Cover to Cover: The Robber Bride

Atwood's women characters are more than sweetness and light.

Sugar, spice, and everything nice. If this is the time-honored recipe for little girls, what is the recipe for grown women? Stories don't suggest ingredients, but they often present two outcomes—the beautiful princess with a heart of gold or the evil, ugly crone. While these archetypes have their place in literature, they obviously can't reflect the complexity of real people and, more particularly, the intricate relationships between women. Few authors bring these neglected themes to the page better than Margaret Atwood, whose female characters are made of equal parts bitter and sour to blend with the sweet.

I recently read Atwood's The Robber Bride (Doubleday, 1993), which deliciously balances friendship and betrayal within a group of women. Three friends, whose husbands and lovers have been seduced by the same woman named Zenia, meet every month for lunch—both for the company and to support each other as they move on with their lives. During one such meeting, Zenia, thought to be dead, walks into the restaurant more alive and more beautiful than ever. The revelation shocks the three friends, and the novel takes us back through each of the women's histories as they try to make sense of their relationships with their lovers, families, Zenia, and each other.

Even though Zenia is obviously the wicked witch in this story, none of the three heroines is a perfect princess. No one knows this better than they do. Although they appreciate each other and fill a needed space in each other's lives, they still grate on each other's nerves. They don't even like themselves some of the time. What they don't say to each other is just as weighty as what they do say, maybe more so. While they share their heartbreaks and biggest fears, the little things they keep to themselves create tension. Two friends don't like it when the third spaces out over lunch, but they never tell her in so many words. One friend secretly rues enlisting the interior decorating passions of another. Another wants to replant her friend's garden but is too shy to ask again. Atwood laces each chapter with these little cracks in their trust, but even the subtle examples reveal so much about the characters and the ultimate strength of their friendship despite these fractures.

Each relationship is finely balanced so that the friends keep each other at bay while still being intimately connected. They try not to step on each other's toes, but are careful that they don't get stepped on either. Atwood does all of this consistently but lightly, and the lightness is what makes the relationships plausible. So much of the communication results from minute, almost involuntary, calculations of words, gestures, and silences—calculations any reader who has ever wondered "Is it me, or is she giving me a look?" will recognize as authentic.

These nuances help unlock the mysteries of each of the three friends' lives, which keeps eager readers like me turning pages. Unfortunately, like other Atwood novels, the ending comes abruptly and half formed, as if the author just ran out of paper (the last chapter even says, "Every ending is arbitrary, because the end is where you write The end."). But I don't regret the time I spent with her characters, who are so richly developed. With Atwood's novels, her delightful and compelling beginnings coupled with strong, intriguing characters usually make the journey worthwhile.

The Robber Bride: ****

Backyard Buzz: Tales of a Live Bee Removal

Finding your hidden hive is only the first step.

Just one beehive can produce 100 lbs of honey in a year, a lesson we learned the hard way when a bee-suited man removed 20 lbs of the golden stuff from behind a panel of our hot tub. We were lucky—the egg-laden hive was ready to hatch a new generation of worker bees, who likely would have set up a new home 10 feet from their birthplace. The dog, who had refused to go into the western half of the backyard since the bees established dominance, would have been beside herself.

Obviously, with a three-month-old hive humming away under our noses, we were pretty slow on the uptake. Sure, we noticed more bees in that part of the yard, but it didn't seem like anything serious. It was the dog that brought them to our attention. One day, she burst through the dog door, an angry bee riding her rear straight into the house. There must have been more encounters like this, because once in a while, she'd have a swollen eye or toe. Eventually, the dog didn't even venture into that half of the backyard. She'd pull up sharply at the avocado tree with a wistful glance at the ball we'd thrown for her on the other side.

As a general rule, we don't like assaulting creepy crawlies that take up residence in the backyard. But no one messes with our dog, so I started looking for bee-removal services.

Breaking Out in Hives
It's no secret that bee colonies are declining, a crisis with the potential for severe environmental impact, especially for agriculture, which relies on cross-pollination. So, I was surprised to find that standard bee-removal service leaves no survivors.

It took a little digging, but I eventually found a company called Wilson's Honey and Bee Removal that will transfer bees to a new home. Naturally, this is the more expensive option—but we couldn't bring ourselves to kill nature's best pollinators. The next day, I greeted the bee man, who glanced at the line of bees streaming steadily in and out of the spa. "Oh yeah, you see that?" he asked. "When they have a highway like that, there's definitely a hive."

As he pulled on his bee suit over his jeans and T-shirt, he chatted pleasantly about some of his more recent jobs. Apparently, he'd pulled 200 lbs of honey out of a Hollywood celebrity's mansion, requiring the star to build a whole new wall. I could feel my eyes bug out. Before this, my understanding of beehives had come from Winnie the Pooh cartoons, which showed them as small, endearing shapes the size of birdhouses. It had never occurred to me that one could actually bring down the house.

The bee man pulled a protective mesh veil over his face, then wrapped duct tape around his wrists to ensure no bees got between his sleeves and his gloves. I had expected him to arrive in a full Hazmat suit complete with oxygen tank, because there is no way I would go near a bee highway without such a thing. But the final product resembled a painter's suit, and a well-worn one at that, with tears and rips barely patched with more duct tape. He grinned at me through the mesh, then told me he was going to walk over to test whether these were killer bees.

I put on my brave face. "Excuse me? Did you say killer bees?"

"Oh, yeah," he said. "Most of the bees in Southern California are killers now." He pointed over to the spa and said that if the bees tried to attack him instead of protecting the hive, that would confirm it. Pretty soon, he walked into the fray, and immediately, agitated bees flurried around him, angrily head-butting his veil and painter's suit. He got a distance away from them, but a few stragglers persisted. As he casually swatted them away, he told me, "Yep. Killers."

Killer Curiosity
Getting stung by one killer bee is not going to kill you—but if you incur the wrath of a swarm, you can die from the effects of hundreds of stings. Alternating between terror of killer bees and guilt over letting our dog share a yard with them for so long, I stood in the far corner of the yard with my camera to watch the bee man pull the side panel off of the spa. He explained that I should be fine at that distance because they'd be concentrating their wrath on him—but if a bee started head-butting me on the forehead, I'd better head inside. Apparently, that's the warning signal before the attack, as stinging is fatal for a bee and, therefore, a last resort.

It didn't take long before a disgruntled bee gave me the warning in no uncertain terms, and I fled behind the screen door to watch as the bee man used a shop vac to suck in as many live bees as possible. "The live removal still applies to killer bees?" I asked, not wanting to exterminate them but less sure we were doing the planet a favor.

"Oh, yeah," he said, "with the exception of the queen." Killer bees are still honey bees and play a vital role in the pollination process. The bees from our hot tub would be trucked out to a bee farm in the California desert where they'd be placed in a hive with a European queen bee. By cross-breeding the bees with regular honey bees, their violent streak would be watered down in future generations.

Honey Dos—and Don'ts
Between bouts of running the shop vac, the bee man scraped out the honey comb with its 20 lbs of honey inside. He stuffed the side panel of the spa full of cotton-candy-colored insulation, then screwed the panel shut again. He poked insulation in every gap he could find on the other sides of the spa, then waited for more bees to cluster so he could collect the stragglers. He told me that we'd see bee traffic for the next four to ten days, as many bees would still be out collecting pollen, but eventually they'd get the message and move on.

Before he packed up his truck, he handed me a plastic grocery bag with a chunk of honey comb from our very own hive. I proudly carried it to the kitchen sink, settled up with the bee man, and called my mother-in-law with a full report of the adventure.

Halfway through the conversation, I heard buzzing and tried to ignore it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one bee struggling through the plastic bag. No big deal. Then there were two sitting on top of the bag. Then four. Now it felt like a horror movie.

If my mother-in-law hadn't brought me back to my senses, I would still be standing there agape as a zillion bees took up residence in the kitchen. With all bee compassion drained from me, I bashed the bag with the best weapon at hand (the spaghetti pot) and hurled the whole mess into the outside trash. It was a low point for this live-bee-removal supporter, and I hoped this was the final test of my loyalties. After all, how many hives can one house have? Surely, one is enough.

Epilogue
"Uh-oh," said my husband, as we watched a few bees hover in the general vicinity of the spa last week. We'd been seeing them for a few days and hoped it was just a fluke. But as we saw ten or more of them entering a hole in the front panel, we knew we had to summon the bee man.

He arrived yesterday with his shop vac and cleared out a hive from behind another panel of the spa. This time, the bees weren't killers, and there was only a little bit of honey, probably only two weeks' worth. The bee man took special pains to ensure the honey comb he saved for us was bee-free, and we can now enjoy the one benefit of a backyard bee infestation.

As the bee man left, I tried to hide my dismay when he handed me the refrigerator-magnet version of his business card—the kind you put up for services, like pizza delivery, that you use all of the time. As much as we appreciate the good work the bee man does and would gladly recommend him to friends and neighbors, we hope we never have to call that number again! With an extra layer of pink insulation protecting the spa, bees won't be getting in any time soon—hopefully, that means they'll buzz off for good.

Wilson's Honey and Bee: ****

Tube Talk: The Bear Necessities

"Man vs. Wild" introduces couch potatoes to the great outdoors.

For most Discovery Channel watchers, braving cross-town traffic is an adventure, and an unairconditioned movie theater is roughing it. But every week, we couch potatoes can watch as Bear Grylls—the man in Discovery Channel's reality series "Man vs. Wild"—overcomes challenges in the most hostile environments on Earth, from the scorching Australian Outback to the frigid French Alps. Given only the clothes on his back, a knife, a flint, and a water bottle, Grylls must find a way back to civilization while feeding, hydrating, sheltering, and protecting himself throughout the journey.

Vicarious Viewing
"Man vs. Wild" puts viewers in the odd position of watching passively while a man scrambles to find basic needs. It's especially guilt-inducing to tune in during dinner. While I savor mouthfuls of home cooking, Grylls scrambles in the dirt to collect nutritious creepy crawlies, such as ants, termites, and maggots, or something more substantial, such as turtles, live fish, or meat from a lion's fresh zebra kill. While I sip my wine and adjust the volume, Grylls writhes in discomfort after drinking unboiled water in the rain forest. As I settle back into the cushions, Grylls flattens out in a snow cave he dug with his bare hands.

The chances that this TV junkie will set foot in a place containing quicksand, lions, sharks, or avalanches are next to nil. But I still appreciate Grylls' do-it-yourself narration style. Here's what I mean: While making his way through Utah's Moab Desert, Grylls purposely immersed himself up to the chest in quicksand to give viewers a tutorial on how to escape it:

"And the way to try to get out of it is that you've got to stop fighting and try and then lift your body up and wriggle to the surface and change the angle," he said between gasps as he demonstrated the technique. "Pull an arm out. Then ease the left leg out. Try to monkey crawl your way out. Okay, now I'm on the surface, and then just monkey crawl, and you can cross a lot of quicksand in this way." Grylls went on to explain that muck like this would require him to swim the Colorado River rather than walk across to civilization.

Believe it or not, these tips rub off on you. For example, while reading a novel, I called foul when a character who was pulled from freezing water was immediately swaddled in sweaters. Anyone who watches Grylls knows that to avoid hypothermia, you have to strip off all of your clothes, dry off with nearby powdery snow, get your blood pumping with some push-ups, then find some dry clothes and huddle by the fire. Not bad for someone who thinks going to the grocery store at rush hour is too risky, eh?

Grylls also gives facts about the terrain, its people, and its history as he makes his way along. At least once in every episode, he recounts a story about specific hikers, how they got lost, if they survived, and why or why not. My hope is that these episodes become mandatory watching for anyone who wants to travel these areas. His clever thinking, extensive knowledge of the plants and animals in each area, and navigation strategies would certainly heighten awareness of the dangers in the areas for future visitors.

Survival Skills
In a recent interview with KROQ's Kevin and Bean, Grylls modestly described his current career of survival as "one of the few things in life I can do well." Grylls, 32, spent three years in the British Special Forces, which involved rigorous survival training (including being dropped in the Alps wearing nothing but a trenchcoat and laceless boots while evading search teams and dogs for three weeks). During his time in the Special Forces, he broke his back in three places in a parachuting accident. Miraculously, he was able to make a full recovery in 18 months, and he went on to become the youngest man to summit Mt. Everest and survive.

Discovery Channel producers approached him with the idea for the show, and he has had a pretty rigorous shooting schedule ever since. He travels with at least one cameraman, who is not allowed to intervene unless there is a life or death situation. Unlike Grylls, the cameraman is equipped with all of the rations and gear that he needs as well as a radio to call for help only in desperate situations.

During an interview with Conan O'Brien, Grylls said that the show's producers want to up the ante in upcoming epsodes, which means greater personal danger. Yes, Grylls is well qualified for his intense job. Still, I worry about him. Does he sneak some sunscreen to keep melanomas at bay? Without mosquito protection, can he avoid their deadly diseases? Will he tumble down a mountain with the picture of his wife and two boys still tucked securely in his shoe? At some point, he will have to wonder whether it is worth it to undergo these perilous adventures for the entertainment of people who press the volume button for exercise. Hopefully, his survival instincts will let him know when to quit.

Man vs. Wild: *****

(This just in 7/24/07: Times Online recently reported that Grylls doesn't necessarily grin and bear it in the wild, but spends some nights in nearby hotels. This is very disappointing. While it doesn't change the fact that many of the stunts he performs are amazing, it troubles me that he hunts animals for food if he's got a continental breakfast waiting for him at the nearby inn.)

Wii View: Sweeping the Floor With Harry Potter

How can a game with boring tasks be so addictive?

Unless you're Mary Poppins, you probably don't think of tidying up as a game. But the makers of the Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix video game hope you will. Players who haven't seen the film of the same title will come away thinking that wizards and witches spend more time straightening up the hallowed halls of Hogwarts than actually saving the magic world from evildoers. That said, the game is surprisingly fun. Plenty of puzzles complement the story line, and the Wii Remote acts as a wand that allows you, as Harry Potter, to lift, repair, repel, and grab items the magic way.

A Wizard's Work Is Never Done
The game follows the storyline of the fifth film in the Warner Brothers' Harry Potter series, which is based on the book by J.K. Rowling. While this means a few combat scenes, most of your time is spent meeting characters who send you on miniquests to collect items all over the castle. This can get tedious at times, especially as Hogwarts is a sprawling place, but to keep your interest, programmers have hidden "discoveries" in every room. As you make your way through each floor, you can hang portraits, repair vases, find statues, and uncover other hidden treasures for points. These discovery points boost your power and unlock bonus features (including videos about the making of the game) located in a room on the second floor.

Some "discoveries" are so cleverly hidden and delightful to find that they keep the game moving despite the mundanity of the tasks. For example, you can produce a feast in the Grand Hall or release each of the four house ghosts. Other tasks seem pretty mundane. To chase down all of the discoveries, you'll find yourself making beds, mopping floors, sweeping courtyards, and watering plants. The creators seem obsessed with chores—the game even starts with Harry tidying up the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix—perhaps to show that kids with magical powers also have to help with the housework.

Discovery points also are rewarded for winning minigames, such as snaps or chess, and you can go on miniquests for professors to unlock lesson-related games, such as practicing charms in Professor Flitwick's classroom. Most of these activities rely on spells taught by different characters at various points of the game. One of the best activities is actually part of the main storyline—Severus Snape's occlumency lessons demand that you wave the Wii Remote furiously to keep the intimidating professor from reading your mind.

The game relies on cut scenes (and sometimes sloppy transitions) to keep you moving through the story. While you have only one formal task after the final cut scene, you can take your time exploring Hogwarts to build more discovery points or just admire the trophies you've collected. The story remains faithful to the film, and while it isn't complex, the world of the game is enjoyable enough to keep you engaged.

Building Hogwarts From the Ground Up
Although the Wii doesn't do as good a job of rendering graphics as its competitor consoles, most of the visuals in the game come through well enough. However, up close, the details dissolve, especially when you "examine" a note or a wall hanging, and it's hard to tell whether this is intentional. Overall, however, the people at EA Games, who also developed the games based on the other films in the Harry Potter series, did a good job of creating the sprawling property of Hogwarts and remained very faithful to the film's set design. The Grand Hall is especially accurate, and even places that aren't featured in the film, such as the boathouse, are well imagined.

In an effort to be even more accurate, EA Games employees scanned the faces of every cast member from the film—but the result is ghastly up close. Alan Rickman's Professor Snape likeness has the pupilless eyes of a horror-film ghost, and Maggie Smith's Professor McGonagall looks like death warmed over. Still, from afar, the characters are recognizable, and details like these make the film come alive.

The game incorporates excellent sound design. EA Games licensed composer John Williams' "Hedwig's Theme" from the film, which adds an aura of authenticity. In 5.1 surround sound, there are plenty of background noises populating the halls, from chattering portraits and heckling students to the ambient sounds of bird calls, wind, and even dishes scraping together. Twenty-two cast members from the film—including Rupart Grint, who plays Harry's sidekick Ron—also voiced their characters, which adds to the feeling that you're navigating through the film's world.

Not So Smooth Moves Slow You Down
While effort obviously went into the visual and sound design of the game, navigation didn't get the same treatment. Using the Marauder's Map, you choose your destination, and dark footsteps appear to show you which direction to go. Unfortunately, these footsteps are often difficult to see and do not render quickly enough when you move at top speed. They also go missing periodically, and you have to reselect your target to find them again. Savvy players will work to unlock all of the secret passages to cut down on navigation time, especially the tedium of running up and down the seven flights of the Grand Staircase.

Rendering errors contribute heavily to navigation frustration. Certain areas of the map are slower than others, and you can feel the system chugging to render the room in some cases. The characters of Ron and Hermione, who constantly follow Harry, often get in the way when you change direction. Camera angles don't shift easily, making it difficult to view targets at the roofline, and sometimes the heads of Ron and Hermione will block your view during a cutscene (although, sometimes these heads aren't rendered correctly and you can see through them). There are also bizarre rendering artifacts throughout the game, such as on the Grand Staircase where four rectangular shadows stutter and flare as you pass by.

Falling Under Its Spell
These annoyances aside, the game is fairly engaging and a fun way to explore the film's re-creation of Hogwarts. Harry Potter fans will enjoy the chance to cast spells and interact with the characters in this world, especially while waiting for Book 7 to arrive!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix game for the Wii: ***

Dog Spot: Huntington Beach

This Orange County city gives dogs the run of the beach.

The minute you bring home a puppy, you are unofficially initiated into a group you probably never knew existed—the dog owners' network. Almost immediately, you get sympathetic smiles from more experienced dog walkers as your 20-lb pup pulls you around the neighborhood. When you finally tangle leashes with another owner on your block, it escalates to encouraging words, and pretty soon, you're swapping stories and trading tips on everything from nutrition to discipline.

Probably the most valuable pearls of wisdom involve public places where dogs are welcome. In Los Angeles suburbs, many parks, beaches, and restaurants are off limits to canine companions, and with good reason. Not all owners are diligent about cleaning up after pets, and there are also discipline and safety issues to consider, especially when dogs are around small children. However, dogs also need places to run—and small suburban backyards don't always cut it.

Some communities offer parks and other areas where well-behaved dogs can play off leash—mostly thanks to lobbying efforts from organized dog owners. The Orange County community of Huntington Beach gives dogs plenty of play options, making it one of the best destinations for So Cal dogs. The area's crown jewel is a one-mile, leash-free stretch of beach—a rare treat for you and your dog.

Hit the Surf
Each year, more than 100,000 dogs take to the sand at Huntington Dog Beach, located off of Pacific Coast Highway between 21st Street and Seapoint Street. The designated beach is below street level, which keeps your dog safely away from traffic on the main road. When you arrive, park in one of the two parking lots, and bring plenty of quarters, as metered spots run 25 cents for every 10 minutes. If you plan to be a regular, membership parking permits are available.

A nonprofit organization administers the beach and employs cleaners who work every weekend and some weekdays. You will appreciate the ready supply of clean-up bags available from 60 dispensers along the beach, and there is even a dog drinking fountain located beside one of the towers.

Dogs of every size and breed play on the shore and in the surf, and many humans enjoy the beach along with them. Surfers and swimmers brave the water, and plenty of people lay out on towels and blankets despite a steady stream of dogs rushing by. With so much activity, dogs can be distracted easily by water fowl and other dogs. To keep your dog engaged, bring Frisbees or tennis balls—and pack a few extras, as it's easy to lose one in the waves.

Even though dogs are off leash, most owners keep their pets under control, which makes Huntington Dog Beach a fun and safe place to spend the day. While your dog enjoys running about unfettered, you can relax a little, too. Most people there will actually welcome attention from your canine friend!

Park It Here
After a full day at the beach, you and your dog will probably be ready to eat. In the nearby Huntington Central Park, you'll find a popular pet destination for refreshment—the Park Bench Cafe. Dog owners sit around plastic tables shaded by umbrellas, while at their feet, dogs enjoy bowls of fresh water. The menu tempts humans with wholesome cafe fare, and there's a also a special selection for dogs, including chicken strips and ice cream. For pets watching their weight, there's a kibble option as well. It may take a little while to be seated, but friendly service, good food, and pleasant atmosphere make it worth the wait!

After lunch, take a stroll around the park. While dogs have to be leashed here, they won't be bored. There are plenty of ducks and other water fowl to keep them entertained as you walk along tree-lined paths beside the pond. A fenced-off dog park on the premises gives your dog another place to play off leash, if chasing birds at the beach didn't prove to be as tiring as you'd hoped.

Find a Spot
As dog owners become more organized in their communities, efforts are underway to encourage more dog-friendly places in L.A. For example, lobbyists hope to open up Dockweiler Beach in Playa del Rey to dogs, which would mean that L.A. residents and their pets wouldn't have to travel to Santa Barbara or Long Beach for a day on the sand.

To find places that welcome dogs in your community, the Internet provides great information about restaurants, hotels, and other businesses that cater to dogs. But one of the best resources out there is The Dog Lover's Companion to California. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the best parks, eateries, and other dog-friendly destinations in every area of the state.

Huntington Dog Beach: *****
Park Bench Cafe: ****
The Dog Lover's Companion to California: *****

Tube Talk: Hours of Bauer

When you tune in to "24," one of Jack's days is also one of yours.

Catching the regular air time of the Fox television series "24" is dangerous enough to TV addicts, but the DVD boxed sets are even more lethal to reformed couch potatoes. Each of the one-hour episodes occurs in real time, which means every 24-episode season takes place during the course of one day. But unlike the average person's day, each hour is fraught with life or death situations that demand decisive action from hero Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), an agent for a government counterterrorist agency. Of course, every hour ends on a cliffhanger to keep viewers in knots between episodes. Thanks to the DVDs, however, that suspense doesn't have to last long. If you're not careful, popping "24" discs could eat up every spare hour of your weekend.

The show's premise alone was enough to keep our household "24"-free for six whole seasons. The irony is that while Jack Bauer combats terrorists, plans intricate rescue missions, and rockets through L.A. traffic, his viewers are practically inert. The series logo—the number 24 presented like the display of a digital clock—tells you exactly what tuning in will cost you, and we didn't want to waste an entire day in front of the TV. Of course, we have no trouble finding time for the ABC series "Lost," which had 24 one-hour episodes during its second season. But there is something alarming about seeing the total time so flagrantly advertised. Also, "24"'s premise adds pressure—obviously every hour has to count, so how can you possibly miss an episode? It smacked of a trap, and we carefully avoided it.

Our resolve completely broke down when my brother thrust the six DVDs for season one into our hands. We recoiled like it was poison, then started the first disc. The show has all the elements TV addicts crave—fast-paced action, high-stakes drama, and surprising twists. A show with this premise risks slowing down for long stretches, but by constantly shifting the focus to different characters, the episodes hardly lose their breakneck pace. Before we knew it, we'd pounded seven episodes in a row! Of course, we were chagrined, but not surprised. It was everything we'd feared, only worse: We'd enjoyed every minute of it.

It's a small consolation that each episode lasts only 44 minutes without commercials, so DVD viewers can get away with 17.6 hours in front of the TV instead of the whole 24. Even so, 17.6 hours! Multiply that by six seasons, and you get a number I can't bear to think about, and that doesn't even account for inevitable future seasons (there may be a feature film as well).

Obviously, the time viewers commit to "24" is really no greater than what they spend on other hour-long dramas, most of which have at least 24 episodes per season. But these are still dangerous times for TV addicts. It used to be that you could catch TV shows only in real-time, with occasional VCR recordings reserved for favorite programs you couldn't bear to miss on your nights out. This encouraged selection. But with digital video recorders and DVDs, any show you ever had a passing curiosity about is within reach. For TV lovers, this could mean more couch time than ever before. In 2004, Americans spent an average of 10 hours per week watching television, with an additional 10 hours per week on the Internet. I would love to research how TV on DVD has affected those statistics, but I can't. We're about to start Season 2 of "24."

First season of "24": ****