DRW50

The Wisconsin melee last night apparently not only involved tearing down statues and smashing windows - a gay, progressive state senator was also assaulted. I'm aware many on the hard left would just say "he's white so he's no better" but the lt. governor, Mandela Barnes, spoke out. There's more as well. There are many who just want to break things and force a "revolution" that will never go the way they want. They're going to overshadow the years and decades of work many have put in on these topics. And it's hard to even know what to do about it.

The results in the race Torres seems to have won bear that out about Bernie - the candidate he and AOC endorsed came in fourth. Anyway, sometimes I find these types of pieces phony (not helped by Tim Alberta repeatedly whining on Twitter about how mistreated Mitt Romney was in 2012), but this has some good insights from those interviewed. It's a look at black voters in Michigan. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/24/letter-to-washington-grosse-pointe-woods-325641

The NYT, not quite blatant enough in their Trump love, has hired Charlotte Greensit of the Intercept as their managing op-ed editor.

https://heavy.com/news/2020/06/karlos-dillard/ The Karlos Dillard controversy makes me wonder just how many times people will jump into the current climate for clout and profit before many sour on the movement. The statue removals that now give us images like Madison anarchists just pulling down any statue also makes me wonder how close we are to that tipping point. I just hope the smarter activists in the movement can salvage things before we fully go haywire.

I'd heard Bowman had the edge, but (I'm aware the full results won't be known until next week) I wasn't expecting such a big number, especially since Engel apparently didn't have that big a reputation for not being around until recently. I guess he suffered from the race being nationalized. Bowman seems to be a good guy rather than just a generic DSA puppet, so I hope he can make it all work if he does get the nomination (especially when these groups turn on him the way they are with AOC). I saw that Rep. Carolyn Maloney was running close to a left wing primary challenger, although he is splitting his vote with several others on the left and the absentees seem likely to put her over. From various comments on social media the guy seems to be a complete mess, to the point where many progressives would rather she win again, but I don't think he will pull it out. I do wonder if this may make Maloney retire. Meanwhile, Trump fell flat on his face https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/23/trump-meadows-north-carolina-primary-cawthorn-bennett-337223 Mark Meadows resigning at just the right time to try to help Bennett backfired in spectacular fashion, and just ended up making Trump look stupid for getting involved when he had no need to do so. Cawthorn is an extremist and a proud hatemonger, so I have no real interest in being glad for him, but it's always good to see Trump look foolish. Back to New York, if current results hold, Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres will be the first two out gay black men to be elected to Congress. I'm especially happy about Torres as he defeated Ruben Diaz Sr, a notorious homophobe and anti-Semite and on and on (I've heard his name for years now as he helped block gay rights legislation in the New York legislature) who was getting outsized media coverage that insisted he would due to a split left. This is priceless. A moving, quick comment from Torres.

They also put up a March 1995 episode. ATWT was firing on a lot of cylinders in the first half of '95, until P&G ruined it by hiring hacks. The only material in this episode that I didn't bother with was ever-isolated, tedious Mike and Rosanna. This is Eduardo's funeral episode. There's a very strong John and Margo scene in the first and second clips. Also very early days for Jef Hamlin, one of about two KMH Emily love interests I liked. The second clip also has a fun scene where Lisa gives Orlena a smack! Strong episode. I'm so glad they brought back the beauty shots (for the last time I think) in this period - the scene of Orlena going to the cross is a quiet, powerful way to close out the day. Claire Bloom is just exquisite in that moment where she prays for forgiveness - the layers just went out the window when she left the role. Something I appreciate in this episode, and which would leave when that hack Valente came in, is the rich history on display - the respect for viewers to, for instance, know who Brian and Beatrice are (I wonder if that's the last time they're mentioned on the show). And the conversation with Kirk and Sam about Neal, and how similar she and Neal were to each other. That is the ATWT I felt such a strong connection to, and it's the show I spent the last 15 years of its existence mourning.

Part of a September 1994 episode is on Youtube now. There are two clips - I'm just posting the first to save space. You will want to check out the second as you get a (sadly the lighting/tape quality are both problems) scene of Scott Bryce in red silk boxers, and some lovely Samantha/Craig scenes (he even mentions Cricket) and also some good scenes with Jessica/Devere and Margo and Hal. The writing for Margo and Hal is really rough - he even throws her rape in her face. It's very out of the norm for ATWT, especially of these years, but it suits the grittier chemistry Ben and Ellen had. There's also a good scene with Pete and Cal, and Emma and Cal afterward (Patrick Tovatt and Kathleen Widdoes always had such an easy chemistry). The only downside is, as always, wretched Mike/Rosanna, with Evan having to play the heavy. Andy was also way too involved in Mike's love life...I remember some fans around the mid-90s thought Andy might be gay, which would have made sense, I guess. I had zero memory of this housing project Jessica was involved in. @Vee you may want to see Darnell's scenes in this episode as you've been watching a lot of his Loving/City work lately. His role on ATWT pretty much never went anywhere, probably not helped by Tamara Tunie leaving.

I can't believe anyone at the NYT is paid to write an article like this...and what a shock that with Maggie Haberman's constant push to show how important she is to the Trump circle they also have a story that heavily uses her first name. (they didn't even get the name of the song right!)

There are several clips of her in the "Machinations" clipset that the late ClassicGL put up back in the day. Those episodes have since been uploaded in full on Youtube.

Carrie Mowery, Jane Elliot and Michael J Stark.

I think the biggest problem GL faced after Long left the first time is that from 1981-1985 various teams had ripped away the foundations of the show, all at P&G's behest. I have said this before but it is absolutely ludicrous, given the 30+ years of history (just on TV), that Jerry ver Dorn was the senior cast member by this time. Even if Long had stayed, viewers would have spent their time on stories like a mentally unbalanced carnie rescuing Reva and shacking up at Revabend, rather than anything involving the Bauers or other long-gone family units.

What annoys me most is many people will just turn a blind eye or say "Well he didn't really mean it" because they can't face who he is or they don't care because they are as sick as he is. Meanwhile, the scum working for him just keep on grifting.

Between this and the bans on foreign workers from coming here, Trump has managed to make the dreams of the isolationists come true more than they'd ever hoped for. Of course they get most of their money from foreign countries and hire foreign workers (often illegally) and offshore jobs constantly, but none of that matters.

Same old Maggie Haberman. I'm seeing a lot of "She's just saying what Democrats have said" (she herself used this line today) or "The left can't tolerate her having her own opinion," but the very clipped and adamant way that she redirects us into knowing that Biden is a bad candidate running a bad candidate and that any Trump stumbles are an aberration is telling. She has invested so much into 4 more years of Trump, as has her paper. She should not be peddled onto various programs as some kind of objective analyst.

I mostly care because his words are used to drag down other people and movements. I just hope that this will be the last straw for many on the left who have gone along with his lies.

I agree, but then, I still have no idea why the only time they brought back Amanda Spaulding was as a madam and plot device. They really just had no idea what made any sense - it's a miracle GL lasted those last 15 years...

Trish was the first Lewis - she was Andy Norris' (Holly's bad seed brother) battered wife. After he was locked up, she became involved with Ross in business and sometimes pleasure, and Josh, then a bad boy (basically an Andy who was not going around knocking seven bells out of women), joined her in Springfield. When Pam Long and Gail Kobe came in, they brought in Billy and HB (both of whom had been mentioned for years) and Mindy. Trish was always much more serious than the rest of the family, and Rebecca Hollen was a very understated, intelligent actress. It's very jarring to see her go from the drab, depressing style of the Marland years to the big hair and big ole fur coat look of Kobe/Long. She was written out in 1985 (not sure if it was her choice or the show's). She briefly returned for HB's funeral and the last Josh/Reva wedding.

I'm starting my campaign for Beth Maitland to take that job instead.

To be honest I wonder if anyone else even wants to host. Before he started doing this there had been little to no community involving the P&G soaps for a while beyond people talking on Twitter or Facebook.

The reprehensible Shaun King is now advocating for any images of a white Jesus to be taken down. I have not heard of any real activists who ever advocate this type of position. It feels like a very deliberate attempt to not only get attention, but also to muddy the waters and give power to those on the right who insist that BLM and other groups are on some kind of ever-expanding mission of destruction. This is why some on the left giving him such a loud voice was a terrible idea. He can't run his con as well as he planned since Bernie lost, so he's trying to sabotage Biden, and beyond that, as this isn't just about Biden, he's also trying to sabotage the many activists who have repeatedly called him out and tried to make people wake up about him. Just shameful. And yet I still don't think people will fully shut the door on him. It's pathetic. Sessions spent decades as one of the leading hatemongers on the right. Just another example of how Trump grinds anyone who gets near him into the dust.

I will say that Millee and Courtney being included does at least suggest some effort at listening to fans, even if it isn't all I would want. For many years, Kriezman likely would have been the only interview, with a surprise drop-in from Lucky Gold.

I think @Vee mentioned that interview to us here last year...a great read. He was certainly a one of a kind director.