Stephanie, what I'm talking about was a while ago and I'm fuzzy on the details. There was an Obama ad, I believe, about McCain being out of touch with the world we live in now and finished up with a line, "why, he's never even sent an e-mail". A McCain spokesman said that McCain could not use a computer because of a war wound. I can't remember when, who, etc. - I remember being surprised no one here commented on it, but I've been swamped with work and skipping and skimming a lot.

McCain campaign did claim his war wound prevents him using computers. But there are photo's of him using a Blackberry. (He does not own one, but borrow's his kids.) He has admitted in interviews that he just never learned about browsing, and modern email. (Interesting that the Blackberry is intuitive enough that he can use one if he is as computer ignorant as he claims.) He said that Cindy and the kids are slowly easing him into using computers. So the whole war injury excuse is bullshit. (And if it were true there is all sorts of adaptive technology out there that would let him use the computer. Heck, I wrote a book during a period when I was using one hand. And no one says he has to spend hours per day. Spend 15 minutes a day sorting through email your staff has pre-checked so you are only dealing with the emails you need to. Or heck, if you already know how to use a Blackberry, buy yourself one. Go ahead, as a multi-millionaire you can afford one.

Yeah, I wasn't trying exactly to defend him. Just that I'd heard that he did have an injury that impedes the use of one of his arms.

ION, I'm watching these videos this morning for work. They are all interviews with victims of domestic violence. It is so depressing and really hard to watch.

Well, I'm pretty sure that there are things available that could make his use of a computer possible. I mean, don't people who have no arms use computers? (I mean, obviously, with additional technology. .. which McCain can surely afford.)

"He can't use a computer because he was a POW" is one of the more valid mentionings of his being a POW. I find it refreshing.

The war injury story struck me as a particularly lame attempt to shift the question -- the ad's issue was "John McCain isn't prepared for the realities of the current world" and the attempted response was about whether or not he could click the button. Redirect FAIL.

On the subject of honorifics, Emmett still calls all his teachers Mr./Miss/Mrs. Last Name. In Little League though, we tend to get called by our first names, though sometimes it's Coach David.

In college, my political science professor in my freshman year insisted that everybody in the class be called Mr. or Miss Last Name. His logic was that he wanted all of us to be on the same plane for our discussions, but that he was unwilling to give up the formality of being addressed by his first name. It was awkward for about a week, and then turned out to be a positive in-group thing which was reinforced when you'd see your classmates at parties and could only address them as Ms. Teague or Ms. McKhann. We all grew to like it. And it definitely raised the tone of the conversation just to say things like, "In addressing Mr. Meyer's point..." etc.

McCain campaign did claim his war wound prevents him using computers. But there are photo's of him using a Blackberry.

He also bragged about his BBQ prowess, saying that part of the awesomeness of his recipe involved him squeezing 15-20 lemons over the meat while it's on the fire. Somehow, I have a hard time parsing being able to squeeze 30-40 lemon halves while not being able to type on a computer. Hunt and peck, dude.

I'm not watching the debates tonight, for there is not enough whiskey in the WORLD to get me drunk enough.

Also, I was raised on military bases so I Sir and Ma'am people all the time.

As in "don't shoot me, or you get her for President" type of life insurance.

If that's the case, shouldn't she be a better choice for the Obama ticket? I mean, really.... The kind of people who really, really Do. Not. Want. Mr. McCain to be president are a whole lot less likely to vote with a semi-automatic weapon, than those who object to Mr. Obama's leadership.

Dear God, please keep Barak Obama safe. He's got little kids, and a wife who loves him. He's got work to do here, and I really think he isn't done doing it. Please.