“Various and Sundry, 10-20-2010”

* Slate’s John Dickerson analyzes the nauseating use of the phrase, “Man up“ by candidates and others involved in the upcoming midterm elections.

* Staying with the midterm elections, Delaware Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate Christine O’Donnell’s “I’m you” ads have been the target of a great deal of ridicule.

But the mockery of O’Donnell’s message is unfair.  She’s right; she is me.  Like O’Donnell, I am not a witch.  I did not attend Yale, either.  And on November 2, neither of us will be elected to the Senate.

* It’s a great time of year for sports fans.  Baseball’s League Championship Series are underway, the NFL and college football seasons are near their midpoints, the NHL just started play, and the NBA will be tipping of by the end of the month. A viewer of any of these sports is likely to see a familiar face during commercial breaks; that of Dos Equis beer pitchman The Most Interesting Man in the World.

The actor portraying TMIMITW, longtime character actor Jonathan Goldsmith, is a pretty interesting guy himself. His pitch-perfect work for Dos Equis has helped the company significantly raise its profile and market share since the introduction of the commercials in 2006 and it has made the quote, “Stay thirsty, my friends” among the most popular advertising mottos of this decade.