(See Darfur, East Timor, etc., etc., etc., all ignored in favor of lurid tabloid tripe.)

At the Olympics, women from Georgia and Russia won medals in the same event, embraced each other, and spoke of the need to end war.

During a break in the Olympic coverage (And fortunately I can type as my favorite events are swimming and diving, especially relay races, and I am so hoarse from screaming GO, GO, GO at the tv as the US men’s team somehow and improbably managed to come from behind to beat the French.) I saw some news on the situation re Georgia, and the area in dispute is OIL RICH. (Are we surprised? Are we surprised that the US is supporting Georgia despite Bush having seen the goodness of his soul in Putin’s eyes?)

The area is also located in the Caucuses at the eastern edge of the Black Sea, and a guerilla war there would be brutal beyond belief.

Going back to Wed. when we did not have a recap just to say that it was a magnificent show. I am still amazed that I could LIKE something from Paris Hilton, but that ad was a piece of brilliance and so well delivered.

The most important moment, which Obama should emulate, was Paris emphatically and with total confidence looking straight into the camera and saying (more or less, I am not word perfect here), Like, I am SO ready to lead.

Why is Obama allowing everyone from McCain and his neo con minions to Bill Clinton to ask or answer this for him?

New Ad, making use of some of the more obnoxious slogans of the past few months: Obama, Ready to Lead From Day One to Create the Change You Can Believe In.

And, as Keith asked, I do have some ideas on the whys of John Edwards’ behavior as I have the misfortune to share child loss with him and Elizabeth.

Through my own experiences as well as what I have heard and observed through my attendance at meetings of Compassionate Friends, this is a loss that simply cannot be understood by someone who has not experienced it, and it never truly ends and can suddenly pop out in all kinds of bizarre and self destructive ways, even after years have passed.

My oldest son was killed coming home from school at age 16, the same age at which the Edwards lost Wade.

When I learned of Wade’s death in the last campaign I felt such a close tie to them and was awed at how they were managing to go forward. Plus, one of the last big things John had done with Wade was to climb Kilimanjaro, and while I did not climb the mountain, I did camp below it for several days when I was in Kenya.

I mention the latter as it appears that this adulterous relationship was connected to a trip to Uganda.

I can imagine and understand the resurgent memories and panic and need to somehow blank out the pain, if only for a few minutes, not thinking forward to the additional pain that was being created.

Add in the stress and panic he must feel over the very real possibility of losing Elizabeth.

I am amazed at how I am reacting as I admire Elizabeth Edward so highly, feel distress and outrage on her behalf that this happened and has become public, and I usually have nothing but contempt for adulterous men.

Yet, this seems such an aberration in his man’s character that when I first heard it my reaction was to think that they meant John Edward the Psychic.

I also must wonder if John Edwards was simply at the point where he had to crash and burn to free himself from the pressures of the persona he had created and was living to keep the pain at bay.