*Want a reminder of how Barack Obama dazzled America during the presidential campaign? Get a copy of the video of his Sunday speech at Notre Dame. It was typically remarkable, under difficult, controversial circumstances.

*Save for one errant shot into a greenside pond Sunday, Michelle Wie was tremendous tee to green at the weekend's LPGA tournament in New Jersey. If that part of her game doesn't falter, and she finally learns how to tame her putter, Wie will be the Tiger Woods of women's golf.

*What I saw of the Farrah Fawcett documentary the other night was both uplifting and morbid. The best thing I can say about it is that it was her story, told by her and those close to her, not by tabloid types eager to exploit a celebrity's privacy for a buck.

*The phrase "walk-off" - as in "walk-off home run" - is relatively new to baseball parlance. Wikipedia credits San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Lowell Cohn as the first to use it two decades ago. Too bad he didn't patent it to earn residuals, so common have the words become in broadcasts and print. Yankees fans certainly can't get enough of "walk-offs" following three last-at-bat wins over the weekend. That said, it's the traditionalist in me that could do without the wild, jumping-up-and-down home plate celebrations that also have become common in baseball. I guess there's something endearing about watching high-priced baseball players behave like little boys in the playground. But I'd prefer big leaguers to save their most vociferous celebrations until they've won the World Series.

*Have those who think the media is too liberal been watching the relentless Nancy Pelosi coverage?