Alabama’s connection to great TV

By Jennifer J. Foster

No, this is not a a cable commercial.

My Twitter followers learned about my love of Disney’s “Phineas and Ferb” TV show last week. It’s a smart and witty show—a cleaner, more child-friendly version of The Simpsons (and I appreciate that cleaner version).

But I didn’t know that a co-creator of this great show has ties to our fair state!

Wiki tells us that Dan Povenmire spent his childhood in Mobile. As it turns out, the premise of the wildly popular TV show—two boys who set out to do something unique and fun every day of the summer—had its beginnings in Povenmire’s own Mom-spurred summer outings!

How cool is that?

Other interesting notes:

Povenmire and co-creator Jeff Marsh met as layout artists on The Simpsons.

It took them 16 years—16 YEARS—to find someone smart enough to pick up the show. Fox had it, but let it go. Bad move.

You can learn geometry from the show!

Check out Phineas and Ferb (schedule here). Your kids will love it, and so will you.

Wait ... your kids probably already know about it. So spend some quality time with them.

This week’s column

By Jennifer J. Foster

If you missed it in Saturday’s print edition of the Opelika-Auburn News, or if you live outside the print delivery area, my most recent column is now available online. Check it out:

Obama’s success depends on converting words into reality

It’s my analysis of the president’s speech to the Muslim world. The bottom line? Obama’s words, while well-chosen and characteristically impressive, won’t be enough on their own to forge a new chapter of American relations with the speech’s target audience. Muslims want Obama to follow his words with tangible actions. They want him to produce.

As it turns out, that’s something they have in common with Americans of all religions—and those with none at all.