SOMETHING TO REMEMBER: SOME OF OUR TROOPS WILL BE COMING HOME SOON! WHY? BECAUSE WE'RE "WINNING"!!!

There's a line that David Letterman uses; "You could see that one coming down Broadway, couldn't you?"

Here's something else you can see coming down Broadway.

Some of our troops are coming home soon. Why? Because we're winning!

If an announcement like this isn't made on or about the time the big reports are made next week by the U.S. Ambassador to/in Iraq and our commanding General in Iraq, I'll be shocked.

It's face saving time, folks. It's what we tried to do in Vietnam and to (badly) paraphrase President Reagan, "Here we go again!"

SPEAKING OF THINGS WE CAN SEE COMING DOWN BROADWAY:

Will anyone really be shocked if the Democratic ticket ends up being Hillary and Obama? The selling point being that eight years from now he'll be ready! And of course there's the other big selling point. The possible history involved if a woman is elected president and a person of color is elected vice president. And if all that history is made at the same time?!?

AND THINGS WE SHOULD HAVE SEEN COMING DOWN BROADWAY:

Did you think that Whoopi Goldberg would make a lot of noise on her first day on "The View"? Well, she did! While talking about Michael Vick, Goldberg said (in essence) that where Vick comes from (the South), dogfighting isn't that unusual. She compared it to cockfighting in Puerto Rico and "There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of the country." Co-host Joy Behar had a look of shock on her face when she asked, "How about dog torture and dog murdering?" Goldberg responded by saying (in essence) that for many people, dogs are sport and it seemed to take awhile for Vick to realize that he was up against serious charges. Goldberg also said, "It seemed like a light went off in his head when he realized this was somethng that the entire country didn't appreciate."

Needless to say, outrage from animal rights activists was swift.

Short Commentary: My position on what Vick has admitted to has been very clear. I'm a guy who has owned and loved seven dogs. I'm also a guy who questions the advisability of having pit bulls as pets because too many of them seem to have a "mean gene" of some kind, but that's another story. Whoopi Goldberg's observation about dogfighting having "cultural roots" has merit. But it's also a felony in all but two states. A lot of people will tell you that Michael Vick isn't the brightest bulb on the tree and with that in mind, a friend, relative, lawyer, agent or advisor should have taken him aside sometime during the last six years and explained what activitity like this could do to his image and career. If that was done and Vick ignored their advice because he thought he was "bulletproof" or something, then he deserves the high end of punishment possibilities.

ANNA NICOLE SMITH? IN THE NEWS?!? ISN'T SHE DEAD?!?

Speaking of trouble...Have you heard this latest Anna Nicole Smith (related) story? Former MSNBC reporter Rita Cosby has written a new book. "Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death". In this book, Cosby claims (in essence) that the two guys who were battling over who was the father of Smith's infant daughter were, in fact, gay lovers. Said guys being, Larry Birkhead and Howard K. Stern. Cosby also claims that there is a videotape of Birkhead and Stern making love. Cosby seems to be saying that she's never seen the tape, but she knows that it exists.

Birkhead and Stern there is no tape because they aren't lovers and they both plan to file huge lawsuits.

Short Commentary: I don't pretend to know anything about these two guys or about the former TV reporter, but if I'm Ms. Cosby, I would have damn sure made it my business to see a tape like the one she describes before I ever wrote about it in a book!

What happens next? Well, we'll just wait for the next shoe to drop, won't we?

A FILM I'M SURPRISED I LIKED:

"Halloween" is not a film I would figure to like or to recommend to anyone. I saw it yesterday. During the first ten or fifteen minutes, I thought I was watching something that shouldn't have made 31 cents in ticket sales. But as we know, it made 31 million dollars this past weekend.

About the time Malcolm McDowell enters this film is when "Halloween" gets good. And gooder, if you will.

In essence, we see the character Michael Myers as an angry child who does terrible things to people. Malcolm McDowell plays a psychiatrist who is trying to treat the adult Myers. The very large adult Myers.

What it is that Myers is so pissed off about isn't clear, but pissed he is, and heaven help those who get in his way.

A lot of blood, but not in a disgusting way. Trust me. When you see it, you'll know what I mean.

And yeah, there are a couple of "jolt you in your seat" moments.

Believe it or not, there's very little (if any) bad acting in this film.

I recommend "Halloween" as a very good popcorn and or date film and no one is more surprised at my saying that than I am.

EDITOR'S NOTE: IF YOU READ THIS BEFORE PICTURES HAVE BEEN ADDED, COME BACK! PICTURES WILL BE UP SOON!

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: I'll tell you about 3 films I recently saw on cable, my thoughts about questions being asked by Shaquille O'Neal in his divorce petition and anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"