Check out this preview of Monday's As the World Turns. It looks like Henry (Trent Dawson) and Vienna's (Ewa Da Cruz) fun is interrupted by Margo (Ellen Dolan).

Now that it increasingly looks like the direction of our country, which is in the midst of the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, is going to be decided by Joe the Plumber, there are other debate topics that could consume us until Election Day and beyond.

FREE TRADE: Last post, I expressed a desire that Jack get off the Carly/Janet merry-go-round once and for all. The fact that he was literally trying to get with Carly in several episodes, only to turn to Janet within those same episodes, nearly drove me crazy. So imagine my delight when in a series of very well-written scenes Janet discovered at least part of the nature of Jack's oscillation. To put it bluntly, Jack was on the verge of boinking Carly while Janet was downstairs in their house. Janet confronted Jack and said those words I always long to hear a female soap character say: "I don't want you to want me so that you don't want her!" and "I don't want to be your consolation prize. I deserve better than that, don't you think?" Brava! READ MORE

Gentle readers, I apologize for not having posted about Oakdale, but business called me away on business and I haven't been able to get back to the business of Oakdale's business until now:

Carly/Jack/Janet: The chemistry between Maura West & Michael Park jumps off the screen, but I'm just feeling that this seemingly endless seesaw Jack and Carly have been riding has got to stop once and for all. READ MORE

Congrats to Daytime Confidential listener and reader MarkDutchViewer who had his "Ask the Actor" question answered by As the World Turns' Trent Dawson, who portrays Henry Coleman, in the second clip. This is one of those features that you really have to hand it to As the World Turns. I always enjoy watching As the World Turns' actors respond to the "Ask the Actor" questions.