“You can learn a lot,” Yogi Berra once pointed out, “by just watching.” And by just watching this site, I learned from my co-blogger that today is a Big Day in the Pirate-talking world. So Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day.

You’re standing in the grocery store aisle, trying to decide which brand of laundry detergent to buy. How can you make the choice that will be best for the environment? Check out the ratings on Good Guide.

Increasingly, all of us want to know about the impact of the products we buy–on our health, on the environment, on society. But, as Good Guides says, “Unless you’ve got a Ph.D, it is almost impossible to find out the impacts of the products you buy. Until now…”

Good Guides will offer you information you can use as you make buying decisions. You can even create your own personalized shopping list.

Bob’s at the Pentagon dedication of the memorial. I’m on my way to a church service at the church where first responders came for solace after their shifts were finished. Here in our part of the world, September 11 still brings back a rush of painful memories.

We’ll follow the example of the two national campaigns and get back to politics tomorrow.

Today, we’ll remember the senseless acts of violence that cut short too many lives.

Despite having a “D” or an “R” after their name.

That was true for Terrie Suit and me. We came in together in 1999–the only two women in our class. And, as the other members of our class were defeated or retired, we remained the Last Two Standing. (Albert Pollard, also a member of the Class of 1999, took a little sabbatical but has returned.)

We didn’t always agree. In fact, we passionately disagreed about issues large and small. But we liked each other. We talked to each other. And I like to think that on occasion, we might have made the wheels of democracy move a little more smoothly.

She strongly supported her party. I strongly supported mine. But we also strongly believed that sometimes we could put partisanship aside and try to work for Virginia.

I wish her luck in her new endeavor.

First it was the two of us blogging. Now the House Democratic Caucus has launched a new podcast series. Our goal will be to keep folks up to date on issues facing Virginia.

The first podcast, from Chuck Caputo is (Lord willing and my technology skills permitting) right here.

Check back for other podcast updates.

by how quickly the people who made it start to say–anonymously, of course–“Hey, it wasn’t my fault.”

Howard Fineman went to the Minnesota State Fair. Where he discovered food on a stick.

Which, of course, we woulda told him about if he’d asked.

As you know, we here at 7 West are sticklers for punctuation and grammar.

Which is why this so delights us.

Wasn’t The Speech. Yes, it was probably among the best political speeches I can remember. Yes, it absolutely set the stage for the campaign. Yes, it spoke to the issues that matter and took on John McCain in a way that had to happen.

But the most amazing thing about last night was all the stuff you didn’t see–the behind-the-scenes organizational skills that pull off a massive event. I have worked advance teams on Presidential elections. Let me assure you, filling an 80,000 seat stadium is an organizational feat. But the Obama team pulled it off. There were no empty seats visible on the TV screen, which–let’s face it–is how most Americans saw the speech. In fact, the optics were simply fabulous.

I believe Obama won in the primary because of his ground game. I believe that is what it will take to win in November. We will see later today and again next week what the Republicans have in store. They do conventions really well. But I’m not sure they have the organizational ability to pull off anything like we saw last night.

While Bob is reporting on what it’s like in Denver, I’ll be sharing thoughts on watching the convention from home. Which, I figure, is where most Democrats will be getting their news.

Today’s must read: Politico’s Roger Simon writes “Relentless: How Barack Obama outsmarted Hillary Clinton.”

Best quote so far: “The Obama campaign, it should be pointed out, did not actually foresee the future; it merely prepared for it.”