James Garner was the original Maverick

(and then he played Maverick senior to Mel Gibson's Maverick in the 1994 movie.)

I've been a very bad blogger, but there are few left to judge, and most of you are not as prolific as you once were, either.

My excuse is auditions. I'll probably touch on that stress and some other stuff if I do a post at the other even more neglected spot.

Some thoughts as we approach the elections--both of them. Ours is a week and a half away, while our neighbors to the south go to the polls next month. I find their contest more interesting than ours, if simply because it probably means a lot more globally, and with Bush gone for sure there's guaranteed to be a new president, whereas we may have more of the same when our election's done.

I'm rather tired of the excitement over Sarah Palin. It's more of the same "lookism" that makes someone a sensation because they bring a degree of physical attractiveness to a career which isn't known for "hotties" as her republifans dubbed her at their convention.

I was flipping channels last night and two different entertainment drivel shows were gushing about her the way they might have gone on about "Brangelina" or some other paparazzi prey. And now it's seen as a victory that she didn't make any gaffes during the debate that were worse than the sound bytes that came out of the Katie Couric interview.

She had been prepped. The strategy was simple--turn her into a human tape recorder and whenever the debate moderator asks a question, just hit "play"--ignore the question and bleat your practiced phrases. Nobody really forced her back to the questions much. I loved her "team of mavericks" line expecially--I have a new example for the oxymoron/paradox discussion during poetry classes.

Biden did fairly well, I thought--though I couldn't sit through much more than the first half-hour. Still, what kind of cold meds was he on a week or so earlier when that incredibly bizarre stuff about Roosevelt going on TV in 1929 came out of his mouth? Nothing in that quote had any grounding in reality--it wasn't like he just misspoke and it was clear what he actually meant. The whole thing sounds like something Grampa Simpson might come up with.

Other news: We raised over 28 thousand dollars at my school in our two-week cancer fundraising drive this year--will probably break 30 grand when all the donations are in, for the second year in a row.

Also, we're finished auditions. As of Monday morning (sooner if I decide to put the results on the internet tomorrow) let the hating begin. I'm used to it, though.

Finally: NANOWRIMO! Who's trying it this year? I think I'll give it a go once again--but I don't really know what I am going to write about. For those who don't know what it is, go check out their website. You really should try it.