New Village author and syndicated cartoonist Keith Knight has picked up the best bailout idea of the week. Other treasures in his K Chronicles strip, too, like Toyota’s laudable practice of starting paid community service for employees on downtime. And, yes indeedy, I’ll be ready for the rails (Keef’s 20-year national public transport plan). Read it in today’s Salon Comics.

When Obama appoints his court jester — we know who he’ll call!

From the man with the pink box bringing doughnuts for everyone lined at the polls this morning to John McCain shushing boos during his beautifully unifying concession speech tonight, I have been moved today by the warmth of people. Here in Oakland I could hear the election results before finding them on my news screen by the crescendo of horns in the street. Three hours later, 11:00 pm in California, the excitement has not waned. I walked out earlier to experience the celebration on Telegraph Avenue and was joined by an African American couple clearly as jubilant as I. We introduce ourselves on the way back — turns out they live in the apartments next door! An American moment. Another neighbor comes by. We put stars in our hair, run back to the same corner and light sparklers. Great waves of honking rises at every stop light. Dancers on the sidewalks hoop, skateboarders flash peace signs, bicylists ring their bells, even buses beep. Obama 08 glistens wet on the favorite neighborhood tagging wall. I’m grateful to be witnessing this fearless wave of joy for a better day, for working together, for building that beloved community that Martin Luther King (Sr. and Jr.) and Howard Thurman before them held so dearly. Yes we can!!