Guillermo del Toro's "Simpsons" Treehouse of Horror Opening Sequence/Couch Gag

Greatest. Opening. Ever.

Every Video Game from the Simpsons

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Commercial of the Day

After spending much of my childhood gorging on Hostess products (including twinkies and Ding Dongs), I was surprised by their impending bankruptcy. They just seemed like a force of nature. Still, there is something about them and their products which I am glad to see gone: their extreme artificiality, perhaps? Anyway, here's a scary commercial from my childhood to ease their going...

Sorry about the job losses, but good riddance...

The Debate

I don't usually watch the debates in election years, but this time around things seem to be heating up, so I sat through last night's vice-presidential debate with a couple of friends. Of course, I'm a supporter of President Obama, so I was dismayed at his poor performance last week against the glib, sales job of the Rombot, and hoped that Biden would show some backbone in defending his administration's accomplishments and taking down the lies and evasions of the Republican ticket. Well, I wasn't disappointed: Biden more than came through. Yes, there are those who are complaining about his demeanor, his interruptions, etc., but I say it's about time we had a genuine response to the republican ticket's false campaign and Big Lie tactics. I especially liked how Biden called out Ryan's dishonesty (about taxes and foreign policy, for instance) and finally dinged him on the 47% quote, going up to the line without actually calling him a liar. Ryan seemed programmed and out of his depth, although he didn't let Biden's antics rattle him (how do you rattle a robot?).

The only moment I thought he was being genuine was when he was asked to respond to abortion as a Roman Catholic. He admitted that he believes that life begins at the moment of conception. How, then, can he reconcile that with his stated position that the Romney-Ryan ticket believes in exceptions? He claims a "principle" and yet is willing to abandon it to get elected. In the past he has articulated a "no exceptions" policy. I guess this shows that he (and Romney) will do anything to get elected, and that things will probably change once they get into office (i.e., a no abortion under any circumstances policy - too bad rape victims!).

 I don't know what effect this will have on the election, but I do know it will stop the bleeding among Democrats. Now, if only Obama will come through next week...

Wallander

A friend has turned me on to the BBC series "Wallander." This is based on the mysteries by the Swedish author Henning Mankell. One of my favorite actors, Kenneth Branagh, plays Kurt Wallander, the low-key police detective who encounters both personal and criminal problems. The production is beautifully done, set in the vast spaces of northern Sweden where humanity is often dwarfed by nature. And Kurt himself often seems crushed by the evil he encounters and fights, although, in the grand tradition of detective fiction, he achieves victory, albeit a provisional one. As a long-time fan of British televised mysteries, I love and recommend this series.