Another Week Successfully Lived Through, Mostly.

John McCain did a much better job with his speech yesterday than I thought he would. The first part was as anemic as everything else he's said, so much so that at one point I lost all ability to track what he was saying, but then he seemed to catch fire and actually got passionate for a few minutes. It was quite impressive; I hope he recovers. But, he gave no specifics. None. He will bring "change," and "reform," but not a word about what sort of change or reform. I'm also seriously tired of the argument that his suffering as a prisoner of war somehow makes him qualified to be president, or that it makes him a better person than his opponent. It does show his character and personal strength and love of country, important things to know about our political candidates, but it doesn't bestow upon him the ability or judgment to deal with domestic or foreign affairs or give him a "Get Out of Jail Free" pass, which is what he's claiming. And he gave no specifics at all as to how he would be different from the current Republican administration or just what change he would bring about.

Cindy McCain also gave a good speech. This was the first time I'd heard her speak, and I was pleasantly surprised. Why haven't the campaign folks let her talk before? She did a good job, and I found her biography impressive, too, with her emphasis on public service. The disconnect in her speech, for me, was the way she spoke of John McCain as a husband, father, and public servant; it was hard for me to relate those words to the tightly controlled man currently on the campaign trail. There must be more to him than his campaign is allowing us to see.

As far as the convention itself, it just made me mad. The Republicans have made a choice to appeal to emotions, not intellect, and their presentations showed it. They did a presentation on terrorism that conflated different attacks and different groups into one evil, monolithic entity out to destroy us, and that just isn't the case. There are different groups with different goals and different methods. And as far as considering this a 'war,' huh. It isn't a war. Clinton had it right when he responded to attacks with law enforcement, not tanks. And the Republicans again conflated Al Qaeda and Bin Laden with Iraq and Saddam Hussein. Not the same people, not at all, not by any stretch of the imagination, not in this lifetime. Not, not, not. Iraq didn't present a Clear and Present Danger to the United States. Nasty man? Yes. Despot? Yes. Would be happy to do bad things to the U.S.? Quite probably. But there are many like that around the world and we haven't attacked them. We don't get to attack for Nasty Despotism.

Okay, I'll shut up. It just makes me so mad, watching people be manipulated like that and knowing that so many are swallowing that crap, either because they are too lazy to find the truth or don't have the time or energy to investigate or they are not listening to enough sources. (And no, I'm not claiming the Democrats are saints or don't manipulate things. Not at all. It is just seems less egregious on that side.)

This morning I get to go watch BabyJ, for maybe one of the last times. Since KidThree wants to go to both sessions at her school, morning and afternoon, I won't be able to get her to and from school while watching BabyJ for a five-hour stretch. I hate to give up watching him, he is a such a lovely, sunny-tempered little dude. He loves cars and trucks, the bigger and noisier, the better. When I take him out for walks, he likes to investigate every wheel on every car we pass. He carefully checks each lug nut and every valve stem he can reach. When he hears the garbage truck coming (the highlight of our Friday mornings together), he races for the front door and grins at me, because he knows I'm right behind him to pick him up and take him out to wave to the garbage truck driver. I think the drivers of our local waste removal have no bigger fan than little BabyJ--the man on that route always gives BabyJ a huge smile and wave when he sees him. Sometimes I'll take BabyJ past the fire station on our walks so he can look at the fire trucks. The firefighters are wonderful, letting him touch the trucks and even sit in the driver's seat. One day I was chatting with a young firefighter and happened to mention that firefighters were almost BabyJ's favorite people, second only to garbagemen. The young firefighter looked a little wounded, so I explained that it was only because the garbage trucks have those marvelous claws that pick up the garbage cans and shake them, making such a wonderful noise while doing so. The firefighter brightened up and eagerly pointed out that some of their firetrucks had ladders that went up and down, but I responded that ladders just couldn't compare with 'the claw'; at that, he had to admit defeat and accept second place.

Time to go get ready for my day.

A