Obama meets Dickens

Thanks, Economist! Just when I needed an example of the relevance of Charles Dickens in the 21st Century. . . 

You know blogging’s tough when. . .

. . . some seven-year old prodigy gets more hits a day than you do. And gets a letter from Barack Obama. Color me jealous.

Trivial info about 44

Did you know?

• Barack Obama collects Spider-Man comic books (bonus points)
• His favorite book is Moby Dick (negative)
• He hates the saggy baggy jeans look (YESSS!)
• Favorite TV shows are M*A*S*H and The Wire (okey dokey)
• He has read every Harry Potter book (excellent)

Other fun facts to know and yell about our President-elect can be found here.

Return of the Column of the Day

One of the most important demographics in this year’s election was the college-educated voter. In Sunday’s NY Times, Nicholas Kristof contemplates a smarter America (or at least one that appreciated intellectualism) now that Barack Obama is our president-elect:

Mr. Obama, unlike most politicians near a microphone, exults in complexity. He doesn’t condescend or oversimplify nearly as much as politicians often do, and he speaks in paragraphs rather than sound bites. Global Language Monitor, which follows linguistic issues, reports that in the final debate, Mr. Obama spoke at a ninth-grade reading level, while John McCain spoke at a seventh-grade level.

Need a job?

Maybe it’s time for a change. Perhaps you’d like to work for the Obama Administration?

Best post-election cartoon

from Tom Toles

And now, back to the satire

From The Onion:

Another contributing factor to Obama’s victory, political experts said, may have been the growing number of Americans who, faced with the complete collapse of their country, were at last able to abandon their preconceptions and cast their vote for a progressive African-American.After enduring eight years of near constant trauma, the United States is, at long last, ready for equality.

Citizens with eyes, ears, and the ability to wake up and realize what truly matters in the end are also believed to have played a crucial role in Tuesday’s election.

Question of the Day

From my daughter Emily, “Will he get his own coin?” Someday, he just might.

Two speeches for the history books

Obama’s was inspiring and sensational, McCain’s honest and bittersweet. Watch both below, or read them here and here.

Today’s cartoons

Sometimes, a picture – or an editorial cartoon – is worth a thousand words. Trudeau, Oliphant, and Danziger are pitch perfect.