Strange lights flew in formation over Phoenix, Arizona, and St. Augustine, Florida. (Something similar happened in Phoenix in 1997.) These were widely seen and photographed. Here is a story about the Arizona sightings: Unexplained lights spotted above Valley; what were they? Here is a story on the Florida sightings. (The anchors say the lights may be wedding lights, I guess something like balloons.)

Here is a video of what people were seeing in Arizona, so you can see them for yourself:

What do you make of these? (I welcome opinions both serious and humorous.)

UPDATE: We have a confession.

Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama by double digits in Pennsylvania. She seems to have the momentum now, though it will be nearly impossible for her to overcome Obama’s lead in delegates, which he racked up earlier in the campaign. Back then, he was a breath of fresh air, promising an end to ideological warfare, transcending race, and embodying a politics of hope. Lately he has been coming across as just another liberal politician. Racial divisiveness is back in politics, as is the old class warfare that Democrats always seem to want to wage and always seem to wage in a way that it backfires on them. Part of the problem may be the Clintons backing him into these corners. Also, now that he has become the candidate of choice of the party’s harder left, they may be affecting his rhetoric. But is there a way for Obama to get back to his original image?

P. J. O’Rourke is a satirist–a very funny guy–who got to ride on an aircraft carrier recently. He applies that experience, including witnesses the pilots’ courage and skill, to former carrier pilot John McCain. From 24 Hours on the ‘Big Stick’:

Some people say John McCain isn’t conservative enough. But there’s more to conservatism than low taxes, Jesus, and waterboarding at Gitmo. Conservatism is also a matter of honor, duty, valor, patriotism, self-discipline, responsibility, good order, respect for our national institutions, reverence for the traditions of civilization, and adherence to the political honesty upon which all principles of democracy are based. Given what screw-ups we humans are in these respects, conservatism is also a matter of sense of humor. Heard any good quips lately from Hillary or Barack?

A one-day visit to an aircraft carrier is a lifelong lesson in conservatism. The ship is immense, going seven decks down from the flight deck and ten levels up in the tower. But it’s full, with some 5,500 people aboard. Living space is as cramped as steerage on the way to Ellis Island. Even the pilots live in three-bunk cabins as small and windowless as hall closets. A warship is a sort of giant Sherman tank upon the water. Once below deck you’re sealed inside. There are no cheery portholes to wave from.

McCain could hardly escape understanding the limits of something huge but hermetic, like a government is, and packed with a madding crowd. It requires organization, needs hierarchies, demands meritocracy, insists upon delegation of authority. An intricate, time-tested system replete with checks and balances is not a plaything to be moved around in a doll house of ideology. It is not a toy bunny serving imaginary sweets at a make-believe political tea party. The captain commands, but his whims do not. He answers to the nation.

Nearly 70% of Italian gynecologists are now refusing to perform abortions, citing moral grounds. And the number is growing. See this:

Between 2003 and 2007 the number of gynecologists claiming the conscience clause to avoid carrying out abortions rose from 58.7 percent to 69.2 percent, according to the report.