What’s everyone watching?

Juz 535 Comments

Nothing like a bout of covid to allow time to binge watch TV show. My recommended iso watches include:

The Boys: Not for the faint-hearted – it is mortifyingly crude, graphic and darkly funny in its satire of American society and politics.

This is Hughie from The Boys – can you tell his dad is Dennis Quaid and his mum is Meg Ryan?

Alone: Often on free to air, this sees a person or sometimes a pair dropped in the wilderness with minimal supplies, a go pro and a tripod camera. This is solo Survivor hard core. Quite often they are medevaced due to sepsis from a fishhook embedded in their arm, made from the bone of some wild animal they killed. Their wilderness survival skills are fascinating.

Succession: Ok, this is a bit of a cheat as it requires concentration to watch so not viewing while you have the covid sweats. Save it for the post-covid malaise period. This is the fictional tale of an ageing media mogul and his dysfunctional family. Sharp dialogue and many horrible characters who are all played by fantastic actors.

Survivor South Africa: TenPlay has old episodes and is airing the new season that just started. It’s a second chances type one, so I am trying to watch more old seasons first so I know the cast.

Klaus from Umbrella Academy.

Umbrella Academy: Currently on Netflix, this sci fi drama/black comedy about a misfit family with superpowers and an abusive father is beautifully filmed and I always love seeing British and Irish actors doing flawless American accents, and then the public being shocked when they hear their everyday voices. It’s called acting, people.

So, what’s everyone else watching?



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535 Comments

  1. One of the Goggleboxers has died.
    I am sad. I liked her. She was sharp.
    I wish people would stop dying.

  2. Scraping the bottom, I started watching Beauty and the Geek.
    I also watched Suspicion on Apple TV.

  3. Last term I took a class set of cutlery to some of my classes and the children how to use them
    It would have been good if the producers of Beauty and the Geek would have given all of their contestants Table Manners 101.

  5. Although I have the tv on a lot, I am not really watching much. Mostly it is background noise. My attention span is short lately.

    Ones I do watch are Have You Been Paying Attention, Insight, sometimes Who Do You Think You Are, You Can’t Ask That, old Law and Order, very old Spicks and Specks (I’m good at identifying old music), and of course Bluey.

    • We have been playing You Tube, “hits of the late 60s”, and “60s hippy music videos”. We can’t resist guessing and Google checking names of bands and exact years the songs came out.
      Now we just need a quiz night.

        • Then we just need some for sport. I have no clue with sport questions. And I wagged almost all of 4th and 5th Biology, but I’m ok on Geography. Woolif has Maths and Sport covered.

    • Von, your life is an almost exact replica of mine except I do have a fondness for murder/mysteries – those ones where you barely see the body and there are five very obvious suspects.
      My concentration span barely gets me from one ad to the next.

        • It sounds interesting, Dave, thanks. If it gets too graphic, I’ll have to switch over to Midsomer Murders, which is usually innocuous enough to not upset me.

      • I’m looking forward to the new one on Channel 9 with Magda and some other good actors that I can’t remember.
        After the Verdict? It sounds like an interesting premise and hopefully has a few laughs.
        Fingers crossed it will be really twisty.

  6. Did anyone see a clip of Jonie Mitchell in her first concert in 20 years? Classy lady. And still cool .

    • Today I saw a clip of her singing Both Sides Now. Her range is not the same, but it didn’t make one damned bit of difference. She had me in tears.

  7. I’m having a judge Judy marathon ATM. I am behind on my recordings.
    Funny how Judy tells them the law, but they respond, “Naaa. I don’t agree”. 😆😆😆

  8. I watched the final 20 minutes of Neighbours tonight. I don’t know why, because I’ve never seen the show. It just felt like something I should do 🙂 :). Similar to paying respect to an actor who has died. Guy Pearce still gives me a little heart flutter, and Kylie looks as though she is about 35, lucky woman.

    • It’s bizarre, isn’t it? I am so sad that it has finished and yet I never watched it.
      I think the death knell was when they moved it off prime time, and then it was a slow and gentle decline. And, let’s face it, a bit too much “white” which is not the way England’s demographic is headed.
      It was the incubator for our talent.
      I don’t know where our next generation of actors is going to come from and, in fact, what’s going to happen to the Arts from here.
      Don’t get me started on the decades of Governments neglect of creatives. All sides have shown an ignorance and lack of understanding of how our economy works.
      Give me a second and I will give a lecture using a power point presentation that shows a breakdown of GDP and the corresponding relationship to productivity declines. 🤓

      • Let’s face it. Australia can do better than Neighbours and Home and Away.
        Just as the US can do better than B&B.
        I hope it paves the way for some more great shows like Love Child.

        • And Mystery Road wasn’t too bad. I haven’t started S2 yet.
          Some of the acting was average but the storyline held up.

        • That’s a bit like Aftertaste.
          Season 1 was lovely. Season 2 is a disaster (so far). I don’t know what’s gone wrong. Even the acting is off. The only thing that has changed is the Director.

  11. The Boys is fun. And I actually hate gory stuff… But I was superdistracted by Starlight’s face this season. She hacked up her face, and she was stunning before. Now she just went the heart-shaped trend way…
    Jack Quaid looks SO SO MUCH like Meg Ryan. Especially when he smiles. It is kinda weird tbh.^^

    Anyway… We are currently watching a few shows with new seasons out. It’s basically just chilling on the sofa after an annoying work week. 😉

    Westworld – SO good. Seriously. Wow! I personally did not like the second season that much (but it was difficult to reach the brilliance of the first season). Season 3 was better and I love the futuristic world. This current season though is close to the first season for me.

    For All Mankind: This is a total gem from Apple TV. It starts in the 1960s and the race to the moon. Which the Americans lose and they built an alternate timeline. It’s pretty compelling and has great characters. Except for one. I want this arse to die quickly.

    What We Do In The Shadows: Ohhh, it is quirky, dumb and absolutely hilarious. I love it. Currently in season 4 and still as funny as it was in season 1.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfBbSwX6kE

    Physical: Apple TV show with Rose Byrne. She’s fantastic. It starts more like a comedy but has taken quite a dark turn.

    Apple TV has also some more really nice shows. We recently finished Severance. I think this is one of the best shows I have ever seen. The first few episodes are a total mindfuck, but wow, it picks up and I was totally fascinated by it. Looking forward to season 2!

    Ted Lasso is wonderful. I liked The Morning Show. Slow Horses is great. Foundation started good but it lost me a bit during the last three episodes. Loot with Maya Rudolph is quite funny as well if you do not expect too much.

    • Hey Zhee, Severance is amazing! I have even been listening to podcasts about it so I can enjoy the hosts’ speculation about season 2. The music dance experience was a mind trip.
      I have Ted Lasso on my to watch list but just now we are getting into Barry. Henry Winkler is fab as an acting coach who unwittingly steers a hit man in a new career direction.
      I have to go back to Westworld. Loved s1, soldiered on through s2 and did not try s3. Yet I love the concept and the actors

      • I really disliked Barry. I thought this show will be great, heard so much good about it plus who does not like Bill Hader. My boyfriend did not like it either.

        You should give Westworld a second chance though. I have a slight feeling, season 4 is endgame.

    • I know! I saw!
      I did not know she was nearly ninety. I thought she was in her sixties.
      I always loved her character. She did not get enough credit.

      • The new Star Trek series is great and has a young Uhuru in it – just out of the academy and unsure if Starfleet is her jam

  13. Hey Daisy, are you guys all right down there? It’s been wild and windy up here. Every time I step outside, it rains on me. Think I’ll stay home until October.

    • How long can one storm last? It’s wild and woolly and I’ve been out every day teaching. We haven’t had any black outs though, and there appear to be no trees down in the garden, but I’m sure there will be a big clean-up needed when it’s over.
      Last night I dreamt a wasp was in my ear but it was the wind rattling outside.

      I really want it to be over so we can go bush walking. We do the dog friendly trails.

  14. Judith Durham has died.

    I don’t think I will ever hear her voice and not immediately know it is she. Fly high lady, and rest in peace.

    • Yes. I read. She certainly had a distinctive voice. I played the Seekers quite a lot when I was a kid.

  15. Not often a new show will catch my interest in the first 20 minutes. After The Verdict has.

    But, when the husband was looking from the roof at his wife’s body, there was not a big stream of blood coming from her head. The next time there was a shot of her, there was. If the victim fell/was pushed/ jumped and landed on her back, why were there small bits of blood on her cheek, forehead, and neck? Maybe that’s part of the story, if not, it’s annoying.

    I am picky.

    • 🤣🤣
      I have visitors and wasn’t able to watch. We all have it on our list to stream later.
      I am happy to settle for half way decent. I just love the idea behind it.

    • Just started watching the recordings, and really enjoying it. That type of thing is not usually my cup of tea at all, but I was attracted by the premise and the cast. The leading actress is wonderful.

  16. If you didn’t watch Insight tonight, please find a replay and watch it. The subject is domestic violence, specifically coercive control. Some of the stories are horrific and heart wrenching, all the more important to watch.

    • HH always kills me when they move to somewhere like Thailand but then complain the kitchen does not have an oven and there are no granite bench tops

    • Sigh.
      Every American walking into the main bedroom the size of an aeroplane hanger, complaining that it’s just too small. 🤷‍♂️🙄

    • The episodes we watch are international. The places are small, but some of the Hunters come from New York, so are used to a tight squeeze. We have watched all the ones of interest to us, so now we are on to “Live Here, Buy This on you tube. Just dreaming of last port of call.
      I’d love to move to France.

      • France is not for me.
        The actual Paris is very small and packed with tourists.
        Everything outside Pais is high rise and a little bit dangerous.
        And let’s not forget that the French are a little unfriendly and a little unwelcoming.
        My bias is showing. I’ve always had a fondness for Italy and the Italians. I’ve heard Spain is the same but I haven’t been. So many places to go, so many things to see. Where do you start 🤣🤣. We could debate this for weeks. 😀

        • Both my French teachers were very violent guys.

          ………………………………………………………………………………………..

          A Frenchman, an Englishman and a Soviet Russian are admiring a painting of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. The Frenchman says, “They must be French, they’re naked and they’re eating fruit.”
          The Englishman replies with, “Clearly they’re English. Observe how politely the man is offering the woman the fruit.”
          The Russian then notes, “They are Russian of course. They have nothing to wear, nothing to eat, and they think they are in paradise.”

      • Actually people in Paris are constrained and reserved by their rules of etiquette, but outside Paris, we found people friendly. We like Italy too, but France has my heart. And besides, we know more French than Italian. If we lived in France we right next to Italy and Spain 😃

  18. I will give Old People’s Home For Teenagers a go tonight. While I doubt it will be as entertaining as the one for four-year-olds, it could be interesting. Some show needs to be, because fta schedules are just shit lately.

    • I’m here for this one. I really enjoyed the last series and I have high hopes.
      Plus, of course, there is some stat floating around that says 40% of people in homes get no visitors and I don’t doubt that there is a hidden stat that might suggest that others would only get one visitor a year. Anything that goes some way to fixing that is good in my book.

    • Watching this. I didn’t have high expectations. I thought the 4yos would be better because of their lack of inhibition. But I really enjoyed it (while, of course, mourning the sadness of some of the people), particularly the way the kids and adults found mutual interests in each other. Love the navy man who latched onto the boy who really needs a father-figure. And the two who bonded through a foreign language.

      So sad the girl saying if you are looking for a generation of hope, don’t look at us. We (western society) have systematically stripped the hope from our young adults with constant doom and gloom. Time to start showing the kids that every generation has had problems, and that they can be resilient and hopeful about the future.

  19. I tuned in to Shaun Micallef’s Eisteddfod for a nanosecond.
    One contestant was called Kallen (with a K just in case you missed it) and one called Bassell (yes, seriously) and then then there was a conversation where one of the private school boys talked of his admiration for Scott Morrison (everyone’s entitled but why broadcast it) and I can’t even.
    Oddly, it’s Kallen with a K that irritated me most. I don’t know why I can’t let it go but some parents just shouldn’t be allowed to have children.

    • I just watched a bit of that one and did not see that kid get any questions right. Shaun made one girl try to solve a Rubik’s Cube while singing about the periodic table of elements. She was a good sport about it

    • You gave me a laugh there, Bobi. I’ve never watched the show, but aren’t they high school kids? Let’s hope that the ScoMo admirer learns to be more discerning as he gets older.

      Bassell like basil? Children aren’t responsible for the names their parents give them, but certainly parents shouldn’t be allowed to saddle their children with odd or ridiculous names. You could have been Bhoe*bbye.

  20. If anyone has a streaming service that show Yellowjackets, I highly recommend it. Unless you don’t do gory. It’s about a teenage girls’ soccer team whose plane crashes in the wilderness. Survivors aren’t rescued for nearly two years. The show cuts between 1992 (the wilderness) and modern day. Strong female cast, both young women and forty somethings.

    • Hey Juz, I saw the trailers for Yellowjackets and sorry to say I can’t do gory/horror. I call them “chest painers” because my heart rate goes through the roof. Been like that since my twenties.
      I found a pretty good Australian mystery/comedy? series on Acorn starring Bryan Brown and Greta Scachi called Darby and Joan. Really hoping they make a second series. I am watching TAR and sadly I have to confess that I’ve been watching past seasons of Masterchef. My 6 year old grandson came to stay and he was watching MC with me and described Matt Preston as that “creepy man” and he didnt like him.

    • I can’t do tension of any sort these days.
      Those shows that start but embarrassing the main character in the opening scene have me squirming my way to the pause button.
      So blood/gore/horror is a hard no from me before we even start.
      I’m such a chicken.

  21. Farmer Wants a Wife started last night, anybody but me watching?

    A bit same old, same old, although they threw Samantha Armytage in as a sort of reality check for the hopefuls, giving them some advice about what living on a farm is really like.

    At this stage, all the farmers seem serious about being there, although I wasn’t quite sure about Harry, who is younger and raised a few red flags about whether he really wants to be committed. The farmer with the child strikes me as not yet ready to move on. I wonder how many of his “girls” really copped on that they are competing to be a stepmother to a three-year-old. Two big new roles in one.

    They did the speed dates with just three of the farmers last night. Tonight they do the two more interesting ones – Farmer Paige (who seems to be a farm worker rather than an owner) and Farmer Benjamin, who will probably carry the show on his own quirky personality. I like him (so far).

    I will be so glad when they move to the farms and the girls can dress normally and drop the heavy makeup. Some seasons I haven’t recognised them. They are so much more attractive in normal clothes.

    • I watched, mostly.
      I tuned out for the eliminations. Too uncomfortable for me. Its hard for someone to be rejected after a 3 minute conversation. It feels unfair and, of course, the lead up means everyone is over invested.
      Mostly, there seems to be a likeable bunch of people here (and just quietly, I agree about the farmer with a child).

    • I watched but got lost in a book before the end. I give Jehovah’s Witnesses longer than the speed daters got. Shallower than a dam in a drought.

      Some of the girls could ditch the tooth whitener if they’re planning to live in the bush. Save it for the horses.

      Farmer Wants A Stepmother To Smother. Bodies are hard to find on these large properties.

  23. Old People’s Home for Teenagers was sad this week. One of the old people died. It was eye-opening to see how the teenagers reacted to the death. Most of them had had no experience with someone they know dying.

    Cecelia, the old lady who described herself as stupid, seemed to feel a little better about herself at the end of the show. I’m not a hugger, but I wanted to have a cup of coffee with her, and give her lots of reasons why she is definitely not stupid. And maybe have a hug.

    • I have not started watching it yet. I was saving it up for a rainy afternoon.
      I suspect that that’s always the danger with these sort of shows. When one of the participants died in the last series (after filming), I cried buckets. It was like someone I knew was gone.
      I am feeling very sad that The Queen has died. She and my mother were the same age. It’s not like losing Mum all over again but has brought up some of the same sense of loss and regret. It is the passing of so many things that will never come again.
      It’s all a bit of a bugga.

      • I’m also feeling sad at the Queen’s death. Have found myself in tears a couple of times today, somewhat surprisingly, but she was there doing her job my whole life.

        I’m sorry that it has rekindled sad memories for you, Bobi. Grieve as much as you need to for one or both of them.

        • Yeah, I’m the same. Have always been a royalist and was shocked to wake up to son’s text of what had happened. Totally understand your grief Bobi as its coming up to Desi’s anniversary of his passing next month.
          In the words of the Lion King “It’s the circle of life”

        • It is rather sad, and it is hard seeing all the royals having to stroll out in public, not be able to grieve in private. Queen or not, she was still someones mother / grand mother / great grandmother.
          While not unexpected its still sad, given from a public perspective it was quite sudden (I’ve been saying for at least 12 months that she was more unwell than they were letting on), it still sad
          I’m sorry to all it has rekindled sad memories for.

      • For me the saddest thing is thing is that the Queen is being replaced by a bloke who’s on record wishing he was a women’s sanitary product……

          • I used to think Charles would step aside but then i realised it is unlikely until George is at least 21. Because if something happens to William who takes over then? A 10 year old?!

          • I never thought he would step aside.
            Firstly, because it’s in the job title: hereditary monarchy.
            And secondly, this is a man whose mother who devoted her entire life (until the day before she died) to her job and I’m sure, raised him to think the same.
            He may not like it – I am sure I read somewhere in his dim dark past where he said he would like to be a farmer – but I am sure he will follow her example (barring dementia).
            In fact the whole family, except Harry and Prince Whatshisface, work more days in service than your average joe and don’t ever get to retire. Rotten life. No amount of money would get me doing that.
            I would like Australia to be a republic but stay in the Commonwealth partly because I see their place and partly because I like the Commonwealth Games. I’m shallow. Let’s take the benefits and get rid of the trappings.

    • On OPHFT, the gentlemans’s death was such a shock, I was really sad especially as he had been one of the one’s who was making an impact on the kids. I thought Miles would be more visibly upset, but he may be shoving it down of course.

      The show has a different vibe to the two previous seasons, but I find myself enjoying it just as much.

  24. Re the Queen, we grew up singing God save…, licking her backside on postage stamps, carrying her threepence to buy lollies. It’s the end of an era.Her English died three decades ago.

      • So true, Daisy. First question eldest son asked, was, will our money change. And, should he keep Queen based currency for economical advantage. WTF!!! I didn’t even think that way. What is it with the next generation.

        • I know, Tech. At the announcement of a national day of mourning here, some newspapers described it as “the question all Australians wanted answered”. Not me, it would never have occurred to me to think of the Queen’s death as a good excuse for another holiday, far from it.

          I feel a bit sorry for Charles, having to go through all that hoopla and not being able to privately grieve for his mum. Her death was not unexpected, but expected or not, it’s a blow when it actually happens.

          • Yes. I saw Charles get annoyed with a pencil case on the desk while he was signing documents. He had to helplessly beckon to a slave to do something about it.

            The holiday falls on my birthday. I’ve made eye contact with Qeen Elizabeth back the 90’s. On a median strip on King William St, I waited to cross the road. her open top limo passed with her and Prince Phillip next to her. ten feet away. she lookedd at me.

    • My favourite was a short article about the anticipated cost of changing the name of Queensland to Kingsland.
      I’m sure it was tongue in cheek.
      Wasn’t it?

  25. Quoth the farmer~ “We haven’t coagulated yet”. Well, it beats hearing the word “connection” every twenty seconds.

    The gels can see Will is not a keeper. His bread ain’t done.

    • He didn’t want to gel with a gel so instead he coagulated. Or he formed a strong coagulation. 😆
      Will’s girls are all melting down faster than soft serve in a heat wave. Can’t get enough time with your farmer? Find a quiet corner, where you can easily be noticed, and have a little cry.

  26. I have watched episode one of Old People’s Home.
    I sobbed a bit. The whole show is lovely but it’s hard to watch knowing that Jim is not going to see the end of this, and teenagers should be more optimistic.
    I’m going to go make myself a cup of tea and watch Episode 2. 😁

  27. Unintentionally saw a few minutes tonight of the Queen’s coffin being moved to yet another place. While it is understandable, maybe even fitting, for people to be able to see that, and pay their respects, I will be glad to see her taken to her final resting place. Let the woman rest.

    • My head absolutely agrees with you.
      However my heart watches all those people grieving by the road side and I get it.
      Bizarrely, I shed a tear when I saw the tractors lined up. I know, 🤷‍♀️, why that? I think maybe because it felt extra sincere and made Queenie a little bit more human.
      I suspect that we are all grieving for different things. Obviously, for people we know and loved but it seems to be more than that. In a world where people vote for Trump and Scott, and would vote for them again, it’s like the world is now a little less certain and a little more self serving.
      I heard a snippet that said she planned her own funeral (as I have but everyone is ignoring my wishes 🤣) and I wonder whether she understood a lot of this. After all, she’s been through this before a number of times.
      I am feeling too philosophical this morning. It is bucketing down and I am so over this weather.
      It may be none of the above and I am just overthinking things. Mostly, I just feel desperately sorry for the family. I can’t imagine having to put on a brave face so immediately after my mother died. Anne’s face in particular sums it all up for me.
      The good news is that I am watching less tv to avoid more of the same. It is amazing how much extra time I have. I hope this is a habit I can keep up.

  28. I am watching the Queen’s final journey. Aside from having respect for her, I couldn’t miss such an impressively detailed event.

    I know most of the people in the march are military, therefore knowing how to march, but there doesn’t seem to be one person mis-stepping. Even the RCMP horsies are walking with heads down.

    Finally her family will have private time to grieve, cry if they want to, let those stoic faces crumple.

    I’m touched. Bye, Ma’am.

    • I’m the same Von. I’m glued to the tv, if only to pay my respects. What is really impressive is when you consider the fact that Charles is 72 or 73 and Anne is 70 and they are still walking with Andrew, Edward, William and Harry. And apart from Anne’s husband all other spouses are riding in cars.
      OMG, I’m 63 and I would have given up after 5 minutes.

      • 2 things that I really noticed were:
        1# how young the pallbearers were.(maybe just showing my age???)
        2# how tall the 8 naval officers in front of the coffin were. At first I thought it was the camera angle but the more they showed from different angles, they were definitely a foot and half taller than those in front of them.

          • Yep, showing our age. Like you I remember singing God save the queen at the start of every movie in the cinema. And when they changed the anthem I refused to learn the new one. Have to confess even now I don’t know Advance Australia Fare and when I left school it was still feet and inches. Now, with Desi gone I have to rely on Google to convert everything metric, I’m so bad at that.

      • I thought the same about Charles and Anne making that first long walk; it was not a short stroll. Maybe they had to concentrate so much on keeping in step that they thought less of how tired they were after an hour or so. I would have needed a bottle of water at least.

        I mostly watched for the pageantry and symmetry of it. But when the Queen’s pony was out front to see her pass by, I was saddened again. Then they showed her corgis out front too, and I lost it then :). Poor pups wouldn’t understand.

    • No one can do a pageant like the British.
      I listened to a chat to an old gentleman man on ABC radio who (amongst others) represented Australia at the Queen’s coronation. The memories still brought him to tears.
      It’s all touching.
      I wish people would just shut up about the republic until the mourning period is over and then they can go for it. I suspect most of these people have never lost anyone or are just opportunists.
      Mostly, I will be happy when broadcasting returns to normal. SBS is advertising a new cooking show where ordinary people cook celebrity chef recipes. I can hardly wait.

    • I’m watching. Sometimes you appreciate people more when they are dead. She did serve. She could have had an easier life.

      Oprah’s invitation got list in the post. I hope Meghan doesn’t do another interview.

  29. Thanks Bobi. Sounds like something I would enjoy. I don’t watch a lot of SBS, do please let me know when it starts.

    • 7.30 Thursdays, I think.
      I can’t quite catch when it starts, so I’m guessing next week if they are starting to advertise it now.
      If I’m wrong I will correct it as soon as I find out.

  30. As a passing comment without much thought behind it, I am not fond of our national anthem (following on from earlier comment. Not a random thought).
    The words never made much sense to me (I mean, “girt”, ffs – and “young” made my grandparents so annoyed) and the tune is a dirge. So many choices and we picked that one. I was a fan of Gough Whitlam but I will always hold this against him. I remember we had a choice of awful, awfuler, and awfulest.
    I did work nearby to an organisation that had the foresight to put the words on the back of all their business cards. They couldn’t print enough to keep up with demand 🤣🤣. So clever.

    • That one was nice. It’s surprising how even a little exercise can make one feel better. I cheered the old guy who decided to run during the colour walk.

  32. John Hamblyn died. He was 87! There’s a lovely picture in SMH of him and
    Big Ted. I know he did other work, but he was one of my favourite Play School presenters.

  33. On a different note, Happy birthday BDD. I’m sure he posted last week that his birthday fell on the public holiday for the Queen.

  34. Thanks for the well wishes, gice. 65. Shithouse episode of Bold And The Beautiful for me. Unfortunately, your link didn’t work, daisy, I appreciate the effort. Some months ago, I was given a cupcake, decided it looked too good to eat, it’s still on my mantle

  40. Bobi, you might need a whole packet of Tim Tams for the last episode of Old People’s Home For Teenagers, maybe add a cup of cocoa, too.

    While I enjoyed the series with little kids more, this one seemed to benefit the younger people a lot, as well as the oldies. The speeches at the end, from both generations, were touching.

    • Oh dear.
      I will watch it during the day time. It will make the sobbing less audible to the neighbours 🤣😢.
      I have enjoyed it so far. My favourite episode to date was when they had both the teenagers and the little ones at the same time.

  41. Oh no. Three different shops, 3 different shop assistants; all sniffing. Sniff!
    I’m too old to shut up and not quiwtly say, “Don’t sniff when you are serving people.

    One lady replied, “I’m wearing a mask”.
    One man was serving food. He probably spat in my coffee in return for my lesson on manners. 😃

  42. I watched Dishing It Up tonight on SBS.
    I have mixed views.
    It’s a little bit like watching Gogglebox but exclusively focussed on cooking shows with demonstrations.
    I liked the people. I liked most of the segments. I think it could have been shorter. It felt it was one segment too many. Picky, picky.
    It was interesting. Oddly, the best cook/chef for the couples to follow seemed to be Nigella – I say “oddly “ because she hosts my least favourite show – followed by Poh. See above. I will have to revise the way I watch cooking shows IRL.
    I will tune in again. I won’t cry if I miss an episode but I will make an effort to see it.

    • Thanks, Bobi. I forgot to watch. I don’t really understand the premise, but will try to remember to watch next week.

      Something different in a cooking show is always worth a try.

  44. Lost For Words is on SBS again soon. I’ve seen a couple of ads, but missed the starting date.

    It’s the show about semi-literate or illiterate people taking part in a literacy program. I remember it from last year because, whether the participants made a little or a lot of progress, they were so happy and uplifted at their results.

    • I watched last season.
      It lacked a bit because the host is a bit meh, but I loved the participants and I loved the premise.
      I was so happy for them all at the end.
      I am absolutely up for this again.
      I’m thinking next week?

  47. Random non TV news. My orthodontist put a massage chair in his waiting room.
    I figured, since I had paid for it, that I should use it.
    Mmmmmm. So good. They don’t work decor-wise but I’m really tempted to have a new TV chair. Oh look. It IS TV related.

  48. I am watching The Serpent Queen on STAN ATM. I think it’s really good. A 9 perhaps.

    We were watching Mr Mercedes on Netflix. It’s very dark. Never the less, I thought S1 was good. I didn’t like the implausibility of S2 and quit after an episode of that.

    On the seedier side, I watched the first episode of The Love Boat.

  49. I finally watched the final episode of Old Peoples Home for Teenagers. I was stretching it out because I didn’t want it to end. Only five episodes this series around.
    As Von warned, I sobbed through to the end.
    So lovely.

  50. I am nearly to the end, I think, of Survivor S41. Thank goodness that pompous pastor has gone. She is too accustomed to telling her flock what time do, but that control did nor translate well to normal people who aren’t in a cult.
    I wasn’t a fan of the African Americans against white people strategy that they got going either.

    Oh and Jeff invited them to express their opinion on hod use of the sentence, “Come in guys”. Another offence is the use of the word “guys”. Most if them didn’t care. One did, si it’s in the bin.
    I guess that would go for “Gice” too.😑

    • Manu took it too far with~

      “Come on, gice !”

      So long as you’re not the driver,daisy. I blame typos on not having the glasses on.

    • “Come on in GICE”
      I’ve been away for a few weeks and decided to watch Survivor 43, and realized with the crazy year I’ve had, I hadn’t seen 41 or 42. So, like you Daisy, I’m watching 41. But it seems you’re a little ahead of me, as I only started yesterday. So I will comment next when I’m a further ahead.
      On a different show, I did finish watching Amazing Race yesterday, had to watch last 6 eps, and happy for who did win, but they were not my favourites, too much back story for my liking.
      Anyway, will check back in later.😊

    • I watched ep 1 yesterday and half of ep 2 today. I will come back to it later.
      It was interesting and I thought probably a little bit sensationalised for effect.
      But then I’m old enough to remember that a lot of the same things were said about television back in the day so I’m guessing that I have a cynical outlook.
      Objectively, television is an audio/ visual representation of books, magazines and newspapers.
      The internet has just bundled telephone and mail into the mix and given it an On Command performance.
      All those awful people – they’ve always lurked. We now have the advantage of being able to see their faces and we can identify them. Knowing who they are is the scary thing.
      And on the flip side, all those lonely people have always been there as well. Perhaps it’s a good thing that the internet can make them feel less lonely.
      Idk. It’s all half a dozen of one or six of another to me.
      I mean, look at me talking to you over there on the other side of the country 🙂. In real time. How can that be a bad thing? 😁

      • Thing is, we ate old enough yo judge our risks. It’s the children for whom I despair. What a world they are inheriting.

      • There’s a story on Twitter at the moment about Angela Lansbury’s daughter falling under the spell of a deadbeat guy. He used to pick her up from school and get her to steal money and food for him. Angela was worried so she moved the entire family to Ireland to get her away.
        The guy was Charles Manson.
        😯
        I don’t know if the story is true or not but OMG.

  53. Hey Von, I watched the first episode of Lost for Words tonight.
    Delightful.
    In fact, more delightful than the first season. I know that because I shed happy tears.

    • Oh good, and thanks for reminding me. I’d forgot to keep the start date in my head.

      I think Jay Laga’aia may grow on you after a while, too. He seems to be a nice man, although I mostly know him from Play School.

    • I have a lot of respect for the participants. I think it would be difficult enough to sign up for a literacy program, but to go through it on a nationally televised show takes some guts. I doubt I’d do it if I were in the same situation.

  55. Has anyone read tweets by Father Bob this morning?
    It’s sad that we as a society can’t do better for our elderly un general.

    • I follow his tweets.
      It’s all very sad. I’m not sure that anyone is right and I’m not sure that anyone is wrong.
      It must be like that for so many people. The whole system is broken. It doesn’t happen like this in country towns.

  56. I’m still watching Dishing It Up.m
    It is a bit hit and miss.
    It is lovely getting an outsider view of recipes. My favourite quote to date is, “This recipe sucks”, as she storms out the door. FYI, the recipe did suck 🤣.

    • I keep forgetting to watch Dishing It Up. Now that Gogglebox is on opposite, I doubt I will see it, but it I hope it will be repeated at some time.

      The new time for Gogglebox stuffs up my evening routine.

      Lost For Words was heartening last night. I was proud of the poet.

      • Heading up to Perth airport and flying to Bali for a week tomorrow, Von.
        I don’t like Bali, but we will be helping our son to pack up and return to Australia.

        Now I have to go finish packing. It was all last minute.

      • I enjoyed the episode.
        I can’t believe the series is so short.
        Part of me appreciates the lack of manufactured drama but most of me just wants more.

  57. Thanks, guys.
    I am going to keep saying “guys ” now that Jeff from Survivor declared the word inappropriate, and politically incorrect.

    The thought police can take me away as I burn my burkha.

    • Huh. I always take elocution and correct word usage lessons from Jeff from Survivor. Who else would I listen to? 🙂

    • You know you can’t win.
      I used to use “guys” because it’s generic but was ticked off my someone. Okay, no problem. I then used “folks”. Same deal but apparently it’s ageist 🤷‍♂️.
      I’ve decided to use “mate”. I hate it but the same person is struggling to complain. Win to me.
      I am so annoyed.

  59. I am feeling nostalgic for the days when regular tv programs ran for about 9 months of the year. There is nothing on fta television tonight that is worth watching, until In The Heat of The Night, which starts at 1010. Everything else is re-runs of re-runs, or old really crappy horror movies. I am annoyed.

    • Wall to wall crime here. No Sidney Poitier,

      An orgy of true crimes. Get caught buying a chain saw and set of suitcases,

    • “They call me Mr Tibbs”. My mum will be in bed as soon as Bold finishes (as is her routine), but in and out of sleep for SP.
      She’s a huge fan. Her favourite SP movie is Patch if Blue. Mine, of course, is Love Child. I saw it in the 60s and again a couple of years ago.

    • I have put it all down to Covid. I am imagining that very little was made during lockdown so we have two years of this.
      I am watching reruns of Vera (always excellent), The new series of All Creatures Great and Small, and someone suggested Significant Others (also on the ABC). I have yet to try this one so 🤷‍♂️.
      Apart from that, I must admit to watching children’s television. It’s entertaining without requiring too much of my attention: Bluey (of course), Horrible Histories.
      Still, my fall back has always been a cooking show. There is something really comforting about watching people cook.

      • I enjoy Vera and All Creatures, too. ABC has some good shows, but they don’t seem to be on consistently, or maybe I am just missing them.

        Children’s television, yep, Bluey, Paddington, Arthur, and Sarah and
        Duck are my favourites. I sometimes like Lui Bao Bei, but I am perplexed because she doesn’t have feet.

        SBS Food is usually good, as long as they’re not showing River Cottage or Gourmet Farmer.

        • Isn’t it odd. I loath the Australian version of River Cottage as well. There is just something about it that that puts my teeth on edge.
          I feel patronised.

  60. There is a movie on how, in the background in our hotel room and it’s starting to get my attention.
    It’s called Six Minutes to Midnight.

  61. I have just finished ep 1 of Significant Others and it was excellent.
    Holding my breath that Episode 2 doesn’t let me down. You know how quickly these things can go bad 🤣.

  62. I so happy ABC has made season 2 of Fisk. I saw it advertised and will watch it when I return home tomorrow.have been away with family, and 2year old grandson has had us watching Cars and Bluey for 2 weeks.

      • I know , it’s crept in by $tealth. The Pope’s mixed up in it. There’s a red flag. It must be a good night …for paedophiles and merchandisers.

        I ‘m underwhelmed with people who compete with their decorations, never understood that.

  64. Halloween, contraction of All Hallows’ Eve, a holiday observed on October 31, the evening before All Saints’ (or All Hallows’) Day. The celebration marks the day before the Western Christian feast of All Saints and initiates the season of Allhallowtide, which lasts three days and concludes with All Souls’ Day. In much of Europe and most of North America, observance of Halloween is largely nonreligious. Halloween is celebrated on Monday, October 31, 2022.
    Halloween

    Halloween had its origins in the festival of Samhain among the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland. On the day corresponding to November 1 on contemporary calendars, the new year was believed to begin. That date was considered the beginning of the winter period, the date on which the herds were returned from pasture and land tenures were renewed. During the Samhain festival the souls of those who had died were believed to return to visit their homes, and those who had died during the year were believed to journey to the otherworld. People set bonfires on hilltops for relighting their hearth fires for the winter and to frighten away evil spirits, and they sometimes wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by the ghosts thought to be present. It was in those ways that beings such as witches, hobgoblins, fairies, and demons came to be associated with the day. The period was also thought to be favourable for divination on matters such as marriage, health, and death. When the Romans conquered the Celts in the 1st century ce, they added their own festivals of Feralia, commemorating the passing of the dead, and of Pomona, the goddess of the harvest.
    Children dressed in halloween costumes and masks. Group of trick or treaters standing on steps in their Halloween costumes.

    In the 7th century ce Pope Boniface IV established All Saints’ Day, originally on May 13, and in the following century, perhaps in an effort to supplant the pagan holiday with a Christian observance, it was moved to November 1. The evening before All Saints’ Day became a holy, or hallowed, eve and thus Halloween. By the end of the Middle Ages, the secular and the sacred days had merged. The Reformation essentially put an end to the religious holiday among Protestants, although in Britain especially Halloween continued to be celebrated as a secular holiday. Along with other festivities, the celebration of Halloween was largely forbidden among the early American colonists, although in the 1800s there developed festivals that marked the harvest and incorporated elements of Halloween. When large numbers of immigrants, including the Irish, went to the United States beginning in the mid 19th century, they took their Halloween customs with them, and in the 20th century Halloween became one of the principal U.S. holidays, particularly among children.
    Learn how pumpkin carving came to be a Halloween tradition forged by Celtic and Roman Catholic roots

    As a secular holiday, Halloween has come to be associated with a number of activities. One is the practice of pulling usually harmless pranks. Celebrants wear masks and costumes for parties and for trick-or-treating, thought to have derived from the British practice of allowing the poor to beg for food, called “soul cakes.” Trick-or-treaters go from house to house with the threat that they will pull a trick if they do not receive a treat, usually candy. Halloween parties often include games such as bobbing for apples, perhaps derived from the Roman celebration of Pomona. Along with skeletons and black cats, the holiday has incorporated scary beings such as ghosts, witches, and vampires into the celebration. Another symbol is the jack-o’-lantern, a hollowed-out pumpkin, originally a turnip, carved into a demonic face and lit with a candle inside. Since the mid-20th century the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has attempted to make the collection of money for its programs a part of Halloween.
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    I don’t about care about Halloween and the Americanization of Gondwana Land but if harmless pranks can be done, that appeals. I get sick of the garbage being sold in supermarkets. I’d like to scare my eighbour.

    Juz, there is a display year round in a house near me . Really great. I won’t publish it here. but I’ll email you where it is. Worth seeing in the lead up to Xmas.

    • Halloween is a total suck in. I can understand that parents must feel pressured by their kids to comply with the retail trap.

  65. Thanks Dave, I found your info enlightening. I did’nt know most of that. Here in my town of 100 people, we get to put our name down if we choose to participate in Halloween. Those names on the list are passed on to those who want to do it. At least we have the choice, and the majority here don’t want a bar of it.

    • I’ll make an effort to see it then, thanks Bobi. Fta is so crap lately that I forget to look for something watchable. The good news is that I am reading books again, which I haven’t had the attention span for in a while.

      My local Woolies centre put up their stupid Christmas tree and stupid decorations on November 1st. Bozos.

      • I’m with you in the reading thing. I’m getting through about a page at a time. I just bought an English detective book, 5 stars, highly recommended etc, and the words are just swimming before me in an incoherent mess. I will persevere 😣.
        On the present thing, I am going to Tasmania to spend Christmas with my brother and his family – so looking forward to it, as long as I can sort the pet sitting – and the instructions are that gifts are to be hand made and costing around $2. I think it’s a great idea. I wish I could think of something 🤣 🤷‍♂️.

        • Decorate a little rock with crayons. Make a tiny Christmas wreath with dried flowers and stuff from your own garden – a couple of red grevillea flowers, rosemary, silver doodads from $2 shop. Bake some Christmas tree ornaments. A friend’s kids baked some for me when they were little and I put them on the tree every year.

          • You’re welcome. I sometimes have good ideas, but rarely follow through, unlike arty people like you and Daisy :).

          • It’s the Christmas wrath got me worried. It’s just 7/11 and I’m getting bashed harder than a pinata with promos for Xmas.

      • Me too, have finished all the Agatha Raisin books, halfway through the Hamish Macbeth series and a friend of mine bought me a Phryne Fisher book which I finished in 2 days. 😊 Can’t wait to read more.

  67. Did anyone watch part one of Des last night on ABC? David Tennant’s performance as serial killer Dennis Nilsen is excellent – and creepy as hell.

    • I saw it a while ago. I love David Tennant in anything. He can play good, evil, serious, goofy … and one of my top two Doctors

      • I thought it may have been on before, but I’d missed it. When the cops are in Des’s apartment, ask him where the rest of the body is, and he calmly responds “In the hall cupboard”, with a slightly exasperated look on his face, gave me the chills. Brilliant. I sat down and didn’t move for the rest of the show.

        I haven’t seen Tennant in much, but will look out for him now.

    • I have seen it. Is it the one
      That starts off with two couples as friends and they each have kids?

      Oh, I just checked. No.

      • I think it has 3 or 4 episodes. Saturday nights on ABC, I assume ep 1 is on iView. It’s worth watching, if you can handle a show that is about a murdering necrophiliac.

      • And they are doing another season, TH! I do love them together.
        Von, if you like British crime drama, check out Tennant in Broadchurch. Fab cast. Hopefully it is around on iview or SBS

        • I’ve seen all 3 seasons of Broadchurch and thought it was really good. David Tennant and Olivia Coleman made an excellent team.

  68. I’m sure we are all hanging out for My Mum, Your Dad. How sleazy would you have to be to set up your single parent on a date, and then spy on them? Yuk, creepy, gross.

    Kate Langbroek is the perfect host for this piece of trash.

    • Yep, I’m watching it now. Creepy,gross, trash.Tick. Cliches about “connecting” aplenty.

      Agree with the choice of host , too….that’s if the host had a choice between this and starving.

      The bald one reckons dating apps are “good”. Red flag.

      Most of these contestants violate some of Dr.Phil’s rigourous dating standards. ie Sleeping pills, gin distilleries and over sharing about past infidelities and wrongs. We have country music just for that. Dr.Phil’s dating book rocks.

    • I was a BJ Thomas fan in high school. I loved Hooked on a Feeling.
      I read his autobiography years ago. How he swapped drug addiction for cult addiction. My words, not his.

  73. I finally watched Dishing It Up tonight. A cooking show that is not competitive, with no tears or drama. It was entertaining and fun.

    I so envy Uncle Roger’s wok-tossing skills, and Adam Liaw’s as well. I think 3 or 4 times in my life I have managed to toss fried rice or a stir fry without most of it ending up all over the stove and the floor. But that was using a shallow fry pan, not a wok, so I am a little proud.

    • That’s exactly how I view it. It’s a bit of fun.
      And also an eye opener. It’s changed the way I view cooking shows now from, “isn’t this entertaining” to “this has got to be a joke”. 🤣

      • We were very fortunate to have power. The folks were out for 24 hours and some people are being told it will be four days. Mr 10’s school is one of 50 shut tomorrow. It was crazy weather. BDD, hope you are ok

      • Thanks Juz and everyone. Will a tree fall on the car? Will I go arse up with a small three legged dog in my arms trying to cross this flooding street? Will my friend’s car get washed away as I try to get in? Will these vintage 70’s LP’s get wet?

        Twice the dog went hiding from thunder and lightning in strange places.

        But we made it.

  77. I was at the Golf course yesterday (playing bridge) when we had half an hour of a hail storm. I watched golfers moving inches of ice and sludge off their golf bags so they could access their clubs and they continued on their merry way.
    Golfers are a complete mystery to me.
    Watching The Contestants felt a bit like this to me. What are these people doing? Haven’t they realised yet that there are cameras everywhere? Why have they sign up to another reality show? What are some of these people going to do for a living when they run out of new formats? Who are some of these people? So many questions. No answers.

    • Anyone who continues to play a game outside while chunks of ice are falling from the sky is a few cards short of a full deck.

      Do you mean The Challenge? I didn’t know it had started. Although a few faces look vaguely familiar to me, I only know Brooke. She seemed quite pleasant when I saw her on The Cook Up, but that’s unlikely to entice me to watch the show. Do these reality show repeaters get paid to participate, or do they only get money if they win? I’m assuming this is yet another “do stupid and/or dangerous things to try to be last one standing”.

      • Yes, I did mean The Challenge. Shows how much notice I was taking.
        I’m in awe of the fact that everyone wants to sleep with the tattooed guy from The Bachelorette and every other reality show that requires him to take his shirt off.
        I don’t get it and I’m showing my age. Firstly, I don’t find him attractive so there is that but mostly, I don’t get why every girl in existence wants to sleep with the guy who has slept with every other girl that has lived? Like, are they asking for his confirmation that they are attractive?
        Is that on me? Or is it a a sign of this generation? You know, it’s almost like women are not people to him but just … idk … I’ve run out of words. It just feels wrong. I know someone who would say that women have the right but I feel that the women have no respect for themselves. They deserve better than that.
        I so feel my age. 🙁

        • Heh, I had to Google “tattooed guy from the Bachelorette”. I don’t see the attraction either, but I’ve never found greasy hair appealing.

          People can screw around as much as they want, I don’t care, but I’d have some concerns for my health if I were to get with a guy who’d been around the block a squillion times. He’d need to double-glove.

  78. Dishing It Up was very funny tonight. A chook with its head still attached, to be boiled, and some sort of small fish, still whole, baked into a pie, freaked out the contestants. I know an animal died so I can have a piece of chicken or fish, but I wouldn’t want the poor thing looking at me either as I prepped and cooked.

    If I had to kill the animal myself…definitely going vegetarian. Maybe I could kill after nuclear war if I were a survivor, but there wouldn’t be many chickens running around anyway.

    • I was amused by last nights ep as well.
      I always wondered whether fish pie was worth it and now I know (and for those that didn’t watch, it was an absolute no).
      Generally, I am not a cake eater but the cake got the best reactions, to the point where I will be chasing down the recipe. I will let you know unless you get there first 😀.

      • The cake did look good. I’ll leave it to you to try, though. I’m a lousy baker, and baking a cake would usually start with me opening a box of mix :).

    • Not even a choice!!! NOT watching The Challenge. Personally, I Have a huge problem with Jack Vidgeon? He went to school with my children and boy has he changed (IMO for the worst) just saying.
      So… I have a confession to make!!!
      After bingeing all seasons of Masterchef Australia, and having 12 different streaming platforms to choose from I decided to go back to where reality TV began. SURVIVOR🥴 I have watched all Australian, South African and New Zealand (even though it only ran for 2 seasons) episodes, I went back to season 1 Survivor US, and now am up to season 11. There are some seasons I haven’t seen and some seasons I would (and DID) forget, but in all honesty am enjoying them all over again.

      Confession over. 🥵

  81. For those who are watching Dishing It Up, I watched the Uncle Roger and Nat’s What I Reckon episodes. I have been following both these guys for the past few years. (Even have a collectible Uncle Roger action figure. 🥴) I can highly recommended going on YouTube and checking out Nat’s chicken curry recipe. It was Desi’s favorite. Have a few facts about Nat: he lost half a lung several years ago, his dad was a professional chef and IMO he’s an awesome comedian and even greater advocate for mental health issues.

    • I missed this episode and will tune in. Thanks.
      I am a fan of Nat but I haven’t tried any of his recipes. I like his philosophy. I have always made my own passata and never understood the bought stuff (it’s just tomatoes). It’s like buying gnocchi. Good god, that stuff is awful. 🤢

        • The only people in my family to get tattoos are my two sisters and my brother (who got his in 1975). None of my kids, Woolif or myself have them. Maybe is because the kids got into trouble if they drew on the walls.
          One sister realises a giant tiger on her back actually looks horrible. She has a few tarts but regrets some of them at least.

          • So I got my first tattoo in 1977 and my last one when I turned 50, 8 in total. My daughter has the most, eldest son has none, 2nd son has the next most and the youngest son has a few as well. Desi only had one.
            I guess where basically just a family of rebels 🤣

        • Don’t get me wrong. I really want a tattoo but the only one that I’ve seen and liked was incredibly delicate and finely drawn. The girl (because of course I asked) got it done in New York and it cost a motza.
          I’ve been dreaming ever since. I think my day has passed 😞.
          Neck tattoos are a whole different ball game.

  83. How cringey are the promos for The Bachelors? The women squeal like twelve year olds at a KPop concert at the announcement of THREE bachelors, then nearly pee themselves when each guy shows an engagement ring. Yuk, women, have some self respect.

    Of the men, one has teeth that are so white it’s frightening. Another one – who has a neck tattoo – is so affronted that a woman doesn’t accept his rose that I’m surprised he didn’t stick his nose in the air, give a loud “humpf” and flounce out of the room.

    There are way too many more chances to have the promos inflicted on us before the show starts.

    • I saw a lovely comedy sketch on Bachelorettes only being able to talk in squeals. It was very funny.
      I’m assuming that three (3) Bachelors is the new gimmick. The last gasp of a dying franchise.
      None of the Bachies are my type but I’m guessing I’m no longer their demographic. Too thin, too many teeth, and too …. What’s the word when someone reaches middle age without having had a relationship? Too serial killery.

    • Am at saturation point with the Bachelor ads!!!!! Were the producers hoping that the Bachelors form a “throuple”? %#$&

      None are to write home about but Mr Whiner (aka Reject Shop Spike (Buffy)) …nobody wants a drummer….is petulant and unsettling with his disturbing attitude towards women.

      • Not to mention his clothing choices. They are the one high point in a series of ubiquitous, boring ads, give me a laugh every time..

      • “Hey, did you hear about the drummer who finished high school?”
        “Me either”.

        “What does a drummer use for contraception?”
        “His personality”

        • “What is the difference between a drummer and a savings bond?”
          “One will mature and make money.”

  84. On a completely unrelated topic, I hear that Arnotts have discontinued Honey Jumbles. I don’t know why this makes me so sad.

  85. Just asking for recommendations for Christmas movies.
    There are too many choices on free to air streaming but I don’t want to waste my time on the C-grade stuff (btw, love a good B-grade movie).
    I noticed that The Santa Clause was on the other day but when I went to stream it, I couldn’t find it. I’m assuming that because it’s one of the better movies, so … licensing?
    It’s December now. We can officially do these things.

    • My favourite, and the only Christmas movie I like is Elf, but we’ve probably all seen it too many times.
      A couple of years ago, I saw a bleak, scary Christmas movie. There has to be a balance between Christmas sugar and Christmas horror. I don’t mind a bit of fright, bur it’s not very Christmassy.

      Favourite Christmas songs;
      Johnny Winter’s please Come Home For Christmas and the Drummer Boy.

      • I need to say this very quietly because it gets a lot of reaction but I do like Maria Carey’s All I Want For Christmas. 😯. I like a lively jingle.

        • It’s not a bad number, catchy, with a tendency to turn into an ear worm :).

          I am waiting for Die Hard to show up on tv soon; that is my favourite Christmas movie. I know exactly when to chime in saying the infamous line from that movie. Then I cackle like a fool for a minute because I’m so clever.

          How is your doggo, Bobi? We haven’t seen him for a while. Or Harry and Maggie, or Iggy either. The rescue shelter that I prefer has only had large dogs or bonded pairs in the seniors group, so I am still dogless. I hope that changes soon. No doggie in the house sucks.

          • Die Hard is my absolute favourite. I am so with you on this one and I will fight anyone to the death that says it’s not a Christmas movie.
            The Lovely One is mostly okay. He had a couple of falls on the steps outside that cost me a fortune in vet fees. I have now surrounded my house with solar path lights and you can see my house from space. I am aware that he is getting on and I worry about the inevitable. He is a joy of a dog.
            I attach a photo of him. It is the day to change my sheets and it makes him happy.
            I can recommend a grey. They are very little work but they are very expensive to feed. They are a hardy breed (unlike manufactured dogs) so vet bills are generally low. Like all of these decisions, it is this on one hand and that on the other.
            I’ve had all sorts of dogs. They have all been perfect 😍.

          • I haven’t seen Die Hard scheduled, but assume it will be.
            Thanks for the photo of your boy, and I hope he has fully recovered from his falls. He’s a bit greyer in the face, I think, but still a lovely dog. I had thought of a grey, but I need a dog that I can lift by myself, one that weighs no more than 25 kg. And you’re right, every dog one owns is perfect.

          • I have the phone number of an animal ambulance on my phone because 35 kilos is too much for me.
            Eddie weighed 10 kilos and refused to be picked up. It seems to be a terrier thing.
            Did you watch Muster Dogs? Lovely series. All the dogs were picked up and held like a baby. It has something to do with teaching trust. Who knew?
            FYI, they weigh between 15 to 20 kilos. I’m thinking that will be the size of my next dog. Not a kelpie though – too energetic for me.

    • I always like Christmas with the Kranks, but I know some people who don’t. Another Tim Allen one, and great comedy if you have ever tried to change your Christmas tradition and how others react.
      I thought The Santa Clause was on Disney+?

      • Ah, that might be why it wasn’t streamed – allowed to play during ratings hours but not available after that. It is one of my preferences.

  87. Found myself a Christmas movie.
    Shaun the Sheep: The Flight before Christmas (ABC).
    Only 30 minutes.
    Hit all the right notes. 🤣
    Baby steps.

  88. For me there is only 1 Christmas classic, and that’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Not sure if it’s going to be on FTA but still my absolute favourite.🎅🏻

  89. I watched one of the lunchtime Christmas movies.
    I took a phone call on the middle.
    I swear when I came back that it was a completely different main character and a completely different plot.
    It has a Christmas tree tho’.

    • Was it a Hallmark movie? They’re pretty much interchangeable. The female lead is always blonde and attractive. The male lead is always dark-haired and attractive – and clean shaven. The Christmas tree is the only clue it is a Christmas movie.

      • Yes, to both the hair colouring and degree of attractiveness.
        He was a widow with a child. I’m assuming the child was for the Christmas present scenes, Santa Claus, photo opps.
        I’ve also noticed “rich”. He was the CEO of a company so lots of people running around at his beck and call (I wish. Wouldn’t my life be so much easier?) and therefore he was slightly insufferable.
        Cue lots of Christmas parties where she wore sparkly red … a lot. In fact, more than a lot – every time 🤣.
        How have I not noticed before?

  90. For those of you, who have Netflix, I can highly recommend Wednesday. Tim Burton is an absolute genius. Great mystery, all the clues are there, and a classic cliffhanger at end of final episode. There are 2 more seasons promised, and this out rated Stranger Things ( did not watch) as the most watched TV series ever.

    • Everyone I know loves Wednesday. I am sad that I am going to miss it.
      Unfortunately, I gave Netflix away for “reasons” and I’m not going back for “more reasons”.
      A lot of streaming services have a single series that I would like to watch but it’s a lot of money for one show. I am contemplating Britbox. It seems to have a wider range to suit me. Maybe in the fullness of time.

      • Good to know.
        You are the first that I have come across that has actually signed up. Everyone says they are thinking about it but then they don’t.
        I am a huge fan of British crime. I think this is the way to go for me.

      • It was the first one I signed up to. Can’t ever find anything I am interested in on Netflix. Currently enjoying the most recent season of Great British Sewing Bee.

        • Just reporting back that I am letting The Great British Sewing Bee wash over me like a warm hug.
          Nice people, nice judges, just nice.

          • I am watching, too!! I love it. The transformation challenge goes so horribly wrong sometimes – mesmerising!

          • It is watching people sew? I’ll assume it’s a contest and the contestants have to make similar items, which would need to be more difficult that running up a few table napkins. The British do well at that type of show, e.g., GBBO.

          • I wish I could say that it is more than just watching people sew but that just about sums it up. 🤣
            They make very complicated things which I always thought were pretty basic – shows how much I know – T-shirts, children’s clothes, jackets, Oxford trousers, cocktail dresses, red carpet gowns. Increasing difficulty.
            Two of the three challenges are their own design. Some of the designs are dubious in my opinion but it’s all a matter of taste.
            There is a time limit, of course, that adds to the tension.
            And the compère is easy and non intrusive with the required number of Dad jokes.
            All at a gentle pace.. So, yes, very much of the same formula of GBBO, another of my favourites.

  91. My FB and Twitter feed is being flooded with rabid Meaghan and Harry fans. It’s all over the “news” and I am being bombarded with clip after clip from their doco. By the time it’s all done and dusted, I will have seen it all without having to pay a Netflix subscription fee.
    It’s getting a bit much for me.
    I have no intentions of watching. I was mildly entertained at first ( a bit like the Kardashians) and did enjoy reading about it at the beginning. As you know, I like a bit of snark. Now, not so much.
    I don’t understand why people are so strongly invested. I am almost indifferent, or as much as you can be to a couple who lead such an entitled life that I can’t relate. Maybe just a little sad to watch a family fall apart but apart from that, it’s none of my business.
    I did take a moment to examine my own views. I don’t have a good opinion of Meaghan. Am I a racist because of her skin colour or am I a racist because she’s behaves like an American? I love a bit of introspection. Good times.
    Social media is all very odd.
    In my efforts to avoid, I am mainly on the children’s channel. Lovely stuff around. I have decided that I have missed my calling in life.

    • I don’t have FB or Twitter or Netflix. I am glad not to be inundated with Harry and Meghan new revelations or any revelations at all.

      Their “truth” is all over newspapers as well. I did read a few articles, but then wondered why I was bothering to read any at all, and stopped. I don’t have a good opinion of Meghan or Harry. She comes across as a thoroughly unlikable person, and Harry as a prize whiner. Pfft, they should do themselves a favour and shut the hell up. Sort out family problems in private.

      The children’s channel is the best option on tv this time of year, as well as SBS food.

      • SBS does good food.
        My brother and his partner are staying with me at the moment and we cook an occasional meal from one of the shows (taking a leaf out of Dishing It Up). Not as fun as on the show because we want to be fed but still worth while. It’s nice to do different.

        • It’s great to be inspired by the cooking shows but I have to confess to only cooking twice or three times per week. I try and buy healthy take away or eat the frozen meals I make up.

          • I watch cooking shows because I like them, but am rarely inspired to get off my rear end and make anything from them. Usually I make my same reliable 5 or 6 meals over and over. I have tried a couple of dishes from Adam Liaw’s show, because they were simple. He also gives good suggestions on how to do things more easily.

  94. I watched The Moody’s Christmas on iview. Enjoyed it very much.
    I am sure that I’ve seen it before but not so recently that I remember very much. Still enjoyable nonetheless.

  95. I’m on a plane tomorrow to spend Christmas in Tasmania with my brother and his family.
    I am looking forward to being waited on hand and foot. I am especially looking forward to someone else ( who is a very good cook) making all required decisions over meals.
    If I don’t get a chance before hand, just wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and here’s hoping that next year is a bit better than this year for us all.
    This is a photo of the house around the corner. It gave me a smile.

    • Oh wow, Bobi. That sounds really nice. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. You deserve a real treat.

      Summer started here in WA and it will be a nice warm, typical summer Chrissie. I wonder what Tassie will bring.

      BTW, the sky in your photo looks lovely.

    • Merry Christmas to you, Bobi. Enjoy yourself, especially the being waited on part. Your neighbour’s Christmas decoration is clever, and he has a lovely garden. Don’t forget your mask for the plane ride, take care :).

  96. Neighbours of mine have cheap plastic red bows on their front gates.

    Why they needed padlocks to secure them? Looters about?

    Merry Crimemas.

    • Definitely there are Christmas looters.

      We used to live in one of those Christmas lights streets. The pressure was really on because we were the first house, not counting the corner one. We used to get (implied) menacing letters from the elves in about November, to get cracking. Sadly we were pretty lax. Once or twice, Woolif put up a few lights, but we could never be bothered doing much. We left it to everyone else. My main concern was getting out our driveway to the shops and back before the trail of cars and pedestrians began.
      Global warming always gets forgotten over Christmas.

      Anyhow, point is, some ba****s used to go in late and night and smash up some people’s lovely Christmas artwork.

      • Yes, thanks, Von.. I told the bus driver on boarding three times, you ‘re going to need the police, and he didn’t scratch his arse. Males ,females slapped and punched, in tears. I attempted citizens arrest but the bus was full of insipid cream puffs. Our land is girt by cowards. I’ve reported the bus driver for sitting on his pathetic hands.

        • Its good to hear you are OK Dave.
          I hope and pray that you all have a blessed and safe Christmas. For us out here, its raining, and thats the best gift we could have.
          Enjoy the holidays everyone. 🥳

        • Sending my best to you, Dave. ❤️
          I hope everyone gets good weather. Christmas is at its best when the weather behaves.

  98. Dave. I just read what happened. The world has become so rotten in parts.

    I’m so sorry.Keep us posted on how you are recovering.

  99. Happy Christmas loyal ttv crew. I hope it goes well for you.
    I’d be fine with having no Christmas but for the sake of kids and grandkids, I do it

    • Merry Christmas to you, Daisy, and everyone else here.

      My neighbourhood is so quite I wonder if everyone but me has gone out. There are lots of little kids in my street, and they’re usually out on Christmas with all their noisy new toys. I kind of miss that noise :).

    • Merry Christmas, Daisy. We have covid in the house again (Mr Juz now and a fortnight ago it was Mr 10) so a quiet day for us.

  102. Boxing Day here now. Early morning and very quiet.
    Christmas Day was pleasant with lots of people, unknown to me, dropping in and out. Tasmanians are really super friendly.
    I know it’s confirmation bias but it seems to me that everyone here works in health care – and the range is huge: children’s psychiatrist, geriatric doctor, speech pathologist, surgeon. I could trip over in the street and I can guarantee that I would be taken care of faster than it takes to dial triple zero.
    I was over fed. When people make something you have to try it whether you want to or not. I have been well trained. I am hoping that no one thinks that have to entertain me and I can sit in the corner with a very good book.
    And super glad that I don’t live in the northern hemisphere. The weather looks miserable.
    Hoping everyone had a lovely day. Really hoping that you have recovered, Dave. And hoping everyone’s Covid symptoms are mild, Juz.

  104. Happy new year to you all. I hope everyone stays healthy and safe in 2023. Damn, where did 2022 go?

    I will see the new year in quietly, with a good bottle of champagne and a late dinner.

    Pats and ear scritches all around for everyones animals :).

    • HAPPY NEW YEAR Everyone🥳 I saw the new year in with a nice bottle of red.
      I have one complaint. Every year I watch the Sydney fireworks at 11pm (our time) then switch over to ABC QLD and watch the Brisbane fireworks at midnight. This year, NO!!! it was Sydney on every state ABC channel. NOT HAPPY JAN! Not one channel televized Qld NYE event. 🤬

  105. I saw the new year in with a mango and a gin and tonic. Not at the same time, of course.
    Dog appreciates the scritches. He can’t get enough scritches.
    Happy New Year everyone. Fingers crossed for happiness and good fortune for all. ❤️

  106. There was a loud , drunk anti vaxxer/ Qanon conspiracy unit at my table. It’s her personal choice and she’s done “the research”. I wanted to tell her what an uninformed wart hog she was, but that would be unfair to wart hogs. I just accepted the free alcohol and shut up. I’ve had worse NYE………but not tarred with such insanity.

    Another loony on the street told me that “in two or three years , everyone who’s been vaxxed will go crazy” . Cookers, hey?

    Happy New Year.

    • I’ve had some odd conversations this Christmas with people that on the surface appear perfectly normal. I become speechless because my first inclination is to say, “How can you possibly in the wild world believe something that stupid?” but I don’t want to be rude. 😯
      And, of course, I always have to keep in mind that the problem might be me. There are enough of these people around that I sometimes feel in the minority.
      When did conspiracy theories become a thing? I’ve always known that television is mostly fiction.
      I wonder if they think that it makes them feel like they are part of a small group that are “in the know” and therefore, extra clever.
      Or am I in a bubble? Oh dear me, Dave, it’s a rabbit hole.
      Best to just watch and enjoy the show. And drink.

    • That’s okay. There are millions waiting for Jesus to appear in the sky to save the Born Again Christians and usher in Armageddon on those bustards who didn’t listen.

    • Albie has been suffering from the heat as well. He is a cold weather dog.
      I am considering keeping the evaporative on for the entire month of January. It’s not great for reducing the heat but it’s good at keeping it down if you don’t let it get away from you.

      • It’s possible to buy pet cooling mats to lie on .Inexpensive but no guarantee your dog will lie on it without some encouragement. I’ll put my mutt in the bath but it’s a small dog. Spray bottle of cool water. Good luck, Bobi. You could try putting an old towel in freezer for Albie to lie on. You could try making ice cubes with little treats in there, this done at zoos.

      • I do have a cooling mat. This summer is the first season he has used it.
        I will try the towel in the freezer. It sounds like a good idea.
        I wonder if I could put it in front a fan. We used to put wet towels in front of a fan in my youth. How did we survive childhood? I remember sticking to wooden seats in school. I’m sure it was much hotter back then 🤣.

        • Put ice cubes in dog’s water bowl. All helps to lower body temp. Mine finds dark spot on linoleum and sleeps all day til walk time.

          • Wolf likes licking and playing with ice cubes. If he is lucky I may do him a chicken stock ice cube

          • Hello everyone. The IceCube (I made one big one) turned out to be an amazing hit.
            Who knew?

  108. I don’t like our tiles (I prefer wood) but Harry and Maggie like to sprawl on the tiles on a hot day. I leave fans and or AC on for them because their wool is thick, even when cut short.

  109. Does anyone else find themselves spontaneously responding to certain songs? I was putting away clean dishes, Chubby Checker’s The Twist came on the radio, and I immediately started doing the twist, dishes in hand. Kept going until the end of the song.

    I wouldn’t do it in public, of course. Well, maybe a discrete hip swivel or two.

    • In public, I see it in supermarkets where people sing along and sometimes bop to the mostly bilge being played. It makes people spend more. I do see some Chubbies at the Checkout , mind you.

      Music was never intended for this but money doesn’t talk. It swears.

      Billy Joel makes me want to run from the supermarket.

      I’ll shake my arse to The Rolling Stones at home.

    • Always. If the beats good, I’m in.
      Yes, even in supermarkets, but mostly if I have the aisle to myself. I’m a dancer to the bones.

    • I was in the art shop today singing along to the music (karaoke-type) and the shopkeep lass got a phone call so the song cut out.
      How embarrassment 🤣🤣😊 but fun all round.

      • Talking about music and dancing, my 30 year old son, a 23 year old female friend and I are off to the juicy fest in Brisbane next week. 10 hours of hip hop and r&b with VIP tickets and I KNOW my dancing will embarrass the f#@% out of them, but hey, at 63 I think I’m allowed to live it up. 🥳

  112. I meant to mention that the home made gifts were a hit.
    In the end it turned out to be such a delightful and lovely idea that it will absolutely be done again.

  113. I’m enjoying watching Prince Harry taking a leak….

    Who needs to buy the book? A psychic leopard from Botswana may as well piss all over every copy.

    • I’m trying not to hear anything but it seems to be everywhere. I hope the book’s a dud, otherwise Meaghan might write the next one. They shouldn’t be encouraged.
      What perplexes me is that everyone expects some this family to behave differently from every other sort of family.
      There was always some sort of stampede in our house at bedtime as someone was avoiding have their block knocked off. Goodness me, the time one of my brothers locked me in the toilet will really make outrageous headlines when I write my book.
      And of course they didn’t want their father to get married again. I’ve never yet met anyone was happy with their new step parent in the early stages.
      So, all sound pretty normal and boring to me but I’m guessing that Harry has to make money somehow. It’s not like he can go out and get a real job.

      • My Harry (and Maggie) are seriously considering changing their names……..
        Or writing a book. I accidentally put my chair on Harry’s tail yesterday.
        “Chapter 1. My sad tail.
        My human mother nearly took off the end of my tail and thought she could buy my silence it ice cream.”
        Tell it to Dr Phil.

        • Harry and Maggie should keep their names. They are much more worthwhile creatures than the other two.

          “My sad tail”. Good one :).

        • I luv it. 🤣
          So glad that the only thing I’ve seen about this book apart from here, was that it went on sale early in Spain. 🥴 Go figure???
          And what happened to the like button. I really miss it.😪

          • In the past , the “like ” button has caused some technical problems for Mr Juz on this site. So , it got binned.

            More recently , on one of those scary Facebook expose documentaries, the claim was made that people get a little rush of dopamine when they het a “like”. Not dissimilar to a pokie machine. The intention is to get you hooked on that and consequently, Facebook. This kind of ruse is beginning to appear on online gambling sites.

            Like it or lump it. I used to think it was pretty harmless, like. Modern life is rubbish.

        • I seriously cackled at “My Sad Tail”.
          Nice to wake up to this morning.
          I am now going to walk the dog before the headlines scream, “Neglectful owner refuses to remove doggo from bed”.
          Attached is face-of-misery to go with sponsorship deal.

    • I’ve seen about 20 click-bait headlines about tales from Harry’s book today. I didn’t read any of the articles, but it seems as though each one would describe how this professional victim and his enabler wife blame someone else for every single unpleasant thing that has happened to them in their entire lives. Gah. Whine fests are only interesting to the whiner.

  114. It used to be Prince Charming was IN the book. Now Prince not so Charming writes his own book.
    And marries the….

  115. I am ropeable. Channel 7 have replaced the BB cricket with an interview with Harry as he tries to sell his book.
    No cricket 🙁.
    I hope Channel 7 go broke.
    I hope that people listen to his continued pleas for privacy.

      • I noticed one of Harry’s interviews is on 7. If commercial channels are going to show every single one of his bore fests, they should be broadcast at 3 am on a shopping channel. Nine has a repeat of a Queen documentary. Ten has the overly promoted Bachelors, which I don’t usually watch, and won’t even dip in and out of because sexist drummer guy is such a twat.

        Thank goodness for Doc Martin and Inspector Morse on 72.

      • Thanks, Dave. I only caught a bit at the end.
        I’m feeling really put upon and I hold Harry and Meaghan personally responsible, 🤣🤣, as if I wasn’t already overly annoyed with them for intruding on all my news feeds.
        I did flick in and out of The Bachelor. I had read in an early review that it was surprisingly engaging so I had some hope. Unfortunately my timing meant that the whole show looked like it was only focusing on the drummer. He gives the appearance of having a bit of a victim mentality. Hopefully, it’s just poor editing. The focus, I mean. They’ve already told us there are only two engagements.

          • The book came out today, right? So maybe another week of “revelations”, then it will fade out and that will be it. Fingers crossed.

          • The really big worry is that Meagan probably wants to be the “first black, female president” of the US

          • Daisy, what a horrible thought! Fortunately, what Megan wants and what Meghan gets can be two different things. Unless it’s something Harry can provide, of course.

            Dave, I’ve got no problem with book sellers selling the stupid book, that’s why they’re in business. The $49.99 made me roll my eyes hard, though.

          • Hey Von, that was my exact same thought.
            I’ve never paid $50 for a book in my life (university excepted when I was being held ransom by the curriculum). The public only has to wait a month and it will be remaindered for $10 or two months for the Lifeline Book Fair when there will be hundreds available for $1.50.
            What are people thinking 😯.

  117. Just casually, I am being sucked in to the vortex that it The Bachelor.
    It starts with the promos, and then just dipping in and out to get to know “the characters”, and then reading the massive inches of columns recapping the show (mostly hilarious 😆) and now I am following up with the repeats, just to see 😳.
    Once they whittle down the copious number of women with so inhibitions or shame (here’s a hint: overacting is not going to get you an Instagram following), I think I will actually start watching.
    I am absolutely not embarrassed by how shallow I am.

    • Yes. It shows how Beck’s decorations were so innovative, big part of 60’s sound. I’ll miss his deadpan humour, too. Vegetarian, non druggie Jeff gone, while Keef soldiers on….

  121. I’m not buying Harry’s book. I am waiting for the next 3 sequels, the prequel and the movie. Starring Meagan.

    • $25 at Target is the cheapest I’ve heard so far.

      I’m not buying it…..unless there’s another panic buying toilet paper frenzy. I’ll keep it as a “spare”

    • I just saw the most preposterous headline yet. Something about Harry thinking he was born so he could donate organs to William if necessary. To add to adjectives I’ve used about Harry, I’ll add delusional. Dude thinks he’s the heroine in a Jodi Picoult novel.

  123. In the Vanish ads, why do those people have dirty clothes in their wardrobes? If you have stained garments, you turn them into gardening or painting clothes, or rags, or throw them out. Who puts dirty clothes away, hoping some stain remover miraculously appears at some point? Sheesh.

    And why are we getting Coco Pops ads at 1130 pm or midnight every night? Have they started incorporating ganja or crack into the cereal so commercials have to be directed to an adult market?

    • 🤣🤣🤣. I never thought about the Vanish ads. You are correct: painting clothes.
      The Coco-pop ads I get.
      Most people don’t eat Coco-Pops (followed by a long list of others etc) for breakfast. They are a snack and half of snacks are eaten late at night – particularly after a night out.
      There are a whole bunch of foods that fall into this category. Like seriously, who puts Nutella on bread. And those little tubes of condensed milk? … said no recipe ever.

    • Some people are beyond clever.
      My guess is that the book is selling well in the US, the land of celebrity worship. Hopefully, the next big thing will come along any second so that we can all get some relief from the absolute boredom of blanket coverage.

  125. I’m watching The Bachelors encore, in Covid isolation. “Polyamoury?” A new word for an old game.

    “I love a threesome….but not with my wife” ~ “Felix” He’s a keeper. Pig’s arse.

    Some of these gels getting no camera time ,strangers in a strange land.

    Tash is a shameless type. Feed her to the sharks, Ch 10.

    The drummer is a bastard, perfectly matched with .his camera hog, Tash.

    Jessica got a rose. Game on, molls. A really gorgeous brunette was dumped by these designer apes.

    • I’m not a fan of Felix either. The Pikachu face when he was asked if he was a player made him a loser in my eyes.
      Sometimes, I like the Drummer. Sometimes, I don’t. He pays attention when he talks to someone. It’s a nice trait. I’ll give him some more time.
      I did hear “polyamory” bandied about a lot by the ladies. Was she poly? Or was she just not in a monogamous relationship. I couldn’t quite pick it. I thought she said that she had a boyfriend but he had other girlfriends. Given that I thought she was spectacularly pretty, the boyfriend must be hard to please. And the guy who is busy dating 10 girls is in no position to judge. The hypocrisy on this show is always gobsmacking.
      I am enjoying it though. It’s a bit of a hoot.

      • Hey guys. Been a while. Lots of stuff.

        But I just wanted to drop by tonight and mention that, speaking of “The Bachelor” and the whole “Jess is in an open relationship” thing?

        I know her boyfriend, Damien. He was the grandson of my nextdoor neighbour when I was a kid. I used to babysit him, he’d come over and play with all my toys.

        I got bored with the last couple of Bachie episodes, so I wasn’t really watching this week … but I saw a clip of this guy on my FB newsfeed, and I was like, hang on, I know him. So I found the episode when it went up on Tenplay, and I’m just watching it now, and yep. It’s definitely him.

        He was a good kid. Sweet, smiled a lot, bit of a nerd. I put the stickers on his Dino Megazord toy that he got for Christmas in 1995.

          • Thanks guys. I appreciate your words.

            I had a couple of pretty terrible years (I used to say that 2021 was awful, but then 2022 happened and things were so terrible that I couldn’t even remember why 2021 was so bad). I noticed that I just wasn’t watching a lot of TV (so I didn’t really have a lot to contribute to the conversation) and I just retreated into myself a bit. Plus, I killed so many computers last year (not on purpose, they just kept dying on me), and I lost all my internet bookmarks, and everything just got a bit too much to deal with.

            I keep touch with “Bold”, but every time Thomas turns evil again, I tend not to bother checking back in for a month, because honestly writers, we don’t need to keep going back to that same well.

            I just hope to have a better 2023. I mean, so far, I’ve been dealing with some heavy stuff, but I don’t know, dealing with it in a good way. I’m a little, just a tad, optimistic about the year ahead.

      • My symptoms were less common, overwhelmingly.stinging , burning sore eyes. 3 am Sat morning called ambulance. Maybe I’ll never do that again because at 7am they hadn’t rocked up so I cancelled. Went to chemist bought ( the wrong Murine)eye drops, still masked but unaware this was Covid. Bit of a runny nose. Never called an ambulance for myself before. Vaxxed four times, wear a mask indoors.

        I had a phone consult with a good locum .These three things killed it stone dead. Paracetamol, Telfast and eye drops called Artificial Tears. I thought you could only get artificial tears on reality tv shows. Worth having these three in the house. Tears Naturale would be the trade name. Shit that works.

        I feel much better now (normal) but prisoner til Thursday and my dog expects to be walked .Thanks for your wishes, Von. My symtoms are virtually nil but Fri night was hell. My little dog knew I was in deep …..

        • Wow, Dave, sorry you had such a scary and uncomfortable night, and that Iggy was stressed as well.

          Presumably they knew you weren’t bleeding profusely or having a heart attack, but the ambulance response time is concerning. I’m glad you are feeling better.

          Play with your dog in the yard, he’ll understand not having walks for a few days.

        • I’m sorry to hear it, Dave.

          I finally caught covid, right before Christmas. My family brought it home from a church carols event they’d attended the week before. I was so hoping to make it the entire pandemic without catching it, but nope.

          I’m double-vaccinated, but I never got around to getting the boosters. I don’t know why, it just got away from me. But I blasted through the worst of it, in about a day … but it was a very unpleasant day. Like, things got pretty bad there.

          I’m glad you’re feeling better now. My cough lingered for a while, but it’s mostly gone.

      • Good advice for us, Dave.
        I have been vaxxed and have been Covid-free but it is rife here in the Canberra region. It’s a worry.

        • Sorry to hear you have not been well and pray you are on the mend. So blessed here in such a small town, if someone has it you find out straight away and lock the doors. Praying all is good after my few days in the big smoke and large crowds, so far so good. Give your pooch an extra hug and pat for me.

  126. I just read…I hope you are feeling better by now. Sorry I missed your news. Get well soon.
    BTW We had to call an ambulance at the end of last year and it took about 20 minutes, which is good considering we live 10 minutes from town and the hospital.
    We have been to ED twice and had no wait. That was another surprise.
    I have two friends in Geelong with it for the first time and they have both been very ill. They both have serious pre existing health conditions.

    • Judge Judy is now on at 9 am, followed by B&B encore. Thanks , daisy, I’m doing well. Today’s JJ should just have started for you, it’s a good one.

    • I know 🥲. I was heartbroken when I saw this. I loved her. Her music was fabulous.
      As I sidebar, has anyone noticed an uptick of people dying after a hip operation? Given that hips seem to be in everyone’s future, it’s a bit concerning.

    • Ironically, I own an album by Renee Geyer called So Lucky. Made in L.A. with famous musos and backup vox.

      The nosy, gossipping creature “living” next door to me has been waiting years and years for elective hip surgery.

      • I friend was telling me about something that made her cry, and she thought it was silly that she cried. I told her that I had a little cry when I heard that David Crosby had died.

        She didn’t know who I was talking about, even after I named his bands. She’s 45.

      • My grandkids have heard of him, as long as I say Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. I’m guessing it’s the context.
        I must admit that I had a little tear as well, but I think it’s more to do with the music. Woodstock was my beginning.

  134. BTW. Since his book, Harry and Meagan’s popularity has sunk to new lows, even in the US.
    Maybe they will stop now.

  135. I am watching The Bachelor. Jed has refused to let Tash back into the house. He has gone up a step in my estimation. The producers must be upset 🤣🤣.

    • Gosh. I had a dream about the Bachelor, last night, which I feel like is my subconscious telling me that I”m far too invested in this.

      I dreamt that one of the girls Felix was dating was actually a cat, and the cat wasn’t happy because Felix wasn’t spending enough time with her, and hadn’t knitted her any clothes to wear.

      I don’t know what that was about.

      • There was a television cartoon character called Felix The Cat , back in the 1960’s. My last reality tv dream was about Ma$terchef. some years ago.

        Yes. The Drummer gets some brownie points from me for booting toxic Tash. He could have kept her just to play drums on her enormous duck lips. Looking forward to that encore shortly. I’m mixed up about which one Felix is.,,,,,, there’s the drummer, the teeth and the other guy. I’m not invested enough…..yet.

        Those Australian Idol promos are scaring me.

        • Yeah, for some reason, the knitting was the strangest aspect of the dream. As if Felix wouldn’t accidentally stab himself with the needles if he tried.

  136. More bookmarks. I am including “Funny” because comedy is a job, makes people laugh, and is so underrated in schools.
    As one year 4 told me, “Yes, Mrs Begley. It IS on the report card. It’s called “behavioural issues”. 🤣🤣🤣 He was funny AND right.

  140. So tonight’s “Bachelor” was mostly concerned with Jess and Damien’s sex life, and whether Jess can actually decide which guy she wants to be with, Damien or Felix.

    Damien is, still, the kid I used to babysit when he was 6.

    It’s a very, very weird feeling, to be listening to this conversation. I’m not sure how to deal with this.

    • He grew up, Windsong. It’s okay, really. 🙂 Think how much you have changed since you used to babysit him.

      I understand though. A friend was telling me about her daughter’s first relationship that included, um, sex. My friend said her husband covered his ears and went la la la la la when that subject and his daughter came up. I used to baby sit their children and kind of wanted to do the la la la la bit myself.

    • This woman is absolutely aware of the cameras, as is her “friend”. I think she’s as surprised as the rest of us that she is still there, given that she keeps trying to self-sabotage her way to eviction. I have no doubt that her OnlyFans account will pay big bucks, so, job done.
      I wonder if this is Felix’s way of doing a Honeybadger?
      As an aside, you’ve got to admire the women who choose to leave. That alone makes this season a novelty.

      • No, I’m amazed she’s made it this far. We’re up to the “meet the family” episode, and she’s still here. I think that’s amazing.

        For the record, my friend has also recently started this motivational, life-goals, empowering, life-coaching business? So I imagine he’s not hating the attention either.

        That’s the thing about dating shows, these days. Sure, some of the contestants might be genuine, but you can’t tell the difference between them and the ones who are there just to bump their Instagram profiles.

        • Jess has to leap into a pool of sharks, meeting Felix’s family. Damien rocks up as well. It’s a kangaroot court.

          Thomas , who’s name I learned last nightt and I’ve been watching for weeks, looks less than thrilled with meeting the Fockers.

          The producers have loaded the rude rellies up with awkward questions.

          Here’s a little David Crosby tune for Felix, before “polyamorous” was a thang.

          Triad.

          You want to know
          How it will be
          Me and him
          Or you and me
          You both stand there your long hair flowin’
          Eyes alive your mind still growin’
          Sayin’ to me, “What can we do now that we both love you?”
          I love you too
          I don’t really see why can’t we go on as three
          You are afraid
          Embarrassed too
          No one has ever said such a
          Thing to you
          Your mother’s ghost stands at your shoulder
          Face like ice a little bit colder
          Sayin’ to you, “You can not do that, it breaks all the rules
          You learned in school”
          I don’t really see
          Why can’t we go on as three
          We love each other
          It’s plain to see
          There’s just one answer
          That comes to me
          Sister lovers water brothers
          And in time maybe others
          So you see what we can do is to try something new
          If you’re crazy too
          I don’t really see
          Why can’t we go on as three

  142. We just met Thomas’ mother. Seriously, who saw that accent coming?
    I must lead a sheltered life.
    I’m not here for the Jessica show so I’m switching out. The cricket looks good to me.

    • Yeah, somehow this season has been so lackluster that it just morphed into a season of the Bachelorette with Jess at the centre. Who cares about Jed and Thomas? We have to know which man Jess chooses!

      I recorded the episode, I’m going to watch it tomorrow (it’s a public holiday and I’ve got nowhere to be). But people are saying some pretty critical things about Damien, and it’s such an odd thing to experience, because, he was such a sweet kid.

  143. I finally watched (so.e of) an episode. Pretty sure Liberace (?) got dumped for wearing Woolif’s mum’s casino gown.

    Just call me old fashioned. Guys were cuter in the 70s.

    • I’ll absolutely agree that Jed is not cute. He is too thin for my liking, and I come from a mostly very thin family – the exception being me and one other brother, bugerit – so you would think it would be my style.
      I admire his liking for clothes but like all these shows where fashion designers donate, it can all get pushed too far. I’d like to see what he wears in real life.
      But I have developed a liking for him personally. He appears to be kind and he is mostly respectful of the woman. Maybe it’s the contrast with Felix who is just a knobb.
      I, too, am going to bunker down in front of the telly today, WS. I think Australia Day is on life support and good luck with trying to find an alternative /s.
      Plus, I am in the middle of painting which has only one colour. Surprisingly difficult, Daisy, so I will be old-man-shaking-fist-against-the-sky this afternoon 🤣.
      It could be full day but then again, it might not be.

      • I thought I’d find Jed obnoxious, but actually, he’s an adorable little bogan who seems unfailingly honest (sometimes, to a fault).

        And you’re right, the contrast is important, because Felix still comes across as a knob. And leaving aside the whole Jess/Damien thing, I really like Abigail, the girl with the cat. Like, she seems too nice for him, I think she could do a lot better than Felix.

        • I have spent the day soothing, watching Dr Ramani Durvasula on you tube, talking about Narcissism, Radical Acceptance and Boundaries. Insightful.

  144. Here’s the deal, Felix. Jess gets to “have connections” while you have to wear a sexual ankle bracelet. That’s a deal made in hell.

    I’m astounded that Jess is still there…and that Felix is not all there……

    Jed was crucified ….. for being a tattooed musician.

    • Quite well, thank you, Bobi. As for residual effects, I’m pissed off that it hit me late on a Friday night. I regret telling the ambos my situation wasn’t “life threatening”. They threw me to the lions.

      Those insane daily Covid updates did not mention my symptom once. I regret watching them, yet it inspired daisy to sketch Kerry Chant for our benefit.

      I’m glad that my three close contacts didn’t get it from me.Ch 10 and Ch 24 for five days. Probably did me more harm than the virus.

      I got post viral depression after a long bout of standard flu in 1992. Ever since then I get a flu shot every year.

      Still determined to avoid anti vaxxers like the plague.

      • “Still determined to avoid anti vaxxers like the plague.”

        Always a wise decision. These days, most of them seem to be quietly getting on with their lives … or getting arrested.

        The hacking cough lingered for a couple of weeks, for me, but I’m mostly past it now.

        I blasted through the worst of my covid in about 24 hours, but it was a really unpleasant 24 hours, and I’ve been through some really unpleasant medical stuff, in my life. The strangest part was my internal temperature. I would go from freezing, to absolutely boiling, within ten seconds. It was bizarre. I slept that night with a wet face-washer, draped over my forehead, but by the morning, my forehead had burned all the moisture out of it, it was bone dry.

  146. Hey WS, I watched the encore episode of The Bachelors.
    Your friend, Damien, came out looking very badly after this one. He appears to be more than a tad over-controlling, and loving every minute of it.
    Oddly enough, I have decided Felix really likes Jess. It seems a shame because there’s no future for him with her. Damien will see to that.
    Here’s another guess. Felix says to Jess, “Him or me”. Jess does her usual obfuscating and Felix picks no one.

    • ” a tad over controlling” ~ Damien is hiding in the bushes , eavesdropping on whatever is happening with Jess and Foolix at the proposal. He looks quite a bit older than “the girl of experiences”.

      Too old to be hiding in the bushes, too.

      Damien’s greying, while Foolix is balding.

      • And that’s true. Another one of my friends pointed out that he looks quite mature, but no, Damien’s only in his early 30s. I can promise you that.

        I think he’s lived a bit of a rough life. The last time we caught up was at his grandmother’s funeral (which was mid-2022) and we sat down and talked for a couple of hours, and he told me stuff that I don’t think he’d told the rest of his family. He’s been through some rough stuff, and some of it was self-inflicted.

        I can’t believe he’s going to show up and appear in the finale on Sunday. It’s like, this guy is getting more screen-time than the other two Bachelors.

    • I know. Particularly the moment where he shut down Jess’s brother, and he got so mad that he got up and left? That did not look good for him, at all. It was bizarre to watch.

      Having said that, I really don’t think Jess is coming out of this looking good, either. She’s so evasive and vague whenever Felix tries to ask her a simple question. The girl’s allowed to bonk whoever she wants to, right, but she should be able to answer honest questions about it, particularly when a potential partner is asking them. Felix might be a knob, but I do think this is really a fustercluck of a situation.

  148. I got an email from an interstate friend today. Her kids were away for a couple of weeks of the school holidays, so she thought she would attempt croissants. And they came out beautifully – after 3 days work. She does bake a lot, but croissants are still a huge undertaking. I want to fly over and give her a round of applause and a big hug.

    I’m so impressed, just wanted to share. 🙂

    • OOo. A good croissant. With a great coffee. It seems everywhere we went in France, the croissants were good. Not too bread, not too flaky pastry.

    • 👋 Another fan of a proper croissant here.
      They are super difficult to make, in my opinion. I love to bake but don’t do it often enough to have many things turn out well. Everything takes me by surprise.
      You can send more congratulations from me. Soon she will be able to hear the thunderous applause from around Australia.

      • I made croissants once when I was younger, and ever since have decided it is worth the money to pony up for the store-bought ones. Luckily there is a divine French bakery (Boulangerie) up the road.

  149. I’m going to watch the Bachelor all the way through.
    Just so you know, I’m only doing it for the dresses. 🤣

  150. I had a dream last night about the missing radioactive capsule, which was lost somewhere between the Pilbara and Perth.

    I found it at the bottom of my shopping bag, in a box of loose tea. My first response was not to call Emergency Services, but to call all my friends to tell them I had it. Guess I wanted my 15 minutes of fame before I died of radiation poisoning.

  151. The first dress was awful. How disappointing. I wonder if they dressed her knowing she was not getting a proposal.
    Lauren’s dress is just okay and her hair and makeup is barely marginal. Still, she got a ring and a very handsome fella.

  153. Cindy Williams died. The opening scene always comes to mind when I think of Laverne and Shirley.
    They were my introduction to Jewish people.

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