Strollerderby : the obamas are a great first family

FOURTH Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

Brett Singer — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:30:00 GMT

UPDATE 4: Yes, Virginia, Marvel did a fourth printing of Amazing Spider-Man #583. Amazing, really. To paraphrase Mary Jane Watson (no longer Parker, now that they retconned away her marriage to Peter), "Tiger, Marvel just hit the jackpot." The latest printing is now available in comic shops. (Tip: don't overpay for this thing on eBay; 4th printings are rarely, if ever, worth anything. Neither are second or thirds, frankly.)

Another thought on my kid and this comic -- he definitely wanted it, and he doesn't read the regular Spidey series. (Despite the fact that they dumbed it down when they rebooted the book, Amazing Spider-Man is still not for kids; he reads the Marvel Adventures version, however.) I think he was just curious to have it because it had Obama on the cover, and had Obama in an actual story. I would say that this proves that even kids are fascinated by our new prez, but up until now that wasn't the case for my son. While I think part of his interest of course stems from the fact that the President is in a Spider-Man comic book, I'm wondering if part of it is simply the fact that a real person showed up in the pages of a comic book. I doubt another famous person would generate the same level of excitement that Barack did but maybe Marvel should try this with other people. It's not unprecedented -- Superman fought Muhammad Ali, for example. That was REALLY gimmicky but so was the Obama/Spidey meeting.

So: Rush Limbaugh working with J. Jonah Jameson to expose Spiderman as a dirty rotten liberal? Captain Chesley of US Airways Flight 1549 fame (the one that he landed in the water) shows superheroes a thing or two about being a hero without powers? I've read worse comics, believe me. Anyone with other ideas, let us know in the comments.

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UPDATE 3: Demand for even the second printing of Amazing Spider-Man #583 was so high that Marvel is going back to press for a THIRD PRINTING of the comic book. For those of you who don't know much about comic book collecting, the third printing is rarely worth much money in the long run. (Neither is the second printing, actually.) In this case, people seem to just want this book. Because it has Obama on the cover. And inside, actually.

If anyone is curious, the 8-page story is mildly amusing and fine for kids to read. (Yes, I bought it. I even bought a second printing to give to my son. The first printing I'm saving. Yes. I'm nerdy. WhatEVER.) The main part of the book, which is part of this revamped, rebooted "Brand New Day" Spider-Man storyline, is really dumb and should not be read by anyone. Is it kid-friendly? Not really. There's nothing all that inappropriate, but it's all about Betty Brant and whether or not she really likes Peter Parker as more than a friend, and whether she sold out her principles by working at the new Daily Bugle, which is now called the DB! (yes, with the exclamation point)... I'm getting sleepy just typing this, it's so dull. So get the book for the kids if they want it, and tell them to skip to the back where the Obama story is. Trust me. That's the best part.

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UPDATE 2: This comic is sold out at MidtownComics.com, although there's a chance you can still get one if you go to the store. I already reserved my copy, so nyah-nyah. There will be a reprint. You're shocked, I know.

Original posts are below.

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UPDATE: here's a new image from the Spider-Man story that will feature an appearance by Barack Obama.

Via Marvel.com, which features an interview with Spider-Man editor Steve Wacker.

Original post, with an update about what my son said about this comic, follows below:

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Marvel Comics will release a special story featuring President-elect Barack Obama and everyone's favorite arachnid-powered superhero. (That's Spider-Man, in case you didn't know.)

According to Huffington Post, "The comic starts with Spider-Man's alter-ego Peter Parker taking photographs at the inauguration, before spotting two identical Obamas. Parker decides 'the future president's gonna need Spider-Man,' and springs into action, using basketball to determine the real Obama and punching out the impostor. Obama thanks him with a fist-bump." Wow. Daring.

Earlier this year, both Obama and John McCain were the subject of biographies in comic book form (reviewed by yours truly right here). And Harry S. Truman published a propaganda-style graphical rendition of his life back in 1948. Neither of those funny books featured anyone with super-powers, however.

Barack Obama's enjoyment of comics has been mentioned before. In the announcement, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada referred to the incoming President as the "nerd in chief", and said that the story was Marvel's way of giving him a "shout-out back". With all due respect to Joe, I don't think Mr. Obama was offering up a "shout-out" when it was revealed that he used to collect comic books and that Spider-Man was his favorite character, but who knows.

In further proof of his potential nerdiness, Obama joked at the Al Smith dinner that was actually sent here from the planet Krypton by his father Jor-El to "save the planet Earth."

(Jor-El is Superman's father, and Krypton is the planet that he came from. I'm not going to bother with a link, since if you needed me to explain that to you, you don't really want to know. That's OK, by the way. Just saying.)

I think it's fine that the incoming President is going to appear in a comic book, even if comics aren't as important to kids as they used to be. Kids are still into superheroes, but there is much more competition for their time then there was when I was young(er).

While this comic could be pitched as a way to get kids interested in current events, it's really a collectible that will be snatched up by adults, who will place it in a mylar bag with an acid-free backing board and hope that it goes up in value someday. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. I'll be buying a copy just to put it in a bag, since "Spider-Man" is unreadable after they wiped out 20 years of continuity via a ridiculous bit of retconning where Peter Parker's marriage to Mary Jane no longer existed and he never revealed his secret identity. (Again, if you don't already know what I'm talking about, you probably don't want to.) But it would be cooler if there were a kid-friendly book that featured the President-elect. Maybe something that actually discussed how government worked. "Mr. Spidey Goes To Washington." They could even do both. Since I buy comics for my son every week (and yes, for myself as well; you got a problem with that?), I wouldn't mind a book that addressed what was going on in the world – in a fun way – sneaking into the weekly stack.

HuffPo says, "The Obama story is a bonus in Marvel Comic's Amazing Spider-Man #583, available in comic book shops nationwide on Jan. 14 for $3.99." It'll sell out, since kooks like me will buy it even if they don't want to read it. But if you get to your local comic shop early enough, you can probably snag a copy.

UPDATE: So my son comes home and tells me that he heard there was going to be a comic book with Barack Obama and Spider-Man. Could I please get it for him? What I said about kids not caring so much about comics, particularly this one, was clearly incorrect. I think this time that's a good thing.

Source: HuffPo

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

They Say – Raise Kids Who Care

Working Parents Smackdown Part 2 – Dads With Jobs vs Moms With Jobs

Doing Homework On Lincoln's Desk

Brett Singer — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:00:00 GMT

There are many important questions our new President must face. But one of them is not in dispute – which First Daughter will get Lincoln's desk.

That would be Malia, who cheekily called dibs on the 16th President's writing surface back in November (after her dad won, of course). She told Poppa Obama that she wanted to sit there when she had a paper to write for school, "because I'm thinking that will inspire big thoughts."

Lest you think this plan was forgotten in the Inaugural hoopla, the New York Times confirmed it in a front-page article on January 20th:

Where in the White House is Malia likely to gather her thoughts when she has a tough school assignment? (At Lincoln’s desk where he penned the Gettysburg Address.)

No word on where Sasha will sit and gather her thoughts. Me, I did it at the kitchen table. Come to think of it, I still do sometimes.

Source: NY Times, ABC

Image Source

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

VIDEO-Obama Kids Say DC Schools Are Wimpy

Parents Ripped Off On Inauguration Trip?

VIDEO-Obama Bet Daughter She Will Freak When She Meets Nick Jonas

Brett Singer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 20:00:00 GMT

I'm going to say it again. Are you ready? Are you sitting down? I hope so. Here we go:

President Obama seems like a good dad.

I know. Earth-shaking stuff, that. I'm not sure why I'm so fascinated by our new President's fatherly behavior, but I am. One reason is that there seem to be many examples of said behavior available for public consumption.

Here's the latest one: Malia said that she would be calm and collected when meeting her crush, Nick Jonas. So Dad bet his daughter five dollars that she would not, in fact, be so calm and cool. Talking about the girls meeting their fave music act, the Prez says:

"That's big! Don't tell them at all. Particularly because I've got a bet with Malia because she's been talking about when she sees her Jonas Brother favorite ... what's his name? Nick ... when she sees Nick, she's going to be all sophisticated. And I said, 'Malia, I will bet you $5 that you will stammer and not have anything to say when you see Nick.' So she's all, 'No, no, I'm sure I'll say I'm a really big fan...' you know Malia, acting all sophisticated... 'and I really enjoy his music'. I said, you won't say that!...So we've got a $5 bet…I won't really take her money."

Here's video of the President telling someone this story:

So what's the big deal? First, it seems like he has a nice relationship with his daughters. A little friendly teasing goes a long way. Second, he knows who the Jonas Brothers are, but he doesn't know too much about them. Not knowing which one she has a crush on is a good thing in my opinion. So he's involved enough in his daughter's interests, but not TOO involved. Third, he's comfortable saying that he made a "bet" with her without worrying that someone will think he's promoting gambling. To me, that speak to a certain confidence that some politicians lack. Granted, this video was released well after the election was won but I imagine that there are a lot of pols who would never allow something this candid to be aired.

So much for that normal life thing, though. Most girls don't get to meet their rock star crushes in person.

No word on whether he knows the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin. If not, I'm sure Sasha and Malia will clue him in.

Source: HuffPo

Read more:

Sasha and Malia See Hogwarts with Harry

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

VIDEO-Obama Kids Say DC Schools Are Wimpy

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

VIDEO-Obama Kids Say DC Schools Are Wimpy

Brett Singer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:30:00 GMT

That's not exactly what they said… well, actually it kind of is. And as a New York parent (formerly a New York kid) I think I even agree. (In a joking way, of course. More on that later.)

The President, during a light-hearted moment at a meeting with business leaders the other day (this was before he spoke out against Wall Street bonuses; I doubt the mood would have been so cordial if it was after that), made a comment about Sasha and Malia's school being closed:

"As my children pointed out, in Chicago school is never canceled. In fact my seven-year-old pointed out that you'd go outside for recess. You wouldn't even stay indoors. So, it's--I don't know, we're going to have to try to apply some flinty Chicago toughness."

In one of my first posts for Babble almost a year ago, I wondered if my children would ever have a snow day. The answer, sadly (sad for them, good for me), is that they may never experience the joy of "NO SCHOOL TODAY!" But while part of the reason could be global warming related, some of it is just that New York schools rarely close for weather.

Note: obviously, I don't really think that DC schools are wimpy, and I don't think the President does either. The President's comments were not warmly received by many in the DC area, but I really think he was making a joke. (Kind of like me saying "warmly" received. Get it? G'night, ladies and germs.) And of course it snows a lot more in other parts of New York State.

Also: I hate to keep repeating myself, but I'm still impressed at how at ease Obama seems to be, and how much like a "regular dad" he is. Granted, if his kids have to stay home from school, he's not the one who has to hang out and play board games with them. But he's not exactly removed from the situation either. He appears to be a parent who is involved with his kids. I like that.

Aside: what's the over-under on how many comments are left before someone posts something about Obama's birth certificate? One? Two?

Source: Politico

Paging NY State Education: It Snows There

Babble Podcast for January 26, 2009 (now with a working player)

VIDEO: O'Reilly Upset About Two Year Old Bashing Bush

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Parents Ripped Off On Inauguration Trip?

Brett Singer — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

It wasn't all fun and games (and hope – let's not forget hope) at the Inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009.

Congressional Youth Leadership Council organized trips to our nation's capitol for 15,000 students at a rate of $2500 for five-days. 1,000 of those students were from New Jersey, and some of their parents are mighty peeved that their young'uns didn't get a good view of all the Obama-mania.

According to New Jersey's Daily Record, parents are claiming that the students missed out on "many of the historic events," including the swearing-in ceremony. That was kind of a big one. I mean, if you had miss something, that wouldn't be my choice.

The company says that most of the attendees had "a positive experience." Whenever I hear that line, I always have to wonder if that means they just didn't complain.

For now, this all falls under the category of "allegedly." New Jersey's Consumer Affairs Division is investigating.

If the kids did miss the ceremony, it might not have been the company's fault. The New York Times reports that a lot of ticket holders were " abandoned by event organizers as they stood crowded, frustrated and cold in what some referred to as the Purple Tunnel of Doom," thus missing the chance to see Chief Justice Roberts show that he has difficulty reading. (Kidding. Sort of.) The name "Purple Tunnel of Doom" is a bit dramatic (ya think?) but I'd be annoyed too if I came to D.C. to see history being made and ended up standing in a tunnel. (I don't think I'd start a Facebook group, though.)

Maybe four years from now they'll just hit the Lego Inauguration. Cheaper, and probably smaller crowds.

Source: Daily Record

Image: foreignpolicy.com

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

Crafty: President Obama, Cube Style

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Bronx Students Question Obama Through Poetry

Brett Singer — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:16:00 GMT

It's one thing when Rush Limbaugh attacks the idea that Obama is going to bring "change" to our country. Of course Limbaugh doesn't want change – as far as he's concerned, everything is fine. But it's a little different when high school students from the Bronx wonder whether or not our new President is really going to be all that different from those who held the office before he did.

These kids are a little bit older than those we usually talk about on Babble, but this video kept my attention from beginning to end. The poetry the students recite is pretty raw; to put it mildly, this isn't exactly Robert Frost territory:

Calling Mr. Obama, Calling Mr. Obama
Please Mr. President
Come In
…
Do you understand where I'm coming from Mr. President?

When one student says this in an interview:

"Just because your skin is dark doesn't mean your morality, your ethics are different from any other person."

That got to me. It's not cynicism, it's reality. When life isn't good, and everyone is talking about "change" this and "change" that, it's not unreasonable to wonder whether or not the problems in your life are going to get some of that "change." Combine that feeling with the general angst of being a teenager, and you get some pretty strong words.

The video isn't embeddable, so click here to watch it. If nothing else, it's certainly a different perspective on Obama's election.

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Kids to Obama: Read Books, Eat More Ice Cream

It's Official: White House To House First Grandmother

Morning News – Drunken Jokers With Bionic Limbs And Flying Cars

Brett Singer — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Happy Friday, everyone!

Comments on yesterday's Morning News got pretty heated. I considered doing nothing but stories about puppies, rainbows and sunshine today, but decided that was no fun. And as it turns out, the "Crossfire"-esque commenting has morphed into an interesting back and forth between persons of differing political persuasions. Thank you to everyone from both sides of the aisle who weighed in; check out the debate here.

Diane Sawyer appeared to be drunk during the Inauguration coverage on ABC. Was she celebrating Obama's victory? Is she a McCain voter trying to forget? No one knows. While it's not completely certain that she was nipping at the sauce, this video makes a darn good case for it.

Caroline Kennedy (Schlossberg) did indeed bail on her quest to be a Senator without the hassle of actually winning an election. The New York Times is reporting that "Problems involving taxes and a household employee" were uncovered during the vetting process, so she bowed out. Whenever information like this is "suddenly" discovered, I always wonder how it is that nobody knew about it until it was too late. As in, Ms. Kennedy (Schlossberg) must have known that she had a tax issue, right? Also, it's still unclear if New York Governor David Paterson would have picked Kennedy (Schlossberg) or not. Um, it kind of doesn't matter anymore, folks. Let it go. Paterson will reportedly announce his choice today; convention wisdom says Andrew "HUD? What's a HUD?" Cuomo will get Hillary Clinton's old seat. (Hillary is now officially Secretary of State, by the way – she started work yesterday.) UPDATE: I was wrong, wrong, wrong -- the Times is reporting that Governor Paterson has selected Kirsten Gillibrand as Hillary Clinton's replacement in the Senate. Ms. Gillibrand is a congresswoman from upstate NY who is mother to two young children and has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, according to the Times. I'm mentioning the mom thing because this is a parenting web site, and the NRA endorsement because that makes her a potentially controversial choice, since most Democrats aren't big NRA folks. (Gillibrand's official bio page is getting jammed with web traffic, but here's Google's cached version.)

Interesting tidbit about the Roberts Oath Flub (Flubgate, anyone?) – a certain Senator Barack Obama voted against the Chief Justice's confirmation in 2005.

In business news, the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the "conflicting reports" regarding Steve Jobs health. First he said he wasn't that sick, then he said he was leaving for six months, blah blah blah. Personally, I thought "hormone imbalance" sounded pretty serious when it was first announced. If only the SEC had been equally diligent about Bernie Madoff, poor Kevin Bacon wouldn't be reading the script for "Footloose 2". (I'm only joking about "Footloose 2." I hope. Kevin is looking for work though, so if you hear of anything, give him a ring.)

A very cool medical story from England: 19-year-old British college student Evan Reynolds now has a bionic hand. Reynolds lost his appendage three years ago, and can operate his new prosthetic limb by thought. ''It's so sensitive I can grip a bottle of water or a paper cup without crushing it and even swing a racket," he says. ''All I have to do is imagine picking something up or gripping it and the fingers and thumb move automatically." Like I said: very cool.

Oh, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 81st Academy Awards. Some were surprised that Heath Ledger got a Best Supporting Actor nod for his performance as The Joker in "The Dark Knight", but the real surprise to me was Robert Downey Jr.'s nomination for "Tropic Thunder." Not only is it a comedy, it was also a controversial one as I recall (that whole "retard" thing). Personally, I think Ledger will win. If he does, it won't be undeserved -- he gave an incredible performance. Brad Brevet says that Kate Winslet's nomination for "The Reader" is "fishy"; I admit that I couldn't read the full post, which actually quotes Academy voting rules. I was surprised that Clint Eastwood didn't get some love for "Gran Torino," but hey, you can't win 'em all.

The mother who named one of her children Adolf Hitler wants her kids back. "The parents insist they're not racists and want only to honor the heritage of the Third Reich," says the Daily News. What can one say to that?

Finally, someone has actually made a flying car! Terrafugia, the company that makes the vehicle (called the "Transition") calls it a "roadable aircraft," which doesn't exactly trip off the tongue. It goes 500 miles on a full tank of regular unleaded gasoline, and features folding wings. Bottom line: IT IS A CAR THAT FLIES. It also costs $194,000 and probably requires a good-sized garage with access to a ready supply of fuel. So it's not exactly ready for mass consumption. However, IT IS A CAR THAT FLIES. Did I mention that?

Have a great weekend!

Image: Times Online

(Late) Morning News: Finally!

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Live Inaugural Tweets From A Working Mom, And Video

A Prom? At the White House? Awesome!

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Brett Singer — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Here's a good one. Ty Inc., maker of the once-insanely popular Beanie Babies, has introduced two new Beanies – Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia.

The good part? The company claims it's just a coincidence. Company spokeswoman Tania Lundeen says the names were chosen because they are "beautiful," according to US Weekly.

Do you buy it? I don't. A commenter on USWeekly.com points out that the dolls don't look much like the First Daughters. But no one ever mistook a Beanie Penguin for a real-life fish-eating bird that can't fly.

The dolls were released this month to retailers; I'm sure the timing was also just a coincidence. Supplies are limited, so if you see 'em, BUY BUY BUY. They could be worth more than the Obama/Spider-man comic book.

UPDATE: Mama Obama is none too happy about the dolls.

Source: US Weekly

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Michelle Obama Objects to Sasha and Malia Dolls

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Babies Understand Presidential Material

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Brett Singer — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Hello and welcome to Morning News! I'll be your Morning Newsperson for today, and possibly for tomorrow as well. Madeline will return after that.

I don't know if you heard anything about it, but we had one of those peaceful transfers of power on Tuesday. We do it every four years whether we want to or not. This time around there was a tad more pomp and circumstance, with 10 Inaugural Balls. I only saw the Neighborhood Ball, where Jay-Z had the most powerful performance of the night; Sting also sang well but looked like he slept in an alley. Note to Gordon Sumner: if you are performing at a public event of this magnitude, at least TRIM the beard, 'k?

Adorable first daughters Sasha and Malia spent the big night watching "High School Musical 3" and getting a scavenger hunt-tour of the White House; the final clue led them to the real-life Jonas Brothers, who were hiding in a closet. So much for that normal childhood thing. Today it's back to school for both; they were allowed to sleep in on Wednesday.

President Obama did not take the day of and got right to work on Wednesday, signing executive orders to close Guantánamo Bay "within a year", and also putting a freeze on salaries for many White House aides. Smart move -- in this economy, he's not likely to lose anyone to the private sector.

Speaking of the economy, the financial markets ended the day up slightly after a big drop on Inauguration Day. Some say this is because "the market" doesn't like our new President, others blame "macro forces", and use big scary finance words that I don't fully understand. Bottom line: the economy still sucks, and it's going to take time for it to recover.

Folks who thought Sarah Palin would shrink from view after the election were wrong, wrong, wrong. The AP has an article about how the Alaska Governor would like some privacy for her children and the L.A. Times reports on a new energy plan she is proposing in the Alaska State legislature. Bonus: if you read the comments you will see that Palin still has plenty of supporters out there. Palin 2012, anyone?

In other political news, Caroline Kennedy may or may not have withdrawn from the race to replace Hillary Clinton as the junior Senator from New York. (Is it a race if its just one guy deciding who wins?) The New York Post (an ultra-conservative tabloid owned Rupert "Fox News" Murdoch) is reporting that Kennedy (what happened to "Kennedy Schlossberg?") pulled herself out of the running because she heard that New York Governor David "SNL Hasn't Been Funny Since John Belushi Left" Paterson was going to pick someone else. BUT the New York Daily News (a less conservative tabloid owned by Mort "I Gave My Money to Bernie Madoff and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt" Zuckerman) is reporting that sources close to Caroline whose last names are also Kennedy say that she hasn't dropped out at all. UPDATE: NY1 is reporting that it is indeed official -- Caroline Kennedy will not take Hillary Clinton's place in the Senate. Whether or not she will start using the last name "Schlossberg" again has not been determined. In the words of the great Kent Brockman, only time will tell.

Glenn Harlan Reynolds writes in the Wall Street Journal that he appreciates the "tone" our newly minted President has displayed; Reynolds says that by "reaching out to conservative columnists, and by going out of his way to say that he thinks George W. Bush is 'a good man,' Mr. Obama has made some efforts to transcend the nastiness that has emanated from much of the Democratic Party over the past eight years." Hey, if Obama can be gracious about Chief Justice Roberts messing up the Oath of Office, I think he can be kind to just about anyone. (The President re-took the Oath, by the way. Can't be too careful these days.)

Speaking of nastiness, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh isn't hopping on the Peace Train. He says that he has four words to describe how he feels about the leader of the free world: "I hope he fails." No really, that's what he said. Listen in:

And just to get away from politics and all things Inaugural, we leave you with this: French officials are investigating a possible scam by a woman in Paris who was selling "magic cheese" that she claimed could be used as cosmetics. Those French. Always good for a laugh.

Read more:

(Late) Morning News: Finally!

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Live Inaugural Tweets From A Working Mom, And Video

A Prom? At the White House? Awesome!

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Brett Singer — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:00:00 GMT

One of the things I've grown to like about the Obamas is that I find them relatable as a family. Barack and Michelle take the kids to school in the morning. They appear to be involved in their daughter's lives in a positive way. The girls give their dad a hard time. It's very sweet.

Adding to their overall normalness, Sasha and Malia got bored at the HBO Concert on Sunday. From NYMag.com:

"…while our president-elect, seated stage right, showed steely resolve by nodding and singing along through even the most terrible performances, heroes Sasha and Malia Obama bravely broadcast their non-enjoyment by looking completely bored (Malia) or falling asleep on their mom's lap (Sasha)."

New York Magazine even calls the First Daughters "America’s Adorable New Statler and Waldorf." Cute.

In other Sasha and Malia at the HBO Concert news:

- Sasha was seen "squirming and then having a chat with Michelle before they both disappeared for the duration of John Mellencamp’s 'Ain’t That America.' We’re guessing potty break." (It also doesn't appear to be a song that she cares too much about, although both are reportedly "big fans of Beyoncé, Usher, and Kal Penn.")
- Denzel Washington waved to the girls after his speech.
- "Michelle tried unsuccessfully to get Malia and Sasha to sing along" to Garth Brooks’s censored rendition of "American Pie" ("good ol' boys SINGING whiskey and rye"? I don't think so.) NYMag says, "Think it’s a little before their time?" Maybe, but my 3 year old knows that tune.

Anyway, for the moment, I can't get enough of these two kids. It'll fade but let's enjoy it for now.

Source: NYMag (1, 2)

Inauguration Coverage Information

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Sasha & Malia Had Their Own Ball on Inauguration Night

Live Inaugural Tweets From A Working Mom, And Video

Brett Singer — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:22:00 GMT

I wrote about this already but I'm following the stream now while I watch the coverage on television so I thought I'd point it out again.

JuJu Chang from ABC News is posting tweets (is it "tweeting"? If you know, tell me. I feel old.) live from the Capitol. It's fun to get a perspective from someone on the ground. For example:

people r standing on newspapers or cardboard to keep their feet warm in the crowd

It gives a personal touch, adding a nice element to the proceedings. Plus you can check out the tweets periodically, or just watch the TV coverage and then catch up when its all over. You can also read blog posts from JuJu Chang at ABC.com.

I'm tweeting (man, does that need a new term - can I say "twittering"?) while I watch, but I'm just in my living room, which is inherently less interesting.

UPDATE: here's a video report from the Mall:

If anyone wants to share their feelings about this while they watch, please do. We'd love to hear from you.

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Kids to Obama: Read Books, Eat More Ice Cream

Morning News: Bush Says "We had fun!"

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Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Brett Singer — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:00:00 GMT

This is cute.

Legoland California (the Lego theme park) has created a full Lego version of the Inauguration Ceremonies, complete with Lego versions of various folks, including outgoing President George W. Bush and his wife Laura, the Cheneys, and of course, Barack and Michelle Obama.

Here's a video featuring spectator reactions and a British reporter using the word "loo":

And SFWeekly.com has a nice slideshow of images, including this one, which depicts the swearing-in ceremony:

And the lines for "The dreaded inauguration Porta Potties." (All Porta Potties fall into the "dreaded" category as far as I'm concerned.)

One more: Lego Aretha Franklin, who appears to have a large, um, Lego chest:

As the blog Feministe puts it -- "All hail the Lego-in-Chief!"

You can get information about the real-life Inauguration here.

Source: LA Times, Feministe, SFWeekly

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Inauguration Coverage Information

Brett Singer — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:48:00 GMT

Like most people (except for maybe Ann Coulter) I plan to watch the Inauguration tomorrow (or today, depending on when you are reading this). The thing is, I don't feel like watching the build-up. (Think of it like the Super Bowl – the game is more important than the people talking about the game for hours on end. The Inauguration is more important, of course, although Arizona Cardinals fans might disagree. But I digress.) I realized that I didn't know exactly what time the swearing-in ceremony was. It wasn't too tough to find, but I wanted to share the information with our readers, along with a couple of other tidbits that I thought you might find interesting.

Anyway, whether you are keeping the kids home to watch the ceremony or if you are at work and they are at school, I thought it would be helpful to provide a quick roundup of the event and also tell you what time Barack Hussein Obama (that's his official Presidential name, not a political commentary – I actually kind of like saying it now that he's won) will be sworn in using the Lincoln Bible.

1. What Time Is The Swearing In Ceremony?
If you only want to see the Big Event, it is scheduled for 11:30am. I would suggest leaving the TV on in case it starts a little later than that, but according to pic2009.org, the swearing-in starts at 11:30am. Before the President-elect becomes the President there will be musical performances by The United States Marine Band, Aretha Franklin, and the Boys and Girls Choruses of San Francisco. Biden gets sworn in as Veep, and then Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma Gabriela Montero and Anthony McGill will play music by John Williams. (I don't think they will play the Star Wars theme, but that would be fun.) THEN Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. will make it official using Lincoln's Bible from 1861.

2. Can people bring strollers to the ceremony?
To coin a phrase – No You Can't. Strollers are actually the only item that relates to babies and/or children that is on the Prohibited list. Personally, I can't imagine going anywhere near the Capitol tomorrow, but I don't even like parades. Bringing little kids there would make me very nervous, but you won't be alone if you do decide to bring the kinderfolk – there are reportedly quite a lot of families and children making the trip. Also worth noting: cameras are fine, but tripods and camera bags are not.

3. The Inaugural Poet Is a Mom
Elizabeth Alexander will read an Inaugural Poem. In December, she was asked how she planned to avoid having her text blow away in the wind, something that happened to Robert Frost, the first Inaugural Poet, at John F. Kennedy's 1961 Inauguration. (According to the Times, the poem was "awful" – "Summoning artists to participate / In the august occasions of the state / Seems something artists ought to celebrate".) Frost's work, "Dedication", was written on a piece of paper that literally blew away, so the poet had to go with "Gift Outright." Anyway, when asked what she planned to do, Ms. Alexander said, "I am going to have many copies of the poem tucked away. I really am. In a boot. I’m serious. I will have backups. I’m a mom." That made me smile. (Source: NY Times)

4. Inauguration Coverage From a Working Mother
ABC News Correspondent JuJu Chang is blogging about her experience covering the Inauguration and various balls at JuJu Juggles. Updates are also being posted (or "tweeted", as the kids like to say) at twitter.com/jujujuggles, where I found out that outgoing Vice President Cheney hurt his back moving boxes and will attend the ceremonies in a wheelchair. (Why was he moving his own boxes?) JuJu is also a mom, and on the blog you get to see her very cute son helping her pack. You can read more about JuJu at TVNewser.

So there you have it – a little info about the events and some mom-related angles as well. Despite what some commenters said at this post, I am excited about Obama's election and do feel that this is a historic occasion. I'm not keeping my kids home from school, but if you choose to do so, have fun. Wherever you are, make sure you're watching TV at 11:30am. That's when the real history will be made.

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Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Brett Singer — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:16:00 GMT

ParentDish spoke to Linda Ellerbee of Nick News about this Tuesday's swearing in of President Barack Obama. (You may have heard of it. It was in all the papers.) Ellerbee tells AOL's parenting hub that parents should, "Keep the kids home from school, spread out some yummies and settle in to watch the peaceful transfer of power from one opposing party to another… Missing school to stay home and watch the parades and the swearing in is just as good or better than any history or civics lesson your kids might get in the classroom that day."

Man, do I disagree with that.

I have nothing but respect for Linda Ellerbee. She's a cancer survivor, and as far as I know has done some good in this world with her news programs aimed at children. But on this one, I think she's completely wrong.

First of all, a lot of schools are going to broadcast the Inauguration ceremonies during the school day. Some parents are keeping their kids home from school because of this. I don't agree with that either, but I understand it.

Why? What's wrong with letting kids watch the Inauguration? Ellberbee says families should treat "the event like the Fourth of July. It is, after all, just as significant."

Except that I don't think kids would be watching the Inauguration at school if John McCain had won.

There is, of course, a huge reason why the Inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States is more historically significant than previous Presidential swearing ins. (No, it's not because he's a comic book fan, although that is probably a first.) He's an African-American and that is a very important historical fact. But I don't believe that this is why so many schools are having kids watch the ceremony, and I don't think that's why so many people are traveling to D.C. to experience the event in person. At least, it's not the only reason. Part of it is that "our guy won." Another part of it is that "George W. Bush has been a terrible President."

(I should point out that I agree with both of those statements. I voted for Obama, and will probably do so again in 2012. And the 27 percent of Americans who believe that George Bush has done a good job in his eight years as President must be looking at very different news reports than I am. And by "different", I don't mean Fox News. Even they thought the federal response to Hurricane Katrina was abysmal, whereas Bush recently defended it. But I digress.)

If you regularly keep your kids home from school to watch the Inauguration, I suppose it makes sense to do so now. But I don't know anyone who does this, nor have I heard of anyone who does this. As an example, my mother took me to Opening Day at Yankee Stadium for many years when I was younger. I was the only kid whose mother did that. The school was a little perplexed but they eventually learned to deal with it since it was something my mom did regularly. It didn't matter if the Yankees had just won the World Series or not. We were big fans and wanted to go to the game. As I got older, this stopped happening.

Of course, a new President isn't a baseball game. It's more important. Which is why I think it should be treated with more respect, not less. What kind of message is being sent if you keep your kid home from school to watch television? The younger they are, the more likely it is that they don't fully understand the significance of Obama's election. Should we talk to our kids about how significant this is? Of course. Is there anything wrong with passing your political beliefs on to your children? No way. (Without that, I don't think anyone would ever be a Republican – ah, just kidding. Sort of.) But treating this January 20th as so much more important than any other January 20th is a bad idea.

While I think it's terrific that Barack Obama won, I also think that life goes on. We have no idea what kind of President he will be, and even if we did, we still have to go to work (assuming we aren't one of the millions who have lost our jobs in this economy). And for our children, school is their job. If the school chooses to spend time during the day watching the Inauguration, I suppose that's fine. If you don't think that's fine, you should complain. But keeping them home for that reason is a bad idea as well. It feels too much like pouting.

Another thing – both reasons to keep your children home from school this Tuesday add to the political divisiveness that is becoming a huge problem in this country. Civil discourse is all but gone, especially online, where name-calling, race baiting and anger have taken their place. Why add to that by putting your children on one political side or the other? Admittedly, "keep the kids home to watch the Inauguration" is more positive than "keep them home because I don't want them to feel good about the incoming President." But in both cases the message is "school is less important than who won an election." And while that's true in the big picture, I'm not so sure I want to give my kids another reason to think that school isn't such a big deal.

Ellerbee says that "the swearing in is just as good or better than any history or civics lesson your kids might get in the classroom that day." I hope that isn't true. If so, whatever my kids are learning at school must be pretty lame.

Source: ParentDish

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Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

Brett Singer — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:00:00 GMT

At the end of an item in today's New York Times about the various choices for Presidential dog, there was this cute little family-oriented tidbit:

One family matter that appears to be going well is the Obama girls’ transition to their new school, Sidwell Friends.
“They seemed to thrive,” Mr. Obama said in the interview of their first week at the private school. “I’m trying to figure out why it is that they don’t seem to be fazed by anything.
“People think — you know, folks think I’m cool. They are a lot cooler than I am. They just don’t seem to be intimidated.”

In his case I think the President-elect was using the word cool in a fairly literal way – as in cucumber, cool as a, rather than James Dean cool. (Or even he-likes-comic-books cool.) I know I keep coming back to this idea, but I’m still surprised at how often I feel a connection to Barack Obama as a dad. I can't say that about most famous folks, much less a politician.

Do you think your kids adjust to change better than you do? Are they "cooler"?

Source: NYTimes

Image: NY Daily News

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The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Brett Singer — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Sasha and Malia started school yesterday. Here's a photo:

Not to repeat myself, but the more I see of the Obamas as a family, the more I can relate to them. For me, that's unusual, since I rarely feel an affinity with the insanely rich and/or powerful. I certainly can't recall a time when I felt like I had something in common with a politician, much less a President of the United States.

Am I right? Are the Obamas as "normal" as they seem? By "normal" I don't mean "heterosexual with two kids", I mean "dealing with things that many of us deal with, like young, independent children who go to school." Both parents seem involved, more so than some families I know. It could all be an act, but if it is, it's a really good one, because I’m as cynical as they come and I'm convinced.

Either way, those kids really are cute.

Whether you voted for Obama or not – and I'd be especially curious to hear from anyone who didn't vote Democrat in the recent election – do you like what you see of the Obamas as parents?

Source: NY Daily News

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Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Brett Singer — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:30:00 GMT

On a recent trip to Hawaii, the Obama family "caused a commotion" at a mall.

No! Really? What next? Floor down? Ceiling up?

Reuters describes the event as "a surreal scene -- the president-elect, daughters Malia, 7, and Sasha, 10 and family friends eating at a table at the mall watched by a crowd of onlookers and surrounded by anxious-looking Secret Service agents."

What exactly is surreal about that? Maybe it's surreal for the Obamas, but you might think at this point that they were accustomed to the attention.

The President Elect "wants to maintain some degree of normal life for his daughters. He has also said he fears becoming isolated and losing touch with the world outside the White House 'bubble,'" according to Reuters.

I think this is an admirable idea. It is also, at best, completely unrealistic. How exactly can you call a life spent with multiple bodyguards "normal"? From now on, the Obama family is American royalty. Part of that is just because of the job Dad just got, but part of it is because the entire family has captured the American imagination. I praised Bill and Hillary Clinton for keeping the press away from Chelsea. But this is different. First of all, Chelsea was older, which made it easier to ask for her privacy. Second, it was a different time. As much as the Clinton campaign and administration was heavily televised, it was nothing like it is today. Think about it – there was no YouTube. Cable news was around, but not as prevalent as it is now. And most Americans didn't have Internet access, much less broadband with 24/7 streaming video. And four billion blogs. (Ahem.)

All that is not to say that Barack and Michelle Obama shouldn't do what they can to keep their kids as grounded as they can under the circumstances. But a normal life? Eating at a mall in peace? Come on. Not gonna happen.

Source/Image: Reuters

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The Obamas Are a Great First Family

Brett Singer — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Remember when the Republicans were supposed to be the "family values" party? Personally, I never bought into it, but a lot of people did.

I wonder what those folks had to say when they saw the Obamas take the stage Tuesday night.

This isn't the first time we've had a President with a family, of course. Bill and Hillary Clinton had Chelsea, the Bushes had the twins, the Carters had Amy. According to The Independent, the Obama children, "will be the youngest children in the White House since nine-year-old Amy Carter in 1977."

The paper also says that the girls, "will face intense scrutiny as children of the first black American president." I guess that means that… you know, I don't even want to say what that means. I hope it's not true, although I'm sure it will be.

Watching the family take the stage last night I felt a certain parental kinship that I hadn't experienced with any other politician. Of course some of that is because of timing: I currently have two young children, so do they. Not that we're all in the same situation, of course. But when I first saw this video of Barack and Michelle interacting with their young'uns I have to admit that I felt like I was watching a normal family. By "normal" I mean just a family, any family, not one that is experiencing something so monumental I can only imagine it. The girls were busting mom and dad's chops. Michelle appeared to be in charge. Barack looked uncomfortable talking about clothes. The sisters were trying to one-up each other. There was something familiar about them. Family-familiar. Family-iliar, if I may awkwardly invent a word. (It's all about change, right?)

Obviously being President is not like being a writer, and raising two kids in the White House is not like raising them in Manhattan. (The White House might be easier in some ways.) But somehow I'm finding it much easier to look at the Obamas as a relatable American family, more so than with any past Presidential household. Besides, any man who takes time out of his Presidential acceptance speech to tell his daughters that he loves them, and that they'll be getting a puppy when they move to the White House, is someone I can respect – as a parent.

Does anyone else feel this family-iliar (sorry) connection with the First Family?

image: Chicago Tribune via Morning News

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