I couldn't be more thrilled! In an early draft of this column, I write the following about Sarah Palin:

"One excellent VP choice was suggested for McCain by former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina on Fox during the Democratic National Convention. Considering the alienation of women over Obama’s treatment of Hillary Clinton, why not pick a woman? How about Sarah Palin, the young, attractive and out-spoken governor of Alaska? I could live with that. With one son in the Army and another with Down’s syndrome, Palin intimately knows the challenges that face American families, the specters of war, inadequate health care and narrow educational options, and she knows how hard it is for women to break down barriers in the world of work."

(Full article and comments)

I wanted McCain to pick Bobby Jindal as his running mate, but back in July it became clear that Jindal, who took office as Louisiana’s governor in January, intended to stay in Louisiana. Joe Lieberman would also have been a good choice. But all the indications are that the GOP has successfully steamrolled the fiercely independent John McCain into playing ball with the religious right. It looks as though he’ll be choosing Mitt Romney. Or maybe Tim Pawlenty. Either one will be poison for the Republican ticket. Either one will insure that the GOP loses the White House. The GOP theocrats have utterly underestimated the group of people who have stood by John McCain longer than anyone else—the irreligious independents, people who may believe in God but who certainly never wanted religion to become the focal point of any political campaign. (Full article and comments)

Earlier this month, Republic of Georgia President Saakashvili took the same action that any leader would take to hold his country together in the face of what looks suspiciously like a classic Russian infiltration and incitement job, a leftover from the days of Putin's old alma mater, the KGB. Americans cannot imagine having a state try to secede and the severe security problem that would present--even though such a secession by numerous states was brutally--though rightfully-- put down in the American Civil War. Even if  Barack Obama were president, if a state tried to secede, he'd send in the troops to keep it from happening bc of the extremely dangerous security risk the renegade state would present to the other US states. (Full article and comments)

The first thing you'll see on the Republic of Georgia's presidential Web site is a heartbreaking listing of medals awarded for courage in "defending the motherland." Little Georgia has far too few troops to defend itself from Russia's forces. Equally upsetting is the video of Russian planes dropping bombs within full view of international news crews' cameras. Nonetheless, we need to see it. It's important to know what's going on there. Visit http://www.president.gov.ge and click on "Video Material" in the lower left corner. 
And here, in case you have not read it, is Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's address to his people and the world: (Full article and comments)

Listen in to Australian radio show Dads on the Air as Stephanie Ramage discusses shared custody and Georgia's family law courts tonight at 8:40 p.m. EST streaming at www.dadsontheair.net
  (Full article and comments)

Spice Girls belt out, "Spice up your life." Executive chef and owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten of Spice Market (the new restaurant in the W Hotel Midtown) can do just that. I dined there for lunch this past week with SP contributor Hope Philbrick, and I was excited to see it was more than just a market. When Americans hear "market," they think "store." But Vongerichten grew up visiting real street markets around the globe and has translated some of his favorite vendor treats into gourmet fare for you and me.

 

Lunch guests can be in and out quickly with the "Bento Box," a 20-minute express lunch offered between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for $15, which includes fragrant miso soup, shrimp dumplings and herbs; avocado and radish salad with Chinese mustard and tempura onions; a choice between beef satay, chicken skewers or pork satay; cod with Malaysian chili sauce and Thai basil; a choice of brown or Jasmine rice; and a choice of ice cream or sorbet. But Hope and I weren't trying to make it quick. We wanted to take our time enjoying our first experience of Spice Market, and that we did. We started with three appetizers: black-pepper shrimp served over sundried pineapple squares, chicken skewers with a lime-dipping sauce and Vietnamese spring rolls, which we wrapped in arugula lettuce leaves. The dishes were small and perfect for lunch-size sharing. Hope and I agreed that the shrimp was by far our fave out of the apps, but I was impressed with the meat provided on the chicken skewers.

 

Next we moved on to cod with Malaysian chili sauce and Thai basil, an entree we shared. The white circle of fish was ensconced in a vivid red halo, which was surrounded by an outer layer of lime green (the basil sauce, I imagine). The dish was mildly spicy, by our standards, which we both thoroughly enjoyed. We paired it with a side of baby corn and broccoli with lemongrass and chili--a completely unexpected twist to veggies and a pleasant surprise. Dessert was a medley of deliciousness: strawberry green tea cake with lychee sorbet, spiced peach tatin with ginger ice cream, Vietnamese coffee ice cream and the Thai jewels and fruits made with crushed coconut ice. The sampling of offerings at Spice was a luxurious way to spend a lunch hour (or two) and get to know the global personality of Jean-Georges.

 

Spice Market is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Valet parking at the W Hotel costs only $6 when your ticket is validated at the restaurant. www.spicemarketatlanta.com.

(Full article and comments)

Saying no to China’s oppression of Tibet—not to the Olympic Torch relay—would have been the proper approach to the torch’s journey around the world, but fanatics being what they are, there was no consideration given to, for example, the wheelchair athlete who was carrying the torch in Paris on April 6.

I agree wholeheartedly that China has overstepped its bounds and failed to peacefully address autonomy concerns in Tibet, but sacre bleu! The Olympic torch protesters are selfish idiots: being chosen to carry the torch is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for athletes, and these thoughtless demonstrators have basically ambushed and endangered those athletes by attempting to snatch the torch from their hands (and in some cases succeeding in doing so). Does this further Tibet’s cause? Not one iota. In fact, it does just the opposite. Some people who may have felt sympathetic to Tibet have become more sympathetic to China as they have watched these antics. And who could blame them? How is it peaceful to douse the dreams of the torch bearers?

(Full article and comments)

On March 14, Sen. Barack Obama told CNN, regarding the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s comments about 9/11 and white America, "Had I heard those statements in the church, I would have told Reverend Wright that I profoundly disagree with them,” adding, "What I have been hearing and had been hearing in church was talk about Jesus and talk about faith and values and serving the poor."

But on March 18, in a speech in Philadelphia, he admitted he had sat in church and heard his former minister make controversial remarks.

(Full article and comments)

For decades beginning when I was in junior high, for God’s sake, which was more than 25 years ago, lots of business gurus and education pundits warned ferociously that American students must learn foreign languages in order to be ready for a more global economy—that such a multi-lingual marketplace was inevitable.

My own rural middle Georgia high school offered French, which many of us would need as we ordered le poule avec gras at the Kentucky Fried Chicken. We stumbled through the Maison D’Etre (the “House of To-Be”) breaking grammatical rules like lamps as we went, earned passing grades and went on to college to focus on things that were more practical, like business management. Of course, we couldn’t have known then that our mono-lingualism would doom the American economy 25 years later.

(Full article and comments)

Pete Davis has contibuted what may be the funniest political observation I've seen in 10 years. Here's an excerpt:

Mitt Romney.
Accomplishments?  Former governor of Massachusetts. Former head of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.  Inherits the mantle of Man with most Reagan-like Hair. Fertile as Yertle the turtle.

Possible downside with voters:  His Mormon faith.  Changes positions faster than a flea on a Chinese checkerboard.  Relates to the common man like Rush Limbaugh relates to his ex’s.

Media Bias:  If you find that Mitt is a rather stiff guy it’s not completely
his fault.  It’s hard to move gracefully with fellow Latter Day Saint Glenn
Beck of CNN wedged so firmly up his buttocks.

(Full article and comments)