I wholeheartedly agree, Shay! I don’t see anything to praise about a person with an addiction. I grew up with 2 uncles and an aunt on my mother’s side who were alcoholics. They were DRUNKS. Disgusting. Selfish. Abusive. Embarassing. Ugly. Rude. etc. They almost destroyed their families and fought against all possible help. What I applaud in them is when they saw what their addictions were doing and fought to come back through rehab and counseling AND THEN FORGIVENESS. One small story was my uncle had gotten soooo bad into his alcoholism that one evening he slapped my aunt across the face. My cousin took a BAT and swung it at him – purposefully missed – and told him to get out and if he ever hit her mother again the BAT would hit his target hard! He walked out and went to his church, they took him to rehab, and to this day – 17 years later – my uncle has been sober, has a wonderful relationship with all his immediate family and the extended. He’s the man my mother remembers growing up with. AND its a constant battle. THAT is something to be praised and to have respect for with addiction. Nancy, as great an actress as she is, is a little too full of her own ego for my liking. She comes across to me – AND PLEASE, I am not a “HATER” as Ms Grahn likes to call anyone who calls out an opposing viewpoint on twitter & social media – as though she is playing a highly complex character with long festering demons within her soul. I’m sorry, Nancy, but Alexis became an alcoholic when the stress of dating or being in love or being married to another mobster proved too hard for her. The character, instead of doing what NO WOMAN OR MAN on this show seems to be able to do, didn’t walk away from the criminal but opted to make his crimes her burden. Even when her grandchild could have burned to death or simply suffocated from smoke inhalation when she blacked out from being drunk – LET’S refer to this as my uncle’s “bat” moment – she just went on drinking. Even today, after family and friends have asked and begged her (and her daughters did an intervention), ALexis still drinks. Foolishly, like Finn presently, the writers and the character believe that NON-PROFESSIONAL addiction experts/doctors/counselors, etc can cure or help an addict. They lie to hospital boards and the bar association about the stability of the characters in question. If Nancy wants to say this is “EMMY WORTHY PERFORMANCE” than Nancy needs to stand up to the writers and say “Alexis needs to go to ACTUAL REHAB and see the ACTUAL affects of coming down off an addiction!! Sorry, Nancy, you are a great actress but the story you are acting in right now is STUPID and DANGEROUS beyond belief. And the addict shouldn’t be praised or admired. They need HELP.… Read more »

Wow, Shaybelle. I don’t know what to say after that?!
You, of all people, know how I criticized Alexis….her clothing, her behavior etc. and, you also know I was castigated and dragged through Hades for verbalizing said opinions.
But, as soon as Alexis was rid of Julian, I started liking the character more and more. Unfortunately, she went off the deep end, as it were.
I don’t think there is a set age for succumbing to any addiction….I have no clue, as I have never been exposed to anyone close to me with such a problem. However, any member of the medical profession is well aware that addiction is indiscriminate of age, sex or faith.
I do not think the intention is to bring women down, strong or otherwise.
What I do not understand is the angst against the actress, especially by paul connoly. I get why we fall into the temptation of criticizing the character, but, Paul? You are attacking Nancy. So much anger….She did not write the storyline. It is her job to act out the script. That’s going a bit too far, as far as I’m concerned. What was she to do?
Furthermore, how can anyone not praise Nancy? Regardless of the fact that the theme has been overrun and overused, it does not negate the fact that Nancy did a ‘smashing’ job. That is my opinion, Paul. And, I am merely expounding what I feel for the sake of argument. It is a soap!!!!!!!
Shay, my love, you have the advantage over me……you are familiar with Alexis since way back when. I have only known her since her ‘affiliation’ with Julian and the aftermath. LOL.
All I am saying is that I think Alexis needed to go through this ordeal. For those of us who do not know the character, in depth, I find this ‘exposure’ to be a good lesson.
I do not want Julian back into her life….but, many do. C’est la vie. We can agree to disagree.
“I disprove with what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it”. LOL.
At least, you and I, Shay, can be civil to each other….as always.
Ciao, bella.

Paul Connolly: While I think that Nancy does deserve to win the Emmy for an outstanding performance this year; I must say, I do agree with you regarding her Twitter account. Honestly, I am surprised that TPTB allow her to tweet what she does to the fans that oppose her viewpoint. I understand Freedom of Speech, etc., however, she is not respectful of other’s views and the language she uses, in and of itself, is quite disturbing. I wonder if her co-workers are turned off by her very vocal political viewpoints?

@dmr…

I don’t follow Twitter but I do see and respond to Nancy on FB and I and many other LOVE her political views. As you know everyone from all walks of public life have weighed in and continue to weigh in on this presidency. All of late night, SNL, Alec Baldwin, DeNiro, etc have expressed their, to put it mildly, disenchantment.

I doubt many of her co-workers disagree with her. I’d venture to say MOST agree. I know Ingo doesn’t which makes it particularly interesting that they are portrayed on such the same page/wavelength on GH. I personally couldn’t stand reading Ingo’s views. Totally turned me off to him. But, I close my eyes and let my imagination take me to Jax…and I tune Ingo out.

And by the way, I find it amusing that some are concerned with what Nancy tweets and if her bosses or co-workers are okay with that. I’d be a tad more concerned at what Trump tweets!

Hi, my Shay,
All I can say is; Jax fell from grace, perhsps? I feel badly for those fans who have basked in the splendor of his “luster” for so many years.
Thankfully, I was never struck by his sunny ‘rays’. LOL.

I totally agree Rebecca!! That’s exactly the way I see Julian and Alexis. Hoping they do reunite

I agree Barbara and Rebecca 1.

I completely get what you are saying, rebecca. Julian is not an abuser, per se, in the classical sense in the domesticity department……not as we picture an abuser to be. But, he is an abuser in so many different ways. He is a criminal. To me, that is a prominent abuse. Living a life of crime affects and abuses many family members’ psyche, I would think.

Alexis may not be a battered wife in the true sense of the word, but she is displaying all the symptoms of one. The welts, the wounds are not visible to the naked eye. Yet, here she is acting out all the classic signs of a ‘battered’ wife. Of course, this is just the way I discern her plight.
( Oh, did you notice how I spaced my paragraphs, rebecca? I know you like that…LOL…just teasin’).

LOL…CeeCee! I’ll get back to you later…gotta run!

Hi again CeeCee…

Just wanted to get back to you. Thanks for the paragraphs! 😉

I hear what you’re saying but I think Alexis WAS a battered woman for all intents and purposes when Julian “staged” unbeknownst to her, his cruel, dangerous streak against her. And, I agree it was horrific. Now, I just believe it’s the aftermath of everything that happened in a domino effect beginning with that…the spiraling down from Julian to loss of job to loss of self.

With that, I’d still like to believe it was a necessary evil and Julian had no choice. It’s a soap, lol, and that’s what I will believe if that’s how they spin it. I like him/her.

As for criminality, I think we all leave our morals at the door when we watch soaps. More than half of what transpires, especially on GH, is mob or crime related. And it involved much of the main characters. The good-looking criminal has always had an allure in TV and film…even back to those B&W movies. Because GH paints these guys as charming, loving with friends and family I guess I don’t just see their “mob” side. We’re also not exposed to in-your-face violence. It’s mostly done off-camera or with threats. So, if I saw Julian blowing people away on a daily basis…a cold, maniacal killer…I’d see the character differently. So far I just “know” he has a criminal past. He’s barely been portrayed that way. As for Duke’s killing, it’s never mentioned but if I recollect correctly it was Carlos who pushed for that. (not sure if I’m right on that but I think that was the way it went down…) And I am a Duke fan! But still, Duke would’ve taken him out, too.

LOL. The way we all debate these things you’d think we were dissecting Dostoyevsky or Shakepeare!

I’m laughing with you, Steve! (Except this storyline isn’t one bit funny….) As you have mentioned, this tale has already been told with Monica, although I do believe it was handled with much more sensitivity and less sensationalism than the current one….Dr. Quartermaine’s situation was infused with a greater dose of realism and public-service purpose than this ridiculously drawn one concerning Alexis and her continued trainwreck of a life….Furthermore, Leslie Charleson portrayed her character’s deteriorating physical condition with a real dignity and sense of despair for how a once respectable, highly-capable, mature professional had fallen from her lofty and accomplished perch in the medical community….it showed not just the feelings of personal isolation that led to her uncontrollable drinking, but the far-reaching dangers of her alcoholic haze and its accompanying horrors in her failed responsibilities as a surgeon and potential loss of her livelihood, which ultimately made her come to grips with addressing her unacceptable behavior. In other words, there was a real morality component and teachable quality to Monica’s story arc, it was not just a soapy opportunity for her character to chew the scenery and the actress to win accolades.

Making Alexis a later-in-life sudden alcoholic is not a strength moment — rather an outdated plot point. NLG is a great actress and is making the most of what she’s been given.

Sorry Steve…don’t see your point, at all. Things happen to people at all stages in their lives…there’s a point where people break. The trauma of having her heart ripped out and having her throat almost slit by the man she loved with all her heart…having lost her license to practice law…would drink many people to develop behaviors they might not have turned to in the past.

ALL people at times crumble…emotionally, physically, psychologically. I think it was a great vehicle to show how even a strong person can be broken and find their way back.

haha…drive…not drink.

Oh yes, I forgot dear Lulu.
In addition to what you said, Lulu has been obsessed with this baby or that baby for the last four years. First the surrogacy, then the Britt Rocco Drama (both RC) and now Jelly, instead of correcting course, have her chasing after first a thermos & now a child.

I also forgot Maxie, former spitfire, now reduced to a mere shadow of herself.

What a mess.

I am really tired of Honey Loo Loo pouting and sulking about her daughter.
The other day she stuck out her lower lip and said to Laura,”Don’t you care that Valentin is stomping all over me?” Get over yourself Honey Loo Loo. You act like Charlotte is a toy and the fact that you don’t even have a handle on child psychology 101 means you really do not deserve Charlotte at this point in time.
On another note, some of you mandate that Alexis is too old to develop a drinking problem. There was a recent study which found that the greatest increase in recent diagnosed cases of alcoholism came from the senior citizen sector. You are never too old to become an alcoholic and the AMA declared alcoholism is a real disease. You wouldn’t judge someone suffering from cancer, would you?
On a positive note, Valentin and Anna’s chemistry is through the roof!
Take that, Nina!

No person is responsible for the choices of another. That includes Lulu & Dante. Dante made the choice to sleep with Valerie, he is responsible for that. I think it was crappy, because Dante would never do that. It was a real “Sonny” move, and Dante has always rebelled against that.

I don’t think that Alexis is too old to develop a drinking disorder. I actually have no problem with her being an Alcoholic. It’s a strong story for Nancy. What I have a problem with is that instead of showing her family and friends rallying around her, we’ve got ghost Julian being the only one who can get through to her. Alexis through ALL her failed attempts at love has never let a man destroy her, not even when Ric slept with her daughter.

And yes, men haven’t fared much better with the writing. Basically, no one looks good, unless you’re Franco. He can do no wrong.

Hi Rebecca…I’ve always liked Alexis, and, too, remember the happier days Alexis had with Stephan and Nik. But over the years I think some of her “insecurities” or whatever, imo, started to creep up on her. With the reading of Helena’s will and the dagger helping to trigger this last episode with Julian and alcohol. You know the last straws. Now she is trying to center herself. And good for her. Why bad boys more so…I don’t know. Thought she was better with Jax.

And Ii’s not just soap characters who come with baggage…I’m sure most of us have our own. That’s what makes for drama in soaps, and partly a way that I can re-work some of mine.

As for the alcoholism storyline…I wish it wasn’t with Alexis, but it doesn’t matter what where it is used as a theme. It’s a personal thing where I have seen the ravages it can inflict on a family. So seeing it in GH or Y&R just makes me cringe/ff ,just like excess violence does.

And you are right…seems all the matchups are with the bad guys. But like I said before, they haven’t had a standup, stronger guy in Port Charles for years. They had a chance with Paul, but they turned him into a serial killer.

I’ve never liked the Lulu character either. She seems to exemplify the worst of the Spencer traits…being implusive, self centered, no tact. This shows in how she’s handling Charlotte…no sensitively here for how this young girl feels. Just her anger, which is justified, towards Valentin and the wrongs in denying her knowledge of Charlotte, and possibly killing Nik. Think smart Lulu! But you can see by her expression she has other plans. She never learns.

Hi Meg…

You’re right…no one is responsible…literally…for another’s actions. However, “cause and effect.” Dante loved and loves Lulu with a passion. It is because of that passion that he was devastated. He knew she lied. It was obvious she was talking to someone in secret. She mysteriously left town. Dante followed…and sees evidence that Lulu and Dillon have gone out of the country and are sharing a hotel room. Now. Lulu has been a bit wishy/washy in the past. She flirted with Johnny (her ex) even though she knew it bothered Dante. She decided to go into business with Johnny…even though she knew it bothered Dante. Meanwhile, Dante, all along…went along with it though he was pissed and concerned. Thus…

I don’t blame him for sleeping with Valerie. If your “significant other” lies, leave the country, is sharing a room with a man who loves her (Dillon loved her at the time) it’s a safe assumption that person is cheating on you.

I don’t think Dante slept with Valerie for revenge. I think he truly thought his marriage was over and he reached out. While it’s “technically” cheating if you still have a certificate…it’s a bit different when you think your spouse is cheating on you…and your marriage is over. Emotions are strong…emotional devastation quite strong. I don’t blame Dante. Things aren’t always black and white.

Was Lulu LITERALLY responsible? Did she force his hand? No. But she did lie to him, she did leave the country knowing Dante was lost and confused, she did share her experience with Dillon, not her husband. She didn’t trust him enough to help her and Lucky. I get it…but, unfortunately, because of the circumstances it led to hurt and unintentional betrayal. Two innocent people caught up in circumstances.

Sadly, this issue bleeds into society. Give me June Cleaver!

@Meg.
Hey, Meg,
I said exactly ( to Shay) what you just diid…….not verbetin, but following the same theme. My post did not make it.
None of us can impose our will on someone else. Dande did choose to have ‘a go with’ Valerie, and for Lulu to take the blame is nonsense.
Dante is no schoolboy. He knew exactly what he was doing. Poor excuse to assume his wife was cheating just because of circumstances.
This is where the road leads on soaps. ” You cheat on me, so, I will cheat on you”. Retaliation is so overly used and so silly. I doubt it’s that easy.

The deterioration of the Lulu character since Julie Berman left is sad. Through her teenage years, the daughter of Luke and Laura exerted an independent spirit and exhibited the best her parents had to offer. Now, Lulu just reacts to stuff and plays the victim card — something Luke, Laura and (stepmonster) Tracy would never do.

Rose, I HATE Honey Loo Loo! Charlotte is scared of her for a reason.
You’re right about how she is always blaming other people for her idiotic, out-of-control actions.

I agree with everything you said, Rose. I repeat, Alexis’ only salvation, at this point, is to lay off Julian ( he’ll be ba-ack!!!!). I do hope TPTB do not put these two together again. I think Alexis could overcome her ‘difficulties’ ( lol) by taking a deep breath, especially from herself, and take it from there.
If the writers had any sense, they would give Alexis ample, meaningful time to find herself before throwing her back into any romantic relationship.

Lucy sort of baffles me. I do like her, but this latest ‘rampage’ of blackmail makes her look mercenary and spiteful, to say the least.

What can I say about Lulu……Petulant, with a capital ‘P’.
Now, she wants to be ‘buddies’ with Nelle for the sole purpose of ‘spying’? I do not like the game of subterfuge…..what does this say about Laura, who got this going? Golly gee, Rose, Laura is one of my faves.
This whole situation with Charlotte is not only stupid ( only in soaps), but serves no other purpose than to keep Lulu floating; relevant. As far as I’m concerned Lulu is extra weight….lol, I do not mean that literally.
I think Charlotte was, also, introduced to show another side of Valentin…..to soften him, to make him human, after what we witnessed on that Greek island.
What are the chances of Lulu absconding with Charlotte when Emme goes on maternity leave?

Hi Rose! I must disagree with some of what you said in this post. First…almost all soap characters come with baggage. As do we all in real life. Soaps wouldn’t be very compelling if the characters didn’t have issues and everything was unrealistically right in their world. Alexis was amazingly intereseting, fun and a safe haven back in the days when Nicolas lived with Stefan. I loved the dynamics between her and Nic…I loved that whole period and miss Stefan Cassadine! But I digress. Regardless of the reason, we already know that most of the characters on GH have a sordid background. We know from the start with the exception of Ned Alexis has always gravitated toward “bad boys” with a good heart. In the past, she was the one who pulled away if they couldn’t get out of the mob life. She attempted the same with Julian and she did resist for a bit…but loved him so much that she believed he had changed. And, he did. Her alcoholism? As Rhonda pointed out that can start at any age. I don’t think the show is treating it lightly or cavalierly and I don’t think they’re having her bouts “unchecked.” She’s realistically struggling with the urge to succumb and to get help. I think it’s quite realistic and poignant how they’ve had her crumble and fight to gain herself back. She’s quite humble…I’m loving her story. I actually want to see Julian alive. And I do want them back together. United. Seems like in fiction as well as real life we’re all too influenced by what other people think. She loves him. I believe he loves her passionately and always did. So, I’d like to see them get another shot. It galls me that Carly and even Sam judge her for loving him. Even Jordan. She loved Sean who worked for Sonny. Carly loves Sonny. Sam loves Jason who is also part of the mob. They’ve done crimes equal to Julian. So…they’re judging her for being with him is ludicrous and maddening. As always I put this disclaimer. Not sure if I’d be such a supporter in “real life” of these types of men…probably not at all. But for soap purposes I enjoy it. I like the drama of it all…the conflict, the push/pull…the characters strugglling with their morality, etc. I like good influencing bad and the positive effect love can have. As for Lulu? LOL…don’t know why but I never liked Lulu regardless of the actress. In my opinion the character never had a fantastic storyline so I was never drawn in. Thus, Emme’s fine with me. I don’t see her as whiny, demanding, or any of the other negatives that some fans have thrust at her. She literally was kept in the dark that she has a daughter! By a man who she believes killed her brother and has kept her away from her child. Who wouldn’t be incensed, crazed, tortured at not getting their daughter back? Who… Read more »

Love!

Some of us out here dealing with real issues and this bantering drives me nuts a good friend once said to me if your life revolves around who is in the White House then you indeed need help! Get on with it enjoy it only go around once

k/kay…sorry. your post is sort of a contradiction. First…Nancy is an extremely smart, well-educated woman who has a voice…just as many in the public eye do…and she uses it to express her opinion. again…as many do. As even we do…here…on this site.

You say there are people with “real issues”. Yes! Exactly! And that’s what Nancy and many of us on “the other side” are fighting for and upset about. Start with healthcare. Not sure if you are on The Afforidable Care Act. Perhaps you’re not and you feel your rates have gone higher. Fair complaint. Everyone knows the program has to be tweeked so that those who need the help to GET healthcare can afford it…and those whose premiums have gone up will see their rates go down. That’s what Clinton..Bernie wanted. Not Trump. Not Pence. They want to get rid of it and if an indivdual or family can’t afford it on their own…tough. Nancy fights for women’s rights, for equal pay… she fights against racism and anti-semtism…about respecting ALL relgions…she fights against the neo-Nazis who praise Trump and who Bannon has affiliatons with. .Trump…Pence…are not for people with real problems. They’re for people with money and who share the same politics and/or faith as they do.That is not a govt for “all ” the people.

You say that “if your life revolves around the White House you need help…” LOL! The White House dictates minimum wage, health care…who lives and who dies literally for those who won’t be able to afford health care…it’s the finger on the nuclear code…it’s how we interact with foreign dignitaries and the alliances we make and break. There’s a lot at stake here and this presidency is very dangerous to basic human rights. I LOVE Nancy’s voice and I’m glad she’s out there sharing her concerns with both intelligence and humor. She’s a welcome ally for many of us.

I think Nancy deserves the Emmy because she is an amazing actress period.
And as a private citizen she is afforded first amendment rights and she should be allowed to speak her mind.
Our country is in a horrible crisis, anxiety levels are up for so many reasons.
We are going to have to stick together for the next two years or so for however long it takes this man to be removed from office.
Let Nancy express herself–it’s well within her rights. Frankly, I’d be disappointed in her if she refrained from speaking out about women’s rights, climate change, public education, etc. etc. Besides, the daytime Emmys are not even televised right now so you won’t be forced to sit through a political speech.

PS. Well said, Rebecca 1. You’re one heck of a good writer

Thanks, Rhonda! I always admire your writing and views, as well. 🙂

Bravo, Meg!

What Meg said.

Thak goodness I do not follow social media, Shay. I’m sure my blood pressure would rise even more than it already has.
I’d rather indulge myself in studying the firmament, and lunar activity. Ha!
Anywayyyyy….about Jax. I am usually so very good in detecting your little nuances, Shay. I must be losing my touch.
I am so disgusted with these people, LOL. How does one go from breaking up with one’s mate and the next second Carly is making out with another? Oh, yeah, I forgot. Best remedy to get over a heartache or a disagreement is to sleep around .
I expected Nelle ( brava) to come clean with her ‘mise en scene’ in Sonny’s boudoir, but, wouldn’t you know it? It had to coincide with the climaxing ( pardon the pun) moment Carly and Jax are doing the thing. Ha!!
For real?……as my son is wont to say.

Regardless of anyone’s side of the political spectrum, many people watch soaps to escape for a short time from the real world.

The discussion point is about NLG’s performance. Let’s try to avoid political talk on this blog. There’s plenty of other venues for that.

You are right, Steve, and I apologize to you and the rest of the MF crowd for jumping in the fray…..As you can well see from my initial post, I didn’t instigate the political aspect of the discussion on this thread, but at some point, one does feel the need to defend one’s views and leaders when they are being repeatedly excoriated. To not challenge such negative assertions is allowing them to continue to be falsely propagated, and that is simply unacceptable. Having said that, I am more than willing to give up the political “chit-chat” as long as the same holds true for everyone else here…probably not a bad idea, in fact.

In a world where she is a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign which was ranked among the top 50 universities in the world.

So, if you want to compare Nancy, a proponent of human rights who advocates against racism, sexism, anti-semitsm, agism, etc…to Bannon who Bannon was a founding member of the board of Breitbart News, an online far-right opinion and commentary website which has “pushed racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic material into the vein of the alternative right, I’d go with Nancy every time. You? You made your choice clear as well. I think it speaks to who we both are.

Thanks, Celia…much, much appreciated, as always.

Have a good one.

Later, my friend.

Celia

Your points about Alex impersonating Anna both then and this week are spot on!

I will disagree about Liesl and Valentin. There was no interaction between the two at Maxie and Nathan’s wedding. Also, Liesl told Anna she wasn’t familiar with him. Going back to Liesl’s conversation with Helena, Nathan was established not to be a Cassadine. Whether he knows this (or not) is confusing because he doesn’t interact like a relative in scenes with Alexis or Sam.

@Steve.
Thank you, Steve.
I see your point; but, Liesl is one conniving lady. LOL. she can be devious when she chooses to be. But, how can we be sure she really foes not ‘know’ Valentin, in the biblical sense or otherwise?
Could she be so terrified of him she will deny having had anything to do with him?
These stories, as we well know, can take any direction. Dr. O’s words still echo and rattle within the brain….she did divulge that Nathan’s father was much, much worse than Victor.
Yet, I get this feeling that TPTB are trying to de-demonize Valentin. It seems to me they are starting to portray him as a victim. Imagine that!!
I am either very confused, naive or not getting the grip/gist of where the writers are going with this. LOL.

I can’t imagine anyone having had relations with Valentin pre-surgery. The fact that Anna has now said she did was both telling as to her ability to look beyond the surface…and a surprise. Though…sort of doesn’t make sense because she supposedly pushed him away when he tried to kiss her and he felt rejected. Which is it???

Hi, Rhonda,
I remember Dr. Alexandra Devane having a son Aidan whom, I think, was reared by a third sister, Lindsay.
There is sort of a gray area within this story; in that the sisters’ mother, Charlotte ( who turned out not to be their mother, afterall), was a very evil woman who meant them all harm.
I suspect that Charlotte was actually, Valentin’s mother….imagine that!!!! Ergo, he named his daughter after his mother. Too much of a coincidence?
I loved AMC, Rhonda. I remember watching, specifically, Aidan’s and Greenlee’s romance ( along with Y&R) between classes, every chance I had.
Apparently, Charlotte sent Alex to seduce Valentin in Anna’s stead.
But, now, since Anna’s revelation of remembering sleeping with Valentin, I’m not sure, anymore.
My grandmother thinks that Anna is not being truthful to Valentin…..that she is in touch with Alex and are working together to expose Valentin’s possible treachery. In other words, Anna is repeating Alex’s memories.
But, I’m thinking that was not Anna with Valentin, yesterday; but Alex instead. Hmmmm.