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[Panni]

I agree with DR Jose - We need posts!

[TCB]

I think, the difference in the rent he pays and what he owes this month, is actually part of your sister's gift to you.  I could see how it would make you uncomfortable, but if you think it would bother you, you could always donate the difference to one of the great seasonal charities - unless you are Ebenezer Scrooge.

Wait a minute!   I think I resemble that remark!

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[Jane]

I had already gotten my housemate a pun-a-day desk calendar before this came up (he loves puns).  Shouldn't that be enough?  (Just kidding!  No really, I am kidding!)  I'm not a Scrooge...as much as I'd like to be. Actually, I have decided to give him a discount on the rent/utilities.  I just need to decide how much.

It sounds like a generous gift to me which means I'm in agreement with everyone else.  I think your sister is really the person you should be asking this questions if you aren't sure of her intentions.

[Panni]

My previous post was sitting in the computer waiting to be posted while I dealt with the unfriendliest cable TV guy I've ever met. He seemed efficient, but he REALLY resented having to do this job (instead of his chosen profession - King of Siam). Anyway it's now done. And while my post sat like so much fish, we had more posts, making it redundant. Or dundant.

[Tomovoz]

Thank you DR for the Tv show opinions. I watched the first "Joan of Arcadia" last evening. Not a show I will race home to watch or record or whatever. It was harmless and much better than most TV at the moment. I'm not sure when "Carnivale" starts.  At least it is on our "National Broadcaster" and thus won't have commercials.

[Panni]

Panni do you mean your mailman remembers your name or knows who you are professionally?

He remembers my name (or what he thinks is my name - "Ann"). That's quite a feat, considering the thousands of pieces of mail he delivers each day.

[George]

Emily
Wilbur
Lamp
Mortem
It Notes

der ever-helpful Brucer

White picket fence...

[Matthew]

Well, my "Turkey Lurkey Time" comment met with some laughter today when the kids sang again.  Good times had by all.  

[Jane]

JMK hi.

Jennifer keeping a small dog quiet has to be easier than with a large dog-I know, I’ve been there.  I have also had to confine cats for extended periods and keep them from jumping.  Fortunately I was able to do so with out the use of a crate, just an incredible amount of patience.  Once I spent several days basically locked in a hallway with Bogie.  Craig took the night duty and slept on the floor with him.  Okay, so we are obsessive when it comes to our pets.

George, Jose is right.  It is nice how you were thinking of your housemate and demonstrates the kind of person you are.

Panni I think you have a good mailman.

[TCB]

He remembers my name (or what he thinks is my name - "Ann"). That's quite a feat, considering the thousands of pieces of mail he delivers each day.

Good!   I will send you a letter addressed to Panni.  Let's see what he does with that!

[Jennifer]

DR Jane, my aunt is also obsessive when it comes to her baby (dog).  But she's not in perfect health right now (she's the one i said has the balls palsey (sp?)).  So there is no way she could sleep on the floor.

Anyhow I guess I shall see the pouch whenever tree trimming is.

[TCB]

JMK hi.

Jennifer keeping a small dog quiet has to be easier than with a large dog-I know, I’ve been there.  I have also had to confine cats for extended periods and keep them from jumping.  Fortunately I was able to do so with out the use of a crate, just an incredible amount of patience.  Once I spent several days basically locked in a hallway with Bogie.  Craig took the night duty and slept on the floor with him.  Okay, so we are obsessive when it comes to our pets.

Obsessive?  I don't think so.  My two babies are as close to me as children are to others.  Actually, considering where I work, my babies are closer than some people's children.

I am glad you like the SCROOGE photo, Jane.

Jrand, thanks for the comments last night (that I just read).  I don't know if NATIONAL PASTIME was produced in Indiana last year, but it is quite possible.  I believe the play was written two years ago.  The playwright is from Eastern Washington (State).

[TCB]

JMK, WELCOME BACK!

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[elmore3003]

DR Jane, my aunt is also obsessive when it comes to her baby (dog).  But she's not in perfect health right now (she's the one i said has the balls palsey (sp?)).  So there is no way she could sleep on the floor.

DRJennifer, it was a good approximation; it's Bell's palsey.

[George]

DR George - I meant to comment earlier... It's good to know that you were having "issues" with the gift/rent/housemate situation.  There could have been no gray area, but it's nice to know that you took your housemate's "feelings" into consideration.

Not the most eloquent way to say that, but I think you get the point.

Group Hug!

George, Jose is right.  It is nice how you were thinking of your housemate and demonstrates the kind of person you are.

Thanks and Hugs back!

[TCB]

George, since your roommate is neither your partner, nor your brother, I think the bulk of the discount belongs to you.  I think it is very sweet that you are going to share it with him. A very un-Scrooge like gesture.

Bah, Humbug!

[Dan (the Man)]

THE AMAZING RACE SPOILER ALERT, in case DR MBARNUM HAS NOT WATCHED YET.

DR Dan-the-Man, I was also disappointed in the result.  There are a couple of teams I hate (the wrestlers being one of them).  And I just wanted to see them gone.

Frankly, watching them count 68. 69 ... 80 made me laugh.  I was surprised the grandparents couldn't count. To me that was the easiest thing ever.

My favs are the 2 leading teams.

The two leading teams, along with the team who lost last night, are my favorites, too.  Ironically because they all are the least like drama queens.  The team I dislike the most is Jonathan and Victoria (I keep hoping that she kills him.)

I don't think that the counting would have been easy for me at all.  On look at that hamper of little stuffed dogs and I would have made a beeline for desk assembly area in nothing flat.  

The thing I don't get is why the show's producers come up with these destinations that wind up as bottlenecks, like last night's train station and the Ikea store that didn't open until a certain hour.  It seems to me to defeat the advantage of lead time any of the teams might have if they are all going to group up at the same spot at the same time.  Did this happen in any of the other runs of the show?  

[Matt H.]

DR George, my two cents' worth is this: Charge him his usual rent. Your sister has made you a gift of the reduction, but it's your Christmas present. I wouldn't have the slightest qualm in claiming my gift from her.

[DERBRUCER]

Dan (the Man) do you something with the Festivus Pole once it is up?

Jane, dear, it is poor form for a lady to ask a gentleman what he does when his Festivus pole is up

Speaking of which, Wikipedia suggests there are more festivities to follow:

Festivus is a holiday held on 23 December of each year. It was created as a response to the commercialism of the other December holidays. Its slogan is "A Festivus for the rest of us."

The Festivus celebration includes three major components:

The Festivus Pole. During Festivus, an unadorned aluminum pole is displayed, apparently in opposition to the commercialization of decorated Christmas trees, and because the holiday's creator, Frank Costanza, "finds tinsel distracting."

The Airing of Grievances. At the Festivus dinner, the celebrant tells their friends and family all of the instances where they disappointed the celebrant that year.

The Feats of Strength. The head of the family tests his or her strength against one participant of the head's choosing. Festivus is not considered over until the head of the family has been pinned. A participant is allowed to decline to attempt to pin the head of the family only if they have something better to do instead.

We should all plan for a Festivus Airing of Grievances day at HHW.
We could call it FAG Day.

der Brucer (some ideas are better than others)

[Matt H.]

"It seems to me to defeat the advantage of lead time any of the teams might have if they are all going to group up at the same spot at the same time.  Did this happen in any of the other runs of the show?  "

It happens in EVERY season of the show. It keeps the games close and thus there is never a problem of a runaway winner. How boring would that be if one team had several days' on the second place team? Folks would stop watching.

[Matt H.]

Final dress tonight. As is usual with a show, one costume for me won't be there until tonight; thus, I have one night to practice a quick change before we have a paying audience.

[TCB]

Speaking of which, Wikipedia suggests there are more festivities to follow:

We should all plan for a Festivus Airing of Grievances day at HHW.

Uh, I don't think we want to go there.

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[TCB]

MattH, if I don't get a chance to tell you tomorrow (which I probably won't):

BREAK A LEG, MATTH!

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[Stuart]

The thing I don't get is why the show's producers come up with these destinations that wind up as bottlenecks, like last night's train station and the Ikea store that didn't open until a certain hour.  It seems to me to defeat the advantage of lead time any of the teams might have if they are all going to group up at the same spot at the same time.  Did this happen in any of the other runs of the show?  

It does indeed defeat the purpose of any leads that are built, I agree.  However (and I am not saying I agree with this), it does generally get the pack back together, so we can see the interpersonal relationships building, and alliances forming.  By doing so, it also levels the playing field (to some degree), so that we are seeing roughly 13 weekly races, as opposed to one loooooooooong race, where some people may still be in Chicago (where this one started) while others are sliding shot glasses down an ice bar.

In the first AR, there was Team Guido (I believe it was Guido....they were the two gay men -- who did nothing for our cause, btw), after all of their pomposity and condescension toward the other teams, made it to the final three.  THey were convinced they were going to win because they were SOOOoooooo smart.  Well, they made some sort of error (i think they booked a hotel room instead of sleeping in an airport or something), missed a flight, and were in third place (but determined - and snottily so, I must say - they would win) , while the other two teams were already on the east coast and approaching the finish line: the aluminum globe in Flushing Meadows Park (aka the symbol of the '64 World's Fair).  

The point is, as we approach the end of each AR, some of those bottlenecks are removed and the real competitors shine.  Unless they are yield'ed.

I also think that having these bottlenecks allows the producers to sort of take a "head count" amongst not only the teams, but their own staff members.  Not fair, perhaps, but possibly prescient in these days in which Americans are not thought of highly across the world.

[Dan (the Man)]

Dan (the Man) do you something with the Festivus Pole once it is up?

There's been a change in plans.  Once my family learned that a big part of the celebration of Festivus involved gathering around the pole and airing our grievances and disappointments in each other, we thought it was kind of pointless since we do that year round anyhow.  

So we will do Christmas as originally planned...

[Jrand73]

What a lovely little Nimrod, DR DtM!

[Matt H.]

Thank you, DR tcb. From one performer to another, you know I wish you continued success in SCROOGE. Your run is much longer than our NUNCRACKERS run, as I recall.

[JoseSPiano]

More TAR Talk:

I also think some of these bottlenecks also allow the team members to get some rest, take a break.  Just when they think they won't get a chance to get some sleep, to get off their feet for a while.  -Hopefully, the contestants take advantage of the time to rest and refuel.  -And the bottlenecks also allow the producers to interview the contestants.

And as DR Stuart alluded to, the bottlenecks also ease the demands on the production personnel.  Otherwise, CBS would possibly have to spring for a camera team for each team.

[Jane]

So there is no way she could sleep on the floor.

LOL-I said Craig slept on the floor, not me.  

I'm sorry your aunt has the health problems.  It must be hard on her, espically now when her dog is hurting.

[Jrand73]

I am not completely familiar with TAR as yet - but it seems that if one team was extremely lucky - it might complete a task and get to the IKEA or train station before it closed and get ahead.  Although I think it's nice that everyone eventually ends up starting a new task at the same time.  My favorite team right now is Adam and Rebecca!