It's already time to do it again. The N Cookie AA will launch for real next month, but Keckler and I have decided to do things a bit differently this time around, and we'll need your help.

Our initial listing of cookies stretched into the hundreds — Keebler alone is trying to gaslight us with the staggering number of cookies it produces — and yet somehow, in our first pass at the list, the proud warrior fortune cookie got overlooked until Keckler knocked two brain cells together and remembered it.

We'll need to make some cuts, in other words, and we'll need you to make sure we didn't forget anything. How it works:

1. I'll post preliminary polls here on TN so that we can start weeding out some of these categories. In the past, you've voted for a single cheese or ice cream; here, you can vote for as many varieties as you like. We want a sense of what people actually eat/buy/care about. (You're free to vote in a loathed cookie for the pleasure of seeing it get beaten up later; pure motives aren't necessary here.)

2. When a particular poll goes up, if you don't see a cookie of that type that you'd like to see included, please post it in the comments. For example, when I post the Pepperidge Farm prelim poll, if we'd left Lidos off the list, you could suggest those; please do not post about Girl Scout cookies, Lus, or any other brand until their prelim comes up. We can't use every suggestion, of course, but your feedback is appreciated.

Questions? Ask 'em. PF prelim polls will go up later today.

Frosted Flakes ekes out the win at last after a closely fought battle with Honey Nut Cheerios. The final bracket is right here if you'd like to review the goings-on in their entirety.

Stay tuned for the N Cookie AA next month. Starch Madness! And thanks for playing; we'll see you next time.

Edited 8/3/09 to add: It's still a dead heat. The current plan is to close the poll the morning of 8/4/09, but in the meantime, please Facebook, tweet, or otherwise share this entry to bring in some new voting blood, before this turns into that game from that W.P. Kinsella book that lasted two thousand innings and had a piece of cemetery statuary playing the outfield.

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Honey Nut Cheerios vs. Frosted Flakes.

Tara Ariano: The final match-up! But man, now I have to try to predict what you guys are going to pick as the ultimate cereal victor now that there are no other contests you can use to hedge your bets. And look, we all love Tony the Tiger and the product that bears his image and personal stamp of approval. And while I have kept in mind, throughout this contest, the disappointment that General Mills has changed its formula, the fact that Honey Nut Cheerios has lasted this long suggests that this is not such an issue after all. Honey Nut Cheerios will triumph.

Sarah D. Bunting: Once again, it comes down to how many of you vote these pairings based on what qualifies as part of a nutritious breakfast, versus snackability and sheer delicious taste.Honey Nut Cheerios is serviceably tasty if your priority is meeting a fiber quota — but it isn't the better-tasting cereal, because it isn't frosted.If I could only take one of these to a desert island, I'd take Frosted Flakes, and I think you guys would too.Flakes: champions.

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suspiciously strong swimmer and ex-wife

Typhus, the Brooklyn Dodgers of Flatbush, lesser Kennedys, seminal animé (say that five times fast), Argentine nutbars, and cod on the Cape — plus the N Cereal AA and the fall contest.These stories and more, after the jump.

Administrative whatnot. I've updated the brackets; the N Cereal AA final is Honey Nut Cheerios vs. Frosted Flakes.Not the outcome I'd envisioned, but not exactly a big shocker, either.My esteemed cereolleague is traveling, but we'll have the last match-up write-up for you on Monday, and Keckler tells me she's good to go for N Cookie AA in mid-September.I'll post an open thread in a few weeks for you to talk to us about cookie-gories.

Also, please start thinking, in just a casual wool-gathering sort of way, about the fall contest.Reader Laura K. fired the first prizing shot across the bow a day or two ago, and while I don't want to ruin the surprise, it involves Party of Five.…No, it isn't one of the barn jackets one of the characters always seemed to have on, but more than that I will not reveal.Can you donate a prize?Think it over, see if you can use some credit-card points, mull over things you make really well and might like to give away, and prepare for an epic fundraiser.

And now, pop culture and food!Take it away, Napoleon…

The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon's Greatest Army. I think it has a name, a term — the average person's inability to comprehend a horror fully once a certain number of victims is achieved.It passes into a staggering abstraction, and while we understand that it is a horror, the sheer size doesn't allow us to feel it the way we might.I experienced it while visiting the Stones River battle site in Murfreesboro, TN — I understood intellectually that more than 23,000 men had died in three days over New Year's, 1863, but as I myself stood there on a foggy day in 2008, on a pathway through a quiet pasture populated by birdcalls, two Buntings, their pamphlets, and a guy from Massachusetts with a tripod, it felt like a fairytale.It had thousands of faces, but then it had no one face.

Stephen Talty writes well, and does his best to pinch the reader with specifics — letters home, journals, individual wretched lonely deaths in the snow — but in the end, his narrative is defeated by this counting problem.It is terrifying, this scourge, and frustrating, since the modern reader knows how easily it could have been stopped, but Talty can only restate that sad fact so many times; then he's thrown back on recounting battle specifics, which is not quite what the title promises and which, frankly, I generally have a difficult time following unless I tear out the page with the little map on it (I have so little spatial sense that descriptions of pincer actions on second lines might as well be in another language).

It's a good book from an idea that's destined to not quite work no matter how it's presented, in other words.Hundreds of thousands of men died on that campaign; hundreds of thousands.But…then what else can anyone say to that.

Living With The Kennedys: The Joan Kennedy Story. Oo-fah, poor Joan.The book is more than 20 years old, written by a former staffer of Joan's who got a front-row seat to the seven-course buffet of awkward known as "Ted Kennedy's 1980 presidential bid."Marcia Chellis has a few good insights as a result, but the early years of Joan and Ted's marriage is glossed over; it's unclear whether Joan cooperated with the writing of the book (she intended to initially, then changed her mind, and Chellis doesn't really answer the question of whether she changed it back); and Chellis's primary interest is in pointing up Joan's triumph over alcohol abuse, which…let's just say it's not so current, because, well, poor Joan to the infinite power.Even if Joan had a quarter century of uninterrupted sobriety at this point, evangelism on the subject of the recovery journey frequently makes for dull reading.I didn't finish this one.

We Would Have Played For Nothing: Baseball Stars of the 1950s and 1960s Talk About the Game They Loved. I wanted to like it more than I did.The Baseball Oral History Project is a solid idea, and my understanding is that all of these interviews exist on video at Cooperstown; it's smart to get these guys on camera, talking about their experiences.

But as a book, I didn't love it, in part because New York players dominated, or seemed to, and on the one hand, that's fair — the three New York teams of that era did rule the game.But on the other hand, they still rule the narrative, always, inevitably, and I'm not uninterested in the Willie/Mickey/the Duke debate or the Miracle at Coogan's Bluff and so on, but I'm not uninformed about it, either.I'm over-informed, if anything; I don't feel like I need to know anything more about Ralph Branca or Pee Wee Reese or Whitey Ford that I don't already.Kiner, Musial, I'd like to learn more about them, their lesser-known teammates.All due respect to Brooks Robinson, but the Oriole machine of that time is another story I feel like I could tell as though it actually happened to me at this point; I can spin Earl Weaver anecdotes like I know the guy.It's probably the job of "official" baseball history, at this point, to focus on what Ken Burns didn't cover.I should not feel like I'm the only person under the age of 100 who still knows who Double X is.

Did Lizzie Borden Axe For It? I'm relatively familiar with the case, and I could barely follow along with Rehak's presentation; I don't think a newcomer to the material would have a chance.Things may improve after page 50, but once I hit the rendition of "lied under oath" as "purgered," I quit and donated the book to the cottage's library.

And of all the puns or plays on the famous schoolyard doggerel about Lizzie Borden, couldn't he have used one with any wit?This one doesn't even make sense.

The cod Reuben at Woody's Eastham Lobster Pool. Top-ten meal, lifetime. Amazing. Go get one.

Epitafios. HBO's Spanish-language series about the hunt for a serial killer has several elements that come off…I don't know exactly how to put it."Dated"?"Unstudied"?A serial killer who is that organized, who has that many contingency plans, who is basically completely sane and calm except that he's also rotten and evil, who is in drag a lot and listens to the opera…that kind of "the murderer is an angry art fag" take doesn't feel current.The production isn't all "ew, the gay" about things, I should make clear; it's just that conception of a serial murderer as more of a neatnik "degenerate" than out-and-out crazy, it seemed out of its time.

The acting bails it out, though; I didn't really notice that aspect of it until I had nearly finished the season.Cecilia Roth is saddled with a baroque Russian-roulette subplot that, while not uninteresting, could have felt deeply manipulative, but she makes it work, and the show has a good visual texture to it and doesn't treat its characters like idiots.It has a few really witty bits, visually (the scene with Renzo and Martín hemmed by the Rottweilers, for one), and the subtitling is more accurate than the occasional spelling error might suggest.I haaaaate it when I can tell that the subtitles aren't telling me everything, but I don't know what exactly has gotten left out; it's a non-issue here.

Great, thoughtful work by Julio Chavez as Renzo; I watched Un Oso Rojo right after Epitafios, and I suspect he won his handful of awards for that role on the strength of a single exchange he has with his little daughter in a pizzeria.Chavez is a jolie-laide in the classic "please, enjoy my chest hair" style, and I'd like to see more of him, not least to find out if he's 1) driving a taxi 2) with his shirt unbuttoned to the navel in every part he plays.

Samurai Jack, S1. The sound design still amazes me.And I always forget how much I love the Scotsman."Pajama-wearing daisy" is my new favorite insult, although (or because) it so seldom is relevant.

Full Metal Jacket. …Remember when they used to play clips from this on morning drive-time radio in the NYC area?Like, as comedy?

The first time I watched FMJ, it seemed so profound, but now I don't see what I'm being told or given of any real insight, aside from a few technically impressive and attractive shot set-ups that lack blood.D'Onofrio is so over the top at the end of that segment, they had to send a cherry-picker up for him when he wrapped; I like D'Onofrio, but the big moments eat him whole at times, and he thinks his only way out alive is Manson lamps or working his spine like a bullwhip.I don't think subtlety is always the answer, but in the case of Pyle's last moments, it would have worked better, said something newer.

Sports Night. GOD I can't stand Dana Whitaker on this show.Can't STAND her.What's worse, it's really Sorkin I can't stand — the way he can never resist cutting an impressive woman down to size with some repetitively stated, cutesily "random" phobia; some insecurity; some reason for rejecting the Sorkin stand-in that always has to do with having gotten hurt before; or some non-credible modus assholi that doesn't play for anyone over the age of 12.Ladies and gentlemen: the stupid fucking Dating Plan.

Is it Sorkin's belief that a real woman, a voting adult, would come up with a ridonko idea like this?Is it his understanding that the voting adults in the audience would either buy it, or find it endearing?Daffy, hilarious, whatever Sorkin thinks it is?Because it's idiotic.It turns Dana — already tough to take with the ill-disguised neuroses and the childish reverse-sexist bonding with Natalie, but still competent, tough, and loyal — into a silly, smug twat."I want you to date other women; I don't want you to like it"?Either she's nuts, or she's a jerk, and it's out of character.Dana up to that point is annoying, yes, but she's not dickish about it. She's…just annoying.

On another topic, can I ask what's going on with Teri Polo's hair in the first season?From the front, totally cute bob.From the back, wiglike Hamill-y weirdness.I kept wanting to pause the show, climb into my screen, sit her in a chair, and bevel the back properly.

Chris & Don: A Love Story. Could have gotten precious, but is touching instead thanks to a straightforward, controlled telling of a story that needs little embellishment.

Akira. I don't understand what Akira actually is; I don't know if that's the intent, or if I missed a key sequence (I watched with subtitles instead of English dubbing, so it's entirely possible).The film is, I think, considered a pioneer of the form, but twenty-odd years later, that fact isn't going to overcome your muddled third act.(I went with the two-hour version, not the full-length version, but I can't see how the extra footage would have helped, since the umpteen false endings got left in.)

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Frosted Flakes vs. Honey Bunches of Oats. Honey Bunches of Oats is what I buy so that I can tell myself that cereal isn't just a sugary snack. Frosted Flakes dispenses with that fiction, so, although in a vacuum I actually prefer it, it's HBoO I end up buying. Don't get me wrong — it's a delicious cereal on its own merits (and it mixes really well with yogurt, if you like that sort of thing, which I occasionally do). But I suspect that its ability to pass as a component in a healthy breakfast may give it an edge here…although Frosted Flakes could take that gr(rrrrrr)ound back with nostalgia. I can't even say how I'll vote; as to how you'll vote, I think it's Flakes for the win.

– Sarah D. Bunting

Honey Nut Cheerios v. Cinnamon Toast Crunch. If you had told me in the first round that Cinnamon Toast Crunch would make it to the Final Four, I would have told you that you were high (possibly on that brown dust they use to coat Cinnamon Toast Crunch). The fact that it has survived so many potential eliminations proves one thing definitively: I have no idea WHAT you-all are going to do. I want to say that Honey Nut Cheerios will take this round, but given the view that General Mills has changed its formula for the worse, have enough of you turned against it to end its run? I think not…but I'm not that confident about it.

– Tara Ariano

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Every time I think it's safe to close the poll, Frosted Flakes climbs back into it. The rest of the bracket has been updated with three of your Final Four: Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch will face off for a spot in the ultimate match-up, but Honey Bunches of Oats still awaits an antagonist.

You've got 'til 6 PM EDT to choose me a winner in Krispies v. Flakes, people. Let's get it done.

Edited, 6:05 PM: Flakes FTW!52% of 2316 votes.Watch this space for the Final Four, going live tonight.

1 Rice Krispies vs. 2 Frosted Flakes. Wowie. Now this is a contest! I have to hand it to you fiber-loving TN voters: truly, these are the two entries that deserve to be facing off as the last two Classics standing. Frosted Flakes have a lot going for them, granted: the basic (solid) corn flake, Tony the Tiger, and sugar that melts off so pleasingly in milk. But Rice Krispies…y'all. They truly do offer something for every taste, in that they kind of have no taste. They're like the tofu of breakfast cereal! With apologies to Tony: they're also grrrrreat! And they will win.

1 Honey Bunches of Oats vs. 2 Raisin Bran. Okay, seriously, how have I gotten this far along in life and never tasted a Honey Bunch of Oat? You guys are making an extremely powerful case for me to add them to my cereal-cabinet roster. It's obvious the HBoO has a very vocal cheering section, and if Raisin Bran had been knocked out in an earlier round, maybe it would have a chance to go to the finals here. But I think the simple purity of Raisin and Bran will strike down the upstart.

– Tara Ariano

8 oatmeal vs. 6 Honey Nut Cheerios. We didn't expect oatmeal to get this far, honestly — we kind of threw it into this draw to fill it out, and yet here it is, fighting for the Fiberfest crown.Having come this far, can it beat the last Cheerio standing?It seems unlikely — it got into this round with only 52% of the vote, not exactly a mandate, while HNC posted a healthier 67% of the vote last time — but we could see a bloc of oatmeal-cookie lovers carry it to victory.I don't think so, though.Honey Nut Cheerios as your Fiberfest champ.

5 Cinnamon Toast Crunch vs. 2 Froot Loops. …I know, right?I thought we'd see the Cap'n in the semifinals, but after a previous-round upset in the Sugar Shock draw, it comes down to this: starchy sweet against fruity sweet.Both of these cereals present as rather stale, no matter how fresh the box, but CTC is slightly worse in that regard.On the other hand, if I could only eat one for the rest of my life, I'd probably vote cinnamon over fruit.…Excuse me: "froot."All that said, I predict a win for the Loops, which is a comforting old-school favorite.

– Sarah D. Bunting

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As you may have deduced from the previous sentence, I'm going on vacation for a couple of weeks. I may have internet access; I may not. Stay tuned for updates, but at worst, the N Cereal AA will resume when I get back on 23 July. In the short term, voting for the Sweet 16 will close this evening, and I'll get the Elite Eight up before I leave town.

I do plan to bring as many books as I can fit in the Smart, including this fine tome, Huge, written by my friend 1st. He read part of it to us at Barnes & Noble last night, and you should pick up a copy.

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1 Quaker Oat(meal) Squares vs. 8 oatmeal. I can't say I'm particularly surprised that traditional oatmeal triumphed over Puffed Rice, the John Tesh of breakfast cereals. But it's got a tougher contest in this round, because Quaker Oat Squares are fucking GREAT. Yeah, I'm going to just go ahead and curse in a write-up about breakfast foods: THAT IS HOW GOOD THEY ARE, PEOPLE. But too few people know the glories of these hard little oat pillows, so oatmeal will probably win, "deserving" having nothing to do with it.

5 Yogurt Burst Cheerios vs. 13 Chex. This is another matchup where I think nostalgia will trump actual quality. The Yogurt Burst Cheerio hasn't had the advantage of years in the marketplace to capture all the hearts and minds it should, for its appealing combination of traditional oaty Os and weirdly sweet/creamy freak Os. Chex have nothing to recommend them except your memories of mixing them with pretzels at your seventh-grade birthday party, and yet I think that's why you will carry them to victory.

6 Honey Nut Cheerios vs. 3 Cracklin' Oat Bran. If you had asked me about this matchup two weeks ago, I would have called this for Honey Nut Cheerios in a runaway spree. But then I read in the comments that some of you have detected a switch to an inferior sweetener of late (I guess my palate is not as refined, or else I shovel the cereal in too quickly to taste it. It could be both). So maybe allegiances will switch to the crunchy delights of COB? I think maybe so.

7 Cinnamon Life vs. 2 Quaker Os. If we were talking about the classic blue box version of the Quaker Os, this would be no contest at all. My sister and I still talk about our love of the blue-box Os, and they've been off the market for fifteen years at least. But while I don't particularly like or approve of the cinnamon mutation of Life, I think it's going to take this one.

*****

1 Cap'n Crunch/Crunch Berries vs. 9 Sugar/Golden Crisp. Really? Crunch Uber Alles. Crisp is so pitifully out of its league here.

5 Cinnamon Toast Crunch vs. 4 Apple Jacks. Ooh, clash of the cinnamons. This is tricky. Apple Jacks are my sentimental favourite — some of the loveliest moments of my early courtship with my (now) husband revolved around our travelling to Niagara Falls, NY so he could buy me Apple Jacks, which were no longer available in Canada (and still aren't). But let's face it: my personal history aside, Apple Jacks are freak Froot Loops, and their apple flavouring is barely discernible. Cinnamon Toast Crunch — but it'll be close.

6 Corn Pops vs. 3 Alpha-Bits. I made the point in my last raft of write-ups that Canadian Mini-Wheats are superior to their Yankee counterparts, and here we are again. American Corn Pops have this slimy kind of glaze on them, and are weird, irregular shapes, like cheese curds. You all probably don't like them much for this reason, and I don't blame you. (Canadian Corn Pops are shaped like Kix, only sweet, and therefore delicious.) But then I also like Alpha-Bits — one of the few sugar cereals I was allowed to eat as a kid with any regularity — so I can't begrudge them their certain win here.

7 Honeycomb vs. 2 Froot Loops. Honeycomb and Alpha-Bits are the same cereal. Other than the shape: identical. So where you fall on this one pretty much depends on how you feel about artificial fruit flavouring. I'm going to call this one for Froot Loops, although the possibility of a Honeycomb/Alpha-Bits face-off might be kind of interesting in a "universe folding in on itself" way.

– Tara Ariano

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