Living in interesting times

So, last night was a week of Big Brother in 60 minutes, and it all played out pretty much as expected. I doubted that Michelle was going to pull of any sort of coup to change people’s minds (though I still maintain that Dan made a mistake in not nominating Ollie). The HoH was funny. Keesha looked absolutely panicked throughout, but she managed to pull of a win after a second tie breaker. Again, no surprise as to her nominations. Dan played his A game in the POV competition, though. I think his days of pretending to be weak and ineffectual are over. (I loved Michelle’s reaction when Julie told her Dan wasn’t a plant.) The two nominees performed poorly, but there was little doubt over who was going to be evicted. I think that if the three voters had the chance to conspire more, they might have come up with a plan to have one vote in favor of Ollie so he could wonder in the sequester house who was still supporting him. Mess with his head a little. And then there were five. Jerry’s days are numbered, methinks.

I’ve been editing a long essay for a literary journal this week. Started out at nearly 8000 words and I’ve gotten it down to 7200 with still about half the essay to revise. I’m hoping to get it to at most 6500 and ideally 6000.

I only caught the last half of Gore’s speech, but his comfort level in front of a large audience has definitely benefited from his Inconvenient Truth tours. The Eisenhower granddaughter was an interesting speaker, as was the senator who introduced Obama (again).

Then Obama lit up the room—and what a room it was. Would have loved to have been there to feel the energy in person. He is a gifted orator, though I was afraid for a while his speech was going to lack substance. I think people are wise to wonder how he’s going to pay for all of his planned changes, but I’d be willing to give him a shot at enacting them, were I able to vote.

McCain’s VP choice was a surprise, primarily because the only Palin I was familiar with before today was known for selling dead parrots. We’ll certainly learn more about her in the coming days, but from what I’ve heard already I’m pretty sure she’s on the opposite of most of the issues from me. I thought the (female) CNN analyst who took her to task for essentially suggesting that simply because she was a woman she was a viable alternative for the disenchanted Clinton supporters. “You can’t just change the skirt,” the woman said (to which John Roberts responded “I’m glad you said that and not me.”).

I only caught part of her speech, but something else came to mind. Her voice reminds me of Keesha’s on Big Brother. High-pitched and a tad nasal. A petty observation, I know, but we’re going to have to listen to her for the next two months…