A heavy thunderstorn earlier today has turned into a steady soaker of a rain that will do the pruned vegetaion around here a world of good. Just being able to enjoy the wet drippiness outside with the windows open allows the head to clear and the soul to breathe. A perfect night to touch on a few subjects briefly from the world of politics and culture.

* Thoughts and prayers go out to Elizabeth Edwards, her husband John, and their family. Mrs. Edwards’ cancer has returned after less than three years, and, while everyone is keeping up a brave face, the sad fact is that her long-term prognosis is not good. I give John Edwards a lot of credit – it takes a lot of guts to stand up in front of the press and speak confidently and bravely about pressing on with his presidential campaign given the situation. One can only hope for miracles and all the best for both of them.

* Headline: North Korea nuclear talks break down. I equate this so-called “news” to Nebraska senator Chuck Hagel’s news conference the other day, announcing he hadn’t made up his mind yet whether or not to seek the presidency. You call this news? The only way things ever change in North Korea is when wacko dictator Kim Jong-Il dies, and while I hate to wish anything bad to happen to anyone, that day can’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned.

* The hub-bub over President Bush firing those eight U.S. attorneys is yet another indicator of just how much of a disaster the President’s second term in office has been. The easiest thing in the world would have been for Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to make the announcement, then provide a list of those fired and the President’s reasoning behind their terminations. Of course, the Prez doesn’t have to justify his actions – after all, U.S. attorneys serve at his pleasure, but it would have avoided all this politics-as-usual crap. It would have been that simple, but nothing this White House has done in the past four years has ever seemed to make a whole lot of sense. Charles Krauthammer is right – the A.G. has got to go.

* Of course, the longer the Democrats pursue this attorney-firing witchhunt – as if there was really something to it – the more people will come to realize they’re only doing it to mask the utter confusion currently going on in the House of Representatives under the shaky “control” (if you want to call it that) of House Speaker “San Fran Nan” Pelosi. Oh man, what a trainwreck! Pelosi’s leadership makes former Republican House Speaker Denny Hastert look more like Tip O’Neill every day.

* News item: Madonna would back Gore over Clinton in 2008. I’m sorry, I didn’t know the so-called “Material Girl” was still in show business. Isn’t she like 50 now? I’m telling ya, some people just don’t know how to say goodbye gracefully.

* France opens its UFO files to the public, and (gasp!) of the 1,600 cases registered in the past 53 years “nearly 25 percent” are classified as events that can’t be explained. Nearly 25 percent, huh? I’m no math major, but if someone told me I was sick and had a “nearly 25 percent” chance of surviving, I’d be getting ready to punch my ticket for an appearance on The Funeral Channel.