Barack was not my first choice either, but I came around to him with his speech after the Rev. Wright stuff blew up.

Not my first choice either, but the calm and cool, plus the willingness to admit he's said some really boneheaded things have been key in winning me over.

After eight years of a toddler screaming that he wasn't wrong, no, no, no, no way was he wrong! it's refreshing to see someone in a leadership position willing to say, "Yeah, I was wrong."

Rational behavior -- how I love it

Oh joy, my congressman made TDS. Oh well, he wasn't quite the disgrace as his predecessor.

I like him as a person. I still think he will make some very wrong decisions, but so would any Democrat with a chance of getting elected. And his wrong decisions will be substantially less wrong than the ones any of the Republicans, would make. Sorry - I'm very enthusiastic about not electing McCain. I'm not enthusiastic about the fact that even though its obvious where we are going, no one with a chance of winning really wants to get out of the handbasket.

I fell asleep during the first question. Thankfully I recorded. Oh boy I am sick of "Joe the plumber"!!

of the three debates, I think this was the best. I think there were a few interesting questions that the candidates didn't have canned answers for. Most notably being the "high road" question.

of the three debates, I think this was the best. I think there were a few interesting questions that the candidates didn't have canned answers for. Most notably being the "high road" question.

I'd agree. Certainly it was McCain's best debate, I reckon the first half hour was his. His combativeness was on point, he was getting good audience reactions, and I do like the line about being four years too late to run against Bush. Tide turned during the fight over who was more negative though (protip: no one cares), Obama still owns health and education, and Obama definitely won the demeanour battle.

Incidentally, do you think he'd been having some eye trouble before he came out? He was blinking all the time, especially at the start, and his eyes looked awfully dilated. Reminded me of a great white, not that I was complaining about that.

you should not make dessert out of red beans - Polter-Cow

Just noticed Laura's tagline, and it explains the inadequacies of Asian desserts (outwith fresh fruit) afaic. (Well, no, okay - Indian sweets tend to be more often nut- or carrot-based, which works well. Still - traditional Thai desserts? Crap.)

Dessert should, afaic, feature flour and/or cream in order to have a hope of achieving Good Desserthood. Thus desserts which are mainly jelly and/or feature sweetcorn or beans as a major component...not so much with the yum. Not vomit-inducing, but really not in any danger of being chosen over something nice.

Which is, of course, why Thais have not traditionally been fat bastards. They came late to the whole bakery concept. (And 9/10 of the birthday cakes my kids bring in are minging. Nasty fake-tasting store-bought monstrosities with 1970s margarine icing in lurid colours. Last week Bon brought in a REAL cake, baked by an actual human and decorated with fresh cream, and the kids were POLE-AXED by how yummy it was.

Sigh. Low carb? Not going so well just now...

Happy birthday d!!!