1. New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick laid a smack down on Roger Ebert at the Toronto film fest. Is anyone else feeling oddly protective over lil’ Ebert right now?

2. Veep candidate Sarah Palin saw her 19-year-old son, Track, off to Iraq. “I believe in the cause, and I hope and pray we have a worthy cause,” Palin told People magazine in June.

3. And while we’re talking about the G.O.P., have a look at Cindy McCain’s $300,000 convention outfit. I have to admit that I think Cindy is already so much more fun to watch than Laura Bush (whose paltry $4,000-ish outfit pales in comparison, and literally). It’s not exactly a great way for Mrs. McCain to connect with the public at large, but hey, at least the color of that Oscar de la Renta suit looks smashing on her.

4. It seems like Angelina Jolie filmed the 1920′s period thriller The Changeling years ago, but the first trailer is only just now hitting the Web. It looks awesome (John Malkovich is in it!) and opens on Oct. 31.

5. Barack Obama will making waves on SNL this weekend, along with uber-Olympian Michael Phelps.