Mid-week musings

- Say it ain't so!  Pamela Anderson was booted off Dancing With the Stars last night.

- It wasn't 24 hours, a la Jack Bauer, but the 53 hours it took from the time keys were found in the ignition of the Nissan Pathfinder in New York's Times Square on Saturday evening to the arrest of Faisal Shahzad represented an extraordinary achievement.  Our quote of the week thus goes to New York police commissioner, Raymond Kelly, whose detectives worked the failed bomb attempt along with the FBI:  "In the real world, 53 is a pretty good number."  Kelly had to be taking a subtle jab at the world of 24 where everything happens in a day and, amazingly, Jack always seems to be "10 minutes away" from someplace, no matter if it's in New York or Los Angeles.

- Speaking of 24, it's disappointing to see that current President Taylor has crossed the line into questionable ethical behavior.  Taylor, played flawlessly by Cherry Jones, was firm and decisive last season.  This year we've seen Jones' character prove to be overcome by desire to see her peace treaty succeed.

- For literary thriller fans, pick up Scott Turow's latest, Innocent.

- OK, all of you who plan to imbibe on a few margaritas and cervezas later today, what's the true meaning of Cinco de Mayo?  No, it's not Mexican Independence Day!  This is a voluntary holiday (isn't that an oxymoron?) that commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.  It is celebrated primarily in the state of Puebla and in the United States. Why here?  Well, it is a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride but, as with all events involving food and alcohol, seems to have been adopted across a variety of ethnicities domestically.