Barack and the (Puppy) Bowl System

Well, OK, so I might talk about our president-elect a bit. He's going to do good things. One habit that could get him in trouble, however, is his mixing of light and heavier topics: I love Barack talking hardball in a figurative and literal sense (as in, Go White Sox). When you're president; however, everything you do becomes a political issue -- even adopting a puppy. He says he wants to get a mutt, just like him, but daughter Malia is allergic. Hypoallergenic shelter animals are a bit hard to come by.

I would go with a hypoallergenic Welsh Pembroke corgi. It is well documented that corgis are adorable, playful and intelligent, all traits that I would also assign to our soon to be commander in chief. The corgi, known for its extensive herding ability, would be a fit in any place within the White House, from the West Wing to Secret Service Detail. I can already see the made-for-TV Disney Channel Production, A Barker in the Office.

Gratuitous cuteness.

On Barack's victory (and the frontpages afterward)

Call me old-fashioned, but I'm going to have to say that the Chicago papers. The Sun Times went with a very narrow-focused portrait of the president elect, and I think it works quite well -- but it isn't the home run that the MLK and Obama mirror was, while the Trib cover carrier the "new traditionalism" of the redesign. But let's check out the other regions.

I find it delightful that nearly all are incredibly triumphant, from "Yes He Did!" (Huntsville Times) to the San Bernadino Sun's "HISTORY." Some go with the simple -- (Obama wins) and others choose the superlative (Historymaker). We in the press love a good story, and Obamamania certainly provided it.

Inertia

In response to Amy Gahran's excellent blog, I would have to say that a number of things have to happen within the j-school to remain relevant. I often banter about institutional inertia and its evils -- it's one of the reasons that I became (or am becoming) a journalist. A major project of mine is a story about information science schools -- they call themselves iSchools -- isn't that cute? Information science is incredibly interdisciplinary. GSLIS here on campus is tied to a plethora of departments, each needing its number-crunching, database-building expertise. Am I saying we should be so promiscuous? No, but we do need to reach out.