Presidential conventions used to be the thing of high political theater, combining drama, intrigue and the future of the free nation. Movers and shakers from across the nation would gather in mid-summer to ... well, move and shake — in a political sense, that is; give or take a Kennedy.

Scott Brown is the new American idol. The more America sees him, the more they like him. There's even talk of putting him on the national ticket in 2012. I hope he's enjoying it. His long-term political future remains to be seen, but here's a short-term prediction: He'll never be as popular as he is right now.

Budget necessities typically include things like food, water, shelter and clothing. When times are tough, expenses get paired down to the basics, which for many families doesn’t include things like preventative medicine. But for those of us with a frugal mindset, taking care of ourselves should be a top priority now, since it may lead to less spending on expensive illnesses down the line.

Thought, scribbles and stolen text-message jokes regarding Super Bowl XXVLXVIXCSI, which ended in a satisfying win for an iconic American city that has endured unfathomable hardships.

Out of billions of Yahoo! searches, Valentine’s Day searches have been in the top 450 for more than a week.

Five hundred thirty-five members of the House and Senate, more than 13,000 registered lobbyists in DC — you do the math.

It’s hard to escape Super Bowl fever in South Louisiana this year. The New Orleans Saints are in the game, something most Bayou State residents thought might never happen in their lifetime.

President Barack Obama, in his budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year, is putting off a trip to the moon. In 2004, President George W. Bush had outlined a strategy to return Americans to the lunar soil, which was set to take place as soon as 2020.

Dave Granlund cartoon on Rahm Emanuel serving as the White House Chief of Gaffe.

Bob Conroy cartoon on criticism of the Cape Cod wind project.

Bob Conroy cartoon on the support for the planned Cape Cod wind energy project.

As the years have progressed, the number - and wackiness - of the prop bets has progressed exponentially.

Let’s be honest: The Super Bowl is about much more than football. Some years, it’s about the halftime show. Sometimes it’s the GoDaddy commercials. Most of the time, it’s about the beer commercials.

“Sprinkles” are little bits of candy of various shapes, colors and flavors that are sprinkled onto desserts. The ones that are basically tiny sugar pellets also are called “nonpareils,” as are the “rounded wafers of chocolate covered with such pellets.”

Dave Granlund cartoon on Super Bowl parties.