I SHOULD ALWAYS LISTEN TO MY B.W.! About a month ago b.w. says to me, "This Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, is the gal that McCain should pick for VP if he wants to beat the Obama bunch." Palin, at that time, was on no one's "short list" except for my b.w.'s. Suddenly this week, Coach John McCain sneaked onto the bench beside him his surprise potential game-winner, the savvy Alaskan governor chick who could win the November title game. With one fell swoop McCain has laid the other side low, and left them wishing that Hillary had been their first team VP choice. John McCain looks 10 years younger!

When the Dems met in Denver for their convention, the word being passed around was that John Edwards had been removed from the list of speakers for having lied about his notorious extramarital affair. Edwards was being replaced as speaker by Bill Clinton. (There's Democratic logic for you.)

Acting has always been part of my operatic wares, and I admire those who can sustain an act over a long period of time. While the Clintons are rooting loudly for Barack Obama in public, what sleight of hand will they be bringing off under the table to favor John McCain? Hillary will be 64 in 2012.

From an editorial in The Wall Street Journal: "… at [the Saturday, Aug. 16] Saddleback Church forum … Pastor Rick Warren asked each Presidential candidate which Justices he would not have nominated. … [Obama said,] 'I would not have nominated Clarence Thomas. I don't think that he, I don't think that he was a strong enough jurist or legal thinker at the time for that elevation. Setting aside the fact that I profoundly disagree with his interpretation of a lot of the Constitution.' … Justice Thomas's judicial credentials compare favorably to Mr. Obama's Presidential résumé by any measure."

Obama's acceptance speech recounted myriad American "evils," and offered to debate them (at last?) with McCain. Obama located nowhere any praise for his own past achievements, but was able to pile 19 of his extravagant dreams to an astounding height. Somehow, despite his all-encompassing verbiage, I can find myself in none of his "victim" categories. I guess b.w. and I will have to solve our own problems, and not count on "The Government."