That's about it. The weird scene of a city boy typing away to the accompaniment of da choiping of da boids. Pleasant, peaceful, nice place to work. Does that answer your question?

Reporting the latest TV outrage is Michael of Austin, Texas -- "Have you seen the latest shameful act by DirecTV with the Sunday Ticket package? They are now charging ANOTHER $100 for games in High Def, on top of the $200 they already charge. DirecTV and the NFL should be ashamed of this, holding the games hostage and demanding a ransom for the normal fan to watch games."

Forgive me, I don't even know what High Def means, so I'm sure I don't get it. I will call the DirecTV people next week and report back, in my next Mailbag, on what I've learned.

I'll throw this one in, even though it doesn't answer a question. A few days ago this is what I heard on TV, home of the malaprop, the non-sequitur, land of mangled grammar. From Joel Siegel, the movie critic, talking about the remake of Jackie Gleason's Honeymooners:

"If Jackie Gleason were alive today, he'd be rolling around in his grave."

From Alfred of Santa Monica, Calif.: "What do you remember about George Mikan?"

I remember him on the free-throw line in an NBA All-Star game when regulation time had expired, having to sink both foul shots to send the game into overtime. I remember him laughing as he sank the pair.

John of Minneapolis, a poker man, advises me to get Doyle Brunson's Super Systems to get answers to the statistical questions I posed in the last column. Here's the sick thing ... I think I already got it, along with the Dan Harrington book, and put it somewhere where I can't find it. I'll look. Thanks for the info. But honestly, I'll tell you why I don't like all those Texas Hold 'em events on TV. They make a habit of defying poker logic, and the ones who do it the most outrageously usually are the biggest winners.

The message they're trying to get across is that they're so sharp at reading the other guy's play, they can arrange their own play accordingly. Uh uh. Sorry, but I don't buy it. No one's that clever. I think they have arranged to split up the take, once they reach a certain level, and then all the dramatics are merely designed to keep the TV ratings up there. I would like someone with actual knowledge to write in and tell me I'm wrong for sure. I'm hoping I'm wrong. But this whole promotion has the smell of fish.

Linda, blow the bugle. A cry for help has come from a former E-mailer of the Week, and I am massing my troops for the charge. EMOTW's form a proud little fraternity, pledged to help one another whenever the call arises, and now it has arised, uh, arisen. Randy Fair of Moses Lake, Wash., a member, says that his wife refuses to believe that the Randy (he didn't include his last name at that time) that was honored a couple of weeks ago is really her own Randy Fair. She snickers. She boasts. She casts Persians upon his claim. Please, Dr. Z., provide verification.

Dear Missus: Your husband, Randy Fair, was chosen E-mailer of the Week because he provided me with an excuse to drop some Doug Flutie stories on the world. Leave him alone already. He's OK. Eats his greens. Walks in an upright posture. Be nice, all right?

Randy, still annoyed, says I didn't answer his questions about clock management -- also about rushing the punter as time winds down in the half, and I'm afraid this is one I didn't understand. Man, you're wearing me out. OK, the biggest clock-management mistakes are made when the other team is going in to score before the half or at the end of the game. You should call time outs, on defense, to give your offense a chance, but few of them do it. Four clock butchers were involved in the postseason last year --  Reid, Cowher, Edwards and Schottenheimer. There will be more this season. When I die and go to hell, hell will be a never-ending series of clock butcheries -- for all eternity.