The GOP VP's nominee favors teaching "abstinence only"

From MSNBC.com: "Bristol Palin, one of Alaska Gov. Palin's five children with her husband, Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, the Palins said in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain."

I feel terrible for the poor girl. Being a pregnant senior must be rough enough. Being a pregnant senior and the daughter of the Republican vice presidential nominee has to be worse.

But, when your mother is the friendly Hockey Mom who is so comfortable telling the rest of us what we should do if we become pregnant (and, as a rape survivor I find her stance incredibly insensitive), and what to teach the following generation about reproduction (abstinence only), this must be off-the-chart dreadful.

Also, Sarah Palin knew her daughter was pregnant when she agreed to be on this ticket. She also knew this story would come out. I am confused by a mother's decision to put her unmarried daughter's expanding waistline on display. If Governor Palin is sophisticated enough politically to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency, she must realize that her daughter's condition is going to be the hot topic of talk radio and cable TV. I hope she was able to adequately explain to 17-year-old Bristol how much attention her condition would receive.

I am not looking at this as a Democrat. I'm looking at it as a woman. I say to Governor Palin, "Yenta, heal thyself." To her daughter, "Hang tough, Sweetie, you're in my prayers."

Day 01 -- September Fitness Challenge

I haven't been feeling well lately. Nothing huge … just tummy troubles and headaches and a pesky but minor skin infection. But it's all left me physically tired, and it's time to take my own health into my own hands.

So I am replacing my August Happiness Challenge with The September Fitness Challenge. Every day this month I will do something that is good for me ... I PROMISE! It can involve exercise or diet, but it has to be inarguably healthy for me.

Today I am stopping at the grocery store to pick up fruit to munch on instead of chocolate.

As you watch the Gustav coverage ...

Please keep Louisiana's furry population in mind. It's easy to give to the Louisiana SPCA because they have a storm-safe PO Box in Washington DC.

For even a small donation and a postage stamp, you can watch the coverage in your dry, safe livingroom and feel less helpless because you'll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you helped those who cannot help themselves.

When is a Duck a real ass?

When Mad Men is on, that's when.

As one who works in the creative department of an advertising agency, I was bound to be leery of "Duck" Phillips, the head of account services at fictional Sterling Cooper. After all, regardless of the decade, account executives restrict and sit in judgment of the creatives. It's just a fact of life.

Oh, and Duck is not very handsome, whereas Don (sigh) Draper, chief creative officer at Sterling Cooper, is sooooooo hot. If more CCOs were like Don Draper, I'd figure out a way to get to work on time.

All that account/creative tension aside, last night Duck did something fabulously unforgivable. His soon-to-be ex-wife gives him permanent custody of the family's well-behaved, beautiful and loyal dog, Chauncey. Duck keeps the dog at his side at the office, presumably until he can find an apartment (he's staying in a hotel) and a dog walker. After a completely shitty day, Duck is alone at the office, just him at Chauncey, and he finds himself tempted to jump off the wagon and have a drink. The only thing that stopped him was the sound of Chauncey's panting and those soulful canine eyes. Duck looks down at the one living being who depends on him and takes action. As the official website states in the recap: "Although he resists the temptation, he intentionally abandons his dog on the sidewalk outside the office."

He dumps the dog -- who has done nothing but love him -- after dark in the middle of Madison Avenue. Bastard. Asshole. Low-life worm.

That was awful, even for an account exec.