DramatistDreamer

Kerber's draw in Stuttgart looks...well, challenging, to say the least. That Siegemund/Strycova match is either going to be fireworks or too annoying to watch. They each have a tendency to get on my last nerve. There is often something slightly entertaining about two highly irritating characters grating on each other, testing each other's patience during a match. Having said that, I think I'll pass on that match. And LOL @ that Sloane/CoCo match.

Speaking of the NYT, this was front page but it's not really most news media these days.

It's happening.

The regional NYC section still offers some decent in-depth coverage from time to time but no, I do not give them my money and cannot remember the last time I purchased a copy of the paper, online or hard copy. Anyhow,

Welp. Actress Allison Mack Arrested in Connection to Nxivm Sex Cult Case

Most of it is on YT, what isn't on YT is the episode where the murderer is officially caught/named. It goes up to the point where Emily and/or Ellie figure out who "dunnit" (I think) and I think the police are on the verge but there it ends. The next available episode picks several episodes later. Oddly, this is similar to the Tad Channing murder. We see episodes where Hal figures out that the murderer is someone that he knows intimately and recounts the steps but there are several episodes missing in between the time that Tad goes missing (he is assumed to have skipped town, leaving a trail of misery and destruction in his wake) and when the first suspect is (falsely arrested). The episode where a body must've been found is completely missing from You Tube. For example, 1986 (and 1991, to a lesser extent) are both good and bad years for episodes posted on You Tube. There is a lot that is there (thank goodness) but there are some key cliffhanger resolutions that are missing. We're literally left hanging in some stories.

Oh okay, at least now I don't feel so bad about missing that entire era. Thanks. As for PGP not taking videos down, I guess score one for total inertia-sometimes it can work in our favor.

A genuine kakistocracy is what the U.S has become.

I applaud any effort to preserve the soaps and make episodes available to the public but I'm often dubious of any site that has typos (The Aides Ball??). With SoapClassics, at least they had the backing of PGP, albeit only temporarily, so this ensured some quality control. I wasn't among those who streamed when the series was on the AOL Channel, I wonder why that got pulled, does anyone know why that didn't continue? Boy, nobody can dash the hopes of a soap fan like PGP/P&G!

Betsy von Furstenberg (no relation to Diane) had a pretty respectable theater career. I think soap fans were adverse to turnover, especially a character who came to be so closely associated with a particular actor. Well, technically Julianne Moore was the final Frannie...she was the last actress to appear as the character in 2010 before the show ultimately went off the air. She's the one they clearly wanted back anyway.

Such a nice guy, huh? And such appropriate, considerate behavior. Roger Stone Disses Barbara Bush as a ‘Nasty Drunk’ on News of Her Death

I guess that's why both have such clear visual quality! How I wish SoapClassics had been able to release more sets! A few of the murder mysteries have been uploaded almost in their entirety to You Tube but strangely have pivotal episodes missing. For instance, I'd love to have the complete, uninterrupted Tad Channing Murder mystery to watch because on You Tube, some episodes leading up to the resolution of "Who Dunnit?" are missing. Something similar happens with the Doug Cummings and Brock Lombard resolutions. Key episodes are not uploaded. It's just too bad that PGP made things so difficult for SoapClassics to continue on with issuing the sets.

And in the end, Phillips herself ended up being removed...

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Trump would forget about the tax law- a man with a notoriously short attention span who is too busy picking fights on social media to follow up on a major piece of legislation that he pushed. Also, it hasn't yielded the results that he bragged about happening, so it follows that this would fall through his consciousness like liquid through a sieve. No One’s Talking About the New Tax Law And Trump has reversed himself yet again--what a surprise NOT! Someone must've reminded him that the TPP was conceived in the Obama White House and you know...Obama. Trump, in Another Apparent Reversal, Says Trans-Pacific Trade Pact Has ‘Too Many Contingencies’ No surprise, countries are holding back from initiating any trade deals with the U.S. with so much indecision, backpedaling and a demonstrative lack of knowledge about what or even who is involved by this administration. The U.S. looks unreliable, inept and foolish, to say the least.

The other day I posted the episode that followed the infamous "Hello Barbara" episode where John Dixon informs Dusty that James, the man that tried to kill them and others on a plane, returned. Well, good news but I happened to come across the episode where Dusty, John, Gunnar and others are all on the plane that seemingly is headed for a crash. Kind of a bit of strange timing considering the recent news but fortunately this is a soap.

A few years ago, I had read something where she seemed to indicate that there were some sexual harassment issues but I don't really know enough about the situations. Her writing was laid out somewhat haphazardly, in a sort of incoherent manner so it was a little difficult to make sense of it. Seeing what we're seeing about the likes of Weinstein et. al, I certainly won't dismiss the possibility that her mental health could've been impaired by something like this.

Ahem. Perhaps she could be following Tillerson's lead in more way than one.

An endearing interview with Parker Posey (Tess, ATWT) who co-stars on the new reboot of Lost In Space that currently streams on Netflix. With ‘Lost in Space,’ Parker Posey Finds an Unlikely Home in Serial TV

So now that Rex Tillerson is gone, I guess it's Nikki Haley's turn to look like an out of touch idiot by having her boss contradict her. Trump puts the brakes on new Russian sanctions, reversing Haley’s announcement

I hope Felix Auger-Aliassime can live up to all that talent and potential he has. He seems to have a level head, all I can hope for is that he has a sturdy constitution and the ability to stay as healthy as possible.

That conversation and push-pull dynamic between Alexandra and Fletcher perfectly encapsulates not only the fundamental difference between women and men but just how complex a character Alexandra Spaulding was (especially as portrayed by McKinsey), she was a standout character for so many reasons. Even as compared with other female business titans on soaps (most of whom were complex at the time), Alexandra illustrated the delicate balance between being a titan in the business world and the ability to maintain lasting romantic relationships and the fact that sometimes it was zero-sum stakes. Alexandra seemed to be written as clear-eyed about the opportunities gained and missed in life while pursuing a high-standard (even control) in the family corporation. She seemed to realized the sacrifice involved and the romantic possibilities that she could be giving up/letting go of. You definitely don't see a character being written with that deal of inner complexity on today's daytime soaps. What McKinsey, in particular brought to the role was unique.

Oh my at the debut of Nadine with that pink Cadillac and the interplay with the mechanic! Although, where was she supposed to be from with that accent? I don't think her accent stayed. How could you not love Alexandra (aka Beverlee McKinsey) in these scenes with Fletcher (and his awful mustache)? Speaking of awful hair, Phillip and his mullet looked best in that car with the wind blowing through his big 80s hair and the 1st Blake who was fine in the role (although Stringfield was my favorite Blake) but the styling insisted on making her look like a Glenn Close clone. How interesting the mutual admiration between Alan-Michael and Frank would soon become a bitter rivalry down the road. I liked both Alan-Michaels and can appreciate the young love between this version and Harley. And Sam Marler, did they ever bring her back? She seems like a character who could've easily dropped in and out over years, given her connections. I'm trying to pay more attention to the Solita/Sunny storyline than I did back then but in my defense I was still a child and floated in and out of attention to this story.

Watching this episode and the scenes between Tom and Margo are a little devastating. The other thing that struck me is the subtle interplay between characters. In all the trauma and seriousness, I couldn't help but chuckle at that interaction between Steve and Craig and that sharp dig that Steve very deftly directs at Craig over Sierra. Then the camera expertly segues to Dusty and John's conversation. ATWT's tracking shots execution was unparalleled back then. I was always entertained by these episodes where half the town gathered in one place over some inciting incident.