Obama’s Election Inspires Baby Naming in Kenya

by Josh Lew on

Aaron recently wrote a post here on Gadling about a production of Obama: The Musical in Kenya. The song and dance-filled bio-play shows how ridiculously popular Barack is in his father’s home country. Well, some Kenyans are upping the ante further by naming their children, and their beer, after the prez-elect. “Senator” Beer, a locally made brew, was inspired by Obama’s previous political rank. No word yet on how sales stack up against perennial favorite, Tusker.

Mothers in Obama’s ancestral homeland of Kisumu have been naming their newborns Barack Obama, or some variation thereof. Have a girl? No problem. Several female babies in the province bear the name of Michelle Obama. Sharing your name with the future president of the US doesn’t come without its share of pressures. One mother told a Reuters reporter that she expects great thing out of her pint-sized Barack Obama. “I would like that by the time he is in his 40s he becomes the president of this country.”

I know there is a lot of excitement now, but wouldn’t it be wise to wait to see how Obama performs in office before naming your child after him? I mean, what if your parents had named you after Richard Nixon?

And it appears that a few Americans are getting in on the fad as well.

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[Via Reuters]

Get thee to the White House!

by Annie Scott on

Planning a trip for Obama’s Inauguration? Expedia will help you.

Expedia has set up a whole host of tools to get you to D.C. and into a hotel, car, tours (don’t miss the FBI!), or whatever you need with as little hassle as possible.

The Expedia 56th Presidential Inauguration Site features travel tips like which airports are nearby, what suburbs to stay in if the city’s booked, and all kinds of activities to try, including a list of great free activities like the Inaugural Parade!

It’s going to be a momentous occasion in Washington D.C. and all over the country. Don’t you want to tell your grandchildren you were there?

The best advice I can give you? Book now. Like, today. Everything’s gonna fill up fast.

Would you leave The States if Obama loses?

by Mike Barish on

Election day is next Tuesday and Americans are poised to make one of the most critical decisions in US history. With Obama leading in many polls, Democrats have allowed themselves to be cautiously optimistic. As such, you probably haven’t heard as much of the “If the Dems lose I’m moving to Canada” chatter that emanated from the blue states in 2000 and 2004. In a recent review of Phil Zuckerman’s “Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment,” Salon columnist Louis Bayard discussed why potential expatriates might shift their glances towards Scandinavia if McCain wins.

Zuckerman’s book, as well as Bayard’s column, focus less on Scandinavians’ high life expectancy, healthcare, economies and social mores and instead channel their energies on religion and faith. Scandinavians live in predominantly secular cultures. Bayard notes that,

As few as 24 percent of Danes and as few as 16 percent of Swedes believe in a personal deity. (In America, that figure is close to 90 percent.) In Scandinavia, belief in life after death hovers in the low 30 percent range, as opposed to 81 percent in America. Some 82 percent of Danes and Swedes believe in evolution, while roughly 10 percent believe in hell. Their rate of weekly church attendance is among the lowest on Earth.

Ideally, people who are disenchanted with the outcome of the election will remain in The States and help fight for their causes. If I was inclined to leave my homeland, however, I don’t think I’d head to Scandinavia. I loved my visits to Iceland and Sweden but I’m not so sure that a long, dark Nordic winter would soothe my soul should the American electorate let me down. And Scandinavia’s suicide rate is twice that of the United States’. I wonder if that has anything to do with their high rate of alcoholism.

No, I think I’ll stay here and be part of the solution if things don’t go my way. Or head south. I’m a warm weather guy. Hmm, maybe I should check out the tax laws in Chile.

Would you leave the States based on the outcome of the election? Where would you go? Drop us a line in the comments.

Paris Art Gallery has Obama Fever

by Josh Lew on

Barack Obama has done what very few Americans have done before. No, not run for president. Get respect from the French.

An art gallery in Paris is running a show that demonstrates just how much street cred the the Democratic candidate has with Europeans. Dorothy’s Gallery, in the Bastille District of Paris (Rue Keller) will be running the show until November 17th. Most of the works on display are by French artists; and most, if not all, cast the Illinois Senator in a positive light. There are sculptures, photographs, sketches, caricatures and photo collages.

I doubt many red-staters are going to put the Dorothy Gallery on their itinerary. I’m sure very few undecided voters are going to be swayed by a visit. And French people aren’t going to head to the polls a week from Tuesday. So the Obama exhibit is more about the way French culture celebrates celebrities and statesmen than it is about politics. No word yet on whether Jerry Lewis will lose his status as top American if Obama pulls out a victory in the elections.

Obama to hold election night party at Chicago’s Grant Park

by Meg Massie on

Want to spend election night with Barack Obama and thousands of his closest friends? The Obama campaign announced yesterday that the Democratic nominee for president will be hosting what he hopes is an election night celebration outdoors at Grant Park in Chicago.

Obama will appear at Hutchinson Field at the south end of the park, which is often referred to as Chicago‘s “front yard.” The park is often used for major events like festivals, sporting events, and concerts. Pope John Paul II held a mass here in 1979 that drew a crowd of nearly 1 million people.

The Obama campaign has not yet announced ticketing details, but those who wish to attend will likely need to register online or get tickets in advance, as the Illinois Senator and Presidential hopeful has been drawing huge crowds throughout his campaign.

If you’re going to attend, be sure to dress warmly. The windy city can be bitterly cold in November.