Jaymes

Yes, except for that aroma that I mentioned.

It does feel nice. Not only the warmth of it, but also that aroma drifting toward your nose. And it's so handy to take on picnics, especially on cool autumn football afternoons. You take some bags of Fritos and a pot of chili and you're all set. Add some plastic spoons and cleanup is also a breeze. You know, as an aside, every time I hear/read about that "invented in Santa Fe in the 1960's" thing, I am gob-smacked that it continues to be given any credibility whatsoever. There are a few things we know for certain. We know that by 1880-90, chili was so popular in San Antonio that the Chili Queens were even a nationally-known tourist attraction. And we know that Elmer Doolin invented Fritos in his mama's kitchen in that same San Antonio in 1932. For anyone to think for even so much as 60 seconds that it's possible that the Doolin family, let alone the rest of San Antonio, and Texas, didn't think to try combining the two for THIRTY YEARS until a waitress in Santa Fe did it in 1962 is, to me anyway, literally unbelievable.

Well, it might be a 'new trend' to some. But it was standard lunchtime fare at the drive-in across from my grade school in San Angelo, Texas, in 1952. Fritos were invented by Elmer Doolin in his mama's San Antonio kitchen in 1932. And, according to legend, almost immediately, his mama, Daisy Dean Doolin, added some to a bowl of famous San Antonio chili, thereby inventing chili pie before the year was out. You can use whatever chili you prefer, so if the Pioneer Woman's version suits her, that seems fine. It obviously didn't take a lot of imagination to split that small individual Frito bag down the middle and put the chili in it, and then top with chopped onions and/or cheese. It was ubiquitous at picnics, church suppers, backyard barbecues, as far back as I can recall. And, like I said, I remember doing just that as a school girl in Texas in the early 1950's. So the claim that it was invented at a lunch counter in Santa Fe in the 1960's doesn't impress me at all.

Yep, he's a dreamboat, all right. Oh, Tim Riggins! You are the tragic antihero of the show. That scene in the opening/closing credits of him standing forlornly out in the rain beside the departing school bus gets me every time. If I were younger, I swear I'd be his stalker.

My daughter is pregnant, due July 1st, and she and her husband have been thinking over names. I heard her talking on the phone with a friend yesterday. "Well," she said, "'To Kill a Mockingbird' is suddenly so popular and we do want to keep up with the current stylish trends, but we don't want yet another obvious Atticus or Harper or Scout. We've decided we're going with Boo Radley Johnson."

"Witty banter/flirtation"? Maybe it's just me, but I don't remember any witty banter or flirtation. Seems to me that the mood was far too dark and brooding, even threatening and foreboding for witty banter. And Jane too shy and apprehensive and aware of her lowly station for flirtation. In fact, seems to me that the book, anyway, was more of a suspenseful mystery/thriller than just a romance. One spends most of the book fearful that Jane is in mortal peril and not sure from whom. Perhaps one of the sinister older women? Perhaps Rochester himself, who may be an unbalanced pervert? And what are those strange noises in the night? Although it's possible I've forgotten, I personally wouldn't expect witty banter or flirtation so, speaking just for myself, I won't miss it if it's not there. In which role? Surely not Jane. I cannot imagine Scarlett Johansson delivering the key line, "Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless?" with any degree of believability. That's always seemed to me to be the most difficult aspect of casting Jane. Although she needs to be attractive enough to make her a sympathetic character and for it to be possible that Rochester could fall in love with her, she's definitely supposed to be plain. Even mousy. Scarlett Johansson is pretty obviously the whole show wherever she goes. I doubt the makeup man exists that could turn her lush beauty into a plain little grey sparrow that disappears unnoticed into the wallpaper.

If you look closely at the photograph, they do look much yellower than Persian limes. Key limes are yellower than Persian in general. In fact, that's how you select the juiciest Key limes - get the yellowest ones. Orik - where was the photo taken?

I read about that Banana Vinegar, and about the Napa chef that was mixing it with piloncillo as a topping for ice cream, and was so intrigued that I had to try it. It is indeed amazing, just as Steve says. It's unusual, like nothing I've ever had on ice cream. It tastes like a really dark and slightly tangy caramel with definite banana undertones. I'm very eager to see what else I can do with that banana vinegar. It's ambrosial. Banana Vinegar

The scenes with the water surging, and carrying along what must be hundreds of people, are particularly wrenching.

A bit troubling for me, but I'm hoping soon it will belong in the "cheerful" thread. My son has spent the last month working in the Philippines. Scheduled to fly out from Manila at midnight last night (10AM today our time). His colleagues said he should get to the airport really early because it was likely to be rather chaotic, what with people trying to get to and from Japan and other affected areas. So he did. These days, with computers and international cell phones, we've been keeping up with him pretty closely. He said the airport was a madhouse, with flights that had been scheduled into Japan being diverted, and some leaving Manila for Japan having to return. His flight was delayed, but finally got off. Scheduled to land in Guam, which is supposed to be even worse with diverted and canceled flights and the possibility of a tsunami of their own. I'll be one happy mama when he takes off from Guam for the final leg home.

I must have seen a different movie. I thought it was a critique of those fantasies, partly from the viewpoint of Rush's character, partly through the almost literal stranglehold upbringing and expectations placed on the guy forced to play the role of the strong, confident, imperturbable leader. But in scene after scene she displays her insistence on trivial details of etiquette and her great discomfort with the situation. ("Your Royal Highness the first time, then Ma'am as in ham, not Ma'am as in palm..." - from memory). And the line, said rather indignantly, "I don't have a 'hubby.'" I definitely got the sense, from her bearing, clothing, words, etc., that she was being portrayed as a very dignified woman. And, as Wilfrid says, uncomfortable with the intimacy of the situation. But if you assume she loved and cared for her husband, which it certainly appears that she did, she would have had to make certain...um...allowances for the overly familiar behavior of the colonial that was helping him. It's also probably good to remember that some license is bound to be taken, given that this is a movie focusing on the stuttering and the friendship, and not an in-depth documentary examining the politics of the time. However, it just so happens that I know for a fact that given certain circumstances, she could be charmingly informal. During WWII, my father was the captain of a B-17 "Flying Fortress" stationed at Bassingbourn, England. During one bombing run over Nazi Germany, flack tore through his cockpit, badly ripping his left arm. He was sent to hospital where he was in a large sick bay with other wounded Americans. One fellow named Traynor had also been sitting in an airplane cockpit when flack came through. As luck would have it, the flack shot through his airplane seat, catching the seat on fire and searing his buttocks. Of course, all of the other airmen in the ward teased him repeatedly about the undignified location of his wound, which meant that basically all he could do was to lie on his stomach and wait for his bum to heal. One day the Queen made a visit to the hospital in order to express her concern and gratitude. She went from bed to bed, inspecting wounds, and chatting with the patients. As she neared Traynor's bed, the men began to yell and jeer, "Show the Queen your scar, Traynor. Show the Queen your scar!" It was immediately apparent that she had been briefed regarding the men and their injuries and what to expect when she promptly responded, "Do you Yanks really think I've never seen an arse before?"

Although of course you're right - the incredible acting is the best part - one thing I really liked about it all was the unpredictability. I love it when you can't tell where the story is going. These plot twists really kept me guessing all the way to the end. Which, of course, I won't reveal. (I guess you want to be waterbedded as well.)

I think it was marketed badly. I can't tell you how many people I've heard say (and this is even in Texas), "I don't watch it because I'm not that interested in high school football." Although I realize it would have been difficult, given the name, the book it was based on, and the endeavors of the main characters, I wish they hadn't emphasized that so much. Football is really just the vehicle. And frankly, even when I was in high school, long, long ago, and in Kansas, much of what went on did revolve around what the team and its players were doing. But it's just so good. I know much of the reason why I really love it is that it feels so authentic, in large measure, I'm sure, because it's filmed in Central Texas, where it's supposed to take place. The scenes of the wheelchair rugby players are really wheelchair rugby players. The players on the opposing teams are actors that can actually play football, and they're borrowing the uniforms from other area teams. And I particularly love the cameos. That scene in the first episode (I think it was) with Mack Brown playing a big-time supporter getting into Coach Taylor's face about how they never practice ("I never see the lights on at night") was pure gold. I'm sure every single word out of Mack Brown's mouth was something he's had to hear over and over from know-it-all U.T. supporters. These occasional cameos, with various and sundry folks, including other famous coaches, playing themselves, really add to the fun. But I think when folks first tune in, they're surprised at the quality of the show. Not at all what they're expecting. That tells me the problem was in how the show was presented. And, Jane and Susan, alas, not so many offers to be waterbedded anymore. (Although there is one fellow up in Martha Vineyard that's offered. )

Oh fiddledeedee. That's hardly a spoiler. More like an innocent little tease, revealing nothing. Surely it's not egregious enough that I should be forced to watch 2 1/2 Men. If punished I must be, I'd rather be waterboarded.

So many terrific moments in this series. One from the finale - A very young woman, a high school student, has befriended some of the gals that work in the local strip joint. They're all backstage, and the young woman is bemoaning some of the choices she's made in her life: "I even lost my virginity in a pickup truck. Who does that?" And all of the strippers raised their hands. Only in Texas, y'all.