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Chillout Room :: Episode 020 ... Angelic Voices: Discover the Magic of Ethereal Singing



F Is for Family... and it's also for Favorite, as in, this is my favorite animated series right now, edging out fellow Netflix series Big Mouth. My only beef with the show is that we don't get enough of it! It premiered nearly two years before Big Mouth, and yet there have been five fewer episodes! That said, the wait between seasons has been worth it, as the writers have done a brilliant job creating compelling storylines for the blue-collar Murphy family, led by co-creator Bill Burr as Frank, a miserable veteran with a quick temper and a foul mouth who works at the airport. Frank and his wife Sue (Laura Dern) have three kids, Kevin (Justin Long), Bill (Haley Reinhart) and Maureen (Debi Derryberry), all of whom are quite different and follow the Simpsons model of the delinquent, the sensitive one, and Daddy's harmless little princess. Burr's gruff Boston accent is well-suited for animation and serves the character of Frank quite well, given his anger issues. The title sequence alone, set to Redbone's catchy "Come and Get Your Love," does an expert job of relaying the day-to-day anxieties of middle age. Meanwhile, as of February, the cast now boasts two Oscar winners between Dern and Sam Rockwell, who plays scene-stealing womanizer Vic Reynolds. A third Oscar winner, Allison Janney, is among the many guest stars who have lent their distinctive voices to the show, including Vince Vaughn, T.J. Miller and Michael K. Williams. F is for Family may play rough from time to time -- especially given its time, the 1970s -- but there's an underlying sweetness to the show that makes us root for this dysfunctional family. F may be for Family, but it's also for Funny, and personally, I can't wait for season Four. - Jeff Sneider




Chillout Room :: Episode 020 ... Angelic Voices




On 11-29-03 I lost my Mother to Ovarian Cancer. This is her story.Mama became a widow at the age of 39 when my father was killed in car crash. She raised her 4 children alone after my father died. Her passion in life were her kids & church family. Mama was a lifelong sunday school teacher & all kids loved her, she was your quintessential mother/grandmother who always had a hug or milk & cookies for those who needed it.In 2001 right after 09/11, mama became very ill & had severe abdominal pain that would not go away. After a couple of trips to the ER her family doctor had her hospitalized for tests. They all came back looking really bad. The worst they told us was a huge swollen lymph node in her groin that needed to be removed surgically. The surgery was on 10-12-01 & after 10 hours of waiting in the OR waiting room the doctor finally emerged with the news that they had found extensive ovarian cancer. She stayed in intensive care for 3 days then went to a regular room where we were told that her cancer was stage IV.Mama was such a trooper & a fighter. While those surrounding her were crying she would firmly tell us that everything would be okay. In fact she ordered no crying or sad looks allowed. The doctor put her on Taxol/Carboplatin chemotherapy and for the most part she did okay. There were only 2 episodes of vomiting severe enough for medication. She finished her rounds of treatment in January 2002 & went right back to her life as a teacher & dispenser of love, milk & cookies.In May 2003 Mama just did not seem like herself, she was forgetting things & had frequent headaches. Her oncologist ordered a ct scan. It showed that the cancer had metastisized to her brain. They said this was really rare but it happened. Mama had a few rounds of radiation that did not work so they sent her home on hospice in late June 2003. We set up her hospital bed right in the living room next to a large picture window at her request. I took a leave of absence from work & my 2 sisters moved in with Mama. We took turns trying to take care of her but usually she would have none of it. Frequently we would find her in the kitchen cooking. Her church family were awesome during this difficult time. The kids would come on wednesday nights to sing & make crafts with her. The choir ladies came every tuesday & thursday morning to sing for her & often they would come just to visit. I have to say as hard as it was there was also so much living & joy during this time as well. My Mother loved to camp out on the river, something she had done since she was a child. Well, since she was in a wheelchair & on hospice care her doctors advised NO camping... One weekend morning toward the end of summer when she knew that 2 of her brothers & their families were on the river camping she sent me on a "fake errand" & when I returned there was my uncle loading her wheelchair into his truck & Mama sitting up front ready to go. I treasure the memories of that day. I can still hear her laughing with joy while watching the kids swim.Mama passed the day after Thanksgiving 2003 with all of her kids at her house, she was 63 years old. 2ff7e9595c


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