Feels like summer is slipping away. Had a teriyaki steak dinner by the pool (which, BTW, has now dropped to 86 degrees) and watched a pathetic excuse for a dust storm blow in while listening to my wonderful 2 Gb surf music MP3 player over the stereo. Man, I gotta post on this some other time – I truly have the greatest surf music collection in the world, bar none. But there are a few things on my mind tonight, so I’m gonna let y’all have it:

Michelle Wie having to return to LPGA “Q” school because she’s run out of exemptions and interested sponsors just goes to show how quickly stars can rise and fall. I’ve posted on her numerous times here and truly feel her parents and her coach David Leadbetter have all done a horrendous job. Not only have they robbed this girl of her teen years (years she can never replace and, mark my words, will come to resent them all for), but put in danger any chance of her regaining the form and opportunites for mucho dinero she had just three years ago. Some people may think it cruel that I’ve referred to her as a has-been at age 18, but she’s gonna have to prove me wrong on this.

Los Straightjackets is a GREAT surf band.

Houston, we have a problem. The power and sheer force of hurricanes has always fascinated me. Brendan Loy is always a great resource when it comes to storms like Ike. As much as one hates to see the destruction of public property take place, this is truly an awe-inspiring quote:

High winds are not going to be the primary issue. But, as I wrote below, the storm surge will still be enormous. Coastal residents, do not treat this storm like a typical Category 2! The Gulf of Mexico is about to temporarily reclaim a large chunk of prime Texas real estate. If you’re in a surge zone, this is no time to hunker down and complacently recall the names of all the previous storms you’ve successfully weathered, or confidently assert that Ike will turn right, like Rita did. (It might. But you don’t know that. No one does.) This is the time to move inland, to higher ground. Get out of Ike’s way!

My guess there is there is going to significant wind and water damage from Ike in major urban areas. In fact, Ike may end up being one of the most expensive in terms of loss this country has seen.

I watched the Charles Gibson/Sarah Palin interview tonight and came away impressed – not because she did so well (overall I thought she was just OK) – but because she: a) answered every question Gibson asked her (something unusual for politicians) and b) showed once again her ability to come across as totally genuine. I especially liked her “what aspect” counter to Gibson’s ridiculous question on the Bush Doctrine. Memo to Democrats: You have every right to be afraid. This woman isn’t going away anytime soon, and she isn’t afraid of anything.

Quick thought: when will a major network grill Barack Obama (after all, he’s an actual Presidential candidate) like they are grilling McCain’s Vice-Presidential candidate?

Quick thought II: The Obama campaign enlists Bill Clinton to campaign for them? Like he did such a great job for Hillary? Oh well, I guess desperate times call for desperate measures…

(BTW, If anyone on Obama’s team reads this blog with any regularity, tune in tomorrow for The Great White Shank’s 5-point plan to electoral success. Believe me, right now you guys need to hear what I have to say. (And going negative is not the solution.)

If you want to start to understand just how badly the Democratic/Progressive Left (especially despicable so-called “feminists”) have revealed their utter hypocrisy when it comes to Sarah Palin, here’s a good place to start.

Last night I watched a thunderstorm roll over us and reveal its “eye”. The sky all around was filled with lightning and thunder, and rain poured down. But right above me was this clear circle of sky shimmering with silvery stars and a lovely half moon. The whole back yard glowed in such a platinum light I will never forget. What a monsoon season this has been!