I had to wait a few days after the vice-presidential debate to blog to ensure that the bile produced upon listening to and seeing Dick Cheney speak had settled enough for me to write without throwing up on my own keyboard (that and I'm damned busy at work). The entire 2 hours was more of the same allegations and reiterations and half-truths. And while it was difficult to watch Cheney dismiss and ignore Edwards, it was pretty tough to watch Edwards take it. There were moments when JE managed to get his point in and really question and attack Cheney and the Bush administration, but on the whole, I think that he was swiped aside time and again by the big Dick. So, it was a draw. Ok. I suppose that many of the people who sit through 2 hours of political rhetoric already have an idea for whom they will be voting.

Then to put the next presidential debate on a Friday night - yeah, that says "watch me" to the American people.

In other, MUCH happier, news:
The Red Sox have won their 2nd game against the Angels. The game had its share of tense moments, but in the end, the offense came through to ensure a definitive victory.
Bryan and I are heading to NY to attend a Wilco concert at Skidmore, and to babysit for his niece Lauren so that his sister and brother-in-law can get a quiet, hopefully romantic, night away for their 5th wedding anniversary. We will have the game on whatever am station comes in, and while I'm a bit sad to miss it and to have to catch the presidential debate on a Web cast later tonight or tomorrow, I am really looking forward to the concert and the weekend.

A few observations:
The Emerald Nuts ad campaign is brilliant. Bryan and I have guessed maybe one of the "E" "N" combinations so far and in this time of horrible, fucking commercials that have the absolute loosest connection to the product being sold, these stand out as a small blip of joy for our viewing pleasure.

The Nobel prizes were announced this week. The prize in literature went to Elfriede Jelinek, an Austrian novelist. Feminism, leftist politics and pacifism are common themes in her works; her most famous novel, "The Piano Teacher", was written in 1983 and adapted into a movie in 2001. I haven't read anything by her, but she is one of only 10 women who has received this award since it was first handed out in 1901, so I think that I will at least check out this book.

Happy Birthday to Eric, Shayna, John Lennon, and Nick. Happy Anniversary to Kristen & Tyler. Happy Divorce to LJ.
And last, but not least, Happy Columbus Day - boy am I glad we honor this explorer who came to 'America', enslaved hundreds of natives, those he and his men didn't kill with small pox and other diseases, and then returned to Portugal with furs and gold and cheap labor. Now, 500 years later, we get a day off from work. Well done.