Insert your own "in favor of drilling" joke here

We-eh-eh-el...Sarah Palin is about to be introduced as McCain's running mate. Rawr. I don't know what the hotties see in the crusty ol' fella, but he must be doing something right. But the real point here is that all she brings to the table is strong conservative positions on abortion and gay marriage. So we've seen the general election hand being played by McCain's brains - run ANOTHER race based entirely on an extreme social agenda. Two years ago she was the part-time mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population 5,500). She's got her own TrooperGate to start explaining time and time again. She was the runner-up Miss Alaska 1984. She has 5 kids - the oldest is in the military and heads to Iraq in September, the youngest has Down's Syndrome and is 4 months old. Her hubbie ("the First Dude" as she calls him) works for BP on Alaska's North Slope. And if elected, she will step into the role currently held by Dick Cheney. Check your disaster supplies, Nation. It could be a long, dark night coming down the pike.

Hope your own choices today are based on something other than sexy eyewear. Rock on.

Please wake me when it's time to be an artful dick again.

OK, OK - I get it. All the bloggers in the world are fixated on the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week. And, yes, everyone worth a stray pixel or a binary bitch fit has something to say about what they've "observed". But you know what? I'm not going to go there. Sure, I've watched more coverage than you (sorry, it's true). I've bored my wife and daughter to tears with blow-by-blow commentary on why things appear to be going well but not too well, doncha know. Still, I'm sick of this whole charade. The Clintons forever lost me at their most recent invocation of "hello, we believe in the votes of 18 million Americans". McCain's Veep pick lamer-than-all-lame counterpunches rollout tomorrow is a joke I just can't bring myself to laugh at anymore. And Barack's big speech tonight? Well, I just hope he realizes how much I'm waiting for a fart joke or tasteless "Mile High Club" reference. Because otherwise...I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to blog about anything until the start of the NFL Season. Or if Larry Craig gets caught doing a reach around in the Senate shower.

Hope your own ability to type through the hopeful boredom is stronger than my own. Rock on.

Up next - Bob Barr picks a bust of Ronald Reagan as his running mate.

As I predicted along with much of the punditocracy, Obama chose Biden as his Veep. So let the bullshite commence. McCain's people are digging holes as fast as they can fling the dirt. Everyone's using a Dems debate clip wherein Biden says that Obama's not yet ready to be the Big Guy. Also, calling this a pick made from a position of weakness on Obama's part figures into every right-leaning assessment. Yawn. Sure, Obama went conventional in this pick. He had to. All the oxygen will now be sucked from the race for the next handful of days as the Dems put on their best face in Denver. Thereafter, the real race begins. The GOP will never admit it, but they face a much more complex calculus with regard to whomever McCain picks as his Veep. I simply cannot believe that it will be Romney. Even though I hope it's him. If it's Tim Pawlenty (R-Gov., Minnysoda) who's so boyish-looking that Neil Patrick Harris could be his twin brother...well, they just won't go there. So here's my pick. It's a stealth longshot, I admit. Charlie Crist (R-Gov., Florida). He'll clinch a big state that the GOP desperately needs for any hope this time out. "Chain Gang Charlie's" tan is impeccable. His recognition outside of the South is currently minimal. Most people will probably think he's that character actor (John Slattery) from "Mad Men" who played the guy that wanted Carrie to pee on him in a classic episode of "Sex and the City". Personally, I think Tom Ridge is the man to pick since he'd bring Pennsylvania home for the GOP - another big pivot state in the electoral map sense of the race. But the crazies won't allow Ridge to complete the ticket because he's the slightest bit pro-choice. As in he believes that rape and/or incest is reason enough to not go through with a pregnancy. If we've learned anything since the Bushies stole the election in 2000, it's that the crazies are the loudest voice in the tent for the GOP. So call it Crusty and Cristy. Remember, you heard it here first.

Maya's first week of swim class went, um, swimmingly. She's timid, but much less afraid to get in the splash and flow of things after just 5 mornings of lessons. One more week to go. Plus next Saturday is her last ballet class. Up next? I'm lobbying for either motorcycle repair or jarts. I'll keep you posted. Hope your own summer calendar isn't winding down quite yet. Rock on.

"Aaaayyyyy!"

America - I beseech you. Love this photo!



The cast of "Happy Days" showed up in Milwaukee for probably the first time ever last night after dedicating a Fonzie statue and getting their assorted prescriptions filled for free. Twice! Would've loved to have been there. Aside from the fact that the Brew Crew lost. No word whether Chachi could afford the Amtrak ticket to join the jubilation.

Hope your own next civic celebration doesn't include trying to exhume Cindy Williams and that guy who played Squiggy. Rock on.

Maya contemplates her future in the pool. Before the skies opened up and the pool filled with frogs.

Maya contemplates her future in the pool.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

This morning was the first swim lesson for Maya at our neighborhood pool. A healthy crowd, an overwrought sense of Olympics fever, and a generally excited Maya (less so when she actually got into the pool). But just as things were beginning to gel, the recent hot weather that left last night devolved into thunder and unseen lightning. "Everyone out of the pool!" End o' lesson. Thankfully this class goes on for the next two weeks. And the forecast indicates actual highs in the 70s over the next few days with no hint of hailstorms. Then hot by week's end. As things get rolling, I'll take some more pics. Hope this taste is cool to the touch nonetheless. Rock on.

"How many people have also peed in here this morning?"

"How many people have also peed in here this morning?"
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Next question: "How can we ever respect a President that gets pimped by a 300-pound mega-preacher?"

I'm admittedly not out front on this - Joe Biden will be Obama's Veep Pick. I'll bet you a dollar. I'll get into my rationale more this week. But the way things stacked up over the past handful of days with regard to Russia's assault on Georgia and the various McCain campaign's talking points upticking claims of experience versus judgment...the Obama Veepstakes are over. Especially because Biden's currently in Georgia. The Nation not the State. I still believe that Bill Richardson's a better pick given what he might mean for the Electoral Map (New Mexico, Colorado, Florida, anywhere near a Mexican restaurant or goatee groomer). Regardless, there's no better current way to contrast an old foreign policy self-assured hack than with another old foreign policy pontificating-hack viable and vetted for the Veep slot. Lock it in your Filofax - this week Biden gets the nod. If not...well, what do I know.

Hope your own mega-church conversations today deal entirely with how you want to shut those reprehensible places down. Rock on.

Even in the best of families feel free to say - "Give me a number 2, extra napkins and a cob."

For Seattle restaurant fans, I'm pleased to pass along the news that Gordo's Burgers shack out near Shilshole Bay on Ballard's Western coast has reopened. And the rub is that it's now a Cuban sandwich shop. Namely, an offshoot of Paseo from Fremont - the best sandwiches in Seattle for about a dozen years running. Love pork? Paseo is your bliss. But the run of other things always get their props. Even tofu. The point being that Gordo's Burgers was one of the first places I got introduced to over a decade ago by a Seattle native who lived in his Mom's basement in Ballard. The burgers rocked. Ironically, I realized that Paseo was opening up there the other night when Sarah and I went out for an anniversary dinner across the street (and the class divide) at the always classic Ray's Boathouse back deck as sunset approached over the Olympic Mountains. In so many ways, Paseo and Ray's represent what's so darn tootin' about Seattle's love of food. Well-updated ethnic food that wasn't even heard of here not so long ago, and the seafaring culture of cuisine that settled this region when gold wasn't the rush everyone sought. If you're in town, head to Paseo. The new Ballard locale will give you one of the coveted cobs of corn you won't get in Fremont unless you eat in. My rating - a consistent A-minus. Largely due to crowds, which I now assume will flood the old Gordo's trailer after this report hits those pesky internets.

Speaking of this weekend's anniversary date, we saw "The Dark Knight" and I must say that I walk away from it supremely underwhelmed. My rating - a sad B-minus. Christian Bale is just weird. Heath Ledger is unhinged, but not all that surprising. I suppose I should blame it on the hype. It's certainly a good film, in relative terms especially for popcorn season. But I didn't get nearly the charge out of it that I'd expected.

Hope your own new favorite lunch spots feature equal parts hipsters and Cuban immigrants. Rock on.

"Sure, I heard those Rooskies invaded Georgia. I'm not too concerned since Texas sounds safe. So, you gals work out?"

Dubya's obviously having a great time checking out the action in Beijing. Yes, he's still Prezidunt. Even if he doesn't act like it. More seriously, for those that also watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies last night I offer the review that the world has never seen a more spectacular staging on this scale. Way back in the day the now-neutered neocons wanted the World to believe in the power of "shock and awe". After living the consequent number of years of "stumble and bumble" I think we've finally seen it. Peaceful and commanding. Stunning in its newness. Built on a few millenia of history. If China were a sport, she would be football (or soccer, depending on your locale). If we were, we'd be beach volleyball. So at least Dubya chose the right venue today.

Hope your own doping isn't caught by anyone aside from your Mom today. Rock on.

J-E-T-S! Gets! Our! Brett!

Sports fans - Brett Favre has been traded to the NY Jets. Holy frickin' moly. The previously beloved and respected Packers receive a 4th round draft pick, which can be upgraded based on his performance. Yawn. The Pack now have 3 quarterbacks on their training camp roster that have started a total of zero games in the NFL. Zero. Opinions on this run the gamut, as I heard up close and personal as I travelled through Minneapolis and into the wild of Northern Wisconsin this past weekend. By a large margin, 'Sconi folks are pro-Pack management. Everyone else simply cannot understand how these rubes actually got control of one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. I guess I've been off the ranch for long enough to qualify as an "everyone else" because I sincerely cannot believe how stupid this move makes the Packers look. Was Favre a drama queen? Duh - he's a quarterback, and quite possibly the greatest in history. This ain't high school, but you still gotta throw some love at the guy who gets it done and pays for the new turf thanks to his skills. Should the future of a team that missed last year's Super Bowl by a field goal in overtime now depend on a 4th year quarterback with 300 lifetime passing yards? Duh - unless the Packers win it all this year and Aaron Rodgers is the MVP, no one will let this story die. Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy will forever be known as the men that chased Favre out of Green Bay to suburban New Jersey. Say what you will about all of this. Everyone else has. But for the first time in my lifetime of NFL fandom, I'm going to actually root on some level for the NY Jets.

Hope your own allegiances are not jeapordized by arrogant, over-compensated morons today. Rock on.

The perfect summer day for a buggy ride.

The perfect summer day for a buggy ride.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

As a surprise to eveyone (including myself), I flew back to Wisconsin over the weekend for my dad's 80th Birthday Party. Loads of family and friends showed to enjoy the food and drink. And buggy rides. A few choice pics from the weekend follow, as well as a few Maya shots to leaven the mix since I did the trip solo. Hope your own families are feeling the love today. Rock on.

Old timey, in the best way.

Old timey, in the best way.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Enjoying the rapturous tones of Mr. Concertina's accordian.

Enjoying the rapturous tones of Mr. Concertina's accordian.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Herb's successful candles extinguishing reaction.

Herb's successful candles extinguishing reaction.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

My old childhood clubhouse (converted from a windmill frame), now ruled over by a nest of ospreys.

My old childhood clubhouse (converted from a windmill frame), now ruled over by an amazing nest of ospreys.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Herb's amazing restored buggy - sans horse - that my great grandparents bought from Montgomery Ward in 1890.

Herb's amazing restored buggy - sans horse - that my great grandparents bought from Montgomery Ward in 1890.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

For anyone familiar with Sundance Channel's documentary series "Nimrod Nation", Maya suggests a nearby even more hilarious mascot to love (from my Mom's hometown).

For anyone familiar with Sundance Channel's documentary series "Nimrod Nation", Maya suggests a nearby even more hilarious mascot to love (from my Mom's hometown).
Originally uploaded by emaggie

"Go Sweden!"

"Go Sweden!"
Originally uploaded by emaggie