Wednesday, July 5, 2000, 1 pm EDT

Vic Sussman By Reginald Pearman, Jr/ washingtonpost.com

What works?

What doesn't?

What stinks?

What zings?

Welcome to Love It, Hate It, Rate It! An hour or more of reader-generated rooting, ranting and raving about things, events and people--good, bad and indifferent. Whether you're a cynic or Little Mary Sunshine incarnate, this is your chance to ask questions, make rash statements, believe three impossible things before breakfast and tickle your keyboard as you pick at the social fabric.

Tell the world, such as it is, who's great or merely grating. Pin a label on it: Heaven or Hype? What's in, what's out, what's phat or just goes splat?

Your host is Live Online's Executive Producer, Vic Sussman, who emits an unearthly blue light from his forehead when annoyed.

Sussman has a long background in broadcasting and print journalism. The author of three nonfiction books, he was previously the Personal Tech columnist for The Washington Post Magazine, Book World's audio book reviewer, and a senior editor specializing in cyberspace at U.S.News & World Report. Sussman's interests veer wildly from the vagaries of computer-mediated communication to the skeptical subculture, weight lifting, and magic as a performance art. He is not a minion of Satan, but negotiations continue.

You may read past sessions of LIHIRI in Vic's archives.

Below is today's transcript.

washingtonpost.com: Sorry, folks. Our fearless host, Iron Vic, is stuck in traffic. He'll be in shortly.

Vic Sussman: Okay, okay, I'm here. Even big powerful cars get stuck in traffic. I'm sure you'll all have something sarcastic to say about that.

Vic Sussman: Oh no!

It's time once again for LIHIRI, the Web show that asks the question, "Can a washingtonpost.com employee not of this planet find happiness typing his fingers to the bone for people who really should be working instead of playing with their computers and actively disregarding the concept of maya?" The answer is encoded somewhere in the text of this twisted presentation. Suffice to say, this is not your grannie's hour on the Web unless your granny is hardwired.

That said, I promise you nothing today about Saint Elian, nothing about that stupid show "Survivors," nothing about venture capitalism gone bad, nothing about the Clintons, nothing about rude bodily functions, nothing about my car, my muffler, my spleen (vented or otherwise), nothing about D.C. politics or exploding personhole covers, nothing about the nature of existence, such as it is. Unless, of course, you bring it up. This is, after all, your show. Sort of. I control the horizontal. I control the vertical. I control the BOLD if not the beautiful, but that's only because I have supernatural powers and a dangerous grasp of HTML in this environment. (Eat your heart out, Tim Berners-Lee.)

The rest is up to you assorted Muggles, Mugwumps, Mudbloods, Morlocks (the Eloi are sipping coffee laced with Zoloft and are not responding today) and Misbegotten souls on a Wednesday afternoon. It's your turn, as is your wont every week at this time (I have no life) to rant, root and rave about....whatever. We are here until the Graham family discovers what we are doing with their precious little pixels. Then we're outta here, babe, sucked back into the phlogiston. Absorbed back into the matrix. Which means, let us prey, that I get to wear one a them ankle-length leather dusters like Lawrence Fishburne. Woo-woo. Is this prime time or End Time or what?

Okay. Onward and upward. Every week or so I have made reference to music I'm listening to while driving much too fast for the likes of trauma nurses dangling catheters in front of my symbolic face. And many of you among the hipnitude have responded by posting the titles of songs that have grabbed you. Like the dude (dudette?) who keeps telling me to run right out to buy the complete Staxx-Volt collection but neglects to forward the check for the full amount. Ingrate.

So FWIW, I'm going to post the full and decidely eclectic list of CDs I currently have stacked in my car's 12-CD changer. This is not to lord my selections over you. Nor merely to open myself to the inevitable criticism of my musical tastes (going for my cybernetic jugular is, after all, is a blood sport on LIHIRI), but merely to share with you, kind soul that I am. Yes. Of course. I do this also to spark a bit of conversation, not exactly something we are lacking during this hour disguised as 90 minutes (because there are so many of you and because I hate to stop when I'm on a roll and because my ego is the size of an emerging nation.)

Before the list comes the usual disclaimer: I can't possibly get to all your comments, quips, insults, jokes, comments, questions and death threats. While I appreciate the growing and suprisingly active response this weird hour is drawing each week (take your pills, people!, you guys overwhelm me, even though I'm typing as fast as I can, my neurons bouncing around like pachinko balls.

One last disclaimer: Some of you reading this don't understand a word, don't get it, don't grok. Leave now. It only gets worse and then comes the stigmata. The rest of you, the True Believers, mind meld with me. Remember, you can play their game and still win if they don't know what cards you're holding. And yes, the Revolution will be on the Web, but you'll have a GPF and miss the whole damned thing.

The music list today:
Vintage Hampton (Telarchive) [Hamp is definitely immortal]
Run Lola Run (TVT Sountrax) [Jeez, I LOVE this soundtrack and loved the flick!]
Gene Ammons: Young Jug (Chess)
Delbert McClinton Live from Austin (Alligator)
Louis Armstrong Sings (Columbia)
Antone's Anniversary Anthology Vol. 2 (Antone's) [Features Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, etc.]
Clarence Gatemouth Brown: Just Got Lucky (Evidence)
Blues Summit: B.B. King (MCA) [Features Robert Cray, Koko Taylor, Etta James, etc.]
Stephane Grappelli: Live at the Blue Note (Telarc) [As close as you get to musical heaven]
Bunny Wailer: Crucial! (Shanachie)
Propellerheads: DecksandDrumsandRockandRoll (DreamWorks)

That's the list for this week. Post your own for the edification of others.

Obviously, this is my Love It for now. The Hate Its will follow, alas, life being what it is. One last thing: I'd like to personally say thanks today to the Gods of Gravity, who make lifting weights worthwhile. Nothing makes quite as much sense these days.

And now, sans drumroll (cheap show: no audio), let the games begin!

DC: Heh heh heh.

What does the Flowmaster sound like when it is stopped in traffic?

Vic Sussman: It grumbles. Like me. Right now.

CD Central: Flowmasters out of order, Vic?

Vic Sussman: Yada yada yada.

CD Central: Since Vic is stuck in traffic, why not have one of Vic's online Amazon editors stand in?

Vic Sussman: Excuuuuuuse me! I'm the only person who can refer to my staff as "amazons." When I do it it's a term of endearment and a testament to their power. When you do it, well...watch yer mouth.

On the Red Line: Stuck in traffic, Vic?? Ha! Next time, ride Metro!
Signed, Bob Levey

Vic Sussman: Hey Bob, get back to work knocking out those columns! And let's be fair, Levey: You've ridden in my car! I drove you all the way to College Park. Admit it. You loved it.

DC: Hah! That's what he gets for not using public transit.

Vic Sussman: I'm surrounded by wise guys.

McLean, VA: Vic,

Here's my suggestion for Live Online guest--Miss Manners! I think she would be great, and she's here in DC.

Vic Sussman: We'll look into it. But Ms. Manners is sort of her own industry, so I don't know if she'd be keen to appear on Live Online. We'll make a polite, of course, inquiry.

washington DC: Vic, I don't care how old you are, but to this twentysomething, you are the [expletive deleted but rhymes with "bit"].

Vic Sussman: So I can put you down as "undecided"?

Arlington: LI: Watching people trying to negotiate the streets last night. I wised up and decided not to drive or metro to see the fireworks. I stayed in the city for the night instead. The worst part was that people had just abandoned their cars on the Whitehurst Freeway. Hello, it's fireworks, not the end of the world.

HI: The jerk at the movies the other night who would not shut up. I don't pay $8 to listen to some jerk tell his girlfriend about his day, during the movie. The worst part was when I turned around and politely asked him to please keep it down, he said "Whatever!" and kicked my chair a few times. When I turned around again, he stopped. What an idiot!

Vic Sussman: Here's what I've done the times I've gone downtown to see the fireworks: I drive down during the day and park my car far from the Mall. Then, that night, I take the Metro to the Mall, see the show and drive home. It beats waiting on the Metro platform forever. And there are plenty of non-traffic ways to drive out of town, even after the fireworks show is over and the lemmings are unleashed.

Fiendship Heights: Stuck in traffic? What about the TransAm? What about the extra loud muffler? Is there no justice?

No. The answer Vic is mass transit for a safer, cleaner, saner, world.

LI: High gas prices. Take that SUVs!

HI: July 4th. The British should have won, and then we would've become a nice country like Canada.

RI: Fireworks on the mall 5. Lightning bugs on the mall 7.

Vic Sussman: I love Canada, but I'm glad we beat King George back in the Bad Old Days. Our Bill of Rights is testament to the fact that our former British rulers weren't too kind to us Colonials.

CLINTON MD.: LI:Tall ships, real lemonade and LIHIRI being back on WP Online.

HI:no rants today

RI:Smithsonisan Museum+10, New bicycle+10, political conservatives who never see any reason to change anything-10

Vic Sussman: No rants? I'm starting to worry about you people. Are you mellowing out? Don't scare me.

Somewhere, USA: LI: fireworks in Fairfax last night
HI: every time a loud one exploded, someone's car alarm went off
LI: Harry Potter's coming out this weekend and I've already reserved my copy!
HI: my supervisor keeps giving me work that she was supposed to have done days ago, and I'm getting all the flak for doing it late. Grrr.

Vic Sussman: Hard to imagine that the new Harry Potter book is over 700 pages and that the entire series will be comprised of seven books. J.K. Rowling is pure magic herself.

Capitol Hill: Soooo........the Vic-Meister was stuck in traffic? In his car? Won't "Take-the-Metro-Levey" get a kick out of this!

Vic Sussman: He already has. See above. The man doesn't miss a chance, does he? You'd think a five-day-a-week Post columnist would have better things to do than pounce on me, cybernetically speaking.

Lexington Park, MD: LI: My company decided last minute to give us the 3rd off. I didn't have to even use vacation time. And now I'm rested and ready to waste time on the washingtonpost.com.

HI: Vic seems to get his directions to the wponline from Michael Wilbon. Maybe if you tried Metro?!?

RI: Working the Government CWS so I only have to work 2 days this week 10/10 Yeah!!

Vic Sussman: It's so nice to know that you think of visiting this Web site as "wasting time." Don Graham will be thrilled to hear this.

As for razzing me about getting stuck in traffic, think about this: I didn't have to tell the truth about this. I could have said I was delayed because I helped deliver a baby on a crowded bus. Or that I was late because I rescued a kitten from a burning building. But noooooo. The only reason I told the truth is that I'm a journalist, and all of us, as you know, are sworn to tell the truth.

California, MD: Hey Vic!

Here's what's in my 6-disk changer:

KoRn - 1st album
Filter - Title of Album
Disturbed - 1st album
The Best of the Moodie Blues
Static X - Wisconsin Death Trip
The Best of Phil Collins

Hmmm, this is just strange now that I see it in writing. Oh well, there's nothing quite like coming to a stop light listening to loud guitars wailing, then have it switch over to "Once upon a time, once when you were miiiine..."

Vic Sussman: Ah, but the cool thing about having a CD changer in one's car is that you can set it to random play and get totally weirded out by the juxtapositions. Isn't that the point? In my case, there's nothing like a segue from Gene Ammons to the music from "Run Lola, Run."

re: if you like Grapelli: You should get the Complete Django Reinhardt HMv/Swing Sessions 1936-48 from Mosaic Records.

Vic Sussman: Thanks. Good suggestion. I had the supreme pleasure of seeing Grapelli perform some years ago in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. He was in his 80s, I think, and mesmerized the audience with his skill and verve. Some things in life approach perfection. Grapelli was in that category.

Indianapolis, Indiana: Music list from Hoosierland:

Robyn Hitchock and the Egyptians
Camper Van Beethoven

Wes Montgomery - Fingerpickin' and Live at Ronnie Scott's (Hate it: That the people in my fair town don't realize that such an innovator of jazz guitar hailed from Indy. Not even a school named after him)

Complete Stax/Volt Singles: Volumes 5 and 6

Why haven't you purchased that yet?

RUN LOLA RUN was a delightful movie.

Vic Sussman: I haven't purchased the Stax/Volt collection yet because I'm shy the hundred bills. You think all us Web personalities are rich guys, huh?

DC: why does the washingtonpost.com have an advert for the washingtonpost.com? it's seems like a philosophical mobius strip to me.

Vic Sussman: Damn. You figured us out! We actually have employees here who are walking Moebius strips. Think about that for a moment...

Pontius Pilate: Truth? What does that mean?

Vic Sussman: Oh, go wash your hands and leave us alone.

Philly PA: Duuuude!

You mentioned having Louis Armstrong in your car.... I have his 'Mack the Knife' playing in my walkman at work at the moment.

LI: Satchmo's finally getting the respect he deserves!
HI: humid days.
RI: The potato salad in the cafeteria today. 1. I think I'll have to pay a violent visit to the mens room later today.

Vic Sussman: A "violent visit to the mens room."

Thank you for sharing. You raise the cultural level of LIHIRI.

On Satchmo: My CD has a duette with Satch and Jack Teagarden. Sheer joy.

CD Central: Vic, Please note that when I referred to the online editors, I put a leading cap on "Amazon", indicating the adjective as a term of respect.

Okay, set-up question number 1745:

Whch would be tougher for you to give up, biking on the recumbent or hoisting iron? (210 lb shrug! Damn!)

Vic Sussman: I would give up biking before giving up the iron game. The rush and benefits of lifting weights are beyond compare. I love the rush, the pump, the ability to set a goal, meet it and move on to another challenge. When I competed in the 1998 National Masters Powerlifting Championships, I saw guys in their 60s and 70s lifting weights that men in the twenties couldn't move with a forklift. And I'm currently lifting more than I could even three months ago. So while death can slow one's progress in the gym, age itself doesn't seem to be a factor. Man, I love it...

Bethesda, MD: HI: That Metro can't take a cue from the Germans and Austrians and put simple signs on the escalator that say "stand on the right, walk on the left!" They've got them on all the moving walkways in airports too, for God's sake! Every time there's a tourist fest or something, a bunch of maroons clog the left side of the escalator.

I mean, if you can't take a cue from the kings of efficiency -- oh, wait, the DC government's involved. Efficiency? Who am I kidding?

Vic Sussman: Were they "maroons" or "morons"? Enquiring minds want to know.

Los Angeles: LI: Spent the entire day at the beach yesterday, with live music, great drinks, amazing beach houses, and awesome weather.

You gotta come out and visit Vic. You're car is welcomed. No self-respecting Angeleno would complain of a loud, environmentally UNfriendly vehicle here!

Vic Sussman: Which beach? When can I leave? I never turn down invitations to beach houses.

Dupont Circle: MY CD changer has...

Sister 7
"Magnolia" (Aimee Mann is AMAZING)
Robert Earl Keen
Kelly Willis
Charlie Robison
"High Fidelity"

I miss Austin, TX

Vic Sussman: Seems like I started something. We should make this a regular part of the show: "What's On My CD Changer." It's a good way for us to be introduced to new or unfamiliar recordings.

Arlington native: LI: Watching the fireworks at Iwo Jima last night while a Marine was reinstated into the Corps a few feet away, and hearing a little girl exclaim, "When I grow up I'm gonna do fireworks!" We all shouted the requsiste HOOAH! , of course. To the Marine, not the little girl...

HI: Slow days at work. Do you admit you're bored and risk getting extra work, or do you pretend to be busy while logging on to LIHIRI? Hmmm.....

RI: 10+ My girlfriends and I going to the N'Sync concert Monday to re-live our childhood days of teen-idol-worship, no matter how many people make fun of us.

Vic Sussman: Pretend to be busy. Fight the Machine.

Phil from Capitol Hill: My 6 CD's (if I had one in my car)

Joni Mitchell: Court & Spark
The Kinks: Arthur
Graham Parker: Squeezing out Sparks
Dave Edmunds: Live
Rent: Cast Album
Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick

(geez..can ya just tell that I'm an Old fart?)

Vic Sussman: Nah. You're just a golden oldie yourownself.

SciFiGirl: And speaking of music...one of my current favorite songs right now is from the "Tank Girl" soundtrack (quick, hands up, how many of you spent money to see it? I did...but I digress), which is Joan Jett and Paul Westerberg's duet of Cole Porter's "Let's Do It." Proves that great music, like great literature, can be bent into whatever bizarre shape the artist likes, and it's still wonderful.

LI - my new job
HI - can't take a vacation this summer
RI - Last nights fireworks on the Mall 10/10. Fabulous show.

Vic Sussman: Hey, I saw "Tank Girl" and dug it. I think I saw it on video and not in the theater.

Speaking of which, I finally saw "Dogma" the other night and loved it. Many of you predicted I would, others warned me away. The flick was quirky to the max, great script, wonderful concept, funny and disturbing as hell (you should pardon the expression.)

The best touch was casting Alanis Morrisette as God. Especially the bit about her voice being able to kill. Every time I've heard Morrisette sing I thought I was going to die, and not from pleasure, believe me, so she was right for the part.

Re; Bethesda: I vote for maroons, a la Bugs Bunny, and wholeheartedly agree. They are also morons, so a point to each of you.

Vic Sussman: Maroons and morons.
LIHIRI brings culture to the masses.

Los Angeles: We hopped between Manhatten Beach and Hermosa Beach, both just south of Santa Monica. Party at every other beach house. More skin than is legally allowed anywhere. MTV couldn't stage anything this good.

you're always welcome! no humidity ever.

CD Player:

Pete Droge
Barenaked Ladies (going July 23rd whoa!)
David Gray
Patty Griffin
Santana
Dave Matthews Band

Vic Sussman: Great. All I have to do is fly to L.A. Send ticket asap.

Tiber Creek, D.C.: The Louis Armstrong-Ella Fitzgerald duet CD is the greatest music ever set to digits.

Vic Sussman: Yes, music like this makes you believe life still has magic to spare.

Rockville, MD: Have you ever listened to Blind Willie Johnson, a gospel (Delta) blues singer? It's an incredible listening experience. You don't have to be a fan of gospel to appreciate the emotional intensity of his music.

Vic Sussman: I may have heard him in passing, but don't own any recordings. I was listening to B.B. King singing with Koko Taylor this morning, a joy to experience over and over.

Somewhere, USA: HI no liveonline on 7/3

Vic Sussman: Sorry, but July 3 was a company holiday here and we all took off. And enjoyed it, believe me.

washingtonpost.com: Vic, it's Clara. Lauren just told me that there was a streaker at Wimbledon last week during Anna Kournikova's doubles match. Gotta love it!

Vic Sussman: I thought streakers went out with bell-bottoms. I guess great ideas never die.

Capitol Hill: HI: That I don't have a cool nickname like "Blind Willie"

Vic Sussman: Nobody is stopping you from being creative, although something like "Sighted Henry" doesn't quite have the same panache.

DC: Wouldn't your aversion to the sun limit your enjoyment at the beach?

Which brings me to another LIHIRI-inspired thought: you are careful about the sun and don't smoke (and have criticized others who feel differently), but like to drive fast. Others smoke occassionally, but run and otherwise take care of their health. Aren't we all just deciding what level of risk we are comfortable with? Can you (or I) ridicule others for making different risk choices?

Just pondering...

Vic Sussman: You're absolutely right. We all have to decide our levels of risk. No risk means no spark. It's probably heresy to say so (I'm not the first to point this out), but once your need for food, shelter, clothing and relatively good health is met, the rest of life can be pretty damned boring. I've pushed the envelope lots of times, and not just fast driving (which I don't do as much as this audience seems to think). I've gotten in trouble in kayaks in the ocean, pushed myself too far in subzero weather (on skiis) and taken a few chances with, ah, explosive devices. 'Nuff said about that.

Fairfax, Va: Here are the CDs currently in my changer:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - TV soundtrack
10 Things I Hate About You - Movie soundtrack
Walking Wounded - Everything But the Girl
Temperamental - EBTG again
Moby - Play
Erasure's Greatest Hits

Listing those, it occurs to me that I sound like some kind of teenybopper, even though I am a seasoned thirty-something (although the nostalgic Erasure CD sort of gives away my age). Well, I guess that's what keeps me so young...

Vic Sussman: I have one of Moby's CDs. Most cool. Age has nothing to do with it. Listen to what you like and let those who criticize you for not meeting their standards of age or behavior go to hell. Or am I being subtle again?

SportsFan, USA: HI: People who are always talking about music, and what is in the CD changer.

LI: People who actually make music!

RI: 7/10 the analogy between sports watching and music listening.

Vic Sussman: Oh please. I know you're tweaking me, but the analogy is so flawed it doesn't deserve analysis.

CD Central: How does "Iron Vic" rate on the nickname panache scale?

Vic Sussman: That nickname was given to me by Marty Gallagher. It's a badge of honor.

Burke, VA: Vic, what are your favorite tunes to crank the volume on?

Vic Sussman: Well, this may surprise you. But I love the Eddie Daniels recording of The Four Seasons (Shanachie/Cachet 5017). It's a combination of chamber orchestra and jazz quartet. Vivaldi would have dug it.

Tongue in Cheek, DC: HI: reading and talking about books
LI: writing books
RI: analogies that can be carried to extremes 2/10

Vic Sussman: Point taken. Thanks.

DC, again: One more: by driving a slightly-more-polluting car, aren't you contributing to the ozone layer problem that keeps you out of the sun?

I'm full of them today... I know. I've had too much time on my hands.

Vic Sussman: I'll have to go on a long drive to ponder this. I do my best thinking about pollution when I'm on the road.

Capitol Hill: RI: Perfect Storm at the Uptown - 11/10. Still queasy from the big waves.

Vic Sussman: I'm going to wait until the crowds die down, but this movie is shaping up to be a must-see. Even though, from what I hear, the stuff they do on the boats isn't entirely realistic or terribly smart. But hey, it's a movie.

California, MD: So, if I were the hat, who would say what I'm trying to convey? Hmmm, poet and don't know it?!?

Vic Sussman: Good thing you reminded me: The Hat Message today is "Adults are obsolete children." The source is Dr. Seuss.

Washington, DC: Hate it: That reporters get all bent out of shape over the amount of money that we're spending to take care of some random problem in a country far away where we don't really have a stake. Look, we've got enough problems to solve in the US right now.

I've never understood the mentality that says spend billions on AIDS prevention efforts in Africa when we've got people starving on our own streets in our own capital city, for crying out loud!

Let's take care of our own first!

Vic Sussman: Hmm. I wonder how you would have handled, say, World War II? Sometimes it's in our best interests, humanitarian or otherwise, to intervene. Other opinions on this?

Metro Center: Hi Vic.

LI: After 6 years of an all-Mac office, my new job has PCs. I can now read your hat! And attachments to e-mails. And all kinds of stuff. Yay!

HI: Learning PCs. Outlook sucks. And I need to replace my home Mac with a PC to be compatible.

RI: Macs vs. PCs - Gotta hand it to the PCs overall.

Vic Sussman: I work on both platforms and my vote still goes to Macs. My PC goes batty at least once a day. Don't get me started on this...

Capitol Hill: In my cube "CD changer":

Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Various - If I Were a Carpenter (Carpenter covers - hilarious)
Six String Circus
French Kiss soundtrack
Kirsty MacColl - the Essential Collection

LI: CD shopping online when I should be working.

Vic Sussman: Interesting. Years ago I interviewed the founders of CDNow. They told me that 50 percent of all their sales occurred during lunch time in any time zone. That is, people were ordering online from their offices. I'm not knocking this. Productivity may have gone down in some places, but Web access at the office has done more to bring women online than any other factor. In the early days of the Internet and the earliest days of the Web, male dominance was a given. Now the spread of male-female online is nearly 50-50.

Rockville, MD: Blind Willie got that nickname after his jealous stepmother threw lye in his eyes when he was 7. On the whole it's better not to have a nickname like that.

Vic Sussman: The nickname is okay, it's the stepmother I worry about.

Arlington, VA: Re: no risk means no spark

Vic, wouldn't you say there are different types of risk - psychological as well as physical? I find most extreme physical risk to be extremely inconsiderate to the people who care about me. (Or very considerate, on a bad day?) But taking a leap to a new city, a new job, a new relationship - that'll get your adrenaline pumping too.

Vic Sussman: I consider myself addicted to Xtreme-lite. That is, I like doing stuff with an element of risk, but not enough to get me killed or ensconced in a wheelchair. Of course, there's no guarantee that death and disability won't ensue, but sitting around on my duff strikes me as just another form of death.

Consider lifting heavy weights. I could pull a muscle, drop the weight on my foot or hurt my back (I've done the latter and had surgery). But the benefits far outweigh the risks. I was back lifting weights six weeks after back surgery, with my neurosurgeon's blessing. The only thing he asked me to give up was competition.

Rockvillem MD: LI -- fireworks at the mall on the 4th

HI -- overhyped fireworks down at the mall on the 4th that disappoint.

HI -- no WashingtonPost.Com discussions on July 3--Did you expect me to work all day?

Vic Sussman: We didn't expect you to work. We expected us NOT to work. Sorry we disappointed you, but the staff needed a major break.

NOZONE: LI - Three day work week!

RI - 2 I think Mayor William's idea to give escalator-less Metro riders free metro rides is nice but dumb. Spend the money and fix the problem. Apologies and freebies only create so much good will...

Vic Sussman: Yes, I think three day work weeks should be the norm. And then we can whittle them down to something more sensible.

WDC: I want in on this CD thing! Will I get a magic fortune or a Zagat-approved rating for my choices?

The Winstons - Vignettes (they're my aunt and uncle)
Bob Mould - Workbook
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Ani DiFranco - Little Plastic Castle
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
The Best of the Clash.

Do I win the kewpie doll?

Vic Sussman: Put your computer under your pillow tonight and you'll find a kewpie doll there in the morning. This offer is backed by the full authority of The Washington Post Company.

Arlington, VA: Anyone know if Paula Jones is actually going to be in Penthouse? WP noted this in the Style column awhile back.

Vic Sussman: Well. We are finally getting to the important issues around here. Anybody have any information on this? (Where is Lloyd Grove when I really need him?)

Washington, DC:
LI - The Post's series on AIDS in Africa.

HI - Isolationist, sheepheaded, Pat Buchananites who refer to a pandemic that threatens literally tens of millions of lives as "some random problem." Instead of dividing humanity into "ours" and "theirs," how about concentrating on alleviating human suffering where it's possible?

RI - A pervasive belief that anything not happening in our backyard is insignificant, 0/10.

Vic Sussman: As I said, there are times when a powerful country has to use its might for causes outside its borders. Isn't that a no-brainer? How selfish can we get?

Cottage City MD: Is risk the only thing that provides spark? Getting involved and trying to help other people doesn't make life a little lovelier and more meaningful? That sounds gagsome I guess, but the adrenaline high from bungie jumping can only last so long after all. Interesting juxtaposition with the guy who nearly died while mountain climbing (today's Style section).

Vic Sussman: I didn't say that risk and helping people were mutually exclusive. Why not do both, if that's your wont? Btw, bungee jumping isn't something that appeals to me. As someone once said, it's not cool to trust your life to a guy with a roll of duct tape and no liability insurance.

DC: LI: I am finally near the end of my college career.
HI: There is someone with a PhD Live Online (competition!) who has all these "good ideas" for how to cope with college...except that every idea is good in theory, terrible in practice.
RI: His assertion that college freshmen should never skip class gets a negative 52 billion in my book. I would never have made it through the first year without a few three day weekends.

Vic Sussman: A negative 52 billion. Gee, tell us how you really feel.

On taking days off in college: I took so many days off my first year that the college asked me to leave, which wasn't a problem since I wasn't around that much to begin with. When I returned to school, however, I came back as a samurai who refused to cut classes. Damn if my grades didn't shoot up. There may be a causal connection there, but you'll have to get back to me...

sleepyhead: Re:AIDS intervention

I always can't believe those who are unwilling to help the needed in other countries. Of course, we have our own problems that need due consideration. But there are millions of people who need help as much as our own people do, and we are capable of assisting them. I think we help whoever we can regardless of where they live.

Vic Sussman: Again, it's hard to believe that the most powerful country in the world, if not in history, can't spare the time and energy to help others. We can't save the world, for sure, but sitting around letting others die of hunger and disease doesn't seem like the most dignified course for the USA. I do think we have to pick our causes, however. No more Viet Nams, please.

Buzzards Point, DC: LI: That I mis-read the quote at first and thought is said "adults are obsolete chicken"

HI: That people keep bashing SUVs. Heck, gas could be $5 a gallon and I'd still rather drive mine then a Civic. I could afford the SYV, I can afford the gas...

RI: Robert Earl Keen 10/10. Worth a listen, Vic...

Vic Sussman: Some adults ARE obsolete chickens!

Capitol Hill: HI: When Squirrels Attack.
Can't I eat my lunch outside in peace?? People, stop feeding these bushy-tailed rats!!

Vic Sussman: Stop eating those damned peanuts and you'll be safe.

A Real Nice Town to Raise Your Kids Up.: My Pinto has 8-track:

The Young Rascals
Grand Funk Railroad: Closer to Home
Mamma Cass: Mamma's Big Ones
Barry Manilow
The Partridge Family: Come on Get Happy
The Monkees: We're the Monkees.

What's a CD? Is that like "seedy?"

Vic Sussman: An 8-track? You're making me cry.

Washington, DC: World War II was different. You'll notice that we stayed out of that one until the Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor, at which time, we had no choice but to retaliate. Also, that was a war.

I'm not unsympathetic to the plight of people in Africa dying of AIDS. It is a horrible situation, but I just think that we ought to fix what's wrong here in our own country before we look overseas.

Charity does, after all, begin at home.

Vic Sussman: Doesn't the USA have enough power and money to do both? Or to at least alleviate if not solve problems outside our borders? Does it always have to be all or nothing?

Bethesda, MD: Riddle me this: how does a 100 pound mattress salesman eat 25 hot dogs in 12 minutes?

Just the thought of that gives me indigestion. I love hot dogs as much as the next person -- mustard and relish on mine, please -- but jeez!

Vic Sussman: And I HATE those 100-pound mattresses. They are hell when you have to change the sheets.

Glover Park: Hey Vic--I think I read somewhere (Salon.com?) that Paula Jones backed out of the Penthouse deal becasue she thought they wanted to do an ARTICLE on her. An obvious failure to communicate problem here...or is she really as stupid as the entire country has suspected all along?

Vic Sussman: The real question is this: Why does anybody care anything about Paula Jones any more? With or without clothing.

CD Land: My CD player:

N Sync's No Strings Attached (getting myself up for the big concert on Monday!!)
Phil Collins Greatest Hits
Earth, Wind and Fire's Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Jamiroquai's Travelling Without Moving
Virginia Coalition's The Colors of the Sound (a great local band)
Dave Matthews Band's Crush.

Music rocks!

LI: Hot summer nights and cold beer.
HI: The fact I had to work on Monday.
RI: Finding a place to live in this horrible market -209

Vic Sussman: Another play list. Thanks. (What kind of beer?)

Arlington, VA: LI: The baby squirrels who live under the eves and play on my balcony every spring.

Vic Sussman: Let me know how cute you think they are when one or more get into your house. Or when one dies in the chimney.

Am I spoiling your fun yet?

DC: Know when my grades shot up? When I got off campus, lived by myself, got to bed on time, and didn't go to every single class but managed to make it to the good majority. Straight A's ever since leaving the dorms behind...

Vic Sussman: Yes, dorms aren't the best places for students. I always lived off campus but came to the dorms to act stupid and meet friends. And to get into those all-night conversations about the existence of God. And to put cherry bombs in the toilets. I never did this, of course, and even if I did, nobody could prove it.

Arlington, VA: So, does Washington think that AIDS started in Kansas or something? Might we not perhaps benefit from solving certain problems while they're still other people's problems before they become our problems? Not the most altruistic motivation in the world, granted, but it beats being dead.

Vic Sussman: From CD players and cherry bombs to AIDS. Ya gotta love (or hate) this Web show for its range.

Washington, DC: Ask the other guy from DC how he'd like it if I took food from his plate that he was going to eat for dinner and gave it away to homeless people down the street. After all, we ought to stop dividing humanity into us and them, right?

That's not his food, it's humanity's food, right?

Vic Sussman: Another dopey analogy.

Bring 'em on!

CD Land (soon to be Beer Land): My usual fave is Newcastle Brown Ale (apparently it's not much of a girl's drink, I get some interesting looks from bartenders...) but there is nothing like a frosty Corona with a big wedge of lime on a humid Saturday night.

I'm out of college a year, and just learning that there is better beer out there than Miller Lite or Busch or (horror!) Natural Light...

Vic Sussman: Oh god. As has been said, mass-produced American beer is just "malt-flavored pop." Call me a snob, but I can't stomach those weak brews.

New Mexico: Love It - I have been working out with weights for about 6 months now and it is changing everything about me! I thought it would only have an impact on my figure but the self vs. self is an extaordinary kind of focus I was unaware of. It is hard, but well worth it. I'm enjoying moving inside this tall, sexy body again.

Hate It - That my spouse has left me and my three children to pursue freedom from the doldrums of marriage, and he's the only one I want to show this new body to.

Rate It - A dumpy wife's self-esteem BEFORE her exercise program and cheating hubby's flight .......Minus 0

- A strong and fit wife's self-esteem AFTER uncovering said new physical strength, quads, and multitudes of good karma (and elegant lingerie)......Plus 1,000,000

Vic Sussman: Wow.
Quoted without comment, as The New Yorker would say.

DC lunchhour: I was just going to ask if you'd seen Dogma yet. I just saw it over the long weekend as well, and I really, really liked it! And I'm glad to see a corroborating opinion, because I'm so far behind on movies (I've seen only 3 in the theater since my daughter was born 20 months ago...and about the same on video) that it's nice to know I haven't lost all proportion and taste! Then again...

LI: two "rent one get one free" coupons in a row from Blockbuster (supposedly random)

HI: cost of babysitters...

RI: The guy who plays the voice of God (who is he anyway?) 10 out of 10

Vic Sussman: The guy in question is Alan Rickman, a wonderful actor. He's worth the entire movie, in my view. Love that guy.

DC: LI- lying (not laying) in the arms of the one whom you love

LI- the innocent faces of small children amazed at the beauty of fireworks

HI- people who use laying when they mean lying

RI- life is pretty good; if grammar is all that I have to complain about, I'm not complaining

Vic Sussman: Laying is okay too, as long as you're not lying about it.

Capitol Hill: LI My cell phone that lets me keep in touch with humanity and potentially cure AIDS in Africa.

HI That I have 14 days left in the month and already have used up all my minutes, leaving Africa to its death

RI 0/10 cell phone plans with not enough minutes. Africa with too much AIDS

Vic Sussman: As usual, LIHIRI veers off into DaDaLand once again.

Washington, DC: LI...the 4th, I'm a patriotic American.

HI...the fireworks sold in DC on the 4th, I'm a cheap American and the fireworks were blasted expensive this year!

RI...On a scale of 1 to 10, the new Harry Potter book coming out in a few days, 20/10...can't wait to escape from reality.

Vic Sussman: D.C. does not sell "fireworks" in my view. They are just big sparklers, not much more. Just enough spark and fire to delight very small children. Like a lot of stuff in Washington, the fireworks sold at stands are anemic excuses for the real thing.

Philly, PA (again): listening now to Satchmo's "What a Wonderful World" and realized something:

- Satchmo's songs are inherently positive. IN fact, the most violent song is Mack the Knife which talks about bad-ass Macheath but the violence in that song isn't even talked about in explicit terms. Rather, Satchmo melds the words into sheer poetry... (When the shark bites, with its teeth, dear, scarlet billows start to flow..) instead of the crap today that glorifies violence.

One wonders what kind of car Satch would drive today? I bet it'd be a Trans Am with a bigger and badder flowmaster than yours..

Vic Sussman: I would hope that Satch would be sitting in the back of a block-long limo, driven from place to place as befits royalty.

Columbia, MD: LI: The columns on Harold Nicholas. An amazing man on many fronts.

HI: Hollywood's color complex. Dozens of talented performers like the Nicholas Brothers were unfairly limited in their exposure. We could chalk it up to the racism of the times, but that kind of thing still continues today. It's not as overt, but it happens. The only color they see is green.

Vic Sussman: Well said. Thanks.

DC: Hey, where's Eraserhead? I wanna talk about whatever movie it is that he manages to work into every LIHIRI.

Vic Sussman: See? We miss him when he's not around. I hope he's okay.

Boston: Hi Vic,

Question: Could we see a picture of you while annoyed? I'd like to see the unearthly blue light. Tho you'd probably have to take off the hat.

But wait there's more: Can somebody help me with something? Ok, I think Al Gore is a dork & really not all that great a politician, though he's probably a pretty good guy. But what is it about Dubya that makes my skin crawl? I mean, his folks seem like nice people -- this guy just plain gives me the creeps. Is he the antichrist? Will we all have to worship him and eat rats or something if he's elected?

Aw man now I've gone & scared myself...

Vic Sussman: If you see the blue light it's too late already.

As for our presidential choices, I'm with you. Yikes. What time does the balloon go up?

Small town, Md and proud of it!: HI: Vic, I think maybe you are a version of “Voldemort” (You-Know-Who) because you refer to small towns as the “boonies”. Sounds like a case of city-snob to me. I have lived in the city and country and love both. But at least in the country I don’t have to look over my shoulder every time I get out of my car!

LI: Last night’s fireworks. Yes, this country girl actually braved the traffic and watched the show from the Memorial bridge. Awesome!!! And I loved being with all the people!

RI: Okay, your regular referrals to “Harry Potter” enticed me to get a copy (year one). I am thoroughly enjoying it (10+), so I guess you get a partial reprieve for your city-snob attack.

Vic Sussman: I think you're flattering me. Voldemort! My little son would be proud of me.

As for "the boonies," I've lived both in extremely rural areas and in the city. I have nothing against country folks. But give me the city every time.

And with that, kind (and others) souls, it's time to close the tent flap once again. As usual, our hour has run into a second one (almost) and my producer's stomach is grumbling.

Never fear. I'll be back next week if you will. Bring rants and raves, please. Hold the mustard.

Love you madly...