Obama the Comedian

Barack Obama is many things. President of the United States. Devoted husband and father. Face of the American people. Kenyan-Hawaiin. But, apparently, he has been hiding a hidden skill from us throughout this long journey we've taken with this whitest of black men: a knack for snappy one-liners and a post-politics comedy career.

A few nights ago, Barack Obama brought the house down at the White House Correspondants Dinner. Below is a video. WARNING: 17 minutes long, but full of suprisingly funny political humor.

Don't worry, you can laugh. The Secret Service have cleared this one.

Inauguration Day

Well, it's official: Barack Obama is now our nation's 44th President. It's been quite a day: Full of festivities, fun, and most of all, hope. This really does represent a turning point in America's history: The beginning of a new era. Americans joined together in celebration today as we inaugurated a new President. We can only hope that he will serve us to the best of his abilities, and send us in a new, better direction.

One thing that really struck me about the inauguration, actually, was a performance conducted right before Obama's swearing-in: The performance of a new orchestral piece by John Williams called Air and Simple Gifts. It was performed by a star-studded quartet that included Itzhak Perlman on violin and Yo-Yo Ma on cello (in addition to a clarinetist and a pianist whose names escape me.) It was really quite magical. Watch:

In addition, if you haven't already, check out Mr. Obama's Inauguration Address. It's really a great speech.