DramatistDreamer

I really wasn’t watching (I take numerous and lengthy breaks from watching this show, I’m shocked that I’m even watching consistently now, lol) when the character of Imani was on the canvas but I have read people’s positive reactions to her on this board. Those flashbacks of Devon and Hilary on yesterday’s episode was a bittersweet reminder of how engaging their chemistry was. Just as I had been reflecting on the fact that Hilary should have really had the story that Sally had, considering how Black women are 3X more likely than white women who have (pre) eclampsia resulting in mortality. All last week, I kept thinking that, if anyone had bothered to do research, they would known the better exit story for Hilary. I guess they also wanted to create story for Lily with the vehicular manslaughter case, I guess…shrugs.

The realization that, during this entire story Nikki and Sharon never really interacted directly is odd to me, especially since Nikki had a very memorable role in the original story. The budget limitations on this show are really degrading the storytelling.

Ahem ahem ahh uh ahh…let me clear my throat-

On the one hand, it should be freeing that entertainment need not be responsible for sending messages, on the other hand, the history of the daytime drama on American television seemed to be at its most compelling when it had something meaningful to say, yes, in other words…a message. JMO but the constant switching of partners by bed-hopping on daytime soaps just seems tired and redundant and useless and if it’s anything daytime soaps, which are already on the edge of irrelevance, don’t need, it’s something that propels the genre even further toward irrelevance and redundancy. Infidelity is now being used as a mere plot point on soaps when the writers can’t think of anything else to do. Here’s a concept, maybe keep the characters single for awhile, write stories about characters finding their way, learning who the heck they are before marrying them off. What worked for Nick and Sharon 25-30 years ago may not work for Kyle and Summer or any characters in this day and age. There are so many different ways and directions they could have taken Kyle, Summer and a whole host of under aged 40 characters but the writers don’t seem to want to do any of these things, so they continue to reach for the lowest hanging fruit of story writing. I have enjoyed Zuleyka Silver too but it has nothing to do with the stories on the show. It’s her attitude, the mischievous glint in her eyes when she’s in scenes with Nate and Adam and Elena. She can deliver her lines in a conspiratorial or goading manner. You are never really sure which side of the fence she is on but you are always aware that she will be looking out for her own interests first and foremost. She is managing to do a lot with what little she is being given to work with. It does make me wonder, if they don’t find a substantial story to give to Audra, how much longer can Zulekya Silver stretch what she’s been given?

Thanks for responding. Although she looks younger here, it just looks like her and I think, as Jane, her voice register is a bit different but yes, the feeling of recognition that this is her, it struck me immediately!

Craig’s pimpalicious hat game had me chuckling. And with the combination of issue with the audio and video syncing with Craig and Steve each using these odd accents to disguise their voices, it gave an odd effect of sounding like something from a foreign film that was badly dubbed into English. Still it was interesting to watch and Meg and Frank looked to be enjoying themselves. @DRW50Do you know if a “pre-Jane McDonald” actress Ann Mitchell appeared in these episodes as the mom of the woman who was chasing after Steve?

The husband of former Top 5 player Amanda Coetzer has testified in the corruption trial of PM Netanyahu. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/hollywood-producer-testifies-about-supply-line-of-gifts-at-netanyahus-corruption-trial

It must have been a prerequisite for every early 80s soap supercouple to become enmeshed in some adventure storyline. The audio and video issues are unfortunate but Meg Ryan and Frank Runyeon really seem to be having fun in these scenes, the chemistry between them really shows. And Frank is really rocking the early 80s short shorts. Is that the actress who played Jane, Lucinda’s secretary playing the fortune hunter mother to the young woman who is besotted by Steve?

Thanks @DRW50for posting this video, I intend to watch this now. Just when you begin to believe the folks who claim there’s nothing else out there, something surfaces. I continue to wonder how many other pieces of archival footage are out there and under what circumstances would people allow them to publicly emerge. Soap stars used to be outfitted so elegantly back in those days @SoapDope. I instantly recognized the iconic arches of Lincoln Center on the left. I spent a lot of time at the Performing Arts library.

The aspect that befuddles and intrigues me is that Putin threatened to put down the rebellion to openly crush it, without naming Progozhin, yet all of a sudden lackey Lukashenko has negotiated a compromise? Yeah…right. I do agree with Gessen that this does make Putin look like he is operating from a weakened position despite the stagecraft. He accused Prigozhin of treason, those are not normally grounds for poisoning, those usually are grounds for execution. Putin had really been over-reliant on the Wagner group in Ukraine as that mercenary group made most of the recent military gains in the war. Games people play. Onto other topics, recent surveys show a very pronounced public shift in how many people in the U.S. now regard abortion a year after Roe v. Wade was struck down. https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/how-a-year-without-roe-shifted-american-views-on-abortion/

Something of a more nuanced take, which has seemingly been hard to find on social media today, in particular.

The headlines are just ridiculous now. One (who I won’t name) alluding Prigozhin might be a worthy presidential contender. Sigh.

That Jean Harlow piece was seamlessly edited. That took some doing. How unfortunate that TCM seems to be throwing away so many talented people.

What Julia Ioffe mentioned is what I intimated about the difference between Navalny and Prigozhin when I mentioned that Putin would not be able to handle Prigozhin in the manner that he did Navalny. Navalny wanted to take on and win by way of the ballot, Prigozhin is a mercenary who has been backed over the years, mainly by battle hardened fighters who fought in Syria and in various conflicts like Libya and the CAR on the African continent. Consider the fact that Prigozhin has been working with many formerly incarcerated Russian men, some jailed for violent crimes, I doubt he’d be cowed by prison. Like I said, a different kettle of fish.

Another miscalculation, based on how the Russian military was able to wrest Crimea away. But Prigozhin is a different kettle of fish. Putin made the mistake of believing that a mercenary loose cannon could be granted autonomy and influence to plunder the world over and be controlled after that. It’s like a series of seemingly separate miscalculations that have had a domino effect.

Briefly, I decided to pop in on Twitter, where I no longer have an account and the misinformation is strong on that platform. Despite only venturing onto the pages of mainstream news organizations, if you scroll down, you will see random verified accounts with dubious posts below the tweets from legitimate news organizations. It’s all a random algorithmic mess. I wouldn’t recommend Twitter unless you keep your eyes focused on legitimate news twitter accounts, avert your eyes from the paid ads and weird paid-verified accounts spewing nonsense. Talk about your rules of unintended consequences! Putin had to have known, even in the back of his mind, that he was taking a risk with a loose cannon like Prigozhin but he decided to take the calculated risk, perhaps hoping that some mix of patriotic feeling and a laissez faire attitude from the Russian state would be enough to keep Prigozhin girded close to him. It appears that Putin has miscalculated. Prigozhin’s group of mercenaries picked up the slack with a lot of the fighting and he probably figures that Mother Russia needs him and Wagner group more that he/Wagner need Mother Russia. This is a group of mercenaries that have been in Syria and Central African Republic, Libya, Sudan and other nations. They have been paid in diamonds, gold and other minerals and precious metals…they have undoubtedly made many connections outside of Russia (Russia enabled and assisted them in cultivating their connections, but that’s a different story). Now that Prigozhin has had a taste of power and autonomy, it will be interesting to see what, if any tools Putin has to try to bring Prigozhin to heel. Somehow I doubt the Navalny treatment will work this time.

For years, I have been reading about the Wagner mercenary group and their ruthless exploits as thugs for hire at the side of autocrats and despots throughout the continent of Africa and when I read that not only Putin had decided to join with them, but gave Prigozhin a free hand in Ukraine (allowing Prigozhin to release convicts, including rapists and murderers) I only ever imagined some sort of bitter power struggle down the road, especially once Prigozhin began to publicly berate Shoigu, while Putin stood by and allow open hostilities between the leader of the mercenary group and the general fester. Putin, and by extension, the Russian state is reaping what Putin has sown (chaos and instability). Putin’s reasons for invading Ukraine have always been built on a shaky foundation, to the point where he seems to have either missed or chosen to ignore the willingness to join forces with a bloodthirsty mercenary group whose origins stem from a fascination with aspects of nazism (Prigozhin chose the name Wagner for a reason) while decrying his supposed urgency to rid Ukraine of Nazis, totally disregarding the fact that Ukraine has a Jewish leader. Putin started citing and emphasizing the supposedly rampant nazi sympathizing in Ukraine, while ignoring all the nationalist groups with nazi sympathies in Russia, a number of whom were responsible for savagely beating African and Indian students who were studying in Russia. It’s fascinating to watch and read about the creeping political instability in Russia and wondering how the average Russian perceives the current events in their country and region. A large number (even factoring in dissidents and those who may disagree with their current leader) chose to continue to tie themselves and their nation’s fate to this one autocrat, usually citing a predictable and ordered stability, even if it is achieved through strong-arm rule. From the outside though, Russia looks highly unstable politically. I guess we’ll just have to see what happens next.

Exactly. Some people are asking whether ChatGPT wrote that statement. I know that maybe some of those people are joking or being sarcastic but honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if this were the case.

Regardless of how/what one thinks of Kyrgios, this is an inexcusable comment. Generalizations spoke from this twitter account aside, just an asinine comment. Tennis wishes it could garner half the attention and interest that the NBA summons.

As The World Turns did something similar in the mid-1980s when wealthy psychopath Douglas Cummings, after his demise left his estate to former fiancée Frannie Hughes. Cummings didn’t beat women but he did kill at least two people and stalked Kim Hughes, before kidnapping both Frannie and Kim.

It is kind of creepy how desolate the hospital looks, with not even one nurse or orderly in the hallway, walking past the room. And just a muffled voice heard after Sally pressed the call button. EDT. After watching today’s episode, I will say that the final scene between Victoria and Nick does have touches of the type of sibling conflict that Y&R was once known for.

Hm, so he’s threatening to blackball strikers who picket? Oh, crew that are in sympathy with strikers? I don’t understand what he’s so upset about, lol.

It was more a plea, I forgot to add the word “please”. Biden’s last cabinet pick barely squeezed in, no thanks to Manchin. Sure, he could have calculated that he could vote no because Dems had just enough votes to confirm but I’m just tired of him being a stumbling block whenever possible.

^^ Oh could Joe Manchin have the same fate when he is next up for reelection? He’s voting with Republicans against Bilen’s cabinet picks these days.