In honor of Lost's return this evening here is J.J. Abrams' TED talk about magic, mystery boxes, the art of story telling, and the democratization of Hollywood. "No community is best served when only the elite have control." glc

Rudy Giuliani drops out of the presidential race and endorses John McCain. John McCain then pretty much names Guiliani as his running mate. Yikes. jmj... Guiliani was quoted as saying that he and McCain want to create, "a revitalized 50-state Republican Party that can break through the red state-blue state divide.'' A nation of individuals caring only for themselves and their pocket? Brilliant! One can only hope that it doesn't happen. glc... John Edward's 2008 Presidential Campaign - R.I.P. I hope he fits into the scheme somewhere. I like his ideas, but I don't think he'd make a good President, per se. Tyler Cowen chimes in at Marginal Revolution. tjc

A New Yorker piece on Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack for There Will Be Blood. He is incredibly talented on guitar, but he is also a classical composer and a virtuoso on a myriad of instruments: violin, viola, organ, piano, xylophone, glockenspiel, banjo, harmonica, and the ondes Martenot. It mentions in the article, and I've seen it live, that he uses a shortwave radio in creating some songs. He is an avant-garde musical Renaissance man, if that makes sense. tjc

Captain America returns! Well, sort of. jmj

Could the NHL be floundering because it's dominated by the type of player we long for in other sports? Be careful what you wish for. The curse of the non-flashy average Joes. glc

Harvard University announced recently that J.K. Rowling will speak at its commencement this June. I hope she explains how after seven books, all of the sudden, with no explanation, Professor Albus Dumbledore is gay. I know that this happened a while ago, but it just bugs me. Not the gay part, the fact that she made it up just to make some headlines. jmj

Unsold copies of Robbie WIlliams' new album, Rudebox, over 1 million in all, will be crushed and donated to China for use in street lighting and road surfacing projects. (via BLDGBLOG) glc

As I said yesterday,I wonder why the majority of American's, myself included, have on the whole, unhealthy diets. Pick The Brain covers the "Massive Benefits" of eating healthy and offers some rather simple steps to get there. The key, I think, is to stay determined and accept that a dietary change is not an overnight adventure. glc

From Boing Boing, The Periodic Table Printmaking Project. tjc

The Periodic Table Printmaking Project is an international collaboration where 96 artists produced 118 prints, each representing one element. They used a variety of techniques: woodcut, linocut, monotype, etching, lithograph, silkscreen, or a combination. The idea is to "promote both science and the arts."

ESPN.com contributer John Helyar on why the Super Bowl is recession proof. The very last sentence speaks volumes on the political, social, environmental, economical and educational problems this nation faces each and every day. glc

To the Williamsville, N.Y., tickets-and-travel packager (Nick Giammusso, President of VIP Super Bowl Tickets), the explanation for the enduringly robust Super Bowl economy is simple: "The rich are still rich, and they're not afraid to spend."

ESPN The Magazine's L.Z. Granderson discusses why this year, more so than any other year, professional athletes need to get out to the polls and vote. jmj

Ever wonder what life is like for a child with Juvenile Diabetes? Here's a video detailing over five months of footage. Here's a site detailing a day in the life of a child afflicted with the disease. glc