The New York Times has an article about how President-elect Barack Obama may have to give up his Blackberry and emailing in general when he assumes the presidency. I’m sort of hoping they work out the security issues and he can continue to communicate in a way that he finds comfortable. This line also got my attention:

Mr. Obama, however, seems intent on pulling the office at least partly into the 21st century on that score; aides said he hopes to have a laptop computer on his desk in the Oval Office, making him the first American president to do so.

Saul Williams talks about Niggy Tardust , one year later. He seems rather happy about how it turned out (even though Trent Reznor was disheartened by the numbers), but isn’t sure yet how he’ll release his next album.

Saul Williams talks about Niggy Tardust, one year later. He seems rather happy about how it turned out (even though Trent Reznor was disheartened by the numbers), but isn’t sure yet how he’ll release his next album.

The ACLU of Mississippi has received numerous reports that students are getting in trouble for mentioning President-elect Barack Obama’s name:

[U]pset parents… said a school bus driver told the children on a Pearl school bus that if they said Obama’s name, they would be written up and taken to the principal’s office for disciplinary reasons.

Another parent said that a coach at Pearl Junior High School told students that if they speak Obama’s name, they would face expulsion.

This kind of thing isn’t completely surprising due to the attacks against Obama in the last two months of the election, but I hope this sort of thing is rare within a year or two.

Someone is going through and labeling all of the gorgeous locations that Tarsem used when shooting The Fall. Here are my thoughts on the film.

I’ve spent most of my free time in the past 24 hours reading the Newsweek seven-part series called “Secrets of the 2008 Campaign.” (The highlights I linked to on Wednesday were culled from this series.) It’s an in-depth look at the recent presidential election from beginning to end, and it’s revealing, thorough, and cathartic.

Change.gov. Welcome to the real first administration of the 21st century.

Today is the last day you can donate to the No On 8 campaign to defeat California’s Proposition 8, which would eliminate marriage rights for same-sex couples in that state. Help end legal discrimination by sending them a Halloween treat.

“Thriller” as a 64-voice acapella. Mostly cool because, kind of like Fredo Viola’s video for “The Sad Song”, there is a video box for each track. (thx, phaelam)

Errol Morris has a new blog post about “real people” campaign ads, which covers the history of political ads that use non-actors from a 1952 Eisenhower ad to Morris’s new “People in the Middle for Obama” campaign in 2008. I like these better than his “Switch” ads for Kerry in 2004, as they have a more positive message. (“I like Obama,” rather than “I don’t like Bush.”)

The Salt Lake Tribune has a fascinating article about the divisions in the Mormon church as a result of their vigorous fight to pass California’s Prop 8, which would end gay marriage in the state. The church and its members have already spent millions of dollars in support of the initiative, and it has become a common subject of sermons during their services. (via andrew sullivan)

The Las Vegas ACORN office was raided, but there have been no charges against them yet. Meanwhile, there are reports that Hispanic voters in Nevada are receiving calls that tell them they can vote over the phone, and the state GOP is trying to block voters with incomplete voter registrations who are still within the timeframe to complete their registration.

Update: The Secretary of State’s office has ruled against the GOP incomplete registrations complaint.

Obama vs. McCain dance-off! Impressively realistic. (via wayneandwax)

Jason Jones’s interview with the current mayor of Wasilla is awesome.

The New York Times has a short profile on Charlie Kaufman, focusing on his experience as a first-time director with the upcoming Synecdoche, NY. The film definitely sounds like his most experimental project to date – his Barton Fink , perhaps?

The finalists of a “Rebranded Book Covers” contest. The one for The Road is awesome, and the Virgina Woolf and Chekhov ones made me laugh as well. (via mattbucher)

Rudy Ray Moore, most famous for his lead role in the blaxploitation classic Dolemite , died yesterday at the age of 81. Dolemite (trailer) was an odd favorite of mine in my high school days. (via aicn)