Holmes/Watson forward

My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.

And now the painful therapy begins. We've got the foreign wars this time too, as well as the painful and poisonous internal troubles Ford referred to.

We started watching on CSPAN, which features long periods of merciful silence, then switched to Jim Lehrer on PBS to get the IDs for the faces. I will need to bail in the middle for gym, so I'll likely miss Obama's speech live. I'm counting on teh intertubes to fill me in.

This was a totally pointless post, but I needed to note the occasion. I've watched two inaugurations in my life: Carter's and now Obama's. Carter seems to have been the only decent human being in the position in recent memory. I think we've got another one.

ETA: my favorite site evar.
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    divadea
    Carter seems to have been the only decent human being in the position in recent memory. I think we've got another one.
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    My thoughts exactly.
    antennapedia
    He's got a monstrous set of problems to solve. I think he's got the skills to do it, but oh man. Now we watch his hair start to turn gray.
    antennapedia
    And now the suffering begins: first I endure DiFi, then I endure a speech disguised as the most unpoetic prayer ever. I wish the American tradition of religion was more about ritual and less about politics. But I guess that's how we got started.
    antennapedia
    Then of course Aretha moves me from grumpy to tearful in seconds.

    Love the symbolism of that choice, too.
    antennapedia
    And her hat was righteous. There were some stylish hats in evidence there today. Can we have a resurgence for the hat on men? I think they look good in hats.
    helenkacan
    For me it was the chamber piece that moved me: I don't think I've ever seen a clarinetist smile while playing. Um, not an easy thing to do. And the joy on Yo Yo Ma's face was beyond uplifting.

    It was a very good morning.

    And I have to giggle, because the swearing in error of switched words in the oath was the fault of Chief Justice Roberts. So, not only did the President have to remember his speech, he also had to watch out for the lines he was being fed.

    Good show!
    stexgirl2000
    I am so happy, so hopeful, even though there is a HUGE freakin' mess to clean up. President Obama is up to the task. Hopefully the rest of us will be too.



    Edited at 2009-01-20 07:03 pm (UTC)
    antennapedia
    Competence in the people he appoints to various positions is the starting point. I loved what he said about the size of gov't not mattering, but whether it works being the test.
    chicken_cem
    Jimmy Carter continues to be one of the most decent human beings on the planet. I haven't actually felt too patriotic since his administration! I remember the most patriotic feeling I ever had in my life was during a 4th of July celebration at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing in 1979 during the Carter administration.

    Today is the first time in a long time that I've looked at bunting and flags with a sense of hope instead of a sense of oppressive fear or dread.
    antennapedia
    He signed the executive order about Guantanamo already. And he ended the torture policy. Already. Day two, and he's already fixing the things of which I was most ashamed. YOU GO OBAMA!
    chicken_cem
    Those were definitely the most shameful things Bush left behind. I'm very glad Obama tackled them immediately.
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