Day of Good News!!!

It has been an exceptional Hump Day!

First, I had my bi-weekly visit to the OB this morning. She confirmed that the baby has indeed dropped, but that my cervix is still locked up tighter than Fort Knox, so the little man might just make it to my tentatively scheduled delivery date:

DECEMBER 4, 2008! WHOOP! WHOOP!

I should receive confirmation of the date at my next visit. When I called Ethan to tell him the news, his initial response was "Oh, man." I think it became all to real to him once the date was (tentatively) fixed.

I celebrated by going to Target to buy slippers and travel-sized toiletries and all the other crap I need for my hospital bag.

And then, to top it off, the Phillies won the World Series in game 4. One of my earliest memories is of them winning the series in 1980. I never thought I'd have to wait 28 years to see them do it again.

With Mr. T's arrival and the Phillies winning the series, Obama winning the election next Tuesday would be the hat trick of all hat tricks, if I can mix my sports. Hopefully 2008 will be nothing but good things right through the end. I could use a few good months in a row!

Drop It Like It's Hot

I'm pretty sure Mr. T has dropped. I woke up the other day without the usual stiffness and pain in my hips. Also, my bump isn't as high. There's a definite space between boobs and belly now. Breathing is easier and heartburn is virtually a thing of the past.

On the downside, I have increased pelvic and bladder pressure. I am never not peeing. He was upside down at Wednesday's ultrasound. I believe he has "assumed the position." I wonder if that's what triggered my Braxton Hicks Saturday morning. From everything I've read, labor usually begins within 2 to 4 weeks of the baby dropping, which would fit in with what I've been saying all along about Tobe being a Turkey Baby.

That 2 to 4 week estimate is for first time moms. This is the second time I'll be giving birth, but our first son was breech and never really dropped. For second time moms, dropping often occurs closer to or just before labor, so who knows WHAT this means for me. I have an appointment with one of my regular OBs tomorrow and will grill her and force her to check my cervix.

I'd prefer he stay in until at least 36 weeks, but so long as he doesn't interrupt my rocking the vote next Tuesday, that's the most important thing. I'm kind of hoping he comes around the 36 to 37 week mark. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep him in. He's clamouring to come out, and we're very anxious to meet him.

My Latest Pregnancy Adventure

Nothing terribly gross or graphic to follow--just not anything interesting to anyone outside immediate friends, family and other preggos.

I woke up at 5:00 am on the dot this morning with painful contractions. I had had uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions periodically, but not quite this painful (Braxton Hicks sounds like the name of one of the pretty boys on Gossip Girl, btw). So I counted how long they were and how far apart. They were approx. 20 to 30 secs apart (EEK!), but then I noticed that they were decreasing in length--the first was about 30-45 secs long, the last only 5 secs. I had a total of 7 (I think--who knows how many I had before I woke up).

I paged my doctor who called me back quickly and reassured me that everything was probably fine and to just take it easy for the weekend unless it happens again. If it does happen again, I'll need to go to the ER for some tests to make sure it's not actually preterm labor. Not a HUGE issue if it were, since I'm already 33 weeks, but I'd like to keep the kiddo in until at least 36 or 37. I just hope bed rest isn't in the cards.

I've been fairly sore all day today. If I had to guess, I'd say that he's just going through another huge growth spurt and that triggered the BH. He hasn't let up rolling around and punching and kicking all day, either.

I did do a little low-impact work today. Ethan and I tackled our own bedroom. We're mostly done. It was the one room in the house (other than the nursery) that we totally trashed since we can just close the doors when people come over. Besides, it's wear the baby will be sleeping when he comes home anyway, so it takes priority over the nursery.

After about 3o mins I was exhausted again, so I rewarded myself by downloading some music off iTunes. I downloaded Pixies (never needed to own my own Pixies since I always seemed to know someone I could borrow from), and the Rockabye Baby! Cure album. I've been listening to Pixies all night now, but only listened to a sample of a few of the songs on the latter album.

For those unfamiliar with the Rockabye Baby! album line, they feature albums of lullaby versions of songs from all kinds of cool bands/artists: The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, AC/DC, Metallica, and Nirvana to name a few. It's friggin' adorable. I listened to about 10 seconds worth of the Rockabye Baby! version of "Just Like Heaven" and burst into tears, it was so sweet. I'm a gigantic dork.

Crap, I just went to the official web site--there's a Ramones album!! I didn't see that on iTunes. And one of the tracks is "Beat on the Brat!" That's hysterical. Love the song, don't know if I want to lull my son to sleep with it, though. I will have to purchase it nonetheless. Now I just need them to do a Weezer album and I'll be all set.

Palin's Off The Chain!!!

According to a McCain adviser, Sarah Palin is "going rogue" and has begun positioning herself for a 2012 run rather than focusing on winning 2008. I find this phrase especially fitting since "rogue" is usually paired in my mind with "elephant," the very symbol of the republican party.

If Palin were an actual elephant stampeding willy nilly through the town there'd be only one solution: a high powered rifle. Obviously this is not an option for the McCain campaign, so it will be interesting to see how they deal with this latest campaign-killing problem instead.

Apparently Palin isn't so happy about having been thrown under the bus, for which I applaud her. Liberals may have dubbed her "Caribou Barbie," but it's the campaign who made her into such a plastic persona.

Nicole Wallace (whom I loathe as much as Steve Schmidt) had this to say:

The Politico reported Saturday about Palin's frustration specifically with McCain advisers Nicolle Wallace and Steve Schmidt, who helped make the decision to limit Palin's initial press contact to a couple of high profile interviews with Charlie Gibson of ABC and Katie Couric of CBS, which all McCain sources admit were highly damaging.

In response, Wallace emailed CNN the same quote she gave the Politico:

“If people want to throw me under the bus my personal belief is that the most honorable thing to do is to lie there,” said Wallace.

What a spineless twat--oops!--I mean selfless martyr and patriot.

My Love/Hate Relationship With Old Navy

The bastards got me again. What happened to the good old days when boys' clothing was boring and not nearly as adorable as girls'?

I popped onto the web site "just to look." I really should know better by now. They hooked me with a single $7.00 item:

This adorable yeti bodysuit. In the bottom left corner it reads "Mommy's Abominable Snowboy." Holy shit. How could I say no to that? I showed it to Ethan and he concurred. Here's the thing--the cheapest shipping option is $7.00 as well, so it hardly pays to just get that one item, right? So I looked through the rest of their winter stuff for good bargains.

I wound up putting another dozen items in the cart--2 adorable sweaters, jeans, cords, cargo pants, long-sleeved tees and rugby shirts, and a pair of cute crib shoes. Only 1 item was not on sale. The next highest item was $10. Everything else ranged from $2.49 (THAT'S TWO-FORTY-NINE!!) to $7.00.

Cripes I love Old Navy. I just wish they wouldn't have so MUCH on sale at once so that I feel like I have to get one of everything. Still, I managed to get 13 items for an average of $6.00 ea. That's damn hard to beat--and he's going to be one well-dressed little man. And Mommy should be able to go weeks without having to do baby laundry. Good stuff.

More Stockbroker Fun!

This is why my best friend rocks harder than DIAMONDS. She sent me this blog full of pictures of miserable stockbrokers. I'll have to explore it at length, but this pic on the first page was too good to pass up. Please feel free to add your own caption!

"Bob began to panic the second he realized the DOW had dropped
further than Karen's boobs."

The Latest McCain Campaign Strategy: Outright Denial

Apparently Johnny Mac is "amazed" that other, prominent, members of the republican party have criticized Palin as his running mate. I could understand "disappointed," but "amazed?" Cadaver, pleez!

This one kills me...

"She is a governor, the most popular governor in America,” McCain said. “I think she is the most qualified of any that has run recently for vice president.”

Really? Including Dick Cheney? I mean, we all know how I feel about Dick, but even I would argue that he's more qualified to be VP than Palin. And what about Joe Lieberman? Wasn't McCain courting him to be his running mate? Does he truly, in his heart of hearts, think Palin is more qualified than Lieberman???

He went on to once again chide the media for their "gotcha questions" (you remember: what newspapers do you read? what does the vice president do? etc.)

And then....and then....my favorite:

McCain also mocked suggestions that Palin has to face tough interviews on the Sunday shows in order to prove herself to voters.

“That’s hilarious. With thousands of people showing up at town hall meetings, I've never had a person show up and ask when she is going on ‘Meet the Press.’ Not one.”

You wanna know why, Johnny?? Because even they know what a HORRENDOUS FUCKING IDEA it would be to let her anywhere near 'Meet the Press!!!'

I don't know what's worse: that your 2 top advisors thought she was a good idea, that you actually listened to them, or that you decided to save face rather than kick her to the curb and pick someone who wasn't a complete joke. Whatever. Far be it for me to look a gift moose in the mouth.

Oh heck!! I can't believe I forgot this one!

“We’re doing fine. We have a lot of enthusiasm out there. We’re working hard and enjoying the rallies and having fun. I’m very confident,” he said. “I think we’re behind, but it’s within the margin of error and we’re coming up. All the indicators are that we’re coming up.”

Uh, I'm pretty sure the margin of error is only 3-4%, sweetcheeks. Check your numbers again. Go ahead. I'll wait...

Zombies Zombies Everywhere, and Not a Brain to Eat...

Check out the pics from this past weekend's Zombiecon in NYC.

I'm so sad I missed this! :( It looks like it was a blast. The "Less Bailout, More Brains" sign is hysterical!

Maybe Ethan, Tobe and I can get all zombied up and attend next year's festivities. I didn't see any real zombie babies in the pics--just dolls.

That's it. Nothing else to say today.

A Few Political Nuggets

Colin Powell officially endorsed Barack Obama on Meet The Press this morning. It was a wonderful interview. It was clear that he had devoted a great amount of time and thought to his decision and did not make it lightly by any means. I have huge respect for him for that.

I had huge respect for him prior to his support of the Iraq war and didn't buy his argument that he only supported it on the basis of faulty intelligence. I figured, as Secretary of State, that he had to be "in the know" and therefore "in on it." As I read further in Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency, I now realize that in the Cheney/Bush administration (inversion intentional), that no one knows one single goddamn thing unless Cheney wants them to know it. Therefore, General Powell, please accept my sincere apology. However, I don't know if I can forgive you for convincing me via your interview today that centrist Republicans might actually be OK , halfway intelligent, rational people. I have to chew on that one for a while.

Also, Johnny Mac is now claiming to love "being the underdog." Enjoy it for the next 16 days, Johnny! Your optimism is kinda cute.

My favorite portion of the article:

Asked if Gov. Sarah Palin has become a drag on his ticket, McCain said, "As a cold political calculation, I could not be more pleased."

"She has excited and energized our base. She is a direct counterpoint to the liberal feminist agenda for America (my emphasis). She has a wonderful family. She's a reformer. She's a conservative. She's the best thing that could have happened to my campaign and to America," he said.

I still don't get how "liberal" and "feminist" have become such dirty words. What's so anti-American or--gasp!!!--unchristian about women having equal rights??? This is why I can't understand how any woman with a brain could even think of voting for McCain. If his personal life hasn't proven his utter disdain for women, his political life certainly has. I hope he loses by a record-breaking, humiliating margin. I hope during the middle of his concession speech that he breaks down and cries like a little bitch.

Bitten by The Baking Bug

Something about the leaves and temperature dropping always sends me into a baking frenzy. I got the itch today, so I made a recipe I tore out of this month's Real Simple to kick off baking season.

I made the apple and pear galette. It was (duh) real(ly) simple. The only annoying part was peeling and slicing all the apples and pears. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but I tire easily and have an abysmal attention span right now. The recipe caught my eye for 2 reasons: 1) Ethan loves apple desserts, and b) it actually called for refrigerated, store-bought pie crust! I have no counter space in my tiny kitchen and therefore cannot and will not make pie crust from scratch. I make all my cakes, breads, cookies, brownies and muffins from scratch, but pie crust is where I draw the proverbial line in the flour.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!! Our friend, Andy, came over to watch the free UFC fights on Spike TV tonight and we had it warmed for dessert and served with 2 kinds of Haagen Dasz-- Vanilla Honey Bee and Caramelized Pear and Pecan. Total mouthgasm. The only problem is its enormous size. It's 14" round, so basically a medium pizza. I have no idea how we'll manage to eat the rest. I'll definitely make it again next time I need to bring a dessert somewhere.

I'm not sure how much more baking I'll manage before Tobin arrives, but it sure was fun today!
A few posts back on Ethan's blog, One Guy Talking, he totally blabbed Mr. T's first name. He claims it was an accident. Not that it matters now. We've blabbed it to enough folks that it's not really a secret anymore anyway. Ethan's the only person I know who's even worse at keeping secrets than I am.

In belly news, I had to take the Corolla to the grocery store today as Ethan had parked behind the Olds. I discovered that I have far more belly room in the Corolla. We swapped a while back to save gas (he drives more than I do and the Corolla gets about 1 1/2 times as many mpg as the Olds). We might just have to swap again for the next few weeks so I can enjoy my freedom as long as possible. Environment be damned! Mama's got cabin fever!!

In Feedjit news, someone arrived on my post re: liking weird smells by googling "is it weird that i like the smell of a wet band aid." I discuss liking the smell of BandAids in my post, so I don't think that's weird at all. I just don't know that a wet BandAid smells so much different from a dry one. Perhaps that individual's sense of smell is far more advanced than mine.

Note to Kayly: I swear to GOD that if you leave a comment on this post referencing your superhuman sense of smell again, or pontificate about the subtle nuances of wet versus dry BandAids, I will cut your frigging nose off!!!! :) XOXOXO

Updated Belly Pic for 32 Weeks

I've been slacking as far as having Ethan take belly pics, so I made him take one today. I'm officially 32 wks tomorrow. I'm HYOOOOOOOOGE! I swear my stomach got bigger overnight again. It just kisses the steering wheel now--and I've got my seat back as far as my stubby legs can reach. I also whacked it against the ATM today when I misjudged my newly increased girth. I AM proud to say that I still fit in the booth at our local diner.

Remind me next time to put some makeup on and maybe schedule the pic for when I'm not totally exhausted. At least the baby's photogenic. That makes one of us!

I had lunch with my friend Bilynda and her 5 mo. old son, Marcellus, today. It was great to see them both. He's GORGEOUS! The most content, happy little baby. He smiled at me almost immediately and didn't even fuss when I held him for a good 10 minutes. It was great to see her and grill her with my one million mom-to-be questions. I was encouraged to hear about her success with breastfeeding and attachment parenting/baby wearing, since I plan to do both. Hopefully we can do lunch again soon!

Last Night's Debate

Not TOO much to say about the debate last night. Once again, Ethan was afraid that McCain had won, I reassured him that Obama had, and the pundits agreed with me.

Things I noticed:

• Both candidates were asked to discuss their plans on various issues. Obama answered these questions directly. McCain spent most of his time pointing out the flaws in Obama's plans rather than selling his own. Not surprising since his plans are utter BS and aimed at destroying an already vanishing middle class

• McCain kept huffing and sighing off camera every time Obama was talking. Did he think that would play well with the public? He doesn't seem to be able to differentiate being "aggressive" from being "angry/haughty/condescending/a total prick"

• The confident, non-aggressive smile Obama trained on McCain every time McCain was talking smack about him. That's my favorite Obama debate tactic. You can almost read his thoughts. You know he's sitting there the whole time thinking, "Corpse, PLEEZ!"

• How the pundits IMMEDIATELY seized on McCain's abortion gaffe re: the "health of the mother" exception for late-term abortions. Good for them! And keep running that soundbite, please, for any women out there who might have missed it. Wave bye-bye to any undecided women out there, Johnny

And one non-debate-related observation:

I've been saying this for a long time, but will finally post it since it's relevant to the upcoming holiday. MSNBC political analyst Richard Wolffe (whom I adore) has a big, candy corn-shaped head. I affectionately squeal "Candy Corn!" with glee every time he comes on-screen. It could also be likened to Frankenstein, also holiday appropriate. See for yourself. I couldn't find a decent still shot, so the attached video will have to suffice. He's approx. 3:47 seconds in.

I love candy corn. If his head were actually a giant piece of candy corn, I would eat it in sections from chin to forehead. I'm a touch OCD when it comes to certain things.

Damn You, Jeopardy!!!

I am an unabashed Jeopardy! junkie. I have a series recording set so that I don't miss one single episode. I may go days without watching it only to sit down to a 2 hr Jeopardy! marathon to catch up.

A while back, I signed up via the Web site to be notified via e-mail when the next online qualifying test would be held. I received an e-mail today. I opened it hoping it would be "the one." Nope. It was just a note to inform me that there would be an entire category dedicated to AMC's hit series (and one of my very favorite shows) Mad Men on Friday. Are they deliberately taunting me??? I would mop the floor with my opponents' nerdy asses in that category.

I kick ass in most categories except sports and U.S. Presidents (For any president pre-JFK, I have a mental block as to who served when). But Mad Men????? That's just mean.

I'm actually terrified at the prospect of ever being on Jeopardy! I won't be horribly traumatized if I lose, only if I lose badly. I don't want to be one of those yutzes whose final score at the conclusion of Double Jeopardy! is less than 5K. That's just pathetic. It's one thing to go into Final Jeopardy! with a nice wad, bet it all and lose everything. There's a kind of nobility in that. Finishing Double Jeoaprdy! with a low score--or worse!!--with a negative score so you can't even participate in Final Jeopardy! would be humiliating. I don't think the latter would happen to me, however.

It would be nice to win just one game and win big enough to pay off my student loan, buy a hybrid mommy car, or sock it away for a down payment on a house to be bought when things mellow out (30 yr. fixed, of course!).

Until such time, I will keep watching religiously. Ethan watches with me. We're a great pair. Between the 2 of us we can annihilate most categories. He still needs to learn the "NO TALKING DURING THE CLUES!!!!" rule. You should see him jump when I yell at him. I feel bad immediately afterwards, but COME ON!!! I totally would've gotten that answer if he hadn't derailed my concentration.

That's the problem, I can't make myself realize that I'm not actually competing from my couch. You should hear the awful things I call contestants when they give a stupid answer. I don't know how I'd be able to control my trash talking on set. Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I should just let 'er rip. I'd become so popular that the ratings would skyrocket and they'd start stacking the categories in my favor so that I'd stick around as long as possible. I would never ask Jeopardy! to compromise its integrity in such a manner, but if they were to do it without my knowledge then I guess that'd be OK :).

Caylee's Mom Caught Attempting a Runner!!!!

Ooh, it just gets juicier and juicier. I was becoming frustrated at the media lull regarding the Casey Anthony Case. I admit I was suffering some sick form of withdrawal. I turned my full focus to the presidential election and then...

The shit hit the fan today!!!! Woohoo! A secret grand jury (at which her own father testified against her) indicted her on multiple charges including first degree murder in the death of her daughter. Her lawyer had previously mentioned that they would ask the grand jury to allow her to continue searching privately for Caylee (ie, with no police presence). I saw no mention of this request in the original CNN article, so it was either denied or the defense decided to withhold it.

As if that weren't enough, after her attorney, Jose Baez, assured the press that Casey "was not running from this," SHE RAN FROM IT!!!! The stink just gets stinkier, gentle readers!!

"She's not running from this," attorney Jose Baez said as his 22-year-old client wiped tears from her eyes during an impromptu media briefing before the charges against her were announced. "She's doing her best to stand strong, to stand up to the powers that are working against her. And they threw the kitchen sink at her a long time ago."

After the indictment, undercover officers followed Anthony as she traveled in her mother's SUV. The officers saw the SUV stop under a highway overpass, at which point Anthony got into another vehicle and drove off. Officers made the traffic stop after she entered the second vehicle, the spokesman said.

Prosecutors are asking Anthony be held without bond.

Prosecutors asked for her to be held without bond before she tried to pull a Scott Peterson. Tell him she's not a flight risk NOW, Baez!! :)

Highlights from This Weekend...

Friday

1. Watching Countdown with Keith Olbermann (he had the day off) and seeing:

a) The footage of McCain having to defend Obama's character and tell his supporters that they have nothing to fear from an Obama presidency

b) The results of the Troopergate investigation come in, proving that Palin abused her powers as Governor. Nice! No wonder she had that gleam in her eye during the debate when discussing the newly expanded powers of the office of VP. Aside to Dick Cheney: Go fuck yourself!!

2. Delicious shredded beef szechuan style from my fav chinese restaurant

Saturday

1. Sleeping ungodly late with my warm, snuggly husband, 2 dogs and 2 cats. I don't know what the furry ones will do when the baby comes and they have to make room for him

2. Lounging in the comfy chairs at Starbucks reading the NY Times

3. Going to the library to find out that my copy of Angler: The Dick Cheney Vice Presidency was in! I'll do a mini book report once I finish it

4. Watching Halloween (the original) for the buhbillionth time while eating leftover shredded beef szechuan style from my fav chinese restaurant. Yes, it's dated, but it still scares the bejesus out of me. I chalk this up to its having been the first horror movie I ever saw (at the tender age of 6--it was edited for TV). I saw the Rob Zombie remake and really enjoyed it, but I have to say that the notion of Michael Myers coming from a perfectly normal, suburban family is far more terrifying than his coming from the white trash, abusive upbringing he had in the remake.

Sunday

1. Sleeping in again, though not as late

2. Sweet talking Ethan into going to the grocery store for me. He did a great job. I'll have to do that again

3. Ethan and I giving Mr. T yet another stern talking to for battering my internal organs all day long. Most of the day it felt like he was working the heavy bag, but he would occasionally switch things up and work on the speed bag for a while. Work that jab, Kid. Work that jab.

4. Cooking a home cooked meal for the first time in ages. I made this chili recipe from Tyler Florence and the accompanying corn pudding with poblanos. It was frickin' awesome if I do say so myself. I made the corn pudding to the exact recipe, but took some liberties with the chili. They didn't have beef shoulder, so I used stew meat. The recipe called for ancho chili powder and chilis in adobo sauce. I had some awesome chipotle chili powder, so I just used that instead of the 2 separate ingredients. It also said to puree the veggies, tomato paste and sugar before adding to the pot. I skipped that step since it was all going to simmer for 2 hours and wound up dissolving into the broth anyway. Also, I added a little more of each spice called for and omitted the coriander. I was totally sure I had coriander before I sent Ethan off to the store, but I was mistaken. Didn't miss it. Unfortunately, Ethan had to buy a 5 lb. bag of masa harina when I only needed 1/2 c. Gives me an excuse to buy a tortilla press so I can make my own corn tortillas.

4. Eating abovementioned chili while watching this week's episode of True Blood. It just gets better and better--and Sookie and Bill finally got down to business, bless their sexy beating and unbeating hearts

The Day Wall Street Stood Still

Last night on the Colbert Report, Stephen made a funny observation about the recent glut of photos on TV and in the papers of distraught stockbrokers. Today this AP photo appeared on cnn.com and made me laugh. The 3 gentlemen in front look like a scene out of a bad sci-fi movie.

Interior shot of "secret" military bunker. The Man on Right has just spotted a large fleet of UFOs over the NYC skyline.

Man on Right: "Sir, I think you should see this..."

Man in Middle: "Let's not assume the worst, soldier. Perhaps they come in peace."

Man on Left: "Shit! We're DEAD! We're ALL FUCKING DEAD!!!!!!"

Happy Friday, everybody. Take a deep breath, put all thoughts of the impending global depression aside, and enjoy the weekend. The recent economic downturn sucks, but consider the alternative. The Earth could be destroyed by an overly officious and unpleasant alien race simply to make way for an intergalactic highway.

My Cover Letter to the Republican Party

Dear Republican Party,

I would like to make you an offer you can't possibly refuse. It looks like the writing's on the wall for this election. The McCain campaign has made one horrendous misstep after another and continues to "crater" as we near election day.

Here is my offer. Whatever the McCain campaign is paying Steve Schmidt, the architect of the majority of these colossal blunders, to tank this election for you, I will provide you the same level of service or better in 2012 at half that price. I have no previous experience in running a political campaign. Therefore I have not enclosed a resume, yet I think you will agree that I am fully qualified for this position.

Thank you in advance for considering my offer.

Sincerely,
Vicki S.

I Love an Accidental DP Reference!!!

That's "double penetration" for those unfamiliar with porn shorthand.

This morning on Lisa Bloom: Open Court, Lisa had commentators representing both the defense's and prosecution's sides of the Chiman Rai case (Chiman allegedly hired a hitman to kill his daughter-in-law). At the end of the segment she said to both men, "You used to come on my show Both Sides. Now I'm getting it from 'both sides', just the way I like it!"

Lisa, you filthy whore!!!!

She played it off well, but I thought I detected a half-second look of utter horror as she realized what she'd just said. I almost did a spit take with my coffee. If that's not the perfect way to kick off Hump Day, I don't know what is.

Victory Dance

Can I get a "whoop whoop!" for my main man, Sen. Barack Obama? By the end of the debate, Ethan was worried once again that it was too close to call. I reassured him that, despite everyone's expectations that tonight would be a blood bath, both candidates stuck to the issues and Obama always wins on the issues. The CNN poll confirmed this, though the spread was narrower than I thought it should be.

Ethan thought the debate was also very boring and many people in the blogosphere agree. Once again, that's because they stuck to the issues and the issues aren't exciting to the average viewer.

Andrew Sullivan (Republican), called it a MAULING--advantage Obama. He picked up on several things that I also found odd or troubling during the debate. Namely, McCain blowing off Obama's handshake at the end (I missed the first 20 mins, so I don't know if he shook his hand at the beginning), the "that one" comment, his weird habit of pacing behind Obama while Obama was talking, etc. He left out McCain calling for a spending freeze while simultaneously wanting to buy up bad mortgages, though.

There's also been a lot of post-debate hubbub about the McCains hightailing it out of the debate while the Obamas stayed to greet and talk to the crowd and give autographs and pose for photos. I thought that was very personable of them. I'm sure the McCain campaign will spin that as the Obamas acting like "celebrities." The talking heads kept asking "why" the McCains left so abruptly. Duh, because it was way past his bedtime.

Holy crap, I can't wait for the last debate.

If the McCain campaign has any sense whatsoever, which we've already established that it doesn't, they will cancel Palin's remaining stump speeches and hide her away from the public eye until election day. She is not helping them. AT ALL. I know it doesn't help the Democrats for me to keep reiterating this, but she's an embarrassment and a liability for the ticket. WHY DON'T THEY SEE THIS???? They're some willfully ignorant motherf*ckers.

Ethan just poked his head in to say, "Man, you got a lot to say about a BORING debate!" What can I say? I didn't find it as boring as most. I thought Barack was on message and smooth like butter. What more could the Dems ask for?

The Obama Campaign Outsmarts Me Again

I've been crowing for months about the Obama campaign not pulling out one of the biggest guns in their arsenal--McCain's ties to the Keating Five.

I thought they'd dropped the ball on this one, or waited too long at the very least. Turns out their timing is perfect in light of the recent economic crisis.

Obama camp raises McCain’s ties to Charles Keating

I just don't know if sending messages to supporters and a 13-minute documentary are enough. I mean, this is it. This is the big one. Throw some money at it for Christ's sweet sake! I think they should aggressively run ads in the battleground states to solidify and secure Obama's lead. Hopefully the media will seize on the documentary and run soundbites 24/7. Maybe that's what the campaign is counting on.

Funniest Goddamn Thing I've Heard in a Long Time and Other Fluffy Stuff

On the most recent episode of Real Time With Bill Maher, Garry Shandling (has he had work done, or did he have a stroke that only paralyzed his upper lip?) got off one of the best lines I have heard in ages. He said he had a theory that Biden studied how to handle Palin in the debate last Thursday by watching old tapes of how Carson used to handle Charro on the Tonight Show.

In other news, Beverly Hills Chihuahua is the no. 1 movie in America! Is it just a slow movie week, or are people so mentally annihilated by the current financial crisis that vapid, Hollywood pablum is all they can swallow? And can they really afford those movie tickets right now? I hope they all went to matinees. Seriously, it's Oscar season folks! You couldn't wait for this one to come out on DVD?

This non-Hollywood pablum might be worth our hard-earned bucks, however. Every day I find a new reason to fall in love with the Garden State. This is the most recent example. Jersey's own Toxic Avenger is now a musical!




Please don't make me choose between this and Equus. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez! I would like to see both before Fetus Ejection Day.

I'd be remiss if I didn't touch on the O.J. Simpson verdict. I must admit, I didn't really pay much attention to the trial--tried to, but it bored me to sleep. As such, I really don't know how sufficient the evidence was to result in his conviction, but I relish in it nonetheless.

He's a smug prick. Whether he actually got away with murder, or just enjoys prancing around in public with that smirk on his face knowing that at least half the country thinks he did, he's a smug prick--which is why he thought he could pull this kind of crap and skate. It worked before!

There was a Hertz commercial on during Mad Men tonight that juxtaposes a 1960s commercial with one from today. Ethan said, "Note they didn't use O.J.'s commercials from the 70s," to which I replied, "You know what 'Hertz?' Getting your throat cut!" Ba-dump-bump!



Oy, time for me to go to bed...

Casey Anthony Is Officially a Suspect!

It's about friggin' time. I hope they have sufficient evidence to force her to cooperate in an attempt to save her sorry ass from the needle. They looooooooooooove to execute people in Florida.

I personally oppose the death penalty, but if waving it in her face causes her to disclose Caylee's whereabouts, well that's just fine with me. Hypocritical? Yes, but I just really, really don't like her. I'm sure my intense hatred of Casey Anthony is largely due to my current medical condition.

That's all I have to say about the case for today. Short and sweet.

More Feedjit Fun

In the last 24 hours...

4 people arrived on my blog by searching "rivers cuomo bald spot"

1 person arrived by searching "pine cone fetish"

And countless others have arrived by searching some variation of "john mccain neck folds" and "like weird smells."

Each of the above is linked to the relevant post.

"The View From Here" or "My longest friggin' post EVER"

Yesterday I met up with my BFF, Kayly, her mom, and grandma outside the ABC studio for a live taping of The View. Kayly had applied for free tickets aaaaaaaaages ago and was surprised to find some in the mail a few weeks ago.

I don't normally watch the show because I loathe Elisabeth Hasselbeck and think Sherri Shepherd is a giant waste of space. Sweet, but utterly useless. Still, I thought it would be fun to go to a live studio taping as I hadn't been to one before. We lucked out as far as guests. Both Bill Maher and Dr. Drew Pinski were on the show. So was Kevin Farley, hawking his new right-wing Michael Moore parody An American Carol, but we won't discuss him.

Bill was ruthless in his assessment of Sara Palin (I laughed so hard I almost thought I was going into labor). When the conversation turned to religion, things got even more interesting and not a little heated between Bill, Elisabeth and Sherri. See for yourself.




Mr. T beat me relentlessly the entire episode. I'd like to think he was trying to bust out of my gut so he could choke the living shit out of Sherri and Elisabeth.

Dr. Drew was dreamy. Kayly and I both remarked on how tall he is. Not that he appears short on TV, but he's really, really tall! He's a tall drink of Jewish water. Mm mm mm. He was on with a woman who's a recovering sex addict.

There was a wonderful moment where Joy jokingly asked how she, too, could become a sex addict. She stopped laughing when Dr. Drew answered that she'd first need to be sexually abused in childhood. Honestly--do these people not do any research? Even the warm-up guy who keeps the crowd going between segments was cracking jokes about it. Kayly and I just cringed.

Ethan taped the episode for me, but we're barely visible in the audience, small as it is. There's one frame where you can kind of make out the back of my head and part of Kayly's and another frame where I can pick out fuzzy lumps that I know are the 4 of us, only because I know where we were sitting and what colors we were wearing.

There was an awkward moment during Bill's appearance (the first segment on Palin--below) where an audience member with a medical condition (not sure what it might have been, perhaps Tourette's or something similar?) emitted a loud squeal. She had been making similar sounds periodically while waiting in line to be seated. She was escorted out during the following commercial break. It was handled very respectfully by The View staff and her chaperone seemed to be very understanding. I felt badly for her that she wasn't able to see the remainder of the show after waiting in line so long.

However, the girls and Bill had no idea what the source of the noise was, so their reactions are actually quite funny taken in context. It happens around 4:21 seconds into the clip, so feel free to fast forward to that point.

Joy sits bolt upright. Sherri's eyes bug out of her head and Bill just tosses a casual glance in the direction of the noise (he's used to disruptions from the audience).





All in all, it was loads of fun. Thanks again to Kayly for the ticket and experience!

Ethan met me at the train station and we had a lovely lunch al fresco at From Scratch where I regaled him with my tales of the day. Then we went home and took a gigantic nap and snuggled in front of the TV to catch up on episodes of Fringe and watch the beginning of The House on Garibaldi Street about the capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina by Mossad Agents. Mossad is hebrew for "badass." OK, not really, but it should be...We started dozing off in the middle so we taped the rest of it for tonight.

I had a fantastic day. Between being too tired to go anywhere or do anything and the crappy weather we'd been having for days, it was so good to get out of the house and soak up some sunshine. I didn't realize until yesterday what a horrendous case of cabin fever I had been nursing.

I have a coffee date with my friend Abi tomorrow, so that will get me out of the house once again. Looking forward to it.

And onto my 2 favorite subjects--Casey Anthony and Sara Palin.

• If you go to the Orlando Sentinel Web site for the case, you can read a great article on the contents of the recent court documents that were released as well as see photos taken from Casey's Photobucket site. What will you learn from these 2 things? 1) Her parents were extremely suspicious for quite some time before the police were even involved, and 2) Casey is a shameless party girl and, apparently, a proud patriot as evidenced by several shots of her wrapped in nothin' but Ol' Glory!!
  


• I giddily anticipate tomorrow night's Veep debate. I hope it turns out to be just as much of a train wreck for Ms. Palin as I've fantasized it will be. If I weren't preggers, I'd make a game out of drinking every time she drops a G or stops mid-sentence when she realizes that what she's saying makes absolutely no sense and she just sounds idiotic.