Sarah Palin

So.

Is it just me, or did anyone else who watched Sarah Palin, Republican Vice Presidential candidate and governer (small town mayor?) of Alaska --- feel like they were sitting in the Comedy Cellar with a salty margherita listening to a witty, well-timed comic make their 10 minute spiel?

'Cause that what I got.

And they say now the dem's are on the defensive. And that we don't do well on the defensive. And how the heck is it that nobody seems to see through McCain's obvious playing off the Hillary nomination loss when he selected Palin as his vp candidate --- are we really that easy? Is it enough to be a woman and be funny and have been miss, oh what'sit -- Alaska? And I like Alaska. I do. I have an ex and a friend both from there and they are great people and Alaska is like the Switzerland of the US. Neutral territory ---- but uh, I was convinced it was a blue state?

What sort of games is McCain getting at? I want to refuse to believe that Obama's lead was 'cut in half' just because there are women who wanted to see another Woman in power, whomever that Woman may be --- I mean --- she just go introduced to us, we know so little about her and Obama's lead is cut in half? HALF!?

If elections were really determined by how good a candidate could really be in leading America, these things just wouldn't happen.

So really it's a popularity contest, as it has often been. And I think Miss America has a leg up. A very long pretty leg.

And don't even get me started on Italian politics.

The World in Short

So much going on the in the world. Myanmar is destroyed by a horrific cyclone putting the death tolls way over comfort level (not that there is ever a comfortable level...) Austrian dad Josef Fritlz locks his 18 year old daughter up in a cellar dungeon for 24 years and fathers 7 children by her without anyone knowing, not even his wife... Billary continues to pursue the by now hopeless Democratic nomination -- which is making it increasingly difficult for her to bow out with grace... (I support Barack Obama) Roma is playing into the last game of the Scudetto after miraculous results yesterday between Inter and Siena (they tied -- Inter, if the earth has been spinning in the correct direction yesterday, would have won) and Rome ousted Atalanta 2 to 1 -- and noone can sleep well for an entire week because next Sunday, if Inter ties or loses with Parma -- and Roma wins with Catania -- well all-party-hell will break loose in Rome and you can expect to see some crazy pictures posted on this spot. The last time Roma won the Scudetto was 2001.

So all of this is going on and then there's little ole me in the world and my goings on and it's May and today Jac is going to sign/send the letter of "disdetta" (a letter you send to show you intend to end a contract) for the contract of his apartment -- so we can finally finalize the move-out date though we are open to any way of moving in together sooner. We're in some strange sort of hyper-in-love phase -- I am not quite sure why -- maybe it is because tomorrow we celebrate the anniversary of our first year together or maybe it's because we get how damn lucky we are to have found one another -- we've spent this entire weekend sort of reveling in that feeling and talking about our new apartment and plans. I am happy.

And then there is also the trip to Lisbon at the end of this month -- whooohooo! Plane tix are bought. We are leaving Saturday afternoon the 31 of May and will be back the evening of 3 June. I hope to do a lot of small trips this summer-- Jac and I have mostly decided to not do a summer vacation this year -- we're going to need the money to furnish the apartment and get settled in (we want an empty apartment -- a lot of apartments here are already furnished with old, ugly, out-dated, dusty furniture -- and we are faithful worshippers of IKEA). So it is kind of sad but considering that this means we can take a lot of smaller less expensive trips it's not so awful -- then for our winter vacation we'll go somewhere nice and sunny to make up for it (Cuba was thrown out as a possibility).

Yes, yes. I am happy. Life is good.