The Next Barrier

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Running List of Inane Things We Now Care About Because Obama is Not Actually President Yet

1. The dog the Obamas will bring (or not bring until after they are settled, from a shelter or a breeder) to the White House

2. What school Malia and Sasha will attend in DC (ultra exclusive new age school with one campus or ultra exclusive new age school with two campuses?)

3. What hair-do Barack Obama should not adopt while in office.

Rahm Emanuel: Totally Awesome

Rahm Emanuel is a paradox of a man. I learned this yesterday while leisurely researching President-elect Barack Obama's new Chief of Staff. In fact, I literally laughed out loud (sidenote: should there be like a You Can't Do That On Television sliming every time I use "literally" in this blog?) when I found out that Emanuel--ball busting, dead fish giving, curse word spewing Emanuel--is a ballet dancer. He danced in high school and was even offered a scholarship to attend a dance college, but opted for Sarah Lawrence instead, where he danced his freshman year. This guy is infinitely interesting. He's actively involved in supporting Israel. He lost half a finger in a meat-cutting incident at an Arbys. He is the inspiration for Bradley Whitford's character in the West Wing. And now, he's Obama's Chief of Staff.

Rolling Stone published a lengthy piece on him back in 2005, before he orchestrated the Democratic takeover of Congress in 2006. I haven't read it yet, but imagine it's a good one and plan on reading it in the next day or so.

And if anyone can find video of the man they call "Rahmbo" in tights executing a perfect pirouet, please send it my way.

In the meantime, you'll just have to settle for this video from 2005 of Obama roasting Emanuel:

Ha Ha That's Funny Because That's Totally Not Me....Right?

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Who Needs Paris When You Have Palin

Over the past week, since Barack Obama won the election, I have been pouring over Newsweek's Special Election Project. If you're not familiar with the project (and I wasn't until last week), it operates like this: Newsweek sends a few reporters on the campaign trail with the candidates and gets lots of insider access by promising not to disclose or publish any of the information they receive or events they witness until after the election. So these reporters basically get to hang out and see the most intimate parts of these major political campaigns for weeks. They have aides coming and venting to them about what pissed them off or what crazy thing just happened. They sing karaoke with chief strategists. They see the candidates at their best and their worst. It's a really interesting depiction of the massive efforts that are going on behind the candidate, who is the only person that most of America gets to see. It's like a soap opera. Here is the entire report (it's long and will probably take you a few sittings, but is totally worth it).

Daily Dose

Also, my bff at the NYT, Thomas Friedman, will be on the DS tonight.

Monday Sports Update

I knew this week was too good to be true and something had to not turn out the way I wanted. Although, the bright side is the two big wins I experienced over the past 10 days really softened the blow of the sports shittiness that occurred this weekend. I was 0 for 2.

Penn State lost a close one at Iowa on Saturday. I did not watch most of the game because I was with friends in Philadelphia. I actually didn't know they lost until I received a text message from my little sister at Penn State: Oh no Penn State. My friend pulled out his cell phone with internet access and indeed confirmed that we had only lost by a point, 24-23. It's a total bummer because we all thought we had a chance at the National Championship, but with this loss, that's totally not possible. It's kind of like my senior year all over again, but for my brother. We were undefeated that year and lost one game in the last second to Michigan, in Ann Arbor. It was devastating. Granted, I honestly think that we were a better team back then (and Michigan a more formidable opponent), but I'm sure my brother and the rest of Happy Valley is just as crushed. Here's to a Rose Bowl bid, at least.

And then last night I actually watched the Eagles because they were the Sunday night game. It was a make-or-break game for the Eagles, who were playing the defending champion and NFC leading Giants. I guess we are broke because they lost 36-31. It was a pretty close game, I would say, with early scoring by the Birds. But we were undone, yet again, by terrible coaching and play-calling. Two lost challenges in the fourth quarter pretty much sealed the deal. And yeap, that's about it. Nothing really inspiring coming out of the Link recently.

Penn State hosts Indiana at noon on Saturday. The Eagles are at Cincinnati at 1 on Sunday.

If I Had Known Maureen Had Been There...

...I would have said hello, at least.

This Just In

Obama not actually black, just "suntanned." Thanks, Italy.

Daily Dose

Well Said, Onion

Here is an Onion article today that, although hilariously sarcastic in the way Onion articles always are, is poignantly (and maybe sadly) true.

It suggests that in this "current climate of everything being fucked," Americans were able to set aside their racist issues because they had real problems to think about. What? The economy/war/healthcare crisis/etc etc are more important than say, who someone marries or what color skin they have? You don't say...

Some Great Status Messages From Friends Today

hope > fear

Looks like he did some pretty good community organizing.

Ecstatic about my Pres-to-be but disappointed that my country still does not believe in equal rights for all.

best.phall.ever.

Nate Silver is About to be a Millionaire

So I've talked some about Nate Silver, who came up with the awesome algorithm that predicts both baseball and politics, and publishes all his predictions on his blog, fivethirtyeight.com.

Well, I'd like you to look at two maps. First, here we have Nate's final prediction on Monday:
Now, look at the electoral map as it was actually called last night:

Um, yeah, he pretty much nailed it. Someone needs to hire him immediately.

Last Night at the White House

A great thing about being in DC last night was the opportunity just to take all this relief and joy and pure exhileration and aim it somewhere. Once Boyfriend and I left Tonic after the acceptance speech, we heard rumblings of what sounded like a crowd, so we naturally walked to where we thought it was. We walked up 21st, then down Pennsylvania Avenue, and we quickly realized that the sound wasn't in one specific spot; it was everywhere. Every group of people we passed were smiling and laughing and cheering. We exchanged hi-fives and shouts of "Obama!" Every car and cab that passed honked and hollered out the windows. It was an amazing release of good nature and we finally just said "to the White House!" It was the only logical place to go.

Hundreds of other people had already had the idea. It was a mob. But not a mob like the one approaching Frankenstein's castle, but more like the mob we saw in Philly last week. Indeed, it felt exactly like a town who just won a major sports championship, but instead it was for the man who we just elected President. And somehow that really felt much better.

Here is a blurry photo taken on my cell phone of the scene:

People held up balloons and sign and flags. They even held up other people on their shoulders. They were of every age and color and creed. And we all just congregated like the mosh pit of a concert. It was awesome. Some people chanted "O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!" Others did "Obama! O-8!" Others did "8 More Years! 8 More Years!" Of course there was "Yes we can! Yes we can!" and its now popular variation of "Yes we did! Yes we did!" And there were more than one rendition of "Nah nah nah nah. Nah nah nah nah. Hey hey hey! Goodbye" The turned the second floor lights out in the White House while we were there. I think someone finally realized it was time to go to bed.

And a group of kids yelled at us from across the street: "What color is your president?!" And I proudly yelled back "He's black!"

It feels good to be an American today. I haven't felt this way in a long time.

Yes We Did

"And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope."

-Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America