In her e-mail to Scott (p. 228), Jean refers to Madison as a "pod person." What's a pod person?
Oh for the love of... Listen, turn off your computer. Run, don't walk, to your nearest video store, and then rent Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The 1956 one with Kevin McCarthy, not the 1978 one with Donald Sutherland.

You explained Scott's X-Men fixation earlier. So why is Jean such a fanatic?
Growing up deaf in an all-hearing family, I'd imagine Jean understands more than most what it feels like to be a mutant. On top of that, she's big on escapism. As she tells Scott in Chapter 16: Every time I look at reality, I get depressed. Or repulsed. Or just plain pissed.

Plus, comic books are the rare form of entertainment that can be equally enjoyed by the deaf and hearing alike.

And yes, it's painfully obvious to any X-Men reader who I named Scott and Jean after.

How does Madison get from her school to Scott's apartment?
Floo powder. I don't know. What, I'm supposed to think of everything?

Why does Jean make her daughter give Scott the comic book instead of handing it over herself?
Because Jean knows better than to violate the sanctity of her daughter's new workplace and haven. Smart woman, that Jean.

Did the Random House production people have a hard time formatting those e-mail text sculptures (pp. 237-238)?
I'll put it to you this way: there's a dartboard in Manhattan with my photo on it.

While waiting for Gail Steiner to break the Harmony story, Scott initiates "Plan B." What is that?
He sends a pseudonymous e-mail to the good people at The Smoking Gun, alerting them to the restraining order that Harmony filed against Hunta. The fruits of his effort show up online at 4PM, but unfortunately, the results weren't quite what he was hoping for.

Did Britney Spears really request a six-pack of Coke at every stop of her Pepsi World Tour?
To bask in the terrible scandal, click here.

Scott teaches Madison how to ferret out media bias by giving her two colored highlighters. Can that really work?
Try it sometime with some old coverage from the Michael Jackson trial. I swear you'll run out of orange.

Is there really a university for the deaf called Gallaudet?
Yes, but Madison's father doesn't teach here, what with him being fictional and all.

Why does Jean spend more time talking about her ex-husband than her current one?
Scott asks the very same question in Chapter 16, and then finally gets an answer in Chapter 21. Jean's in the middle of her second divorce, which is even uglier than her first one. As such, she has no intention of rehashing the details to Scott. All she wants is a good clean escape from her problems, and Scott's interesting and clever enough to keep her distracted.

Why does Jean take eight minutes to write only three words at the very end of their e-mail volley?
I assume she was in the middle of writing Scott a flowery compliment, but then censored herself for fear of flirting.

How did Maxina learn about tomorrow's L.A. Times headline?
Let's assume she has a close contact at the paper.

Wouldn't Scott, who's based in L.A., also have a close contact at the paper?
Yes, but his contact is too busy driving Madison from school to Scott's apartment. Look, there are plot holes, okay? I admit it. Leave me alone.