Chattering classes have come close to consensus: Barack Obama better get used to hearing the Marine Band play “Hail to the Chief” as he goes about his day (how cool?). The man is as good as inaugurated. Polls have him ahead in ways that make us all go. Every historical analysis gives him the edge. Does anyone even remember the guy he’s running against?

Now comes the truth.

Things change, things change, things change. Polls change, moods change, inertia will likely change, and next thing you know the story — and chattering classes reporting or analyzing — will be amended beyond belief. Headlines You Can Expect: “Holy Lazarus! McCain Rises Again!”, “McCain: Pol with Nine Lives”, “Obama’d Out”, or “Obama? Oh Brother!” Which will no doubt be followed by a round of stories saying the exact opposite soon after, I promise.

If the Dem primaries taught us one thing, it’s that elections are cyclical. You remember, you were there… we all were. Oy were we. And statistics and polls prove that many of us were flip-flopping (a term sadly referring to one of John Kerry’s biggest downfalls in the 2004 election) our way through the Dem-on-Dem crime. We were Hill-raisers, we were Barockin’ the vote, and don’t forget we were flighty.

Media angles and strategic PR fuel our indecision. In 2004 Team Bush slammed John Kerry for chucking his medals of honor from his army days. Bush went AWOL, Kerry misplaced a few pieces of silver. In end Bush PR squad won the battle. They put the story first and spun it so meticulously it made enough people question Kerry’s patriotism (whatever).

It’s starting all over! Are you ready, troops? The media already came down on Obama over his refusal to don an American pride pin. Obama explained that the pin “became a substitute for true patriotism” and that he is “going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism.” Media translation: Obama hates America.

Oh, and John McCain, the poor geezer, is the easiest target… heart attack factor runs through his veins. Everyone’s zinging away with the old man-senior citizen punch line. Come on you know it’s hurtful! There are sites out there dedicated to predicting his heart attack. Can you say “Eeek”?

These are non-issue distractions that work, though. (I work in PR and I love distractions.) Examples are endless and the consequences disastrous. Let’s not forget Al Gore passionately tipping Tipper for a smooch to prove he’s not square. I’m still uncomfortable when I see her.

In the months to come, Desperate Housewives will not supply the same level of drama as CNN. Remember, this is our process… You asked for it. You earned it. You will live through it. Look the other way or sit back and enjoy.

Don’t forget to vote, man! [rockthevote.org]

The skyscraper is the original Hummer. When a major corporation (or Donald T) wants to prove importance and wealth it takes to the skyline to “peacock” its greatness by erecting a giant building.

During a trip to Estonia—which has light all the time, incidentally—I got to see up close what was considered the biggest building in the world in the year 1530. By today’s standards it doesn’t even measure up to your college dorm room –a not that impressive hall at age 18.

Point is, as the world expands so does its aesthetic. An old building from 16th C. is almost like a Mercury Sable from the 1980s –seemed cutting edge at the time, sank faster than the year’s TV ratings. (I’m convinced that in 2500, people will write essays like this about the Empire State Building, only they’ll do it through mental code.)

As new trends grace the cultural zeitgeist they are inevitably going to change the look of the world. Thanks to the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Larry David’s ex-, it is considered cooler to appear environmentally aware and favor a Prius over a Hummer. (I guess you could say Larry helped to “curb” our perception.) It’s not about being flashy because now it’s about being thoughtful.

And it seems the green trend is seeping into architecture as well. Perhaps the building with the slick architecture and big ol’ green stamp will soon trump (pun here) the skyscraper.

Green hasn’t only become the new black, it is in fact the new EVERYTHING. …And why not? Just like the Hummer, Skyscrapers have negative effects on the environment by altering the surrounding atmosphere they occupy. The aforementioned EmpStaBuil (its abbrev in the White Pages) will always be a beacon of pride for New York, but it will represent trends of what was, not what is.

What was once grand is now antiquated. The building in Estonia – a prideful church, then a Russian holdover, now a historic church–was thought cutting edge and so were the idea of skyscrapers. The former will always have a huge place in the evolution of architecture, efficient for the times as a space that allowed more people to climb inside. However, compared to the green building of today every old skyscraper is a real Hummer.

In 2005, state of Washington took the national lead by enacting exciting green building legislation. As time goes on more and more states and cities follow suit. This is far from a national trend that we invented: whole countries take environmental responsibility via architecture by building green.

Environmentally-conscious buildings save energy and water and better utilize all our resources—not to mention some of those designs are crazy sleek and modern. I guess the creators behind the Jetsons cartoon had it right when they drew a world that is colorful, full of zest, quicker, cleaner and—boy oh boy—shall we say conscientious…

So in the end, cartoonists are our politically correct visionaries!