Reformer? Maverick? Defender of motherhood? Independent-minded woman? Former beauty queen? Serious politico? Moose hunter? As soon as John McCain announced that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin would be his running mate, the liberal vs. conservative online discussion was off to the races! Progressive bloggers are shocked at Palin's positions on reproductive choice, gun control and religion in schools, just to name a few.

Since May I've been writing a series of posts on BlogHer about Cooking with Fresh Herbs. Now it's nearly fall, and I'm finishing up the series with sage today and a final post about thyme coming on Sunday. Both these are herbs I love to cook with, and I think both are underused in many American kitchens. If you have sage or thyme in your herb garden, but not too many ideas about how to use them, I hope you'll enjoy the finale.

So this week I had the joy of my annual trip to my OB/GYN. Well, I use the term "annual" loosely, because since I got an IUD (and so I'm not running out of birth control pills), it's really difficult to remember when I'm supposed to go, much less motivate myself to get there. And my doctor changed medical groups, which meant I had to change medical groups to see him, which my insurance took a month to do. But. Annual-ish gynecological exam: Done.

McCain surrogate Tim Kane talks economics with BlogHer's Mary Katharine Ham from St. Paul.

Huge TV viewing numbers last night for Gov. Sarah Palin, amazingly nearly matching Barack Obama's tally and far outstripping the viewership for Vice President Joe Biden, who is after all her opponent. Sarah Palin is not running for president. And only six networks carried Palin's speech, vs. 10 for Obama, so her numbers are even more impressive.

Delegate and Secretary of State for West Virginia Betty Ireland talks with BlogHer's Mary Katharine Ham in St. Paul.   

About a month ago, I found out that my niece is pregnant, and I’m not proud of how I reacted to this news. In hindsight, maybe it is because when she was a teenager I told her, "Don't get pregnant or I'll break your legs." Granted, unlike Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s daughter, my niece will be 23 next week and a college graduate, but despite living with the father of her child, she is unmarried.

Will McCain play it safe tonight? BlogHer's Mary Katharine Ham talks strategy as she gives us a preview of tonight's big speech from St. Paul.   

I can't help it. Like the rest of you, I'm lathered up about the election. I click through my travel feeds, but all I can think about are RNC speeches and election year posturing. I'm up in Alaska - which seems like a foreign country, if you've been there - and over in Iraq - where apparently we're winning the war, I did not know that - and in various airport terminals.

Last week in Denver I had to grovel for credentials. Not regular Pepsi Center credentials or floor passes so that I could see right up Beau Biden's nose, but for Big Tent credentials. Basically I had to promise my first born to someone in order to sit in a giant outdoor tent, kept warm by the sweaty heat off of people's bodies and MacBooks. I had to beg to be with my fellow geeks. Fist bumps for twittering through Bill Clinton's 20 minute standing ovation.