Doughboy jailed! Jack fooled! Curtis did not smile! Audrey has guts and looks prettier than last season!

Okay, I need to stop with the headline lest I have nothing to blog about here.

"24", 4pm to 5pm.

Another excellent job by the writers/producers of shaking up the formula. Jack is out of the picture much of the hour, then, is shown as human! He meets up (shows down) his CTU mentor, Christopher, who Jack helped, well, end up kicking him out of CTU, due to some no-no's Christopher denies he ever did.

He's gone into private sector work, and just so happens to work for the company that made the gas we're all waiting to be "set off" by the bad guys. "But we sold it to DOD, it's not my problem!", Christopher says.

Oops. After some dialogue and a token laying down of the gun, Jack gets duped. Hook, line, and sinker. When he ends up in a locked room realizing part of the computer he was using earlier was actually a bomb, he admitted fault.

"How could I be so stupid?"

I say that 15 times a day, but, then again, I'm not Jack Bauer.

But, in another great choice by the show, they go ahead and take care of the "bomb" storyline rather than extend it into the next hour, because I found it much more motivating to know Jack's going for his (beep) next hour as opposed to "will he survive the bomb". We know he will, so thanks for not using that as the hook for the 47th time.

Other thoughts:

--Doughboy jailed!!! I'm beginning to wonder if Audrey didn't decide earlier to just keep sneaking around him, so he'd become so raving mad he would fall into the Article 112 trap. Maybe I'm too much the conspiracy theorist tonight....

--Curtis rocks! Takes consideration of Article 112; argues need for evidence, then later, when presented with bucketfuls of evidence, calmly kicks Doughboy to the curb. My favorite moment? When the guard brought in by Doughboy says, "What do you want us to do, Mr. Manning?" GREAT moment.

--Russian President is NOT happy. No, go beyond the heat seeking missile. He knew something was awry long before the fireworks began; he read Martha like a brochure at AAA. So, placing that knowledge into the cauldron of an assassination attempt, you know he's going to somehow, someway, either overtly or covertly, go after the "real answer" of who spilled the beans on the motorcade route. The Prez HAD to have something to do with it; otherwise why would Martha act like she "KNEW" something was about to happen??

--Now, off to next week----the promo for the two hours of fun. (Two!! Woo hoo!!)

1) Doughboy isn't done. A co-worker made a great point tonight that the "Presidential Connection" will come into play at some point, since he threw the term "sent by the White House" around so much. I've been so looking forward to the "CTU invasion" by his sister's friends, who are, by the way, co-conspirators, so the "card key" can be discovered and Doughboy REALLY implicated in the whole mess.

2) Buchanan's wheels will be turning as to the President's reaction to the "news" of the assassination plot. If CTU just turned it up, how/why does Prez react like that?

3) Mike is going to have to save Logan, period. He will somehow come up with something that will at least stave off the truth leaking out for several hours. If he could lock up his equal in season two trying to get the Veep in as Temp-Prez, he can certainly devise something.

4) Finally, my big prediction on the "shocking surprise" promised for next week.

TONY'S GOING BAD.....

Always notice the marriage of dialogue and picture in any television commercial, promo, etc. There's always subliminal signs. Nothing is "thrown together" (unless it's poorly done)....so, thus....

The "shocking surprise" discussion....in the middle of it....who do they show for one second? Tony Almeda, rising from his bedside, pulling off his eyepatch.

Remember, when Jack found the assassin in Tony's room, he had killed the doctor already so he could "be the plant", then he went for Jack, resulting in the fight and his demise.

Tony's fighting for life in a hospital bed, completely defenseless. Why doesn't he just shoot him quickly and have his "secrets" die with him? Remember, Jack had to talk to him! Why hasn't he "had" to the last several hours? Several things just don't add up here, which is why I'm looking for Tony to snap.

Long-term plan to change? I don't know. MAD because Michelle died? Could be.

This reminds me of watching your favorite "good guy" wrestler become the "bad guy".

We'll see if sticking my neck out here was smart or not. :)

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FEBRUARY'S WINNING NUMBERS: 1, 8, 15, 17 and 25. One more and I could've played Mega Millions tonight!

But I'm not up for it.

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Oh, and did I forget to say Audrey Raines looks sexy in the "secretary glasses/DOD woman-in-charge/kinda open blouse/kick your butt" role, as opposed to last year's namby-pamby, "oh, Jack how could you torture my husband after I've bad mouthed him to you in bed for the past year??"

This year's Audrey.....much better.

Friends.....

....have as many as you can.

....make sure they know you appreciate them.

....be really grateful for the close ones.

....treat them with a servant's heart and tell 'em you love them.

....and there are only a few really close, really great ones that will come along.

....with them; hang on tight and don't let go.

And, in closing, pray your heart out that God's Spirit is present with them, so you'll be present with them......in His Kingdom, forever, and ever.


This post is for my favorite foursome in Ashland. :)

I hope the Panama Canal didn't hurt Central Americans like this......

I had my first root canal today.

Novicaine and lots of gas. That was good.

I have a small mouth and the work was in the bottom left hand corner. That was bad.

Came home and slept the day away. That was good.

My jaw hurts and I can't eat on one side of my mouth for a week. That's bad.

So, it's not the tooth that hurts (yet), it's the stinkin' jaw.

What else is gonna hurt? Trying to go back to work after spending a Wednesday (albeit for a price) in bed.

But, that's much better than more jaw pain. :)

Olympics, Daytona, work, and sleep......

...there.

My Sunday in five words. Oh, I bought gas, too. And showered.

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Since we last met.....

...U.S. Hockey is suffering. Ladies get stopped by Sweden, while the men can't find the goal against same nation today.

...U.S. Curling Men make it to the medal round!!!!

...I'm very disappointed that the ladies didn't, because I was REALLY enjoying checking out the matches during the first few hours of a day at the office. Curling babes! From cold country!!! I'll take a curler in an ice rink over a plastic surgery patient lying on the beach anyday!

We FINALLY have a CCM station again!!! The 90.5 frequency in Fredericksburg is now back on track with CCM thanks to a new simulcast with WPER, Culpeper.

First thoughts on CCM circa 2006:

---alot of the music sounds the same....
---kinda gruffy sounding male lead....
---lotsa acoustic and don't forget the drums....

....and I never played most of the artists I hear on the air. Boy, has life really passed me by??? I, to my defense, know that I'd know more had he had a CCM station all this time. I look forward to listening more.

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I'm looking forward to Wednesday like I'm looking forward to a root canal.....

...that's because I'm having my first root canal......

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Anyone know when the Muslim season of "Cartoon Killing" ends?

Now, let's see how one justifies killing 16, including three children and a Catholic priest, through this cartoon crap.....

I understand the biggest row made by area Christians today was when Shoney's prematurely ran out of tomatoes on their salad bar.....

HAPPY PRESIDENT'S DAY!!! Celebrate your favorite! Here's mine!

Oh, this MUST be said.....

I had a really, really good morning today.

:)

Ch-ch-changes, and quick tidbits....

1) The age of the Cougar is coming to a close. February 9, 2006 will go down as an important day in Witham Nation history.

2) The "conversion van" era is now underway. Long story (no pun intended), more to come as time allows.

3) Bill O'Reilly positions his show as an "opinion/interview" show. I don't see him being an "anchor" on something labeled a "newscast".

4) Go to msnbc.com and look at the TV main page......see how they describe Countdown with Keith Olbermann as "news without the snooze".

5) Therein lies the rub. Keith, call Countdown what it really is, an opinion/commentary show; one that's currently being hidden under the thin veil that is the term "newscast". You know, the same veil the big 3 networks have used for many years.

I don't care if you lean left, right, or unusually center, to the back, whatever...

....if you want to work your opinion/agenda into it, fine. But DON'T CALL IT A NEWSCAST!!

Those are the things with which I lose respect for people, entities, etc....simply because it's easy to see through that aforementioned veil.

CARTOONS:

Okay, now we're REALLY seeing the nutcase wing of the Islamic community. I mean, how long will they burn things and attempt to kill people and exact revenge before they can "get over" cartoons?

One march? Yes, but should be peaceful....Two? If it seemed the message didn't get across, I could understand.

But we're hitting double digits in the amount of days these extremists are going out and, let's face it, wreak the havoc they love to wreak in the name of "anger over something sacreligious".

Isn't it about time we began to ask serious journalistic questions, such as, "What's your end game?" or "Do you plan on doing this until the year 2065?"......

More to come. I have to hide the funny pages from my kids before going to bed. Peanuts and Beetle Bailey can be extremely offensive, causing me to rally for two years......

What a week.......

Ever had "one of those..."....of course you have. We all have. Many of them. This was one of them.

Workload at work "exploded". Now, don't get me wrong, that's a GOOD thing. I just didn't expect it. With Valentines Day coming, I should have known this was going to happen, but for some reason I didn't have any warning bells about it in my mind from past years.

I was going to work before the Super Bowl Sunday to "get ahead", and I didn't. Too tired. I paid for it Monday and Tuesday.

So, I pitched a tent Wednesday and Thursday nights, making sure I got home by 11pm to watch Match Game on GSN. Hey, you can't beat a little blankin' circa 1974 with Gene, Brett, Richard, and the gang!

Gene Rayburn, great host; perfect timing. He passed in November 1999, but click here for a sad story from Al Roker, who by chance ran into him in 1996.

Richard Dawson, one of the anchors (but not THE anchor in my opinion, having relived the game 32 years later...) of the panel, the prime choice to win $5K, and the one who benefited the most career-wise by being on the show (can anyone say Family Feud?)

Brett Somers: I've come to appreciate her role on the show more and more recently. She picks at the audience and the judge; her answers are, sometimes, out of left field, and she plays herself as insecure. But what I like the most is she can throw a zinger to someone, and then, when they returned fire, she'd laugh her head off.

Charles Nelson Reilly: Official poker of fun to Brett, who was good sport to all the hidden gay references on the show, which, in the 1970's, reflected the less-than-welcoming attitude of the day, BUT, having said that, it was more welcoming of the issue of being gay, in an "under-the-radar" way.

Many other great guests come and go, (my personal favorite in the bottom right chair was Patti Deutsch), but we cannot end this impromptu Match Game tribute without the man who started every show.

Johnny Olson: Best known for his work on The Price is Right, he played a small, but important role as announcer for Match Game...

"Get ready to match the stars!!"

He always got the chicanery started. God bless ya, Johnny!!

Okay, well, let's go back to this week....

We survived a busy Friday today (it's always the busiest and most stressful day of the week), but I will be making appearances in the cubicle this weekend.....

....unless.....

IT SNOWS!!! WHAT!??!!!

We've had a warm winter, now, out of nowhere comes a chance of snow for the weekend. Heh, I'll believe it when I'm sweeping it off the van.

So, I finish the week in a mood best described as, "estaticly miserable". Make sense??

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JANUARY'S WINNING NUMBERS: (how could I forget??)

1, 3, 10, 11, 17, 18, 28

It was a Happy New Year!

:)

Free speech.......

Piss Christ.

Maybe you remember the row in the mid-90's when the NEA funded an artist's work which depicted a crucifix immersed in urine....thus its title above.

Christians and conservatives called for not only its removal, but for the plug to be pulled on the NEA, period. That hasn't happened.

This post is not about the NEA, or urine.

It's about Muhammad.

Cartoons....think about it.....cartoons, have created a worldwide furor, claiming nine lives, causing millions of dollars in damage, great schism in multiple nations, Ambassador recalls, and, as another example of the lunacy.....Norway now wants compensation from Syria after their embassy in Damascus was set ablaze.

Let's compare, shall we?

Christians: Call for ending of government funding of above discussed depictions.

Muslims: Call for end to the violence over this cartoon fury (thank goodness!)

Extremist Christians: Would protest the author, and, a few looneys would consider killing him/her, a la knocking off abortion doctors.

Extremist Muslims: See above.

Now, this is a pretty fair look at the "average people" of the two religions.

BUT......

....have you ever heard of embassies being attacked....NATO troops being engaged, and people killed because of "Piss Christ"?

No, you didn't.

Did nine people die in its protest?

Did thousands and thousands erupt in the street?

Think not.

As I asked in a previous post.....there are cases of Muslims who, in Muslim nations, where there is no freedom of religion, will go down to the Christian church and either kidnap or injure or attack or kill people because of their status as "infidels".

Last time I checked, the only stampede I've heard of from a bunch of Christians after a Sunday morning pep rally was to the all-you-can-eat buffet to, of course, get there before the other denomination gets there and takes the best fried chicken off the bar!

The next time some lefty wacko (or, say, Keith Olbermann), decide to cry out the horrific behavior of American Christians, remind to reply with two words:

The Cartoons.

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Here's an interesting aside.....the comedy geniuses in Iran decide to hold a "Holocaust Cartoon" contest to test the tolerance of the West.

Should Jews be outraged? Sure! The Muslims were! I wouldn't be putting money on thousands of Jews storming buildings and killing people over it, though.

So, to our friends in Tehran; careful when playing a game of "tit for tat"; it actually may backfire and expose your extremism.

Man.....I've disagreed with mechanics, but.....

....I wouldn't shoot one point blank after doing me a big favor to further the war on the war on terror.....

Welcome to 1p to 2p on "24", here's some brief notes:

---I was concerned in retrospect with Mike's look on his face last night. I can't believe he'd turn heel (little wrestling reference there), so we'll follow that one.

---When (if) he goes back into hiding, Jack should just open a little air business with helicopters, and, since he has a radio voice, he could contract himself out to do live traffic reports on the local rock station.

---Nice to see our guest star this week is an alumnus of "The Pretender". His role turned out to be much less than I thought, but it did carry us into the next hour.

---Did it occur to anyone else that the 15 year-old girl was very handy with a gun? And where'd she get it, anyway??

---President Logan. He needed two or three more right smacks from the Missus. Something isn't right there, either....keep your eye on President Logan.

---Why? Let's see, last week he wants Jack to disappear....this week, he begs Jack to stay and help save his legacy as President...I...I mean stop the gas. (My wife has asked me to stop the gas for years, but that's another story...)

---Oh, speaking of the wife; she thinks Walt was killed and planted to make it looked like he hung himself. Hmmmm....

---But the best analysis comes from a former parishoner, always a friend from church who is in his first season of "24".....

.....what if the needed "chip" were implanted in the 15 year-old girl?

Barksdale is back where it belongs!

114 seats.

That's all there is in the original Barksdale Theatre, at Hanover Tavern. And, after a 10 year absence, the magic has returned in a beautifully renovated facility that hasn't changed the ambience one bit.

Remember, Patrick Henry, John Marshall, and many others slept there.....

I went to two plays in the theatre before it was closed and renovated over the past ten years. I'm SO glad it's back.

There we are, to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary, on the front row on the left side, close enough where I can touch stage props. There'll never be a better place to watch theatre (sorry, Broadway---and I've been there.)

And, they selected a marvelous production to begin the new era. Neil Simon's 1963 comedy, Barefoot in the Park. Bonnie's seen the movie; I know nothing about it. So, she's spending the show comparing it to the movie, while I'm watching the story of Paul and Cory unfold for the first time.

And, in a word, the show is.....HILARIOUS.

Click here to see the review from the Richmond Times-Dispatch. It's dead on, except I didn't see Cory as over the top in the first scene.

Tremendous, tremendous. You live in Richmond, go see it. It ends March 5th. It will be an evening while spent.

Later this spring, "No Sex Please, We're British"; that oughta be a hoot. I hope to be there again.

WELCOME BACK BARKSDALE!!!

"24"---12noon to 1pm: Someone IS stupider than President Logan....

So, you're the Chief of Staff, and, you think the only way to save your skin is to actually tell the President, well, enough of the truth to hold him "hostage", as it were, as he knew Logan is more worried about his Presidential legacy than things such as, oh, national security....

Walt? Meet Jack's knife! Couldn't help but think of the great verse in Matthew: "If your right eye leads you astray, pluck it out and throw it away." So, actually, Walt should have let Jack do him a favor. My friend at work closes her eyes when Jack goes into "torture" mode; it's one of my favorite personality traits.

NOW...Jack and Mike need to get the record straight, so he doesn't implicate Mike in all this, too.

Then there's Diana. We're not done seeing Diana, according to another long-time "24" friend from church....and I agree. Audrey can't "disappear" with Jack after this is over, can she? Remember, he told President Stupid that he would vanish again. I certainly looked at the Diana/Audrey dialogue and thought....you'd be better off with Diana.

MAJOR FAUX PAS OF THE HOUR: No Chloe until 12:55pm. Simply not acceptable.

BEST LINES OF THE HOUR:

1) "I am protecting you, sir..."---Agent Pierce to the Prez while Jack gave Walt "The Bauer Treatment."

2) "That's because you don't have the experience to know any better."---Buchanan to Dough Boy...I mean, McGill.

Oh...and that nerve gas video...looks like the way people react to my cooking.

Well, it's 1pm. Next week oughta be a gas. (Could not resist).

Ah, the high-society wanna-be's.....

My daughter's elementary school, which opened last year, has, well, not even come close to achieving much cohesiveness to become its own "family" or "community".

Why? Well, first it is always difficult to bring several communities into one fold to create a new one.

It's also a problem if you have, well, ah, some adults who could be perceived as feeling superior to others.

I'm not naming names; what I will say is....my wife and I have certainly felt as if we've been looked "down upon", and not as equals, by some who came from another location.

One reason why I believe this?

Recently, a letter came home from our (yecch) PTA, and in it, they told us to read "The Far West End Press" for a regular column about our school.

That's nice. One problem. Our school isn't anywhere near the "far West End".

The "Far West End" is considered by most to be the most affluent location in the Richmond area, or, at least, north of the James River. Need a three-quarter million dollar home? Head to the Far West End.

Meanwhile, there's the "Northern" part of our area. Nice area, a great mixture of old and new housing, social diversity.....on the whole, a great place to live.

But, if one dared call themselves from "Northern" Henrico, there are plenty of people who would immediately begin pondering the stereotypical assumptions placed on this area, just as any other area gets.

The Far West End is the rich part of town. This is true.
The Northern Henrico area is, well, nice...but....it's nowhere near the West End.

That's the mindset of what I call the "high-society wanna-bes". Apparently some people are so interested in being identified with the ritzy area that they attempt to gravitate their location and identity to it.

Now, let's stop a moment.

QUESTION: Does Northern Henrico have a similar newspaper?
ANSWER: No.

So, is it fair to say that this isn't an issue of desired perception but of necessity? Possibly.

But, let the record state there are two newspapers that cover all of Henrico County, so, therefore, there is a reasonable place to release the news of your school, church, or business from any geographical part of the county.

So, to the figure that, in my mind, kind of seals the point and ends the debate.

I mapped via Yahoo! the school to the two major centers of shopping in both regions. Short Pump Town Center is in the new heart of the Far West End. Virginia Center Commons is as northern Henrico as it gets, on Route 1, with I-95 just behind it, those roads coming right up the middle of the metro Richmond area.

Results:

Distance from school to Short Pump Town Center: 10.4 miles

Distance from school to Virginia Center Commons: 2.4 miles

So, my conclusion?

I cannot and will not spend time trying to "prove" people there have some sort of superiority complex, part of which is wanting to be identified with an area considered "better", because, as I previously said, the Far West End Press may have been their best choice in getting information out to the public.

May have been....

If this complex does exist, it proves conclusively that those of us who don't mind saying they live in "northern Henrico" or "near Virginia Center Commons" have probably been looked at as if we are not first class.

And it's sad. Because, if found to be true, this elitist attitude will prevent a new elementary school desperately in search of an identity and a community from having both until all current parents have left, and a new group arrives without knowing the mess at the outset of the "marriage".

That could take five or ten years.

Who pays? My daughter, and every kid that walks into the school every day.

In life, you can aspire to be whatever you wish...but, do society a favor....

....don't call your aspiration your current identification. It does no one any favors.

:(

Office Spouse?? What???

So, I learn from my Fox & Friends' Friends yesterday about the phenomenon that is "office spouse". This would be someone at work with who you have a close friendship and apparently are to share with them deep secrets so that, if people looked from the outside, they would suspect an affair was underway.

I immediately resented the term. Why? Because it makes the following blanket statement:

An adult male and an adult female cannot be close friends without it having something to do with romance, sex, or breaking up families.

Bullcrap.

Why does this tick me off? First, most of my life, most of my friends have been females. Most of my close friends...heck, a majority of my friends, period, in high school were female. I had close female friends in college.

And, in the best portrait of this---I was a stay at home Dad for 2 1/2 years (the first years of my daughter's life), and, at the time, there were many "starter" families (young couples, young kid/kids) on the block. So, many late afternoons would have the kids out riding bikes, playing street hockey, etc., while the parents watched.

So, on our block, it would be Dana, then Sharon, then Christie, sometimes one or two others, and.....me.

When Bonnie gets home from work as the "guys" in the other families do so, they begin to join us outside. It was never a surprise when my wife would go talk shop, cars, home remodeling with the guys drinking beer, while I talked parenting, etc with the ladies. Bonnie would spend most of the time with the ladies, but you'd never see me popping a cold one with the other guys.

I don't hunt, I don't fix cars, my wife owns the toolbox....that's just who I am.

So, when I returned to the work force six years ago, it came as no surprise that I made friends who just (SHOCK) happened to be female.

For the past five years I have shared a large office with three females! My best friend at work is......oh my goodness.....female!

Get the picture? If "office spouse" becomes a presumed reality in all male/female work relationships, two things will happen.

1) Eyes will look with questions in the minds of those seeing the friends co-working.
2) I'll be considered a gigilo.

I got one spouse. I have many friends. I have some great friends, and a couple of close friends. There are plenty of females in each category, even in the last one.

So what. I spit on the idea of "Office Spouse", not because it doesn't exist (I'm sure it does), but that it automatically injects the "affair" factor into what could simply be a close friendship between two people.

In closing....if a man at work has a best friend who works in the next cubicle and happens to be a man, does this qualify as "same-sex office spouse"?

...and another thought today, I think while in the restroom....

I'm going to be 40 in 17 months, so, today, my thoughts wander to the fact that I'm, I guess, in prime age for the "mid-life crisis", which, many men assuage by having a May to December with someone about half their age.

You know....graying, portly, insecure 42-year old man hooks up with new college grad just starting her first job in the same office building, age 22.

Why did I think about this?

Well, I wondered, if this problem ever tried to arise in me, how would I respond??

First, the answer is NOT with a woman, as my wife has this really sharp sickle....

hee hee....

...but I can tell you it would not be with a twenty-something who doesn't remember rotary phones.

I would definitely be inclined to go with same age or somewhat older. Why? Experience.

It's funny, now, when I see the mother/daughter tandem shopping at Target, I check out the Mom! That's all part of the aging process. 1984, check out the girl. 2006, check out Mom.

I have a better appreciation for my generation of women, and the fact that beauty as defined as "young" is really overrated.

Like the link I have a couple of posts down showing the picture of Lauren Graham. She's four months older than me. There's no one 30 or below who could compare.

So, NOT because I'm searching, but I'm just thinking about all the "stuff" I'm supposed to face in this new age of life, when it comes to seeing beauty, first--it is from the inside, and second, the lines on your face accentuate the beauty. Long live middle-age!!

:)

Now, off to watch Match Game on GSN!

Just a thought driving home.....

I would rather have had a Saved Majority than a Moral Majority any day.

If conservative Christians had spent all the time and money used on politics these past 25 years on feeding the poor, building AIDS hospices, medical clinics in the Third World, etc....

....by SHOWING God's love, wouldn't we have been more like Jesus than to try and legislate Him?

Oh, boy. I'm guilty, too, but, lately, have seen a different perspective. I'm not blaming, fingerpointing, etc.....I'm just saying if we pulled the political plug and got back to full-on "love thy neighbor", Christianity might become attractive to the masses again.

It isn't right now.

25 years ago tonight.....

...I'm surrounded by all my Oakland Raider "stuff" (pencil, notebook, wearing my hat, etc., etc.), sitting on my bed, watching one of my favorite football games of all time, Super Bowl XV.

Final: Oakland 27, Philadelphia 10.

MVP: Rod Martin, Linebacker

HKB: Me (that stands for happy kid in Beaverdam)

When will the Raiders ever return to this glory??!!???

Now if my wife had told me.....

.....that this was who I was missing by not watching Gilmore Girls, I would have ceased what I was doing to join her in watching the show.

Lorelai---WOW!!!!

"24" in review: Chloe rocks the house again!!!

Various thoughts on last night's good episode....

COOL! I want to ride on the side of a Ford SUV like Curtis does!!

WHAT?!? I couldn't believe they shuffled off the Jack was framed question that quickly. Hi Jack, we know you're innocent, here's a Level Two. Huh???

NO DUH: Like Diana couldn't see right through Audrey in, what, under two minutes, though I will give Audrey credit for a good conversation with Jack.

THE BUDDY SYSTEM: Jack to spend some time with Diana's son. Maybe they'll hit Friendly's for ice cream once the day is done...which would be...oh, tomorrow.

START THE CHANT: At work today, another huge "24" fan says, "When McGill comes into a scene, I start chanting, "Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!"".

CHLOE IS THE BOMB: It's official. Chloe is the best television character ever!! She reminds Edgar that he needs, well, a life, turns skewer in the room with Spencer and Buchanan; has the good sense to check the computer she just saw Spencer on, and gets in several award-winning looks.

Oh....and the quote of the night...."well, it really wasn't an apology, it was more like an observation..."

FIRST LADY ON THE LOOSE: So, if you saw a dazed Laura Bush running down the street, what would you do? After thanking God it wasn't Hillary you ran into....

Once I found Martha; I'd help her to a safe location, buy her some coffee, then suggest poison in the President's tea to our nation's current leadership misery. Logan, what a joke!

Well----we're looking now to the battle between Walt and Jack, which, based on the promo, will take some time to play out (wonder if Mike will get taken into custody, too?) This is the perfect time for Jack to call him out ("I'm NOT CTU.").

After all, it's high noon!!

One more question------who's the vice-president? We need some reassurance!!

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Other news:

---a successful operation for a co-worker today, I'm happy to say. She'll hopefully be back in three or four weeks.

---I've already got my curling notes up on the bulletin board at work to prepare the masses for the best winter sport (other than hockey)....

---Have really been enjoying Match Game reruns on GSN at 11pm...that is, when I'm not trying to sleep. (AOL Keyword: Trying)

So, until such time as we meet again, hope springs eternal here. Why??

My wife is nuts about the "Gilmore Girls", but we don't have a WB affiliate in Richmond. So, this merger of WB and UPN to create CW means our current UPN station will probably go CW, and, with the network interested in taking the best of both networks and merge them, I suspect she might finally get to see Gilmore Girls! That is...if they have a new season come fall. :)

T-minus one hour to 11am....

....quick notes before "24".

Guesses....

....first character to yell tonight: President Logan

....first character to use cell phone: Curtis

....exact Eastern time of Chloe's first wonderful smug look: 919pm.


We hope to be here, following all the action live.

9a to 11a and other quick notes...

First---"24" Monday night. Two more excellent hours. My beef, though, is...

--they went back into "Jack fight for the world" mode way too quickly, considering he had been "dead". The feelings about his possible role in Palmer's death (i.e.--assassinating him) have been strange, too.

Having said that, the action portions, and character development and introduction are being done well. Bill Buchanan, I feel like I know him a little now, whereas last year, other than finding out he'd been with my dreamboat, Michelle (and he did NOT ask permission), he was just there, taking calls, making orders. Now we'll see how he handles loss of power and we'll see where his real loyalities are concerning Jack.

Chloe, though, is THE STAR so far this year. She is the most underrated character on network television...period.

---someone, as my wife yelled out Monday night, has GOT to realize there's a mole! How else did the guy in the airport that looked like Ben Gazzara suddenly discover Jack is in the house??

---I'm glad to see previews showing we'll be getting back into the character of Jack in "prove I'm innocent/this is a set-up" mode. Introduces another side of Jack that has to be.

OTHER NEWS:

I'm tired. Duh.

And, that's about all for now. Except-------------

I like the new Wendy's spot where, upon receiving a burger he didn't order, the staffers of the "generic burger joint" begin to sing "Love the One You're With."

Good work, Dave! We miss you. :)