Like the majority of America, I watched the VP debates last night.  I'm pretty sure that each party can be proud of their  potential Veep, because they both didn't do the things that worried voters.  Gov'r Palin was well coached and Senator Bidon kept his cool.  Both veered from the questions, but the savvy mediator kept on them.

I was prepared for Palin's folksy, hockey mum approach, but being in favour of Obama/Bidon, I was maybe a little more critical of her.  But what stuck in my craw and frankly irritated the gosh-darn hell out of me, was her claiming the title of "Maverick" to her party's ticket.  I've not like that word ever since that lunatic Scientologist Tom Cruise had the call-name as a Navy Flier in the film, "Top Guns".

Anyone who is in the Navy, especially the Navy Fliers, is a far call from being a maverick.  Traditionally used to name unbranded cattle, the word is now generally meant to describe a loner, a dissenter and a rebel.  If you know anyone involved in the massive machinery of armed forces, you know also that there is no room for mavericks.  Like the forces, the government is also a society of rules and regulations, where mavericks, such as The Green Party and Ross Perot do not thrive.

But what truly had me gob-smacked, was her winking.  In my tiny corner of the world, if I'm about to bid on a job, I keep my eyes on the person, with nary a twitch.  I'm just a house painter, but I believe that people who may hire me would like to see that I'm a professional.  I'll save the humour for when I've landed the job and learned their ways.  Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more, say no more, know what I mean?

The brilliant writer Liz Spikol has a post about the winking.  It was a little horrifying to revisit the Palin facial show.  But you really must go to her blog, because in that same post, she had a fantastic video of AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka.  Now he is a man of wisdom, and as you'll see, vision.  So, by golly, what are ya'll waiting for?  Go, leave this blog ASAP!  Nudge nudge.