Find out what this means after the jump. (Spoiler alert, of course)

It’s been 100 percent confirmed that Mickey Horton will die. It looks like he’ll die offscreen, so don’t expect to see John Clarke (original Mickey) or Kevin Dobson (recent Mickey). This is Maggie’s storyline that we’ve been hearing about.

All is quiet on the Western Front. Or in the eye of the storm. Or in the clan of all those cave bears, lulling themselves into self-imposed states of hibernation for the winter.

Like lemmings of lore, Sellers often feel a biological imperative to hang it up when the holidays hit the fan. The approach of Thanksgiving triggers an implacable urge to jump off the market. Migrate away from any serious effort that might result in the sale of a home.

All the cultural bunting we deck our brains with, this time of year, offers plenty of excuse to sound the retreat. Too many parties. Too few shopping days. Too much family. And the all-too-easy assumption that buyers are too engaged with everything else to think about buying a home for the holidays.

Meanwhile, stage right, lots of wanna-be Sellers are also lying in wait. They are making mental lists of all the reasons why they shouldn’t list their homes for Christmas. And why they should hold off until that mythical “better” time in the future called Spring – for lack of a “better” idea of exactly when “better” is really going to be.

The supply of homes on the market grows smaller. Locally, it is approaching 800 – down 30% from last year. The inventory of desirable places to buy is waning like the rays of the sun in the days leading up to the Winter Solstice – the point in time when planet earth reaches its greatest degree of tilt.

Here’s my thought: If we are truly about to hit full-tilt boogie in this crazy pinball game we’ve been bouncing, spinning and wobbling around in for the last year, then, as soon as we get done with the longest night of our lives, let’s just push the reset button!

Go ahead. Take a moment. Do some soul searching into the darker realms of your unconscious and the hidden nooks and crannies of your conscious mind as well. Now quick. What do you really want ?

If the answer is: I really want to change my life and move on, then the rest is simple. Forget Christmas. Forget New Years. Beginning Tuesday, the hourglass of the days of our lives starts getting fuller. Not emptier. Adjust your attitude along with your latitude. Throw away everything you think you know about real estate. Do a complete core dump-ectomy on all that baggage you’ve been lugging around on automatic pilot. Time to clean house and sell house.

Let’s rethink this whole winter/spring gestalt thing-y we’ve grown so chummy with. It is an indulgence, we can’t afford anymore. Just another mind-game that obscures realty.

Yeah, I know the traditional party line: Tons of buyers sprouting up like flowers in the spring. And houses don’t show well during the cold, rainy months, when days are gray and dreary.

But let’s shine some of that soon-to-be-waxing light on a different perspective. There are already tons of buyers ready and waiting to buy. What are they waiting for? For you to put your house on the market! If you wait for them, they are going to continue waiting for you. Someone has to get the ball rolling. It’s literally and figuratively your move.

Assuming supply and demand still has something to do with real estate ….what kind of market would you rather have your home listed in? A market where there is good demand versus really low supply? Or a market where there is better demand but also a huge new influx of supply?

My contention is this: What is most important at any time of the year, in any kind of market, is the actual, real relationship between the total number of homes for sale and the total number of buyers out there.

Do more homes sell in the summer according to statistics? You bet. But, here’s a little secret… Summer is also the same time of the year when there are more homes that don’t sell. Why? Because there are way more homes on the market and never enough demand to buy them all.

Do less homes sell in the first quarter of the year, when it is cold and rainy and homes don’t necessarily show in perfect, pristine fashion? Yep. But guess what. There are also fewer homes that don’t sell too. Why? Because there are less homes on the market!

A greater percentage of the total number of homes listed in January, February and March will sell than the percentage of homes that will sell in the summer time, whether the catfish are jumpin’ and the livin’ seems easy or not. Shouldn’t yours be one of them? Spring is often the time for April Fool’s. The smarter money is going to get carpe diem-ing sooner rather than later this year.

It’s the end of the year. 2010 is upon us, so it’s time for best of, and worst of, lists to flood the Internet.

I give you the Days Pub’s 2009 Top 5 Worst Moments:

5. John and Marlena exiting. It seems to have worked out for the best as the show has improved in ratings since they left, but it was still quite a shock to everyone. The power couple were show staples for a long time.

4. Chelsea and Daniel. Eww. I still want to shower when I think about that pairing. Not only were they all wrong for each other, they had no chemistry together as actors. And not to mention how Chelsea broke Nick’s heart during it all.

3. Tony DiMera’s death. We all know death means nothing on Soaps, but it just always seems like the producers and writers never knew how to treat Thaao Penghlis. He has clearly been one of the show’s best actors for years, but they ditch him once again.

2. Arianna is recast. I know some people love Lindsay Hartley, but I do not. I didn’t like her on “Passions” and I surely don’t like her on Days. Adding her to the cast became ridiculous considering the other two former “Passions” actors that are on the show. And I really liked the actress who originated the role. She was far more convincing as a woman with a sketchy past who is now trying to do the right thing. Hartley is just Theresa from “Passions.” Always will be. Sorry.

1. Hope. What is her fucking problem? Seriously. She’s such a bitch now. And I think what is most disturbing is that it’s almost out of character. She has no substance any more. It’s impossible to feel sorry for her. I think it’s time to either stop making her this character that’s all over the place, or write her out.

The Top 5 Best Days moments:

5. Stefano marries Kate. I can’t believe it took this long to get these two evil individuals as one sadistic super couple. At first it was a stretch for Kate to marry someone who tried to kill her son, but now it seems as if she’s realized Stefano is who she belongs with.

4. Nicole. From her heartbreaking miscarriage to her kidnapping, it has been a banner year for the character. But we’re celebrating the actress in this list. She has done phenomenal work this year. Here’s to hoping she’s not snubbed by Emmy once again this year.

3. Tamara Braun wins the Emmy. Ava hasn’t been on since 2008, but it was this year that Miss Braun walked away with one of the first acting Emmys for the show in over 20 years. She’s an amazing actress and I can only hope she finds her way back to Salem some day.

2. Brady’s Ass. Seriously, have you seen it? Look at it next time. You’ll understand.

1. Vivian and Carly’s return. They’re kind of a package deal at this point. Days was lucky to get soap superstar Crystal Chappell back. And of course, it was lucky that someone there is smart enough to FINALLY bring back arguably the show’s most popular character ever, Vivian. Both women are stellar actresses and if anyone can save the show, it’s those two. Ratings continue to grow and I think these two are at least partly responsible.

It’s been three weeks during which I’ve seen friends come and leave Thailand, transit through 3 different provinces to finally end up in Singapore. Now writing from my mum’s place ( with a badly behaved cat behind me) I’m posting some pictures taken with pals Qiuyan & Jerming who dropped in on us some weeks ago.

Although their stay was brief, both were a blessing to us in our ministry. Choops & I were able to hang out with 2 girls from church; we celebrated their birthdays together at the newly opened Shabushi restaurant. We also managed to get some pictures of the largest Christmas tree in the Issan region- at the Central mall!!

And Jerms was a dear- he brought his pipes along and was a constant attraction (by virtue of his PhD, haha). All in all, it was nice to have friends over.

Largest tree in Issan region

Stealing a peck

Poster boy for Khon Kaen

Watch it cuz he moves!!!

Lunch at the Shabushi

Koy & Katt, our 2 birthday girls

Getting rid of the extra calories

Our musicians celebtrating Christmas at our last Eng class

Comparing individuals who are part of minority groups is usually a bit paternalistic and as a person of color I try to avoid it whenever possible.  There are times, however, when  comparisons are useful to illustrate a point.  I remember watching Day of Our Lives, not long after learning about the cancellation of As The World Turns and watching Crystal Chappell at work in the reprised role of  ‘Carly Manning Alamain’.  I immediately started thinking about the reported deleted scene from the last episode of  The Guiding Light, one in which Olivia gave Natalia a kiss on the cheek as Rafe boarded the bus on his way to basic training, and to begin his new life.  It was  cut – for some unknown reason… uh huh…  As I thought about that deleted scene, I wondered if As The World Turns writers would follow The Guiding Light’s lead; specifically, are  As The World Turns writers running out the clock on Nuke?  Despite the numerous opportunities to make Otalia a full-fledged couple, like any other, Guiding Light writers waited until the last episodes to let fans know that the couple  would, off screen, make it while building their new family.  I suspect that Nuke is headed for the same fate.

Luke and Noah’s relationship started as a  groundbreaking event in daytime – U.S. soaps first openly gay male couple.  Unfortunately, there seems to have been more smoke for the couple on paper than anything that approximated fire onscreen.  Onscreen, short of an occasional kiss and the implication that  sex had occurred, it would have be pretty difficult for those who are sporadic viewers, or viewers flipping through channels,  to not mistake Luke and Noah for siblings (right down to the scary proposition that Lily and Damian ‘adopt’ Noah, making Luke his lover’s legal brother).  To think that Jerry Springer doesn’t even write for As the World Turns- at least not in his own name.

When I think about the difference between the way the One Life to Live writers approach the Kish (Kyle and Oliver Fish) relationship, I’m both in awe, and feel a bit of bitter disappointment about Nuke.  The problems with the Kish storyline have  nothing to do with character  sexuality.  The writers have potentially weakened the Kish dynamic by glossing over Kyle’s earlier blackmail of Natalie Buchanan and Jared Banks, and his willingness to torment a fragile Jessica Buchanan with the loss of yet another child.  They’ve glossed over his involvement with Stacy in deceiving Rex and Gigi regarding Shane’s treatment and recovery.  Of course, Stacy is still an evil bitch, and  Kyle has been redeemed as a misguided and desperate pawn.  The writers have glossed over the batshit crazy  Kyle’s sister brought to screen and dropped any possible exploration of whether or not he’d been covering his involvement with her all this time.  Right now it seems to be the case that he genuinely had nothing to do with her – but shouldn’t there be some lingering doubt?

It would have been quite an interesting dynamic to watch the above board, letter-of-the-law Oliver Fish reconcile his regard for law and his deep love for Kyle.  (Yet another common thread with As The World Turns.  I immediately began thinking of Carly Tenney and her “G Man” Jack Snyder.)   I’d love to see a more nuanced relationship in which we’re rooting for Oliver’s happiness and wanting Kyle to be the right man for him, but never knowing if he should or  would ever, be able to trust Kyle.  Is Kyle with Oliver because he loves him, or is he with Oliver to fool everyone into thinking that he’s turned over a new leaf?

The role that should have gone to Kyle is now being played out by seemingly devious Nick – who listens at doorways and seems to always be involved in some underhanded plot.  Oliver is still the good guy – trusting, hopeful, willing to believe in his love with Kyle and the bond he’s sure they share.  I’ve been ambivalent about the rush job on Kish, for the reasons mentioned above, and yet still find myself rooting for them and wanting to kick Nick’s backside right out the door.   If only there was some audience participation software that would have allowed me to give Roxy (and by extension One Life to Live writers) a high five when she observantly figured out that there’s something not quite right about Nick and that he could spell big trouble for Kish.  The writers rarely allow our girl to be that observant!

What I appreciate most about the Kish/Nick storyline is that it’s a formula  linked to a tried and true daytime staple.  We’ve seen it a million times before, the lover on the outside wants in.  An illness/injury/spat of amnesia leads the lover on the outside (Nick in this case)  to use the condition to keep the unsuspecting target  (Kyle) close. Only the target’s partner (Oliver) realizes what’s going on while the target repeatedly sides with the lover on the outside.  Sooner or later Kyle and Oliver will end up fighting over Oliver’s not-so-insane jealously over Nick and mistrust of Nick and Kyle together.  The distance between the young lovers will grow while Nick stands in the background smirking and plotting even further.  Just when it seems that our young lovers will work their way back to one another, Nick will probably figure out that Stacy is pregnant with Oliver’s child and break the couple up ‘for good’, picking up the pieces and moving on with Kyle for as long as they last.

The writers have very quietly and cleverly done in months what years of pseudo-activism on As The World Turns has failed to do with Nuke.  Carlivarti and crew have made it clear that Kish is just like everyone else, in all the ways that matter.   When it was evident that As The World Turns writers would create a teen pregnancy storyline with Liberty, I’d hoped that Luke and Noah, with a little magical same-character-SORASing, would step in as the child’s adoptive parents.  I wanted them to be a family, together, and to learn that it wasn’t as easy being in love as they’d thought, but fighting to remain committed to one another and growing stronger together.

Instead, it was one series of missteps after another for the couple.  Nuke has yet to be integrated into the cast in a way that makes us identify with them as people. The writers have only allowed us to identify with them based on their sexuality.  They are that – and so much more and it would be nice, before the show ends, for the writers to tell us who they are.  Pessimistically, I hear the ticking of the clock, and suspect that the writers are more interested in running the clock down as we approach 2010.  No family for Nuke, no lives related to their work  or other accomplishments, not even a  kiss on the cheek at the end, justa  good bye, and what a pity that would be.

As you may remember from previous posts, I’m pregnant.  Yesterday we found out that we’re having a little girl.  God help her daddy.  Even though I knew the baby was going to be either a boy or girl, I don’t think that I mentally prepared myself for either. Yesterday’s discovery brought on a whole new level of concern, worry, and excitement about our impending bundle of joy.  After reading Vitamin G’s post about television, I became extremely concerned about the crap that my daughter could potentially watch on TV someday.  Vitamin G chronicled some decent programming, but wow, how times have changed.  There are some really awful things on TV out there currently.  Therefore, I’ve started a list of television shows that will be blocked and she will never be exposed to.  If you have others, please let me know and I will just put them under DirecTV’s parental control, no use in waiting.

Southern Belles of Louisville/Dallas Divas and Daughters:  I lumped these two shows together because they are pretty much the same thing.  Southern socialites who don’t work, care only about their appearance and status, and are spoiled and mean to their mothers.  I don’t need that.   I’m currently doing an excellent job of caring for this baby and will continue to do so after she is born.  I don’t need her talking back to me or wanting a Range Rover for her birthday.

Real Housewives… of any location: Um, these women are not real housewives, we all know that and I need my daughter to know that, too.  Real housewives, as I’ve come to find out in the past seven months, actually have to cook, clean, pay bills, run errands, etc. etc. etc.  Granted, I do my fair share of relaxing at times, but I don’t dress like this every day or star in absurd fake music videos.  Also, to date, no one has bought me diamonds or a Benz.  Although, I’m not opposed to either.  Housewives can have nice things, they just need to appreciate them.

My Super Sweet Sixteen:  Truth be told, I don’t even know if this show is on MTV anymore, but if it is, I do know that my daughter won’t watch it because I don’t need her thinking that all 16 year-olds get to have these extravagant, wedding-proportion birthday parties.  And these sweet sixteen kids never turn out right.  I know because I supervised one of these spoiled creatures in real life and he’s a terrible human being.  No respect for anything, anyone, or even any of his things as evidenced by this example of his douchebaggery:  Why get a parking permit when they’re free?  No, just keep getting ticket after ticket until your BMW gets towed.  Oh and don’t bother just paying the fee to get your car out of impound.  No, just go out and buy another expensive car.  Baby girl, these people are bad people.  No need to associate with them.

Gossip Girl: I only recently discovered that these oversexed, rich, bar-hopping people are supposed to be in high school.  Um, high school?  My daughter is totally not going there.  I don’t care if it’s the best school in the world.  If she goes there, she’s bound to meet skeezes like this and Daddy doesn’t need that kind of stress.  He’s already bald for Pete’s sake.

WWE Raw: Just because Daddy watches this doesn’t mean that Baby will too.  They are mean to little people, encourage slutty behavior and do whatever is going on here.  I think that it might just be too much for a little girl to watch.  Thankfully, Daddy agrees.

Days of Our Lives: Similar to WWE Raw, just because Mommy watches DOOL doesn’t mean that Baby will.  Not because of the sex, catfights, or infidelity, mind you.  My mom totally let me watch DOOL growing up.  I loved it so much that I even had a pair of pleather pants that I affectionately referred to as “Bo Brady” pants after my favorite long-haired, motorcycle-riding bad boy.  No, my daughter won’t watch this because of the poor acting and writing.  That show is going downhill fast.

Yo Gabba Gabba: I know that my favorite almost-3-year-old from Virginia loves this show but to be honest, the characters kinda creep me out.  I enjoy that, for some random reason, Biz Markie makes appearances and that they encourage kids to dance and eat their food but if I had to listen to this music every day, I might jam the remote into my ear.  Sorry, Baby.

So what TV shows would I be OK with her watching?   None.  She’s going to read books and play outside.  Television cannot be trusted.

Warning: Spoilers ahead. Click below to continue to spoilers!

Jan. 4 – 8

Hope and Justin kiss and Victor catches them!

Victor kicks Justin out.

Philip and Nathan are arrested!

Nicole pleads guilty.

EJ gets another ransom note from Anna. He and Sami continue keeping it secret.

 An assasin is out to get Arianna.

Mia is jealous of Chad and Gabi.

Melanie and Philip plan to elope.

Maggie prepares to go on a cruise with Mickey.

Who is Anna working with? The person who helped her arrange the kidnapping is revealed!

Vivian gets closer to finding out who Carly’s daugther is.

Message boards and Mark Hapka’s (Nathan Horton) Facebook page are buzzing with news that Bryan Dattilo (Lucas Horton) has filmed his last episodes for Days of Our Lives. His last airdate is said to be in February.

There’s no word on the reason for Datillo’s departure, but apparently the show just didn’t renew his contract. It also sounds like the role won’t be recast, but written out.

How exciting is that!? Maggie Horton, a definite fan favorite, has been all over the canvas these days, but only as a supporting player. Daytime Confidential is reporting that Rogers and Molly Burnett (Melanie) let it out that Maggie would have a huge storyline after the new year and it’s one to surely test the Emmy winners acting chops once again.

DC is speculating that the storyline might be what many of us have been thinking every since we saw the episode with Maggie talking to Mickey on the phone and holding old-Mickey’s photo: he’s going to die. There is no official word on that yet, but it’s all starting to make perfect sense.

I hate to see the loss of a Horton, but if it gives Maggie her own story, I’m all for it! I just hope it’s not one of those things where none of the absent family members can make it back because of bad weather! I want to see Melissa, Sarah, Jennifer, Mike Horton, Bill, Marie, Laura. I want it all.

TV Guide Canada has a very interesting interview with Deidre Hall (Dr. Marlena Evans). She discusses life after Days of Our Lives and whether or not she had a feud with Crystal Chappell (Carly Manning). If you read the interview, I’ll be curious to know if you got the same impression I did. And that’s that Hall doesn’t seem like a very approachable woman.

I was particularly annoyed that she refused to tell the interviewer what she thought Marlena and John were up to these days. Come on, Dee. Give us a little. We stood by you for years… I did like her comment about being a gay icon:

“I am aware of my gay following. Gays are stylish, and most importantly, they are comfortable with their own emotionality — which is what defines Marlena. I used to live in West Hollywood — and it was the coolest place to live! [Laughs] Everyone knew who I was. I felt, as a character and as a person, very accepted and welcomed.”

After Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ended, Drake Hogestyn went on to star in Generation and also appeared in Otherworld and Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues. Drake mentioned in an interview that he and former cast mate Richard Dean Anderson both vied for the part in Generation. “Rick really wanted to do it because hockey would be involved, and he’s an avid player.”

Drake’s big career-making role then came in 1986 when he began playing “John Black” opposite Deidre Hall’s “Marlena” on Days of Our Lives. He enjoyed enormous popularity on the show for the next two decades. Earlier this year, because of budget cuts, the producers of the struggling show wrote his character and that of Hall’s off the show.

Drake is in two polls currently being conducting by Daytime Confidential, one for Lead Soap Actor of the Decade and the other is for Best Soap Couple of the Decade. You have until December 24th to vote for him.

In case you haven’t heard, Dylan Michael Patton, who was played Will Horton since last spring, has been recast with Chandler Massey, above right. A Days insider says the show is making a change because of an upcoming storyline.

Said storyline is still under wraps, but message boards are buzzing with speculation. The main rumor is that the character Will is going to come out of the closet. The timing for a gay storyline would be good considering the news that “As The World Turns” has been canceled. ATWT has featured popular gay characters Luke and Noah and Days could possibly pick up some of their fans with its own gay characters. That’s just a thought.

What are your thoughts?

There is no word when Massey’s first airdate will be.

Soap Opera Digest is reporting that soap veteran Leann Hunley (Anna DiMera) will resurface on the show Friday. And there’s a secret involved!

“I was pleasantly surprised when I got the call. It came out of the blue,” Hunley told SOD. “It was one of those, ‘Would you be interested in coming back for a few days and then we’ll see what happens.’ And I said, ‘Okay.’ But they said that the caveat of the whole thing was that I had to keep it a secret. So, I didn’t even tell my mother!”

Spoiler after the jump!

Anna will be revealed as Sydney’s kidnapper! Whaaaat? I knew Anna would get back at Stefano after what he did to Tony! Now let’s just hope she doesn’t go to prison for kidnapping and can move back to Salem and be with Roman!

Interesting article about the further eroding of daytime, and how DAYS is leading the way in winning viewers back:

…’Days’ not only doing well, but also gaining viewers?” Bruno asks. “That’s something people didn’t think could happen anymore.”  …

‘Days” increase could be attributed to the return of such fan favorites as Crystal Chappell (Carly), Louise Sorel (Vivian) and Wally Kurth (Justin). (Ratings soared back in 1993 when Vivian buried Carly alive.) Bruno advises shows seeking to maintain and rebuild their fan bases to copy ‘Days’ methods. “I’d bring back Genie Francis to ‘General Hospital,’ Victoria Rowell to ‘The Young and the Restless’ and Cady McClain and Julia Barr back to ‘All My Children,’” the manager says.

AMEN, Michael Bruno.  Read the full article by clicking HERE