Hark, I hear a lemming call

Good grief - the first preview for The Da Vinci Code is out. It tells you absolutely ZERO about the movie. I assume that this is to be what they call a teaser trailer (only about seven months to go before it's release).

Can someone explain to me the need for such a pointless trailer so far in advance. I thought we didn't have the attention span to hold our attention that long. Or is it to draw the interest of people to get a lemming showing at the theatre. (Okay, a movie with Tom Hanks and Ron Howard can't suck too terribly.)

I have the audio book, but haven't listened to it yet. I suppose I'll get around to it before the movie hits the theatres. I did watch the History Channel's Beyond the Da Vinci Code and am not too terribly excited about "The Da Vinci Code"

Doubt this will inspire mass quitting by smokers

Apparently it's now a published fact - that long term smoking lowers your IQ (no subscription needed).

I don't think this will inspire long-term smokers to suddenly quit (like what happened when Peter Jennings died from lung cancer).

What else do we need to prove to show that smoking is not good for you and we'd be better off if you quit?

Long standing tradition of being Polish

I think that in almost 30 years, I've heard all the Polish jokes. Now someone needs to make a joke out of this.

Will he or won't he?

Even though it's three years until the next election for Commander-In-Chief (I'm not holding my breath on an impeachment and removal of current CIC), the so-called mid-term elections for senators will be next year. Senator John Kyle from Arizona has already filed paperwork for his re-election (he'll be running against former head of the AZ Democratic party).

As for our other senator, no word yet on if John McCain will run again. If he does, I'm sure he'll be re-elected by an overwhleming majority. I'm sure that's why the former head of AZ DNC has chosen to run again Kyle and not McCain.

But the talk has already begun in loud whispers. "Will it be McCain in 2008?" I won't bother to change my affiliation to Independant to vote in the primary because he'll win the AZ primary. But I'd seriously consider voting for him as president.

The first time I ever heard the name McCain was during the "Keating 5" scandal. He survived it by being (eventually) forthright:

On the shopping center, his defense was simple. The deal did not involve him. The shares in the shopping center had been purchased by a partnership set up between McCain's wife and her father.

But McCain also had to explain his trips with Keating and why he didn't pay Keating back right away.

On that score, McCain admitted he had fouled up He said he should have reimbursed Keating immediately, not waited several years. His staff said it was an oversight, but it looked bad, McCain jetting around with Keating, then going to bat for him with the federal regulators.

That's the one thing I never could understand about the 2000 primaries - why did W. attack his wartime record when McCain had the political baggage that could have been used instead? In part because McCain will admit his faults and face the truth, and W. would have probably looked bad from it.

Senator McCain - here's hoping for 2008.

BTW: The above citation came from The Arizona Republic's special section on McCain.