Former Member

Cherubini - missa solemnis in d-minor

It is surprising that Heath not only volunteers with physiotherapy patients, but doesn’t brag about it on social media. The fact that everyone knew who he was confirms that he’s a frequent visitor. Heath is not quite as shallow as we were led to believe at the beginning of the story! ;–)

Fixed cats reminds me that I don’t have any neighborhood felines in heat the way I used to in my old apartment. The yowling used to wake me up occasionally and made me understand why the boots flew at cats in cartoons! Feral cat are the reason why songbirds are becoming scarce. It’s too bad they can’t be trained to go after the overpopulated flocks of pigeons, seagulls, and geese. And if they have to attack songbirds, I nominate House Sparrows (aka ‘English Sparrows), an invasive species introduced to North America by homesick English immigrants.

Haven’t you seen all those businesswomen who commute to work on transit while wearing running shoes and switch to heels when they get to the office? ;–)

I couldn’t decide between a Love and a Haha! So, if @chris191070 doesn't mind, I’m sharing his Haha! ;–)

Has Nicola been reading our Comments? ;–)

So what can and will Nicola do now that she knows that Robbie is suicidal? And how long before she weasels out what happened between Robbie and Alex? If Robbie won’t talk to a therapist, he should at least talk to the Retired Social Worker™ who would have at least some basic training in psychological issues – probably about the same or more than a clergy person who has actually attended an actual theological college. It’s about time they turn to a professional!

Karen being able to get into Timothy’s room at the hospital is another example of Hailey being a small town. ;–)

Because you didn’t have Paul & Corbin build their lookout tower! ;–)

If Paul didn’t have medical supplies in his truck, I could see him using duct tape instead. I’m sure handyman Paul has rolls of duct tape around. It’s a butch guy’s universal fix-it. ;–)

I’m mad at you! No defenestration scene! You could have had Zampa scare Harris into falling out a window! ;–)

It’s a good thing they refer to the horses by initials in alphabetical order! Things might be painful otherwise, but then again, none of the geldings need to worry about that anyway. ;–) Max had some very real concerns about why Louis & Don would want to foster him. I’d be thinking about that too. One one level, Max is an added expense and a lot of extra work since he’s in the wheelchair. Louis & Don are strangers, not relatives, and the only thing they have in common is the injury that prevents Max and Don from walking. Feeling all alone without family would make Max insecure and that often rumored thought that foster parents are only in it for the money only exasperated his fears. Fortunately, Max has been able to see that Louis & Don care about him and want him to stay with them. Including him in their plans for Christmas even though it’s several months away reinforces that. It’s clear from the house and the horses that Louis & Don are ‘comfortable,’ but don’t seem to be extravagantly wealthy. They have the resources to make sure that Max is able to explore his abilities (physically) and talents. Max can see that they won’t be struggling financially, skimping to take care of him. ;–)

Most humans don’t pay much attention to the cars that are everywhere around them. A few people read all about them and pay attention to the minor differences and special features that distinguish them from each other. Many people don’t think about them much until it’s time to replace theirs. This is common for most issues including other people who are different in some relatively minor way. ;–) Most people ignore things they believe are not their concern. The news media generally follows suit. It’s extra work to educate yourself on things that mainstream media ignores. Information is out there, but you have to seek it out. ;–)

There are so many topics that minorities are aware of that the majority is clueless about. As a person of color in the US, I’m at least vaguely aware of the major instances of inequality or injustice perpetrated against other people of color over the years. Part of it is because I’ve experienced similar things (in many cases) or because it’s so completely opposite of my own experience. Having worked in retail for most of my life also put me in direct contact with all sorts of people, both as coworkers and as customers. The fact that I am Gay and attend the world’s oldest and largest LGBTQ film festival every year also exposes me to other aspects of being the ‘other.’ Unlike many others I know, I try to learn about what’s going on outside my neighborhood, my city, the Bay Area, California, the US, and even the industrialized world. I know that you also are more aware than most from the US, if only because your country doesn’t act like a blind dinosaur bumbling around bumping weaker countries aside without noticing*. Unlike me, you know multiple languages which allows you to discover, without filtering, what others are thinking around the world. Knowing multiple languages means you see the world through the different lenses of those languages because of subtle or not so subtle changes in the cultural emphasis. I’ve even read that people sometimes express different personalities when they speak those different languages. ;–) * Sorry for all the bruises Canada and Mexico – and everybody else! ;–)

Luca seems to be aware of the circumstances behind the ‘betrayal’ of the Reinas. Corbin did pass his test at the Grand Opening of the restaurant. A traitor would have been unlikely to be able to face down a Don – even if it’s not his own. I think Corbin earned Luca’s respect with his behavior then, the ‘test’ with Bruce’s ring, and during his other interactions with the Family – even their first meeting at the coffee shop! ;–)

Haven’t you learned that it’s called ‘enhanced interrogation’ now?

I’m not sure this should be in the past tense… ;–)

I wasn’t sure about Harris. I was questioning whether he was good or bad, but hadn’t decided yet! Things didn’t seem as obvious as you were trying to make them seem. ;–) So while surprising, it wasn’t a total shock for me. ;–)

I speak from personal experience as someone who has been housed for about 6 years now, but was formerly homeless with somewhat benign mental health issues. My clinical depression and anxiety keep me from working and are recognized as valid diagnoses by Social Security. It took a lot of work to get those mental health problems officially recognized by the government. The homeless people you see with cardboard signs begging for help are just a visible fraction of the actual homeless population. The US government includes people who are couch surfing, living in cars or RVs, people who stay in shelters, as well as those who sleep in tents, rough shelters, or in doorways. Many homeless people have jobs yet still cannot afford housing. There aren't enough shelter beds to accommodate those who would like to use them. There isn’t enough affordable housing where the homeless are. Just because you don’t see homeless people in your community doesn’t mean they don’t exist. And lower tax regions that don’t provide sufficient services to the needy export their homeless populations to areas that have more hospitable climates, more empathetic residents, and more accessible services. Make sure your political representatives know that you want more services for the needy, including mental health programs and housing. Make sure they know that the solution is not to punish them for their lack of housing. Make sure they know you care about these issues and will vote based on their actions.

I’ll try to remember to insert a Return between my sentences and emoticons. ;–) So Angels are non-binary and gender-queer? I remember reading that there’s a fish that’s naturally Trans-capable. And spoiler-alert, Jurassic Park’s plot hinges on the ability of amphibians to change gender. We only think the concepts are new and novel. ;–)

I bought a 1978 Pinto with the all-glass hatchback (the much more popular hatchbacks had a different gas tank than the ‘sedans’ with the susceptible gas tanks*) from my older brother. It had a 4-speed manual transmission and go-faster stripes. It looked like the one in Cujo except it was light blue with dark blue stripes. ;–) Pintos sold very well for Ford. They were designed to compete with the VW Bug (aka Beetle or Type 1) and were intended to be very basic. The Bobcat was created to give Lincoln Mercury dealers an economical model to bring up the average fuel economy dragged down by Town Cars. Dealers were threatened with the prospect of a Pinto with a Lincoln Mark IV-style radiator grille tacked on (think VW Bug with a fake Rolls-Royce grille) if they didn’t sell enough Bobcats to bring Ford’s CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) number down to a level to prevent Federal fines. * Subsequent analysis suggests that the Pinto’s safety was comparable to other ‘70s subcompacts. More than 3 million Pintos were produced over its 10-year production life. But the name was tainted by the scandal and its replacement was given the same name as Ford’s similar European Escort model. The two Escorts were intended to be identical, but the two divisions modified the basic model so much that only an handful of parts were interchangeable.

There seems to be an epidemic of tormentors being ‘handled!’ ;–)

You mean Zampa doesn’t look like this Bobcat? or this Lynx? ;–)

I didn’t interpret that as blowing Timothy’s cover. It felt like the natural concern of a coworker/co-owner for Karen on a first date with a nice guy who is also still a stranger. It’s not like Timothy was going to pull out a camera and try to use facial recognition software to ID everyone in the restaurant! ;–)

But is that biological or honorary? Would it matter in a Mafia setting? ;–) We ‘know’ that Stefano is Harris’ enemy. We also have hints that Harris is a dirty FBI agent. We know Harris has protected Corbin for years. Aside from Paul, Chad, and the rest of Hailey, who really is on Corbin’s side? Too many shades of gray! ;–)