This had me laughing? Barack Obama and his dead pet mouse Hope - Telegraph Barack Obama and his dead pet mouse Hope By Craig Brown Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 11/11/2008 Eleven things you didn't know about Barack Obama: 1. His father's side of the family hails from the West Coast of Ireland. Sean O'Bama's Gentlemen's Outfitters of Renvyle remains the number one tailor's in Co Galway, specialising in tweed suits, plus-fours and woollen pullovers. 2. He and his wife Michelle are both huge fans of Sir Cliff Richard. Sir Cliff has already been invited to sing his Eurovision hit Congratulations at Obama's inauguration ceremony in January. "Cliff's a guy with real soul," Barack told The New York Times, "I was amazed when I first met him to discover he was in fact Caucasian." 3. He keeps a pet mouse called Hope in his pocket at all times for luck. Sadly, Hope died on election day when Obama replaced his fist in his pocket with unusual force after gesticulating with his left hand during his acceptance speech. But he has vowed to keep the corpse of Hope in his pocket "for as long as is feasible", as a mark of respect. 4. The character of the friendly neighbour, Ned Flanders, in The Simpsons is said to be based on Barack Obama. He used Ned's catchphrase "Okerly-Dokerly" as his slogan in the early part of his campaign, before changing it to the more direct "Yes We Can". 5. In an interview with Time magazine, to be published later this week, the Republican candidate John McCain reveals that, after entering the polling booth, he found himself secretly voting for Barack Obama. "It suddenly struck me that he was by far the best candidate on offer. Senator Obama has inspired the hopes of so many millions of Americans, whereas, to be brutally frank, I had only managed to inspire the hopes of maybe 10 or 11." 6. He was Captain of the Harvard Fraternity of Trampoliners, and to this day takes a trampoline with him wherever he goes. He plans to install a medium-size trampoline in the Oval Office in the space at present occupied by President Bush's replica of Apollo 9, constructed entirely from matchsticks. Reports are already coming in that many European leaders are receiving trampolining lessons from highly-paid professionals. After just five days training, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is already able to perform the tricky knees-and-up-and-knees-and-up routine. 7. Barack Obama is the first Old Harrovian leader of a major country since Sir Winston Churchill. He famously sneaked the words of his old school song into his victory speech at Grant Park, Chicago: "The road ahead will be long, but oh the great days, in the distance enchanted, days of fresh air, in the rain and the sun! How we rejoiced as we struggled and panted - hardly believable, 40 years on!" In celebration of Obama's election, the Headmaster of Harrow yesterday announced a half-day holiday for all pupils, except for those on detention, those revising for re-takes, and those who have been called before him on grounds of general sloppiness. 8. He is a good cook. His speciality is toast, which he makes from fresh bread, recently sliced. He thinks it best to give the toast to his guests straight from the toaster, leaving each guest with the option of whether or not to butter it. "President-Elect Obama does not take his toaster with him wherever he goes - he simply doesn't have the space - but he regularly employs his toaster when he is at home," confirms a senior aide. 9. In Scrabble, his first name - BARACK - would score 14 points while his surname - OBAMA - would score only 9 points, leading to a total of 23, though neither word would be permitted at present, on the grounds that they are both proper nouns. 10. However, in honour of the recent election of Barack Obama, the International Scrabble Commission has agreed to hold an emergency meeting in Lisbon on November 23 in which the rules of the game are likely to be revised to allow the use of both "Barack" and "Obama". "Exceptional times call for exceptional measures," says the ISC's current vice-president, Mr Xd Qzwrp. 11. According to pollsters, the all-important 18 to 29-year-old voting bloc, which was responsible for voting him in, is now expressing "slight to middling boredom" with President-Elect Obama. "He's OK for a week or so," explains a senior spokesman, 23, "But we're all going to be bored stiff with him by January, so I'm hoping they'll switch him for someone newer."
I would pay good money to see Brown on a trampoline - preferably one set as an island in a pool infested with crocodiles
