From McSweeney's: An Electoral-College breakdown for my French in-laws that meets all their preconceptions.

I'm trying to decide if his description of Florida or Ohio is more apt, but they did call Laura, Tep and Cash to mind.

Not that I know who John Yoo is.

Torture Memo guy, unless I'm thinking of a different Yoo altogether.

Aaaaand I'm tearing up again:

South Carolina proved Obama could make a stand in the South. I live in Charleston, S.C., and his win in the state's primary really made a difference to people - both black and white. Several days before the primary, my cab driver told me he was going to vote for Obama but he didn't believe a black man could win against a white man or woman. I called him after the election to see if he voted. With pride in his voice he said, "I did and I took my kid with me and the next day I told him he was right. He could be anything he wanted to be someday, even President."

There are plenty of things I won't agree with Obama on and I think a lot of people are in for some disappointment when they start seeing those things. But he won't be calling us anti-american for it. And he'll try and find the common ground.

I'm also hoping he can unite the party a bit. Rahm Emanuel's hate-on for Howard Dean distresses me. I'll be interested to see how/if Obama reaches out to Dean (who's 50 state strategy has worked twice now). If he can get them to play nice with each other it could do the Democrats a lot of good. The GOP is pretty splintered at the moment, this would be a very good time for the Democrats to put their differences aside.

I'm finding myself weirdly fascinated by the Obamas. It's like I have a crush on the whole damn family.

Me, too. They are just so darned adorable - every one of them.

Obama parenting slide show.

Fascinating article on an ex-missionary turned linguist who's taking on Chomsky's theory or universal language.

Oooh, there's an "Obama Daily community on LJ!

Rahm Emanuel's hate-on for Howard Dean distresses me. I'll be interested to see how/if Obama reaches out to Dean (who's 50 state strategy has worked twice now).

Dean is stepping down as chairman of the DNC.

The older Obama daughter (Malia?) is really beautiful.

Thanks for the help tracking my father through the wilds of World War II. Boy, I wish I'd grabbed his collection of swizzle sticks from bars in New York.

you can shoot me an email with the info you know

When I get home to all the stats, I'll send you a copy

Folks who are looking for WW2 records

CaBil, I will be happy to send a copy to you as well.

Oh, man. Getting woken up by a ringing phone while in the middle of a horrific zombie dream is really not the way to start the morning.