Start building the basketball court. And make sure it has glass backboards and breakaway rims. While you’re at it, paint the White House black…at least half of it. If you’re reading this George Clinton – you predicted it a long time ago homeboy. Chocolate City baby.

Last night in Chicago was surreal.

By now we've seen the photos of Barack Obama's grandmother celebrating his victory in her village in Kenya. But that's just the beginning. Here's just a quick selection of tidbits from the international media, covering the response to Obama's election:

...so we don't have to! (In case, like some of us at the Phoenix, you were watching MSNBC - or Fox News, just to see what the other side is saying - CNN's election coverage last night included gallactic, ghostly holograms. Fellow Phlogger Carly Carioli mentioned this, below.)

How'd they do that? Apparently, it involved fourty-four HD cameras, and twenty computers.

The noise outside my window was too much to ignore. Yelps. Honks. Sustained, full-throated cheers. More honks. Chants. "Yes We Can! Yes We Can! Yes We Can!"

So I slipped my keys in my pocket and stole out for a midnight stroll from Inman Sqare to Central Square.

Tipsy groups marched exultantly down the sidewalk as car after car after car passed by them, bleating in joyous release.

The Phoenix's Chris Faraone is in Grant Park, Twittering like a fool. Here's the full Obama victory speech, followed by Faraone's updates live from the ground.

12:30 pm: Hurry up Chicago. Get to Grant Park now and you can be the first in line for the non ticketed area.

1:20 pm: About 200 people in line at Grant Park so far.

I'm breaking with my years-long tradition of never telling anyone how I vote on any issue this year. I figure that anyone who actually wonders whom I voted for doesn't know me that well, and anyone who knows me is going to guess that I voted for Obama. So what's the harm in telling? (Just don't ask me who I supported for county charter commission.

CNN is supposed to be the middle-of-the-road one, right? That must be why their election coverage features sage insight from the likes of mendacious Cheney hagiographer Stephen Hayes and that ubiquitous musclehead goon Joe the Plummer.

I'm not interesed in a network's purported neutrality. I like (to mix metaphors) to see red meat tossed to the ravenous choir.

That’s right Kanye – you’re no longer the most popular black man in Chicago. Until people are let out of work early to see you rock a concert, that title officially belongs to Barack Obama.

Loads of employees were released at three today, and, judging by the number of supporters swarming on Grant Park, I’m guessing that most of them didn’t stop at home to re-apply deodorant.

To be honest, I was a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter, before and even after Barack Obama won the nomination. I had hoped to celebrate the civil victory of a woman earning the party nomination, so it took me a little while to get behind Obama - whose nomination is, obviously, also a civil victory - because I was, frankly, utterly unprepared for him to be running on the Democratic ticket.