Daughter Kayla and I watched multiple episodes of "Scrubs" on Monday night to prepare for the season premiere of the new season tonight. But "The Watcher" explains that this isn't your father's "Scrubs"--and the new cast just isn't as funny.
Here's Life's photo essay, "Sexiest Men of the 50s, 60s, and 70s."
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Real estate site "Zillow.com" just came up with the most ingenious idea to promote its website...it is calculating the best neighborhoods in which to score Halloween candy in five major cities.There is a common belief that wealthy neighborhoods are the Holy Grail for harvesting the most [...] 
It's true...compared to many other states, Iowa doesn't have a high crime rate. 
A nice explanation is here. Thanks, Matt Iglesias!
Garth Brooks has announced his unretirement at age 47.
Since Tara and I are activists for opposite political parties, we often laugh at the similarities between how the parties operate.
Jon Gosselin says he has forbidden TLC from filming his children due to the possible harm it was doing to them...not because TLC was planning to do a show without him called Kate plus 8. Right...
ABC's Dan Arnall offers some perspective on the Dow reaching 10,000 today: he points out that it first reached 10K a decade ago. 
Lifelong Democrat Amy Siskind knows how to stir up some conversation on "The Daily Beast": tell women they should give Sarah Palin a second look in 2012.Palin, back in the headlines for rushing out a new book ahead of schedule this fall, is fresh, open-minded, a [...] 
Tara and I are Internet addicts. I often don't blog on the "hottest topic of the day" because, after I've read so many posts on the topic--I don't have more to say..jpg)
Moderate Democrats are asking Senate leader Harry Reid to give the public 72 hours to actually read the health care bill before a vote is taken.
An Idaho school district records the earliest snow day in its history...
The Iowa political parties are among the biggest benefactors of the state's "first-in-the-nation" caucus status. The stars come out for the big fall fund-raisers.
I must have had visions of apocalypse dancing in my head on Monday, as I watched "Blade Runner" and "I Am Legend" in high-def.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Chicago and Tokyo have been eliminated. It's down to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Madrid, Spain.
After reading this piece today, over at Slate, I am convinced. Let Superman sit the LSU game out.
Our friends and blog readers know that I am a huge fan of all things Spanish. Today, an American girlfriend living in Spain with her Spanish husband shared this link, to an article entitled, "Los españoles, elegidos los mejores amantes del mundo" ("Spanish men chosen" [...] 
Jezebel envisions the index to Sarah Palin's not-very-long-awaited (just 4 months from book deal to release--take that, Axl Rose!) memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life." The imagined index's page numbers only go to 200, as "we're betting Sarah Palin decided to quit halfway through,'" [...] 
Via Lifehacker...check it out, along with those of other famous people.
Because it is Friday, and since I obviously enjoy referencing my favorite movies in my posts, here is "The Top 10 White Trash Heroes." You'll find yourself adding to the list, but I don't think you'll disagree with it..jpg)
World leaders are scolding Iran for planning a secret nuclear facility..jpg)
As a Republican, I've gritted my teeth at the sarcasm, snarkiness, and outright hostility directed at GOP leaders over the past few years by the left. But I've respected the opposition's right to express themselves freely and passionately.
Here's my suggestion to media outlets as they begin preparing their "2009 In Review" video packages for the end of the year: let's remember 2009 as the "year of the outburst!"
Elvis Presley died this weekend in 1977.
So will he 'fess up or won't he? Today would be the day to do it. Slate's there with the "what ifs." My unresolved "if" is this: If, as everyone has suggested and the National Enquirer has reported, he is in fact the father of [...] 
This is a good sign...our favorite movie reviewer loves Ponyo. I was already excited about this latest Hayao Miyazaki film, and now I am all set to head to the theater. From the review:This [plot] cannot help sounding like standard animated fare. But I have failed [...] 
It has taken decades of research...but, behold the power of the Internets! It can now be confirmed that "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina" are the same song.
Public support for the health care reform proposal proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats has dipped to a new low of 42%.
A Russian woman tossed a terra cotta mug at the Mona Lisa to express her anger at not being granted French citizenship.The Mona Lisa is of course protected by a thick bullet-proof casing, and wasn’t damaged. The mug bounced against the glass case and shattered on [...] 
The Los Angeles Times had an article out yesterday about the wonderful Japanese animator and director, Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki's newest film, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (featuring a return to traditional--no computers--animation, with most of the art drawn by the director himself), will [...] 
A couple of fun things to share from Slate.com: Barack Obama's latest facebook profile page (this is part of a series, and all are fun), and a "thought experiment" that takes the birthers' nutty argument as fact.' [...] 
Since I first read "To Kill A Mockingbird" (and I have since read it many more times), my belief in the goodness of Atticus Finch has been as strong as many people's faith in the badness of Judas Iscariot. So thanks again, New Yorker Magazine, [...] 
Check out this piece in last week's New Yorker, entitled "Betrayal: Should we hate Judas Iscariot?" It summarizes recent scholarship and opinion on the "Gospel of Judas," formally known as the Codex Tchacos, which has been translated and retranslated over the past few years (after its [...] 
And if you can't get into Harvard (but have some $$ to your name), you can dress like Harvard. Yes, Harvard has launched a fashion line. It's kind of metrosexual meets preppy handbook.
Our friend Doug Burns profiles the top 10 contenders for the GOP Presidential nomination, adding his own Iowa analysis and commentary, over at Cityview. [...] 
A Swedish company has been fined after one of its robots attacked and seriously injured a factory worker. [...] 
The recent death of Walter Cronkite had many of us lamenting the poor state of broadcast journalism. .jpg)
The owner of a kiosk in a North Carolina mall says he's being forced out of the mall because he sells conservative merchandise.
From the Pew Research Center, a great demographic, political, and religious profile of American Mormons. Check out the summary here. 
40 years ago, man first walked on the moon. NASA has released partially restored video of a series of 15 memorable moments from the July 20 moonwalk here.
President Obama remains personally popular, but his solutions to the pressing problems of the day are running into public opposition..jpg)
hilzoy signs off...and speaks for the majority of political junkies, activists, and average voters.A democracy is essentially about determining the course of our nation together. To do that, it helps a lot to have a good citizenry. A good citizenry is informed, serious about things that [...] 
We're playing with our blog's template. Sorry about any odd changes you may notice over the next few days!' [...] 
Walter Cronkite has died. He was 92. His voice narrated so much of our nation's 20th century history. Even my 12-year-old instantly recognized his voice as I played the video below..jpg)
Urine..jpg)
Republicans and Republican-leaning independents pick Rommey, Palin, and Huckabee as their front-runners. 
A friend of mine was stunned to find Halloween candy in a local grocery store. I can "one up" him.
I was surprised and a bit disappointed to hear that the Iowa State Fair would be including a butter sculpture of Michael Jackson in its butter cow exhibit. Sure, we've had Shawn Johnson, Tiger Woods, and even Elvis...but MJ? Why? Oh, right, because he died and' [...] 
Prepare yourself for more non-stop, celebrity-infused memorial service coverage now that Oscar Mayer (yes, THAT Oscar Mayer) has passed away.
President Obama is leaving the door open for another stimulus package, while Harry Reid is slamming it shut.
Google Inc. has announced plans to develop a computer operating system to compete directly with Microsoft. The system will be based on its Chrome web browser, which Tara and I use and enjoy.
Our youngest daughter shares a birthday (yesterday, July 6th) with the Dalai Lama. I don't know why, but it makes me incredibly happy to know that.' [...] 
President Obama told an audience in Moscow that he met his wife "in class." Newsweek "fact checks" the statement and finds it...um..."technically" untrue--because, er, well, he was "in school" at the time. Michelle got her degree in 1988 and Barack graduated in 1991.
BAD PAINTINGS OF BARACK OBAMA . COM!!
Tara and I recently watched the movie titled "The Namesake" which featured actor Kal Penn in a prominent role. Tara recalled all the "hubbub" when Penn announced that he is taking a sabbatical from acting in order to accept a position with the Obama Administration. After [...] Jeff Angelo, Tara van Brederode
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Scary, scary, scary stuff on unemployment 
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