Barack Obama Looks Good Doing Whatever

CRITICAL MASS Barack (Photo: AP Photo/Alex Brandon) • The audacity of being dope: Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama bicycled around Chicago on Sunday wearing a helmet ... and pretty much rocked it. Compared to some of the other candidate headgear that's been worn over the years, this is change you can believe in.

• Eight months in eight minutes: Been buried under a rock the last year or so? No problem, Slate's condensed the entire marathon primary season to date into eight minutes for everyone. Via Videogum

• Flying high: Customs officials in Charlotte are reporting today that they seized nearly 11 pounds of hashish—worth $144,000 on the street—from the luggage of three passengers last week. The clever would-be smugglers disguised the hashish in wooden clothes hangers.

• Diddy or didn't he?: Us Weekly reports that Diddy has changed his name back to Puff Daddy citing his self name-check on O'Neal McKnight's single "Check Your Coat. (We listened to it, he does indeed say he's back using the name.) But Diddy's rep denies the name change. Good luck sleeping until this matter is resolved.

• Girl on Girls: Laura Bush offered praise for Hillary Clinton's now-finished campaign saying she admired the former First Lady's "grit and strength." She also cautioned possible First Lady-to-be Michelle Obama to be "very careful in what you say on the campaign trail."

• You don't say...: A new report from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says imprisoned former lobbyist Jack Abramoff "influenced some White House actions."

• Herp, herp hooray!: In yet another deadly blow against one-night stands and unprotected relations of the sexual variety, a new city Health Department study says one in four New Yorkers is infected with the virus that causes genital herpes.