When you want to find out more about that cute guy or girl in your psychology class, the first place you head is Facebook. So when you want to find out more about our dreamy new President - and Vice President - elect, where else are you going to go? Below are a few of the leaders of the free world's favorites, as gleaned from their Facebook pages. Use the summaries below and maybe you can chat up the White House's newest denizens at their first house party.
THE TICKET'S FILM PICKS:
Obama: "The Godfather"
Not surprising. The soon-to-be most powerful man in the world loves "The Godfather." The 1972 classic, starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Diane Keaton, is one of the most revered movies ever created. The film centers around an Italian mafia in New York City - headed by "Don" Corleone (Brando) - that becomes a family who can look out for their own. The struggles and drama that ensue after a younger mob attempts to take over the Corleone family's turf are devastating not only to the family members but also to the old-fashioned ways of a mafia that kept the good safe and the rest of the bad at bay.
Biden: "Chariots of Fire"
Again, not surprising: the relentless fighter and our next vice president, Joe Biden, places a film about two men who just won't quit at the top of his list. Sound familiar? The British film "Chariots of Fire" is about two young U.K. athletes. They both dream of being professional runners, but for different reasons: one to prove his worth to God, the other to his society. The two men must overcome physical and mental boundaries to push themselves to victory, and even compromise chances of victory to do what they believe is right. "Chariots" won four Oscars after its 1981 release, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay - which may be comparable to a victory in a presidential election. As the two runners in the film endlessly seek acceptance, they refuse to sacrifice what is important to them: their honor.
THE EXECUTIVES' BOOK PICKS:
Obama: "Song of Solomon"
"Song of Solomon" is Barack Obama's favorite read, though the Bible is still his number one pick. Written by Toni Morrison, a woman who Obama became friends with during the campaign, "Song of Solomon" is an elegantly written novel about generations of a black family living in the 1970s. The main character is Macon Dead, who earns the name "Milkman" because of his premature birth and ensuing slow physical maturity. Milkman uses these experiences, along with struggles of growing up in an America that was not as peaceful and understanding as today, to grow into a man who realizes the value of family and the bonds that form between those who are cast aside. This book is Morrison's most well known, and won her a Nobel Prize.
Biden: "American Gospel"
You can tell by reading about Joe Biden why he likes "American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation" as easily as you can tell why Barack Obama admires "Song of Solomon." Jon Meacham's "American Gospel" is a book that explains how the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers shaped the United States we live in today. The book uses quotes and excerpts from our founding to determine what role religion played in creating it. Meacham entertains the fact that many of the founders themselves were of diverse sects of Christianity. He also presents the view that God and religion are an inherent part of what shapes a country - whether it's by shaping the policy makers, the citizens or the values that they hold.
You can reach this staff writer at kboghosian@theeagleonline.com.
