So here we go again. Jack is going to save the world, Chloe is going to make ridiculous faces, they are going to identify the wrong person in CTU as the mole, but in the end the people we don't know will get shot, the bad guys will get away and Jack will barely survive and somehow manage to tease out the key piece of information that will let him save the day an 'hour' from now. Ahhh 24, is there anything you can't make campy and ridiculous? I didn't think so. I was all set to give it up before last week, but yet I hang on. And tonight I hang on for another 60 minutes.

Finally got to watch the first episode of This American Life on Showtime, and it was almost everything we hoped for. My only complaint is that I wish it was an hour like the radio program, yet I can see why they would hedge their bets and only make it half that. Nonetheless, they did a great job transforming it to the visual medium. It has the same tenor and qualities of the radio show. The stories are the focus with Ira just the master-of-ceremonies and disembodied voice. Like on NPR, he lets the people and events tell the story, and you never quite know where it is going to go. Great cinematography, perfect timing, and a clear focus on the essence of the theme. I already can't wait for next week. Still, 30 minutes is not enough.

Alright, on to the theme of this post's title! Here are 16 things it takes 50 years to learn. Next site is an amazing way to digest the difference between a million and a trillion. To say it is a lot is a vast understatement. But even understanding 'a million' is tough to do. So what then does one do with the visual impact of 200 million? All I can do is hope for a small piece of that, in our bank account.

The last bit for today is a way to visualize the vast numbers associated with this planet and the stark facts of our presence on this rock. Leave this last one counting while you do other things, and I think you will be surprised by how it all ads up. I certainly was. Ohh! There's a friend buzzin' the door. Time to save the world. Again.