Yankee Politics and Personal Update

After watching the French language Canadian leader's debates the other night, I don't feel too bad that I forwent the English debates in order to satisfy my carwreck-watching tendencies by watching the Joe Biden-Sarah Palin debate from the US (they're Barack Obama's and John McCain's vice-presidential picks, for those of you living under various forms of rock).

All I can say is this - for the pundits out there to say Sarah Palin succeeded by not embarrassing herself, and establishing herself as a legit candidate - have our standards really fallen that low? I mean, she did not, that I could immediately catch, *outright* state untruths (although I'm sure a quick duck over to http://www.factcheck.org would fix that perception in a hurry) nor did she make any major, George W. Bush-esque misspeakings or gaffes; but she evaded more questions than she answered (after Barack Obama has been heavily criticized for the same), and the answers she DID deliver were either trite, glib platitudes, or energy-centric.

Beyond which, her platitudes were fallacious - "How can people who are supposed to represent the future and to represent change, focus so much on the past?" she asked of Obama-Biden; well, how about to provide an explanation for why a change is necessary? Sorry if tying your ticket to Bushism hurts, but it is accurate given John McCain's voting record thus far.

Joe Biden, meanwhile, did a better job than any of the candidates so far in my opinion, including his principal, Barack Obama. He answered every question in a direct and forthright manner, including a couple Obama had weaved around. His choking up in reference to women not having the monopoly on parental love and concern was real - it did not feel like a put-on or a calculated display of humanity like (admittedly, even one of my favourites) Hillary Clinton indulged in in the early days of the primaries when she cried after losing one, as she was heading quickly into another. I don't see how it can be a politically calculated move to break down in a formal debate, thus making it real, and a point well-taken; Sarah Palin is campaigning because she's the Hockey Mom married to Joe Six-Pack; well, even those who are educated, aware of the issues, and can speak extemporaneously without hours and days and weeks of prep, can love and care for their families deeply.

Regardless, Joe Biden definitely came out the winner here - and perhaps the most presidential of all the candidates thus far. I cannot WAIT for November, as I believe strongly the bloom is off the Sarah Palin rose. And in the meantime, life personally is humming along nicely for me - work=good, diet=good (11 pounds down in two weeks, courtesy of Nutrisystem, ballroom dancing and my local YMCA), I had my first production meeting for the January 1-Act Plays with Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre tonight and that went well too -- soooo excited, after letting some individuals I should never have worked with damper my enthusiasm for the theatre - and lastly and most importantly ... well, let's put it this way: due to confidentiality issues, it is very possible that in the coming weeks ahead I might have to up the discretion factor as it regards the adoption process. :D

In which case, while I can't share any kind of details until things are finalized (and even then will need some clarity on what is acceptable - while I have no intention of sharing anything REMOTELY identifying such as names or photos etc. regardless, I want to find out if 'It's a boy/girl' or 'Son/daughter learned to "x" today' is OK), but please know my silence is a good sign, and those of you who are REALLY near and dear to me will of course be kept in the loop as much as we can. Thanks for your prayers and support as always, and have a great weekend. VOTE DION! VOTE OBAMA! :D