Friends S9-09 - moving on

It's the way the changing patterns of light fall across them.

British/Anzac/Euro SPOILER SPACE for 909...

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909 "TOW Rachel's Phone Number"

Joey phones Chandler in Tulsa, to announce he has courtside tickets for a Knicks game, but it's on the only night that Monica can get off from the restaurant. Chandler can't think how to put Joey off, so he lies instead that he must stay at the office.

However, this means that once Chandler gets home, Joey assumes that Monica has a lover there. Monica tries to fob Joey off, but he's not fooled by her lame excuses, her sexy nightie, the man's voice he has heard, the locked door, or the two glasses of wine on the table.

Joey loyally phones Chandler, who takes it on his mobile - so as Chandler yells down the phone at Joey to forestall him, Joey again hears the man's voice coming from Monica's apartment. Chandler's brilliant plan is to sneak down the fire escape into the December night, without putting his coat on, then go up the stairs to where his door is being grimly guarded by Joey, armed with a baseball bat.

Joey is surprised that Chandler arrives so fast, since it's a 3 hour flight from Tulsa, but he trustingly lets Chandler fob him off with an excuse about the time difference. Monica lamely pretends to be outraged, demanding an apology from Joey, but he espies Chandler's luggage, which Monica had foolishly forgotten to hide.

Chandler has no recourse but to apologise & confess to Joey, who is very annoyed that the Bings think he is too dumb to understand that a husband needs to be with his wife. Monica kindly allows Chandler to go to the game with Joey, but it turns out that he'd got the date wrong anyway, it's actually on the next night!

                             ---o0o---

Ross is minding the baby while Rachel gets ready to spend the evening with Phoebe, but his eyes are on stalks when she appears in a slutty dress supported by a push-up bra, making a cleavage so deep that light can't penetrate to the bottom - or as Phoebe puts it, Girls Night Out!

At a wine bar, Rachel informs Phoebe that Ross had liked the way she looked, and then he had made eye contact - disguising the truth that he had been gawping at her breasts until she had ordered him to stop looking at her like that, so he turned to her face instead.

When two guys named Bill & Kevin send some drinks over, Rachel has to remind an amused Phoebe that she has a boyfriend - whilst she herself has 'a baby & a Ross'. Meanwhile, Ross is hanging out with Mike, but they have nothing to do or talk about, so they quickly grow bored.

Rachel is delighted to hear that Bill lives in the same building as her grandmother, so while Phoebe turns Kevin down, Rachel tells Bill that she does not have a boyfriend, and gives him her phone number. Phoebe does not approve, but Rachel reveals that she & Ross have not been communicating, and maybe she should move on with her life.

But when Phoebe asks Rachel to consider Ross's feelings, should Bill move in with them & Emma, Rachel tells Mike on his mobile to intercept any calls to Ross's phone - preventing the poor guy from escaping the extreme boredom, and causing him to leap across Ross when Judy rings.

When the girls come home, the guys are so bored out of their brains that they hug them with joy. Yet while Rachel covertly checks with Mike that everything is okay, Bill calls and Ross takes the message. After Rachel describes how she had so much fun, and it felt so good to be out, Ross quietly puts Bill's note away in his pocket...

                             ---o0o---

This is the first time I've ever wanted to Fast Forward during a new episode. I'd thought that the perpetuation of bad jokes had gone far enough with Chandler grimacing at that photographer or Ross on roller blades, but there were SEVEN boring scenes of two men being bored!

Meanwhile, I would sound very shallow by admitting what the four best things in this episode were, so instead I shall simply point out that this was because the two main stories were quite interesting, and even occasionally amusing, but there was no great entertainment to be had.

                             ---o0o---

Since Chandler is a cat person, and *very* lucky to have Monica, shouldn't he be more charitable towards his assistant Jo Lynn?

But what is a cat condo?

And since Chandler is away 4 days out of 7, how come Monica has to work on 2 of the 3 days that her husband is in NYC?

Since Joey's suspicions stemmed from hearing a man's voice in the apartment while Monica's husband was away, why did Chandler start talking while he was right by the front door, only seconds afterit had been shut?

How come it's only now that the top US comedy has found the 'man on the other side of the door is the man talking to you on his mobile phone' gag? In Britain, this situation was first used in the classic BBC sitcom "Joking Apart" - a forerunner of "Coupling" - way back in 1991. Is this because America is technologically backward? Ross was still using an old-fashioned beeper in 1995, four years later.

In fact, when did we first see a mobile phone in "Friends"?

Anyway, if Chandler is so clever, why didn't he go into his bedroom and shut the door, to take the call where Joey can't hear him?

Since the previous episode was set at Thanksgiving, it must now be early December, and it's night. So how come only Phoebe is wearing a proper overcoat? Mike wears a small jacket, Rachel picks up a flimsy wrap, and Chandler goes out in in a short-sleeved shirt!

Note that Joey wore a warm coat to keep guard in the hallway.

Chandler going out to the fire escape reminds me - how long has it been since we had a scene actually set on Monica's balcony?

Scary pigeon?

Why did the writers have to spoil a potentially good story with that time difference joke? It was going so well: the way that the Bings kept underestimating their suspicious friend, while it was they who acted stupidly all the way through; that it's a shame that such a cheap laugh was allowed to wreck the dynamic they'd established.

But once again we saw Joey's superior sense of smell being used to root out deception - the last time was when a naughty Phoebe stole his chocolate in 701 "TOW Monica's Thunder".

Which do you think was better - Monica's impression of Chandler, or Rachel's impression of Ross?

Phoebe staring hard at that chasm of a cleavage, and making saucy remarks about it, only serves to reinforce her lesbian tendencies; most recently noted in 905 "TOW Phoebe's Birthday Dinner" when she eyeballed Monica's ripe bosoms, and called them a treat...

And how come Rachel objected to Ross staring at her cleavage, when she once realised that Chandler was not gay after he had spent the whole of Phoebe's birthday party talking to her breasts?

Why exactly did Pheebs want to send the guys some mashed potatoes?

Does a story about bored people have to be boring?

Phoebe, Joey & Rachel weren't boring, as they missed the Blowfish concert in 205 "TOW Five Steaks and an Eggplant"; the whole gang weren't boring, as Ross talked shop in 307 "TOW the Race Car Bed"; Ross & Rachel weren't boring, at the fabrics lecture in 314 TOW Phoebe's Ex-Partner; the whole gang weren't boring, on a rainy day in 325 "TOA the Beach"; Joey & Ross weren't boring, since they were unemployed in 510 TOW the Inappropriate Sister; and most especially Rachel & Ben weren't boring in 716 "TOW the Truth About London".

Hey, we got the name of Rachel's gran, Leonard's mum, Ida Green!

So, what happens next?

Will Bill pass up a prize like Rachel Green simply because she didn't return his first call?

Will Rachel discover the note in Ross's pocket, and be so angry that there's a huge bust-up?

Will Rachel discover the note in Ross's pocket, and be so touched that she falls into his arms?

Will Ross & Rachel start acting like mature adults, and actually sit down and talk to each other?

Or will the writers just forget about the whole damn thing?

                             ---o0o---

Are the actors who played Bill & Kevin credited the right way round?

Bill was the white guy who fancied Rachel, and if we are to see more of him, it's surprising to see that his actor Chris Payne Gilbert was placed at the end of the credits, coming after Chandler's assistant; while Alan F. Smith (he was Kevin the black guy who fancied Phoebe), received second billing after recurring cast member Paul Rudd.

Their parts were virtually the same size...

BILL: "Spuds" is your grandmother? So, she has a boyfriend. What is
      your situation? Then, can I have your number? Okay. Okay,
      thanks. I'll give you a call later tonight. Bye.

KEVIN: So, we're on our way to a couple of parties. Um... maybe we
       can get your numbers and give you guys a call if we find
       something fun. Alright. It's no big deal.

So, should we conclude that Bill is never going to be seen again, and what actually counts is what happens when Rachel finds that message?

Or was AFS ranked higher because he was a cast member of that other BKC production "Veronica's Closet", while CPG is a relative unknown?

No spoilers PLEASE from anyone who has seen episode 910.

Tennant Stuart

Nice for those who used to pick on the issue that we always see the Friends together.

I think she didn't mean Ross's staring with "eye contact", but didn't know how to call the *very* little "thing" they had.

IMO it would have been cute, but perhaps inappropriate, for him to respond like this:

Rachel: "... last time that happened, that (points at Emma) happened!" Ross: "Actually that (points at Emma) is the [second] best thing ever happened to me."

Well, after he noticed the low neck-line, he looked at her face first, then got lost by the breasts ("A lot of people are thankful for /those/."), then face again.

'a b--aby and a Ross'. Yes I know, they'll continue to torture us remaining R&R fans like that at least till the end of February sweeps if not longer.

And were boring to watch, too.

Still don't know how to feel about this.

I guess Chandler's three days always include the weekend and sometimes it's Monica's turn to work on Saturday and Sunday, so there you go. Are there specific days of the week that the Knicks use to play? (It's basketball, right?)

I think mobiles / cellulars aren't as (long time) common in the US as in Europe, but that I'm not really sure about.

Try to explain snow or negative degrees to a Californian.

Oh, c'mon! You should already have noticed, that Joey is -er- easy to persuade, even though you don't like it. Maybe excuse it with: he doesn't want to look dumb, because he knows, he is at least a little bit, thus he sometimes seems dumber than he actually is.

Phoebe's impression of Rachel. :-� From the two choices given I'd pick the latter although the former was closer to the original.

Yeah, once she realizes it for herself, there'll be no chance left for your Ross&Phoebe dream. ;)

IMHO she didn't. She did object to Ross seeing her differently than -er- usual. And later complains about them not getting closer.

And why did Rachel think that would make them come over? Weird American rituals maybe?

No, but this one was most of the time. I only liked the scene where Ross wants to start to talk, but quickly turns his head away.

Yes. Less because most men did, more because I don't see the actor to reappear. (That's no spoiler, just guessed.)

Maybe, but the writers will probably just ignore that bit in the future.

Definitely no. What I could see is Ross telling her about it, but then again see above.

Are you kidding? That be way too easy. In several other US series they would have started to see a couple therapist (or what it's called) long ago.

Yes.

I think the writers will find different things to get some drama into their relationship before they reunite. What I'm still sure they'll do.

Was he the neighbour / gay boyfriend of <insert-name>? I never liked that show that much anyway.

Christoph

In article , Christoph Paeper wrote:

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Oh, that seems like a long time ago.

Whatever, she was making it sound like more than it was.

I guess that's the male perspective though, giving birth is much better us since the woman has to do the tricky bit.

Notice that when Mike arrived, he only looked at her face.

I've been reading the posts on Angel's Friends, where one fan wrote that Rachel said "You have a boyfriend, I have a bo-baby", and then all the others picked it up; but Rachel says no such thing. One expects that she will continue with "I have a boyfriend" because of the context, and thus some people imagined she said that, or even half of that, but not so.

I know,it was hideous. :(

It's a classic piece of "Friends" ambiguity, where it could be that Ross was jealous (wanting her for himself), or possibly he just resented any outsider (as Phoebe warned her against), then again he could be envious (disliking her moving on before he did), or he simply being protective.

Experience of the past eight seasons should have taught us to be wary of *any* of the above extrapolations, for most likely it is simply yet another stunt that will be thrown away in the next episode.

They do, he goes away Monday mornings and returns Thursday evenings.

Well, she's organised that very badly then, hasn't she?

She is the head chef, she's in charge.

Dunno. Hopefully, someone will write in.

Errr... <hang on, I'll check> ..yes, that's right, in 413 "TOW Rachel's Crush", Rachel tries to get off with Joshua Bergin by giving him tickets for a basketball game, and that was the Knicks.

Well, we have such a big head start over them.

Absolutely, the irony is that many Americans on the east coast missed part of this episode (where Rachel talks about her grandmother, gives her phone number to Bill, does an impression of Ross, then realises the possibility of Ross getting the call) due to heavy snow interrupting the feed.

It isn't that, it's that the joke had no reality. Joey was talking to Chandler (as he believed) in Tulsa, and five minutes later there he is in New York City. Nobody would swallow that ridiculous lie.

LOL, you're right - so how come I forgot all about that?

How come?

C'est la vie. :)

Yes she did. He was staring at her breasts, and she said "Okay, stop. Stop looking at me like that."

I don't know, but I doubt that mashed potatoes were intended to make the guys come over, they would be some sort of symbol of rejection.

I don't even recall that, it was all so mind-numbingly awful.

Yeah, I agree.

That wouldn't be surprising.

Yeah.

Yes. :)

Absolutely. The strange thing is that Ross used to be a lot more mature than he is now, while the series has followed Rachel's maturation.

Okies.

Wait & see.

I don't know. According to epguides.com, AFS joined the show in its third season as Bryan, a straight guy with a girlfriend. Weirdly, the writers then respelled his name as Brian; and at a bachelor party for Veronica's sexually ambivalent assistant Josh, the two guys were found kissing. Later on, Brian's girlfriend turned out to be a fake, he came out of the closet, and at the very end Brian & Josh moved in together.

Me neither. And people complain about the continuity in "Friends"...

Tennant

*Tennant Stuart* :

That's not what I meant. I think /that/ would have been a "thing".

Well, he has a girlfriend and not a Rachel.

I'm not reading there. Usenet is faster and more comfortable than web forums. Plus in most cases the standard is higher, especially in de.ALL.

No "o-b", but a notable pause after the b, which I indicated with the dashes. You can't deny to hear that if you even notice where Mike looks.

She'd be a bad boss if she never took the weekend shift. Btw.: Why does "chef" mean "cook" in English, but "boss" in German, although it's not a German word? For now I guess it has a French origin and double meaning there.

:-D Most people would just check with Google or knicks.com or the brother who is more into sports.

OTOH beepers were never as popular here. Also note that most of the big mobile phone manufactors don't originate from the US (e.g. Nokia, Ericsson & Sony).

Just because it takes five minutes in the episode it doesn't mean it really was five minutes. Although Chandler would be an even worse friend if he let Joey wait in the hall longer then necessary.

I think it's JA's voice that's way too different from DS's. The throat clearings didn't help much, although they fit in.

Yeah, "like that". Seems as if we have very different interpretations of that "that", IMO it didn't relate to her breasts in particular. Let's agree to disagree.

He had to lose some of his maturity to mature Rachel. Maybe. Still leaves a great amount that he most have lost elsewhere.

Am I glad to know, that you don't read future spoilers.

Yes, Josh and Br[iy]an it was.

Yeah, there's at least not one new friend (company owner respectively) each season. AFAIR the gay plot in VC had alright continuity, though: both characters had always been very feminine and were close friends--it was quite obvious that they'd get each other throughout that season, although Josh was preparing to get married to a masculine woman he avoided having sex with. That show had the 00:30 time slot a while ago with two or three consecutive repeats of all season; I should go to bed earlier weekdays.

Christoph

In article , Christoph Paeper wrote:

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Err... how do you mean?

Lol, yes.

I have a soft spot for AF, since I began there.

I looked & listened very carefully, and there's no sound at all.

Ordinarily, maybe. But Monica has special circumstances.

Well, "chef" does not mean "cook" in English, it means "head cook", being short for the phrase "chef de cuisine". Think of "chief".

Grin. I'm not most people. :)

Well, they're crap compared with mobile phones.

Absolutely.

Fair point, but how long did he wait? It wasn't three hours.

Chandler would be a better friend if he trusted Joey's judgement.

So why would you pick the latter?

Okay.

Indeed.

I'm glad too. I'm convinced it enhances my enjoyment.

Right.

Well, the thing was that most of those episodes weren't aired on US network television. NBC cancelled the show when Br[iy]an's girlfriend broke up with him, and after that was only seen on cable.

Tennant

*Tennant Stuart* :

If Ross indicated that /that/ (Emma) wasn't that bad and he didn't regret that /that/ (him looking at her like that about a year ago) happened, that would have been a "thing", or "Ross and Rachel moment".

Exactly, there's a pause after she pronounced the first letter.

Tell that to the cooks who have to work every weekend, just because their boss wants to have sex with her husband. After all she doesn't work 24 hours a day.

Christoph

In article , Christoph Paeper wrote:

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Oh well, people who have even acrimonious & bitter divorces still regard their children as the best thing that happened to them.

Well not quite, she did not even pronounce any first letter.

Doesn't matter, Christoph. Monica is a top chef, much in demand. She can dictate her working conditions, and the ordinary cooks of her kitchen will just have to buckle under. And in any case, it's a great opportunity for the cook whom she appoints as sous chef, for he/she would be in command at every weekend, an excellent way to prove themselves.

Tennant

*Tennant Stuart* :

I was unsure about the "second", that's why I put it in brackets. You convinced me--without wanting to--that "[Emma] is the second best thing ever happened to me." is better.

It's a B. It's almost silent if nothing follows directly. I just checked it again (5+ times): I clearly hear a sound, but the more often I listened to it it sounded more like a *very* dense "hup-ump". But after all it's very clear the writers / director wanted us to think she was going to say "boyfriend".

She wouldn't keep that job very long with such an attitude. Either a sous chef takes his chance or her pissed off underlings have a talk with the restaurant owner. OTOH when she got that job, she knew she'd be separated from her husband much of the time and would have told that the owner or whoever hired her.

Christoph

In article , Christoph Paeper wrote:

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If you like.

Since it's completely silent (I haven't a clue what a hup-ump is, dense or otherwise) then it's not at all clear that anyone intended anything.

You're overlooking the fact that Monica is the one in demand.

Tennant

In alt.tv.friends on Mon, 16 Dec 2002 at 15:13:33, Christoph Paeper wrote :

I'd have thought her cooks would be glad to be able to work without her around... :)

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Well, actually, there was a moment where they each catch the other's glance for just a moment. I don't think anyone was disguising the truth, but certainly Rachel was stretching the incident out of proportion.

He's very well behaved.

She is obviously starting the b, but of course, baby starts with b too. We can only assume she was probably going to say boyfriend.

OMG! They could have cut 30 seconds from those scenes without losing a thing. Five seconds here, ten there. It would have made all the difference.

It's fun to extrapolate, but we must be mindful of the scope into which we let our imaginations run.

Yes, each week (official holidays excluded, I assume).

As head chef, she would also be aware that a restaurant's primary business would occur on Friday and Saturday nights. A head chef needs to be there on the big nights. So, I would guess that they only get one night together during most three-day weekends.

It could be any night during the week. On weekends it would be more likely that the game would be played during the day, but not always true.

That's correct. The New York Knickerbockers are a professional basketball team.

I was thinking about this very issue as I watched the episode over and over (typing the transcript). All of a sudden "everybody" has a cell phone. Too bad Rachel doesn't have one. She could have avoided the whole telephone conflict by giving Bill her cell number.

Oh, we lost 45 seconds of it here in Minnesota too, and oddly, we have no snow yet. I understand that other locales lost different amounts of that bar scene. Too bad too, because it was really the most important part of the episode. After all, that's where they got the title.

doesn't

he

They portray Joey inconsistently, but generally he isn't a quick wit, but he is highly intuitive. The time zone thing really throws some people off. I think Joey would rather trust a good friend than figure out the time situation.

"Dead on" is right.

Ross doesn't clear his throat repeatedly. Could Chandler BE any more turned on?

LOL I think Phoebe is just free to speak what other women would never say.

Yes, she did say that, but there was quite a bit of lilt in her voice. I think she really loved it.

Well, Rachel says, "Should we send them something back?" I think Phoebe picks up on the word "something" and mashed potatoes pops into her head. Who knows where her ideas come from?

If someone sent me mashed potatoes, I'd have to go talk to her to find out what the he** it means. So, that's probably why Rachel was concerned.

OMG it got drawn out didn't it. Hmmm. Yeah. Uh-huh. (Sigh)

I don't what will happen with Bill, but I wonder it the incident might be an indicator for Ross that it's time to start dating again. Do we have time for the two of them to start dating before the big wedding in 924?

It's too bad if they ignore it, because they could develop some plot that would throw Rachel into a cheater-on-a-break role, for which Ross could fly off the handle--a nice balancing plot IMO.

She would find a way to turn it against Ross.

I've been waiting eight years for them to act like mature adults. I'm just hoping we see it by 923-24.

Really? I think they both bounce in and out of it quite a lot. They just never seem to bounce into it at same time, with the exception of brief moments--then, poof, they're children again.

LOL They call people from Oklahoma, Okies. I'm sure that was not what you intended, but it threw me off for just a second there. I thought, "Where did THAT comment come from?" Btw, "Okie" has a slightly negative connotation.

I think it's gone forever, but then, as Fats Waller said, "One never knows, do one?"

That bothered me because we are never told in the dialogue that Bill's friend is actually Kevin. So, when I was checking the credits it was not where I expected to find it. It made me think that Kevin might have been a different character, but there was no other character.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

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Indeed.

He probably went to the male US equivalent of a Swiss finishing school.

Given the context, she probably was, but that means she was merely bouncing off what she had just said about Phoebe. In any case, some people have imagined that she actually did say it, and she didn't.

More than that, they could have cut at least three whole scenes, there were seven altogether.

Exactly.

Yep.

I would agree with that for normal circumstances; but Monica does not enjoy the luxury of normal circumstances. She should explain to the owner and then her staff that she can only see her darling husband at the weekends, so they just won't have her services. If the owner does not like it, he can look elsewhere for a head chef, which he will not want to do since he was so desperate to get her. If the staff does not like it, she can make sure to find a bloody good sous chef who can run the whole show on his/her own at the weekends.

Thanks. Well, this would be a Thursday, so the game would be at night.

Knickerbockers!?!?!

LOL, 8 years of watching "Friends" and this is the first I've heard that!

Rachel does have one, doesn't she? I seem to recall her having one.

Yes, mobile phones have ruined a lot of standby plots, since people can find each other more easily, explain about missing appointments, and get rescued from awkward situations.

There's a lovely moment in the movie "Three Kings" where a GI is captured by Iraqis in the aftermath of the Gulf War, and shut in a storeroom full of loot, including mobile phones - so he uses one to call his wife in America, then she has to get through to the Pentagon to arrange a rescue for him.

Absolutely. From what I've read, only the west coast was immune, which made up for being three hours behind with the show. There's nothing odd about you not having any snow, it was the fault of the weather at the uplink.

Yes, that's how I saw it. :)

Yep.

That's right, but what puzzled me is why Christoph picked the choice that was further from the original.

Hah!

Oh sure, of course she did - but what I'm objecting to is that she boasted to her friend that there was eye contact, whereas in fact it was eye-breast contact until she told him to stop looking there.

Lol yes, except they did show us in 623 "TOW the Ring"...

PHOEBE: So how are things going with Paul?

RACHEL: Good. Although y'know, he-he's a private guy. Y'know, I wish I could get him to open up a little bit, share some feelings.

PHOEBE: That's easy! You just have to think of him as as a jar of pickles that won't open.

RACHEL: So what are you saying; I should run him under hot water and bang his head against a table?

PHOEBE: No, that's what you do when you want to get the truth out of someone.

(Later on)

ROSS: Well, if Joey is angry, he really shouldn't just cover it up. I wish he would just tell me the truth.

PHOEBE: Oh, if that's what you want, then you really should run his head under hot water and bang his head against a table.

..Ross was very puzzled by that remark, but just for once we weren't.

Yeah, but I'm still hoping for a more metaphorical explanation.

Exactly. But recall Ross in 210 "TOW Russ"...

ROSS: See what? I don't know what she sees in... innn that goober.
      And it takes him, what? Like... like... I don't know, uhh...
      uhhh, hello... a... week, to get out a sentence.

CHANDLER: Yeah, it's annoying, isn't it?

..it *was* annoying, but DS still made it most entertaining.

I think the jury ought to be out on that one.

Oh absolutely - but in the end she should come crawling apologetically back to Ross, only to have him finally reject her, for all the grief that she has caused him over the years. The series could end with Ross dreaming of how he's known Rachel, and how much he loves her - and in the closing moments of the show he wakes up, determined to stay away from her forever.

Well, I guess Claire would like that, and justice would be served...

Of course, she always does.

Hah, seeing them act like mature adults is why I'm hoping for Season 16.

Yes David, you've just put it much better than I did. :)

Oops!

Exactly.

Fans with expectations must bear in mind that *anything* can happen.

I knowwww!!! If this series has one thing it's crap at doing, it's naming its characters. Fortunately, Phoebe made that remark about Rachel, Bill, Ross, and Emma being so happy together, else you guys would have had to but up with me going crazy to find out which guy was which - and it would have been even worse if their actors hadn't been so easy to tell apart.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Is there any such thing here? Oh yeah, maybe out east.

I had another listen, and you are right--there's no sound, although her lips are in the form of a b. I would have sworn the b sound was there too. It's a funny thing the way the mind fills in the blanks for you, and then recalls it from memory that way.

The bottom line is that I didn't buy it--although I had this date last week . . well, that's OT, never mind. ;-)

Ross

we

As I thought about this later I realized that a person can't really be expected to work EVERY weekend. Even stage actors get a break every now and then.

true.

tickets

I'll bet they haven't been called that since the '50s. There are some other sports teams here that have shortened their team name. In baseball: Cincinnati Reds were the Redlegs (very old change), and the A's were the Athletics ( a recent change).

I did a scan of transcripts without finding a reference. It's tough though because the stage direction might have said phone instead of cell phone or cell.

I seem to recall wondering why those phones worked. The accounts were still active I guess?

no

that

of

made

I can see why the uplink would be an issue, but why would different places be out for different times. I guess I don't understand the dynamics of the process. Does the west coast of the US still get a different feed like they used to, or do they simply pick up the eastern feed and replay it later? I seem to recall reading something about network affiliates taping the early feed in case there were problems, but this was more than a decade ago.

It doesn't explain the heavy leather jacket though. Is the hall cooler than the apartments? That's the case in my duplex, but I've never noticed it being an issue with anyone on the show.

Maybe she targeted the eye-contact because they were on the verge of expressing something honest to each other. (Oh God forbid!) Of course, they narrowly escaped THAT dilema.

Oh my, I must be Joey. I didn't get it until reading this. I've even seen it a number of times. I never connected the dots. It's like Ross's sweater--beat, beat, reaction.

out

Good luck. ;-)

Parts of it, yes, but I'm not quite so generous over that/those bit(s).

I think it *is* still out. (Another case of projecting into the abyss.)

future.

I don't know about justice, but at least satisfaction, possibly bragging rights.

just

Ta

I'm thinking Chandler even makes a comment about Okies. I might have to look back through recent transcripts to see if my memory serves.

do.

That's true. Who would have thought an alien would come to Milwaukee and freeze Fonzie? Certainly not I.

99-plus percent of the public never pays attention to the credits. So, I'm sure the producers aren't going to push the issue.

I'm just glad that I'm a credits-watcher. It was such a treat at the end of the credits of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" to see Ferris pop into the hall and say, "You're still here? It's over. Go home."

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

British/Anzac/Euro SPOILER SPACE for 909...

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Exactly.

Absolutely, thanks for being honest about it. :)

Grin. The date was very boring, hence disaster?

Or you guys didn't talk much, just did stuff, hence success?

Yep. Monica is a valuable commodity, she can impose terms.

What about the Mets?

Metropolitans? Meteorologists? Metal Workers? Methyl Alcoholics?

That's right.

But an early sighting would be the mobile she borrowed in 207.

Probably, assuming the owners and/or the Kuwaiti authorities were murdered.

If I was organising it, I would tape the first transmission to broadcast it in the western evening, but if that went wrong, order a second uplink at the appropriate time. But then, if I was organising it, I would take out a later show from the eastern schedule, and show "Friends" again.

We know that the apartments have their own heating from when it has gone wrong - see 119 "TOW the Monkey Gets Away" and 209 "TOW Phoebe's Dad" - so it makes economic sense for the hallways to be heated to a lesser degree.

This means that the weird thing isn't Joey's heavy leather jacket, it's Chandler's short-sleeved shirt, especially since he was outdoors. Could this have been a subtlish signal about which of them is the dumbass?

Nah, he just gawped at her tits, then got told off.

RACHEL: Did you not get a good enough look? (113)

Grin. You're very welcome, David. Need anything else explaining?

The useful little sink in 120 "TOW the Evil Orthodontist", perhaps? :)

Lol, I heard that as though Julie Graff was saying it...

Oh okay, but I thought Schwimmer was great in 210.

Yah.

Claire would see it as justice, and I'd tend to agree, except for Karen.

There you go, and out of that came a spin-off which launched a major star.

Yeah.

Absolutely, and there's an extra scene after the credits of the new Harry Potter movie, "Chamber of Secrets".

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

LOL Well, what else could I do. It's documented on thousands of video cassettes across North America.

I don't expect to go out with her again. You can draw your own conclusions.

In more than one way. Attractive people often get away with more. When you are attractive AND tallented in your field, you are quite powerful indeed.

Good one. Metropolitans. Although, I don't think they were ever actually called that by the general public.

I just love seeing not-so-old scenes from television or films where the technology has changed. Chandlers clunky lap-top is a case in point.

murdered.

And recently enough that the accounts were not canceled. I guess I can buy that.

I'd repeat the entire evening lineup after "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."

Oh yes, and how convient to blame Monica for not hiding his suitcase (and jacket) when there was no discussion about who was supposed to deal with it. Were his hands and legs tied together while he waited for the pigeon to leave?

I could never get a good enough look.

Are we back on that date I had last week?

LOL You've explained that one to me already. Thank you btw. My syndication watching experience is so much more full thanks to you and this ng.

I'm not familiar with Ms. Graff.

Oh yes, I agree that he was good in 210. However, I don't think 909 compared well to 210 on that issue.

I understand the point of view. :-)

and

Thanks for the heads-up.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

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Tell that to all the fans who insist she said "I have a bo- baby".

Sorry.

Oh, absolutely.

Ah. Thanks.

Yes, David Crane remarks on that in his commentary.

It wasn't just a question of being recent - the people who would have carried out the cancellation were dead, or wandering the rubble.

Cable & satellite channels used to do that here (after midnight not LNWCO).

Good point, though it does show how he dominates her.

Oh, I could. Give her tits just a token look, then go for the girl.

YW

She was Chandler's camp girlfriend who got really fa-aa-aw-ow before their third summer together.

Fair enough.

Okay.

YW - it's a top movie too, bit darker than the first one, good story.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

I can only suggest that if they are that into the show (as am I) they should probably record it for review later (as do I).

No worries. There are plenty of birds in the sky.

Oh yes, I remember that. It's been a while. I think I would enjoy listening to that commentary. It's really the best part about owning the DVD from season 2 IMO. Those little extras mean so much whatever they are.

That's true, but the company with which I have my account will suspend all calls after 10 days or so if a payment is late.

broadcast

uplink

O'Brien."

LNWCO).

It wouldn't happen here anymore though. They get too much revenue from the infomercials.

Hmmm, I never looked at it that way. He, so often, looks like a hen-pecked man.

Oh yeah, like either of us would have a shot. ;-)

Was her name in the dialogue, or did you have to pick it off of the credits? I ask because I didn't pick it up on my scans. (And I know how they are about that sort of thing.)

I haven't seen the first yet. I almost rented it on "On Demand." I love that "On Demand." All the benefits of renting, what with rewind, pause, etc., but you don't have to go out when it's raining or when there's a foot of snow.

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, David Buehrle had a cracker and said:

[mobiles/cells]

*shameless plug* Are you with T-Mobile (USA)? If not, you should, because that's the company I work for ;-) And are they really running that many ads over there? A guy I work with just got back from NY recently and said there were T-Mobile ads, banners and flyers everywhere

Andr�

On Tue, 17 Dec 2002 16:47:42 +0100, "Cookie Dude" wrote:

If I hear about T-Mobile one more time, I'll.... :) Seriously, the ads are all over the place here in the States. Catherine Zeta Jones is talking about the miracle that is T-Mobile whenever I turn on the TV or listen to the radio. You cannot go through one single day without seeing/hearing those ads at least ten times.

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, Marita Bakken had a cracker and said:

Yay! We rule!! ;-)

In article , [email] (Marita Bakken) wrote:

Lol, does the "T" stand for "Ten years ago in Europe"?

Tennant

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, Tennant Stuart had a cracker and said:

nah, it's from the "mother company" (is that a valid expression?) - Deutsche _T_elekom. There's also T-Com (landline), T-Online (does that one need explaining?) and T-Systems (network and IT system service solutions)

Andr�

In article , "Cookie Dude" wrote:

Not really, say "parent company".

Ah, thanks Andr�.

Tennant

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, Tennant Stuart had a cracker and said:

duh.... So close

In article , Cookie Dude wrote:

Yep. Never mind. :)

Tennant

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

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So they should, but it amazes me that Americans talk about missing the show because they were watching "Survivor", don't they have VCRs?

LOL

Yep, it would be nice if someone transcribed them.

Really? In Britain, you buy calls over the phone, then spend them. I was given a mobile phone for my birthday a few years ago, and I've never paid a penny for using it. Hang on... <dials 453> ..there's still �36.56 on it.

Oh, we have hundreds of channels that show those, but many more hundreds do not. None of the good ones do, and the best have no commercials at all.

People say that, but if you work out the score, Chandler is miles ahead.

For me, the most convincing evidence is that he took her side of the bed.

Lol, but we'd try harder than that Bill guy.

The "Julie" was in the credits, but the "Graff" came from the dialogue.

We had some discussion at the time, and that name was the consensus.

You should.

Oh, for sure, except we don't get the snow either.

Tennant

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, Tennant Stuart had a cracker and said:

Fear not my friends, I'm here to save you :-) We saw Rachel with her own mobile in errr... 715 wasn't it? The one where she and Phoebe argue over that other guy's phone, just watched it last night (the new boxset *with* the fourth disc arrived, yay me!)

Andr�

In article , "Cookie Dude" wrote:

Yay!

Ah, *as*well*as* the stolen phone?

<checks>

Oh yes, Phoebe challenged Rachel's claim that she had Barney's the store on her speed dial, so she pulled out her own phone to prove it.

Well done Andr�, but does that mean that not a single one of the gang owned a mobile phone until 2001?

Tennant

On Wed, 18 Dec 2002 22:43:46 GMT, Tennant Stuart wrote:

Nope, some of them had cell phones way earlier than that. Ross showed up with one in e.g. 504, 506, 511 and 604, Joey had one in 621 and 724, Chandler had one in 903 and 909, Monica used hers in 803 and 904, Phoebe had one in (615), 715 and 807, while Rachel got her own in 715.

In article , [email] (Marita Bakken) wrote:

You know sweetie, sometimes I think you won't amaze me, and then you do.

How�the hell do you manage to do this stuff? You're incredible. :)

Anyway, alt-Phoebe doesn't count, nor does post-715, so that gives us...

Ross showed up with one in 504, 506, 511 and 604, Joey had one in 621.

And the winner is Ross talking loud on his phone during a movie.

So, not a single one of the gang owned a mobile phone until 1998?

And Ross might have bought that in London... ;)

Tennant

On Fri, 20 Dec 2002 02:11:05 GMT, Tennant Stuart wrote:

Thanks. :)

AFAICR, yes. :)

Doesn't look like it.

But if he did, the phone probably had the wrong GSM-system.

In article , [email] (Marita Bakken) wrote:

VSG

Right.

Gosh.

Oops, of course.

Tennant

In alt.tv.friends on Sat, 14 Dec 2002 at 01:55:00, David Buehrle wrote :

If she regarded such attention as unwelcome, then why was she wearing that dress in the first place anyway?

You'd think Chandler would be bright enough to move into the living room at least.

USAian perspective: I dont remember cell phones being all that ubiquitous in 1995, and I do remember a lot of people having beepers then. I don't think I'd ever seen a cell phone in 1991 (granted I was only 16, but still).

Definitely Rachel's impression of Ross. Chandler's tendency to emphasize the word "be" is an old joke, and I don't see him actually *saying* "could I BE more turned on?" Whereas I could definitely see Ross saying the lines Rachel made up for him.

I think with Phoebe it's not so much of a straight/gay dichotomy. Seems like she might be willing to get together with anyone who caught her eye regardless of gender.

I don't drink and have never been to a bar, so my actual experience isn't all that helpful. But I think the idea is, the guys sent the girls a drink to indicate their interest, and if the girls were interested back, they'd return the favor, at which point the guys could come over and start chatting the girls up.

When Rachel said maybe they should send something back, it was pretty clear that she meant something alcoholic, but Phoebe, with her traditional disregard for, well, tradition, took "something" to refer to a much broader spectrum of items and thought that mashed potatoes would be interesting, or at least that was the first thing she thought of.

There's my interpretation. : )

I think the examples you gave proved that it doesn't have to be, but the Mike/Ross one certainly was. Geesh. They couldn't turn on the TV? Go rent a video? Play darts (does Ross still have his dartboard?)?

Probably. She was reluctant to give him her number, he'll probably assume that she had second thoughts.

This sounds fairly likely.

I don't think there's a really strong precedent for that, unfortunately.

In article , "iphigenia" wrote:

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Absolutely!

Well, we had cell phones before 1991, when "Joking Apart" was on; it's just that Stephen Moffat (the series' author, who now writes "Coupling") was the first person to see its comic potential.

Fair enough, although Chandler did emphasise "be" once or twice.

So you're saying that she's not straight or gay, she's straight and gay?

That's right, although they usually just send back a smile...

I didn't see that mashed potatoes were intended to be an invitation, they seemed to me to be some sort of symbol of rejection.

Okay, but why mashed potatoes?

Well, yes they should have. (And I suppose Ross has kept his dartboard).

Why didn't Ross invite Joey round?

That's got nothing to do with it, she was looking very hot.

Interesting...

Yeah. Me neither.

Tennant

*Tennant Stuart* :

What's wrong with or new about bisexuals? Most men's dream girlfriends are, although few would confess.

Christoph

In article , Christoph Paeper wrote:

According to Phoebe's song in 212 "TOA the Superbowl (part 1)"...

# Sometimes men love women, Sometimes men love men. And then there are bisexuals, Though some just say they're Kidding themselves. #

Wait till you see the lesbian porn episode of "Coupling"...

Tennant

*Tennant Stuart* :

Well, I remember the threesome episode. It actually seems as if they're gonna show the third season right now suceeding the first two, starting tomorrow.

Christoph

In article , Christoph Paeper wrote:

Ah yes, that was very clever.

Oh yay, well have fun, I know you will!

How well does the dubbing handle the translation into German of those weird terms that Jeff Murdoch comes up with?

Tennant

*Tennant Stuart* :

Actually that was the most forseeable Coupling episode I've seen so far. Not unfunny though.

"Breasts"? I've not yet watched an original episode, but e.g. "giggle loop" was translated quite properly to "Kicherschleife" IIRC. After all the dubbing is far superior to that of Friends.

Christoph

In article , Christoph Paeper wrote:

Ah.

Indeed.

Lol, you mean shadiam? (sp?)

Good.

Really? Why is that, Christoph?

Are there credits to say who dubs the sitcoms?

Tennant

*Tennant Stuart* :

I don't know this word or one that sounds like it in any language, sorry.

Friends in German lacks atmosphere as well as fun. Many gags are hard to translate but they often don't even try to. The speakers seem to be random people, but not actors who could resemble the original actors' acted feelings. The only reason you would want to watch it, is to follow the story.

After most shows the company and sometimes the director and/or writer (translator) is credited. I don't remember if it is in Friends. The dialogs are by Janina Richter who also directs. If you dare, these are the speakers:

  Rachel   Nadja Reichhardt
  Monica   Andrea Aust
  Phoebe   Maja D�rr
  Joey     Roland Frey
  Chandler Michael Iwannek
  Ross     Gerald Schaale

<http://www.seriensynchron.de/Serien/Friends.htm> lists also many reappearing characters. I wish the IMDb had this kind of information for every title. I once suggested it, but never got a response.

Christoph

In article , Christoph Paeper wrote:

It's the word for "breasts" in Hebrew.

Do you not recall "Coupling" episode 105 "The Girl with Two Breasts"?

Oh dear.

Oh dear. Is that why I rarely get the jokes in German?

Oh, thanks! :)

However, what I meant was the company that dubs the sitcoms?

Is it a German company, or the BBC employing Germans?

They get an awful lot of crap, so it's hard to get on the inside.

Tennant

*Tennant Stuart* :

AFAIK it's German companies doing the dubbings, but there may be exceptions.

Christoph, back from holidays

In article , Christoph Paeper wrote:

Well, I guess they're just doing a better job.

Tennant

Could be. I just have to wonder if a person who takes as nontraditional an approach to things as Phoebe does would view sexuality as being so exclusive, i.e., you have to be one or the other.

Maybe she had them for dinner? Why she would think a bar would *serve* them is beyong me, though.

Good point. Joey was busy guarding the door, but Ross didn't know that.

Oh, OK, well, this is where a man's perspective comes in handy. If I were in the situation and found out that he had called and Ross hidden the message from me, I'd think, "oh great, now he's going to think I didn't want to talk to him after all and he's never going to call again..."

In article , "iphigenia" wrote:

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I think that's a very good point, Iphigenia.

I knowwwwww!!!!

Exactly.

And if Ross had phoned Joey, and heard what was happening, he & Mike would've come round to help out - they wouldn't be bored any more!

Yep. You have to think about where the blood goes when it leaves a man's brain... ;)

Grin. You need to watch 304 "TOW the Metaphorical Tunnel" again...

CHANDLER: I've actually ruined this haven't I? It's time for the good ice cream now, right?

RACHEL: Yeah, it is.

(The phone rings, and Chandler answers it.)

CHANDLER: Hello. Hi, Janice! Can you hold on for a second? Okay. (to Monica & Rachel) Okay, what do I do?

RACHEL: Shhh... I don't know what to do, this is totally unprecedented.

MONICA: If-if-if we ever did what you did a man would never call.

CHANDLER: (on phone) Hello, Janice. Hi, I'm so glad that you called, I
          know I've been acting a really weird lately. And, it's just
          because I'm crazy about you, and I just got... stupid, and,
          and scared, and... stupid a couple of more times. I'm sorry.
          (listens) Really?! (listens) Really?!

RACHEL: He's soo lucky, if Janice were a guy, she'd be sleeping with somebody else by now.

CHANDLER: (on phone) I love you too.

MONICA: Aw, it's so unfair.

(The girls both start digging into the good ice cream.)

..I know that's the other way round, but the scene demonstrates how the 'rules' are different for men & women. :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Just realizing THAT it leaves a man's brain is a good start.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

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Grin.

Tennant

In alt.tv.friends on Sat, 14 Dec 2002 at 00:33:23, Tennant Stuart wrote :

I've never owned one.

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Gosh! Don't you get 7yo kids looking down their noses at you? ;)

Tennant

In uk.media.tv.friends on Sun, 2 Mar 2003 at 11:15:04, Tennant Stuart wrote :

Only if they're standing on a very large box. :)

I'd virtually never use one, anyway.

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Why would you never use a large box?

Tennant

In uk.media.tv.friends on Mon, 3 Mar 2003 at 18:27:55, Tennant Stuart wrote :

I knew you'd say that! :)

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Grin.

Tennant

I hope not - they've 'been there, done that' far too often already.

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Not just her gran, but her "bubbe"! This is the Yiddish word for grandma, and definitely establishes Leonard and Ida as Jewish. (Just thought you'd like to add that tidbit to your files, Tennant! ;) )

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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Absolutely, thanks Belphoebe!

Are there any signs that Sandra is Jewish also?

And don't you have anything else to say about my review?

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

grandma,

you'd

YW

I can't think of anything definitive, but maybe something will come up later. . . .

Eek, just coming up for breath from my grading bonanza. I've got another day's worth to go. . . .

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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Okay.

Oops, sorry! Lots of luck with that, and I'll look forward to seeing you again when you're done. :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

another

Finished today--yea! I'm a little fried, but I'll try to think of some things to say soon. :)

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

Okay! :)

Errr... fried?

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

This is your brain. (a fine, large, grade-A egg.) This is your brain on final exams. (Same egg frying in the pan.)

"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:XcbL9.97362$[email]...

Heh heh. Yup, that's about right. The end-of-semester grading crunch can be (usually is) exhuasting. And I'm going to have to try to avoid having papers due during finals week--that wasn't such a hot idea!

Belphoebe

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Oh, I'm afraid that my brain reacts to the stress of exams by suddenly being able to recall everything I've learnt, once I've turned over the first sheet. Very useful, and so much easier than having to study. :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

:)

I have so many friends that "clam up" for exams. I always enjoyed the opportunity to demonstrate that I understood the topic. I have to admit though, that I'm not as quick as I once was. I'm too young to be noticing such things, but there it is. I really think the West Nile Virus that I had last July might have had something to do with that.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Me too, so they're not too pleased that I "clam down".

Use It Or Lose It is your motto.

Geez, where have you been?

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

I have a cottage along the Mississippi. I believe the virus tracked up the river through infected birds and mosquitoes. It reached Minnesota just this summer.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Wow, you don't think of things like that as happening in America.

Well, not North, anyway.

Tennant

It affected a lot of horses this year. They usually have to be put down unless they have been vaccinated. Unfortunately, there's no effective vaccine for humans.

It is said that most humans that get exposed show no symptoms. I think the numbers were something like one in 150 show symptoms. And of the people that show symptoms, one in 200 die from it. So, it could have been much worse for me.

"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:RY9O9.19664$[email]...

had

the

Grammar, grammar, grammar:

One *shows* symptoms. One *dies* from it. This is really basic stuff. I should really have known better--but I assume everyone reading still got the point.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Indeed, but just for you I've incorporated your correction. :)

Tennant

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

But they don't put down the unvaccinated humans?

Yep, you might have been a dead horse by now.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Oh God forbid, no. LOL They do put them to bed, however.

A friend, who, incidentally, owns a vaccinated horse, tells me that his veterinarian has expressed disdain for a recent rash of jokes about people who "have to see a man about a horse." (Does that expression translate across the pond?)

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Phew!

If that's a euphemism for going elsewhere to urinate, then yes.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

people

Finally, an element of English slang that we both share. I knew this day would come. ;-)

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Oh, I hate to rain on your parade David, but over here it's a dog.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Does that mean you don't pee as much, but pee more often?

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Being a guy, I never pee, I piss.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

I thought pissing had more to do with alcohol. -- Ah, well yes, that works both ways doesn't it.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Indeed, but that's *getting* pissed.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

:)

I'm fried from the other end of final exams--grading them! Each student has to write one, and then I have to grade 'em all! :)

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

Even so, marking has gotta be easier than sitting.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Easier, maybe--but more time consuming!

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

Lol, that's what you need - marking against the clock... ;)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

A new game show, coming to a fledgling cable network near you. . . . ;)

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

Absolutely, with Joseph Tribbiani as the host...

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

;)

Heh. Definitely. It would have to have some very complicated rules. :)

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

And topless Eng.Lit professors? ;)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

:)

Naughty! Did Joey tell you to ask that? ;)

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

No, Phoebe did. :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

;)

:)

Yikes! :)

Belphoebe

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

grandma,

you'd

My Yiddish isn't too good, but isn't Bubbe short for Bubbola? It's not significant in any way. I was just wondering if I had my facts straight.

Have we established that Rachel is Jewish? It would seem odd to me for a woman to be Christian when her parents are both Jewish, but not impossible. We know Rachel celebrates Christmas . . ., but Rachel is a common Jewish name, and Phoebe tried to rhyme Rachel with Draidel. (Of course, we all know Phoebe pulls things out of the air. I mean, why mashed potatoes for heaven's sake?) Was Barry Jewish?

Hey! If Rachel and Ross EVER get married, do they have a church wedding, or a Jewish wedding?

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

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I dunno. The main thing is that it's "Bubbe", not "Bubba", yes?

Wearing the Star of David was a pretty good sign.

That means nothing. Most people do, it's not really a Christian festival, it's pagan, and anyway it's just part of Western culture.

Exactly.

I think so.

Well, Rachel and Ross ALREADY HAVE gotten married...

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

straight.

The captioning says, "bubby", but of course it's a translation of another language. So, I suppose it doesn't really warrant so much of my brain activity or time.

a

When was that?

When I was a kid we had friends that had a Christmas tree that they termed a "Chanukah bush." Whatever floats your boat I guess.

wedding,

And we all know how well that stuck.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

British/Anzac/Euro SPOILER SPACE for 909...

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Yeah, I'll go by what a Yiddish speaker says.

It's on a nice little pendant that Rachel wears for the first third of 313 "TOW Monica and Richard Are Just Friends". Monica wears one quite like it in 624 "TOW the Proposal (part 1)", just before the Mr.Bowmont arrives outside Central Perk.

Absolutely.

710 "TOW the Holiday Armadillo" illustrated the power of the mainstream, backed by commercial interest, to sweep aside minority culture.

Yeah. I was a bit surprised that Rachel didn't tell Ross to hang onto the signed divorce papers - then since she was moving in with Phoebe, that would have given him time to recover from all his stress.

Then they could just take it easy, see how it goes for a year, and after that either get divorced for the last time, or stand up in front of their friends, and do the wedding properly.

It seems to me that would have made a viable story arc for Season 6. What is more, after I published this in my review of 605 "TOW Joey's Porsche", we received unconfirmed insider info that the first few episodes of the season were made with the idea of some sort of continuing relationship, but then the creators changed their minds, and aborted the storyline.

Tennant

*David Buehrle* :

People wear all kind of stuff they consider pretty regardless of meaning.

Germany Nov. 1939 / Sept. 1941 till May 1945, but I doubt Tennant and you meant that.

Christoph

"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:9RBK9.6197$[email]...

Nope, bubbe is a separate word. Here's a quote from a "Yiddish word of the week" site <http://www.zipple.com/weeklyzipple/weeklyyiddish.shtml>:

bubbe (buh-bee) Grandmother zayde (zay-dee) Grandfather

Hurry! Put on your sweater! Your Bubbe and Zayde are coming for dinner and will think I'm a terrible mother to let you catch cold!

"Bubelah" is according to another site, darling, sweetheart - especially a child (lit. "little grandma").

Bubbe and zayde can also be pronounced "bubbeh" and "zaydeh."

But this is probably more than you really wanted to know. . . .

She has worn a star of David necklace, but she's never really said anything, one way or another. "My bubbe" seems the best evidence we have yet.

Belphoebe

"Belphoebe" wrote in message news:l4SK9.14155$[email]...

straight.

the

No, this is great for me. I could listen to a megileh about it. Of course, the rest of the ng is about to vetsh, and personally I hope to avoid the tzures. (OMG I'm becoming Niles Crane--wrong ng for that.)

anything,

"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:hsWK9.10312$[email]...

course,

Oh, good--just so long as I didn't bore you. :)

Belphoebe

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

grandma,

you'd

Well, I know she hater her mother, but to serve ham at her funeral ???

Lauren

In article , "Lauren" wrote:

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Sorry Lauren, that's Judy Geller you're thinking of, not Sandra Green. :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

But it IS good support for the fact that Jack Geller represents the Jewish half of Ross and Monica.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Absolutely.

But we have no doubt about them, since Ross rapped at Monica's bat mitzvah.

Tennant

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, Tennant Stuart had a cracker and said:

I really object to the "can't you just realize it yourself?" line

Sherlock Tribianni....? :-)

A prime example of why this show is called Friends and the theme song is called "I'll be there for you", isn't it? Too bad they seem to have forgotten about that motto ages ago (they are the writers in this case)

And of course doesn't miss out the opportunity to slap Chandler. Poor guy first has to lie to his best friend and then his wife, who got him into the trouble in the first place, hits him in the face

....or is it Joey Holmes?

Very funny scene when he hits himself with the baseball bat IMHO

Can you blame him though? Even if you'd wanted to you could not not look at them. Besides, IIRC at first he tried not to look and seemed really embarrassed when he couldn't help it in the end. I definitely agree on the eye contact thing though, they hardly looked at each other, that was less than a second. For most of the time, they were looking right past one another - which reminded of early teens on their first date

woah, aren't you a little bit fast here? Rachel didn't sound too convinced when she said those things, as was indicated by the little word "maybe" in the sentence "maybe I should just stop waiting around for moments with Ross". And a few seconds later, when Phoebe makes her see that it will seem to Ross as if she's already moved on if that guy calls, she and Phoebe phone up Mike. Anyway, the real question here is, why would Ross think Rachel still needs to move on? If I remember the first two eps correctly, Rachel "would have said yes to anybody" and Ross doesn't want to be "just anybody". He doesn't know of any deeper running feelings of hers and from what we've seen, there have been no incidents that could be interpreted this way. Sure they acted a lot more mature around each other recently, but that's all. And as for their communication problems, are we supposed to believe that there have been conversations between Ross and Rachel where she brought up the issue of their feelings for one another? Really?? Or is that monologue merely how Rachel imagines such a conversation would go?

I got really annoyed with this episode after a while. I thought it had answered some of the questions I had about what's going on with R+R, but while it did partly answer some of them, it brought up like five times as many new questions

And Rachel's face really lightens up, but I don't think the people responsible for the show would pay attention to such minute details... The writing this year is more "lumberjack style"

Yeah... When the subject got to "beer", I thought that finally they would have something to talk about, but no... Then they look up the difference beer and lager in a dictionary... WTF??? You don't use a book to look something up these days, you spend ages looking it up on the internet. And even more, if there's two bored guys and internet access, there's lots of other sites they could look at. At least, it wasn't all Ross' fault

Everybody knows you are anyway :P

Because then we wouldn't have had the really funny scene with Joey! "Dude, I just heard him again"

And why does Phoebe look like a little schoolgirl who chose what to wear for the first time, when Rachel looks like a mantrap?

Yeah, the time difference joke really didn't fit in here. Maybe Joey's just too gullible. But I liked when Chandler said "Don't you think it's better for him to think that you're cheating on me, than for him to think that I'm cheating on him?" (since you didn't mention it, I thought I'd do it anyway)

Don't know about better, but Rachel was funnier. I want Chandler to emphasize a word like that again.. We haven't had that for ages

Stop it with the ripe bosoms already, you're not a female erotica writer... Phoebe and her remarks about the other women seem to become a running gag, huh?

she was very happy about his compliments though

I'm going with the last option, if I had my we would get the second to last option though

Andr�

In article , Cookie Dude wrote:

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She put it a *little* more kindly than that...

Hehe.

Yep, good point. At least Joey is still there for them.

Awww, think of Joey getting all that water in his face... ;)

Indeedy.

Yeah. MLB acted as though he was dazed, but was it an act for Joey?

Well, this is it, they're not. They're a divorced couple, pushing 40, staying together for the sake of a child. ISTM it's time they grew up.

Am I?

Well, I have to condense the story, I can't keep every nuance, but I still stand by my description. "Phoebe asks Rachel to consider Ross's feelings, should Bill move in with them & Emma" is based on...

PHOEBE: Wow. So, that's great. You, Bill, Ross, and Emma are going to be so happy together. What were you thinking?

..while "Rachel tells Mike on his mobile to intercept any calls to Ross's phone" was greatly shortened from...

PHOEBE: I'm so sorry honey, but, okay, Rachel gave this guy her number
        and, um, she doesn't want Ross to answer the phone. So, you have
        to intercept all his calls.
MIKE: I can't do that!
PHOEBE: (to Rachel) He says he can't do that.
RACHEL: Oh give me... (Phoebe gives Rachel the phone.) Hi, Mike? Hi.
        Listen. I know this is a lot to ask, but you know what? If you do
        this I ... Phoebe will ... do anything you want. Seriously, I'm
        talking dirty stuff.

She's an intelligent beautiful well-paid woman, why shouldn't she be wanting to move on? In earlier seasons it puzzled me what Rachel was doing at home in the evenings. And in any case, Ross probably recalls the conversation he had with Rachel in the hallway, the night that Chandler & Monica got engaged...

RACHEL: Hey, do you believe this? Do you believe they are actually getting married?

ROSS: Well sure. But I get married all the time so-

RACHEL: Ohh-

ROSS: You okay?

RACHEL: Yeah, I guess. I-I- I mean, do-do you think we're ever gonna have that?

ROSS: You mean, we- you & me?

RACHEL: Oh no-no-no-no-no, no, no! We, you with someone and me with someone.

ROSS: Oh good, you scared me for a minute.

RACHEL: Shake it off.

It's how she imagines it.

Life's like that. :)

Yeah.

What, they wear women's clothing and press wild flowers? :-)

Ross isn't a computer person, he's a book person.

There's so much they could have done, but that wasn't the point. They were meant to be bored (it probably symbolises something) which is okay by me, there just shouldn't have been so much of them being bored.

It should have been written better, for example Chandler in the bathroom.

I knowwwww!!!!

This is *exactly* what I was complaining about in my S9-07 review.

Absolutely.

Or too trusting.

Neat line, but like so much of this episode, it didn't make me laugh.

I don't think he's ever done it unthinkingly.

Hah!!! If I were a female erotica writer, I'd have started with half a dozen European cities, and thrown in 30 euphemisms for male genitalia.

Oh, they're all like that.

Way?

Me2. :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

!!!

"Pushing 40"?!?!?

Ross is around 34/35 years old, and Rachel, according to her revised age from TOW They All Turn 30, is only 31 (she'd otherwise be 33-ish).

You'd better take this back, because I'm 35 (and NOT pushing 40 yet)!

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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Just for you sweetie, I'll take that back; but don't you feel the dreaded 40 arriving with ever-gathering speed? 30 was bad enough.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Thank you! :)

but don't you feel the

Nope--I won't think that until I'm 38! :)

(So if you want to say that CCA and LK are "pushing forty," that's allowed!)

Belphoebe, holding 35. . . .

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

YW

Awww...

IIRC, LK turns 40 next July, and CC (not CCA any more) 11 months later.

Lol, my big sister, who's 10 years older than me, is holding 29...

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

:)

Yup, that's what I mean!

Oh, I'm not that bad! I actually do admit to aging a year whenever I have a birthday. The way I see it, I'd rather have people thinking I look good at 35 than "29? She looks terrible for 29!".

I used to participate in a BBS run by a married couple. The female half of the pair would go into the BBS software just before her birthday every year and add one year to her date of birth, so that when the BBS listed her birthday in its announcements, it would always wish her a happy 29th. She was considerably older than I, and I was somewhat annoyed when my 30th birthday rolled around!

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

Okay. :)

Errr... since you were so offended by the "pushing 40" remark, when I wasn't even talking about real people, let alone you; I had better not tell you what people say about how my b*******l sister looks... ;)

LOL!

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

look

I can't even begin to guess what the *'s stand for. A hint maybe?

Belphoebe

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, Belphoebe had a cracker and said:

Last time it was Mental Geller.... Hmm, don't think that works here. Then I'm all out of ideas as well :-)

Andr�

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

Five vowels & two consonants.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

"Beautiful"? Surely your sister wouldn't have objected to that? (Unless you were clearly dripping with sarcasm!)

Belphoebe

"Belphoebe" wrote in message news:JYXQ9.21331$[email]...

not

Or perhaps there's a touch of lingering resentment?

"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:iPYQ9.44789$[email]...

29...

I

I

I

(Unless

Ooh, maybe so. Do tell, Tennant!

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

No sarcasm nor resentment at all.

Tennant

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

Well done!

No sweetie, *she* wouldn't object...

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

;)

Yay!

Ohhhhh. . . . .  ;)

Belphoebe

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

<warm smile>

Tennant

Err... Tennant, I don't suppose your sister's single, is she? :)

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Nope, taken - like all the best ones are. :(

Tennant

In uk.media.tv.friends on Sun, 2 Mar 2003 at 11:17:23, Tennant Stuart wrote :

Well, they do say 'All the best ones are either married or gay'. :)

Even Samantha Fox is gay.

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

So I hear.

Tennant

In uk.media.tv.friends on Mon, 3 Mar 2003 at 18:25:37, Tennant Stuart wrote :

Wonder what her girlfriend looks like... :)

In news:[email], Paul Hyett paid a million monkeys to type:

She has/d a thing with her incredibly rough, butch tour manager.

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Why?

Tennant

In uk.media.tv.friends on Wed, 5 Mar 2003 at 02:35:33, Tennant Stuart wrote :

For the mental image, of course. :)

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Why not imagine two Samantha Foxes?

Tennant

In uk.media.tv.friends on Thu, 6 Mar 2003 at 18:01:23, Tennant Stuart wrote :

I can't believe I didn't think of that!

How about Sam Fox & Dedee then? :)

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

You obviously just don't have a dirty enough mind. :)

Lol, you would.

Anyway, I've just received a photo of Samantha's girlfriend.

Are you still interested in what she looks like?

Tennant (with thanks to a certain kind person for the photo)

In uk.media.tv.friends on Sat, 8 Mar 2003 at 17:21:12, Tennant Stuart wrote :

If it's her manager, then no thanks.

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Well, the photo is called sam+myra.jpg, so who's that then?

Tennant

In article , [email] (Tennant Stuart) wrote:

I was thrilled when I turned 30. At last, I thought, people would stop patronizing me for being "so young".

I'll be 49 in about a month, and no, 50 does not seem to be approaching with ever-gathering speed, nor do I dread it particularly. Better to spend your time getting the most out of every day than dreading things.

wg

In article , [email] wrote:

Awww.. never mind Wendy. I handled that by growing a beard, then shaving it off again years later when I no longer wanted to look older.

That's one advantage to being a guy... ;)

Well, good for you! :)

Tennant

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, Tennant Stuart had a cracker and said:

Doesn't change the meaning though. He can be with his wife a lot more often than he gets the chance to go to a Knicks game courtside

He's always been the most caring friend.

What do you mean?

And growing up can only be achieved if Rachel morphes into Karen, starts dating Joey and Ross starts going out with Phoebe? btw. Rachel is just about 32, so Ross shouldn't be older than 34 if my understanding of the American school system is correct. Calling that pushing 40 is really cheeky, not even I would do that

You make it sound as though Rachel had already ultimately decided to move on with her life - which she didn't - and Phoebe talked her into making Mike stay at Ross'. All Phoebe did was to make Rachel see that she doesn't know what she's doing. She's avoiding talking to Ross, because she thinks she knows how that's gonna go and that nothing will come out of it, but apparently dating other men is not what she wants either

Sure you can't keep every nuance, but again, your way of describing it makes it seem as if Phoebe talked Rachel into making sure Ross doesn't find out about that guy, which she didn't.

Because he's the father of her daughter, they were in a loving relationship a few years back, a glimmer of these feelings still seems to be there on both sides (after this episode I would say they just don't know what to do with/about it) and they're backups anyway? Besides, remember an episode from the 2nd season when Ross also answered the phone for Rachel and told someone he'd pass on the number?

a lot has happened since then though. Like Emma for example

anymore at least. In earlier seasons I would have taken that as a hint, but not anymore

What is it with that saying? Is it from the Monty Python lumberjack sketch?

The Ross I got to know isn't someone who:

- freaks out over a sandwich - gets stuck in leatherpants - goes around attacking women in the streets - drives a Porsche in 2nd gear all the time and tries to flirt with a (male!) police officer - gives the keys to his apartments to his girlfriend and then has the locks changed - (...)

so for the sake of the story they could have made him a computer person. It's not like that would have destroyed the character

I know

Exactly

I liked it as it was, Chandler really seemed like good old Chandler - watch his hands and facial expressions

But there she was appropriately dressed for the occasion, here she didn't fit in at all. Which guy would chat up a woman dressed like that in a bar?

Or both

I liked the idea behind it. Chandler is more worried about his friendship with Joey than he's about Monica. Yay! Now all we need is for him to move back into his old room...

Could be, but my point is he hasn't done it at all for ages

You don't even know that many European cities :P

yupp :-)

Well, they managed to really surprise in an earlier episode, though I can't remember which one, and they really stressed how Joey is not as dumb as they wrote him earlier on in this episode. So every now and then they throw in something surprising... We'll see

Andr�

In article , [email] (Cookie Dude) wrote:

Especially since we know he went to computer camp. Remember? The picture Emily commented on with him and the "albino" kids?

wg

"Cookie Dude" wrote in message news:au4b7u$acd$[email]...

even

Thank you, Andr�! I'm 35, and I was offended. :(

sketch?

Yup, it's a reference to the lumberjack song in the sketch.

Belphoebe

In article , Cookie Dude wrote:

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You're not looking at this like a woman would. ;)

Absolutely, his sacrifice of S8 being the prime example.

When a character really is hurt, you still know the actor was acting.

But when that character *is* an actor, and appears to be hurt, then how many of them were acting, one or two?

I've already had Belphoebe on my back about that.

What I said was all there in the dialogue. "Phoebe asks Rachel to consider Ross's feelings, should Bill move in with them & Emma" is based on...

PHOEBE: Wow. So, that's great. You, Bill, Ross, and Emma are going to be so happy together. What were you thinking?

..while "Rachel tells Mike on his mobile to intercept any calls to Ross's phone" was greatly shortened from...

PHOEBE: (on the phone to Mike) I'm so sorry honey, but, okay, Rachel gave
        this guy her number and, um, she doesn't want Ross to answer the
        phone. So, you have to intercept all his calls.
MIKE: I can't do that!
PHOEBE: (to Rachel) He says he can't do that.
RACHEL: Oh give me... (Phoebe gives Rachel the phone.) Hi, Mike? Hi.
        Listen. I know this is a lot to ask, but you know what? If you do
        this I ... Phoebe will ... do anything you want. Seriously, I'm
        talking dirty stuff.

Well, as I've just shown you, it's all there in the dialogue.

After a drunken fling and a defective condom.

All in the past.

We were teased by stuff like that in Season Three, Season Four, Season Five, Season Six, Season Seven, Season Eight, and now in Season Nine.

Yes, seven years ago is when it actually meant something.

You've already forgotten Ben.

Absolutely.

Yep. :-)

Yeah, I hated that too, although that example was plot-driven...

..and those weren't. They are very good examples, I hated them all.

Well yes, you make your point well. :)

Good.

Okay.

Oh, he's been improving in the last several episodes.

Lol, I see that the other way round. (surprise)

In 907 she should have been dressed more attractively than she was, since she wasn't being herself; but not like a mantrap though. Here, Phoebe was dressed like a woman who didn't want to be chatted up; and she didn't.

How about too trusting and somewhat gullible?

Hehe. :)

When was the last time?

:P

Can you remember any more about that? Some trivial detail will do.

Indeedy, Andr�. :)

Tennant

In alt.tv.friends on Wed, 18 Dec 2002 at 22:49:10, Tennant Stuart wrote :

I wish I was that 'close' to pushing 40. :)

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

I know just what you mean Paul, but as it happens I got hauled over the coals for that remark, by Belphoebe who is also in her thirties. :)

Tennant

In uk.media.tv.friends on Sun, 2 Mar 2003 at 11:16:13, Tennant Stuart wrote :

I'm surprised you didn't realise the error yourself - Rachel's about 32, so Monica will also be that age - and Ross is only a couple of years older than his sister.

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Who said it was an error? AFAIWC, over 30 meant pushing 40.

Tennant

In uk.media.tv.friends on Mon, 3 Mar 2003 at 18:26:36, Tennant Stuart wrote :

Usually that's if the person saying it is only in their early 20's. :)

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Ah.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Yup.

<http://www.cdpets.com/images/condos.jpg>

been shut?

He didn't think it through, it seems.

I have no idea, but it hadn't occurred to me that we're technologically bakcward.

TOW the Blackout, perhaps? "in the ATM 'estibule, 'ith 'ill 'oodacre."

The answer that springs to mind is the one you don't like--that if he'd done that, the story would not have happened. You no doubt want a character-driven explanation. Besides "Chandler isn't so clever after all," I don't suppose there's a good one.

The writers give with one hand and take with the other. Another example is after Joey chastises Chandler for assuming he's too stupid to understand his need to be with Monica--when he mixes up the date of the game.

Gah! I hit "send" before I was done!!!!

"Belphoebe" wrote in message news:hJRL9.38543$[email]...

She didn't really seem to object, ISTM. Her telling him not to look seemed more like a playful admonition.

It seemed to be Phoebe being Phoebe--nothing "metaphorical"; sorry.

[snipping]

Nope, clearly not. But also, I don't see why the story had to be about Ross and Mike boring one another. The writers could have done so much more with the two of them *not* being bored--having lots to talk about. We could have learned more about Mike (besides his willingness to thwart social boundaries).

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

I was wondering that!

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Oh, those are the best sort of admonitions. :)

S'okay, I was prepared for that <sob>

Absolutely.

Ooh! How would that go, then?

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Mmm hmmm. I hate when I do something like that!

Yes, they're the ones that overturn the whole notion of admonitions. . . . ;)

Aw, but I've always felt silliness can be its own reward. It certainly makes things more fun.

Does your "that" refer to the "willingness to thwart social boundaries" or the "besides"?

The latter was,of course, Mike lunging across Ross to answer his phone--something Ross characterizes this way:

ROSS: Oh, you know . . . we just drank some beer and Mike played with the boundaries of normal social conduct.

As for the "besides," I have no idea, since the writers denied us the opportunity to find out.

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

At least you didn't post a very private email to the world. :)

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Lol

Fair enough, but it might have had literary connotations, one never knows.

Dr.Seuss perhaps?

Oh, I've always been a sucker for a good thwarting.

Indeedy.

Ah, that's what I was hoping you'd imaginate (GWB) for me.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

No, fortunately I've managed to avoid that. I've done the opposite though--sending via e-mail a response I meant to post to the world. Not as bad, but still somewhat embarrassing. :)

Ah, that little-known Suess story about the Who's in Whoville ordering mashed potatoes at the Whobar. ;)

Ah, I see. . . .

Maybe he'd reveal his deep feelings about Phoebe? In an entertaining way, of course. :)

Belphoebe

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

I hope that wasn't a reply to one of my reviews!

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That's exactly the one!

Yep.

Lol, if I thought that some guy was going to try the Kivin method on me, I'd be running a mile, or revealing my deep feelings with a fist! :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Nope, I don't think so!

:)

<Doing a Google search on "Kivin method">

Eek, I wasn't thinking anything like *that*!

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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<wide grin>

JAAMOI, what was the URL of the reference you looked at?

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

me,

The one I clicked was:

<http://www.kivinprod.com/anglais/>

And I my Google results list (I *think* this ought to work):

<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22kivin+method%22>

or <http://makeashorterlink.com/?L26512CE2>

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

Ah yes, 27 euros is cheap at any price. :)

A lickingly good selection there... ;)

Tennant

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, Tennant Stuart had a cracker and said:

oi! silly me did it the other way around. I just noticed that instead of posting it here, I emailed you my reply to the 906 thread. So whenever you find it, could you post your reply back here? Thanks :-)

Andr�

In article , "Cookie Dude" wrote:

Eek, that's like posting to the Black Hole of Calcutta... :(

Sure!

Tennant

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, Tennant Stuart had a cracker and said:

I just realized that, since I still have it in my outbox, I could as well repost it... So that's what I'm gonna do

Andr�

In article , "Cookie Dude" wrote:

Oh, well done! :)

Tennant

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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Okay.

What the hell is a cat supposed to do with those?

They remind me of alt-Joey's weird chair.

No, he didn't, did he?

That's because of the propaganda.

Ooh, good call!

As early as that?

That's only three years after "Joking Apart".

So, how come the six friends took so long to get one?

Well, when this happened on "Joking Apart", a wife was having sex with her husband's best friend when said husband arrived home unexpectedly, (the plot was not as clich�d as that sounds) and so it was quite natural for the best friend to hide in the en suite bathroom with his wife (who was in there for entirely different reasons, told you it wasn't clich�d) and so the poor guy couldn't move any distance from the door.

Yeah. :(

Oh well, we all do that.

What happened? Did you press a button too early?

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Climb and scratch, scratch and climg. . .

No--maybe it's a problem with thinking on his fee.

Eek--I don't help my case by reversing the "C" and the "K."

Yours or ours? ;)

Thanks! :)

Well, it's hard to say. Maybe characters have had phones longer, but the writers haven't come up with reasons to work them into the scripts. They're so ubiquitous now, IRL, that a "Shut up--no one cares about your conversation!" script might be my choice!

So there should have been a reason Chandler couldn't go into another room. . . .

I know, but it seemed to me that was put in there to undercut Joey's I'm-not-that-stupid speech.

Yes, that's exactly what happened. I'd intended to save the post as I was working on it. I clicked "send" by accident, and had one of those Rachel/Monica "Nooooooooo!" moments. See my followup to my own post, sent seven minutes later. . . . Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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Oh, is it bigger than I thought, then?

Errr... is that a very clever joke, or a typo?

You'll appreciate the fact that I didn't point this out. :)

Yours.

YW

Indeedy, but Ross was using a beeper in 1995, and later that year Rachel had to borrow a mobile from another patron at a restaurant, so neither of those people had them at the time.

Yep. The simplest staging is for him to be in the bathroom.

It could well be, but even so we all do that.

Which for me was later, since I must have downloaded in your 7 minutes.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Not having access to your thoughts, I'd have to say. . . probably. Imagine a cat sprawled on each of those upper platforms.

Sigh. Sadly, it's a typo. (Pay attention, Belphoebe!)

Yes, I do!  :)

Perhaps you are not immune to yours?

Maybe 1996 was their big year for buying cell phones? I had one in 1993, in case you're curious.

room.

True, but then the writers would have had to come up with a complication other than Joey hearing Chandler through the door.

Ah, that explains it. :)

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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Oh, I imagined one cat sprawled on its back across the whole thing.

That photo gave no notion of scale.

Why didn't they put a couple of contented cats on it?

Oh. Sozza.

:)

I dunno, but I've seen yours, and it's horrific.

Texas is the worst.

Especially if one speaks German.

Oh, good for you, only two years after we had sitcoms about them. :)

Joey starts banging on the door, Chandler gets scared so hides in the bathroom, Monica lets Joey in before he breaks down the door, Chandler phones Joey while Monica tries to haul him off. Simple.

Good. :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

I don't know. They should have.

[ . . . ]

I take it you're not limiting yourself to technology? I agree it can be horrific, especially when it passes for "news."

I hate Texas, too, but what specifically did you have in mind?

?

1993,

Yes. But I surely wasn't the first adopter of the technology. In the short-lived _That Eighties Show_, there was an episode featuring someone using an early, clunky cell phone.

I guess the hitch there would have been cutting between Chandler in the bathroom and Joey with Monica in the main part of the apartment. The way the sets are arranged might have prohibited doing so.

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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Yeah. So much for American marketing skills... ;)

Many US adverts are like "buy this (crap) product because you're American and America is the best", but Texan adverts are like "buy this (crap) product because you're a Texan and Texas is the best".

Because one can understand Adolf Hitler saying stuff like "back this policy because you're a German and Germany is the best".

Are you merely calling it a cell phone, or was it really a cell phone?

Mobile phones existed long before the cellular system was invented.

Why? You do know that the bathroom is actually elsewhere in the studio?

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Hey, no fair generalizing from a random photo of a specialty item! :)

Oh, ick. Like Texas Instruments, I guess. Or Dell. I think they're a Texas company.

Okay, I see.

Does the UK do anything like this--"Buy 'Made in the UK' products to support the UK"?

<Trying to remember>Hm, since you ask, I think it might have been "mobile phone." I could be wrong though--it's been a while since I've seen the clip. Maybe someone else reading this thread will know and chime.in?

way

I really don't know the layout of the studio--I'm thinking it *could* be a staging problem.

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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Mmmmmmmmm....... <virtual chocolate> ..oops!

Oh, it's everything, "The Ford Road Runner, the big car for big Texans because anything else is just... small".

No, our adverts pretend that stuff is foreign, like "Carlsberg beer brewed by Danes from Denmark in the Danish way for that true Denmark flavour" only the small print at the bottom says "Brewed in the UK".

Hopefully, although the chimes are pretty silent at the moment.

Okay, fair enough. :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

<Slapping hand>Heyyyy! Those are for Marita! See, Marita--Tennant's the one eating your chocolates! You've got to get over here before he eats them all! :)

Oh, yuck. How are you seeing all of these commercials?

Interesting. Here it's the opposite. Companies set up factories overseas, in developing countries where they can exploit cheap labor--but then they slap on "Made in the U.S.A." labels.

"mobile

Yes--too true. :(

Belphoebe

On Thu, 02 Jan 2003 14:21:25 GMT, "Belphoebe" wrote:

I don't eat chocolate, not even the virtual kind, so go ahead, Tennant. Eat all you want. ;)

In article , [email] (Marita Bakken) wrote:

Oh yum! <gronfff>

Tennant

"Marita Bakken" wrote in message news:[email]...

:)

them

Oops--as I told Tennant, I've now got a plate of virtual roll mops and another plate featuring assorted (non-chocolate) virtual pastries. . . .

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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Ow!

ROTFL

They come during episodes of "Friends" (and various other shows) just after the opening titles, about halfway through, and just before the end credits. Very rarely in between two shows, though.

That's part of the "USA is the only country in the world" propaganda.

Well, I've given the lady concerned a bit of a nudge, so hopefully she'll be along in a jiffy. :)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Sorry--that was meant to be a *gentle* slap!

But now Marita has informed us that she doesn't like chocolate. I've got a plate of virtual roll mops and (on a separate plate) some assorted virtual pastries.

I had no idea that U.S. companies ran such ads overseas. Seems culturally sound deaf.

No, it's more complicated than that. U.S. factories close, eliminating jobs. The companies open factories in countries where they can pay workers a pittance, thus increasing their profit margin. But then they want to still be able to use a "Made in the U.S.A." label so that people will buy their product, thinking they're supporting the U.S. economy.

Yes, so I've seen. Now, don't eat her snacks! ;)

Belphoebe

In article , "Belphoebe" wrote:

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Oh! Well, in that case... ;)

Lol, you'll be providing a virtual polished floor & virtual porn next.

You'd be surprised.

Not really, if you think about it.

BTW, I was watching the ads in Tucson Arizona yesterday afternoon, and they were quite civilised. Cultural diversity, eh? :)

Yes, I understood that, sweetie.

She said I could have all the chocolate <gronnnnfff>

Tennant

In article , [email] (Tennant Stuart) wrote:

Haven't been able to watch this ep until now. In general, I'm not thrilled with sitcoms built around a lie. But I didn't think Mike and Ross were so bad, but it was pretty dumb that it didn't occur to either of them to just turn on the TV or some music or read something.

Big nights at restuarants = Friday and Saturday.

You'd think he'd have had the sense to run into the bedroom with the phone, wouldn't you?

Mobile phones weren't as widespread in the US until recently -- for one thing, you pay for inbound calls as well as outbound, so until prices started dropping it was *much* more economical to have a beeper and call back either from a mobile phone you kept switched off or from a pay phone.

I don't really remember one before the ep where Rachel and Phoebe competed for the guy who left his mobile phone behind. S7, was it?

Because subconsciously he wanted to tell JOey the truth?

Well, Chandler we could excuse on the grounds that he was coming from Tulsa -- it's not as cold there, and anyway, he'd have been in a taxi, on a plane, in a taxi, and home. I loathe traveling with a coat, and even when it's cold with a setup like that I wouldn't bother -- you're just whisking from one heated environment to another. We'll assume Mike drove. Rachel's just NUTS.

Colder when you're sitting still for a while. But of course the hall would be heated in most NYC buildings.

Note that Chandler also left the window open when he came back from finding the pigeon. We must assume that 1) it was not that cold that day, and 2) the pigeon doesn't know how to climb or fly through open windows.

Oh, well.

I didn't think either was all that good. But Monica's was better, if we have to pick.

bah. I don't believe Phoebe has lesbian tendencies. Just a lot of tolerance and not a lot of editing between brain and mouth.

They're both pretty cautious around each other. But if she didn't want men staring at her breasts, why wear them like that?

Because Phoebe is weird?

Very, very difficult to make it otherwise.

Bill = merely a vehicle to make a point about R&R

Only if there's a reconciliation afterwards.

More likely to be mad, so they can spin the whole thing out several eps.

??>?!!!! What program are you watching?

No. But if there's going to be S10 it will be a long, drawn-out thing.

Agents fight.

wg

In article , [email] wrote:

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That's right. Or maybe Ross should have called Joey, to ask him over.

She's in great demand, so she can dictate terms.

Absolutely. This whole episode is full of people not doing the obvious thing to solve their problems. And it's simply not sufficient to say how there'd be no story otherwise, that's merely an excuse for weak writing.

It was like that here at first, too. The problem was the USA simply didn't have the infrastructure to implement the technology properly, forcing companies to use less efficient frequencies which made the phones huge, at least by comparison with phones in Europe & Japan.

Yeah, that was 715 "TOW Joey's New Brain", where we first saw Rachel owning a mobile phone. Marita Bakken tells me that the earliest friend to have one was Ross, in 504 "TOW Phoebe Hates PBS" - maybe he bought it in London. An early character to own a mobile phone was the man in the restaurant in 207 "TOW Ross Finds Out" (the phone ended up in an ice bucket), but first was Jill Goodacre in 107 "TOW the Blackout".

Ooh, interesting...

Please expand.

No, I wasn't talking about Chandler coming from Tulsa, I was talking about Chandler going down the fire escape.

Yeah.

Girls do this though, I'm sure you do Wendy.

IME they're either completely immune to the cold, or they demand to wear my jacket, and then *I'm* cold (like Monica in the S6 finale).

Sure, but with the thermostat set lower.

Maybe, though the irony is that the broadcast was affected by snow.

Lol, it wasn't like the pigeon which scared Rachel, then! :)

Yeah. Sigh.

Oh, okay then. :)

Hah! Could be, Wendy! :)

Because she wanted the men she would meet at the club to do the staring?

Yes, but why potatoes, and not carrots for example?

Well, what about the following examples...

Maybe, but the guy must be an idiot.

Or else he's in the closet, and even best friend Kevin doesn't know.

Their history doesn't support that.

We'll see.

Grin - I know, but I had to include all the possibilities.

Ah - well now we know that there is going to be an S10.

Lol, good point, Wendy!

So AFS had a much better agent than CPG did?

Tennant

Better late than never, right? ;)

On Thu, 12 Dec 2002 18:15:43 GMT, Tennant Stuart wrote:

Huh? Are you talking about what I think you're talking about?

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Well, it was the Knicks, but the Wizards? Apart from Michael Jordan, they're not known to be any good. Chandler could have used that argument to get out of it.

BTW, what on earth was that so-called art on Chandler's wall? It looked like a bunch of twigs glued together.

And people say he's stupid. Also, I'm surprised to see that Chandler actually took the time to lock the door. That doesn't happen too often.

Good to see that he's still willing to look out for his friend, even if his friend is married and settled!

Which I've already pointed out is a ridiculous argument. The time difference would make it even harder to be there so quickly. Methinks the writers thought of the time difference from Tulsa to Burbank in this scene. ;)

Yeah, none of them were really smart in this story.

And rightfully so! He's so focused on family values (probably due to his background), that he would never jeopardize their marriage.

And Chandler could go back and help Monica clean their apartment...

I thought the dress was kind of similar to the one she wore at the Emmys, but the difference was that that dress was beautiful and classy, while this one was, as you said, really slutty. It looked like they had run out of material half-way through. Also, some of the focus in this scene was on Ross and how "geeky" he is, while Rachel is a beautiful woman with slutty clothes who rolls her eyes at him. Seems to me they will have to let that go before these two can reunite again.

This was just so dull... Seriously, if the writers want to bring the RnR-spark back, they need to come up with something better than slutty dresses and "eye contact."

And another dull plot.. What the hell were the writers thinking when they wrote this story?

If only she could take that advice.

Maybe this scene could have been better if we could have heard Judy's phone call.

And we're supposed to be really excited? This already happened in season 2.

I totally agree. Only I thought the scenes with Rachel and Phoebe were quite boring, too. RnR just dragged this entire episode down with them, and I can only hope this isn't a hint of what's to come.

*rolls eyes*

He should. Besides, bragging about one's cats isn't that bad.

Hehe, my cat actually has one of those. :) He is so spoiled.

Busy days at the restaurant? I see that you claim that she can do what she wants, but judging by the situation in the American job market, I don't agree with that.

He didn't know that Joey was right outside the door in the beginning. Perhaps he thought he was still across the hall and would not hear him.

The USA still has a long way to go when it comes to cell phones. Granted, there has been some improvement over the last couple of years, but they still aren't nearly as popular as they are in the rest of the world. It would have been so much easier if they had used the same GSM system as the rest of us. The thing is that cell phones and calling plans are expensive there, and not a lot of people can afford them. They should have a "pay-as-you-go" option, but I have yet to see that.

This has already been answered, of course. Interestingly enough, all of them have cell-phones now, but Ross seems to use it the most AFAICR.

As I've said, he didn't know where Joey was, but you're right, he should have gone to the bedroom.

Lol. Clothes... You're starting to sound like me! :) Anyway, Mike's jacket looked pretty warm, and Chandler deserved to be cold. Rachel is the kind of girl who doesn't want to wear anything big and proper in case it ruins her look, so I'm not surprised by her clothes. Phoebe, on the other hand, has lived on the street, and knows how to dress warm.

Maybe there was a draft.

Rachel and Tag in 708 TOW Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs. (Although Chandler desperately wanted to go out there in 813.)

Probably the offspring of the one who scared Rachel in 204.

It's another one of those cheap jokes we've been talking about this year. :(

Yes, you'd think the friends would know of Joey's many talents by now.

Actually, I thought Rachel's impression of David was the best. I remember I saw an interview with the three guys a few years ago, and MP and MLB were teasing DS about his habit of clearing his throat all the time. Seeing that he was the only non-smoker at the time, he coughed and cleared his throat every five seconds, driving the others crazy.

I think you'd better discuss this with Paul. I don't think the rest of us care that much. ;)

Perhaps the latter was an experiment while the former was just creepy?

Perhaps she used to do that in a past life.

No, but it was dull here.

Yep, great examples of funny stories about people being bored.

Thought you'd like that.

Prize? Wasn't that Claire's theory?

If so, it won't happen until February. :)

*yawn* How come I have zero interest in these two nowadays?

Yeah, like that's going to happen...

Bingo.

I thought it was pretty cool that the African-American actor got top billing.

The former. Bill would only have shown up in another episode if this had aired during sweeps. After all, nothing happens in December.

Who knows? It's probably a mere coincidence, though.

"Marita Bakken" wrote in message news:[email]...

Really? It seems I can't walk two feet without encountering at least two people chatting away on their cell phones: "Oh, hi, it's me. I've got 500 free minutes left, so I figured I'd call. What? Oh, I'm walking to the post office. The post office. Yes, I need stamps." I'd frankly dread the idea of seeing them more popular than they already are.

We do have that. We had one where we'd buy coupons that would give us a certain amount of time each--the coupon would come with a phone number and code to use to activate the time. And this was a couple of years ago.

Belphoebe

On Sat, 04 Jan 2003 14:06:15 GMT, "Belphoebe" wrote:

Trust me, it's nothing like Europe. In Europe you'll see 7 year olds talking on their cell phone at the mall. In fact, I don't know anyone who doesn't have a cell phone in Europe. For instance, I was at a party on New Year's Eve with 12 guests. There were 12 Nokia phones on the table that were beeping non-stop. Everybody has them.

Which company was it? When I tried to buy a cell phone from Verizon Wireless and Sprint, they claimed they had never heard of a "pay-as-you-go" option.

Now that everyone's overdosed on Teletubbies, Marita Bakken had a cracker and said:

how about T-Mobile? mwahahaha ;)

"Marita Bakken" wrote in message news:[email]...

500

the

Ugh. Sounds bad. I'm afraid we're on our way to catching up!

and

Ours was Omnipoint.

Belphoebe

    ******* H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y  !!!! *******

In article , [email] (Marita Bakken) wrote:

You're always worth waiting for, sweetie. :)

<smiles innocently>

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Yeah, but you could get your knee broken with his jaw!

As someone said to me the other today, "He's not the smartest tool in the box." You will be pleased to hear that I managed to refrain from pointing out how she'd just shown herself to be even sillier.

Ah, the glories of corporate art. I think it was meant to be a rustic complement to the quasi-Mondrian on the opposite wall.

BTW, note how Chandler & Monica gesture to each other when they're on the phone.

Well, quite. Of course, the subtext here was that Monica was being uncharacteristically stupid to underestimate her friend like that.

Indeed. One could see the gears of this lame plot grinding.

And why was there a giant A in the side window? (05:36)

That's our Joey, a friend to all, just like Monica is...

Good idea, Burbank is where they think Bedford & Grove is.

Sigh. What happened to their incisive wit?

Too focused for his own good, if you ask me.

They could do it wearing nothing but rubber gloves (220/504/607).

Thanks! (It's not often I get stuff like this right).

LOL, miaow. :)

You mean a real emotional connection with genuine feelings? I think the writers threw the last chance of that out of the window when the planned RnR reconciliation was dumped part-way through Season 6.

Exactly. Remember how cute they were when the handsome naval officer threw the waitress onto the sofa, her legs kicking into the air?