And How Did You Spend YOUR Day?
“Obama spent part of Thursday in Chicago making calls to world leaders.
The Who2 Blog
‘A Disastrous Marriage Drove Emily Post to Etiquette’
So says a new biography of politeness pro Emily Post.
Happy 21st Birthday, Kevin Jonas
We missed it yesterday amongst the election hoopla: Kevin Jonas, of the teen band the Jonas Brothers, has turned 21.He’s now the only Jonas brother who can legally go out for a Flaming Dr. Pepper after a show. Not that he would, of course.
Obituary First Lines: Michael Crichton
A sampling of opening lines about the celebrated author:”Michael Crichton, who died on Tuesday at the age of 66, was like a character in a Michael Crichton novel.” -The New York Times”The gone-haywire theme parks of Jurassic Park and Westworld. The breakneck medical decisions of ER. The storm chasers of Twister.
Yikes! Author Michael Crichton Dead at 66
Startling but true: Michael Crichton has died of cancer. “Unexpectedly,” says The Hollywood Reporter, putting it mildly.
A Goldendoodle for First Dog?
If Malia gets her wish.(Update: Seems everyone wants in on the pooch selection committee.)
President Barack Obama By the Numbers
Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States. Here’s a by-the-numbers look ahead at this historic event.{ 1 } Obama will be the first president born in Hawaii. (Small surprise: Hawaii didn’t become a state until 1959. Obama was born in 1961.) { 77 } Days until Obama’s inauguration on 20 January 2009.
Barack Obama Will Be the 44th President of the United States
All national networks are now reporting that Barack Obama has defeated John McCain and will be the next president of the United States.[Update: Here’s the transcript of his speech.]
Happy Birthday, Mrs. Bush
Election Day also happens to be the birthday of Laura Bush. She’s 62 on this, her final birthday as First Lady.Mrs. Bush shares a birth year with Patty Duke, Dolly Parton and Gilda Radner.
Where to Vote
Google Maps has a swell tool to help you find your polling place today.They’ll also tell you if state law permits you time off to vote. (Wyoming residents get one paid hour; Kentuckians get four!)
Obama’s Grandmother Dies
Barack Obama’s grandmother has died of cancer in Hawaii. Madelyn Dunham was 86. Details from The Honolulu Advertiser and The Chicago Tribune.
Dewey Defeats Truman!
Polls continue to show a sizable lead for Barack Obama over John McCain. Now pundits are wondering about a replay of the “Dewey defeats Truman” scenario from 1948. For those unfamiliar, here’s a quick recap of that swell old story.
‘Electoral Projections Done Right’
FiveThirtyEight.com has already been widely covered this election season. But in case you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a look in this final pre-election weekend.The site aggregates national political polls, with further analysis and commentary by Nate Silver. He’s an analyst for the stats-crunching site Baseball Prospectus, and he applies those same skills to competing polls.
109-Year-Old Daughter of a Slave Votes for Obama
Quite a story from the Austin American-Statesman.”Jones’ father herded sheep as a slave until he was 12, according to the family… Jones says she cast her first presidential vote for Franklin Roosevelt, but she doesn’t recall which of his four terms that was. When she did vote, she paid a poll tax, her daughters said.”And yes, she says she’s voting Obama.
I Once Knew a Man With an Amputated Leg Named Geraldine
Porter’s legs were crushed by a horse in a riding accident in 1937. He named his injured legs “Josephine” (left) and “Geraldine” (right), and for the rest of his life got around with canes and braces. His right leg, Geraldine, was amputated in 1958.From our new profile of songwriter Cole Porter.
George W. Bush In (Silly) Pictures
Britain’s Daily Telegraph has a funny slide show of George W. Bush looking silly.Perhaps The Telegraph has forgotten that they endorsed him four years ago.
Cheery Old Crime-Infested Chekhov
We’ve been reading A Night in the Cemetery, and Other Stories of Crime and Suspense by the great Anton Chekhov… whom we didn’t know until just this minute wrote crime and suspense stories.
Alaska Senator Ted Stevens Found Guilty
“The verdict throws the upcoming election into disarray. Stevens… must now either drop out or continue campaigning as a convicted felon.”More coverage from the Anchorage Daily News.
Happy 150th Birthday, Teddy Roosevelt
President Teddy Roosevelt was born this day in 1858.TR is part of an exclusive Who2 loop: Presidents Who Slugged Someone. Here’s a snippet:
Tony Hillerman, Author of Native American Mysteries, Dead at 83
The NY Times:”Mr. Hillerman’s evocative novels, which describe people struggling to maintain ancient traditions in the modern world, touched millions of readers, who made them best sellers. But although the themes of his books were not overtly political, he wrote with a purpose, he often said, and that purpose was to instill in his readers a respect for Indian culture…”