NYC, besides for being know as a city filled with (among other things) big apples, crime, insomniacs, and blinding lights, is also commonly regarded as the heart and soul of America’s theater. Broadway, despite its shiny, talented, melodramatic legacy, has not escaped the economic recession, and as a result it is incredibly easy for one to obtain half-price tickets for almost every show onstage. I had the fortune to attend not one but two shows on my weekend rendez-vous to Gotham City, and felt inspired and obligated to share my reviews with the world. Read on:

Avenue Q

This R-rated version of Sesame Street is racy, painfully honest, and absolutely hilarious. It cleverly mimicks the show by dealing with the problems Sesame Street viewers will deal with 25 years after watching the show. The parallels between the musical, which won the Tony in 2004, and the beloved children’s tv show are astounding, humorous and unexpected. Parallel characters include Rod and Nicky, direct copies of Bert and Ernie, Trekkie Monster (who likes porn, not cookies), and Kate Monster, a female Elmo, who is constantly discriminated against for her monster blood. The wacked satire includes such gems as Everybody’s a Little Bit Racist (totally true), The Internet is for Porn, It Sucks to Be Me, andSchadenfreude (happiness at the misfortune of others. My personal favorite aspect of the play is the bad idea bears, care-bear like puppets that (as stated in their name) give their peers bad ideas.

Overall, an excellent musical, and the funniest performance I’ve ever seen on stage. The original Broadway cast (which interestingly enough, includes four prior Sesame Street cast members), is just finishing its North American tour, so it’s probably too late to catch that. However, the play is still running on Broadway, and consistently has half price tickets at the booth (my tickets were $32 orchestra seats).

Score: 5 Stars

In the Heights

It’s no surprise that this brilliant musical was produced by the producers of RENT and Avenue Q, the plotline is clever (if a little predictable), the music is excellent, and the choreography is amazing. The musical centers around three days in the lives of residents of the Dominican-American New York neighborhood Washington Heights (hence the title of the play), and while it was produced by Broadway veterans, there are obvious signs of newbie experimentation, which in this case, works to the advantage of the production.

The score is a versatile mix of latin rock, hip-hop, and soul that is framed with lively dancing (besides for winning the best musical Tony, In the Heights also won the award for best choreography). The characters of the musical fulfill typical roles (struggling, smart young female, elderly wise woman, etc.), while bringing colorful new aspects to their personality. Strong songs include: In the Heights (note the effortless transition between raping and singing), Paciencia y Fe, Breathe, It Won’t Be Long Now, and 96,000.

If you’re in New York, this is a definite see. While the soundtrack alone isn’t very strong without the stage performance, the entire spectacle is pretty amazing.

Score: 4 and 3/4 Stars

Other great stuff happening on Broadway:

• Phantom of the Opera is a must-see.  The longest running Broadway musical has some pretty amazing effects (there’s fire!), and in its 23 year run, every detail has been perfected.
• The Producers is absolutely hilarious, and even better than the movie. I saw it in London (half price tickets), but its currently running in Philadelphia.
• Apparently Into the Woods is returning to Broadway in 2010. I have seen many off-broadway renditions of this musical, and all have been excellent. Could be worth checking out…

Get half price tickets… saving money makes the performance even better!

“I was looking for a quiet place to die.”

So starts Paul Auster’s latest commentary on our ironic lives. The Brooklyn Follies follows the unlikely protagonist Nathan Glass, an undistinguished man of 59 years who has recently separated from his wife and wants nothing more than to return to his place of birth to fade into the vast canvas of a complex city. This dream is short lived, as he soon becomes involved in the tragically misguided lives around him, including his resigned nephew Tom, a desperate book dealing art forger, Harry, and a stubbornly silent little girl with a strange and mysterious past, Lucy.

These odd characters commence to bring color, light, and life to Nathan’s previously dreary existence. In turn, they also flood his simple life with their problems. Unifying (and titling) the book is the main character’s latest endeavor, a project to document every peculiarity, idiocy, and anecdote that he encounters in his genuinely unique life. The novel dances effortlessly from one tale to another, less concerned with a central point than with maintaining the clever and humorous tone of a middle aged fool.

While the novel is sometimes lacking in direction, it still plows forwards, savoring the inspiring moments and escaping the painfully awkward. Most importantly, its never a difficult read, as it retains its humorous narration. The false authenticity of the stories that Nathan/Auster chooses to share with his audience are clear evidence of his earlier work on the NPR story corps project; he’s read enough stories from real people to effectively fake them.

Ultimately, it’s an excellent read. The novel is poignant; hilarious at times and painfully honest at others, and never fails to remind the reader of the rare curiosity that is their own life.

• Read (some of) it at Google Books.
• Borrow it from Montgomery County Public Libraries.
• Buy it on Amazon.

Read it.  It’ll make you laugh.

I often discover websites, organizations, and ideas that are, as described in the title of this post “Pure Awesome”.  Google chat unfortunately limits its status messages to about 70 words; not nearly enough space for me to spread all of the instances of “Pure Awesome” which I encounter.

To resolve this problem, I’ve decided to start an ongoing post, which will be posted approximately once a month.  Each month’s issue will contain three to six instances of “pure awesome”.

Voila!  Here’s hoping it lasts:

• Improv Everywhere – They cause scenes. The New York City based ‘improv’ group (an affiliate of The Urban Prankster Network) stages massive monthly stunts (called missions) in which hundreds (if not thousands) of people all fall for the pranks. For many of their more legendary stunts they’ve even gotten media attention! One of their most noticed missions was Frozen Grand Central, in which they got 207 people to pause for five minutes in Grand Central Station. For Even Better Than The Real Thing, the group staged a fake U2 Rooftop Concert just hours before an actual concert, where they fooled hundreds of people into thinking that they were the real U2 (they were also shut down by the police, providing more parallels to the music video of Where the Streets Have No Name, where the real U2 played an actual rooftop concert and were shut down by the LA police). Also check out The Moebius, No Pants Subway Ride, and Slo-Mo Home Depot.
• Kiva – Kiva differentiates itself from the typical poverty relief non-profit by tackling the issues from a different angle – instead of sending aid to impoverished individuals, Kiva allows socially conscious people to make loans to entrepreneurs across the globe. These loans are then repaid over a course of about 6-12 months. These loans give aspiring entrepreneurs a chance to succeed and become independent of aid programs. Once the money is returned to the lender, they can re-lend the money to another entrepreneur, successfully multiplying the money. Check out the list of current loan-seekers here. Similarly, Heifer multiplies donors’ money and ends families’ dependence on aid by giving families animals and training them in the proper care of their livestock. When the animals breed, the original recipients of the gift pass it on to other families in their communities, eventually alleviating the entire community’s poverty. See Heifer’s ‘gift’ catalog here.
• Colbert Nation – This site dedicated to the show, The Colbert Report, is filled with clips from the show, full episodes, and a forum. Additionally, the site often hosts online extras to the show, such as Indecision 2008, the show’s election coverage/mockery of the 2008 Presidential Election. It’s great for anyone who loves Stephen Colbert, or just wants their news in a (biased) comedic easy-to-digest form.
• Pandora – I’ve mentioned this site many time on this blog, but that’s only because I can’t praise it enough. The free music streaming site (part of the Music Genome Project) finds music that it thinks its users will like by taking user feedback and allowing the user to “seed” more songs and artists. The site also has detailed artist bios, so you can familiarize yourself with the new artists you discover. Read more about the how Pandora works here.

Enjoy!

After a four month hiatus from blogging, I have returned!  I have been very busy in the past few months, but my schedule has freed up, so I’ve vowed to return to blogging.

In the next few weeks I’ll try to post a few book reviews, some interesting websites, and possibly my account of the Inauguration and the ‘We Are One’ inaugural concert.  Currently I’m fixing up some old posts and updating the sidebar, but by Saturday there should be at least one new post.

For now check out:

Invisible Children – An organization working to end the use of child soldiers in Uganda. They’ve got a huge demonstration coming up called The Rescue.

Earth Album – This awesome website blends google maps with the top Flickr photos, sorted graphically by geographic location. The site allows you to travel the world with a few clicks of the mouse. This is a great time burner!

Zen Moments – This great website compiles hundreds of intriguing ‘zen moment’ stories. Some are touching, some are exciting, and some are fun. As the site states, there is “great power in small things”.

Stay tuned for more!

As a teenage girl, my demographic is key for such stale and overrated artists as Hannah Montana, The Jonas Brothers, and Britney Spears (as I write these names I cringe).  While I will admit that many of my favorite artists are fairly mainstream,  I’ll at least try to balance the following list with some lesser known artists. Please note that this is a very abridged list of my favorite artists; I wish that I had time to include more.  Also, feel free to recommend a song or artist in comments!  Enjoy:

• The Beatles - If you haven’t heard of The Beatles, then you’re quite clueless, besides that you should definitely familiarize yourself with their music. The 60’s rock group, composed of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr, performed some of the most famous songs in rock history, including Let It Be, All You Need Is Love, Help!, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Yesterday, and Lady Madonna (and many, many more).
• Coldplay – Coldplay’s clever mix of rock styles brought them to the top of the chart in 2000, and they’ve been there ever since. While many of their songs feature similar rock structures excessive vamping, it has been their more unique songs that have topped the charts. Famous Coldplay songs include The Scientist, Speed of Sound, Yellow, and, of course, Viva La Vida.
• Counting Crows – Counting Crows were relatively unknown before 1993, when they stuck gold with their album August and Everything After. If you haven’t heard of them, you might recognize their single Accidentally In Love, featured in the movie Shrek 2. Their hit songs include A Long December, Hanging Tree, Colorblind, and Mr. Jones.
• Dixie Chicks – While I generally detest country music, I love the contemporary country style of the Dixie Chicks. The three members of the all-female trio are exceptionally talented, and have produced five critically acclaimed albums. Their most famous songs include Ready to Run, Cowboy Take Me Away, Travelin’ Soldier, Wide Open Spaces, Not Ready to Make Nice, and Without You.
• The Fray – The Fray’s mature pop rock style is beautiful and catchy, and chances are, you’ve heard them on the radio. IN the spirit of the season, I recommend checking out their remake of the classic John Lennon song War Is Over. The Fray’s hit songs include Heaven Forbid, She Is, Over My Head, and How To Save A Life.
• Billy Joel – There’s no question, Billy Joel is legendary. He has recorded 17 albums in his 37 year career, and has recorded one of the most famous songs in rock history. Popular songs include We Didn’t Start Fire, It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me, You May Be Right, The Longest Time, My Life, Goodnight Saigon, Uptown Girl, and  Piano Man.
• Elton John – Elton John rivals Billy Joel for the label of most famous singer/songwriter of the 70’s and 80’s. Recently, he collaborated with The Killers on the song Joseph, Better You Than Me to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS in Africa. His more famous songs include Your Song, Tiny Dancer, Benny & the Jets, Rocket Man, Daniel, and Candle In The Wind.
• The Goo Goo Dolls – Despite their strange name, The Goo Goo Dolls have produced several incredible tracks; most notably Black Balloon, Slide, Name, Iris, and (my favorite) Better Days.
• Hootie & The Blowfish - While not a mainstream band, Hootie & the Blowfish have a unique blues-rock style that does not currently dominate the charts, but is nevertheless great. Their repertoire includes Hold My Hand, Only Wanna Be With You, Innocence, Get Out Of My Mind, and Let Her Cry.
• John Lennon – After appearing as a Beatle in the 70’s, John Lennon continued with a solo career until he was assassinated in 1980. If you are interested in his music, check out the charity album Instant Karma, an album of classic John Lennon Songs remade by modern artists. His most famous songs include #9 Dream, Power to the People, Give Peace A Chance, Stand By Me, Woman, and Imagine.
• Lifehouse - An up and coming alternative rock band, Lifehouse first set foot on the music scene with their 2001 hit Whatever It Takes. Since then, Lifehouse’s hits have included You and Me, Spin, Everything, Breathing, and I Want You to Know.
• Julia Nunes – While she’d probably be considered just another youtube artist,  Julia Nunes has talent. The college freshman ukulele and guitar player has dozens of covers (with her playing multiple parts) and some original tracks posted on her youtube channel. Besides for being a talented musician, she got tons of hilarious vlogs up. Her covers include God Only Knows, Build Me Up, Buttercup, Accidentally In Love, It’s The End of the World As We Know It, All My Loving, and Falling Slowly. Some of her original tracks include Sunburt Hand, Balloons, Into the Sunshine, Maybe I Will, and August.
• Train – What I will say about Train is that their lead singer, Patrick Monahan, can sing. Really, really well. The band’s songs are very vocals centric and feature unique instrumentation. The band’s hits include Meet Virginia, When I Look to the Sky, Cab, and (my personal favorite) Drops of Jupiter.
• U2 – U2 is a popular band to either love or hate. I’m with the former; In my opinion the four members of U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr) are genuine rock legends.  The band has won 22 Grammy Awards (more than any other band) in it’s 33 year career.  They’ve released 12 albums, and sold 145 million.  The band rose to fame in the 80s primarily live act, and finally achieved success selling albums with their 5th studio release, The Joshua Tree.  Besides for being know for their anthemic rock sound (specifically Bono’s vocals and Edge’s guitar delay), they are also know for their grandiose statements about politics and religion, as well as for their political and foreign aid work.  My favorite U2 songs include: Beautiful Day, Where the Streets Have No Name, One, City of Blinding Lights, Sometime You Can’t Make it On Your Own, Vertigo, Bad, Walk On, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, and With or Without You.
• 3 Doors Down - While very much a typical alternative rock band, 3 Doors Down have distinguished themselves with several chart toppers, and by sharing the stage with dozens of other popular bands. There best songs include It’s Not My Time, Citizen Soldier, Be Like That, Away from the Sun, Here Without You, and Kryptonite.

And some more…

• Green Day
• The Killers
• Nirvana
• The Police
• Queen
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• R.E.M.
• Santana
• Snow Patrol
• Simon & Garfunkel
• Sum 41

To discover more music visit Pandora.  Enjoy listening!

We all know that, contrary to Ted Stevens’s belief, the internet is in fact not a series of tubes, but it could be described as an immense pile of cow dung, with a few gems buried near the bottom.  It can sometimes be a daunting task to sift through the manure to find a great website, but web surfers, rejoice: StumbleUpon is here to save the day. The free web service finds websites based on your hobbies/interests and previous record of thumbs up-ing and down-ing websites. The following websites are all great websites that I discovered with StumbleUpon:

Entertaining/Distracting

• Fontso – Get hundreds of free fonts, all compatible with Microsoft Office Word. If you obsess over unique fonts, then this site is for you.
• Life In Colors – Does your desktop need beautification? If so, look no further, this blog post is filled with beautiful landscapes to fill that ominous blank space on your desktop. Also check out this page for more landscapes and pattern to dress up your desktop.
• Democratees – Hilarious and bold liberal political tees. There are some pretty awesome design. For other cool tee shirt sites see: CafePress, Threadless, and BustedTees.
• Lets Be Friends – Pictures of cute animals that are apparently friends. Also see Cute Overload.
• The Pixel Plant – Randomly create melodies and drumbeats by raising and lowering squares in this awesomely addicting computer simulation. Its hard to explain, so just check it out.

Thoughtful

• Wisdom – This book/short film, produced by Andrew Zuckerman, is composed of responses to the question “What is wisdom?” The perspectives in the film come from the famous and infamous from all around the world. It’s insightful, interesting, and definitely worth five minutes of your time. Also check out the producer’s website, filled with some great photography and another cool film, which you can see here. You can also buy the book here.
• Breathing Earth – This simulation is a great visual to really get a grasp on how world population and CO2 emissions are spread around the world. Its difficult to explain, so just check it out. You might also want to look into the Human Rights Art and Film Festival, whose website was designed by the same designer as Breathing Earth, David Bleja.
• PostSecret – Explore the great project that is PostSecret, a project run out of Frank Warren’s basement in Gaithersburg, Maryland. People from all around the world send in their deepest secrets on cleverly decorated postcards. Whether you’re looking for an interesting distraction or an asylum that will make your problems feel insignificant, its a very cool website. If you’re really interested its worth buying one of the books, or at least leafing through a copy at your local bookstore. On a side note, the music video for Dirty Little Secret by All-American Rejects includes montage of PostSecrets.

Useful

• Google Chrome – This futuristic style web browser is designed to be much like its homepage and creator: Google. It is quick, efficient, simplistic, and easy to use. It take less than a minute to download, and it streams videos incredibly fast, so its worth downloading, if only for that purpose.
• CookingByNumbers.com – What’s for dinner? This website can answer that question! Simply check the ingredients that you have in your fridge, and the site will search thousands of easy recipes to pinpoint the recipes that you have enough ingredients for. Also, check out Skills by Numbers, the site’s collection of instructions for basic cooking skills. If you’re bored, play the Tomatoes Attack game.
• Boredom Relief – And they mean it! Learn random facts, get free stuff, learn magic tricks, trick your eyes with optical illusions, or try some brain teasers. This is a guaranteed boredom reliever!
• Resources for Web Design – If you’re interested in designing websites, this is a one-stop source for any design related resource. It’s a little intimidating, but if you use the find command you should be able to find what you’re looking for.

Join the fun! Get a Stumble Upon account here.

For better of for worse, most websites have given up on subscription-based registration, and replaced that income with ad revenue.  If you’re feeling up to braving the barrage of ads, then you’ll get a lot out of the websites below:

• StumbleUpon – This amazing website offers a free toolbar that finds websites that you’ll like. After you register you simply fill out a form about your basic interests, and hit the stumble button. Wiith over 6.3 million members reviewing thousands of their favorite sites everyday, and it’s also dangerously addicting. Needless to say, you’ll discover amazing websites. If you’re interest, take a tour, download the toolbar, or register.
• NYTimes.com – If you’re a news-hog, interested in what everyone else is interested in, or always feel the need to post a comment on stories you read, I recommend registering with the New York Times. The leading news source in the US offers a virtual copy of today’s paper, a video library, some great blogs, and free podcasts, among many other great services.
• Pandora – Listen to free music and discover new bands and genres through the music genome project, the project behind Pandora. You can create internet radio stations by simply entering the name of your favorite band or song. Pandora then picks songs with similar musical qualities, which you then give a thumbs up or thumbs down, allowing the program to figure out exactly what you like about the music that you listen to. You can also look up bands and songs on Pandora’s vast music database. Best of all, membership totally free, and you only have to survive a few unobtrusive ads!
• MoveOn.org – MoveOn is progressive political organization devoted to turning liberal ideals into reality. Most of MoveOn’s success is attributed to its large base of over 4.2 million members. Once you join, Move On sends you emails about free political SWAG giveaways, volunteer opportunities, campaign updates, and the occasional plea for donations. Learn more about MoveOn here, and watch their video “2007, as told by MoveOn Members“. Also, check out MoveOn’s youtube channel and this funny video.
• Google – If you use Google daily but still don’t have an account, you’re missing out on a lot. Google offers hundreds of free services including: iGoogle, Gmail (now with video chat!), Google Calender, Picasa, Froogle, Google Sites, and even more. Read more about google’s vast multitude services here.
• SparkNotes – If you’re a student, a SparkNotes account is must have. Most teacher’s condemn the site because it has become a replacement for actually reading the text, but I believe that its perfectly legitimate to complete your assignment and then use SparkNotes as a study guide. The homework help site includes thousands of Biology, History, Literature, and Shakespeare study guides. You can also browse through the website’s test prep and 101 College Test Guides. For a study break stop by Spark Life (Warning: It’s dangerously addicting).

Have fun out there!

On Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 more than 130 million people pored into voting booths across the United States.  And on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008, after an 18 month campaign, 130 million Americans made history.  Barack Obama became the first African American ever to be elected to the White House.

But, as Obama pointed out in his victory speech, it was not his victory.  It was the victory of the millions of Americans who donated all of the time and money they could afford to the campaign.  Obama’s victory can be attributed not only to his incredible skills as an inspiring orator, but to the millions of people who were inspired by his words.  We donated, we called, we canvassed, and we talked with others… and for that we were granted victory.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

“It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

“It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled
and not disabled, Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

“We are, and always will be, the United States of America.”

Barack Obama’s Victory Speech

Thank you to the millions of volunteers who gave up their time, thank you to the thousands of staff members who gave up 18 months of their life, thank you to the dozens of millions people who cast their votes for Obama, and especially thank you to Barack Obama, for his inspiring words that did more than start a campaign; his words started a movement, a legacy that will continue to inspire long after his term ends.

The Numbers

• New York Times Election Center – The NYTimes coverage of the Presidential, Senate, and House races, including past data and exit polls.
• Five Thirty Eight – How correct were the site’s projections? Click here to see.

The Pictures

• Obama in Grant Park – Photos in the Huffington Post taken at Obama’s election night party in Grant Park.
• The World Celebrates The Next American President – An insightful and uplifting photo gallery from The Washington Post.
• TIME Photo Essays – Behind the scenes of the Grant Park Celebration.
• Election Day 2008 – A nonpartisan photo gallery from the Marin independent Journal.
• The Hope Wall – MoveOn.org members’ photos and videos.
• Obama Celebrations Erupt – Pictures of the spontaneous street parties in New York, DC, and around the world.

The Stories

• Obama’s Victory Speech – His speech was a story in itself, and included the story of Ann Nixon Cooper, a 106 year old first time voter.
• NPR’s Talk Of The Nation: Obama Wins, The World Responds – NPR listeners worldwide share their reactions.
• How Was Your Election Night? – This post on the Barack Obama HQ Blog got lots of interesting comments and stories.

Be sure to order a free “Yes We Did” sticker from MoveOn.org.

“In my first memory, I am three years old and I am trying to kill my sister.  sometimes the recollection is so clear that I can remember the itch of the pillowcase under my hand, the sharp point of her nose pressing into my palm.  She didn’t stand a chance against me, of course, but it still didn’t work.  My father walked by, tucking me in the house for the night, and saved her.  He led me back to my own bed. “That,” he told me, “never happened.”

As we got older, I didn’t seem to exist, except in relation to her.  I would watch her sleep across the room from me, one long shadow linking our beds, and I would count the ways.  Poison, sprinkled on her cereal.  A wicked undertow of the beach.  Lightning striking.

In the end, though, I did not kill my sister.  She did it all on her own.  At least, that is what I tell myself.”

Above is an excerpt from the first page of My Sister’s Keeper.  Those three paragraphs are only one example of the many prominent examples of Jodi Picoult’s superiority as an excellent author.  Her book is absorbs your thoughts from the first suspenseful pages to the tragic, emotionally wrenching last chapter.  It raises important, often overlooked moral issues involving life, death, and choice.

Anna Fitzgerald has lived every minute of her life under the shadow of her sister.  Only minutes after her birth, which was conceived through in vitro fertilization nine months earlier, her cord blood was extracted and donated to her older sister Kate, who was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia at age two.  As the years progress, Kate requires more and more marrow and cell donations from her sister to stay alive.

Then, when Kate is sixteen and Anna thirteen, Kate’s Kidney’s fail, and she needs a transplant.  And for the first time ever, Anna refuses to donate.  Through this move the characters Campbell Alexander and Julia Romero enter the story, who have a long mysterious past, and who still remain separated for a reason that Campbell is not willing to divulge.

And so, Jodi Picoult spins her brilliant story, complete with unexpected plot twists and turns and frosted with beautifully crafted flashbacks that reinforce the exhilarating and addicting plot line.  The book ends with a bang, and leaves most of it’s numerous questions for the reader to decide:

Who should chose who lives and who dies?

Should we, and can we give up on living?

And,

What is love?

It’s true that some of the characters are exaggerated or unbelievable, but the story will be so engrossing that, chances are, you will see the story as flawless, at least if you don’t get skeptical.  It’s a great book with lots of important discussion topics, so I’ll definitely recommend it for book clubs and other reading groups.

Read it.  It’s an incredible, well-grounded, heartbreaking, and beautiful story.

Interested?

• Buy the book online on Amazon.
• Borrow the book from Montgomery County Public Libraries.
• Read excerpts on Google Books.
• Check out Jodi Picoult’s website.
• Look out for updates about the movie, which will be released  in 2009.

We’re 2 days from the climax of the most revolutionary, intense, and (arguably) disgraceful election of my lifetime.   With the issues ranging from the economy to health care to non-issues like lipstick on pit-bulls, this election season has been an exciting, and at times incredibly frustrating spectator sport.  While it’s true that this campaign has brought together millions of volunteers, donors, Democrats and Republicans, it has also split the American people over the issues of sexism, racism, and patriotism, issues that should have been resolved years ago but instead continue to demonize our country.

Below is a breakdown of the most prominent humor, opinions, truths, and lies in the 2008 presidential election.  WARNING: the following will exhilarate liberals and disgust conservatives.  Enjoy:

Humor

• Sarkozy to Palin Prank Call – A Quebec comedy duo, “The Masked Avengers” prank called Sarah Palin in a five minute audio clip released Saturday. It’s pretty hilarious. Also read the transcript, and be sure to note the true identities of Johnny Hallyday, Stef Carse, and Richard Z. Sirois.
• Sarah Palin SNL Parody – This incredible rendition of a clueless Sarah Palin (played spot on by Tina Fey) and a vengeful Hillary Clinton (played by the also talented Amy Poehler) addressing the nation is hilarious and truthful.  Any good liberal will love this!  Also check these out: Part 4 of the Katie Couric Interview, The Presidential Debates, Bush Endorsement, and McCain Approves Open. Also tune in Monday night at 9 for an hour and a half presidential bash!
• Time For Some Campaigning: A Jib Jab Original – Jib Jab, an animated political cartoon website, recently released it’s election 2008 cartoon, called Time For Some Campaigning; a politically charged version of the classic song “Times They Are A’Changin”. You can also send an ecard version of the song and personalize it with a photo-shopped in head. Check out their other political ecards here.
• Sarah Palin’s Blog – A distressed Obama supported created this fictitious blog, supposedly written by Sarah Palin and her family members. The blog is harsh, incredibly politically incorrect, and extremely rude, but alas, it manages to be hilarious (there’s even a to Bristol and Levi’s wedding registry). Also watch Sarah Palin’s Vlog, a (fictitious) video blog by ‘Sarah Palin’.
• Indescision 2008 – Comedy Central’s election satire site, slogan: ‘Something approximating election news with something approximating honesty.’ Watch clips from the Colbert Report and the Daily Show, read the blog, and play political online games. I recommend: The Sarah Palin Gender Card, An Inconvenient Webgame, and Border Security: The Game.
• Sarah Palin’s Interviews – This woman is an endless source of pathetic humor. First she wowed the nation with the pathetic-ness of her first interview with Charles Gibson. Next she made a performance worthy of Miss Teen South Carolina when she was interviewed by Katie Couric. How else can she screw up?

Opinions

• Steinem on Palin – Gloria Steinem, an influential American feminist and journalist, write this piece about Sarah Palin’s inability to lead. Favorite line: “Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton.”
• Anna Quindlen: This Is Important – Anna Quindlen stresses the importance of getting out the vote this elections. Favorite line: “The right no longer holds the patent on cyberbull. It is everywhere.”
• The Caucus – The New York Times political blogs, they feature voices of New York Times Columnists and ordinary citizens.

Truths

• FactCheck.org – Is a “nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics”. FactCheck sorts right from wrong in issues involving the presidential campaign, congressional campaigns, and prominent court cases. The website stocks thousands of clips and summaries that sort fact from fiction on both sides of the aisle. If you’re researching past events, try the archive, with in depth articles dating back from December 2003.
• Electoral-Vote.com – While it isn’t the flashiest of pollster sites, Electoral-Vote boasts the most data, best accuracy, and functionality (but of course, in polling nothing is certain). You can’t rely on polls, but they’re awfully fun to scrutinize!
• FiveThirtyEight.com – This polling site compares and compiles dozens of polls every day for some of the most accurate (we predict) predictions on the web. Run by Nate Silver, the site contains lots of easy to understand graphs, along with specific numbers for those who would like to delve deeper into the world of polling. Read more about how the number crunching works here.
• Project Vote Smart – The project which self identifies as a “Voter’s self defense system”, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan project that is devoted to spreading the truth about candidates and making voting rights more accessible to all Americans. Read more about the project here.

Lies

• John McCain’s Youtube Channel – Home of his famous ad campaign… that basically says it all. For some laughs check out The One and Celeb. For more lies and deceptions watch the RNC’s Ads.
• A Fake Flier Tells Democrats To Vote On Wednesday – And many, many other scandals have emerged during this election. You can read the lengthy list here.

You’ll notice that this election has been much funnier than truthful… go figure!