Always end your child's name with a vowel, so when you yell the name will carry.

-- Bill Cosby

I've been checking the local hospitals. So far, there is no "Barack" among the newborns, but I'll keep looking.

So far, the best Election Day birth story we've had in the paper this week described how Melissa Mims , of Edgefield, S.C., delivered twins at University Hospital on Tuesday. She also delivered twins on the last presidential Election Day in 2004.

Mom, husband Mike and the newborns, Emme and Abby , are said to be doing fine.

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MORE ELECTION NEWS: There was some national and local concern about civil unrest after the presidential election results came out, but that didn't happen.

In fact, according to statistics kept by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, Tuesday was a pretty normal weekday for early November.

We tracked police calls to the 911 Center and found 733 on Tuesday.

That's more than last year's 598, except Nov. 4, 2007, was a Sunday, and we are, for the most part, better behaved on the Lord's Day.

If you look at Nov. 4, 2004 (a Thursday), you find the 911 Center had 786, so maybe things are getting better.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Scott Gay , of Waynesboro, Ga., says thinking is one thing no one's been able to tax.

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MORE MAIL: Laura and Betty are having a great time aboard Sovereign of the Seas on what looks like a cruise to the Bahamas.

The Parrott Heads of the Savannah River send greetings from Key West, Fla.

And "The Kids" from Briar Creek in Burke County send a postcard from Clayton, Ga., and Waynesville, N.C., where they are checking out fall leaves.

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TODAY'S JOKE : Here's one shared by Everett Fernandez.

It seems a doctor vacationing on the Riviera ran into an old lawyer friend and asked him what he was doing there.

"Remember that lousy real estate investment I bought?" the lawyer said. "Well, it caught fire, so here I am with the fire insurance proceeds. What are you doing here?"

"Funny you should say that," the doctor replied. "Remember that lousy real estate investment I bought in Mississippi? Well, the river overflowed, and here I am with the flood insurance proceeds."

The lawyer looked puzzled for a moment, then asked, "How did you start the flood?"