I am sitting in Claim Jumper over a steak and a glass of Pinot, reading the news… spent the day in a board meeting and post-board-meeting-meetings, then did a nice ride (yay!) - my second 30 miler this week.  The day didn't start well; I almost overslept, I had the ultimate hair on fire awakening… fell asleep last night watching Get Smart, if you can believe that, and enjoyed it (don’t tell anyone) and was up ‘till way too late.

I wasn't late to the board meeting - just made it - but if I had been I would have been tempted to observe, "missed it by that much".  Maybe it was my mood but I can't remember having enjoyed a comedy as much as I enjoyed Get Smart for a long time.  It wasn't stupid, it was funny, it was interesting, and the characters seemed real (despite being caricatures, if that makes sense).  The interaction between this movie and the history of the old series was especially well done; when Max steals a shoe phone from an old Control museum and ends up using it to make a call forwarded through a cell phone, it was especially great... 

BTW weird that there are two versions of this movie's poster...

So what's happening?  The Ole filter makes a pass...

I missed the third and final debate between McCain and Obama last Wednesday, but it seems to have been the best; the Economist has a nice overview.  "The third and final debate, which took place at Hofstra University, New York on October 15th, was a firecracker of a show, as riveting as the two previous meetings were soporific. The candidates discussed substantive issues. They exchanged sharp blows. And, most of the time, they avoided reciting their talking points." 

The debate seems to have helped McCain; although there was disagreement among pundits about "who won", in the subsequent days polls have shown McCain closing the gap.

Gerard Vanderleun links an interesting analysis from Zombie: The Left's Big Blunder.  "Obama supporters operate on the assumption that individual McCain supporters or undecided voters will in actuality change their minds about who to vote for if they perceive that a majority of people are supporting Obama...  I submit that this assumption is a catastrophic blunder.  On November 4, they will go into that voting booth, and in total privacy and anonymity, they are free to vote for whomever they want, without fear of social condemnation for doing so."  I've wondered about this myself; how many people tell their friends (and pollsters) they are supporting Obama, but secretly like McCain?  I don't think this has anything to do with race; it has just become so unfashionable not to support Obama that it is easier to act like you do, too. 

Panda's thumb features a baby Geochelone nigra, i.e. a Galapagos turtle.  Awww, isn't he cute? 

National Geographic have announced their best microscopic images of 2008.  It is only October - what if someone now creates an ever better one? - but these are pretty cool.  Check 'em out!  My favorite by the way is the highly magnified lily petal shown at right...