My favorite GH mannerism is the way she nervously purses her lips, sometimes after every other word: "Barnabas [PURSES LIPS].  We must [PURSES LIPS] find her [PURSES LIPS].  We must [PURSES LIPS].  Now [PURSES LIPS]!"  

I have always been enthralled by the way Lara Parker can quaver her lips in anger.  I have tried to do this myself without moving my jaw, but I just can't.  It must be a fine-motor skill, like rolling one's r's.  

And as for words like "frightened" and "fond," the one that comes to my mind is "rest."  No one ever sleeps at Collinwood.  They "rest."  And judging from how easy it is to find these folks at 3 a.m., up and about (and fully dressed), I don't think they even "rest"!

Ben

Wait for me, wait for me!!  I missed tuning into our Forum for a day, and look at what I have become ... a straggler.  

I hope your birthday was a great one, Bob.  You have many loyal friends on this board.  It was great chatting with you at the Fest piano party, and thanks for enabling me to chat live from the piano (via your cellphone) with our good friend Guy.

What a great b-day website!  You grew up so fast in those photos ... are you sure your real name isn't Jeb Hawkes??  

Ben

That way, Willie can stay home and watch Johnny Carson's opening monologue and subsequent "Mighty Carson Art Players" dramatic presentations on the "Tonight Show" ...

Bob the Bartender, who misses Johnny's witty repartee with Ed McMahon, Doc Severinsen, and, of course Tommy Newsome.

And wasn't there more than just witty repartee between Johnny and a certain guest who looked remarkably like Angelique?  Or, if Willie gets up to change the channel (does anyone under 25 remember that? ), he might have caught genial hosts like Merv and Mike interviewing Barnabas and Liz look-alikes.

Ben
(who just knows that in another time, Pansy Faye would have been a regular on Johnny or Merv)

Willie asked if they could be friends and she replied "Yes." I think Willie pinned a little too much hope on this casual friendship; Barnabas has chided him about his unrequited love for Maggie, and he still dreams of being with her some day.
Chris

Well said, Chris.  I am always touched by this side of Willie -- a credit to John Karlen's brilliance in developing an unlikely dimension of his character.  He  believably infused a childlike innocence into a ne'er-do-well petty thief.  

Karlen's sensitivity also made me feel sorry for Willie during earlier storylines when Barnabas was especially condescending toward him.    

Ben

Willie had a good one today as he tried to make Barnabas admit his feelings for Julia--saying something to the effect of "You know that's not the way you don't want it to be."

Whatever, Willie...

The beauty of Willie's character was that he was so excitable, stammered a lot, was not well-spoken, and could be occasionally incoherent, so that if John Karlen blanked out on a line, he could practically get away with saying anything he wanted, and it wouldn't seem like an obvious blooper.  

Ben

Hi, Scout 75:

Wry, clever, droll, silly, and riotous -- all rolled into one!  Love the up-to-the-minute references to Roger Davis and our very own ProfStokes (who should be flattered to be mentioned), as well as the one-word one-liners ("Lulu," "Twiggy").  

You should write a sketch that a bunch of us on this board can perform (and steal the show with) at next year's Fest.

Will ya, please, will ya??
Ben

Very nice photos, Teresa!  And it was nice meeting you at the Fest.

Ben

Hey Dom,

I was delighted to discover your inaugural post, for it was great meeting you in Anaheim last week.  

As you and many others know, Ben is my real name.  When I first began posting, it never occurred to me to adopt a different moniker, but then people have told me that Ben could be treated as a DS character (Ben Stokes), too.

You did inspire me to give my avatar a badly needed update.

It was refreshing to hear that your early memories of the show were "faint," for I'm sometimes intimidated by the true diehards who remember with great detail their very first DS ep.  The earliest storyline I can remember  is of Quentin's ghost and the haunted telephone, and I craved the DS soundtrack LP, which I got as a Christmas present in 1969 -- this led me to conclude that I first started viewing DS that year.  But then I also distinctly recall the names Cassandra Collins and Victoria Winters, so I must have begun watching earlier than that.  Exactly when will always be a mystery.   ?!?

So who'd have thought that 30 years later, I'd have the luxury of being able to view the entire series?   It was even more thrilling to come home from work every night to watch the two eps taped earlier that day, than it was to run home from school every afternoon to catch the last 15 or 20 minutes on my family's b&w Sears Silvertone.

Our dear henry referred me to a previous incarnation of this board in March of 2000.  Back then, as now, it was a most astute, collegial, and fun bunch.  I wanted to attend my first DS Fest that July, but a family reunion in LA three weeks before the Fest made it impractical to travel twice to California in the same month.   While waiting for the next one in 2001, I got to know more of the great folks on this board, so that attending my first fest almost felt more like a sort of family reunion!

Welcome, Dom ... you're among family here.

Ben