood)
Mike
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Yes, I can safely say we all have nothing but respect and admiration for Walter Cronkite. Seems so long ago he retired (it's because it IS a long time ago). At least he got to live a long life after retiring. Way too many people I know don't live too long after tossing out the alarm clock.
Mike
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A good long life, dignity, a positive influence in this world.... I agree after the MJ circus, this here is a man who deserves a state funeral.... Rest in Peace, Walter!
Christine
-

More deserving of a state funeral than MJ that's for sure. Godspeed, Walter!
Puck
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God speed, Walter... Walter Cronkite, longtime CBS anchorman, dies at 92. http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-walter-cronkite18-2009jul18,0,4276121.story
LisaG
-

Wow, Walter's death has really upset me. Now there's a man that truly deserves a state funeral.May you find peace and light, Walter, and thank you for the service to your country.
Ariel
-

Godspeed Walter. Slowly but surely, my mother's generation is dwindling away. It makes me very sad.
rebecca
-

Walter Cronkite has passed away at the age of 92
Anita
-

Every time I watch those shows.... I want to eat!
Christine
-

Anybody been watching Top Chef Masters? Man, the food looks like it tastes incredible! Yummmmm!
LisaG
-

Yes, a special hell for child molesters and people that talk at the opera.
rebecca
-

TPTB at OLTL are ticking me off! I am a TnTer and am sick that now Todd is making all googly eyes with Blair (and with the spoiler coming up!!!)! I thought he declared this great love for Tea????
Christine
-

They showed the dad being interviewed excited over one daughter finally walking... it made me cry.....
Christine
-

There is a special place in hell for people like that, Lisa!
Christine
-

On GH -- I think I like unabashedly loving-it mini-mobster Dominic/Dante the best! At least he loves his work, and doesn't have all that moody angst about it!! Besides, the actor is good at humorous one-liners, and is not that hard on the eyes, either!
Puck
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Christine - that's a death penalty case if I ever heard one...those men were sick sociopaths to do what they did. Some of those poor handicapped kids actually witnessed the murders, too. Horrible.
LisaG
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I was just watching Nightline and they were talking about that FLorida couple who were killed, the ones that had adopted all the special needs children. they think aobut 8 people, some in Ninja costumes, broke in and killed them. They aren't even sur eif robbery was the main motive. Makes me so sick.....
Christine
-

I would not put anything past Joe Jackson...the man is a pimp for his own family. He's the main reason MJ was so screwed up to begin with.
LisaG
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Mike, I have been hearing rumors all week as to this. Perhaps he is working for Debbie Rowe? She mentioned she didn't want the kids near him, so if he says this stuff, maybe she can get custody??? In all seriousness, as much as I didn't like MJ, he is turning in his grave at the thought of his dad getting control of those kids.
Christine
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OK, if this is true I say that Joe Jackson should be eutanized, as this would be clear evidence that he is brain dead anyway. From http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,531940,00.html?mrp Joe Jackson Wants Michael's Kids to Tour as 'Jackson 3'. Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, is lining up the King of Pop's children for a world tour as The Jackson Three — despite family members accusing him of trying to "exploit them like Jacko." Former Jackson Five manager Joe is said to have approached Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year old Prince Michael II — known as Blanket — to hit the stage next year. But one of Jacko's familymembers is said to be "livid" at the scheme, which will add fuel to the bitter custody battle for the youngsters. Jackson’s biographer Ian Halperin said yesterday: "Joe wants the children to go on a world tour in 2010. He has also already offered recording contracts to two of Michael’s kids. Now he is talking about getting them the world’s best backing band and taking them on tour as The Jackson Three." Halperin said yesterday his source for the allegations is extremely close to the family and may soon speak out publicly — out of concern for the future of the youngsters. He told The Sun: "One of the family members is livid. He is saying Joe seems intent to do this no matter what. “He wants to exploit the kids the same way he did Michael." Jacko has claimed former boxer Joe Jackson beat him as a child — and the fear of him made him "regurgitate." Sister La Toya has also told of the "constant threat of violence" that Joe Jackson imposed on his children.
Mike
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Bwa ha ha ha ha! ---------- New Swiss firefighting tool: TV remote control ZURICH — It must rank among the easiest fires ever to put out. Zurich authorities say police and firefighters were called to the house of an elderly woman early Thursday after she reported her television set was burning. When they arrived, they discovered no signs of fire or smoke. They found instead that the TV was tuned into a German station that in the early morning hours aired the constant image of a fireplace. “The fire was extinguished with the press of a button,” police said in a statement.
LisaG
-

I really should drag out my blades, but I have such bad balance!
Christine
-

lol!
christine
-

I was really feeling my age earlier today...or I'm hoping just my temporary "out of shapeness". I went roller blading for the first time since last Sept and oy! was I huffing and puffing up the hills! I managed to go for 50 minutes and boy did my legs feel like wet noodles when I was done! Still, it felt GOOD to finally get out and enjoy the nice weather...I'm going to try to go again tomorrow evening. I go in a local industrial park, so on weekends and after hours, there's little to no traffic...with the long summer light, I can probably go from 6:30 to 7:30 with no problems. There are also a lot of walkers and cyclists that use the roads, so it's also pretty safe...plus the police patrol. I just hope I can keep up the exercise beyond the summer and into the fall...now that I'm pushing the big 5-0 next year, I have an urge to get into shape and keep in shape before it's too late. Watch out Jack LaLaine! ;)
LisaG
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Christine - I heard about that last item...horrible. What the heck is wrong with these people?! I would say they've done more harm to more people with this desecration of all these bodies and grave sites than if they'd killed the people themselves. I hope they all get life in prison...disgraceful!
LisaG
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They are now reporting about maps being gone and the fate of "Babyland" part of the cemetary, officials can't find the babies' graves..... it is really sad. DH asked how could people not know what was going on, but apparently they kept records of who visited and how often. Lets face it people move visit every few years.... etc and besides, your final resting place should be your FINAL resting place! I do think we probably are going to have a surge of people visiting gravesites in this area. They also are beign accused of using money that wa set aide for the Emmett Till fund. His original casket, which wa to have been preserved was found in a storage shed with racoons living in it.
christine
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That is all very horrible. And to put it in financial perspective, it netted four people, over four years, $300,000 - or just under $19k per person per year. I realize that IS a substantial increase over a cemetery worker's salary, but compared to the backlash against them, and the jail time they will do, it seems hardly worth it. What is going through these people's minds? -- I'm amazed at how cheaply people will sell their integrity.
Puck
-

Man, it was devastating to see the relatives of the deceased. This one poor woman was trying to find the body of her baby daughter. Those people that did this should go to jail for life.
LisaG
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Relatives are coming out in droves and trying to locate relatives... some are starting to dig to see if they are even there.....
Christine
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It was one of the historic cemetaries that allowed African Americans to be buried there back in the day. Emmett Till is buried there as are Dinah Washington, Willie Dixon, several Harlem Globtrotters and several b-ball players from the Negro League! Emmett's grave appears to be fine, the others are in question. My co-workers wife has family buried there...
Christine
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Christine - I heard about that on the news last night...reprehensible! All those people should be forced to do any manual labor required to separate the bodies and reinterr (sp?) them. That might teach them a lesson. ------- Gorgeous day today...sunny, not too hot and a nice cool breeze...definetly a "Nantucket beach day". :)
LisaG
-

Its now hit International headlines....
Christine
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This is just happening outside of Chicago, but I guess hits hitting national headlines "Five employees of the historic Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip were taken into custody Wednesday after authorities learned numerous bodies had been dug up and the grave sites were illegally resold, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said. Detectives discovered a pile of bones -- from more than 100 decomposed bodies -- above ground and uncovered in an overgrown, fenced-off portion of the cemetery, Dart said. What we found was beyond startling and revolting," the sheriff said. On Wednesday night, as news of the grim discovery spread, devastated families started trickling onto the cemetery grounds to check on their loved ones' graves. Donetta Newman, 35, whose father and both of her grandparents are buried at Burr Oak, stood in the rain trying to get inside to see if their grave sites had been disturbed. "You always think this is the final resting place," she said. "This is just shocking. I'm very distraught." One of the first predominantly African-American cemeteries in the area, Burr Oak is home to many historic figures, including Emmett Till, blues legend Dinah Washington and heavyweight boxing champion Ezzard Charles.
christine
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I don't buy the young and innocent, he knew what he was doing.
Christine
-

Well, the story goes that he was young and innocent, and didn't know much about the world, or business, or anything, and PM took him under his wing when they started collaborating on songs. It appears the issue was one where PM was teaching the "boy man" as PM called him, and didn't realize MJ would immediately seize upon the very example PM taught him with! It was rotten of him, but I liken it to the stupid things children do when you teach them something -- how many times have you experienced, or seen happen, a thing where the parents teaches a child something, and the child mimics the action by immediately taking it out on the parent (ex: teaching a child to box, who immediately punches you in the nose). What's pitiful is that a person of MJ's age then -- 20-ish? -- didn't already know that, but still acted very childish in many areas of his life.
Puck
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Puck - wow...that really makes me like MJ even less...he should have let PM buy the rights. what a jerk.
LisaG
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It's all about the contract you sign. Apparently, the Beatles signed contracts that gave their recording company the rights to their music (which was not unusual at the time -- you wanted to be discovered, you had to give up something for that stardom). When the recording company wanted money, they sold the rights. As I hear it, though, Paul McCartney was advising his young friend MJ about how publishing/catalogs was the thing to get into, and had divulged the price he was going to pay for the Beatles songs, and MJ outbid him. -- That was the reason for their breach.
Puck
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Just got off the phone with the newest claims adjuster (our original is still on vacation). He thinks our estimate is too high. Some issues with labor etc... I guess 8 hours to move furniture to paint is a bit much! And the contractor wants to know what is up. The new adjuster wants to come out and take a look at everything and we will go from there. I guess we could talk the contractor down on some things.... i.e. we can move furniture, or we don't need primer and sealer on the undamaged walls. I need a vacation.
Christine
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I agree Lisa, but that's the way business goes.
Christine
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Mike - LOL! A typo AND a double post, to boot! ;) Like *I* should talk! Anyway, about MJ's owning of the rights to the Beatles songs...that always really ticked me off that someone could purchase them. To me, they should belong solely to any remaining living member of the group and should NOT be allowed to be sold. And after their deaths, I think family descendents should at least be allowed first crack at purchasing the rights, if not given them outright, since I believe they're privately owned assets of the authors.
LisaG
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BAD Typo: I said "But by seeing how THAT is not dominating the news, I wish she hadn't spoke. "should be "how THAT is NOW dominating the news...". I hate it when typos totally reverse what you are trying to say. Yeesh.
Mike
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His debts are large, but MJ owns TWO tremendous assets -- he owns the rights to the entire catalogues for both the Beatles and Elvis Presley. I understand, concerning the Beatles, that he bought the rights for $45 million, and today they are worth BILLIONS! If they choose to sell off all his assets, they will clear his debts and still have gobs of money leftover for his kids to live in happy seclusion (if they so choose) for the rest of their lives.
Puck
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Merf, "I thought I'd get skewered". Wow. You are among friends here. maybe a lurker might toss a kabob at you, but not anyone meaningful...I would hope anyway. I know I haven't been around much and maybe missed some major skewerings, but I hope not. I know I myself agree with some of the MJ stuff mentioned here in the last day but not all of it, but I myself sure as hell wouldn't skewer anyone over any of it, it's just opinion and there are much bigger problems in the world. Difference in opinion is what makes forums like this attractive. If we all felt the same way about everything, the GB would have cobwebs, as well as our lives in general. Thatsaid, while I do not think that the jacksons forced nor coerced Michael's daughter to speak, they probably did encourage her once she expressed an interest too. But by seeing how THAT is not dominating the news, I wish she hadn't spoke. The media is unquestionably exploiting her now. Totally expected once I saw it, but totally a sad move by the media. I also feel Al Sharpton mention TO the three kids in talking on how their daddy was not weird but how the media handled him was weird was NOT a good thing because I honestly feel they had been sheltered from that "you daddy is odd" talk and now Al said it to them in front of millions (even though he refuted the notion, he in fact told then some think their daddy was weird). That to me was by far the worst thing I saw in yesterday's memorial.
Mike
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8 AM 7/8/09 Impressive list...admirable at sight. I wonder how he managed to lend much other than his name when his estate is $400+ million in the red. I know his name portends future earnings on the estate, but I dinnae envy whoever has to hire and oversee the people to untangle such a mess. Sad.
Merfuff
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Micheal Jackson was listed in the 2000 edition of the Guiness Book Of World Records for breaking the world record for the "Most Charities Supported By a Pop Star". It states that Michael Jackson has supported 39 charity organizations either with monetary donations through sponsorships of their projects or by participating in their silent auction. We have made an alphabetical list of known charities that Michael Jackson has individualy supported publically throughout his career. Michael Jackson also helped set up Heal The World Foundation, the charities this has supported have not been listed. Read our Heal The World/kids page for details of this foundation. AIDS Project L.A. American Cancer Society Angel Food Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles BMI Foundation, Inc. Brotherhood Crusade Brothman Burn Center Camp Ronald McDonald Childhelp U.S.A. Children's Institute International Cities and Schools Scholarship Fund Community Youth Sports & Arts Foundation Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Dakar Foundation Dreamstreet Kids Dreams Come True Charity Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Love Match Make-A-Wish Foundation Minority Aids Project Motown Museum NAACP National Rainbow Coalition Rotary Club of Australia Society of Singers Starlight Foundation The Carter Center's Atlanta Project The Sickle Cell Research Foundation Transafrica United Negro College Fund (UNCF) United Negro College Fund Ladder's of Hope Volunteers of America Watts Summer Festival Wish Granting YMCA - 28th Street/Crenshaw
fyi
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I am now going to an MJ free aone, with OLTL on soapnet.
Christine
-

Puck, poor Farrah, but for the rest of us, not caught in the MJ nuttiness... she was a true loss. I also blame the media for blowing this out of proportion. Did we need this kind of coverage?
Chrisitne
-

And let us not forget -- Farrah Fawcett died the same day, a few hours earlier. She would have been the big news, and was for approximately an afternoon. She, too, was an icon of her times, and actually did something -- in her own limited way -- to raise the status of women by trying to be more than a pretty face and nice head of hair. Does she get the equivalent of a state-funeral-cum-rock-concert? No!
Puck
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I totally agree about MJ. I'm going to sidestep the question of the child molestation, since it was never proven and since molesters don't stop and there have been no further claims (being a creepy weird person does NOT make one pedophile!). But I agree with Merf about what this says about our values as a society. The last time we saw this kind of spectacle on TV about the death of a public figure was Princess Diana. At least she was a member of a ruling family, and mother to two potential kings of the country, and was active in charitable affairs. MJ, however, may have had dubious dealings with children, was merely a public entertainer who actually hasn't publicly entertained in decades, and who had a morbid obsession with plastic surgery. We revered MJ at the same level the Brits revered Diana. What does it say about us as a society, that such a man has a public display of a funeral on par with a quasi-political figure, charity activist, and mother of an ongoing dynasty? It boggles the mind.
Puck
-

Merfuff, I might just contact the BBB once we get a concrete result from the repairmen. If the builder did wrong, I will make sure they know. ________________________________--I also agree with you on MJ. Everyone is saying Oh he was so great, oh he was so talented. I have had co-workers say well he did some bad things (pedophilia) and I always counter (hope I don't offend anyone), Hitler got the autobhan built and he was a monster..... do we wipe all that away if the most horrible of people do a few good things? People are comparing him to Christ!
Christine
-

Merf - no problemo! I think what's more disturbing about MJ's death and all this public grieving is also covering up that he appears to have had serious and probably deadly chemical dependence problems. Diprovan is a highly addictive medication that some people injest because the sleep they get from it is extremely peaceful...they use it strictly for anesthesia. As I'm channel surfing, I'm seeing all the re-re-replays of today's memorial service. I'm very glad I skipped it...his poor daughter at a freakin' microphone to speaking to thousands of people about how much she loved MJ, then breaking down in tearful sobs. We're going to see that clip replay a bazillion times. Did she really want to do that or did the family force her to? I get the distinct impression that may have been staged. I know, I'm very cynical, but I'm just so disgusted by all this gushing over a muscially talented, yet probable child molestor. Ick.
LisaG...may the darts fly!
-

Thank you, LisaG. I thought I'd get skewered. My comments were more about the USAn mentality today than a negative comment about Jackson._____Christine, I'm wondering if the Attorney General could help you re the shoddy workmanship...and you might consider (AFTER all is repaired to utmost satisfaction) complaining about contractors to the Better Business Bureau. They take no assistance action, but can warn others of the shoddiness of the workmanship. This too, speaks to the tenor of USAns' values...and poorly. I am sorry you got stuck.
Merfuff
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Merf - I completely agree. Yes, MJ was a talented artist musically, but he was a major creepy and disturbed person. I think just ignoring all the negative just because he's dead incorrectly whitewashes his dubious past.
LisaG
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4.30 PM 7/7/09 I may be the odd one out, but I find hours of TV coverage of the Jackson death/memorial ludicrous. Highly talented, indeed. Highly dubious morally, indeed. I may catch a lot of flak for this, but...it says a lot in a negative way, to my thinking, of the values of USAns today. Well, there....
Merfuff
-

They had coverage of the memorial service on SEVENTEEN different tv channels! Ridiculous. I feel sorry for the people that live or work near the Staples center...it must be like a zoo.
LisaG
-

To be honest Christine, I would watch if I could. And sorry about the leak costs. I know those things can get REALLY expensive. Ouch.
Mike
-

Gack! I have co-workers watching the memorial coverage online!
Christine
-

Very little is covered under insurance. What gets me is the original Claims Adjuster went on vacation and I have had to talk to 3 different people, who all say, well we don't know your claim. WE got a check for $339 (we have a $1000 deductible) but thats a far cry from what we will have to pay. But according to the last guy I spoke to, they don't cover defects in construction of the house. I'm kind of ticked off considering how much we pay in insurance and are getting not much and I am ticked off that no one seems to know my case. After this is all over, I am shopping around for new insurance. The guys we want to hire are pretty good. And the estimate they gave us is in detail. We might get a bit more our of State Farm as the painting estimate is a bit more.
Christine
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Christine - Ouch! That's a lot of money! Is anything covered under insurance? Is there any way to get a guarantee from the company doing the repair, so if it still leaks, they'll continue to fix it for free? It kills me how companies do such shoddy work now-a-days. I have one of the siding company owners coming over this morning to look at a couple of problems I have with their job on my unit. Never ends.
LisaG
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WE got the estimate to repair our leak situation. Nearly $5000! Beisdes painting and drywall they have to lift the siding to fix the window.... much work. Should take several days.
Chrstine
-

Puck - LOL! I have to watch Jon Stewart more! I would think an MJ interview would be "the one that most creeped me out"! Ick!
LisaG
-

Colbert did another hilarious bit with Jeff Goldblum on Obama's killing the fly -- remember, JG played in "The Fly" many many years ago! I was rolling on the floor.
Puck
-

Puck, ITA the Daily Show and the Colbert Report are hilarious. Colbert did a bit last week with Jeff Goldblum making fun of all the rumors of deaths...(they also had Robin and Rick from Cheap Trick- WOOT!) Must run, time to take kids to soccer practice...
Ariel
-

Lisa, I agree, I am sick of the coverage. Every station in my area is covering the service!!! Arrrghhhh! __________________________ Puck, I so agree Todd and Tea have been fantastic!
christine
-

If any of you are FFing past Todd/Tea, STOP RIGHT NOW! Great googly moogly, those two have chemistry out the yin-yang!
Puck
-

ITA on the MJ coverage. It's why Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" is such a breath of fresh air. For two or three days straight, they have been making fun of the way journalists are covering it. They give out "Rippy Awards" for celebrity death coverage. On the last episode, they were making fun of Matt Lauer giving the viewers a tour of MJ's empty mansion, and pointing out that "this used to be here, and that used to be there". In another show, they made fun about how any journalist who ever interviewed MJ called it "the interview that changed both our lives", and how they were digging up ancient connections to make the event more personal. SHEESH!
Puck
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Lisa, I agree, but unless something like Arnold cheating on Maria with Sharon Stone or Bin Laden getting captured, this level of coverage was inevitable and expected. I'm failry confident though that the children have not been at all adversely effected by the coverage and just the effect any young child goes through when losing their dad. I'm still in disbelief over it, and angry too if he really was that stupid and got that Diprivan despite all the warnings he was told. I'd bet a months pay they find it in his system and say THAT was the direct cause of his death. So sad and so uneccesary. Merf - MAJOR LOL on "frog crotch"!!!! "=_
Mike
-

Ya know...much as I thought MJ was an incredible artist, though pretty messed up and tortured later in life, I'm so tired of hearing about his death and all the rumors about what happened, his kids, his will, etc. Enough already. People should pay their respects and let the family handle the rest in private...especially for the sake of the children.
LisaG
-

Merf -- BWAHAHAHAHAA!!! That's a very vivid and funny image
Puck
-

lol, Merf!!!_____________________________ Well ABC just announced at noon they will have coverage of the MJ memorial.... guess that means no soaps!
christine
-

7.45 AM 7/6/09 When I was about 14, I went with some cousins to their lake home. I had a 2 piece swimsuit. When we came in from swimmin', we'd change into clothes and hang our suits over the stair rail outside. My britches fell off the rail onto the landing one time. I picked 'em up and just stepped into 'em the next time we were goin' swimmin'. I had 'em pulled allllmost up to my crotch when out jumped a HUGE bullfrog. Eeeeeeek! I dang near had 'frog-crotch'! ;)
Merfuff
-

I once found a huge frog living in my pot of periwinkle! Gave me a start, but what a moist and dirty (and thus clever) frog was he!
Puck
-

Christine - LOL! But I understand...I'm not too squeamish, but today I had to go into the crawlspace to do one of the twice/year maintenance of my drainage system & dehumidifier. After doing the dehumidifier clean, and as the drains were being flushed, I checked along the baseboards and found 2 dead mice in traps (ick!) and an old nest (double ick!). Luckily the mice were basically dehydrated and dead for a while (probably since winter), so with gloves on, I dumped them and the trap into a garbage bag...the nest I also scooped up with gloves on, using toweling. *shudder* Still skeeves me out. I bought more traps to set down there this week...those things are the best and though I kinda feel bad about killing them, it has to be done and it's fast. It's times like this I wish I had a husband to help!
LisaG
-

I would have screamed at the frog! Not an amphibian fan.....
Christine
-

Neat...had lots of "visitors" today while I was cleaning up the garage (packing up/inventorying stuff for Good Will)...a little tabby cat and a neat brown bumpy frog! The frog initially scared me when I saw him, because I only saw the head and thought it might be a snake. He was a medium sized guy with lots of bumpies and brown colors. Guess he likes to hang out around my potted plants that get watered daily. Scooter was NOT happy to see the kitty outside...I gave him some treats because I'm not sure if he's a stray or what. Perhaps Scooter was jealous!
LisaG
-

Puck - Ha! I had a feeling it was something else besides "doing what's best for Alaskans"! I really have to wonder about the Alaskan people though...I mean they ELECTED a CONVICTED CRIMINAL (Sen Ted Stevens) to office! What the heck were they thinking?!
LisaG
-

DH says her speech was very much a paranoid rant of a speech, politicans just don't give up that easliy unless there is a scandal.
Christine
-

I hope it means that, in the political arena, Sarah Palin will just go away. If she wants to doing charitable work (as she hinted in an interview), that would be great, but I think SP and politics don't mix. And I hear there's a scandal ready to break too -- something about kickbacks to a friend or relative's business. That's NOT the kind of person who should be in a high position of public trust!
Puck
-

Christine, that may be a different "old friend" as I do not recall any media knowledge of Steve and Farrah. Not totally sure though. Of course, it was almost all print media then as far as Hollywood news. Different animal now. A star as big as she was then can't even have a Big Mac with an unknown of the opposite sex without it being on TV within a day. I'll ask Sue (Steve's sister) if this was known in the media. I'm very curious now.
Mike
-

Mike, I remember the story on her dating an old friend way back when.... wow, its a small world....
Christine
-

Thinking more about it, this might have occurred *between* Majors and O'Neal and not between two O'Neal times. It's so long ago.
Mike
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OK, my Farrah item I mentioned. The scary thing is, I hadn't even thought of this for probably 15 years until my brother brought it up the day she died. That actually kind of scares me because no way I should have forgotten this, and family members have been saying my memory seems to be failing. I really did not forget in in the sense that "I don't remember that Dean", just that it didn't dawn on me until he mentioned it, then it ALL came back instantly. Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. In the early 1980s, between one of her on-again, off-again relationships with Ryan O'Neal, my cousin Steve dated Farrah for about 6 months, maybe 9, but it was less than a year I am sure. I kid you not and swear on my parents graves. Steve had moved to Corpus Christi in the 70s and eventually married his first wife Vicki, a Corpus Christi gal, who happened to be good friends with Farrah. Sadly, Vicki got ill a few years after they married and died in the late 70s (THAT was a rough spell, Vicki was such a sweetheart). I seemed to recall Steve also had a working relationship with Farrah's father (which may be how he met Vicki?), so Steve and Farrah had often enough contact after Vickie passed and after a few years they started dating. They did keep in touch afterwards, but I haven't discussed this with Steve in ages (still can't believe I totally did not think of this all the while Farrah was sick) and haven't talked to Steve about it now, although my brother Dean works with Steve at least once a week and says he's been quite upset about it. She did come here to Binghamton once, but I was in Michigan at the time, so I did not get the chance to meet her (and if I did, I am certain I would not have "forgotten" this). I envy those who are in the "Binghamton pictures" with her. Stunningly pretty and refreshing in home-life pictures.
Mike
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Happy American Independance Day all! Always great watching two Americans battle for a British tennis crown on our Independance day! Then the hot dog eating contest from Coney Island! Always amazing to watch. Last years champ downed 59 (with buns!) in ten munutes. TEN MINUTES! Hell, I wouldn't even attempt 59 dogs in 59 hours! LOL.
Mike
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Christine - I was thinking the same thing...that there's some more dirty laundry and she's either trying to get out of the limelight before she becomes an even worse political embarrasement to the Republican party or in hopes that because she's no longer in office that people will stop digging into her past and personal affairs. There's just something very suspicious about her resigning out of the blue like that. I'm sure we'll hear more soon!
LisaG
-

My husband wonders if someone dug up some dirt on her.... there is supposed to be a scathing Vanity Fair article coming out.
Christine
-

Wow...Sarah Palin just resigned her governorship of Alaska! I pray this really doesn't mean she's going to try a run for the presidency in 2012...I'm thinking there's something more behind this. Bizarre woman. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gyAedwl3rgoKkVuXeMMqNY0uy21A
LisaG
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Well said Lisa!
Christine
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Anyway, I wanted to also wish everyone a very happy, healthy and fun Independence Day. Even though our government may be dysfuntional at times, we should give thanks we enjoy the freedoms that we have. :)
LisaG
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What a shame about HP...he was only 75. May he rest in peace. ------ What is going on with the world with all these deaths...something is wrong...out of alignment with the stars or something.
LisaG
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I heard Mollie died this morning.
Christine
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Add two more celebrities who have passed away: 1)Harve Presnell the Golden Globe-winning actor best known for his role as William H. Macy's father-in-law in Fargo and who starred in Broadway musicals The Unsinkable Molly Brown and Annie, has died. He was 75. ... The actor died Tuesday (July 1) at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., after a battle with pancreatic cancer, Presnell's agent told the Associated Press. ... 2) Mollie Sugden, the television actor who played the cat-obsessed Betty Slocombe in Are You Being Served?, has died age 86. (She died this morning.)
kmp
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2.45 PM 7/2/09 Indeed, the blood baloney. MUST be refrigerated, must NOT be handled by everyone and brother...hence baloney.______I had a very unpleasant thought. What if wee Emma got scared or confused and shot Stuart? Adam never learned to keep that pistol away from stray hands. I'd find it a highly UNsatisfactory 'solution'.______Would like to see Mo and Noelle stay on. Good characters and a relief from the Sturm und Drang angst of so many characters.____Loved VIK and Charlie tellin' Dori to go whiz up a rope re the 'I'm a really "good" person, honestly' dinner Dori dreamt up. Outcome of that could be interesting / funny.
Merfuff
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Exactly!
Christine
-

Not to mention the sheer ICK factor of a potential biohazard freely handled by way way too many unqualified people.
Puck
-

Count me annouyed. What a joke. That that blood is any good to anyone.
Cat
-

Anyone annoyed by the blood being carted all over Llanview? I was a lab tech at one time, blood needs to be in a frig.... it doesn't do well with time in purses etc..... On that note, I saw at another board someone joked the bag of blood is now a cast member.
Christine
-

Wow. I typoed "celebrity" wrong as celbrity TWICE? Time for more caffeine!!!
Mike
-

Re: the recent spate of celbrity deaths. Not to poke fun at this, but I did see a pretty funny line on usatoday.com in the discussion of Karl malden. The line was "Anyone else ever notice these celbrity deaths come in twelves?". It has been unreal the last week. Of course the complete shocker being Michael Jackson's. I actually put it higher in shock value than John Lennon's, even though John was murdered and ten years younger and even though I have a LOT more Beatles/Lennon music than I do Jackson's. It's arguable though. Neither tops Elvis' in shock value though. Haven't been here in a while. Hope all is OK with everyone. Hope to post again in the coming days. Have an interesting Farrah item to tell.
Mike
-

Wow, it does seem to be coming in quite a group. KM was great!
Puck
-

Harold - Thanks for the correction...the radio station I heard it on said he was 92. Should I call them to correct them? ;)
LisaG
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They mentioned having to lift the siding..... I really envy my cousins cement block house in the Caribbean!
christine
-

Its the vent along the siding at the back of the house, next to the window. The guys said something about the flashing. Now the thing is, if the builder screwed up (or who the subcontracted with) can we go after them for the cost of getting it repaired??? Insurance basically will take care of the paint job and drywall repair.
Christine
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KM was 97, not 92.
Harold 'Mitch' Mitchell
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Yeah, just heard about KM...at least he had a very long and fruitful life...he was 92. Still, all these deaths lately are very disconcerting. -------- Christine - Can you get anything back from the window company on the improper installation? Also, what vent is it? I have one on the roof for the bathroom, one on the side for the dryer and one in front for the kitchen (tho the silly vinyl siders covered over mine and my neighbors and need to fix that!). Maybe they didn't put in the right flashing or caulk? I have to replace my windows and I'm petrified of trying to find a reputable installer that will do a good job.
LisaG
-

I just read Karl Malden died......
Christine
-

we had someone come out to look at our water leak. They suspect the window and vent were not put in correctly! WE are going to have lots of work coming up!
Christine
-

And if things weren't done legally where does it leave them?
Christine
-

They said something about the kids were born via surrogacy...to me that just means the woman who provided the eggs didn't carry the children and give birth. Who knows...what a mess! I hope the kids aren't screwed up by all this.
LisaG
-

Now they are saying MJ's kids aren't biologically his.... ya think?
Christine
-

6.15 PM 6/30/09 Why on EARTH would Ryan and Tad tell snaky D.A. North Tad's sighting of a long, brown-haired woman on the terrace at Adam's the night Stuart was killed? Why not tell their friend Jesse? Since when does one report to the D. A.? Baldersnatch! Fake plot device, snort.________Geez, had Palmer heard Scott Chandler's promotion of a 'conglomerate for giving [back] (Adam's term, I think), Palmer woulda stroked out or laughed himself silly. I miss Adam and Palmer at each other's throats, business-wise.________The Liza/baby line is the flimsiest, most transparent piece of nonsense in ages.
Merfuff
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Lisa -- OMG, there are tons of patterns! If you post links, maybe we can help! ...................... Here's one -- http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html ......................................... You might also Google "Amish quilt patterns" -- most are for books, but some of the websites have a pattern picture here and there.
Puck
-

I have a question for all you sewers out there, particularly cw, if she still visits. I was a bad dog and bought an Amish quilt at the Kutztown Folk Festival. The design is a sampling of 20 different quilt patterns and though I know what a few of them are (sailboat, basket, log cabin, bear claw) there are many others that I have no idea what they are. Is there a good resource (preferrably online vs. book) to figure out what the rest of the patterns are? Thanks!
Lisa G.
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Wow...Fred T. I remember from doing all those impersonations...what a shame.
LisaG
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I read about that last night.
Christine
-

Much was made of Billy Mays's rough landing the day before he died. But according to a Florida medical examiner, the TV pitchman's death didn't have to do with any airplane mishap. "The autopsy found no external or internal head trauma," says Hillsborough County Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Leszek Chrostowski, who conducted the exam Monday. Chrostowski also ruled out a blood clot as the cause of death. Instead, the coroner's preliminary report suggests that the 50-year-old OxiClean hawker died Sunday of heart disease. Initial speculation had centered on the head trauma/blood clot theory because Mays was on a U.S. Airways plane that blew a tire upon landing in Tampa. He joked to a local TV station about suitcases falling on his head. Although Mays had no history of drug abuse (he had prescription painkillers for a hip problem), Chrostowski will still perform toxicology tests per standard operating procedure. The results won't be know for eight to 10 weeks.
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b131943_coroner_billy_mays_died_of_heart_not.html?utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories
-

She was also in my little Margie.
Christine
-

Diane, Gail Storm was a tv stars in the 50s. She had her own show "the Gail Storm" show. She lived a long life. Alot of deaths this month.
Christine
-

I work with a guy at my meditation church once a month on Sundays at the registers in the book room. He's a Humphrey Bogart look-alike and gets job in movies, etc. when they need one. Michael Jackson had wanted to open his upcoming concerts with a huge video of a Humphrey Bogart look-alike; so the week before last, John went to the studio and did the video for MJ. The video was to play at the very beginning of the concert, and MJ was going to burst out of the scene and onto the stage. John got to meet Michael and his children, and he was so impressed with them. He was quite devastated to hear the news only one week later.
Diane
-

LISA - It hits you harder when the person who died is younger than you are or the same age. I was born the same year as Michael Jackson. I remember him since I was a kid so it feels a piece of my growing-up years died with him.
Diane
-

LISA - Really -- you lost 2 people from your work 10 days apart? So many sudden and unexpected deaths. It's becoming almost eerily common. What is causing this? I don't know but medications may be playing a part, medical mistakes (which is what happened with my friend John), hidden things like aneuysms, accidents..... One guy I went to elementary school with went to our 30th high school reunion looking great. 3 months later he died in bed. They couldn't find out why. ??? Who is Gail Storm?
Diane
-

I heard about her, but not Fred!!!
Christine
-

Add Fred Travelena and Gail Storm to the unfortunate roster of the past week. Fred died Sunday night. Not sure about Gail.
GR
-

they just had a clip of him saying how on the flight he got off from (the day before he died) some luggage fell on his head pretty hard. Then I guess that night he started to not feel well....
Christine
-

Good gracious, it's the whole gamut of stars, half-stars, has-beens, and big names!
Puck
-

Holy Moly! They just found Billy Mays (tv pitchman that yells) dead this morning!!!
christine
-

Diane - I know, it's so sad...I'm sorry about the loss of your good friend. What's scary is 2 people I knew from work passed away within the last 10 days...one was younger than me. It's very unsettling. Sometimes I wonder if everyone is too stressed with what's going on with the economy, layoffs, etc.
LisaG
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LISA - And we lost Natasha Richardson in March. All those people in just the first half of the year. And I lost my good friend John suddenly last month. A lot of people checking out of this world in a short time. And, of course, there are all the ones lost in these d*mn wars.
Diane
-

i just realized it's been a bad month...david carradine, ed mcmahon, farrah, michael jackson. man. the planets must be out of line or something.
lisag
-

Of course Starla
Christine
-

Yargles, Puck, we've tangled our feet together with those two posts, LOL!
Merfuff
-

Starla -- I hear ya on the spoiled young man. Sweetie's nephew was like that. Fortunately, at 26, he decided quite on his own that he needed to do SOMETHING with his life, and he chose the Navy. He's somewhere around Seattle, learning how to repair airplanes. When he finishes his training, he'll be put on an aircraft carrier. I guess if you have to join the military in war time, on a carrier might be the safest place to be! But, long-story-short, he's finally becoming a man, and growing out of his selfishness, and out of the ruin his parents wrought on him. A lot of people think the military is the "only chance" for the poor and such, but it really can help people become who they want to be. I hope no more die, at all, and they can all be who they should become.
Puck
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5.30 AM 6/26/09 Starla, I promise to think of young Max in Afghanistan each and every day. Let us know news of him, please. It is SO good to hear from you, despite the dark tone of your post. You're right, hon, life can bite and bite hard, but the alternative bites worse.
Merfuff
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Howdy, lovely folk. It was a long day at work, and I can't wind down. I can't get over, watching after work the CNN footage of a very young Michael Jackson, what a very sad, sad story his life was. I know I'm projecting a bit, but it seems so obvious what happens when you put things on children that they shouldn't have to deal with at that age. Got home just a bit ago, and watching interviews with a very young Michael Jackson, back when he looked and sounded like a young black boy from Indianna and not his older pop-star sisters, what a tremendous talent he was, what raw talent he had. What happened? Weird what my brain does when I'm tired. Does anybody remember "Throw Momma From the Train?" How Billy Crystal's character was writing a book about the plot developments, which was a dark story within a dark story; but Danny DeVito's character, at the end, had written the happy pop-up children's book of the same story, only with a happy ending that constructed a happy fantasy out of a nightmare? Seems to me that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the happy pop-up kiddie book version of what happens when you take a child and expect impossible things of them, so they grow up too quick and spend the rest of their life compensating. Michael Jackson's actual life is the dark, nightmarish version of what happens when you can't get past horrid things done to you early on, and what happens when you age backwards because you're not allowed to be a child when you're a child. Of course I'm reading my own stuff into this, but really, what an unutterably sad, sad story about a life miserably lived. The parallels with Elvis aren't lost on me, but it adds a whole creepy new layer to the Michael Jackson story when you factor his marriage to Lisa Marie into it............. I wish I could get it out of my head, but I can't help but feel completely depressed that things seemed to stop, and that THAT story made the front page of our local hometown newspaper, here, smack-dab in the middle of the country, where what happens in LA really OUGHT to stay in LA....... Meanwhile, a kid I know well who comes from a family I know even better, has his own private-but-not-at-all-wonderful family back story; he ships out for Afghanistan tomorrow. He joined the Marines because he couldn't plan for his future because his absent and guilt-ridden folks catered to his every whim, gave him everything and expected nothing of him (because it was easier to buy him things than make the hard choices), so now, he can't find a job to support his just-turned-18-year-old wife and 1-year-old baby. Some days the world just seems sad, sad, sad, doesn't it? Thank God tomorrow is another day. Things tend to look better after a night's sleep. Meanwhile, those so inclined, if you wouldn't mind, send up a little prayer for Max, that he comes back home safely to his wife and little boy. Whatever happens after that, is the best-case scenario. I don't want to think about second-best.
starla
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It's a shame that MJ's freakishness and questionable behavior with children marred such an incredible career and overshadowed his talent these past several years. I truly hope he didn't do all the things he was accused of.
LisaG
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So agree, the guy had talent, but I think his upbringing completely destroyed the man he could have been. This has been quite a day....
Christine
-

MJ was GREAT in his prime. I mean -- his music, his videos, his dance moves, his clothes -- he was a real icon, and his charisma and charm were off the charts. I don't know how he went off the rails, but I prefer to think of him as he was in the 80s, when I was doing the Zombie Dance in Thriller with my friends at dance clubs.
Puck
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As much as I think he was a sicko... wow! This has been quite a day.....
Christine
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wow...mj is dead!
lisag
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I saw about that..... wow.... though they have said he has been sick, but with him you never know??
Christine
-

Man, what is going on today? Michael Jackson was just rushed to the hospital in full cardiac arrest! They say the EMT's were doing CPR on him! Yeesh.
LisaG
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I am enjoying OLTL too. I don't like Stacey but most of the story lines keep me interested. I love Destiny! But I wonder how long before they change the actress or drop the character? I think she is cute, but you know how the soaps are there aren't many "real" looking people with a decent story lines anymore. ___________________________________ I thought Farrah was wonderful in several of the "serious" roles she did, Burning Bed was fantastic and I loved The Barbara Hutton story. And of course, she was delicious fun in Charlie's Angels!
Christine
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Merf -- 100% spot on, on every opinion! I'm enjoying OLTL -- I loved Dorian firing everyone, and then regretting it, and I hope Sean in particular returns to the Dori-fold. I love little Destiny, but yeah, I think we're going to see a lot of Greg-worship going on (he IS very easy on the eyes, almost another Shemar Moore (Criminal Minds, and former (I think) Y&R). I FF through anything with Stacy in it, and I loved Gigi spilling all to Natalie (but why doesn't Nat ever have enough remorse for the fiery and godawfully rude things she says in the past? -- there aren't enough "I'm sorry"s in the world to cover her calling Gigi a slut all these weeks, and the proper response to Gigi's request to release Kyle should have been "ANYTHING! Anything, Gigi! I'm so sorry! I'm a horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE person!"
Puck
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2 PM 6/25/09 Only person with a brain workin' part-time in the Starr/Cole/Hope situation is Blair...almost a voice of reason. Todd's his usual fruit-loop, Starr's starry-eyed, Cole's kinda halfway reasonable (IMO), but a hair fairy-tale-ish 'and they all lived happily....'_____AMC: Amanda is dumber than a patch of rutabagas (no offense to venerable vegetables) - she bought David's remorse BS and seems likely to spill the baby beans._____Liza is an unmitigated, ehrm, witch. Wish Colby would wise up to her.________OLTL: Rex, too, is dumber than a box of rocks. Confronted with a sexpot, his brains turned to macho mush. Yaaaach.______Clint is about to bean his brother with the Green Illness.________Destiny's (sweet li'l kid and a smartie to boot) trust in her Bro Dave is sick-makin'...and I adore Sean._____Oh yeah, Dori has popped her cork, not that it was ever firmly in the bottle.
Merfuff
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Here's how I'll always remember her... http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2009/05/15/f-farrah-fawcett-poster.html
Lisa G.
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Oh how sad! I was really rooting for her to get well. :~( I hope she's at peace now with no worries or pain. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jbnkPqBpepIbGtRD4zw0WKiHwkmwD991R7TO0
LisaG
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God speed Farrah. I really liked this woman. Loved her in the Margaret Bourke-White story. Extremities was a good movie too.
rebecca
-

Just read Farrah Fawcett died....
Christine
-

Christine -- very true, IF the writer's intention is to show her as a baby raising a baby. I'm very much afraid that with the story's direction, they are trying to make her look like a mature young lady raising a baby, and that isn't working for me. Well, we'll see with the honeymoon, the night before Cole goes to prison, and whether or not they are once again caught up in their "we shall never be together again" hormones, or if one of them has sense enough to bring protection.
Puck
-

Puck for me Starr's real age works to an advantage that at least we have a teen played by a teen!
Christine
-

Ariel, honey, what ARE you smoking?! ;D
LisaG
-

Nevermind, somehow I was seeing posts from 2 years ago, but now it's current. Alrighty then...
Ariel
-

OK, why are the posts about 2 years old? Just testing to see if this will take... 11:24 PM June 24, 2009
Ariel 11:24 PM June 24, 2009
-

I'm not keen on the Duggars...they are waaaaaaaaay too out of touch with reality for me and the whole "woman obeying the man" stuff irks my grommet (to quote Merf!) Plus I don't agree with having so many children...there is no way the parents can spend quality time with all of them...it's just insane.
LisaG
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Yep, it's the original Starr, no SORAS, which is so unusual. But then again, I think it's one reason why the storyline is a train wreck. Not that she doesn't have the acting chops, but she is CLEARLY a kid with a baby, not a "mature lady who happens to be only 16" at all. She's 16, or 15, or even 14, but she is NOT a mature lady!
Puck
-

Hey there gang. My two cents coming your way... I never watched Jon & Kate + 8. I'm not much for reality shows. But I am with most of you on this. I hate it when the network is trying to make money off people's suffering. Shut it down already.********************Is this the original Starr, the one we grew up with or have the done a soras'd her? I haven't seen the show since TK left it in 97? And I haven't watched soaps since they cancelled Port Charles. I loved the vampire show.
rebecca
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Night Owl, that would have made an interesting supper!______________I think the kids are petrified of Kate! That's why they behave ;-). the Duggars should talk to them. I watch the Duggars and while I don't agree with some of their choices, they all treat each other with respect and patience, husband and wife and kids.
Christine
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Horrible accident here in Wisconsin yesterday ... Scout leader, Scout killed when dog in another vehicle causes crash ... http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/48922337.html
Night Owl
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Hey there Guest Book! Stacey = ICK!! But I thought of her last night when I make Chicken Parmesan! I almost put on my teddy & robe for the occassion LOL ....... I can't help but wonder if Todd or somebody totally set up Cole, like the cops were following the dealer guy ......... I have a new show for y'all, the Duggars counseling Jon & Kate! Whaddya think?? I am just sick over J&K+8. He wanted to quit the show & she didn't. PULL THE PLUG already!! Do a few specials every year, like for Christmas & first day of school. I am amazed at how well they handle the kids on their own or even just one parent w/ most of the kids. I see 2 parents who can't keep 3 or 4 kids in line at the grocery store. There are some who think the divorce story is just a story, trying to pull in more viewers. But I dunno.
Night Owl
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Thanks!
Christine
-

Christine...try this link - http://extweb.discovery.com/viewerrelations
LisaG
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LOL!!!
Christine
-

I'm studying for a real estate license. It's fun! -- tedious at times, but overall, very educational! For example, I now have a term that affects the value/price of a property, a term that can be used for that house we saw with the avocado-colored tile in the bathroom -- Functional Obsolescence. It's a form of property depreciation. I wonder how I can use that in conversation? "Darling, your bathroom is functionally obsolete!"
Puck
-

I tried to do that but had trouble finding where to submit comments.
Christine
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I just posted a comment on the TLC channel site about how disgusted I was that they're actually trying to figure out how to salvage something from the J&K+8 show now that J&K are divorcing. I can't believe they are actually trying to go on with it in the midst of this family tragedy that will be difficult enough for the children to handle, let alone knowing this personal matter will be broadcast to the public. I hope they do the right thing and cancel the show.
LisaG
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You should watch the video of Jon & Kate saying they were separating. Jon seems so down to earth about it and Kate is rolling her eyes denying that it's what she wants...always the control freak. No wonder he's sick of her antics. And I've wanted to say this for a long time...what the heck is with her hair?! I can't stand it! ----- http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/jon-kate-plus-8-season-5-webisodes/
LisaG
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I just read the show is on "unscheduled hiatus"
Christine
-

I agree, TLC should just let htem out of the contract! DO they really want to alienate and lose viewers? Those poor kids! I got her first book from the library and its filled with all this "we are Christians.... etc". My firend went to see her at an area church and was surprised she really didn't talk about the family being Christian. __________________________________ I am off to pick up my son at summer school. CArs start lining up 45 early and its hot! WE are under a heat advisory! Can't run the A/C that long! This should be FUN!!! Why did I encourage him to take a class??? At his school, summer school is voluntary and its a good way to rack up credits. Silly me!
Christine
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God Speed to Ed...in heaven, Johnny Carson is saying, "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Ed!" ------------- Re: J&K+8...they may be under a contractual obligation to complete the season, so I would look more towards TLC to do the right thing and let them stop. I've watched much of the show from the beginning and Kate is really a major control freak...this show and it's success seems to have made it even worse. She's off promoting some book she wrote, leaving her husband behind with 8 kids...I can't say as I blame him for wanting out. True, we don't know the whole story, but from what I've seen and other things I've heard, Kate is hard to live with...she doesn't seem like a person I'd want to be friends with. Which makes you think, have we ever seen them with friends their age? I've only seen then with family...maybe she alienates everyone she comes in contact with due to her domineering and bossy attitude. But in the end, they should be doing all they can to get out of the contract and off the air for the sake of the children.
LisaG
-

If you want to do reality tv, don't drag your kids onto it or make sure you can handle the fame and exposure and so can they. ___________________________-- Ed did have serious financial problems.... such a shame.
Christine
-

Christine -- YOU SAID IT! I hven't seen the show, either -- it looks like a train wreck. I recall seeing ads, where the wife constantly carped at the husband, and so I was totally not interested in watching it. HINT -- you have 8 kids, and he has no job other than "TV Personality". You need to (1) be nice to him and keep him, because he won't ever pay child support on eight kids, or (2) be a complete beech to him on every occasion, so you can then become the martyred mother of eight kids, while he runs off with other women who don't treat him poorly. ................ Not saying it's all her fault -- what do I know, when I don't watch the show? But if one baby is so stressful that most couples report a steep decline in marital satisfaction when the baby comes, which does not return until the children are grown and gone, then what can EIGHT do to a marriage?!??!?.............................................Poor Ed McMahon -- I heard he was in serious financial trouble toward the end.
Puck
-

Ed McMahon died....
Christine
-

Anyone watch Jon and Kate? I haven't watched the show in a couple of years, but for God's sake, end this show! Now they are separating and still filming??? These kids need some privacy to deal with this!! What planet are these two from??? Oh thats right, Planet Greed.
Christine
-

I wish Stacy would leave too, she bugs the heck out of me. I usually go do something when she comes on screen. Actually, I am not big on the Rex and Gigi thing to being with.
Christine
-

Merf - yep, that was funny!.............but you forgot the Steroids incident, where he hit Starr and threw her against a wall. And he wasn't on drugs when he tried to manipulate her into keeping the baby, by threatening to withdraw his love. ...................... I tell you who REALLY needs to be shanked -- Stacy. When we they realize that this character is not interesting, and dump her?!?!? Please sent her back to Vegas! I'm tired of seeing her tarantula-leg false eyelashes!
Puck
-

2.45 PM 6/22/09 Some good comedic shorts from OLTL today: Todd gives his permission for Starr and Cole to marry and leaves the house. Starr: 'Who was THAT?' Cole: 'Alien abduction.' Starr: 'A Todd-pod.'_________I'd not be as tough on Cole as some. His major goof was drug usage, which propelled the violence, etc.. He has been trying to clean up his act and got nailed this last time via another's interference (Asher the Pusher). I surely do not want him to be shanked in prison.
Merfuff
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lol!
christine
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That's a funny pic! Oh, these poor kitties with odd coloring!
Puck
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Look! It's "Mew-solini"! http://catoftheday.com/archive/2009/June/22.html
LisaG
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Well, another cloudy day with rain in the early evening. Made walking around in NYC (had ballet again) a mess. However, while driving home the sky was clearing a bit and it was one of the prettiest sunsets...the clouds were all pinky peach...so beautiful!
LisaG
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Exactly, they don't want to abandon their religion, their customs etc.... but they realize there can be so much more to their country.
Christine
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Christine - I agree. I was thinking when watching the Iran protest coverage that years ago, we probably wouldn't have been so concerned or caught up with what's going on because of the limited coverage and no internet back then. I think the people in these oppressed countries are seeing what life might be like with just having basic freedoms...especially for the women.
LisaG
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I do think the internet age is educating the young in countries like this to question and want more.....
Christine
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DH and I are watching coverage from Iran of the protests.... I have to say God bless the souls of those who are fighting for their rights.... what is happening to these people, it is sickening. And we should consider ourselves so lucky we can protest peacefully in this country.....
Chrisitne
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DianeE - The picture is of Rebecca's granddaughter, Sophia. ---------- I don't know how Seattle-ites deal with rain or clouds all the time...this weather is so depressing. They say it's rained 17 days this month already. And those poor people in Minnesota, etc. with all the flooding...this crazy weather is proof of the effects of global warming.
LisaG
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JANET - The missed a divine opportunity not to create a young version of Patrick with Cole. The character could have had a heart of gold and a poetic side but I guess they went with the complete opposite approach as some kids do turn out to be complete opposites of their parents. Too bad for the audience they went that way -- well, at least, for some of us. SO WHO IS THE LITTLE GIRL UP THERE IN THE PICTURE? CHRISTINE - I never had a problem remembering before about the Mercury Players part so my memory must be getting worse. Or it could have been that my headaches from my neck have gotten worse and it's so hard to think or remember much when that happens.
Diane
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Lol! I cannot believe they are letting them get married!
Christine
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Ah, there's a reason Cole's . . . not like his parents, then. Otherwise he'd be spouting poetry at any opportunity .. . .
Janet
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Diane, I have us bookmoarked on my pc and at work I type in mercuryplayers.com
Christine
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Hi Everybody -- I'm sorry I've been awol, I've been going to Facebook where a lot of other GB'ers go. I had even forgotten the link to come back here. I kept searching under "guestbook" because I couldn't remember the "mercuryplayers" part. Hey, who's the pretty little lady up top there?
Diane
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Janet -- you said it! But I suppose we can say that they raised him in the cocoon of their Special Love, and neglected to outfit him for getting along with other people, and not treating them like dirt beneath his feet! If only Todd had beat him into a brain injury -- a Niceness Brain Injury, instead of the GH type, that makes you go bad!
Puck
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I'm not watching, but what bugs me is that Margaret and Patrick evidently produced an offspring who is a loser. No way! It just erodes at the memory of their love story . . . and the best in their characters.
Janet
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I caught it on youtube and have to admit I got a bit misty eyed when Marcie showed Michael the pregnancy test! Yay!
Christine
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I thought Marcie was pregnant but missed it. Good send off!
Christine
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As if THAT will even come up. It's all lovey-dovey, coo-coo-at-the-baby, peek-a-boo joy, fluffy fluffy sweet smelling blah blah blah. .................................. And on the other hand, as quickly as they got rid of Michael and Marcie, I did like how they did it. He's going to be in the ER at Seattle Grace! And she's pregnant! And while I usually hate baby stories (let's face it -- it's always either a teen pregnancy, or a paternity mystery, and I'm so bored with that!), I was tickled pink that a devoted, loving, married couple who have wanted it for some time AND learned to accept a child-free state got what they wanted after all.
Puck
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Cole needs to step up to the plate get a job and pay child support.
Christine
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Okay, I just have to say this -- I DETEST the direction of the Starr/Cole/Hope story. It is NOT romantic that a sixteen year old girl now has a baby to take care of (and I don't know if Kristen Alderson is playing it this way on purpose, but her high pitched little-girl voice goes higher when the baby is around, and just underscores how inappropriate it is for such an immature and young girl to take care of a baby). I detest that they are going to marry off Cole and Starr -- because the last thing a sixteen year old needs, in addition to a baby (if she just HAS to keep the baby) is a husband, too! Of course, this husband will be no trouble, since she's choosing as her husband a FREAKIN' DRUGGIE JAIL BIRD!!!! -- who, we may add, in the past has abused her, has attempted to sway her opinion on a variety of issues by threatening to withdraw his love and his physical presence, who is, in fact, both a physical and mental abuser. It wouldn't bother me one bit if Cole was shanked in prison -- except then we'd have to put up with a whiny-voiced 16 year old declaring how mature she is, on the basis of BOTH having given birth (which whine we have been subjected to for six months now, GOD HELP US!) AND on the basis that she is now a widow. What would be mature is watching Starr dump Cole because he's as close to worthless as it gets, begging her filthy rich parents to hire a nanny so she can still study for school (because having a baby, even if a really cute one as that little actor is, is NOT like playing with a pretty doll), getting her college degree, making a career, and next time, both choosing her men more wisely, and using birth control. THAT would be maturity!
Puck
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I called our insurance and they are going to come out and let us know what is covered etc.... maybe I can get a name from them. We also had someone call last night per our request. Finally, I spoke to a former classmate on Facebook, he not only gave me a number, but suggested it is siding related as it is coming in at the window.
Christine
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Christine - oh man...sorry to hear that. Time for a new roofer to look at the problem. Can you tarp the roof until someone can come out to look? Good luck!
LisaG
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Darned ceiling leaking again due to all our rain!
Christine
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Just got back from seeing "UP", Pixar's new animated movie...VERY cute, VERY sweet and VERY funny...especially if you like dogs! http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/up/
LisaG
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Yep, I had that happen to me a few months ago -- I had paid off a credit card, and the year before, I was told I had talked them into changing the terms of my CC (namely, removing an annual fee), so I had no need to go online and look at my statements. But sure enough, they did NOT change my terms, they charged the annual fee, then charged me late fees and penalties when I did not pay. I called in a fury, managed to get it all reversed, but they said they had already put a derogatory remark on my credit report, and would not/could not recall it, because it was completely true that I had neglected to pay the bill on time. GRRRR!!! I'm trying to buy a house, people! The only reason I keep that card is because it's the oldest card in my wallet, and adds points to my credit score because of longevity. But I swear, the second I buy my house, that card is HISTORY! I'm tired of dealing with them. Capital One stinks, big time!!!
Puck
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I missed a payment onetime and was socked by charges too. Thing is the card was fairly new and I never received a statement. I had enough going on, newly divorced, new bills etc... never even missed it. They took the charges off right away.
Christine
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Wow...threatening credit card companies that you want to cancel your account really works! I looked at my last 2 statements and found over $75 of finance charges and late payment fees because I missed the deadline by 1 day...1 day! The same thing happened with my Discover card, but they didn't surcharge me and I told this other company that. I also mentioned that I always pay my entire bill in total all the time and because of some personal issues, I missed this one cutoff by only 1 day. So, to retain my business, they said they would credit the finance and late payment charges and set my terms back to standard...they had the nerve to increase my penalty and % because of this one late payment. Lesson learned...the squeaky wheel gets the grease...or in other words, stand up for yourself and you'll usually come out on top! :)
LisaG
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I heard from Diane E a few weeks ago, but haven't heard from Ms. jennifer. I hope she checks in soon and it's just be a whirlwind life that's been keeping her away. :)
LisaG
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I've been wondering about jennifer, too. and Diane E. Gloria Reubens also had a good role on several seasons of ER.
Janet
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Rachel actress (AMC) Gloria Reubens had a meaty role (or a permanent role?) on 'Raising the Bar' 6/8/09. She did a fine job.____Well, seems the septic is not the problem - prob is an ancient broken pipe underground. Gack...but my excavator (not a 'friend', but a 'buddy') promises to re-cover dig-up, I've grass seed and Amber can seed and water after repair._______Where is our friend Jennifer?
Merfuff
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Actually I had a sewer back up in the basement of my 2nd to last house. Horrible, horrible! Threw out tons of stuff. NOt everything valuable, though we did lose some old furniture and my old Barbie collection ( I nearly wept). I was at work, when my ex called and said it was backing up. I ran home and found him and his mom sitting in the kitchen. NO one had made an attempt to try to elevate stuff! I guess I know another reason why he is my ex! I think it is the maintenance with septic that I don't like. _____________________________________ Regarding DC, I never doubted the guy was still doing it, but auto erotic asphyxiation is very ewwwww!!! Especially by oneself.
Christine
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Christine, you can have a back up even on sewer.. it happened to me in Florida. The line from the house to the main line had a problem and everything backed up into the tub. GROSS is all I can say!
Anita
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Rebecca -- I know! On the one hand, great for the old guy still having an active sex life! On the other hand, though, that's a pretty kinky sex life -- definitely not my cup of tea!
Puck
-

Either way, it's so sad...I was really hoping for a "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues" reunion movie on TV at some point. Guess that will never happen. :(
LisaG
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it's wierd. Part of me is like Yay, good for you David, you still got the old get up and go (no pun intended). But the other part of me is like, ewwww. It's like the Cialis commercials. They warn the guys to not take it if they're taking all of this other stuff for their heart and other aging parts. I just want to scream "Just stop already!". Nature is telling you it's done. :)
rebecca
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I am so glad we don't have septic!
Christine
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RE: DC -- Unless there are defensive wounds, I think it would be a tough thing to prove. Autoeroticism is so dangerous that it can easily go wrong -- although some reports I've read say his advanced age means he knew what he was doing -- but then again, it only takes one mistake, right? I hope someone wouldn't set out to murder DC, but I can see how it might have been either self-pleasure gone wrong, or a partnership thing where the partner freaked out and took off.
Puck
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4.30 AM 6/12/09 I had actually emailed a friend that I'd almost rather authorities discover foul-play, cuz suicide seemed so sad. How bizarre and still sad.
Merfuff
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rebecca - I heard DC's death could have been some kind of auto-erotic thing. To me, that didn't make sense since he was found hanging in a closet vs. asphixiating in bed. If he was murdered, that's just horrible.
LisaG
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LisaG- that is the worst customer service I have ever heard of. I am so sorry.
rebecca
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Well, I don't have a joke. but I have news, sort of. David Carridine did NOT commit suicide. Forensics say he didn't kill himself. But they are still doing tests and won't say how just yet. Poor guy.
rebecca
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Merfuff, I am going to tell that jokes to my guys as soon as I am done here! Too funny!
Christine
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Merf - LOL! Good one! Very cute. Re: your septic problems...ugh! Sorry to hear about that. You can always call a company like Serv-Pro to clean stuff like that up. Good luck!
LisaG
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Hope this is acceptable...NO religious offense intended (think 'Oh God' with Georgee Burns)...LisaG, a guy died and went to heaven. He actually met God, who was not feeling well. God sneezed, and this poor fella had no idea what to say ;)
Merfuff
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5.45 PM 6/11/09 Watched an old (15 yrs?) documentary about Walt Disney and thought with what astonishment he would view modern computers (Walt died in 1966), cgi techniques and all the other wonders. He'd have SO much fun with that stuff!_____I finally made the decision (which I hope I never have to implement). Could I watch only ONE soap, it would be AMC over OLTL...despite my beloved Nigel. He isnae on enough to use as a decisive factor.______LisaG, hope tech things are lookin' up. Mine are on a lower plane, as in septic problems. 'New' septic system (2000) and downstairs floor drains (Middle Ages - grin) are backin' up. We all know how fast probs get solved nowdays. There will be such a melluva hess down there I'm not sure how to clean it up once the prob (likely broken pipe; please, Mom Nature, NOT under the black-topped driveway!)______I need an old grill hauled off the back patio (aesthetics). What with my German family comin', I'd really like the joint to look tip-top and here I am with yuck fore and aft. Ach, petty, pestilential pittances of probs in today's world. That said, thinkin' cap is on to find most aesthetic solutions. I rarely get visitors and would surely like to do the best my physical limitations allow ;)______LisaG, have ya considered tellin' this joint to, ahem, take a hike? Go elsewhere and get guarantees? Best of luck.______cw, oh yep, much more Chloe/Hope saga to come. Rather unavoidable given the circumstances.
Merfuff
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if i wasn't laughing, i'd be crying. someone please tell me something funny to make me laugh.
lisag
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Ok, so the new wall unit I saved for for years and searched for for months and ordered over 3 months (!) ago was finally to arrive today. They showed up on time and started assembly. I go to the living room to check their progress and the guy looks at me and says "we can't finish it...they gave us the wrong piece for the center hutch." 2 right side pieces were sent instead of 1 right and 1 left. *whimper* They had to take the whole hutch back and it has to be reordered. *sniff* In the meantime, I still can't put anything in the TV stand or the side cabinet piers. *sob* and the hits just keep on coming.
lisag
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Well cynical me does not believe the daughter did not know about her mom's money. I'm sure she knew. I'm certain the old mattress never made it to the dump. I'm sure that will be revealed later on. A million dollars! And mom never told anyone?! No way. My mom would have at the very least told my sister, just in case.
rebecca
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Merfuff, I think the Starr saga will continue, we may not have seen the climax yet.
cw
-

i think the best, most appropriate single word that describes that story is... OY!
LisaG
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I just read that Mike!!!
Christine
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They do not get any more "oh my God!" than this one. Israeli woman buys her mom a new matress to replace the decades-old one, except she had no idea what mom had stuffed in the old one.: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/10/israel.mattress.money/index.html
Mike
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Local story about a pizza delivery man who was attacked, his car destroyed. The guy who called 911 helped raise money for him. I have faith in humanity. http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Neighbors.Raise.Money.2.1038373.html
Christine
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Ach, I meant ABC over-advertised the 'reunion' and thus....
Merfuff
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7.30 PM 6/9/09 Ach, Christine, belated happy birthday to a sweetiepie! And on the 13th, I hope Cathi has a grand birthday and Bill is doing well. And our lovely Webmistress Cat is entitled to a SUPER birthday on the 30th.______Annie's newest enabler - Adam...and vice versa. Yech. OL goofed on the multi-multi 'reunion' and when Starr, etc., were reunited with Hope, as I thought, it was anti-climactic...sweet, but...._____I would put Jack in an anger management program - snotty li'l sPit.
Merfuff
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I have Vista Ultimate and haven't had any problems with it either.. I've had it for a little over a year. The key is having a new computer designed to run on Vista, like my new Dell laptop XPS M1730....makes a big difference. I didn't want to switch from XP but had no choice with this laptop. And I run a lot of graphic programs (Adobe, PaintShopPro, PhotoStory....knock on wood I haven't had any problems with them either)
Anita
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I have Vista on two quite new home computers (PC and laptop) and have had little problems, and if ANYONE should have had problems converting to Vista from XP if should have been me because of much of the creativity software (all 32-bit) I was using on the old PC was supposed to have compatabilty issues with 64-bit Vista. But I have been able to get it all up and running with very few glitches or loss of functions. Maybe I'm more of a geek than I thought I am. (just watch, I likely just jinxed myself and the problems will probably start tonight ;-)
Mike
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rebecca - i hear you about Vista. my company refuses to use it on our laptops, so we have XP only. my mom has vista on her dell and so far, i think she's been ok, but she barely uses hers...only internet access and a little word processing. maybe you need to install some patches for vista? try going to the microsoft website to see if you're missing something.
lisag
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LisaG- don't feel alone on the computer homefront. Ours died last week and we had to get a new one. And the new one has Vista on it and I've had nothing but problems with it. I think I will actually say I hate it. I hate it. So we are going to do some reasearch this morning to find one that fits our needs better. Good luck to you.
rebecca
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well on the up side, AT&T managed to get here really fast and had to replace my modem. it was pretty old (2003) and i guess i couldn't take the storms we had this morning, so i'm back online with dsl, but $140 poorer. :( i'm going to keep all my fingers and toes crossed that i'm done with the electronic/techy issues! I told my sister and now she's worried she'll be hit next!
lisag
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"If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back."

-

ok...now my DSL is not working and i can only get access via a 28k dial up connection, which won't cut it for work. do you think i should start feeling paranoid? :-o
lisag
-

rebecca - thanks for the support...seems i need it...now my backup external storage disk has crashed tonight. i'm telling you, someone has a little voodoo doll of me out there and is sticking pins in it! ;) hopefully the rule that things come in 3's is true...then all my technical issues should be done - laptop, TV and external disk. if not, i'm going to look into getting the house exorcised! ;D
lisag
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Okay, scrolled a little bit. Grrr Argh! To "tired of whining". Blow it out your exhaust. This is a nice playground for a bunch of friends to chat and to vent, not Yahoo's Buzz Up. BTW... LisaG is a very generous person that has donated many dollars and hours to various charities. She's entitled to have a bad week and complain about it.
rebecca....geez, everyone's a critic.
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Okay, we're back. Sophia loved her costume. But I cut the leoptard too snug. So it will have to be altered. She did manage to get it on though. I snapped a few pics. I'll post them tomorrow on the Facebook app. We had to buy a new computer so my camera's software needs to be reloaded. We're pretty tired after the 5 hour drive. I need to take a nap. I'll scroll later and report.
rebecca
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Ok...got my laptop back with the new hard disk...taking it out for a test drive. :)
LisaG
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Wow, miss a day and miss a lot! LisaG, I'm sorry some no-neck little monster came around and bothered you. *hug*
Puck
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Thanks for the words of support, Cat! :) I'm ROTFLOL...have any of you watched the Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs"? Each week, the host takes on a terrible job or 2 and the mishaps that happen to him are a hoot. Tonight he's learning how to harvest and plant huge saguaro cacti...wild.
LisaG
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Well said, Cat!
Chrisitne
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To Whining - play nice or don't come around. We welcome everyone who behaves. We don't tolerate gratuitous meanness. LisaG, don't feel you have to explain yourself. We all know you and love you. Sometimes it is the little things that we complain about because the big things are just too much. The little things going right help us get through the big things. God knows we can all use a little help.
Cat
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I am on the list and we sent in a report. I was more concerned that they asked for the person who is using my name incorrectly. I asked the woman who she was with, she was very nice and apologized and said they would not call back. ________________________-- Just saw Drag me to Hell with DH! Wonderful movie! If you like scary movies, with a bit of humor, no swearing, no nudity, no gore, just out and out thrilling scares, go see this one. I spent alot of the movie jumping or hiding my eyes!
Christine
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Christine - are you on the Do Not Call list? Threaten that prize company with reporting them, if you are...I bet they leave you alone real fast.
LisaG
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Oh and to "Whining"...how do you know what my situation is with my health, my job, etc? Did you know I'm going through perimenopause? No. Did you know that every day of every week of every month I could be laid off and replaced with global resources, as they've already done with nearly 1/4 of the people on my team? No. Did you know that a couple of months ago, someone was stalking me? No. ------- I won't go into the other stuff going on, because I'm sure it would be lost on you. The things I "whined" about below are only a small snapshot of what I've been dealing with, so don't judge others unless you know the whole story.
LisaG
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Thanks for all the upport everyone, it's greatly appreciated, especially when I deal with all this stuff alone...I think that's probably the hardest part. Anyway, I went to a local store and bought a bundle of sage to smudge through the house...I'll do anything to get rid of these bad spirits! Funny thing is, a short while after I bought it, the company with my wall unit called to schedule delivery...the first positive thing with that situation in a while! Spooky! :)
LisaG
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YEs, "tired of whining", I spent many a vacation in the Dominican Republic and we whine there too. __________________________ Lisa, sorry you are having a rough time. And please vent when you want, God knows I have on here plenty. You are all my friends and friends are there to listne when times are tough or to share a laugh. Now my vent, I get a phone call from a prize place asking for the name of that person who I have been getting mailers to my house from.
Christine
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{{{hugs}}} Lisa, I'm sorry you are having a hard time right now. That court case you had to deal with must have been really difficult, and we all know how a lot of little things can add up to just making things rough. I've had times like that, too. Just know there are people who care about you and feel free to vent whenever you need to. Don't let the jerks get you down. To tired- bugger off if you can't be at least somewhat supportive. Mike is right, we have been together in this group for about 13 or 14 years, and have supported each other through all kind of joys and trials, minor and not so minor. Find something more constructive to do like feeding the poor or helping sick children if you are so concerned about the ills of the world. Complaining anonymously about someone on a website isn't doing a darn thing to cure the problems you seem to be so concerned about. Good grief.
Ariel
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To "tired of the whining". It's not an "American" thing, it's human nature to rant a little when things are not going just right. I am certain they do it in France, England, Australia, Germany etc and am 100% certain in some cases. So get off your damn soapbox and realize that this guestbook has been a tight community since the very early ages of the internet. We all have leaned on each other in times of severe problems as you mentioned, and of course the much less severe problems that can just add up and thus leading to want to tell someone else, and at times that "else" is right here. So please spare us your preaching.
Mike
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Lisa, good thing you still have a job, your health and you aren't living on the street. How anyone in this land of plenty can complain about things like a TV or laptop breaking down when people are losing jobs and dying in wars just shows how spoiled Americans are. Spare us the "woe is me" unless you are living with some real tragedy.
tired of the whining
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oh Lisa, it sounds like you have my luck! any chance you can cancel your wall unit since they keep delaying shipment (and now that you will probably get a thinner tv, they don't need to know that?) Hang in there! Like I tell the kids, we wouldn't know what good was if we didn't have bad.. just sounds like you're getting too much of the bad right now!
Anita
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ok...thanks for allowing me to kvetch...i'm done! ;) guess my tax refund is going to be going towards a new tv instead of in my pocket. the most ironic thing is, i purposely searched for a wall unit that was deep enough to accommodate my current (non working) tv set...now if i get a new one, it'll probably be a flat screen and i could have gotten a different wall unit months ago. *sigh*
lisag
-

someone shoot me...please. i cannot believe the horrible string of bad luck, problems and stresses i've had to deal with since Easter. i must have really pissed off someone "up there" and now have a target on my back. just this past week, i found out my new wall unit is delayed in delivery another week (it's already been over 3 months since i ordered it...all the stuff from the old unit has been sitting in boxes for 2 months. then my laptop hard disk dies...luckily i never returned my old laptop, which i've managed to still use in the meantime. now my 7 yr old tv set (which has been sitting on the floor for 1 1/2 months waiting for the new wall unit) picture is dead...it's probably not fixable because they don't make the parts anymore. i don't believe this. add to this the mess and stress of the new roof, siding work (which is still going on), the criminal trial, etc. and i just wanna cry. :(
lisag gving up in ct!
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Bagels!
Christine
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Yay! My son made Honor Roll! First year in High School!____________________________________ Have fun Rebecca, can't wait to see the pics. ____________________________________ Donuts are decent, but I would rather have bagesl ;-)
Christine
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Okay ladies, and Mike....I am off to see Sophia, with swan costume in hand. I will post pics in my Facebook when we get back. Have a great weekend.
rebecca
-

Donut Day? Boring! Give me a call when they have Twinkie Day! :-)
Mike
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We got 4 dozen donuts here at work from TPTB!
Christine
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Mmmmmm.....donuts!
Puck
-

Happy National Donut Day! Donut Day is on the first Friday of June each year. The holiday celebrates the doughnut (a.k.a "donut") — an edible, ring-shaped piece of dough which is deep-fried and sweetened. Many American donut stores offer free donuts on Donut Day.
LisaG
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No, I was the car was in my garage, I panicked but at least we weren't out in the middle of nowhere. And it was all my fault. I tell my son about it now and we laugh.
Christine
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Ouch Christine, infant in car? That sounds scary. It's not posted yet, but from just reading that, sounds like it may have been a panicky moment.
Mike
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Janet, I posted mine.... infant in car....
Christine
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janet, just made a *potentially* winning entry in your blog. 100% true! :-)
Mike
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I was just coming to post about him.... wow....
Christine
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OK, who hasn't locked their keys inside their cars? I am holding a contest at my blog. Visit and post your story. There will be prizes! www.janetkayjensen.blogspot.com
Janetwholockedherkeysinhercarthismorning
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Puck, I too was wondering if he had an existing illness, or a recent diagnosis with a horrible prognosis. Considering he was presently working on a film and had just moved into that hotel, it really makes you wonder.
Mike
-

That is too bad about David Carradine. Yes, I heard he was hanging in the closet. I wonder if he had an illness and he was tired of fighting it?
Puck
-

I just can't believe that about David Carradine. So wierd. Surreal. Why would he do something like that? It's just so sad. I liked the Kill Bill movies but I'm always going to remember him as the Kung Fu guy.
rebecca
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LisaG, USA Today is reporting he committed suicide. he was found hanging by an electrical cord and had been dead at least 12 hours.
Mike
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God Speed, David. :( ------------------------ Actor David Carradine found dead From Jack Hannah (CNN) -- American actor David Carradine has been found dead in a Bangkok, Thailand, hotel, according to his personal manager, Chuck Binder. Binder said Thursday that the death is being investigated but could provide no other details. Carradine's death was "shocking and sad. He was full of life, always wanting to work ... a great person," Binder told People magazine. Carradine, who became famous in the 1970s when he starred in the television series "Kung Fu," was 72. Modern audiences may best know him as "Bill" in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films. Share memories of David Carradine His career included more than 100 feature films, two dozen television movies and theater work, according to the Internet Movie Database.
LisaG
-

Okay, I stand corrected. Roy loved it. He went for a second bowl. Dang, I was hoping to have leftovers for tomorrow. :)
rebecca
-

Okay, where is everyone today? Mmmm, made spaghetti sauce with wine and served it with multi-grain (extra omega-3) penne tonight. I'm loving it. Roy, not so much. You know men, if it's good for you they tend to dislike it.
rebecca
-

Amazing...our softball team won again tonight...25-7! Everyone must be on steroids or something! ;)
LisaG
-

It is so sad. They said on the news this morning that a plane getting hit by lightning and going down is so rare. Last time it was recorded was 45 years ago. They also mentioned some of the passengers.... very sad....
Christine
-

Oh, so sad about the airline crash in the Atlantic. I was glad that the US Navy is involved with recovery efforts, though most of the passengers were not from the USA. Maybe France will think more positively about us? Oh, to be a passenger on a plane going down like that? I guess you'd have a few seconds to think or pray before it hit the water. . . .
Janet
-

Happy birthday Sophia!____________________________ I caught some of Conan. Never have been a big fan. I missed my Monday night headlines.....
christine
-

Yeah LisaG, I agree. I love Craig Ferguson. You couldn't pay me to watch Conan. On a happier note.....HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY SOPHIA!!! Grandma loves you!
rebecca
-

I got a response back and it was due to low enrollement.
Christine
-

My son's school is so nice! I enrolled him to take a summer course on computer programming. They mail out the confirmation on Saturday, nearly one week before classes start and I notice it is for keyboarding. Yesterday I played phone tag with the secretary who ended up not calling me back, so this morning I call and she tells me they canceled the class. Now why didn't they just state that outright instead of putting him in another class that he isn't interested in? I wonder if they hoped I wouldn't notice and they could keep my $150??? I did email the vice-principal and asked as to why I was not notified.
Christine
-

Merf -- sounds beautiful! I can't wait to be in my own house -- no gardening in the rental.
Puck
-

noon 6/2/09 A few days ago, Liza spat at Erica, 'You should have been spayed years ago!' - LOL. Amber and Heather were here last Sat and I now have impatiens (various colors) ringed around [;)] my rose bushes, petunias just outside bedroom hallway window so I can smell their sweet scent and out in front of the house in pots. Yum. Ten days ago Tony planted hollyhocks (a rich rose color) ringed behind the rosebushes. A & H ringed white fencing all around the rose + garden. Should be lovely IF Mom Nature will just help end our drought - 2+ inches low. Would surely like an inch per week.
Merfuff
-

My husband wants to see Penn and Teller and want to see Criss Angel....
Christine
-

trying to watch conan o'brien on the tonight show is painful...he's so bad. well, so much for watching late night...though i'll still watch craig ferguson.
lisag
-

Christine - If you go to Vegas and enjoy shows, try to get tickets to see Cirque du Soleil's "Mystere"...it was great!
LisaG
-

Yay! DH got his vacation approved! Las Vegas here we come! I haven't been in years (actually with ex-husband last time) so this will be nice. Oddly enough, I always dream I got to Vegas with a bunch of friends and no one wants to leave the hotel or gamble..... I told DH he better not be a stick in the mud, but I know he is not. I'm not a big gambler, I mostly stick to quarter slots and am deathly afraid of the tables.
Christine
-

Yeah, being close to NYC has always been a factor on where I live. I'm just far enough away to enjoy the "country" in CT, but close enough to be in by train in 2 hrs or 1+ hr by car. I have to try to talk my friend into going roller blading in Central Park again...maybe I can get her and her husband to go in for an overnight stay...that's always fun! I talked to my mom about going to the Kutztown Festival this year...it's been soooooooo long since I've gone and because I'm not taking a big vacation this year (money went to new living room and kitchen furniture), I have lots of vac days to take, so I'm going to take a couple of days during the week and we'll go and enjoy without the weekend crowds. Can't wait to have a roasted ox sandwich! :)
LisaG
-

LisaG- so jealous about you being in NYC. I would love to be there walking about. I just loved it when I was there in September with Roy. Can't wait to go back.
rebecca
-

Hugz, Puck! Everybody is right, you will find a better house! __________ Don't drink coffee, never acquired the taste. My 11 yr old son likes it already, but his is more milk than coffee __________ Milk, bones, yeah, yeah, I know. How much calcium is in ice cream? Does MILK chocolate count?? __________ I'm afraid that I also never acquired a taste for the ballet. I keep waiting for them to sing!
Night Owl
-

Oh, I would love to see midsummer night's dream in ballet. I saw a short ballet on Hamlet and it was a great interpretation. Gosh, you can go to the Lincoln Center! I only see that on TV.
janet
-

I wish I liked it but even as a child, I never did. The chocolate does help though ;-)
Christine
-

Yeah, milk! Good strong bones. I must drink about three to six servings of milk a day (well, I drink two to three really big glasses!).
Puck
-

Hey Janet - today it was 3 shorts...part of Swan Lake, a piece called Opus and Vienna Waltzes. My mom has had this subscription to the NYC ballet for 26 years...I've gone off an on and until recently, she had friends split the tickets with her, but now they're becoming infirmed (or pains in the butt!), so I picked up the 2nd ticket for the summer and winter seasons...3 performances in each series. I think the last one for the summer is in June and it's the full length Midsummer Night's Dream. Should be a good one...I've seen it previously. ABT is coming to Lincoln Center soon...I might go...never seen them before.
LisaG
-

I'm a milk drinker. One good habit, anyway! Lisa, what was the ballet?
Janet
-

I still say Green Mt coffee is the best coffee I've ever had...I especially like their holiday flavored coffees like Pumpkin Spice and Egg Nog...yummy yum yum! Lovely day today...met the momster in NYC for lunch and the ballet. It let out too late for me to make the early train and it was so nice out, I walked over 25 blocks to the train station...so nice to be out!
LisaG
-

If you want great chocolate milk, try Dean's "Over the Moon". Its fat free (not calorie free though) and is really rich tasting. I bought some and would have a small glass every so often when the chocolate craving hit! I figured I was at least getting calcium (I normally don't drink milk).
Christine
-

I can't stand coffee, period! Blech!
Puck
-

I saw a report on decaf and they analyzed samples from the major chains such as Starbucks. I guess there's a lot of debate about what constitutes decaf, as some people who thought they were buying it got whopping amounts of caffeiene w/o knowing it! I rarely drink coke or any kind of pop - everything I read these days suggests carbonation in general isn't great for us. Maybe that's why when I do take excedrin it's usually effective, because I haven't built up a tolerance for caffeiene (if that indeed happens). My biggest source of caffeine is chocolate, and of course I like milk chocolate better than dark (which is supposed to be healthier). You just can't win.
Janet
-

Once in a while when we are out shoppping, we'll stop in at the Starbucks at the Target by our house. Roy gets some frothy latte thing. I just have a sip or two of his. I don't care for Starbucks as I think their coffee is way too strong.
rebecca
-

Starbucks is a bit strong, but every so often I will have some. But when I go there its usually for a Latte. I get my coffee either from home or from the gas station near my house that has really good coffee.
Christine
-

And I'm the one that still doesn't like Starbucks.. bitter tasting coffee to me. I prefer no added flavors either, just plain old coffee with lots of cream of course. I switched to decaf too several years ago for health reasons and don't miss the caffeine. It's just hard to find a good dark roast decaf. I finally found one at Safeway. My sister is one that abuses caffeine. She doesn't even like the taste of coffee, but drinks it with so much stuff and flavoring added just for the blast of caffeine. She also eats bags of chocolate covered espresso beans...tasty but so bad!
Anita
-

For all you Jane Austen fans out there- I saw a great mini-series last night called "Lost in Austen". I don't want to tell you too much incase you haven't seen it. But it was just my cup of tea. It's about a young women obsessed with the novel Pride and Predjudice. She finds a portal in her bathroom back to the time of that novel . And hijinks ensue. I really liked it.
rebecca
-

Janet- there are certainly some fun choices. And there are many debates about the use and abuse of caffeine. But for the most part one cup a day is fine. And I do enjoy a Mocha Latte once in awhile. This morning I asm having hazelnut coffee with hazelnut creamer. And it is decaffeinated because I grabbed the wrong kind in my haste to leave the store. It's not too bad.
rebecca
-

I think I must miss out on a lot by not drinking coffee . . . too many choices, though!
Janet
-

Any Susan Boyle fans? I have a BGT spoiler!
Christine
-

Puck: All I can say is WHAT AN IDIOT! I'm so sorry you found a home you wanted to buy and then were treated so rudely. That is unbelievable and shocking and incredibly stupid. I agree about the karma thing. May you find an even better home, and soon!
Janet
-

I don't use coffeemate, but I love some of the flavored coffees Dunkin donuts has.... blueberry is really good and so is coconut and toasted almond.... I have several more flavors to try yet ;-)
Christine
-

Puck, I agree with Rebecca, don't bother with a house with negative vibes. And if he has a problem with Hispanics, his problem, pathetic man that he is. Somewhere your home is waiting.
Christine
-

Christine- yes , yuck to the peach coffee. Even more funny is the Tiramisu CoffeeMate that is out now. Tiramisu is coffee flavor, so we're adding cofee to our coffee? Anyway, I love Tiramisu. It's my favorite cake. But I'll stick to my fav, hazelnut coffeemate
rebecca
-

Puck- here's the deal. If this guy owns the house and has lived in it, then it's full of his negative bullsh*t. You don't need to live there. Keep looking girlfriend. You will find something 10 times better. And Karma is one crazy beeyatch. He'll get his. As it will probably turn out he won't be able to sell it for a long time and he'll go broke. Fingers crossed.
rebecca
-

LisaG- I am glad that is over for you. I would never want to be on a jury for something like that. I'm a big chicken.
rebecca
-

I'm so confused and angry, and I don't know what to do. Sweetie and I have been house hunting for months now, and we finally found one we liked enough to accept a counteroffer on. We decided to go see the house one more time, before accepting the counteroffer, just to make sure we hadn't missed anything. Well, while we were there, the white male homeowner came in. He stared at me angrily while talking to my agent, then left. A couple of hours later, just as we were about to accept the counteroffer, he withdrew the offer. I'm wondering if it's because I'm hispanic. I mean, we were on the verge of a completed deal! -- why would he walk away, especially after intruding on us as we were inspecting the home, and after he stared at me so violently (I use that word on purpose -- I got the most awful vibe off the guy). And then I don't know if this is a racist challenge I'm meant to overcome, or a message that this isn't the house for us.
Puck
-

Lisa G: That must have been a draining experience. You just have to wonder how people can treat each other the way they do.
Janet
-

Peach tea? Yes! Coffee? No!
Christine
-

Ok...I'm all for flavored coffee, but this steps over the line...PEACH coffee?! BLECH and PTOOEY! http://www.greenmountaincoffee.com/CSTM_09-summer-seasonal-kcups.aspx?X=E016&Y=E124&utm_source=EM00022&utm_medium=EM&utm_campaign=E016-E124&utm_content=Body
LisaG
-

Just saw Nathaniel Marston on L&O:SVU as an abusive husband. Yep, those ABC soap people show up with frequency!
Puck
-

Night Owl, I am saving up to get a pond on my farm!
Christine
-

Wish I would have seen "Babe" on L&O!!! I miss her. Is "Jaime" still doing Night Rider?
Night Owl
-

LIsaG - how completely horrifying. What is wrong with those parentz? All the adults should be punished, and it can't be severe enough, in my opinion.
Cat
-

I saw her on L&O. How many actors from OLTL have appeared on those shows over the years do you think? They must have the same casting directors, or something. I don't notice actors from AMC on those shows.
Cat
-

Oh, LisaG, what an awful thing to sit thru! But just think, 40 yrs ago there probably would have not even been any investigation or anything. _______________ So Todd's son is now tormenting Nora's son? Quite interesting. And another child for Todd to hunt down and bring into his "den" --- wonder if the kid even knows he is adopted? Could be quite interesting _________________ Can't do Facebook at work anymore. Can't imagine why?!??? All I want to do is plant in my farm!
Night Owl
-

That was a good role for her! I almost didn't recognize her, until she spoke.
Puck
-

7 AM 5/28/09 Alexa Havins (1st Babe - AMC) was on 'Law and Order - Criminal Intent' last night as a wealthy woman with loose morals. Rather a plum role.
Merfuff
-

NIght Owl, some rumors swirling are that the bully is Tea and Todd's child. _______________________________________________________________________ LisaG, that sounds like such a horrible case. It would be so hard to sit on a jury for that. And the poor girl.
Christine
-

Well, jury duty is finally over...had closing arguments and deliberations on the trial today. Now that it's over, I'm allowed to talk about it...it was 2 counts of injury to a minor against the mother of a girl who was sexually assaulted by the husband in 2005 thru 2006. The charges were that the mother didn't do anything to protect her then 13 yr old daughter from the assault. We found her guilty on both counts...hardest decision I've ever had to make. I think any decision would have been difficult in this case and the family is now basically disbanded...kids are in foster care (but doing better at least), father is in jail for 15 yrs and now the mother may go to jail. It also came out that the 40 yr old neighbor was having sex with the young girl...so sad. He's in jail for 8 yrs. I hope I never have to sit on a jury ever again. :(
LisaG
-

Hiy GB! Didn't get much time on Facebook last night ... DH is 2nd shift this week so I'm on homework duty. I can't wait til school is out!!! -------- I've been watching OLTL faithfully and I want some payback on that kid who keeps teasing (bullying?) Matthew. -------- Also I don't think I could stomach a Nora + Clint wedding. Plz tell me that it won't happen!
Night Owl
-

I caught a bit of OLTL last night on Soapnet.
Christine
-

Sweetie's off all week, which is great, but it also means I can't watch my soaps! ARGH! I have to record them and watch them next week.
Puck
-

Rebecca, I sent a friend suggestion for Night Owl to you on Facebook. I can't get addicted to all the aps and games, wouldn't do anything else all day HA!______________ Lisa, that is nuts about the golfer. What a maroon.
Ariel
-

Rebecca..LOL...I just got lucky with the bejeweled blitz! but yeah,it's SO addictive! I keep telling myself "just one more game"....and an hour later I'm still there playing....I also like to play Scrabble....anyone else? so far my highest score was over 500.. I was able to use all 7 tiles 2 times in one game! If anyone wants to start a game, feel free to challenge me/invite me! :)
Anita
-

okay, how stupid is he, not you dear Lisa. D'oh!
rebecca
-

Good for you Lisa. But you were too nice. I would have told him off. I mean, how stupid are you to not see a softball game in full mode going on?! He deserves to be hit in the head with his own ball. :)******* But congrats on winning!!
rebecca
-

woo hoo...woo hoo...woo hoo! finally played our first softball game tonight after several reschedules and we WON!!! 19-16! not too shabby, though i don't think i'll be able to move very much tomorrow i'll be so sore! -------- some bozo golfer was in our outfield during most of the game hitting a ball around...idiot could have gotten in the way or even hit with a fly ball. at one point i was playing right field and i heard a noise behind me...the moron hit the ball towards me and bounced about 10 feet from me! i was so mad, i picked up the ball and threw it in the woods! he was searching for it for about 15 minutes before he finally left...what a jerk...he could have hit me!
lisag
-

Hey Night Owl, I typed in your name and there is nothing for you. It only lists names beginning and ending with Sagar.
rebecca
-

Farm Town! I am gong to have to try that one. I spent 2 hours last night trying to beat Anita's Bejewelled score. Woe is me. I'll never get the laundry done tonight. :)
rebecca
-

Farm town is also highly addictive. All I could thing about was getting a house and barn!
Christine
-

I play farmtown! I will look for you Night Owl.
Christine
-

Saw Donny Osmond in concert last night. It was a concert to benefit our music department. The guy is HOT! He can sing (gorgeous voice), he can dance, he was funny - what an entertainer. And I just realized - - -it is Tuesday! Somehow it feels like Monday so I'm out of synch. Night owl, I'm Janet Jensen or maybe it's JanetJ1762- can't remember! - it's so nice to link up to folks on facebook! I'm still learning how to use it.
Janet
-

Hey there GB! I have not posted in ages, but I would love to hook up with y'all on Facebook. Anybody play Farm Town?? My real name is Christine Sagadin and I'm from Milwaukee, WI
Night Owl
-

Thats the one!
Christine
-

Christine, that sounds like Bristol, I don't know of another Ren Faire in the area. ;) Can't wait to go this year. :)
Ariel
-

The Faire I go to is in Kenosha. Not sure when I am going. I have an ex-coworker who I am probably going to go with. I really can't wait! EVery year that I go, I get wonderful handmade soaps from Ivy Soapworks. The one year that I went they weren't there and I was so so disappointed. I am also on the eternal quest for a gimmel ring. I bought one about 10 years ago and have yet to see the same ring anywhere. I want another one as mine got damaged when I wore it in a jacuzzi.
Christine
-

Hi all, Becca, love, such a sweet granddaughter you have! How did she get to be 5 already? they grow so quickly...Heather just turned 6 and I am amazed. Christine, are you planning to go to Bristol? I'm hoping to go this summer with the kids. Maybe we could hook up. :) I'm having a blast on Facebook, resisted it for a long time but my sister finally talked me into joining. I've run into relatives, mom friends, internet friends, people from school that I missed; it's a very cool thing IMO. And no, I'm not leaving the GB, either. I might be away for a bit, but I will never actually leave. Thinking of all of you. Also, since this is Memorial Day, I'm having a (rare, HA!) moment of silence in memory of those who sacrificed for our country. Maybe someday war will be obsolete and peace, reason, and love will rule over war. Thank you to everyone who has served and sacrificed.
Ariel
-

No break, thank heaven. But my bank account is $75 lighter (apparently, that's the co-pay when you use the Emergency Room ("but it's not the emergency room, it's the clinic associated with the emergency room, but you still pay the ER co-pay"). No doctors are open today, not a single walk-in clinic -- just the ER. Great....just great. I already owe $750 on my Essure procedure, and still have to go back and have the "did it take?" test next month. And they do it sooo strangely! They got me back there and took my x-rays, and while I'm waiting for a doctor to show up, THAT is when the worker came to get my insurance card, tell me the co-pay, and demand the co-pay at once. Weird experience. If they had told me the cost up front, I would have turned around and walked out. And since it wasn't a break, I was doing everything right anyway -- elevate it, ice it, moist heat in a few days, etc. I DETEST paying when everything's all right! I demand single payer insurance, right now! I'm tired of paying medical bills, every time I turn around. And I consider myself a healthy person!
Puck
-

I love bacon but I don't like to make it at home, so that is a big help. I have made turkey bacon a few times. I haven't had real bacon in about 2 years.
Christine
-

Well, if all goes according to plan, I'll be a few pounds lighter and will be able to fit into my bodices. I just gave up a couple of years ago because I had outgrown all my garb. Disgusting really. But a little situation last September opened my eyes. I had dark floaties in my left eye. And my blood pressure was sky high and I was dizzy and nauseous (sp). I went to the ER because I thought I was having a stroke. But it was just high BP. So I am on meds now for that. And I have changed my diet a little. I do really good most days. It's giving up bacon that is really killing me. I didn't realize how much I love it. But it's a small price to pay for being alive.
rebecca
-

I plan on going to the Faire this year and can't wait!
Christine
-

Puck- that sounds really cool. I have never heard of sosmething like that. I would probably like to use something like that at the Ren Faire. We use a lot of props out there. I thnk I am going back to work there next season. It's weird but despite the recession, it was still a good year for the faire.
rebecca
-

Puck, I agree, go it checked out.
Christine
-

Rebecca -- yep, the bowl could be used. Here in the south, they use it for biscuit making. You put water in the bottom, and flour along the sides, and you add flour gradually until it's the right consistency for biscuits. It's one of those "grandma never wrote down the recipe, she just does it this way" things. In fact, Sweetie's dad is holding on to his own mother's dough bowl, and it's killing us that he won't give it to us, when we're the only ones who have expressed interest in it! Sweetie well remembers his g-ma making biscuits in the dough bowl.
Puck
-

Anita -- yikes, I remember that about your ankles! Okay, I'll go see the doc.
Puck
-

Actually, it's RICE...Rest, Ice, Compression & Elevation. I should know...I did it MANY, MANY times from high school to college! :) ----------- http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/rehab/a/rice.htm
LisaG
-

actually it's Ice, Compression and Elevation.. I had a nice elastic sock from PT.. not too tight.. but snug.. kind of like putting on one of the kids socks (minus the toes)...you want circulation
Anita
-

and yes, Ice, Elevation and limited mobility!!
Anita
-

Puck, go get an xray.. I could walk on my leg, thought it was okay, even the ER doc wasn't sure.. The radiologist said it was fx and the ortho showed me right away where the fracture was.. in the large bone in the ankle..an acute fracture of the dorsal talus ....if you don't and you keep walking on it you may end up doing more damage and need surgery.... the Ortho also told me had the fx been a bit further down the bone I would indeed have needed surgery and screws to put it in place.. took 2 months in fx boot (because of my age!!!!..yeah..sure, he was being nice, my weight had a lot to do with it too) then while still in the fracture boot I fell on icy steps at Lizzie's preschool and sprained and chipped the bone in the OTHER ankle!!! dual aircasts at that point.. and 2 months of physical therapy...that started my weight loss (no eating out, couldn't get up and snack so easy, and exercise from PT)...50 lbs lost and 1 1/2 years later my ankles finally feel "normal" for the most part!
Anita
-

Puck- was the bowl for actual bread making, kneading dough? And yes, get that foot looked at. Better safe than sorry. It needs to heal properly. Ice it really good and keep it elevated above your heart. Which means off your feet young lady.
rebecca
-

Susan Boyle's performance from last night on BGT. Quite nervous at first, but she recovered nicely. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pn7QKsh0Gs
.
-

All that typing, and I forgot to tell you what happened at the Florida Folk Festival! Well, Sweetie and I decided to split a gyro, which he had never tried (filled with lamb, which he had never eaten), and on my way back, I turned my ankle on an exposed tree root. Saved the gyro, and hobbled back, and while I could get around with limping, it was dreadfully swollen when I got home. So, I had to miss out on the last two days of the festival. Today, I tried to put on a tennis shoe, to go out and water those aforementioned dying plants, and when I pressed the heel into the shoe, something "crunched". I suppose I should go get an x-ray tomorrow? Yet the swelling is almost gone, and I only have pain when I turn it a certain way.
Puck
-

No planting for me this year -- sold my house, living in a rental, haven't bought my own house yet. UGH! I miss my plants. And the ones we put in pots to take to our "new" home are sitting on the front porch, frequently dying from lack of water (I'm not good at remembering -- if it can't survive with limited Georgia-drought rain, it doesn't belong in my garden -- but they can't help that I put it under a covered porch and still can't remember to water them!). .................................... Went to the Florida Folk Festival, which is held at the park where Sweetie now works. It was fun! I bought a beautiful vase with a clever little lizard on it (it looks like it's crawling along the vase) -- my first official piece of original art, besides the painting my G-g-pa painted!! I'm on my way to a sophisticated lifestyle! HA HA! (Seriously -- all my colleagues have these wonderful houses chock full of original art, and all I have is my framed print of "Madame Monet and Her Son" and some reproduction Fredric Remingtons). The thing I really wanted I could not afford -- a hand-carved, enormous pecan wood dough bowl. Since it was made by an on-site artisan (they have a stable of artisans who man a gift shop corridor on a regular basis), I told Sweetie he could buy it for me with his employee discount...but I want it! WANT IT!
Puck
-

Christine - LOL! I usually do that every year, but I've been good so far...only bought 3 impatien plants today for my hanging basket and front step pots. However, I HAVE to repot a hydrangea plant my sister sent me about 2 years ago which has just exploded in growth. It was only a bout 5-6 inches high when I got it via mail order and now it's about 2 feet high! It's already consumed the pot, so I bough a big new faux terra cotta pot with wheels underneath (to save my back!) and will repot tomorrow. It just POURED here and there are tornado warnings about...not fun! :( Hope everyone stays safe.
LisaG
-

I told my self, I would not plant too many flowers this year. Our ground is like cement. So what did I do?? You guessed, planted too many flowers!
Christine
-

Merf- I am so glad to hear that. And when you are ready, I will send you the 2-hour movie that was the follow-up to the movies. Sort of ties up loose ends for the fans. You need to save your energy for that one cuz it is non-stop action. A real rollercoaster ride of emotions and fight scenes. But it ends well. Sort of. But I won't give away to much.
rebecca
-

7 AM 5/24/09 Becca, I am enjoyin' 'Firefly' a lot...a real swashbuckler of a space saga. Thank you again...you're a honey.
Merfuff
-

Thank you for that Lisa. I saluted a older gentlman on a Harley this morning wearing a POW-MIA patch on his jacket. He gave me a big smile. And I never fail to go up to soldiers and shake their hands and thank them whenever I see them. I embarrass Roy when I do that. But I don't care. And his sister and niece are both in the Air Force. I could smack him.
rebecca
-

Lisa, Amen to what you said!
Christine
-

I actually got my good friend to reconnect with someone after 20 years. 20 years ago, my good friend (nearly sister) Claudine and I used to know this really nice guy whom we lost touch with. She had always liked him. Fast forward to last year, through trick of fate (and my DH having had been friends with this guy and an ex-boyfriend who knew where he moved) I found him on facebook, hooked the two of them up as friends and now they are dating. I have never seen her so happy. I also found out today, my cousins daughter had her second child!
christine
-

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. - John F. Kennedy ------------------------------- Thank you to all members of the military for defending our country and the freedoms we enjoy...especially those who gave their lives.
LisaG
-

FB also provides a live chat feature (I use this often with Ariel late at night!)...and a message service....and the photo albums.. I don't think there is a limit.. I must have hundreds of photos in my albums of the kids...I make a new album every so often.. and I can share my digital scrapbook pages easily with my friends that way that also scrapbook without having to upload the images elsewhere.
Anita
-

Merf.. FB is a social network.. kind of like the GB is for us.. but for me I am connected with lots of folks..at my invite...or by their ask.. I can so no.. only people I accept are on my friend list.. it includes my sister, neice, nephew, several cousins that I had lost touch with, old friends from school, old friends from work, and many of my China adoption friends, also local friends, great way to leave quick messages, notes, photos, and sharing in general.. and games.. I play Scrabble with a few of my friends on FB, there are other games too you can play.. silly little quizzes and games, a calendar option for birthdays and important dates, etc....just a nice way to reconnect with old friends and stay in touch with others. And no I won't give up on the GB....13 years plus and I'm still here!!!
Anita
-

Rebecca, I saw Diane on your profile and wasn't sure if it was her. I agree, I would never leave the guestbook! I have been coming here since my son was an infant (he is 15 now!) back in the Ian days. I call all of you my friends. _________________________- I was running around all morning. IT is so hot out here! We went from jackets to a/c in one week!
Christine
-

And we missed Tinker's birthday too. Man, we're just batting a thousand aren't we? Well, I hope it was a good one. Happy belated birthday Tinker.
rebecca
-

I found Janet and Diane too. I know I don't get here as much as I used to, But I will never give up on it either, unlike some others who shall remain nameless.
rebecca
-

I don't plan on giving up here either. ITs just another aspect of keeping in touch.
Christine
-

Merf -- definitely photo share, and it's more "real life" since we know each other's real names, and such. But I like it here, and have no intention of taking our thing to Facebook, unless Cat gives up on us, which I hope doesn't happen!
Puck
-

8 AM 5/23/09 Thanks for kindness re Jan...'twas 'happy birfday to you' that I sang all day...crow's voice or not, she prolly got the message ;)______I'm a hair confuddled (usual state) - what does FB do that this lovely venue doesnae? Photo share?____Someone please enlighten me?
Merfuff
-

and we are off to the farm to pick fresh strawberries.. camping on the lake in a friends yard tomorrow for Memorial day, s'mores, tents, kayaking...they whole nine yards! lots of fun....have a safe and happy weekend y'all... and Merfuff.. wish you were on facebook too.. think you'd love it! I thought I had previously replied but scrolling this morning I see I didn't... about Jan.. I'm sure she hears you dear! and Katie tells me (wise soul).. that we never lose anyone, they are always in our hearts!
Anita
-

okay, instead I just sent you "friend suggestions" ...
Anita
-

if you look on my friend list you'll see Ariel, Puck and Janet too.. you need to kknow Ariel and Puck's real names though :) but I think you do...AW for Ariel and JL for Puck...
Anita
-

You too Anita! Sent Diane a friend request, Patty B too I think. Still looking for more.
rebecca
-

Christine- you've been added.
rebecca
-

Yay! I just got home. I have to finish dinner for the starving husband but I'll be on later.
rebecca
-

I found you, Rebecca!
Christine
-

Oh, and one of my affiliations is the Arizona Browncoats.
rebecca
-

Wow, I didn't know it was hard to find me. I am in mesa Az, there is a picture of me with a woman who is a bit taller than me and I am holding a parasol that looks like it is red, yellow, and green swirls. That's Jewel Staite, the actress that portrayed Kaylee in Firefly. I have a lot of friends on there. But I don't know how many, maybe 15-20? The thing that sucks is work won't let us access Facebook or Myspace from our work computers. So I have to wait til I get home to try to find you guys. I'll check it out when I get home. Thanks for trying guys.
rebecca
-

okay, now I found 2 in Tuscon.
Christine
-

Rebecca I can't find you on FB!
christine
-

Merf, I firmly believe that the people we've lost stay close to us. I'm glad you sang for Jan - - I'm sure she loved it!
Janet
-

Rebecca, there are tons of people with the same name.. are you brand new to FB? meaning you're further down the list? with maybe no friends listed yet? and in Tuscon? I may have found you!
Anita
-

I would like to find those of you that have Facebook. I need to know your last names. But how about I just post mine and you can add me. That way you don't have to put yours out there. Thanks. I look forward to adding you all.
rebecca carter
-

Christine, I just wonder though since we are so close to Disney if my Mom's library would do that..I would think they'd lose a lot of books to travelers that way...Mom is only 12 miles from Disney and the library is even closer. I can get my Mom to do it.. or get her to go with us at least to get Katie a card maybe at Mom's address.. I do co-own the house...even though I don't live there.. that might help.
Anita
-

Merfuff, Jan is with you all the time :-) ________________________ Anita, I know our library will issue temproary cards for people who are visiting. Hoepfully they can do that for you! I still love the "Little House books and read them again every so often, they are such a treat. _____________________________________________ Regarding American Idol, the backlash is really bothering me. I voted for Kris, because I just prefered him. So did alot of people. If people don't like it they should have voted. Allison was my next favorite. Girl just can't be 16! So much soul!
Christine
-

Thankfully PattyB gave me some suggestions for more books for her on Facebook..... so we're going to check out those books as well. And I may have to drag my Mom to the local library in Florida to check out some books for Katie while we're there. I don't know if they'll let us do it since we don't live there (and being such a tourist area I don't think they should or they'd lose too many books). On the plus side, we have quite a library for Lizzie to chose from now as she starts taking off with reading!
Anita
-

Merfuff..LOL, what can I say, I'm one of those Moms that decided to go back to school so I'm starting over in Kindergarten :) heehee! I love volunteering in Lizzie's class. I work with the kids on reading and on their journal writing mostly. Both my girls are strong readers. Katie devours books. I can't keep her in them. I just bought her 8 books for the summer while we're in Florida, she's read 2 of them, plus her library book from school. The books just came on Monday! (Marguerite Henry and Beverly Cleary books) I don't know what she's going to read next. She's really at a middle school level but it's hard to find appropriate books for a 3rd grader subject wise and interest wise at her reading level. She's finishing up the Little House in the Prairie series. She loves biographies and just finished one on Walt Disney and has one on Neil Armstrong she's starting next. And she loved the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. She's read about 10 200+page books in the past 2 weeks, plus brought home a straight A interim report card and studied for her state standardized tests (you know those lovely No Child Left Behind tests that every state has now.. ours are the SOLs.. LOL... Standards of Learning but I think of something else everytime I hear it) She got her first result back .. on her Social Studies test, she scored 600.. a perfect score! I'm so proud of her. And Lizzie, wow, she just blows me away with her reading for only being in Kindergarten. She started with the little stuff, moved up to Dick and Jane and then was reading the Dr. Seuss books to me. She loved the Little Critter series and read all the books we had on the early reader shelves here at home. Now she's reading chapter books! She's reading the Magic Tree House books and just LOVES them. She can't wait to read the next chapter to see what happens next. I am so glad my girls love school and love learning. I hope they keep it up! And that's a big part of why I spend so many days a week at school with them.
Anita
-

Yeah, whenever Mary starts screaming and doing the Hot Tamale train yell, Roy just rols his eyes and walks out of the room. He hates it. I just love her though.
rebecca
-

if Gilles had won DWTS, we might have a better relationship with France :)
Janet
-

Rebecca: I remember that Russian dance, and it was great. DWTS costumes, holy cow! Some must be glued on, what there is of them. I think the hosts of So You Think You Can Dance take some getting used to. And sometimes it feels like the dances are so rushed - so the dancers have to throw in every trick with the few seconds they have, instead of really investing in a mood or character or sequence of moves.
Janet
-

American Idol. Wow. I was not an Adam fan. He was too over the top for me. And I like Kris a little. But I was drop dead shocked when Adam didn't win. We almost didn't wait for the announcement, thought it was in the bag. And I take offense to the bloggers on Yahoo that say America got it wrong. After all, wasn't it a phone and text-in contest? And who was voting? America. So we voted for who we wanted. I personally only voted one night this time around and it was for Allison. Cute little thing. She just had so much soul.
rebecca
-

{{{Merfuff}}} big fat hug coming your way. I know Jan misses you too. What were you singing? Her fav showtunes? :) You're a pearl.
rebecca
-

Merf --- *huuggggzzzz* to you and Jan. I often speak to the dead, and sometimes they reply -- in their way, of course. G-pa comes to me with cigar smoke smell!
Puck
-

3.30 PM 5/21/09 Today would be Jan's 61st birthday...despite her death, I've sung to her allllllll day. Miss my girl.____Last Tues it hit 97 F here in 'Scansin...hoo boy, 'twas hotto.____Tad surely did a 180 today.____Nita, ya hafta repeat kindergarten? ;))) You're a grand mom to help out - schools need all the help they can get. Were I mobile, I'd he'p.
Merfuff
-

TAlking Idol... congrats to Kris!
Christine
-

from what I read, David Canary may be having health problems and wants to retire..so that's why they have done this...written off Stuart, leaving it easy to write off Adam now when needed... is Adam really sick or is he being drugged by David? or both? it's David that could be written off.. sorry but I do not like his character at all this go around..no even as someone you love to hate... off to kindergarten, have a great day!
Anita
-

Well, I agree. I could do without Adam, but losing David Canary means both characters go. Is Canary going as well?
Cat
-

Janet- I think your explanation was good. It rolls along like Idol with the auditions and such in various cities. But the kids that actually make it into the top 20 are so diverse. They all have their own style they are the best at. And then the show pairs them up with kids with different styles to help them learn new stuff. The runner-up last year was a hardcore hip hop dancer starting out. But by the time the show ended he was quite the lovely ballroom dancer. He and the eventual winner did this duet dance at the end that was a russian style complete with the jumps and squat kicks. It blew my mind. I can't wait for it to start. The auditions are hysterical sometimes, just like Idol. But I love to see the kids grow and learn. But you are right, sometimes the costumes are a bit much. But not any worse than some I've seen on DWTS. Some of theirs have been done right naughty.
rebecca
-

rebecca: what do I mean? Good question. costumes, styles of dance, the way they pair the dancers, the hosting and judging - sometimes it's hard to tell where everybody's coming from. Well, I guess that's a vague enough answer. I'll have to give it a try this season.
Janet
-

Janet- what do you mean by very strange format?
rebecca
-

I saw that today! I like Stuart, but haven't watched in awhile.
Christine
-

4.15 5/20/09 Nope, Adam is NOT dead...Stuart is. Wish the writers had found some other way to promote this storyline.
Merfuff
-

Anyway - so - Adam is dead? is this cost-cutting at the soaps? Who is next? I can't imagine AMC without Lucci.
Cat
-

Wow - that Olympic athlete thing really kicked in. I saw all the dances, and really thought Gilles and Cheryl were fabulous in the Tango.
Cat
-

rebecca - I have watched it - and I know some really good dancers have come from it - in fact Chelsie Hightower from DWTS came from that and she's great - but I guess I have to get used to the sometimes very strange format.
Janet
-

Janet- tune in for So You Think You Can Dance. It is always one of my favorites. In fact, last year was the best season yet. The kids that went to the top 10 were some of the best dancers I've ever seen in my life. It starts next week I believe, in the IDOL time slot.
rebecca
-

HHOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL of outrage!! Shawn? SHe had no personality on the dance floor! My man Gilles was a perfect gentleman, of course.
PUck
-

Awwwwwwww, my favorite didn't win DWTS, but all 3 were really excellent. That last Argentine Tango, though, with the MUSIC - it outshone them all. However, as all 3 got perfect tens tonight, I guess it all came down to the viewers. Now that "Lost" is over for the season, and DWTS, well, I'm gonna miss 'em!
Janet
-

got out of the trial early today because one of the other jurors had to attend their kid's graduation in NYC tonight. yay! but i get home, expecting the roofers to be done (everyone in the complex is getting a new roof), they had only just started to remove the old roof! poor jake and scooter are all scared from the noise and now the nail guns are making noise as they felt and reshingle the front roof. of course the silly heads are hiding UPstairs under my bed instead of DOWNstairs with me where it's a bit less noisy. they'll have another day of this tomorrow as they do the back, but then at least it'll be over...well, until we get new vinyl siding! my head hurts!
lisag
-

I was sick yesterday and able to watch DWTS for the first time this season and even I say he will win.
Christine
-

Me, too! Gilles, Gilles, Gilles!
Puck
-

Well, after watching the DWTS finale, I hope it's Gilles.
Janet
-

Adam's the one that's dead???? ARGH! Yes, I imagine at some future date, we'll figure out it's Stuart, and Adam will return. Poor Marian!
Puck
-

4.15 PM 5/18/09 Well, cussword. Unless it's a soap ploy, Adam is off the map (Stuart?). Fooey. Palmer is near non-existent (wah) and now.... Will lessen AMC's canvas, IMO.
Merfuff
-

ooooh and does anyone watch Grey's Anatomy? Where have I seen the kid that wanted his leg cut off? His face is so familiar!
boston
-

Any Desperate Housewives watchers out there? Susan or Kathryn?
boston
-

I have a few interesting friends too on there!
Christine
-

Howdy everyone! -- I'm on Facebook, and have found Janet, Ariel, Anita, Diane, and Patty B. It can be really fun for reconnecting with old friends. Unfortunately, mine started out as a way to connect with my students, and I usually have to weed through a lot of teenage dreck!
Puck
-

I just got done seeing a friends pictures from Egypt (she is still there), so neat to see them as they happen. I went to a library seminar where they said things like facebook etc... are used by alot of older people who do reconnect with old HS classmates they might have been too shy (as in my case) to talk to then.
Christine
-

rebecca, I have a facebook page and I agree.... I have reconnected to so many old friends and have made new friends. There is one woman I went to HS with. We became friends on FB and found out we have so much in common! We never were friends in HS, just attended at the same time. Its also a good way to keep up with family etc.... I have one former co-worker who I will be going to the RenFair this summer with, I had no clue she liked that.
Christine
-

Good morning all. Does anybody here have a Facebook page? I have both a Myspace page and a Facebook page. The Myspace was fun for awhile but the guy that owns it added so many applications that it takes forever to load. And the ads are ridiculous. So I am thinking of deleting it. My Facebook however is getting to be a lot of fun. I have found friends I went to high school with. Which at my age is pretty awesome. As soon as I figure out my link I will post it. Off to do some birthday shopping for a little niece. She turns 13 today. And she wants pink and purple girly stuff. So I am in heaven. No more Bratz dolls. Yay!
rebecca
-

Puck - I love the new commercial for the Kia Soul with the hamsters driving and rocking out in it...too cute.
LisaG
-

Merfuff- how is the Firefly watching coming along?
rebecca
-

Or playing the lead male role in P.S. I Love You imstead of Gerard Butler. TK and Jeffery Dean Morgan in the same movie together! I need a cold shower.
rebecca
-

LisaG- that is what I am talking about!
rebecca
-

On a side note, I get a really 80s thrill when I see that commercial for the Lincoln, with the Peter Schilling "Major Tom (Coming Home)" theme song. TEE HEE HEEE!!!
Puck
-

rebecca - just imagine if TK had been in the movie "300" with Gerard Butler! *SUH-WOOON!*
lisag
-

TK needs to be doing movies. A mahn with his looks and voice should have a lot of movies under his belt by now. He could easily land any of those sword and sorcery type movies on the SciFi channel. He needs a new agent.
rebecca
-

I suspect it's Adam.. or Stuart, someone mistakes him for Adam... then if Adam is sick and David Canary wants to leave (I read he has some undisclosed health concerns)...it would make it easier to do so....
Anita
-

Me neither Merf.
Christine
-

That's pure speculation on my part, Puck. And I wouldnae be a whit surprised if it is Thorsten who wishes to leave to pursue other venues. That, TOO, is pure speculation.
Merfuff
-

OH NO! Is it going to be Adam who dies?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!
PUck
-

1 PM 5/14/09 If David Canary (Adam-Stuart) wants to retire from AMC, and Adam is killed off, what does that do to Stuart's character?
Merfuff
-

How to help the polar bears...time to write to your state reps, senators and the pres! http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/opinion/13wed3.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
LisaG
-

i think they'd request a change of venue because most people in your town would be prejudiced against him and know too much about the case already.
lisag
-

I have only got called once for jury duty, but it was after I moved out of the county (watch me get called now!). I hate our county court house, so I hope I don't have to. My dad did and he went for about 3 weeks. Maybe with Drew Peterson I will get called ;-). I couldn't serve, I am already prejudice against the guy.
Christine
-

So my story for the day...after 4-5 years of being summoned and then cancelled last minute for jury duty, I finally have to go in this morning and yup! I got picked for a criminal case...it's an icky one that I'll tell you about after it's over. What shocked me was how many people were first excused because they knew someone involved in the case and then after the charges were read, how many said they couldn't be objective because of the sensitive nature of the case! It basically cut the juror pool in half. Luckily, I was in the first small group to be voir dire'd and I think I was the first juror accepted on the case. I just hope they're right and it only goes 2-3 days next week...I'd hate to get involved in a trial that goes on for weeks. Still, it amazes me that at 48, this is the FIRST time I've ever gone in for jury duty...usually I was excused before (in college, first day of my first job, moved to a new city, etc)...though I *did* have to testify once...that was nerve wracking.
LisaG
-

CFL's use TONS less electricity and also producs no heat like regular light bulbs, so in the summer time, that's especially helpful. I also installed LED undercounter lighting in the kitchen which is even more efficient than CFL's. Plus if you recycle them correctly, they won't do any harm to the environment.
LisaG
-

Good point, but they use less electricity.
Christine
-

wow, so with all this concern about how to recycle these bulbs, how green can they be?
Boston
-

Okay, reboot... Cover of Soap Opera Digest (SOD). And he wasn't the only one on the cover. Sorry to type so quick.
rebecca
-

Hey guys, who died on AMC? I saw it on the SOD and there was a pic of TK. Say it ain't so...
rebecca
-

CFL's need to be recycled at a proper location that can handle the mercury. Most Home Depot's have CFL recycling, but you can also look online for CFL recycling locations. Also, here's some interesting info on them... http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/70/three-cfl-myths-busted.html
LisaG
-

I know that you need to dispose of the CFLs a certain way. So far we haven't had to yet.
Christine
-

I think the issue with CFL's is the small amount of mercury in the bulb, so it's probably best not to have them in rooms with kids, or where they could easily be broken. However, I read that the amount of mercury in them is equivalent to eating a whole can of tuna. You just need to clean up and air out the spill location.
LisaG
-

2 PM 5/11/09 Boston, the CFL bulbs are dangerous in more than a wiring way. If one breaks, they spill Something I'm Not Technical Enough to Explain, sorry. Please read about how to protect yourself if you must clean up a broken CFL and follow the instructions carefully._______I cannae figger who is stupider; Aidan for not realizin' Annie is barmier that a belry of bats or Krystle who ... ditto David Demento.
Merfuff
-

I was ticked this morning with our garbage men. We had bought a new lawn mower yesterday and since we had so much recycling used the empty box to put some of the stuff in. Garbage took it before the recyclers! Grrr!
Christine
-

I think in older homes that might not have modern wiring, they can be dangerous. They can also be dangerous in cheap/shoddy fixtures. I'm guessing the latter applies in my case! For a brand new house, it's pretty cheap construction....
Puck
-

why are CFLs banned in the rental agreement? Are they dangerous?
Boston
-

No recycling here. We just moved to a new city, and if they offer recycling, we haven't heard about it (and I don't see recycling bins out and about). No CFLs, as they are forbidden in the rental agreement. We do the basic conservation -- turn off lights, don't run water while brushing teeth, take canvas bags when grocery shopping. But there's more we could do, I guess. I can't wait for us to be in our own house, and we can make these choices ourselves!
Puck
-

Janet, nothing wrong with supervision! Rebecca, throw those scones this way please. As I had to work and DH had lawn work to do, we had a quick dinner, but we are out the last two night so I am not complaining. ___________________________________ The Reader has plenty of nudity, more then I thought it would. The best part of the movie was the second half, but you couldn't have that without the first, still I saw more then I wanted to! I have the book which I am looking forward to read.
Christine
-

Roy made a pork roast and baked some potatoes for us. I made my onion-rosemary bread from scratch. And I had a hankering for lemon-bluberry scones, which I have never made, and they turned light and soft. I'm very happy about that. They could have been leaden.
rebecca
-

i'm anxious to see The Reader, too - - it is a powerful book. Our Finnish son takes us to task about recycling as they're ahead of the US in that way. Had a nice nother's day here. Mr. J. even cooked a very simple dinner (under my supervision). He's better as a warmer-upper guy. 9
janet
-

I would want to help them too.... _________________- We recylce everything, have CFL bulbs throught the house (except bathroom, we have weird lighting there). I am always on DH to turn of lights and TV when no one is around (he is BAD with that, which is odd as he is into animal conservation etc...). I have heat set low, AC set high, and use a blanket is big in my house.
Christine
-

rebecca - I said the same thing to myself...if I was filming that, I would have given the poor bear some meat or SOMEthing...ANYthing. I know it's "the circle of life", but in this case, it's human beings that are killing them artifically with global warming, not Mother Nature.
LisaG
-

Lisag- we replaced most of our bulbs with CFLs last year too. It really has made a difference in our bill. But I must admit I do not like them in my bathroom. But it's a small price to pay. I wish I could work from home but I run a copy center. Kind of have to be on site. I recycle EVERYTHING, and have started a compost heap at the urging of my daughter. And it's Arizona, it doesn't get that cold here. I like curling up on my couch in my flannels and a blanket rather that turn the heat on. I usually only run the heater in the mornings for a few minutes to take the chill off. But the summer is another thing. I can't take the heat anymore. Used to be able to handle it when I was younger but not anymore. Dang menopause.******Maybe Greenpeace could help in delivering food up there to the polar bears. Or the camera boats that made the film Earth. I wouldn't have the stomach to film that happening and not be motivated to try to help that or other bears.
rebecca
-

rebecca - I also do all I can to reduce my carbon footprint...I've replaced all my incandescent light bulbs with CFL's (I've saved $'s on my electric bill this way too!)...I work from home, so I don't drive to/from work...I recycle everything I can...in the winter, I set my thermostat low for the whole house and use a space heater for my home office, etc. I also donate monthly to WWF in hopes they can help. I just heard that the Obama administration refused to rescind the Bush legislation that doesn't allow us to consider trying to protect the polar bear habitat with greenhouse gases legislation, etc. I plan to send them a letter saying how disappointed I am in their stance...the world would be a much better place for EVERYone, including the polar bears if we did something about global warming. Here's the article... http://green.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090508/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_polar_bear_climate.html
Lisa G
-

LisaG- working towards reversing global warming is a good and noble thing. I do all the little things I can on my scale. But it's going to take a while to fix it. In the meantime, we should try to feed these polar bears. Like doing a fundraiser to get the cash to buy a few shipfuls of fish to take up to their areas and replenish it for them. It's not a cure but it helps in the meantime.
rebecca
-

Happy Mother's Day to all our dear ladies on the Guestbook. Hope all you mom's are being pampered.
rebecca
-

LisaG, nothing makes me cry more then seeing animals in danger. Growing up, I couldn't watch Lassie because I was afraid she would get hurt. Earth might be a bit rough for me, but I do want to see it.
Christine
-

WE just finished watching The Reader. Kate Winslet was amazing....
Christine
-

WARNING! SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE EARTH! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Went to see "Earth" today...the photography was astounding, but it was a rather upsetting movie in many parts. A lot of it was amusing and cute and they say it's "kid friendly", but there are several parts where a predator takes down prey...wolf vs. caribou baby...large elephant vs. a pride of lions (this was pretty nasty)...and most distressing was seeing a male/papa polar bear searching endlessly for food, only be stuck out in the middle of melted ice, finally getting to land, starving and exhausted, trying to catch a baby or young walrus, only to get wounded, then lay down to die. I'm in tears just typing this. I soooo want to get involved more with reversing global warming, which is wreaking havoc with the polar bears. :~(
LisaG
-

I went to see the new Star Trek movie today. First time I've seen a new movie at the theater since Stardust. It is worth seeing. Fantastic really. I would go again soon.
rebecca
-

When all this was breaking we had a news show call our library, so who knows? Too bad I am not working today! Darn!
Christine
-

Christine -- LOL! Now you are ready to answer any Inside Edition questions about the library card. And you know someone will want to know!!
Puck
-

And he doesn't have a card, I checked!!
christine
-

When he was arrested, he said "is this about my overdue library books?"! Don't drag us into this mess!!!! I work in Bolingbrook and live about 10 miles from there.
Christine
-

wow Christine, didn't know you lived so close to him. Hopefully he is going to get what he deserves. I wonder what turned the case around and finally gave the PD the break they needed in order to arrest him. I just hope they have enough to convict because if he gets off...thats it he will be a free man to marry another yound naive girl
Boston
-

They arrested Drew Peterson! And I could have seen it. It happened on the route I take hom but I was about 20 minutes to early.
Christine
-

Where do you draw the line indeed. Even Susan Lucci has done a Broadway musical that involved choreography and she still wasn't good enough to win. I like Melissa enough to actually vote for once.
cw
-

To any baseball fans..wow, who saw this coming....ok, maybe TPTB from Boston thank goodness......Manny out for 50 games for failing a drug test. Good Luck Dodgers, sorry to sell you a lemon LOL
Boston
-

Yeah, who knew that rodeo fans voted? I woulda thought Chuck would have lasted longer, being a country music singer and boyfriend of Julianne. But I did think we got a lot of "we're in love" stuff from them (which of course the editors and producers wanted). Maybe it backfired a bit? Melissa is great, has had tons of dance experience, so where do you draw the line? So did L'il Kim. So do most of the musicians who appear as contestants - they have lots of choreography built into their routines.
Janet
-

I could be happy with Melissa, too! She's got the ballet background, which I think is a bit of a cheat (but then, they got her VERY last minute), but I wouldn't howl in outrage if she won!
Puck
-

I like the bachelor chick better than Giles. Giles is good but what he does is simpler than what she does. Giles partner is good a choreographing to show his skills. And I want Tony to finally win one. He has been stuck with a lot of stiff partners.
cw
-

Yeah, I'm shocked that Ty made it another round. I wasn't aware that many rodeo fans watched! I'm totally in love with Gilles, and hope he wins!
Puck
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Oh, and on DWTS, shocker! Ty Murray is so likable but Li'l Kim should have been in the finals. Gilles, I must admit, is my choice. what a graceful man!
Janet
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Hello - rebecca, she is adorable! Haven't been at the GB for a while, trying to catch up. Our Finnish children were here for 2 weeks, then our Ohio son with Darling Granddaughter for a week, and now Mr. J's sister and her husband for 2 weeks. Oy, the cooking! We had a few days alone before the last company arrived . . . I am still so behind. Oh, well. ...............we have adopted another dog. Wasn't in the market to do it, but little Robbie's owners were moving to New Zealand and didn't want to put him through the travel and quarantines, etc. He is a King charles Cavalier Spaniel and a darling. We've had to teach him to be a dog and he's even eating regular dog food now instead of designer. So funny, he was their baby and they were teary-eyed when I left with him, but they were happy about his new owner because they knew me and knew he was going to a new home. That means 3 dogs now, but Chevy is 15 and very old . . . that will be a heartbreaker when she goes. ...................... haven't watched amc for a long time, but saw a few minutes the other day and now Zach and Kendall are divorced? And Ian needs a heart valve? And Kendall's back with Ryan? What a yo-yo she is. Is Greenlee really dead or will they bring her back again? Sheesh. ............just got an interesting video of #3 son stepping out of a plane, falling, free-falling, and then parachuting to the ground, didn't even stumble. Mr. J thought he was still going with an instructor (tethered to her) so that was a jolt to him. Oy, just to step out of a plane! I don't think I could do it.
Janet
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yeah, just heard...so sad...another legend.
lisag
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Just read that Dom DeLuise died, 75 years old.
Christine
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ITA about the slaughter of the pigs in Egypt. People are stupid.
rebecca
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Merfuff, I just HATE and am sickened by the slaughter of pigs in Egypt. Why are poeple being so ignorant?_______________________________________ I knew that the DAllas coach was seriously injured, didn't realize it was at that extent. Poor guy!
christine
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I'm so fed up with most news media I'd like to slap 'em silly for referrin' to H1N1 as 'swine flu'. Humans canNOT 'catch' it from pigs. Egypt has used this excuse to wipe out a Certain religious group of pig farmers by 'culling' (i.e., killing) a zillion swine. Do people ever learn? How sad and vicious. Actually, it has worked the other way 'round. Pigs have become infected by humans, yet humans can safely eat pork. What dips humans can be._________It is so utterly gorgeous here I wish y'all could see. Birds of all hues, leaves soft and promising, crops soon to be pokin' thru the soil. Mom Nature is a good friend as well as a vicious force.________A 33 year old coach of the Dallas Cowboys is permanently paralyzed after their practice facility tent was hoffifically destroyed by said Mom Nature on Saturday. Sad.
Merfuff
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went to the dr...she doesn't think it's piggy flu, but they took a nose swab anyway. i'm on motrin and tylenol until wed and if i still have a fever i have to call in. oh and i got a new NON-mercury thermometer!
lisag
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1 PM 5/4/09 I wonder if as they write, the writers ever cringe when they use such glaringly OBVIOUS plot devices as Ian needin' (whoa, Scott and the Chandlers HAVE it!) a miracle aortic valve.______Hope those who are under the weather are gainin' ground on the bug._____Honestly would like to verbally slap selfish, selfish Kendall on her arse. She thinks with her sex organs.
Merfuff
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Oh no Rebecca! Take care of yourself! You too Lisa!
Christine
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lol...just realized the name of the site is Mecury Players...how appropriate for me today!
lisag
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lovely, so i decide to use my old mercury thermometer to check my temp vs. the ear probe one and of course as i shake it down i break it on the edge of the sink and spend a couple of hours cleaning up beads of mercury, including having to throw out the sink drain trap...sure enough there was mercury stuck in there. *sigh* no more old fashioned mercury thermometers for me! now i just need to worry about the CFL's i have all over the house!
lisag
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hey rebecca - sorry to hear you're suffering too. i actually felt a little better today, but still tired. weird thing is my temp is up to 100.9...go figure.
lisag
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Worse today. Fever of 100. And now the coughing has begun. Here comes the headache.
rebecca
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LisaG- me too. I nursed Roy back to somewhat health all week. I have washed my hands 1000 times and have gone through 2 full bottles of antibacterial lotion. And I felt it coming on last night. It just sucks because he was out all week from it. He hasn't missed a day of work in 15 years. He went to UrgentCare on the first day of his sore throat which was the first day of the swine flu panic. And they said it was just an upper resp. infection. So I am not too worried. But who likes to feel this way at all. Hope you feel better soon.
rebecca
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In case all y'all (see, I've learned that distinction, although I'll likely be lazy and revert to simply 'y'all' -grin-) havenae noticed, be aware that one of the latest e-scams is email which comes with attachments. They're largely identifiable ('Enlarge your ______ 50%!'), but still...sPitcan the attachments and email to the best of the ability to get 'em out of the way. I've had 4 in 2 days, yech.________LisaG, rest, hon, and get well FAST!
Merfuff
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very cute picture! hanging low today...woke up with a headache and felling a little chilled and also fevery...hoping it's just being over tired and allergies. (fingers crossed!)
lisag
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7.30 AM 5/2/09 Omigosh, Sophia is adorrrrrrable and her parasol is lovely!
Merfuff
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I'm very tired tonight and Mr. Typo is taking advantage of that.
rebecca-----goodnight all
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Thanks Cat and everybody. I'll have you lnow she painted that parasol herself. And that's her Island Princess Barbie dress. Sh'e going to be 5 very soon.
rebecca
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What a cute outfit! -- and cute girl, of course!
Puck
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Gorgeous picture!
Christine
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Sorry it took so long to get this up - it's Rebecca's granddaughter, Sophia. Happy Birthday, Sophia!
Cat
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8.30 AM 5/1/09 Happy May 1st! Big R used to bawdily sing, 'Hooray, hooray, outside _________ starts today!'______Boy, TV has gotten weird. TPTB buried 'Prison' on Fri nite._____'Grey's Anatomy' turned into 'who's sleepin' with whom this week?'. That one I quit 1 1/2 seasons ago.______Now, 'Ugly Betty' has bitten my dust._____Used to be outre and funny...but now it just seems mean-spirited and, well, ugly._____Gonna hang with 'Lost' cuz TPTB have promised satisfactory denouements. Hope they keep that promise.
Merfuff
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Here are some Web sites that provide good information: ------------- Swine Influenza and You: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm --------------- Swine Influenza: General Information: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/general_info.htm
LisaG
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Merfuff, remember Erica never ages!!! Isn't she like 45 now? Hard to believe she is two years older then me!
Christine
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1 PM 4/30/09 Kinda hard to believe tomorrow is May 1st. Time flies._______My li'l grandmannie MJ told me last night when I called him that, 'In 3 minutes and 7 days,' he, his dad, and 17 of his archery buddies are off the the Nationals Tourney in Kentucky. Bus-trip, but I bet he could fly without a plane ;)_____Aw chee, are we gonna get Erica with another *younger man*? Zach or Ryan?_____I miss Myrtle/Eileen.
Merfuff
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Poor kid. I see the pandemic level is now 5. I have a co-worker who is coughing! Luckily she feels fine other then the cough, which she has had awhile.
Christine
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Chicken scratchings.
Merfuff
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2PM 4/29/09 I think I heard that the li'l Mexican child was taken to Houston for health care and a doc on FOX stated his opinion that the delay and likely dehydration did NOT help the sad situation. Scary and tragic.________Boy, when Marty and John take a road trip, they really go on a tear.
Merfuff
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No, the child was a Mexican who had traveled with his family to Texas, probably to use our health care system. They need to close the borders if they want to contain it, but it's probably too late.

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The child here might be of Hispanic descent, so maybe travel was involved. But the school is mixed, and several children were absent. One mother alerted the school, as her child was sitting next to the sick one and it was obvious the poor child was very ill. Most important thing, stay home if you are sick!!!!
christine
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I heard the Texas child is from Mexico -- not saying that it's okay that Mexican children are dying. Just that there's no reason to suspect that Americans, with their high levels of nutrition and health insurance and such, are about to start toppling from swine flu. My understanding is that most of the Mexican cases are among the poor, who are already weak because of poor nutrition, and who may be unwilling to get medical care at the first signs of illness. It's likely that areas with large populations of Mexicans or illegal aliens, may be more susceptible, since they also may have nutrition issues and/or be unwilling to see a doctor at once, especially if there is fear that "authorities" are getting involved and documenting those with the disease. I hope there are efforts underway to assure illegals and poor populations that there is nothing to fear about coming forward if they are ill -- and that it's TRUE, too!
Puck
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sorry not alerted but aware of what is going on!
Christine
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LisaG, they just interviewed a local doctor about all of this and he said something that I think you would agree with. We do not need to be afraid or panicking but we just need to be alerted as to what is going on.
Christine
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My sons school called yesterday to let us know if we are calling a hcild in sick, we need to now tell them the exact symptoms they have.
Christine
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And there is a possible case out here near Chicago!
Christine
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Just heard the news, they have the first confirmed death from it. A 23 month old in Texas.
Christine
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From what I heard on the news and NPR, the "oink flu" ;) is not that debilitating...it's very much like any other flu. Also, many people that are getting sick just have the regular flu...we're still in "flu season". I believe all the deaths in Mexico can be attributed to those who are poor and/or isolated having difficulty getting medical care. Obviously, if someone has a compromised immune system or is very young or very old, they are more susceptible to the flu's effects, but they say if you just practice smart hygiene (washing your hands, etc.) you should be ok. I hate the way the news shows are latching onto to this and creating panic everywhere...it's very irresponsible and unprofessional.
LisaG
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Good news is she now has a wait and see attitude and is considering that if it does get worse, canceling her trip. Her and I talked about the whole quarentine issue. I guess it will come down to what happens soon. We did have a case in Indiana but the person made it through.
Christine
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Christine, if she's an American citizen I can't see that happening... IF and a big IF .. she were sick.. maybe they might quaratine her. But from what I've heard the new deaths in Mexico are down...I really think they'll get a handle on it by then.. OR worst case it will be pandemic and she won't be allowed into Mexico in the first place. I'm sure she'll be okay...make she takes extra precautions.. hand santizer..... avoid large crowds... wash hands frequently..etc.
Anita
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Anita, I am hoping it will calm down by the end of May. DH brought up an interesting point, what if it doesn't and they don't let her back into the US??? .......... Gosh, I don't even know how to use our digital camera!
Christine
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ACK! I misread -- when I saw Colby, I thought of Liza Colby! HA HA!
Puck
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6.15 AM 4/28/09 Whoaaaaa, Puck. The 'cute' haircut Colby is the DAUGHTER of Tad's playmate Liza Colby. There was never sex between this kid and Tad, Cad or not (WAS there?). Ack.
Merfuff
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Glad you had a nice day off for your birthday cw! one of these days we need to get together again! geez, it's been ages! Christine, I think your Mom will be fine by late May. I think they'll have it under control by then. ... we're having a heat wave. We've been in the 90's since Saturday... 96 degrees at the riding ring Saturday....whew..Katie had fun getting to water down her horse afterward when grooming, I'm sure the horse loved it! . . . I'm thrilled the girls are getting to learn all aspects of horse care. And wow, is the pollen thick today, yellow dust everywhere...I can barely breathe. Susie goes tomorrow to get her stitches out, she's doing very well, the bruising is gone, she's wanting to walk and jump but is confined to a pen and will be for quite a while. We don't want to undo the work of the surgeon. I'm keeping busy busy busy with the kids. We have a fun Mother Daughter tea this weekend that should be fun and I start a photo class next Monday :) Can't wait, after 2 years with my digital SLR I'm going to learn more about lighting and the manual settings, that I just dabble with now. okay, I'm rambling...
Anita
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cw- I'm glad you enjoyed your birthday day off. It's exactly what I did. Sat on my rump and painted parasols all day. With the windows open and the breeze floating through. Awesome.
rebecca
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Is it just me? Does the young girl that plays Claire on Heroes look like she is wearing a wig. She was Cords daughter on OLTL many years ago wasn't she? Anyway, her hair always looks too perfect and the part is too much like a wig. I don't know, maybe it's just me.
rebecca
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Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. I treated myself to a day off. It was just what I wanted. :)
cw
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I am really worried. My mom is going to Mexico (Guadalajara) for a wedding at the end of May. All this Swine Flu talk has me worried. She is not worried at all and is excited to be going to Mexico for the first time. I don't want her to go!
Christine
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She IS cute, but since Tad is aging gracefully, they no longer look like contemporaries who were having sex while Tad the Cad was having sex with her mother, too!
Puck
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Hopefully, a positive personal comment is fair dinkum. Methinks Colby's pert haircut is adorable. She's as cute as a bug's ear._____Roxy was SO proud of her brain's capability to turn off life support...dipwit dropped her (downloaded) instructions (replete with her fingerprints) in a hospital trash can right outside Mystery Man's room. Uff duh.
Merfuff
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Christine - DOH! Well, at least it's clean now! ;) ------ I know outsourcing of jobs is a sore spot for many of us, but this is absolutely hysterical... ROTFLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.theonion.com/content/video/more_american_workers_outsourcing
LisaG
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Ugh! I was washing my sons jeans and when I took them out of the washer, guess what was in his pocket? His cell phone!
Christine
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Happy birthday cw!!
Christine
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Happy Birthday, CW! Hope it was a lovely day for you!
LisaG
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8.30 AM 4/27/09 Happy belated BD, cw...hope your fellas made it as special as you are.
Merfuff
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HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYYY, CW!!
Puck
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thanks rebecca
cw
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Hey cw, happy belated birthday! I am sorry this is late. I hope you had a wonderful day.
rebecca
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Talk about cute pets...check this little guy out! http://petoftheday.com/archive/2009/April/26.html
LisaG
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AS for pets, I had a dog for 17 yeas. I considered Paco my brother. HE ate table food. When we went out to eat we had to make sure we either had enough leftover for him or bought extra food. My cat currently doesn't eat much people food, other then a bite of tuna every so often, because of a medical condition but he too is spoiled. AS I read someone said (I thnk Candice Begen) that she didn't buy her pet but adopted it.
Christine
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Lizzie is right, until they are one they are 0 year olds!! lol! _______________________- Our weather had been nutty too. FRiday was gorgeous, mid 80s. Yesterday, rainy windy but still warm. WE went out for our anniversary dinner in short sleeves. When we left just a little over an hour later, you could see your breathe it had gotten so cold. Today is the opposit, 40s early uppers 70s later. And I wonder why my nose is stuffed!
Christine
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And great good luck with CT scan and fassst relief, Nita. Tough stuff, stones.
Merfuff
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4 AM 4/26/09 Pooch smooches to Susie, Nita. Heal fast, Pretty Pup. Aww, Lizzie's 0-year old logic is sensible AND is it not a part of her genealogical heritage? Tell Lizzie I have plenty of years...could loan a few to anyone she knows who needs 'em ;)
Merfuff
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and please, would everyone sign their posts? it's nice to know who we are talking with...lurker one? night owl? old time lurkers? I don't know.. something, some sort of moniker .. thanks
Anita
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that's a big link so I didn't make a comment after it so you can cut and paste it.. but it's an excellent article about animal rescue...responsible breeding.. and the President's new dogs (really a minor part of the article)...
Anita
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http://www.stevedalepetworld.com/print-archive/tribune-media-services/weekly-features/390-its-where-the-obamas-didnt-purchase-their-pup-that-matters
Anita really good article about pets
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and dogs are pets and companions, not fashion accessories....I've always had little dogs.. since I was a kid...these little tiny overbred, undersized dogs that don't know they are dogs, argh.. just don't get me started.. or I may never get off that soapbox! Those poor dogs are never trained, never treated like dogs....they don't get to romp or play, just stuck in some little outfit to match their owners (yes, mine sometimes wear sweaters in the winter but to stay warm or to keep the snow from balling up in their fur) I doubt some of those poor dogs ever get properly socialized or potty trained... and then when they aren't cute puppies and don't behave they get dumped at a rescue or worse yet the pound... argh. I said I shouldn't get started! I'll stop for now!
Anita.. pround owner of little dogs that are DOGS, not accessories!
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figured I'd split this into a couple posts, it's long enough. hi ya'll! been busy busy busy. Susie had surgery on both her knees on Monday.. double luxating patellas have been repaired.. she was miserable but by today she is feeling good, walking (very limited) on a leash to go potty, wanting to jump, not wanting to cooped up in her pen but she must.. critical for constant rest this week... she has to be on these restrictions for at least 30 days, then the recovery is a total of 2 to 3 months with limited activity....spring is here. It got HOT, 96 today.. and we had the heat on Friday morning.. it was in the 30's! crazy! Katie started back with horseback riding last week, had our 2nd class this week...she's remembered so much from the fall and is doing great. Her best friend is in class with her again, just 3 girls total...oh, and they have a brand new foal at the farm.. it was born April 2, 2009.. so cute.. I have tons of photos I need to upload to our blog. I'm keeping busy in the school between the book fair and volunteering in the classroom and PTO.. I go Wednesday for a CT scan of my kidneys...I may have kidney stones but I'm not in too much pain, just discomfort, well, big discomfort but I'm handling.... I may be passing small stones.
Anita
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I think all dogs.. all animals.. should be allowed in a passenger area.. like the link Diane showed. Not everyone can fly with animals because of allergies. And there are no real reasons that the airlines limit the number of animals onboard with passengers to only 2 per flight (that's pretty much the rule will all major carriers)....they just do. .... as for little dogs being yappy.. it's not a breed thing.. it's that often owner's of little dogs don't take the time to properly train them. . . . . I have two little dogs. they would both fit on board .. and Sasha has flown from Florida to California.. with a pitstop in Chicago in 1998... pre 2001 so things are different... but Mom was able to take Sasha out of her little crate inside the airport .. in the ladies room.. put down some newspaper for her and Sasha peed.. Mom put it in a bag and disposed of it.. everyone oohed and aahhed over the little 4 1/2 lb. poodle pup and how smart and cute she was :) She is! She's 10 lbs now and not so tiny.. she ended up being a miniature poodle instead of a toy.. but she's a cute.... Sasha didn't bark at all on the entire flight, slept.. or at one point Mom actually put her little crate in the empty seat next to her and was able to check on her and comfort her....but yes, she did need special paperwork..and these days I would imagine with all the security at the airport you'd have to have your dogs flying papers to get through security. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . and LOL at the previous discussion on zero year olds.. well, if you talk to my daughter Lizzie there are indeed zero year olds.. anyone that isn't a year old yet is zero ... if you tell her a baby is 6 months she asks.. but I mean in YEARS.. is she one yet?? I say no.. then she say.. okay, then she's zero... so I guess the zero year olds are all those babies under the age of 1. :)
Anita
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You couldn't possibly sneak a pet on board. Your carry-on luggage goes through the x-ray machine, remember? You can remove your pet from the carrier so that the pet is not subject to the x-rays, but their carrier has to go through the x-ray machine. Also, there is a fee to take your pet on board. Each airline is different, but USAirways charges $100 each way. I believe you also have to provide a health certificate from your vet. That may vary by airline because I don't see that listed at the USAirways website -- http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/traveltools/specialneeds/pets.aspx The pet carrier counts towards your carry-on luggage allowance, so then you have to check more baggage which adds to your overall costs too. It's not cheap, but it is worth it to protect your pet from the cargo dept. We did it once with our cat when we were going to be in another state for over a month. Puck, it is a shame that they don't create a section in the back of