Only teach outside when you don't really care about teaching. Lawnmowers, traffic, frat guys shouting at each other across the quad — you just can't get anything done.

And Van Dykes are pointy. Satan has a Van Dyke.

I really loved that fantasy sequence in all its drawn-out detail. It redefines all the quick jetting-back-and-forth through time that the show does so well … as a foil for Marshall's fantasy life. Brilliant both in the moment and as a meta-comment on the show's tropes.

Todd Rundgren, A WIZARD A TRUE STAR.

Well, THE IN-LAWS is one of the greatest comedies ever made, and a dictator is at least the McGuffin in that one.

I'm a little leery of the AD comparisons, just because this is not nearly as farcical. It's like a toned-down AD where you can hope that some real connections will fleetingly be made and some real happiness fleetingly found. If we must.

Guy's shtick is saying the same thing to everybody. "I know all about you. You're a very impressive person." "I know you all must have a thousand questions." He does it very sincerely.

I should say that I am a big Chabon fan, with my favorite being KAVALIER & CLAY. He's figured out how to plot by moving his stories closer to fantasyland, but he's kept the perfect emotional touches.

Not autism.

Dammit, I just can't get that Y in the right place. Which is in the 23rd chromosome, am I right, people? (end attempt to stay on topic)

I wasn't looking at the girls, I admit. I was distracted by the preternaturally smooth face.

Yes, Nygel seemed to appreciate that he was being steamrolled for putting him in choreography (same with "I'm so excited, no I'm dying!" boy), but at least Biggy was pretty charming and some of his moves, though not proficient, were clever.

The whole paramedics scene flew by so fast that I couldn't even be sure that was Cat kneeling over the young man. How did it happen that the whole "I think I'm having a heart attack!!" wasn't the teaser before every single commercial break? I'm actually sort of befuddled by the good taste.

How the heck did I turn "life" into "laugh"? Natural talent, I suppose.

After college that extra 15 pounds became an extra 60. He was plump throughout laugh, and fat through quite a bit of it.

To his great credit, Kidder actually asks a former nun who helped Deo in New York this very question. She doesn't have a definitive answer, but it definitely helps complicate the issues that he raises the question — and that's really indicative of his methodology throughout the book.

Typos? In the TV Club??

Congratulations, Smilner! I hope mother and daughter are healthy and that everyone will be going home soon. Being in the hospital for more than a couple of days after giving birth is less than desirable. Ask me how I know.

Farmer John, thanks for that beautiful post. The tale of the mouse who doesn't know the secret that spring inevitably follows winter is quite apropos here … as is the suspicion everyone has, completely unfounded but nonetheless real and frightening, that things are changing so much that the pattern will break this…

You've got to let go of "Rose Bowl," dude.