Note to Readers: We're moving!

By GottaLaff

Here we go again, but this time it should "take" (if you recall, last time we crashed for 3 days). We'll be shifting over to WordPress overnight tonight, at the same URL (http://www.thepoliticalcarnival.net/), so no "address change" to worry about.

We have outgrown Blogger, which has blocked archive access to 15,000 of our posts (their limit is 5,000), and don't start me on tags.

Tags are important, because they are used to search for published posts. Without the ability to add tags (say, "Scott Brown" or "oil spill"), we can't group or search for posts the way we should to reference them when we need them. Yes, we can use Google, but Googling is often more time consuming, and I've found I sometimes can't dig up what I need that way.

The page set-up will be very similar to what we have now. You won't get lost or confused.

Some of the new options you'll find on the new and improved TPC are:

A separate page for Blunt webisodes with its own URL; a Contact Us page; an About page; an option to receive a TPC newsletter; an archives page, for as many as could be accesssed; pretty new colors.

The Comments will be switched from Disqus to WordPress. We'll see how that goes, but we've used that before, and it seems fine. No idea about registering or user names, etc., but we'll find out soon enough.

So there you have it.

If anything goes wrong this time, I will only be able to tweet updates on Twitter in the morning. I'll be on the road, in and out on Saturday and Sunday.

Paddy will be here to post, but the posting will most likely be lighter than usual until Monday. I'll post when I can.

We ask for your patience if/when there are any hiccups, but it should all go smoothly.

Welcome, in advance, to our new home.

Announcement! TPC Moving Day edition

By GottaLaff

If all goes as planned, The Political Carnival will be moved over to our new site by tomorrow morning!

Our address will be ThePoliticalCarnival.net, instead of .blogspot.com

We had too many limitations here at Blogspot (for example, the tags we use at the bottom of the posts were limited in number, so we haven't been able to add any for months). The new site is essentially set up like the old one, but a little easier to navigate. Plus, we own the domain name.

So, thanks to the wonderful "Noetical", as she is called on Twitter, we will be able to be more independent and have more control over the site. Noetical built it for us, and worked her beautiful hiney off in the process.

We all owe her a huge thank you.

If you ever need someone to help you build a site, she's your go-to girl. I can put you in contact with her if you're interested.

Did I mention housewarming gifts are welcome? Wink. A new heating system for Paddy is first on the wish list.

Obama choked up about leaving home

By GottaLaff

It will be difficult to leave a home he loves, but a few years in the beautiful, historic White House should perk him up:

President-elect Barack Obama says he choked up a little bit when he left his empty house before flying to Washington. [...]

His family went to Washington on Saturday and left him to wander around his Hyde Park home alone.

He said he found a photo album one of his daughter's friends left for the future first family and teared up when he looked through pictures.

Obama also said he wasn't looking forward to living in a hotel for the two weeks before he's allowed to move into his new home. He says he's lived in hotels during two years on the campaign trail.

He teared up... awww. Okay, time for a hug. I'll be right over. I'm almost sure the Secret Service will have no problem with that.

UPDATE:
Here's the quote:

"Well guys, I am looking forward to seeing you guys in Washington... I gotta say I choked up a little bit leaving my house today."

"Malia's friend had dropped off an album of the two of them together. They had been friends since pre-school and I just looked through the pages and the house was empty and it was a little tough, it got me."

Obama family moving to DC this weekend

By GottaLaff

Looks like it's Hotel Obama, since the Blair House was booked:

The Obama family is planning to move to Washington this weekend, say two transition officials. “They will stay at a Washington hotel through the 15th and then they will move into the Blair House,” said the first official.

President-elect Barack Obama and wife Michelle are coming to DC early in part to be there for the beginning of school for daughters Malia and Sasha, but will not specify which day that will be.

The officials also note that the President-elect will be in Washington to “continue work on an economic recovery plan.”

The beginning of a new beginning.