I don't watch '24' because I prefer more realistic and plausible shows like 'Heroes' and 'Battlestar Galactica'. For wild fantasy I watch 'Studio 60'.

Just to be clear, I was NOT consulted for this season's shenanigans... That was two seasons ago, if I recall correctly.

:-)

I went with "The Russians Are Coming". There's a little conflict, but they're pretty nice to each other. Guns go off a few times, but they don't want anyone to really get hurt.

More my speed. Easier on the adrenaline too.

Raysdad thinks I watch 24 because of its superior action-adventure qualities. Actually, it's because its such a rich source of humor. I think they need a guy and two robots commenting on it real-time ala MST3K.

'Mudge, bc;

I think Raysmom has something here... She can produce, 'Mudge will be the guy, and bc and I make pretty good robots...

:-)

And that family last night obviously didn't watch previous seasons. If a kidnapper demands you do something No Good Can Come Of It. And he's likely to kill you (and your family and assorted small animals) anyway.

"I think they need a guy and two robots commenting on it real-time ala MST3K"

This applies to nearly everything on TV these days. That's why it's nice to have a couple of teenagers in the house.

Oh and Tivo. Can't live without that, either. Sometimes it's amazing what you can discover with a little rewind and slow-mo.

Please note that Canada's funny man Shaun Majumder is the one who kept his cool and pushed the "doom button" and destroyed LA.

http://www.22minutes.com/index.php?page=bios

Scotty, I have to decline the producer assignment. It's impossible to produce while rolling on the floor laughing. On the other hand, someone did produce last night's episodes...

Silly me watched the Golden Globes last night. I prefer watching over-enhanced starlets in low cut gowns to people chomping on carotid arteries. I'm obviously in the minority.

I don't watch "24" and am not especially a Kiefer Sutherland fan (prefer his dad, at least in the old days of "Klute" and M*A*S*H). Maybe it's all the whispering, but with my failing bad right ear, I keep saying, "Hah? Hah? Whaddy say? Hah?"

Which should in no way hamper my ability to be an expert commentator on the show.

Of course Jack Bauer is Canadian too and we have more chance to see him back than vapourized Majumder. I remember seeing little Jack at some Expo's baseball games with his father Casanova.

Majumder may be back as an anonymous sweating swarty bad guy though, since they all alike nobody will notice. Shaun make a great sweaty guty btw, it is one of his regular schtick.

I only watched it once, while out of town in a nice rustic setting. It seemed sort of a microwave version of the world. In the late 1800s, Parisians even had time to eat the zoo animals while under siege. Then in the 1940s, it took 900 days to starve half of the residents of Leningrad. Months for assorted other mass slaughters. Frebombing provided a shortcut, then nukes.

Wouldn't imminent destruction of LA be more exciting if the city had proper urban infrastructure, like bullet trains to SF and SD, plus 100 miles of subways (up to 300 feet below the surface, just like Pyonyang) and maybe a catacomb under the Getty, a bit like the National Palace Museum in Taipei, just in case the art's in danger?

Now ya gotta laugh at this: Scooter Libby's lawyer says that "inaccurate and inflamatory" publicity prejudice Libby's right to a fair trial.

God knows, Arbusto and Cheney et al. would NEVER use inaccurate data and inflammatory language to, you know, like, start a war or anything. Goodness me.

I've never watched 24, but the descriptions are fascinating, in a train wreck sort of way. I've no objection to it, I just don't watch much TV that the Boy can't see. Besides, it is always my ambition to turn the television off.

That carotid artery thing sounds awfully familiar. I'm sure some character in a book used something like that. No, wait, wasn't it in Kill Bill (I or II, I forget which)? Or Silence of the Lambs? Or maybe both. Who'd have thought this could be such a popular move? I hope folks don't try this at home.

Maybe I haven't been paying attention, but didn't somebody else (not Scooter) already admit to the leak? Or is my brain still on life support after 4 hours of 24 and even more of football?

Raysmom, in typical Washington fashion, Libby isn't in trouble for leaking--he's in trouble for lying to cover it up.

Never seen a single episode of "24" so can't say much there.

But I did just notice "Think Tank Town" (left sidebar on Opinions homepage) and am reminded that while a little alliteration can be a Very Good Thing in poetry, it's not quite as effective when used to name something intended to be taken seriously.

Good point, Ivansmom.

How do you practice the carotid bite?

I can see people practicing the Vulcan neck pinch at home (just keep ice handy in case someone hits a piece of furniture on the way down), but the carotid bite, I dunno...

Hey, what's this about making me a Manbot?
Jeez, typecast again.

bc

TBG's right, Raysmom. Richard Armitage copped to being the leak (although I think the others were doing it, too; it just happened to be Armitage that talked to Novak.)

I can't wait for them to get Cheney on the stand.

Procecutor: Mr. Vice President, I have only one question for you. Please tell the honorable court and this jury why you, sir, are such a smacked a$$?

Chney: Bite me, pops.

bc;

Well hey, I have the large, round, empty head, so I'm obviously Tom Servo...

:-)

TBG's right, Raysmom. Richard Armitage copped to being the leak (although I think the others were doing it, too; it just happened to be Armitage that talked to Novak.)

I can't wait for them to get Cheney on the stand.

Procecutor: Mr. Vice President, I have only one question for you. Please tell the honorable court and this jury why you, sir, are such a smacked a$$?

Chney: Bite me, pops.

Ivansmom... It may have been in "Silence of the Lambs" (don't remember, having not seen it in its entirety), but I would imagine that a chunk of fresh carotid would go down nicely with a nice Chianti.

Definitely not good with a Chardonnay or pouilly fuisse.

(trying to post this again, as HAL is being all uppity and disfunctional)

Ivansmom, Hannibal severes a hurse's tongue and swallows it in the period before the action of SoTL. Famously, his pulse never gets over 65-68 doing so. The carotid thing has been done so often in cheap action-thriller books and movies that I can remember only one. Frédéric Dard a.k.a. San-Antonio whom "recycled" an entire paragraph with that particular stunt in two books.

Speaking of train wrecks, this one is currently burning in Kentucky. Click on "Air3".
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=5944082&nav=0RZF

Clue: never approach a train wreck as close as this firetruck did, propane tank car may go BOOM into the night when exposed to fire. Diameter of the fireball: 1 mile. Also note that the water from the truck may contribute the burning liquid advance in the ditches.

TBG, Mudge, thanks for the clarification. Seemed to have missed that particular plot point.

I usually don't SCC (you can guess why) but I have to say Hannibal cut the tongue of a NURSE with his teeth.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14533384/site/newsweek/

As it turned out, Novak wasn't the only person Armitage talked to about Plame. Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward has also said he was told of Plame's identity in June 2003. Woodward did not respond to requests for comment for this article, but, as late as last week, he referred reporters to his comments in November 2005 that he learned of her identity in a "casual and offhand" conversation with an administration official he declined to identify. According to three government officials, a lawyer familiar with the case and an Armitage confidant, all of whom would not be named discussing these details, Armitage told Woodward about Plame three weeks before talking to Novak. Armitage has consistently refused to discuss the case; through an assistant last week he declined to comment for this story. Novak would say only: "I don't discuss my sources until they reveal themselves."

Sorry for the double post--Moveable Type seemed to eat it the first time.

Speaking of bagel breaks and "bite me," etc., yesterday my wife and I ate lunch in a "Five Guys" restaurant in Fredericksburg, Va., which has the biggest shopping mall complex (Central Park, it's called) that I have EVER seen. Every chain restuarant know to Western Civilization is in there (along with a few mom-and-pop Chinese places), to say nothing of every Big Box store in the world.

Anyway, I'd never been in a Five Guys before but heard they were good. And they are. The french fries are incredible--better than Boardwalk fries, even (and cooked in peanut oil--the best way, IMHO). My wife ordered what they call a "Little Cheeseburger," which I thought would be what the name implies. So me, being a manly man-type guy an' all, order the "regular" ol' ordinary cheeseburger. Well, no one told me (and the sign didn't say) that an "ordinary" ol' cheeseburger is two patties, not one, and bigger than any Mickey D's-type burgers. These were as close to home-shaped and home-cooked burgers as I've ever had anywhere. Really outstanding.

My wife and I agreed to split a single order of fries, which come in "small" and "large," and they have a styrofoam cup of each size to show you how big the order is. So I order one large to split between us (me being that manly-man guy-type guy an' all). What they don't tell you is that they fill that styrofoam cup, put it in a brown paper bag--and add another 400 french fries to it. I've never seen that many fries. I think they were $3.79 for the large, but jeezy-peezy. This had to be about 8 rational servings. Unreal.

I ate half the cheeseburger and maybe (with my wife) a third of the fries, and took the remainder home and zapped them in the microwave for dinner (which was about all I was able to cook anyway, being exhausted). Zapped french fries are ordinarily pretty yucky, but these survived even that outrage pretty well. Ate maybe a quarter of them and divided the rest into two ziplock bags and threw 'em in the freezer. These are, like, the never-ending supply of french fries to go with the parable of the fishes and the loaves.

Front page alert!

'Mudge;

Having shopped often at Central Park when I lived in F-burg only a couple short years ago, I can tell you it's all nanobot-based, and the whole place has gone into self-replication mode. I fear the point at which it's mass exceeds the Chandrasekhar limit.

:-)

SCC: its

Feh.

RIP Benny Parsons, NASCAR champ and my favorite commentator.

Also the sax player Michael Brecker of the Brecker Bros.

It's an amazing day for political rumors. So far:
1. Fidel Castro's medical condition (Lies! according to Cuban sources)
2. Possible peace deal between Israel and Syia (quickly dismissed by both parties)
3. Iran's president is in trouble and might be impeached (Guardian Unlimited website). One complaint, it seems, is that he's visiting Latin America while there's a crisis back home. I wonder if he was planning a sneak meeting with the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan), who was also planning to visit Nicaragua. That's about enough info for a supermarket tabloid to proclaim "Teheran-Taipei Axis"

I watched the first season of 24, and then sometime over its hiatus, mrdr discovered the Golf channel. From that point on, I had no control over the one satellite remote. I read a lot. Now that we have more than one sat receiver, I can watch anything. Just not '24'. I now have a not so secret addiction to the History Channel.

Besides, I am pretty sure that they killed everyone but Jack in the first season. Except for Edgar and Audrey (according to Dave B.) whoever they are.

I am now sneaking off to a corner to laugh my patootie off that 24 was making sure they were not plausible. You have brightened my day enourmously Scotty.

Thanks for the front-page alert, EF. Since "24" is the subject, we're really gonna get invaded. I'm opening up the bunker right now (needless to say, there's plenty of french fries to go around, but somebody bring the ketchup) just in case it gets ugly. You guys in the midwest and Tornado alley, head for your storm cellers.

i'm surprised they didnt make a point of the fact that the bomb was detonated in valencia, ca which is "20 minutes" from LA according to 24, but is listed as 41 minutes according to google-maps. it is also separated from LA by two substantial mountain ranges, i think this would have limited the casualities to just the people who live in the valencia, santa-clarita area. also the location of the bomb, is right next to six flags magic mountain, which may be sold or shutdown in the future, i wonder if six-flags increased their insurance policy for magic mountain within the 24-world

Why the raw umbrage alert, mudge? Did Joel draw Jack Bauer using the wrong style car to run over terrrrists with?

There seem to be Five Guys everywhere. A couple of years ago I insisted on a day trip to Alexandria to eat at the original for Father's Day instead of a steak dinner. Now that they are on every corner, they have lost a ton of cachet in my book. On to the next obscure local cheap eats chain.

Speaking of wildly discordant Google Ads, anyone getting this mix?

Humorous Anti-Bush Stuff
Send a message and have a laugh. Stickers, t-shirts, buttons, etc.
www.BeatBushGear.com

USA Is In Bible Prophecy
What every Christian should know Could the Final Conflict be Here?
www.artisanpublishers.com

Coffee Exposed
A shocking secret coffee co's don't want you to know.

Grrrr... 2 posts lost now (not that they were earth-shattering or important).

I think it's time to unplug HAL -- or reload him with Linux and a better attitude.

Or sober him up.

Was Jack Bauer's bagel break a subtle political statement about liberal complacency in the face of The Terrorist Scourge? Or, is it really possible to find a good bagel in LA?

i was in the santa clarita area last night. didn't notice any bombs, but it was pretty chilly.

shek, i think it depends how you define l.a. - technically, the san fernando valley is l.a., and the santa clarita area is about 20 minutes from there. valencia would be further from downtown l.a. though.

And here's another question: If a nuclear bomb destroyed a small part of LA, would anyone notice six months later? Would the San Fernando Valley take advantage of the immediate confusion and invade Thousand Oaks? Most important, would it shorten the lines at The Pantry?

Regarding cheeseburgers (2nd attempt):

Mudge said: "These were as close to home-shaped and home-cooked burgers as I've ever had anywhere."

There was a little Mom/Pop shop around here that used to advertise "hand-spanked patties". I'm pretty sure they wore latex gloves while spanking them.

I still wonder, though: Did the "hand-spanking" thing keep them in business for four months? Or was it why they went out of business after four months?

I also wonder what the local women named "Patty" thought of this.

LAlurker, i'm defining LA in terms of geography that would allow for the most casualties, if the bomb had been detonated downtown, with how large and flat the LA basin is, there would have been a lot more deaths, i'm in canoga park, and would assume the mountains between me and valencia would have protected me, which is a safe assumtion since jack was in granada hills when the bomb went off (not sure about the radiation effects though, but i would think the winds would typically carry the rad to the east)

Sorry, that was three questions, wasn't it. My fault, sorry.

I just read where Bill Marriott started his own blog

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/15/AR2007011501348.html

I just recently started working for Marriott and love the job...well maybe not the 2 late night shifts,but the people and guests.

I get to use my "gift of gab"to it's fullest extent.

yellojkt, I live way down at the ends of the earth, in southern Merlin, where there are no Five Guys (that I'm aware of), so they were a novelty to me. In southern Merlin, they are just now getting around to replacing the "Esso" gas station signes with that new outfit, Exxon.

If an a-bomb really had been exploded near LA, I'm sure we would have seen it on TV by now: Billy Bush would have had a piece on Access Hollywood about what clothes the stars were wearing when the bomb went off. Wolfgang Puck would have created a new pizza at Spago containing wheat germ, sprouts, iodine crystals, and sprinkled with iridium. Jennifer Anniston would have made up with someone, or broken up with someone, I forget which. Larry King would have interviewed the mother of somebody whose daughter once lived in LA and was a go-go dancer in Laughlin, Nevada. PETA would have put out a press release denouncing the wanton killing of feral pussy cats in the region of the blast. Ann Coulter would have blamed it all on Bill Clinton.

Oh yeah, we'd have heard by now.

Anybody wanna take odds that maybe Castro actually IS dying this time? I give him 48 hours (I'd have said 24 hours, but given the context, I didn't want to appear to be plagarizing).

yello... they may have lost their cachet for you, but Five Guys burgers have not lost any quality. They have very specific requirements for owning a franchise and really try to keep quality consistently good. I think they've done a fine job.

My Five Guys hint? Order ahead and pick it up. The burger only gets better stewing in its own juices in the bag and as Mudge points out, the fries stay nice. Gotta make sure to pick up some of that malt vinegar, though, for the fries.

The Post wrote about them last year...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/02/AR2006040200723.html

Maybe Five Guys is the controversy we'll need the bunker for.

i guess they didn't want to kill off absolutely everybody in the season opener.

a real terrorist would go for an l.a. basin target for the reasons you mention.
unless they just really hate magic mountain.

As well they should.

I'm feeling gloomy today and can't blame it on the weather because our weather here is fabulous--sunny, breezy (zephyrs!), about 85 degrees.

I can think of several explanations for my Eeyore mood but the only one that has any connection to today's topic is Fred Grimm's Miami Herald column about Jose Padilla: torture is not justice, and the United States of America is condoning and inflicting entirely too much misery. We need more law and order and less cruelty.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/16468032.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

What's the connection? Well, I haven't seen the show but I've been hearing about it. 24 isn't much about judicial process, is it. It's not much about law or government, more about force and violence and, yes, torture. Can we as a society afford this type of entertainment, when we are in such a compromised moral position?

Well, there I go again, it happens every time; when the subject is torture and man's inhumanity to man, my sense of humor goes right out the window.

So this isn't the "humor" category, but I'm slipping it in as an "observation."

Television is now so desperately hungry for material that they're scraping the top of the barrel.

Gore Vidal

i was in b'more a while back, and skipped 5 guys, for a reason of which i am not entirely sure.

cowtown - a guy i used to work for new a jewish family from new york who moved to LA to open a bagel shop. they couldn't get the bagels to come out right, no matter what they did. they even had their water trucked in from new york. no dice. new york is the perfect bagel making environment.

snuke - what about thursday? did i come back just in time for some sort of BPH? and what's this about a grey goo outbreak in fredericksburg?

i watched the first two seasons of 24, but then i blew out the shocks on my disbeliefmobile. i mean, come on. one really awful day fighting terrorists? okay. two? that's bad luck. but three? i mean really, how many large scale terrorist attacks can one guy foil before the terrorists learn to take him out before they even try anything?

scc - knew.

"you have a case of what my old piano teacher, mrs. mellinger, used to call 'stupid fingers'."

I've fantasized about taking out Magic Mountain myself. Not that I ever would (will you PLEASE get off the line, Cheney?), but as the father of a Disney-addicted four-year-old, all I can say is "I HOPE YOU DIE IN A FIRE, MICKEY MOUSE. AND ALL YOUR HIGGLYTOWN HERO FRIENDS, TOO!"

But I'm not bitter or nuttin'.

Really.

It's just that the silly songs stick with you. They stick, you see. To your brain.

Liquid Nails and Crazy Glue have nothing on Disney.

Stick. Stick. Stick.

Even blasting the Ramones at the mythical Spinal Tap "11" setting can't fix this.

I'm doomed.

You're correct, kbertocci. In fact, "24" is popular among many conservatives & neo-cons (notice I said "many," which denotes journalistic standards of fairness and the Ceaseless Quest for Truth) because it shows torture "working." "Aggressive Questioning" is GOOD. Jack Bauer does it - that's PROOF!

sparks;

Yes indeed, the ritual invasion of the M&S on K St. shall begin at the usual Bat-time on Thursday.

:-)

sparks;

Yes indeed, the ritual invasion of the M&S on K St. shall begin at the usual Bat-time on Thursday.

:-)

Dave of C, Thanks for the rumor mill tips and spelling Taiwan's official name right. What a pleasant surprise. As for Tehran-Taipei alliance, not so sure we have mastered the Arabic yet. Might as well lost in translation.

Not to mention that Jack Bauer is a construction of (those danged) Hollywood liberals. We now know the truth: everybody craves a little good old-fashioned torture.

Even "Buffy the Vampire-Slayer" and "Angel" had the occasional scene of torture. Of course, it was held up as an act of evil and revenge. No fantasies about useful information being derived from torture (whereas the THREAT of torture was suggested as being somewhat more effective). When committed by a "good" character, it always was part of a character with a problem, who was hitting rock bottom. I don't recall any story trying to sell us on the idea that torture is a good thing, or justified (well, maybe in one case).

I blame my sister. She's the one who hooked me on "Buffy". It's all her fault.

Repeating things occasionally helps...

Right??

:-)

martooni: "It's a Small World After All"
hee hee hee hah hah hah haa haaa, Bwah Hah HAh HAH HAH HAHA HAH
.
Um, I'm sorry. Don't know what came over me.

The comment bot ate this, I think, so I'll repost (or is that riposte?)

Thank you, CowTown, that incremental amount of validation has me feeling better already.

martooni, here's a book for you: Carl Hiaasen's "Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World." You may dislike Disney for personal reasons, but Carl did the research. He'll give you the ammunition you need to rant as long as you want.

http://www.amazon.com/Team-Rodent-Disney-Devours-World/dp/0345422805/sr=8-26/qid=1168977606/ref=sr_1_26/104-6807763-3007139?ie=UTF8&s=books

Sadly, I sha'n't be attending the BPH this Thursday. Been away for a couple weeks, y'know. It will be nice to spend some evenings with the family.

I believe I may have ScienceKid #2 interested in a family viewing of The Lion in Winter, some time in the next week or so. One of my favorite movies. I can hardly wait! We just watched "Harvey" together on Sunday. It was fabulous. "In the old days, kids, they didn't have much in the way of special effects, so they had to make do with writing, acting, and creativity, instead." ScienceKid #1 was thrilled with the various subtle, but unmistakable, hints that Harvey is real. This was the first time that I noticed some of the occasions in which Elwood (P.) Dowd acquires, between camera shots, an additional coat and hat that he needs to hang up.

SciTim;

You will be missed, of course.

"We're a knowledgable family."

:-)

And there's this, about the Millenium Bomber:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003527227_webressam16.html
"The decision does not necessarily mean Ressam will get a shorter term, as federal prosecutors said the original sentence was too light and judges are given wide latitude to sentence defendants as they see fit."

Which is probably why some people (even me) get fed up with dealing with terrorism in the courts. The fact that he was caught before he blew anything up was a fluke - but I'd like to see him locked up a good long time.

And there's this, too, which is troubling:
"But Ressam's cooperation came to a halt by early 2003, resulting in the charges being dropped against two other co-conspirators. His lawyers said years of solitary confinement, broken by periods of intense interrogation, had taken their toll on his mental health and corrupted his memory."

Thanks much, kb, for the link to Hiassen's book. Didn't know it existed. A kindred spirit with Vidal? Vidal also rants against "The Mouse," and particularly rants against Mouseness--the silly instruction that passes for history as taught in our schools, as well as the treacle that passes for television. News, too.

I have a set of Mickey Mouse ears at work. Years ago someone got them for all of our work group. I keep them around as an ironic statement - I'm not a Disney admirer - but people often interpret them in the opposite way. One colleague used to visit Disney Land or World at every opportunity, and had scrapbooks full of pictures, which he excitedly showed me.

Chcen in from twixt meetings.
Team Rodent is a goodie (so's "Native Tongue" FWIW).
The pic of Carl in the Mouse ears is priceless.

I have my own thoughts on Jack Bauer; I'll try to post them at some point this week. Lots of writing, lots of stuff to do.

Plus the BPH.

"Lion in Winter", oh, that's a great movie. Watched "Citizen Kane" with the older kids (12 & 15) this past summer, they 'got' it. Had to explain teletype and ticker tape, though.

bc

I liked taking my kids to Disneyworld. Sure, it was sugar-coated glucose, but it was very well-done sugar-coated glucose. And sometimes that's what a family needs.

M.I.C.(see you later)K.E.Y. Why because we want to blow you up. MOUSE

I guess all the mice will be running for everyone's house,now that the cold weather has set in.

I better go wake up my cats.

martooni - actually, the LA magic mountain is a six flags abomination not a disney one, but yes, i understand the recoil the mind goes into when barraged by the sickly sweet tunes of disney!!

gomer - you grew up in springfied? where'd you go to high school?

a transcript of bush's speech on 60 minutes...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/14/60minutes/main2359119_page5.shtml

and yello - i watched the globes last nite as well (did ya notice when helen mirren's dress got snagged and she walked up the stairs with part of her dress unzipped?)
i saw dreamgirls on sun and was absolutely BLOWN AWAY! and was sooooo happy that jennifer hudson (w00t!) and eddie murphy got awards. oh, and ugly betty/America Ferrera!!

also - in another moment of coinkidink - hugh laurie of house won for best actor and mentioned, in his speech, "kaboodle"...

On a side note, I like the subtle bit of of ironic humor in this Kit where Bauer slips off to Einstein Bros, and next thing you know, there's an atomic bomb going off.

He's crafty, that guy.

bc

kbertocci and CowTown,

Notwithstanding the fact that half of you have never seen the show, I would suggest that, like many things in this world, 24's reputation for being a "favorite of neo-cons and/or this administration" (my paraphrase) is unjustified and doesn't really stand up to the scrutiny of people who have actually paid attention to the show.

I would submit the following for your consideration:

A) The federal government is always bumbling. To the extent that their intelligence is always bad, and when they ignore the intelligence and rely on their "guts" it's almost always wrong.

B) When the Federal Government is not shown making bad decisions and/or bumbling, they are actively conspiring against the best interests of the country and it's citizens. For example, last year's entire plot centered around an ostensibly neo-con/Machiavellian president who was sponsoring international terror in an effort to secure the U.S.'s oil supply.

C) Torture is shown to work a slight majority of the time, but even when it works, there are consequences. On many occasions, torture has killed the prisoner without extracting any information. Just this year, the main terrorist is exceptionally motivated to get back at Bauer for torture/interrogation that Bauer committed against his brother. In 24-land, torture leads to nukes in L.A. Last year, Bauer tortured a fairly main character who appeared circumstantially guilty and was ultimately innocent of all charges. Said torture ultimately set of a chain of events that led to the death of that innocent person.

D) Terror on the show is only sometimes the result of Islamic terrorists. There have also been domestic terrorists, indeterminate terrorists of Slavic origin, (South) American drug lords. Very often, people are shown falsely accusing Muslims and are frequetly shown to be wrong.

E) Even when there are Islamic terrorists, the show goes to great lengths to suggest that American Muslims (and the majority of Muslims throughout the world) are not terrorists, and many actively assist Bauer and the (incompetent) CTU forces.

There are many more examples of the "duality" of 24. Like many aspects of life, people see what they want to see. I could make a fairly convincing counterargument that it is the product of a "vast left-wing conspiracy".

I'm pretty middle-of-the-road, and I would encourage everyone to take it for what it is, the modern progeny of the Saturday serialized action-adventure. Don't spend too much time worrying about its political slant; I think it is meant to be pure entertainment rather than allegory.

In his early days, before he was corrupted by fame and by the cheap glamour of the amusement park, Mickey was a brilliant, brilliant creation. Great animation.

One can imagine Uncle Walt, just before he slipped beneath the bubbling liquid nitrogen, whispering "Steamboat Willie..." as a snowglobe froze into his hand.

There's a modern reply to "Citizen Kane" in that story, if the right person comes along to accept the challenge. But he won't. (Come along, that is). Nor will she.

oh, and sasha baron cohen's acceptance speech was PRICELESS!!!!!!!! yeah, borat! (i really thought he would show up in character...)

A few years ago we spent the night in Anaheim to ride all the DisneyLand rides not available in FL. I tried to talk my son into Magic Mountain for some coaster riding, but he wanted to chill and watch Tomb Raider 2 at Grauman's Theater. So, I have no direct evidence of the evilness of Magic Mountain except that it seems to have been featured in every Mary Kate adn Ashley movie made.

In the subliminal slip category I noticed that the daveofthecoonties post led with the Castro health report. He's been watching local Miami news too much. Nowhere else in the country north of the Broward-Palm Beach line does any care what Fidel had for breakfast.

If it weren't for the sizable aging population of expatriates convinced they were going to get all their land back in some secret codicil of Castro's will, ther would be a lot less craziness in southern Florida. Not that the level would go down in absolute terms.

I was glad to see they detonated the nuke at the beginning of this season as opposed to a couple of seasons ago when we had to wait for the interminable 24th hour. Also, the president's aide who is chomping at the bit to turn stadiums and convention centers into Muslim holding facilities is a good amalgamation of the Scooter Libby/Dark Forces trend that characterizes some in our very own government.

I'm sure American Muslims are equally thrilled with this season's premise. It was especially cute to have us morally outraged at the sight of the FBI seemingly groundlessly arresting a middle-class Muslim dad only to have the son turn out to be a very nasty terrorist. Ouch.

As an expatriate Floridian, no trip back to homeland is complete without a pilgrimage to the Mouse. I last went back in April as part of a school band trip.

http://livebythefoma.blogspot.com/2006/04/visit-disney-bring-money.html

My feelings on the Empire are mixed, to say the least.

Awal,

Until you got to the part about the show going "to great lengths to suggest that American Muslims (and the majority of Muslims throughout the world) are not terrorists," I thought you were pointing out that 24 is just like our current administration (bumbling, bad decisions, torture).

It's not that I hate Mickey Mouse, per se.

I remember watching the Mickey Mouse Club in black and white when I was a kid. Annette... Annette... (swoon).

I don't know why, but I'm suddenly craving a peanut butter sandwich.

Seriously, though... I'm trying to finagle the finances so we can take Little Bean to Disney this summer. If I time it right, her grandfather will be in Orlando on leave from his job in Peru, so he can go spoil his grandaughter and deal with "The Rodent" while Mrs. Martooni and I kick back on a beach or something. Considering it costs something like $89,000/day for a family of 3 to hang out at Disney, I'll let him have the honors. ;-)

In the meantime, I think what I need is a CD of Monty Python songs.

Gotta fight silly with silly.

TBG

That is, in part, my point. 24 is a little like holding a mirror up to this administration. It may actually be a favorite show of neo-cons and Bush Republicans, but just because they can't see their reflection doesn't mean it isn't there.

It's somewhat analogous to how politicians once-upon-a-time grabbed on to the Springsteen song "Born in the USA". Many idiotic politicians liked/used the patriotic-sounding lyrics but that didn't mean that the song wasn't a scathing indictment of the Federal government and how it treated its Viet Nam veterans.

24 may not be quite as scathing as Springsteen, but it isn't exactly a love song to the Bush administration either.

Awal: I don't think your mirror metaphor works very well. If you hold a mirror up to this administration, the image isn't subjective at all; one would see reflected back the image of a lying craven bully who shows good cheer only when surrounded by fawning sycophants, all winking at one another while holding out their hands for further greasing.

*administering smelling salts to the boodle*

Wake up!

I'm pretty sure Cheney doesn't see himself in a mirror. His type doesn't leave reflections.

I've never watched 24, don't care for the son, but like the father. And I'm into animated stuff now, and I guess that comes from hanging around my grandchildren. There's so much blood and guts on television, not to mention, intimate relations, that one has difficulty finding something everyone can watch. Spongebob is safe, so is Jimmy Neutron.

Of course, I like a good movie. Anything that is a great story. That's hard to find, even on cable. I like the Lifetime Channel. I think those movies address issues facing families now, and they do a good job. I've been over the soaps, and I used to love them so. I see the lady that played Sally on the Bold and the Beautiful died. I liked her character, she was always up to something. No flies on that chick.

i think some people are confusing Magic Mountain with the Disney roller coaster Space Mountain...Magic Mountain is a Six Flags Amusement Park about a half-hour (no traffic) to the north/north-west of LA, furthermore, the Space Mountain coaster at Disneyland is far superior to the one at Disney World!

I just found on TV one of my all time favorite movies.The Electric Horseman with Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

It is on CMT

No violence,a little action,just a good story about setting a horse free.

KB, sorry you feel depressed. I hope I am not part of the problem. There's enough out here to keep one depressed, and looking at the headlines today concerning Iraq, no joy to be found there. I'm almost to the point where I don't want to hear about Iraq, but that will not make it go away. When I put myself in that parent's place that has a son or daughter there, it is beyond depression.

I keep praying, that is my comfort, and the only comfort as far as Iraq is concerned, because the news from Iraq is never good.

Cassandra - I just wanted to say that Jimmy Neutron is my personal hero. I want a dog like his. And a lab. Just not the hair.

And shek - you are right about the Space Mountain in Anaheim verses the one in Orlando. Haven't been there in two decades, but Disneyland just had an intensity about it that is hard to match.

Mudge, your take on that cheeseburger and those fries had my mouth watering. Because of the antibiotics, cannot have diary products and certain other foods. I've never heard of the eating place, perhaps there is one in a larger city here.

Slyness, do we have one of those in your area? Five Guys?

The boodle needs some of that stuff they used to sell in a bottle. It had a number in the name. Stuff smelled awful, but it was suppose to pep you up. I always thought it was the closest thing to snake oil. One could buy it from the Ladies Almanac, like the Carter liver pills. Any of you older folks know what I'm talking about? Am I the oldest thing on here, not counting Mudge?

yellojkt, mo, I watched the Golden Globes too - and noted that Hugh Laurie said kaboodle! I was so excited, but my feeble old brain forgot about it. I was glad he won - his speech was very funny. Glad to see Helen Mirren pick up a couple of awards, and America Ferrera and Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Hudson (I missed hers, though). Borat - too vulgar for me. And the Warren Beatty tribute - too loooong.

Geritol, Cassandra? (and you're only a year older than me, so you can't be that old!)

I admit I like Jimmy Neutron too, and hey, what's wrong with the hair? It is cool hair. I even (shudder) after long exposure, admit to enjoying Spongebob. I don't see much other than that, manga cartoons, and the Simpsons. However, I would note that the terrible teen and pre-teen situation comedies on Disney and Nick do have one redeeming facet: they often feature, or star, African-American kids who behave as "normally" as any other kid in that genre.

Speaking of the Rat, I used to carry a large plastic Mickey Mouse head as a lunch box. It hinged at the bottom and opened across the ears. People used to assume this must mean I really liked Mickey Mouse. I would assure them that, on the contrary, I just enjoyed carrying the Rat's head. That said, I look forward to taking the Boy to Anaheim this Spring Break. It is time. We're going with a friend who, in another life, put up amusement park rides. He won't go on ANYTHING, but has told us where to look for the E-stop, should we be foolhardy enough to risk our lives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/world/middleeast/16cnd-iraq.html?

The 2006 casualty report by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq was based on figures provided by from the Medico-Legal Institute in Baghdad and hospitals around the country. It estimated that 34,452 civilians died from violence in 2006 -- an average of 94 a day -- and that an additional 36,685 were wounded.

The Iraqi government, by contrast, released figures earlier this month putting the civilian death toll for 2006 at 12,357. An Iraqi Health Department official criticized the United Nations tally on Tuesday as "exaggerated," news agencies reported. After an earlier United Nations report on civilian casualties, the government ordered morgues and hospitals to stop releasing information. [so much for accuracy...a totaliarian state has no use for freedom of the press]

The White House spokesman, Tony Snow, told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that "it's 100 percent obvious that civilian casualty numbers are way too high." ...

The highest estimates of the civilian toll so far have come from a team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In a study published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, they estimated that 600,000 Iraqis had died from violence between March 2003 and July 2006, basing their analysis on a survey of 1,849 households in 47 neighborhoods across Iraq.

Sacha Baron Cohen...juvenile male locker room humor. Blech.

Space Mountain, Magic Mountain, Thomas Mann, who cares. Nuke 'em both.

Green, Electric Horseman is one of my favorite movies, too--and one I think very underrated. I know it's always fashionable to bash Jane Fonda, but the fact is, in this movie (and in Klute) you see that she is a VERY good actress. In both movies her character isn't very likeable at the beginning, and has a "shell." And as both movies progress, you see that shell gradually disappear or break or dissolve, to see someone vulnerable underneath. That is damned hard to do on film (and you also forget she is Jane Fonda, which for many actors is also a problem. For instance, you can't watch a John Wayne movie without knowing it's John Wayne).

Gee, time to run for the bus. Don't know if my modem at home will be working tonight or not. If you don't hear from me you'll know why.

Mostlylurking, Geritol it is! We need a big heaping spoonful of that stuff.

I know I'm not that old, just feel old in the body. I've always felt older, even as a child. I think it had something to do with being the oldest child, and bearing much of the responsibility of the home because of that status. I started working before I got my worker's permit. My mother took me along with her when she cleaned houses. By the time I graduated to a worker's permit, I had some years under my belt, even driving a school bus.

And pleasssssssssssse, don't get me started on that job. It was a nightmare.

Nope, Cassandra, no Five Guys around here. I guess we need to go to NoVa to try them. We went by one during Christmas when we were meeting the in-laws for dinner in Woodbridge. That's the only reason I know what Mudge and TBG are talking about!

Cassandra, I think Geritol was the pick-me-up stuff. My parents used to make my brother and I take a tablespoon full every morning, kind of like a vitamin (this was before kid's vitamins were ever invented, much less made to look like candy). Blecky! Awful stuff.

But here's a secret: peppermint (or any kind of a mint) is a pick-me-up. Since I'm diabetic, my wife gets me the sugar-free York peppermint patties (the quarter-sized ones), and I'm allowed one a day. Yeah, I know. But I've gotten to look forward to it (Pavlovian training, I'm sure--every marriage features some of it).

i. think. sasha baron cohen. did. the. best. speech. ever! absolutely hilarious! (and yes, i laff at fart jokes too - sue me :p )

um... i hafta point out this google ad i've got at the bottom of my screen... uh... huh????...

Terrorism Ringtones
Get Terrorism ringtones by Xtc instantly!
GetPhoneTones.com/Xtc

TBG, bc, RDP, 'Mudge, and all my fellow DC Boodlers...

I think if we split a full Five Guys' meal for two between us all, that'd be a pretty good deal to get Slyness and Cassandra up here. Who's in?

:-)

Here's a blast from the past:

Are you feeling tired and run down lately? This could be from tired blood. Iron-deficiency anemia. If so, try Geritol, nature's tonic. And for the kiddies at home, try Geritol Junior.

(And remember, Serutan is 'nature's' spelled backward!

I think this means that I'm older than Curmudgeon even!

mo, "terrorism ringtones" could be fun. Instead of an actual "tone," it just yells, "Death to the Western Infidels!" Minutes of fun for the whole family!

CowTown, think of the consequences of that ring going off in an airport security line! It would be hilarious, but only afterwards...

Hey, you guys want Cassandra and me to come, we'll make a way to get there! (Right, Cassandra?)

Alas, I once again must pass on the BPH. (You know the doctor from Gattaca? He's my favorite character.) That said, I think Five Guys just screams out for a BPH workday lunch. Just name the location, the date, and the time and I'll be there.

I killed it. My work here is done.

No school tomorrow either. At least our ice is only on the ground, not the trees, like the parts of Oklahoma I just saw on the national news.

Whoops. I hadn't committed Boodlecide at all; the only thing dead was the "refresh" button, which obviously did not refresh. Whew. I'm still homicide-free.

problem with a 5 guys bph lunch rd is that we are all so scattered over dc/va/md - the only one i can think of near the metro is in china town which is ages away from you... but i'm in - (5 guys... mmmmmmmmm...)

Ivansmom,

Not ice but here's my snow story for a diversion:

http://homepage.mac.com/errorflynn/Personal16.html

A Five Guys lunch in Chinatown is cool by me. In fact any lunch in Chinatown. Love that Orange Beef.

Hey--we could also do a lunch at The Post, the little corner bar/restaurant around the corner from the Post. Never know who might drop in...

One of the things I really miss about when my kids were small was that moment just after the older boys got on the school bus. You watched the bus leave the yard, and then you poured a cup of coffee and sat down content in the knowledge that someone else would be keeping track of your kids for the day.

And the worst moment was when the radio announced that buses were not running in your area, and you realized you didn't have anything to keep them busy with in the afternoon. This was in the days before video, so you knew in order to stay sane, you'd have to create something.

That was when you took a panicked look around and found all you really had in your entire house was brown paper bags. A brown paper bag must surely be one of the greatest creative acheivments of man. It holds stuff, like small cats. It can turn a small boy into a robot, prince charming or not so charming as the case may be. It can be made into a soccer ball for the indoors, if you fill it with scrunched up newspapers, and tie it securely. A brown paper bag can turn your floor into mountains for dinky toy cars. It can be a suitcase, a picnic basket and pillow on the same adventure under the cushion and blanket fort. I still keep some brown paper bags around, though now they are the huge and meant to be used for leaves and yard waste.

I envy you these extra days in a way, Ivansmom, and would do those over in a heartbeat.

Slyness, will give it serious thought, although at the moment I believe I need to keep my germs to myself.

It is medication time, and I think I will retire early. Have much to do tomorrow, if life lasts. Have a good evening everyone.

For many of us the day has been a little sad, and a little trying, but we will have those days, just keep moving forward. It is good to have friends to confide in and to provide that comfort that so much of the time the world tries to snatch. God is so good. I know he loves me so, and I know Jesus loves me so, and I am just crazy about the Father and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Peace my friends.

dr - that was sweet! makes me wanna have kids... um... almost...

Thanks, Error. I feel much better now.

Ivansdad left the house for a rehearsal, and we all hope he gets home again. He just barely got out -- the driveway had re-frozen just that key little bit since he got out this afternoon. Had to get the new World of Warcraft release (don't ask, and no, I don't play).

dr, it hasn't been bad, I did bring some work home, and my cousin and his kids live on the same big acreage plot, but five days has been a long time. I think after tomorrow even the Boy will be ready for school again.

mo, though I'd live those years again, ,just shoot me when they get to be teens.

Slyness! Cassandra! Lookie here...

http://fiveguys.com/store_locator.aspx?s=NC&c=

that bad? ok - you got me rethinking that whole pro-creating thing again! *grin*
the last thing this world needs is a mini-mo!

dr, that was good enough for a guest Kit! My best kitty loved bags - paper or plastic. He'd hide in them and fight his way out, sleep in them, on them, till they were totally shredded. I used to tap on the bag when he was hiding, then jump out of the way of his claws. He was fierce in a bag.

Ivansmom, the CBS News did a story last night from Muskogee, where I actually have been, that showed all the iced-over trees, split into pieces. (I've been to Tulsa, too, but only the airport and the Brady Theater). I made it out in the car today. We got about an inch of new snow this morning, but the temperature has been above freezing, so the roads are slushy. I went down the big hill to the library. Now I have about a dozen books to read in 3 weeks. I'm looking forward to driving to work tomorrow!

We finally got our share of the snow (actually, ours is all "lake effect" snow that drifts down from Lake Erie, though the cold front that's been messing with everyone else has contributed its two cents). I'm also very pleased to report that the majority of the drivers on the road today actually remembered how to drive in the stuff. There were a few idiots that are still being pulled out of ditches and plucked from trees (mostly drivers of 4x4 Hummers and other SUVs who have -- hopefully -- learned that driving a mortgage on wheels does not make one invulnerable to icy patches of road).

I remember when I lived in Atlanta back in '93, we got whacked with a foot and a half of the white stuff overnight. In a city that sells out of toilet paper and bottled water and shuts down at just the *mention* of snow, it was a pretty amazing experience. "Paralyzed" doesn't even come close to describing the reaction. Of course, being a "northerner" (and having real studded tires mounted on the front-wheel-drive Olds Toronado I owned at the time), I found the entire situation very pleasant and extremely hilarious.

I do feel for those who have had their power knocked out (or worse) by this latest storm system. But don't blame me for laughing when I see pictures and footage of people who have never (or rarely) driven in these conditions sliding into ditches when they *know* they should have stayed home, but just *had* to attempt to get to that 50% off sale at Linens-N-Stuff. It's not like they weren't told it was coming.

Like I said - I can make it just about anywhere for lunch. The "five guys" was just a suggestion. When the urge strikes just let me know. I can make it to a metro and go from there. And if all else fails, well, you know, them 'copters can go pretty much anywhere.

Mudge,

Any of these Five Guys locations near you?

http://www.fiveguys.com/store_locator.aspx?s=MD

The first time I went there I ordered a regular burger and small fries. When they handed me the bag, my arm damn near fell off cause the bag was so heavy. As you discovered, the Jr. burger and small fries are plenty for anyone except for maybe an offensive or defensive lineman.

"Electric Horseman" is a hoot. Both Redford and Fonda are great and Willie Nelson is extraordinary. He made up the "trailer hitch" line that still makes me fall out of my chair when I hear it.

pj, I think we've all made that mistake the first time at Five Guys.

But the burgers at M&S are right up there. RD, sure we can't tempt you?

Joseph Combs. Lonnie Latham. Bill Clinton. Hugh Grant. Willie Nelson.

Right, falling out of my chair...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/jokes013098.htm

Ohmigosh, TBG! I had no idea! Will have to try them out...they are located in the far suburbs, but within commuting distance of here...will go and report back...

I wonder if Achenbach ever feels a little ill reading this crap. He posts a subject for a blog, and all of the "regulars" dismiss it with statements like, I like the dad and am not into the son. Sure, I liked Klute too, but wasn't that eighty years ago? And then they say they've never even seen the show but go on to talk about the genius of Micky Mouse (steam boat willy) and how, ya havta go to Disneyworld if you've ever lived in Florida... I mean, doesn't Yahoo host club boards where all the little lovely people can make their lunch dates and talk about their cough syrups? Of course, Joel would then lose half of his readership; but wouldn't it be worth it?

Dave - I wouldn't dare speak for Joel, and I humbly suggest nobody else should either. If this blog isn't your cup of tea - well, there's a big internet out there.

Alas, Raysmom. My evenings tend to be more tightly scheduled than are Jack Bauer's - and with nearly the same potential for catastrophe.

Dave, with all due respect to you and your 9:17 (and knowing that you aren't "our" Dave, i.e., Dave of the Coonties):

Bite me.

Thanks to Mudge, bc, Martooni and others, I think I need to develop a rating scale based on how bad the snort (or almost-snort) on my monitor is.

Ratings are:
1--semi-titter, politely confineable within cubicle area
2--laugh which can be concealed with a cough, but if repeated would attract unwanted attention
3--full unladylike guffaw, long-sleeve jacket and rubber room may be in order
4--slight monitor involvement; equipment salvageable
5--sinuses fully compromised; Shop-Vac needed

Mudge, you make me laugh! Glad you're back online at home.

It's a good thing you're already taken, I would run off with you if you weren't.

Rather stunning example of current effects og global warming:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/science/earth/16gree.html?em&ex=1169096400&en=b5aac9b51e3c6bd7&ei=5087%0A

Especially check out the photo of the same region from 20 years ago.

Actually, I think the people who frequent this blog are more like "irregulars". We can't help it if Joel posted something that not many of us know anything about (I've never watched "24" - didn't even realize that Kiefer was Donald's son till recently). Anyway, we pride ourselves on not staying on topic long - we turn on a dime. Go ahead, Dave, bring something up and see where it goes. (Most of the time, when I bring something up, it goes nowhere, but I'm not deterred.)

My former boss Steve Coll in the New Yorker on the "Surge":

Presumably, the skepticism among uniformed officers is influenced by the numerous cases in recent military history, of diverse countries and diverse armies, which indicate that a counterinsurgency plan of the type Bush has embraced is very unlikely to succeed. The last British campaign in Northern Ireland was fought for three decades, and tens of thousands of Russian troops are still trying to subdue Chechnya more than ten years after a rebellion erupted there--and these are examples involving the sovereign territory of the occupying army, not some distant land conquered by an expeditionary force. The stabilization of Bosnia by NATO troops is sometimes cited as a recent and exemplary success, but in that case all the warring parties had agreed to forswear violence before the occupying troops arrived, and, even so, the size of the NATO force, in comparison to the size of the local population, was considerably larger than the American force in Iraq will be after Bush's planned deployments. By none of the common measures of counterinsurgency doctrine--ratios of force size, the strength of local political agreements, or the credibility of the occupying army--does the President's plan look convincing.

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/070122ta_talk_coll

maybe someone posted this already, on O.J.'s "confession":

http://www.slate.com/id/2157652

Oh, Dave, I think we number far less than half Joel's readers, including the other species which post here. Many of us also do communicate with each other using other venues.

As for staying on topic, what a terrible idea that is. Who would want to talk about "24" all day? I mean, other than fascists.

My big fear in life is being assigned to a "beat." Such as, the Agriculture Department. Achenblog could be an Ag blog. Everything you ever wanted to know about farm subsidies and the soybean harvest.

SCC: not including

Jack Bauer. A Dick Cheney erotic dream. The bad guys are bad. The neighbors are bad. Every bad guy has his finger on the bomb. Normal behavior is perverse. Perverse behavior is not aggressive enough. Anything goes to stop em. All the Bauers will be greeted as liberators. They will save us despite our better selves, not because of them. Trash, instead of bread, thrown to the Circus mob to keep them pliant. What next, Casesar? Twenty thousand more gladiators for Baghdad?

Joel and others, maybe the question is not "what can the surge do" but "what exactly of any benefit are we doing now." I honestly don't know. Maybe naive but, if that can be defined, maybe Arbusto can tell us what the "surge" will do.

New spin from the Adminstration: both Iraq and Iran going nuclear, at least we took out Saddam.

OK, then let's split, Shia and Sunni and others will just kill each other and not have time for nuclear nation building.

OK maybe should have sent this to Dana Priest chat but she is mean to those who are naive. (But I like it when she is snipey to the stupid, e.g., "when is the MSM going to admit . . . .).

Ag Blog material:

The federal government is giving generous subsidies to the ethonal fuel industry despite dubious net energy benefits from using corn based ethanol.

Ok, not Jack Bauer, but steeped in reality.

SCC: "ethanol" not "ethonal" in the first post

When I lived in a small Wyoming town, it was reassuring to listen to the cattle and sheep futures, even if I knew that the state didn't make much off of either--it was oil, gas, gypsum, bentonite--McPhee stuff, in other words--that kept the economy afloat. Even the sugar beets weren't a sure thing. You certainly didn't want to collide with a stray one fallen on the road. About the size of a large ham with the consistency of a bamboo shoot.

Not to mention that ag people (or at least Florida surfers who grow mangoes, avocados, citrus, persimmons, and lychees in the back yard or maybe the occasional heliconia or plumeria) are far more polite than those who discuss politics.

Thanks to Daiwanian for politely pointing out my misspelling of "Tehran." Thanks to a $703 Orlando-to-Taipei airfare, I'll be getting my second look at art from the National Palace Museum and an inadequately planned first look at the city.

More seriously, I've become dependent on the New Yorker. Remnick seems to have been a great choice for editor.

Bill,
Brazil produces ethanol from sugar cane more cheaply than we can, but we impose heavy duties, preferring to buy petroleum products from Venezuela. Go figure.

Meanwhile, rising corn prices are evidently causing a tortilla crisis in Mexico. Perhaps a hot dog crisis in the US?

President Chavez apparently has a "Rico McPato" reputation in Latin America. Scrooge McDuck to you and me (based on an interview in El Tiempo, Bogota).

After our experience losing power recently, we've been looking at pellet stoves. Some use corn, which was surprising to us.

Off topic again, I just got done reading The Best of Mary McGrory. I loved her - very funny, insightful, clever. Her columns about gardening and her fights with squirrels and mockingbirds are priceless. She wrote so poignantly about Jack Kennedy, and so disdainfully of Nixon. Her last column, written just before the Iraq war started, where she mixed the signs of spring with the signs of war is heartbreaking. This is a book I will have to buy.

And because of yellojkt, I worked in some fiction. My kid gave me a book called Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, which is not something I would have picked for myself. It's a mystery, kind of explicit and creepy (the main character is a "cutter", which weirds me out), but well-written and overall pretty good. Sort of had me wondering why he picked it for me, but it was on an Amazon Top 50 list, so that may be why. Or he just has a strange sense of what I like to read (I do like mysteries, it's true).

"Agenblog" sounds yummy.

Raysmom, your rating system is far too subtle for me. Mine's simpler, as befits me.

1. Air snort
2. Wet snort and keyboard coffee tsunami followed by guffaws and choking
3. Inappropriately loud laughter, tears, gasping for breath, facedown fistpounding on desktop, gravity assisted trip to floor, convulsions

bc

Joel, my reasons for fearing the Ag beat would be to find out that..."Soylent green IS people."

But then, the source of Mad Cow lay in cow-on-cow cannibalism. (Cowlent green IS cattle)

And then there are those genetically engineered plants who do persist in sharing their Bt genes with related weeds.

And the tons of pesticides sprayed to make an apple or a tater? And the race to patent frickin' living organisms?

Selling high-yield elite hybrids to third world farmers and then making it criminal to save seed from those hybrids to replant, forcing farmers to basically rent their crops every year from some corporation because of "patent infringement?"

Yes, it would be a nightmare beat, indeed. A lot of agriculture hijinks make this administration's corruption look tame.

Do a really brutal expose, and you'd never be able to walk past a cornfield again without feeling stalked.

bc, it's obvious - yours is the guy's list.
raysmom's is the girl's list.

3:45am... Must relocate computers to the garage/shop or maybe the back porch. I am like a moth to the screen savers.

Woke up about an hour ago and couldn't figure out why it was so friggin' cold. Or why I could see my breath. Temps dropped to 18F and the furnace decided it needed a break. I swore I'd stay out of the attic until spring (still working on that ceiling patch), but the furnace is up there.

I don't know the first thing about furnaces, btw, other than where the filter goes.

I felt like the father in "A Christmas Story", climbing over the rafters muttering and swearing just to get to the damn thing. But I brought a flashlight this time. And a hammer.

I'm not sure which tool actually fixed it -- the hammer or my swearing -- but we have heat again and I did not intentionally or unintentionally reprise my Christmas Eve "disembodied legs dangling through ceiling" act.

3:52am... I've come to the conclusion that I don't have a "going problem" (or a "growing" one) like they describe in those ads that run every 8 minutes on CNN. What I have is a "going, then not promptly going back to bed" problem which could probably be resolved by not drinking so many beers before bedtime and (as mentioned above) removing all computers from the bed-to-bath path.

4:03am... I've further concluded that a beer at 3:55am does not count as "drinking" but should actually be categorized as a "tonic" and conducive to sleep.

Night-night, my imaginary friends. See you on the flip side.

Good morning, friends. Mudge, your "bite me" had me laughing so hard this morning. I so want to say that sometimes, I have to put my hand over my mouth. I mean those two little words just cover so much territory.

I think I did say I had not seen "24", and I haven't. I do like the father's acting better than the son's, but that isn't the reason I haven't seen "24". Just look at more of the animated stuff, not into blood and guts. It may very well be a good show.

Thanks TBG, for the locator. I kind of thought Charlotte and Raleigh had one, and the folks in Cary don't let much slide past them.

JA, as a teenager I worked at the Department of Agriculture in DC, and coming from farm country, I still felt out of place. I worked in an office that sent out a press release everyday before five o'clock, and sometimes that was an experience to behold. You would have thought it concerned atomic weapons the way some of the management people went on about it. Once I had to type it, and have it ready for release, I was sweating bullets. One could not white-out a mistake, so that meant the document had to be typed perfectly. And to this day I cannot remember what in the world was in the release. This was during the time of a huge protest wherein people came from all over the country and set up tents near the Department of Agriculture connected with the Civil Rights movement. They had chains on the doors of the building to keep the protestors out. I so wanted to open those doors.

It is Bible study day! We will have just one today, had to cancelled the other because the building is in use. Have a great day, my friends, not just okay, but a great day. I'm going to make coffee, and study a little bit. Prayers have been said, and all remembered and blessings asked. And the gem, the prize, the most valuable blessing, knowing that God loves us so much more than we can imagine through Him that died for all, Jesus Christ.

Morning, Mudge, Slyness, and all.*waving*

Nelson, hope the recoup is going okay.

TBG, thanks for the locator, my daughter is in Raleigh, maybe I'll get her to check it out. My grandsons love french fries, they could demolish that bag in no time. They don't like cheeseburgers, but french fries would be right down their alley.

I think the situation America has gotten itself into in Iraq is a bit like that of a fading colonial power. Just as Britain wanted out of India, we want out of Iraq. But when Britain left hundreds of thousands of people died. It would be nice to avoid that part.

Morning, Cassandra. You worked at the Dept of Ag in public affairs? You're full of good surprises.

Wilbrod, martooni, you both had me laughing this AM. martooni, glad you and Mrs. m and LB have heat again.

bc

I love Einstein bros. All jack's sins are understandable and forgiven.

Daveofthecoonties, you made me laugh out loud. Farm reports with endless lists of commodity prices is how you know you are in Saskatchewan as you drive down the highway. Even in a blizzard you'd have a pretty good idea of where you were based on what the radio says. My gut reaction when I hear commodity price indexes is severe angst, and I end up having to turn it off. Its instant heartburn.

Forgive the repetition in the morning post, TBG. I think it is so great about the french fries in a bag. I can't eat much of that stuff, just screams at these ailments I suffer with.

bc, that was a long time ago. The protest concerned feeding hungry people in America, that was before food stamps were available. I believe the food stamp program came about because of the protest. A lot of people participated in the protest, they tied up the morning commute, and the evening commute. It was a mess, but it was also intriguing to be a part of that history, albeit, not on the side of the protest, but inside the building, just being there was good to see that history up front and close. Some people were afraid to go out after work, and even come to work, but being young and foolish, did not bother me one bit. I wanted to go over where the people where living and talk to them, but never did. My uncle would have had a small heart attack, he worried about me a lot because I was a country girl, and did not know the city. Wide-eyed and full of wonder about so many people, buildings, and such movement. Everyone knew I wasn't from the city. The clothes, the hair, everything screamed "country", but I did not care, I was in the city, I had a job, and not a bad job, I was young, I was going to live forever. A target really, and I didn't even know it. Isn't life grand? And oh, my friends, there is a God because He certainly takes care of babies and fools.

Morning all!! *waving*

Cassandra shares the PR gene with many of us! Not a great surprise, but welcome nonetheless.

'Mudge, I'm surprised you were so restrained. Not a single nautical euphemism... then again, he wasn't worth one, was he?

:-)

And we've mananged to completely flummox Google Ads again... *L*

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Good Mroning all, finally have a little time to post, been really busy at work and haven't had time to lurk or post till this morning.

Thanks all for the many laughs going through the kit and boodle.

We had our first storm here, not a lot of snow but a couple of inches but we did get almost a day of very fine freezing rain. Where I live all the trees are covered in a fine coating of ice, not enough to cause serious damage but enough to make it so beautiful. Unfortunately I have only been at home at when it is dark since it happened so I am hoping this morning the sun will come out and I can try and get pictures of the sun on the trees. So far I have just noticed the streetlights at night illuminating the trees, with the ice on them you get a light effect similar to that of the light from a full moon - very nice.

Sound report when I went outside the night of the storm, all you could here was a constant creaking of the ice on the trees.

Hope everyone is well.

Morning, everybody! Hey, Cassandra, hope you have a pleasant day!

Could someone please point me back to the boodle where Pat posted BoodlePop? I remember it was in December when I was so frantically busy that I never got around to downloading it, and I need it. Thanks!

All quiet on the Charlotte front this morning, but that will change. Hubby goes out of town at lunchtime and older daughter comes from DC tonight for a job interview Friday morning. She's ready to move home. I'm happy about that, so I will appreciate everyone's good wishes and prayers for the job to work out.

*crossin' my fingers for the older little Slyness*

:-)

Forgot to add my best wishes to Nelson for a speedy recovery.

Mo, I did manage to see Hugh Laurie's acceptance speech, very funny, of course I think he is so good looking I would have enjoyed it if he had just read the phone book - love his accent.

The ads must be really confused Scotty as my ads are completely different.

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Try this, Slyness:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze35fvj/BoodlePop.htm

We seem to be starting some sort of Google Ads feedback loop, dmd... :-)

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I love the combination of the apocolypse with the Peace train Scotty, at least all the bases are covered!

Cassandra said: "there is a God because He certainly takes care of babies and fools."

Well, now... that explains a lot. Like why I'm still breathing.

Guilty on both counts. ;-)

And speaking of trains...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601459.html

"Everything you ever wanted to know about farm subsidies and the soybean harvest."

Don't even get me started on my husband's addiction to "Ag PhD" on the RFD channel (yes, we get that here in NoVa on DirecTV).

Brian and Darren Hefty of the Hefty Seed Company put on a great half-hour show. They even include the "Weed of the Week." It's pretty amazing when your daughter starts talking knowledgeably about Roundup-ready corn or going "no-till."

Now, that's the stuff Tivo was made for.

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Martooni, I can't stop laughing, and TBG, your comment kept me going. The "weed of the week", too much.

Slyness, hope your daughter gets the job.

Ivansmom, I hope it's getting better where you are. We're getting ready for the onslaught of bad weather, even talking snow. Snow is pretty, but I've never been a fan. Don't know how to drive in the stuff, and it causes the power to go out, and as I've said before, that makes people even meaner. Snow is not good, but ice is even worse. Ivansmom, try to stay warm, and I'm praying for warmer weather, not hot, but warmer. I hope you have power?

Mudge, I just like you, I just do. I hope God blesses you mightly. And please take care of yourself, we need you here. Get some rest, and slow down. Can I talk about slowing down? No, but I'm suggesting maybe you take it easy, and I'll try to take my own advice.

Got to go, folks. Want to check on my dad today. It is so cold outside, I'm going to have to wrap up with lots of clothes.

Good to hear from you, dmd.

scotty, is PR good or bad?

And oh, my friends, there is a God because He certainly takes care of babies and fools.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/world/17aids.html

Of the estimated 2.3 million children under 15 who had H.I.V. in 2005, 780,000 needed antiretroviral therapy, Unicef said, and only 10 percent of them received it.

Untreated, about one-third of infected infants die in their first year, and half die by their second birthday. That translated into 380,000 children dying from AIDS last year, Unicef said.

Only seven countries identified in the report provided antiretroviral therapy to at least 20 percent of children needing it. They were Botswana (84 percent), Cape Verde (47 percent), the Dominican Republic (23 percent), Jamaica (47 percent), Namibia (52 percent), Rwanda (20 percent) and Thailand (95 percent).

Lack of prevention and treatment has left an estimated 15.2 million children as orphans. The number is expected to grow to 20 million by 2010.

Cassandra;

Several of the regulars here have at least dabbled in PR, so I'd say (in a rather biased way) that it's a good thing.

:-)

I don't know why I keep coming back. Eighty percent of this is just so insipid. I guess I come by for the sometimes interesting 20 percent. I guess I'm as pathetic as the rest of the crowd here. I scan the discussion, see if there's anything of interest and occasionally take my pot shots. There are so many likely targets, it's hard not to. Hey, I'm from a PR background also! Go figure.

scotty, is PR good or bad?

Depends on who's doing the lying and what they're lying about. Scotty, would you like to tell us along what part of the genome this particular PR gene lies?

Interesting article in our local paper on MLK day about how race is not a biological construct but a cultural one.

Welcome, Dave.

Glad you're here.

This just in... A Mildly Happy Buzz was killed at 9:24am in order that a point could be made in "up yours" fashion.

Remember, kids: Not all nice people are smart, but smart people should know it's usually better to be nice.

Dave, you're such a great guy. What would we do without someone telling us it's fun to throw stones at us? In my experience, what you put out there tends to come back at you.
Better practice that military crawl. Remember: keep your head and butt down. One false move and BLAM!

scotty, I thought my 9:30 was concise yet eloquent, discursive and yet had a soupçon (love that "c" in soupçon with the little dangling noodly appendage on it, whatever that thing is called) of disdain appropriate to the circumstance. Other may disagree, of course (in which case they can just bite me). But yes, you are right: it did lack a certain nautical flavor, but I am hard-pressed to think of an equivalent nautical phrase containing sufficient Old Bay seasoning to make the point, yet be printable in a family blog. But I shall cogitate on it for a while.

Darren Hefty of the Hefty Seed Company? Jeez, TBG, I couldn't have made that up if I tried. Garrison Keillor might have, but not me. The Hefty Seed Company. Supplying dicotymous endosperms to Northern Virginians for 47 years.

darn, dmd, now you've planted Cat Stevens and the "Peace Train" tune cootie in my head. (Not that that's such a bad thing.) I do miss ol' Cat. Too bad he went a bit off the deep end on us.

TBG, I remember the days when early risers in our house who turned on the television would watch the "TEST PATTERN" until the early morning Farm Report came on, followed by "Moments of Meditation"--the daily Bible reading and devotional.

That was long ago and far away.

Running to the Hill but will try to post a new kit middayish.

Mudge, Cat (going now simply as "Yusef" I think) actually has a new album out. His voice has aged some but it's good.

Mudge I never even thought of that when I posted but I know have both Cat Stevens and Van Morrison in my head, I associated them together. I can live with this, I am going to get ready for work with Moondance in my head, its a good way to start the day.

Error hasn't Yousef been writing music for Muslim children up to now. Thought I saw something about that a while ago. Seems like he has mellowed in the last few years.

No, LindaLoo, I wouldn't. Thank you for asking.

kbertocci, your 9:50 made me giggle, I remember many mornings sitting through the "morning meditation" before the morning news. No farm reports though, just the morning financial news, come to think of it the farm report probably would have been preferrable.

Kids these days really have no idea how much they miss without test pattern. I don't know about the rest of you, but it was all about waiting for the guy in the middle to move. I remember many Saturday mornings on the floor with my brother and my sister, watching test pattern, before Roy Rogers came on.

Dispite a persistant drought and delivery disruptions caused by Hurricane Katrina, the 2006 Midwest corn crop experienced one of its highest yields. Unfortunately, this resulted in a precipitous drop in corn prices that were not offset by soybeans or alfalfa. Milk production in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota was strong, though well below the record highs reported in the late 1980's. While meat production (hogs, cattle, and friers) had increased by as much as 6% in the Midwest, prices in 2007 are expected to fall slightly below 2006 levels. Lamb is expected to be the only meat to experience a price increase in 2007. Little change is expected in egg prices. The 2006 tart cherry harvest in Michigan was larger than expected, while Wisconsin cranberry production suffered a shortfall. Sweet corn production continues to decline in the Midwest due to higher costs and competition from the Far East. The hot summer of 2006 caused a smaller than expected potato harvest.

I'll update on fruits when I've got some time.

>Error hasn't Yousef been writing music for Muslim children up to now.

Could be, could be. I heard him on a WXPN interview just last week or so. I think the album has a couple of oldies re-done and some new material. They asked about his return to music, and he said something like "Well I was touring and ended up with tuberculosis in '68 and it really made me think you know - "What am I doing with a medieval disease?" So really that was my return to music, this is my second."

You know, Joel keeps "running up to the Hill."

Sounds to me like he does have a beat now.