Today most of my time at work focused on trying to update the Census tract profiles on the City of St. Louis Community Information Network web site.

Hopefully I'll get it done by the end of the week. It's juicy stuff, sort of - levels of education, household income and unemployment, which are often used as proxies for race and class distinctions.

Today was a big day in the world of elections and nominations in the US:

Eddie Murray and Gary Carter were elected for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown NY.

Dennis Hastert was reelected and sworn in as Speaker of the House.

Bill Frist, the only medical doctor in the US Senate, was elected Senate majority leader.

Both of course are Republicans.

On the Democrat side, Senator Tom Daschle announced he will not run for President.

Meanwhile Dick Gephardt is still running for President - but not for his long-held 3rd Congressional District seat in St. Louis, MO.

Who might run, I wonder?

State Senator Steve Stoll of Jefferson County
City of St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay
City of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce?

Interesting times in the political world, to be sure.

Also, Grammy award nominees were announced. Album of the Year nominees include:

St. Louis's own Nelly

Canadian teen rocker Avril Lavigne

The jazzy Norah Jones

Obviously I'm sending my love to Nelly...

You can even vote for Nelly on the American Music Awards web site - the "Fan's Choice Award" will be given to the winner of the poll on the awards show January 13th.

That's all for now.