Category: Politics

Time’s managing editor, Richard Stengel:

Beyond his mastery of the issues, Obama revealed a more personal note: a slightly rueful sense that the world was tightening around him, that he would no longer be able to take a walk or shop for groceries. He seemed to be girding himself for the loss of being simply a regular citizen.

In addition to a lengthy article and interview, Time.com has some photographs of the President-elect in college and a section devoted to Obama-themed are found on Flickr. It’s a lot of material, but my favorite is a piece by Obama’s brother-in-law, Craig Robinson, about a basketball game with the President-elect.

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CNN:

President Bush made a farewell visit Sunday to Baghdad, Iraq, where he met with Iraqi leaders and was targeted by an angry Iraqi man, who jumped up and threw shoes at Bush during a news conference.

Among Muslims, throwing shoes at someone, or sitting so that the bottom of a shoe faces another person, is considered an insult.

The man was dragged out screaming after throwing the shoes. Bush ducked, and the shoes, thrown one at a time, sailed past his head during the news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in his palace in the heavily fortified Green Zone.

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Rob Enderle is a name in technology circles that most people have a strong reaction to. He’s an IT consultant for companies like Microsoft, Dell, Intel, GM, and Ford.

Enderle has recently been on a writing binge of anti-Apple stories.

Here’s one from TechNewsWorld:

Apple remains financially sound with massive reserves, but many of their products are out of line with these hard financial times, and while they likely do have a netbook coming, it will probably arrive too late to help 2008. On the other hand, Dell suddenly appears better positioned for the hard year ahead, with well-timed netbooks and the most aggressive customization program in the market.

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From Obama’s weekly address:

We will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s. We’ll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways, and we’ll set a simple rule – use it or lose it. If a state doesn’t act quickly to invest in roads and bridges in their communities, they’ll lose the money.

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Today’s news. Stephen Crane:

“A man said to the universe: ‘Sir, I exist!’

‘However,’ replied the universe. ‘The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation.’”

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Ask.com has released a list of the most popular searches for 2008. The number one most asked question of the Internet site:

How do I get pregnant?

Oh my.

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From the NY Daily News:

A Wal-Mart worker died early Friday after an “out-of-control” mob of frenzied shoppers smashed through the Long Island store’s front doors and trampled him, police said.

The Black Friday stampede plunged the Valley Stream outlet into chaos, knocking several employees to the ground and sending others scurrying atop vending machines to avoid the horde.

When the madness ended, 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour was dead and four shoppers, including a woman eight months pregnant, were injured.

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From the NY Times:

It’s a long way from $700 billion, but the media start-up Six Apart is introducing its own economic bailout plan.

The TypePad Journalist Bailout Program offers recently terminated bloggers and journalists a free pro account (worth $150 annually) on the company’s popular blogging platform. In addition to the free yearly membership, the 20 to 30 journalists who are accepted will receive professional tech support, placement on the company’s blog aggregation site, Blogs.com, and automatic enrollment in the company’s advertising revenue-sharing program.

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The New York Times talked with Joe Trippi, a political consultant who ran Howard Dean’s campaign in 2004:

“This medium demands authenticity, and television for the most part demanded fake. Authenticity is something politicians haven’t been used to.”

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Obama’s transition website is up at change.gov:

“The change we need isn’t just about new programs and policies. It’s about a new politics - a politics that calls on our better angels instead of encouraging our worst instincts; one that reminds us of the obligations we have to ourselves and one another.”

Another example of Obama’s great use of the Internet.

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Remember the woman on Ted Steven’s jury who was dismissed because her father died?

A juror who vanished during Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens’ corruption trial told the judge Monday she lied about her father dying and flew to California to see horse races.

She apologized for lying, and then started a long rambling story about horses, which included references to horse breeding, the Breeders’ Cup, drugs, President Ford’s son Steven and her condo in Florida being bugged.

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FakeSarahPalin is calling it quits after Obama’s victory:

It has been fun making you laugh through this election. If you’ve laughed at us and found us funny, do us (and America) a favor: spend the next four years working to make America better. Heed Obama’s call for service. We rarely have opportunities like this, so– let’s take advantage of it.

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