Yeah, the pessimist in me is still afraid Palin will do OK. She apparently wowed em in Alaska debates by ignoring the questions, and using the time to deliver attacks on her opponents - often with little or no relation to the question. Accusing Gwen of bias may work the refs enough for Gwen to let her get away with it. I hope Biden is not so nice to her he lets her get away with it. There is no question she will have a bunch of zingers aimed at him.

She apparently wowed em in Alaska debates by ignoring the questions, and using the time to deliver attacks on her opponents - often with little or no relation to the question.

I think this is exactly what she'll do. I don't think there will be a lot of upside though. It will make the people who like her, like her even more. It will make the people who don't like her, like her even less.

I actually did tell one of my students to just man up and take his lumps today.

Hee. I do this all the time. "Suck it up," is a regular part of my spiel. It works for me, but it might just be my audience, which likes to think of itself as tough and likes to think of me as not a teacher.

I'm looking forward to the debate, but I missed the presidential one because I was drunk on antelope. But I like debates.

McCain's Next Stunt

After John McCain suspended his presidential campaign last week, Slate invited readers to suggest other Hail Mary stunts the Republican candidate might pull before Election Day. You sent us nearly 1,000 ideas. Here are some of our favorites:

This is my fave:

Bolsters Sarah Palin's foreign-policy credentials by giving her a German shepherd, a Siamese cat, and a Dutch long-eared rabbit. (Cheryl Lynn Helm)

Oh, my god, this woman on today's Jeopardy episode keeps answering without actually ringing in first. It's painfully embarassing.

Is she answering in the form of a question?

The day of the first McCain/Obama debate, I asked my boss if I could leave a little early so I was sure I made it home on time. Yesterday she called and told me I should leave early today to make sure I caught this one too.

I think she just wants to have someone she can laugh at Palin with.

Is she answering in the form of a question?

Yes. There is that, at least.

Going into final Jeopardy, Ken Jennings had $35,000. The next closest person had $5,000. The premature-answer woman had around $1,000, and made it out negative numbers on the second to last question.

I can't possibly watch the debate tonight. Were I to drink enough alcohol to make watching the debate in any way tolerable, I would pass out.

Heh - flea, I just said the same thing in Bitches. I think I'd have to be swimming in a vat of whiskey.