11:45 - Yes, I’m watching from a bar, indeed, a bar with no wifi so I will have to post this later. Intense Elizabeth asks on Facebook why on earth any DC locals wouldn’t be down on the mall.
A few reasons:
1. When I got up this morning, it was eleven fucking degrees down there.
2. They have closed the mall and are turning people away. Meanwhile, on the news they are showing people who took eight hour bus rides to be here. This is my moment as much as is theirs’, but I think the folks from the bus deserve to see it live if they want to more than I do.
3. Everyone down there who’s not a VIP is watching on jumbotrons anyway. I’m watching on a TV, too. In a nice warm bar where I can get a Guinness. As far as I can tell, the primary draw of being down there is getting to watch in a big crowd of enthusiastic people. Not my scene.
11:50 – Rick Warren is doing a decent job. He’s a big shmuck, but he is. I still don’t see this as much of a big deal. I mean, he’s a Hitler-admiring, abused-wife-chastening, homophobic dumbass, but it’s just a prayer, his wasn’t substantially different from what anyone else’s would have been, and I think it makes liberals look petty when they bitch about this essentially meaningless gesture of Obama’s.
11:51 At the same time, he really did say “Malia” and “Sasha” as if they were expensive cheeses that nobody can pronounce.
11:53 –OMG. I have intense love for Aretha Franklin’s hat. And her singing.
11:57 - Biden is taking his oath. Nice tie. When I became a notary public and had to be sworn in, I kinda hoped someone would make me promise to defend the
constitution. No such luck.
12:00 Barack Obama quietly became president in the middle of the musical performance. It doesn’t happen when he’s sworn in, it happens at noon.
12:03 – Nice music BTW. Jana-who-creates’ facebook status notes that the musicians look very happy to be there.
12:04 Chief Justice Roberts still called him "senator". Maybe he hadn't looked at his watch.
12:05 Obama blew the oath slightly. Watch the wacky conservative bloggers claim that he’s not REALLY the president.
12:06 –The whole bar spontaneously broke out in applause.
12:08 – It was gracious of Obama to thank Bush.
12:10 – The Calvinist that remains in me gets a little swoony when Obama starts to talk about hard work and sacrifice and how it will be required of us.
12:13 Yay “Work of remaking America”
12:14- This is a really good speech.
12:15- There’s another TV on across the bar on a channel that has a feed slightly behind this one. I can understand why they felt the need to put politicians on a delay. I hear Cheney likes to work blue.
12:19 I really like “because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation”
12:20 “We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist” I got chills, kids.
12:22 I’m sure there’s a good reason why some people are watching from behind chain-link fences, but it’s really not a pleasant image. TheCSO points out that they are about as nice as temporary fences get, which is not to say they are a good thing
12:23 Is this the first time atheists have gotten a shoutout in an inaugural speech? Wouldn’t surprise me.
12:28 I do not have a great record of understanding poetry, but this poem seems nice and straightforward. Nobody calls them “boomboxes” anymore, but that’s minor. Good poem.
12:30 There’s a lady who has to be eighty at an adjacent table watching rapt.
12:33 I think I’m pretty much tuning out everybody’s prayers today.
12:35 Malia Obama isn’t paying attention either, but she’s trying to hide it. Poor kid.
12:37 Ok, that prayer got interesting at the end.
12:40 Right in the middle of the star-spangled banner, they showed a woman just screaming with joy and the tears started. Yep, that’s me, crying in a bar, hand over heart.
12:41 Much love for Hillary’s electric blue coat
12:43 Someone on MSNBC just mentioned that Obama is known as “no drama Obama” yet nobody else seems to be able to hold their emotions in check around him. Ayup. I’ve cried with happiness over Obama twice. Unprecedented.
12:50 George W. Bush looks more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him and Cheney older and more pathetic. Godspeed.
1:00 Headed home to crash for a bit and eventually head out for tonight's festivities.
20 comments:
"12:50 George W. Bush looks more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him and Cheney older and more pathetic. Godspeed."
How about *relieved*?
Hopefully the Secret Service won't interpret your Godspeed as a death threat against Dick Cheney CC. I know some paranoid U*Us who might do such a thing. . .
According to the folks at CNN, Obama didn't blow the oath; Chief Justice John Roberts did. Obama recited the correct version and even gave a little grin to the flubbo from the Roberts. The CNN folk were kinda aghast that the Chief Justice would mess up the Constitution of the United States.
(((How about *relieved*?)))
To me "relieved" is about looking happy. Bush didn't look happy exactly.
But I'm sure he's relieved too.
Why would "Godspeed" be a death threat? And why only against Cheney since I said it to both of them?
I think both UUs and the Secret Service have dictionaries and know that it means "good luck in your new undertaking"
CC
(((The CNN folk were kinda aghast that the Chief Justice would mess up the Constitution of the United States.)))
Interesting. I bet Obama gets blamed anyway.
CC
Very much the Robert faux pas on the oath. ABC called him out on it. Any bets of what Fox had to say?
Well, I watched it on the NYTimes's feed, here in my office in NW Ohio, with several dropped images on the way. Nevertheless, it was one of the most memorable occasions of my life. I wouldn't have minded a Guinness, though.
Given Roberts's conservative point of view, able man though he is, it doesn't surprise me that he would mess up the Constitution. Actually, Obama said something of that sort when he voted against Roberts's confirmation.
I wouldn't have minded a Guinness either.
Love H. Clinton's coat and pants, Aretha's hat, and M. Obama's entire ensemble.
Godspeed, amongst other things, means "bon voyage"; and you said it right after noting that Dick Cheney is looking "older and more pathetic". I did say that people interpreting that as a kind of death threat, or at least death wish, would have to be just a tad paranoid like some of the U*Us I know didn't I CC?
I guess my wry & dry ironic sense of humour doesn't always translate well in writing.
Roberts had one job today, with a pre-written, short text. Obama knew what the words were without it; Roberts should have, but had the text--and blew it.
Last gasp resistance?
I've yet to go examine the wingnutosphere to see if "Obama's not actually president because Roberts didn't really administer the oath of office."
And I'd just like to observe that Obama has just a devastating backhand. I wish there were film of Bush's micro-expressions through Obama's inaugural address. Yikes!
in response to what Ogre said, Yes, it looks like Obama shows promise that he might be able to pal around with people who disagree with him without losing sight of what he believes.
(the word verification is "reele")
"Roberts had one job today, with a pre-written, short text. Obama knew what the words were without it; Roberts should have, but had the text--and blew it."
Apparently the problem was that Roberts wanted to be all fancy and say it from memory instead of using the text. As Emily Yoffe said, "I had a bad feeling when I saw Chief Justice John Roberts was not reading the oath but was going to show off that he had memorized it -- it's like the waiter who won't write down your order, then brings you steak instead of duck."
(((I guess my wry & dry ironic sense of humour doesn't always translate well in writing.)))
Eh. I don't particularly consider "Take something that was obviously meant one way, and say that people you don't like would be ignorant of its meaning and take it a different way" as either particularly dry or ironic. Or funny, but that last one is a matter of taste.*
But admittedly, I didn't completely get that you were kidding. I figured that you didn't have much reason to watch the inauguration, so you wouldn't know that in American inaugurations, the tradition since the Reagan/Bush transition has been that right after the inauguration ceremony ends, the former president and vice president get on a plane and fly away, and the new president and vice president see them off.
Thus, my comment was on two levels because when I said "Godspeed," Bush and Cheney were quite literally going on a journey.
CC
*But that could be me. I have another friend who damn near constantly pretends to misunderstand simple questions. He thinks it's hilarious. I've never gotten why that's funny.
((( wish there were film of Bush's micro-expressions through Obama's inaugural address. Yikes!))
Give youtube time, Ogre.
Great response PG, the Emily Yoffee quote made me laugh and I read it to theCSO and he liked it to.
CC
It has indeed started:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/01/fox-news-chris.html
ROTFLMU*UO!
You mean you actually thought I was serious when I said -
Hopefully the Secret Service won't interpret your Godspeed as a death threat against Dick Cheney CC.
Hoo boy. . .
OTOH I was quite serious, and speaking from experience, when I said -
I know some paranoid U*Us who might do such a thing. . .
So you seriously think there are UUs who might take "Godspeed" that way?
CC
I said that I was *quite* serious CC. The fact of the matter is that some Montreal Unitarian U*Us have made written depositions to Quebec Court that I might come in and shoot up the Unitarian Church of Montreal on even flimsier "evidence" than your "Godspeed" aka bon voyage. You should read what some stunningly paranoid U*Us have said about may and may well get that opportunity down the road a bit. . .
about me
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