St. Helen's 43%, Ivan 29%, Undecided 28%

Not that I wish harm to anyone, but I'm really rooting for Mount St. Helen's. Frankly, the hurricane is getting to be a bore. It's like being run down by a car moving at 0.5 mph. You watch for days and weeks as the storm -- the size of Texas! Gasp! -- crawls across the weather map, and when it finally does arrive we're treated to the same dull footage of Roland Hedley leaning into the gale while the wind bends the palms and whips his slicker. No, give me a volcano every time.

Is there a metaphor for last night's vice presidential debate in there somewhere, something about slow and steady winning the race? I dunno. So far this whole race is a lot of wind and not much magma. I can tell you my favorite moment of the debate, though: At one point moderator Gwen Ifill addressed John Edwards and he replied, "Yes, ma'am." There was something about that moment, a powerful, white southern man snapping to and addressing a black woman as "ma'am" on national television. Some changes come on slow, but they're hurricane force.

Tonight: Another opportunity to take your game to Class Five at St. John's. Let me know if you will or will not be playing. We tip off at 6:30 p.m., as usual.

Added to the archives this week:

It's Morning in Minnesota, 19 May 2004
For Our Records, 14 May 2004