I had read a few rumors last night and was very pleased this morning to read (first on CNBC, then the Chicago Tribune) that Alaska Governor Sarah “Barracuda” Palin will be John McCain’s running mate.

SWEET!

Nicknamed “Barracuda” by her high school basketball team mates, Palin will, IMO, be a smart choice. Not only does she bring executive experience to the table, she’s a big supporter of our troops (a HUGE plus in my book!) as well as the global war on terrorism. She’s against wasteful government spending. Some prime examples of this: once she was in office, she got rid of the governor’s private plane and limo. She takes commercial flights and takes her SUV.

She has had a 80-90% approval rate. Guys will like her because not only is she pretty, she also hunts, fishes, and is an overall outstanding outdoorswoman. She’s a mother of 5, and will no doubt make a great Vice President.

In short: She is a man’s woman and a woman’s woman.

You can find a great bio here. Don’t take my word for it, look it up!

(H/T’s: Beth, Tammy Swofford, Bear Creek Ledger, Brian McDaniel, Zoey’s Blatherings)

I snagged this from my Cotillion sister, Right Wing Sparkle, and had a good laugh over breakfast this morning.

You know, when I was a teenager I absolutely abhorred my first name: Shannon. I hated that all of my school stuff had “Shannon” on it instead of “Nicki.” One year I absolutely insisted that my records be changed to reflect my nickname, which I’ve gone by all of my natural life. (The office ladies had a few giggles at my expense and sent me on my little defiant, albeit pissed off, way.) As I got older, I told myself, “Hey, my family has Scottish/Irish descent, and that’s definitely an Irish name. So chill.” I got over, for the most part.

However, to this day, I cringe if someone calls me by my full name and will insist upon being called “Nicki.”

I can’t help but laugh at all the hubbub about Obama and his full name being used in the media. “Hussein” Ok sure, we’ve known a few bad Husseins before. I can identify and sympathize … to an extent.

Seriously, what’s in a name? Would it be any more heinous if it were “Adolf”? Ok, maybe it would … but you get my point. If Obama were really that embarrassed or bothered by his name, he would have had it legally changed long ago. On the other hand, it gives conservatives something else to yuck about — and let’s face it, he’s given us plenty of material!

In an effort to show some sensitivity about his middle name, I propose we just refer to the first and last initials now: B.O. That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Yeah, I thought so too. In fact, it struck me so funny that I whipped up a little something in Photoshop to celebrate it:

If you hadn’t caught on by now, that man scares me. And it has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with his name.

Update: Per a very creative suggestion by Cookie, there’s now a follow-up image: