Here's today's "What the F**k?" moment:

The 2nd Quarter GDP figure for the US economy was revised upward today from 2.8% to 3.3%. So, what sort of headlines did this news garner?

Associated Press: Economic Growth at Weakest Rate in a Year
Reuters News: Economic Growth Better Than Thought

That's right. Two virtually identical stories, yet two vastly divergent headlines. Any Botox boosters at the AP Copy Editing desk these days?

Returned from a Vegas jaunt Tuesday night. If you're interested, I posted a complete trip report here.

This was the first time I left Vegas feeling sad to go. I am usually so overwhelmed after 3 days in Sin City that I'm itching for the relative sanity of home. Made enough coin to pay for a new digital camera. Thank you, Luxor roulette dealers.

By the way, if you're like me, and you're feeling generous and want to spread around some newfound wealth, make your way over to the Swift Vets donation page. Their new ad is a good one, and should be seen in as many swing state media markets as possible.

Just a posting I left over at the Polipundit blog:

I've always been flummoxed by the left's inability to conceive of one being both gay and Republican. A person's sexual orientation, or anything else for that matter, does not constitute the entirety of one's identity, unless they choose to make it so, of course. Some gays actually choose not to see every aspect of their lives through the prism of their homosexuality.

When I discuss this issue with my liberal friends I usually ask, "how is it possible for a staunch Catholic to be a Democrat when the party's pro-abortion stance directly contradicts their faith?" I've yet to receive a satisfactory answer as to how this scenario is any different than the so-called gay/Republican oxymoron.

Then again, maybe I should just stay mum on this one. As my liberal sister-in-law would say, "you're not gay, so you have no right to voice an opinion on this issue." Substitute “gay” with “black” in that reply, and you’ve got the same argument I heard during an affirmative action debate. Ugh, the idiocy!

Lost amid the post-convention buzz is this month’s Employment Report. The highlights include 144,000 new jobs in August, July’s number revised upward by over double to 73,000, another 22,000 new manufacturing jobs added, and the unemployment rate slipped to 5.4%.

In the words of one economist upon seeing the report, “We can breathe a sigh of relief.”

See? I told you not to worry.

I’ve been watching the US conventions since 1988. (I know, I know; if you do the math, that would put me at 14. I was a geek. So, sue me.) In each election year, I’ve found the convention of the challenger’s party far more compelling and much better orchestrated than the incumbent’s. This year, I witnessed an exception. Putting my partisan bent aside, I can say objectively as a long time observer that the 2004 Republican National Convention trumped the Democratic one, hands down. Compared to the DNC, which I believe fell flat in many aspects, the RNC displayed a better speaker roster, a better message, a more palpable energy, and a mastery of stagecraft.

Try as they might, the liberal media’s less-than-subtle attempts to paint the RNC as a gathering of wealthy, conniving zealots hell-bent on squashing the poor will fall on deaf ears. Anyone who watched the C-Span or prime-time coverage over the past 4 days, and especially last night, witnessed a party that is truly a large tent of diverse Americans, united behind a President with firm convictions and an abiding commitment to advancing freedom, both at home and abroad. Viewers saw a Republican Party that is comprised of people who understand a very simple, yet very powerful concept: Liberty pays dividends.

Now the question is, how much of a bump will the President get after this week, and how long will it last? I’m taking an optimistic stance on that one. A few months ago, an old friend asked what I thought would be the outcome of this election. I mulled it over for a few seconds and said, “Bush by 5 points.” Judging from the laughter on the other end of the phone, I concluded that he thought I was insane. In the end, I think my wild ass guess is going to be dead on.