We people who work from home are not going to get much work done today! Alison, the Guardian is doing a series ‘1000 Novels everyone must read’, in daily sections: love, crime, etc. Today’s is ‘Family and Self’ and you’re listed as one of the best five graphic novels!! Go to .
I’m also having trouble focusing on anything other than the inaguration, but trying to use words from Obama’s speech to inspire me to get to work:
“What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.”
It feels like a holiday. My son wished me a Happy Inaguration Day this morning. I wish the same to you all. Happy Inaguration Day.
OK, gotta get back to making bread. I’m spending the whole day cooking for a very happy party tonight. Happy inauguration day to everyone in the whole world.
I was listening to NPR this morning, where someone compared today to Reagan’s 1981 inauguration. Ha! This is more like 1961, with a young, thin president who is giving America a good name around the world.
Also, interesting that A.B. was watching the event unfold on MSNBC. I watched from my PC, and I deliberately picked Rachel Maddow’s network as my web site choice…
I had a job interview at ten, so I could only stay for a few minutes, but I went down to the Paramount Theatre, which was showing the ABC coverage on a big screen. I had to be in a big crowd. How they booed and hissed the old President, how they cheered the new one! I’m going to go eat breakfast now, then find another party.
It’s a warm, bright, uplifted day here in Boulder. As one commentator said, Today is the true beginning of the new millennium.
I watched the Inauguration with a group of neighbors in our community house. They left after the benediction, but I continued to watch the helicopter take off. (I kept wondering if it would explode for some odd reason.)
I was watching on a complicated large screen projector and I didn’t know how to change channels and C-SPAN was silent as the Obamas and Bushes walked down the steps. There was something eerie about the silence yet it was also fun to make up dialogue and thought bubbles for them.
I loved the music with Yo Yo Ma, Perlman, McGill and Montero. Now I want to download Mr. McGill and his clarinet.
I have had a migraine for a few days and really wanted to go to the local Crazy Theater (the Parkway in Oakland) to watch it on the big screen. However, I had to settle for sitting in my own living room in my Vicodin-induced haze watching two smart guys get sworn in for their new jobs. The sun was shining so brightly, I could barely see the TV screen. But it was, in its own way, a perfect moment.
hey lea, we never were the “old” europe. we are a self-confident, free and united country thankful – and we never forgot this – due to america. now we can step beside america again, with new hope and faith. Thank you so much and congratulation! have a nice day! we have a lot of work tomorrow… E.
I grew up in churches that resemble the one Rick Warren pastors. In spite of the egregious things he’s said, I’m inclined to be a little more charitable than most to self-styled evangelicals like him because there are so many of them in my family..
But his invocation was just abysmal. It was like he had no sense for what’s required at such an august occasion. I got the impression that he was pretending that he was convening a service in front of his congregation.
(Leading into the Lord’s Prayer? Seriously? He obviously thought that the tens of thousands of people on the Mall were going to join him in reciting it — and boy was he wrong.)
So it all came off as kind of hollow and forced and self-important. And I’ll admit that I feel a bit of guilty pleasure about that.
I was stuck at work all day and my attempt at getting TV news to stream was thwarted by the college’s net guard dog. So when I got an email from a student saying, Sorry I’m not in today, I’m taking the day off to watch the inauguration, I wrote back saying, you’re sacked.
Now I’m going to see if the party at a local theatre is still happening. This is a majority-black district so it should be memorable.
Warren’s prayer also took the Shema, which is the core prayer of Judaism (hear O israel the lord is Ggod the lord is one–he changed it to the lord is _our_ god) and stuck it into a specifically Christian discussion of god and religion. Very, very not okay.
With respect to Gene Robinson:
Don’t know (I had to look the invocation up on YouTube).
With respect to the SFGMC:
I listened to the concert on NPR and the group was identified after they sang. OTOH, this seemed to be common practice throughout the concert (i.e. many acts were identified after the fact).
I like that Roberts used Obama’s whole name — Hussein and all — obviously at Obama’s request (like including “so help me God,” which is optional and the choice of the incoming Prez or VP). Enough of the closeting of the Muslim connection.
PS in case my hissy fit at a student for taking the day off seems unreasonable – the ceremony was on at 5pm UK time.
And the party up the road was over by the time i got home.
Pah.
Cat Pimp, I’m feelin’ for ya. Then again, taking vicodin as we bid adieu to the evil Shrub seems apropos for some reason. (not to belittle your achin’ poor head!) 🙁
Why was Warren so weirdly pronouncing “Sasha!” and “Melia!”? like they were some kind of exotic species? I dunno, I found it all pretty weird and alien as a Jew… (ps I counted 4 religious-type references from Obama — ie “according to scripture…” – who’s scripture? – ewww.) CNN broadcast a lot of people openly moved, some to tears and uttering hallelujah when Rick Warren spoke. I thought, OK, that can’t be all bad.
Alison! You gave JR a cake! I guess they’re all at home today then. Me – I’m off to party.
That cake + stuff is from an old strip. We still have to wait for AB to surprise us with the one-off snapshot of what’s happening at Dyke Towers.
My T-shirt is better than Stuart’s. In lettering made from the starsnstripes, it says Fuck Bush (but i kept a shirt on over it at work). My GWB toilet-paper roll has been popular too.
I had to work today, but I taped the inauguration. At 11.45 I wanted to shout, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank the Goddess above, Bush is out at last!”
Looking at the White House page has made me a tad misty eyed. I think it’s time for a wild party. Rhubarb wine’s on me tonight!
The Sh’ma is Deuteronomy 6:4, and it *does* say “The Lord is *our* God, the Lord is One”. Or rather, it says “The Lord— our God, the Lord— One”. Or maybe “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” Or maybe….
(Hebrew doesn’t use a present tense form of the verb “to be”. This leads to ambiguity in the text, which has been played on in many different ways by translators and commentators.)
But I do agree that as the central affirmation of Judaism, the Sh’ma needs careful handling by Christians.
I too caught the reference to the central Jewish prayer “Sh’ma” (“Sh’ma Yisroel, Adonai Eloheynu, Adonai Echod”/”Hear O Israel, Adonai is G_d, Adonai is One”), but I missed Warren’s change to “our G_d”. Not sure how to interpret his intent, he was obviously trying to be inclusive with use of the Sh’ma, but I’m not sure he was trying to subvert it to a Christian interpretation.
That said, the scene in Manhattan was intense. I stopped in a diner for lunch and to watch the inauguration. Everyone was riveted to the TVs; people standing by the counter, dead silence during the oath, followed by raucous applause, hugs, and tears. Total strangers hugged, many took pictures of the crowd, of the TV, everyone smiling. No singing of “Kumbaya”, however.
Aretha was absolutely fabulous. That’s all the song I needed for the day.
Now for the sad news… Ted Kennedy collapsed at the inaugural luncheon and was taken to the hospital. Prayers and other higher power supplications to him.
If memory serves,the above strip was done for JR’s birthday last year. Stewart’s shirt reflects the “end of an error” sentiment many leftists have championed over the past year. The adults appear worried because our youngest activist appears to be greedy,rather than cooperative. To quote Raffi in his early years,regarding a large conflict: “they should share.”
Anyway,an excellent re-use of the strip on a very happy day. I think the first and last time I watched an inauguration ceremony on TV was Kennedy’s in 1961! Yes,this was the man I had heard speak in 1960 when I’d just started 4th grade,and my mom had said,”this man may be president.”
This inauguration is history-making in so many ways.
I thought I was going to stay away from the TV and read. That’s not working out.
But I retreat under the bedcovers & utter some unGodly phrases when Mr Saddleback was introduced. Bleah.
But overall, YAHOO!
This is wandering pretty far off-topic (especial on this day or days), but while I have no idea what Warren’s intent was –and as Tamar notes, some flexibility with translation into English is probably reasonable–, just to add a footnote, the opening of the Shema is also quoted in the NT, most notably in Mark 12 when Jesus is asked to named the most important commandment.
Suz et al,
I was always taught the translation this way,
Hear O Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is One…
not Hear O Israel, the Lord IS G-d, the Lord IS One…
so I would assume it is in writing, the translation,
that way in many places… as I have always seen it written as “our”
in fact, Elohainu,
I believe, is the noun in the plural possessive form,
meaning
the “it” belongs to us…
not simply that “it is”….
but, there may be some Hebrew scholars
who would disagree with what I was taught??
Maybe he just fupped duck, eh? It’s not like the Sh’ma is on his mind every day, I wouldn’t think.
I liked Reverend Joseph Lowery’s benediction which included a prayer for the day when “the red man can get ahead, man.”
Amid all the pomp and history and fabulous stuff, up pops a reminder that we stole this great nation. I was noticing a distinct lack of recognition of Native Americans until that point.
There was far too much praying for me, though, aside from Lowery’s benediction. I watched coverage from about 8 or 9 a.m. until about 2 p.m., and after awhile it seemed like people’s eyes were glazing over. And mine.
All in all, thankful and happy as I might be to see this fine day, there was far too much religion all the way around.
The Obamas started their day in church and essentially prayed their way down up and down the various corridors and avenues of the city, with an occasional stop for sustenance.
I wouldn’t say I felt completely pummeled with the Bible all morning, but every time I started to enjoy the proceedings, I was thwaped on the back of the head with a prayer book. “Now that we’ve named everyone in the room, let us pray. Everyone please rise, let us pray. Before we begin the luncheon, let us pray.” AAAAH!
After all of that churchy kind of stuff, I started having these really scary Episcopalian flashbacks of my mom forcing me into a scratchy dress, pinning a doily to my head, and pushing my hands into white gloves that made my palms sweat.
Mixed in with all the amazement of the day, the sense of real, genuine optimism that perhaps this is the final bit of momentum that swings the door shut on the Old Ways, was also the enormous relief of seeing the end of the Bush Administration.
The Supreme Court is safe. Science, facts, evidence, rationality might finally return as the methods by which policy is made. The Democrats might gain a supermajority in two years. Gene Roddenberry explained to one of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation that the Star Trek universe was one in which no one went to bed hungry and all the children could read.
Wouldn’t it be nice to look back, 30 years from now, and remember that this was the day everything started to change? That this was when the pendulum finally started to swing toward Better?
So let’s all take a moment to remember the friends, the family, and the famous, who did not live to see the end of the Bush administration, but would have been delighted to see it.
Woo Hoo! I watched the inauguration on the big screen at the Riverview Theater in MPLS, and when Bush and Cheney were leaving the crowd spontaneously start singing “na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, good bye…” over and over.
I was happy that Obama mentioned “nonbelievers” in his speech. Finally! Yes, way too much praying – though I admit to really liking Lowery’s prayer. Aren’t we supposed to have separation of church and state?
Rick Warren was just gross. Icky diction, indeed, R2A. And he should be ashamed of himself after all that anti-gay bigotry to be up there reveling in equality for everyone.
I put up a post containing a video link and commenting on Jesus’ use of the Shema in Mark 12:29-30 (KJV) as the first and greatest commandment, but it appears to have been caught by the spamcatcher. Twice – oops! Not that I ever thought I’d be quoting the New Testament on D2WO4!
I was kind of hoping that the Democrats would be chasing the Bushes down the steps of Congress throwing shoes after him, which would have made the day perfect. My first reaction was to imagine a child, “Has the nasty man finally gone, Mommy? Can I open my eyes again?” Because so many people have used the phrase “nightmare is over”. And I was thinking that the USA will never again have a President with so much international goodwill.
My mother and her boyfriend were one of the quadrillions at the inauguration. (“I’ll be the one in the red coat,” she said.) They had a blast.
Ian, during the interminable wait for the Bushes to exit, I kept thinking of C-3PO trying to scare off the disgusting flying mynocks in The Empire Strikes Back – “SHOO! Shoo! Go away!! BEASTLY things!”
Another movie reference – when I saw Cheney in that wheelchair, I immediately thought of Lionel Barrymore in It’s A Wonderful Life. Did anyone else? Can’t you just see him folding up the money into the newspaper, sneering, and ordering his manservant to whisk him away?
I had the day off, so I spent it glued to my 40″ Hi-Def Sony Blovia. (What can I say? It was a gift!) Matter of fact, the cable person came yesterday to hook up the hi-def part. I gotta say, it’s sweeeeeeeet. My God, I’m turning into Sydney.
Holly and I had a party and we watched on my 37″ Hi-Def Sony Blovia which I got last summer. It seemed a little excessively large at the time, but last night it was just right. (in my comic strip, Sydney would always get the electronics I coveted years before I could actually afford them myself)
The party was amazing. People were so excited. And when CNN replayed the ceremony around 7:30, everyone listened rapt and silent for half an hour.
Ginjoint – YES! My dad always refers to Cheney as “Potter.” I tend to prefer “Voldemort,” though. And I like what Jon Stewart said: that they may as well have been playing the Empire theme from Star Wars as Cheney was brought out, and that he should have had a white cat on his lap, a la Dr. No.
As an Aussie, all I can say is thank you so much for voting this man in! Makes me almost hopeful about the world again…
Am yet to watch our tape of the event as it was in the middle of the night here – but watched his speech first thing this morning on the Guardian website and didn’t care that I was late for work. I hope he can deliver on just half of what he promises – surely the world (and of course the US) will have to be in better shape.
I immediately saw Cheney as Mr. Potter! I mean, the guy’s in a wheelchair and I still just can’t have any sympathy for him. He looked like he was ready to lash out in his usual Potter-ish way and strike someone with his cane.
And on the music front, my partner also started singing when we saw Bush leaving on the helicopter.. so long, farewell, au weidersen, adieu!
(sorry about the spelling)
Ginjoint: Don’t bother with the PDA…just get a really cool smart phone. I have a Motorola Q9c, and it is awesome…the internet with me everywhere I go!! I have a 32″ Sony Bravia, but my house is tiny (I lovingly refer to it as “the bungalo”, so it seems really big 🙂
And I had a great time using my really cool phone to text all my friends and say “and now the world is a better place.”
Although I agree with the comments above, way too much praying for my taste.
All day in my head yesterday, I kept hearing Frodo say, “It’s over. It’s done,” when he’s finally cast the ring into the fire. So, I feel like Aragorn has returned and will lead us to new heights of fairness and decency!
A co-worker and I spontaneously began hugging and jumping around when we saw each other first thing yesterday morning.
As an atheist, I second all the comments about waaaay too much religion. Why should we even have an invocation or benediction at all?
My husband and I watched a bit of it–he had to get to the dentist, so we left not too long after Bush arrived in MD.
I did my fair share of cheering and dancing for Obama–I’m not an Obama fangirl, but it’s sooo refreshing to have an intelligent person leading this country who seems to be able to empathize with working class citizens.
I loved the sense of humor at the end of the benediction. 🙂
It felt good to insult Bush at every chance I had. 😉
Did anyone else notice that the helicopter transporting Bush seemed to avoid Arlington Nat’l Cemetery?
I was reading on the BBC this morning that Obama has asked for a stay on the military tribunals in Guantanamo in order to find a solution that at least acknowledges the Geneva conventions. I felt like some sanity was returning to the world just 24 hours in. I don’t know if the action can match the rhetoric, but I have to say, the man is one inspiring, powerful, charismatic speaker. I want to believe in him, which I can’t say for any other politician of the past 25 years.
I wish I could have partied it up, but I sat on the back porch in the weirdly warm weather and just felt safe for the first time since 2001. I’d started to feel better when Joe Biden was sworn in. I hate to say this, but I thought, “Good. Even if an asteroid hits Obama, we still have Joe – its too late for a Republican coup, now.” I was steamed that the judge messed up the oath. I am in the camp that BHO needs to retake it so the tinfoil hat people don’t make a stink.
I am also glad that BHO mentioned the nonbelievers in his speech. We’re only 26% of the population – sheesh.
The rest of it I was not interested in. I’m the same way with the Oscars. Just show me the folks winning the prizes and I am making a sandwich when the chorus girls are out.
The most annoying side effect of all of this is that an old high school chum on facebook is doing the sour grapes routine all over my wall. I am so tired of the McCain/Palin talking points that she is regurgitating.
“As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.”
Cat Pimp! My partner monitors the tinfoil hats (a bit obsessviely since the PUMAs emerged) and came up with the most amazing rants about how Prez obama is not the prez and how he’s really a Muslim, not born in the US and , and… WHAT planet have these people migrated from?? And can we send them back?
anyone who says to me ‘Oh well, it’s very nice not to have Bush but who knows what he {Obama] will do’ – I say ‘yes you’re right, we don’t know – maybe we would’ve been better off with Sarah Palin being sworn in a Vice President’ – that shuts people up pretty darn quick.
Loved the party boot photo. Also enjoyed Daily Show and Colbert last night, particularly Colbert’s line which was something like, and today all those 1 20 09 countdown clocks exploded! You fools!
Yeah, Stewart and Colbert were both spot-on last night. My favorite bit was with Jon Stewart and Jason Jones, comparing Bush’s rhetoric vs. Obama’s.
Jones: “Aw, why do you have to do that?!”
Stewart: “I’m sorry! It’s all I know!”
What, Allison, you guys didn’t ceremonially throw the party boots at Bush’s departure (carefully aimed to fall short of the beautiful television!)? *grin*
Bumper sticker from last year that I saw…
“OMG! Bush has the Ring, and Chenney has released the Flying monkeys!” ROFLMAO!
Notice that one of the first things Obama did today on Capitol Hill was to freeze all salaries! Given the automatic payraises from rich to richer they have all been getting like clock work for eons, irregardless of the rest of America, I am chortling away over here. ‘Bout damn time!
As a gay Christian, and no, it’s not an oxymoron thankyou very much!, the praying didn’t totally throw me…although as a Christian who regularly winces and cringes when some of my faith regularly make offensive asses out of themselves and do harm to the name of what they believe, I was doing my own praying during Warren’s prayer – “Dear God, please don’t let him do anything really stupid or offensive, it’s bad enough that he’s up there as it is!I like being a Christian and I really don’t want to feel like I need to change my name!” Well, despite the justifiable criticisms of Warren’s prayer and presence raised above which I profoundly agree with, folks, it could have been ALOT worse! Really! Unfortunately he wants to be the new Billy Graham and I for one think he is so far short of the mark that I wish he would crawl back under his rock. And despite all the scriptural rhetoric he spouts,his “purpose driven” idealogy is miles from what Christianiy is suppose to be about. Also, I too was relieved to hear “non-believers” mentioned. Finally! What I believe works for me personally. It does not work for everyone and I for one am sick of the wingnuts forcing it down everyones throat. If diversity makes us strong than we need that multiplicity of belief, differing religions and non-belief. The world is a better place for all of us being in it as we are…not as one forced homogenous congealed artificial lump! So, I am going to go get some calomine lotion for the hives that Warrens presence raised, give thanks that he didn’t screw it up as bad as he could have (with his determined platform I was truly, profoundly afraid of a derogatoy antigay slur in that prayer, I really was!) and grimly admit that if I truly honor diversity and equal rights, then he has the right to exist too.(gulp! Ugh!) Even if I detest what he stands for.
So…
Maybe when I am 70, I will stand on the Mall with two million people and rejoice and say that I did not think I would live to see the day, when our openly Lesbian president is sworn in! Who’s with me? Maybe with a Wiccan invocation… Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that is a reality today, a reality for ALL of us, that he proposed for ALL of us…whites and blacks alike.
Let’s dream folks!
Hey Catpimp! You wrote above “I was steamed that the judge messed up the oath. I am in the camp that BHO needs to retake it so the tinfoil hat people don’t make a stink.”
Guess what…HE DID RETAKE IT!!! Check it out… http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_oath_do_over
Also, two other previous presidents have repeated the oath because of similar issues, Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur. So, hopefully we have deflected the tinfoil hat people! *grin*
Catpimp: If it makes you feel any better, I heard Sarah Palin on Alaska Public Radio the other day saying something along the lines of–Alaska is fortunate to have Obama as the incoming President. His planned energy policy will be so good for Alaska…it made me do a little happy dance to hear her (of all people) say those words!
A friend commented today that she viewed all the religiosity in the context of the cornerstone role played by the church in the black community from the civil rights era to present — an integral part of the black community. (I know: still…)
>>so the tinfoil hat people don’t make a stink
I get the gist but not the reference. From whence comes that?? (I could look it up but I’m lazy ~ after an exhilarating 2 days.)
GOBAMA – make us proud! Close Gitmo, freeze salaries, lift the ban on stem cell research, fund family planning that includes abortion abroad, pass new leg on lobbying… and overturn DOMA! (a gal can hope, can’t she?)
The old Child Online Protection Act signed by Bill Clinton 10 years ago has apparently finally been given the hoof by the Supreme Court. I remember at least two DTWOF episodes dealing with it in 98 (can’t remember the ep. no’s) and Lois complaining about this “constitutional crock of shit” as well as a ‘cyber-ready’ formatted strip with all the blackout bars.
Those who believe in mind-control rays or telepathic spies often line their hats with foil to protect themselves. It’s not a specific reference but a real phenomenon, or at least an urban legend.
Why woudl you want a normal work day when that was going on?
They announced that anyone who wanted to could watch on the tv at my town’s library, and we wanted to see it with others. A total of 33 ppl showed up, including 3 members of the gator family and a friend. Way better than seeing it home alone in my opinion.
We invited a neighbor, but she wanted to watch it alone so she could cry all she wanted in private. There were a few happy quiet sniffles in the library, but no on ewent so far as to need the kleenex that they supplied.
I’ve tried posting a comment twice now with some fun links, but have been unsuccessful….so here’s what I wanted to say, and info on the links.
Hannah, I really appreciated your comments on your faith. It’s all too easy to think that all religious people are bigots, since that gets a lot of media play. Thanks for the counter check!
I also tried to provide links to a couple of funny videos. So for some good laughs. Look up on Youtube: “Cheney wheelchair, Benny Hill style” and “Barack and Michelle do WHAT together?” It’s worth it!
Congrats everyone! As Quebec singer Isabelle Pierre sang over 30 years ago, “C’est le début d’un temps nouveau.” Clarice must finally be cured of her depression.
One thing though: what’s with all the praying? This was the only weird part about the inauguration ceremony. Loved Elizabeth Alexander’s reading, the poem itself and the way she read it, almost like contemporary music.
But a benediction, after an already too long invocation? That’s when I turned off the TV. Seriously folks, do the words “separation of church and state” ring a bell?
Oh, and I ended up watching on my local Canadian network, how PC is that?
Hannah, thank you very much for posting that article. It looks like BHO is very mindful of the constant faux controversies that the Limbaugh crowd keeps drumming up.
I woke up this morning and looked out the window at the more January-ish weather outside (rain) and smiled because we have a nerd in the White House, finally.
I don’t know but after being so excited I’m already really disappointed in Obama. From Hilary’s continued support of the Israelis massacring the Palestinians to that inauguration speech that was in favour of America as world cop, focussed on terrorism and talked about Middle Eastern countries as “enemies” (in the context of oil/environment), troubled me. The speech didn’t sound that much different to the kind of rhetoric we’ve been seeing during the Bush years. I hope his actions from now on show true difference from the Bush administration and he didn’t trick us all.
Inauguration Day was great, but I was surprised by how mad I got at the incompetence of Chief Justice Roberts (at least, I HOPE his misreading of the oath of office was not an intentional slight to President Obama); I voted for Obama, but I didn’t know how much I had vested in him until that moment. Oh, and I saw the geologic map of Vermont and New Hampshire on the wall in the posted photo of A.B.’s place! Well done, A.B.!
Jenny, as I know you know, Obama signed an order to shut down Guantanamo within the year. He also signed an order to release many records the Bush admin kept secret. He is working hard to figure out how to get out of Iraq. And actually, the threat of terrorism still exists, and we can’t be naive about it. But the way out is engagement, education, etc. I think Obama knows this as well.
Ready2Agitate, I had the great misfortune of meeting Rick Warren at the International AIDS Conference a few years ago. He treated the young Zambian woman I was with as an exotic. It was horrifying, and it all came rushing back to me when he said the Obama girls’ names.
As for Obama’s religious references, I thought they were even-handed, and was impressed that he named America as a nation of many faiths and non-believers.
Actually, judybusy, the way out of Iraq is already laid out in the Status of Forces Agreement that was worked out last fall. All Obama has to do is obey it. But will he? I’m not making any assumptions.
Hannah, I don’t regard gay Christians as an oxymoron. There are rich Christians, there are divorced and remarried Christians, there are Christians who regard their biological “families” instead of the church as their true family, there are military Christians. I do wish gay Christians would stop accusing their antigay opponents of selective reading of the Bible, but since accusing other Christians of selective reading is virtually a foundation of the faith, I guess there’s nothing to be done about it. One thing, though: remember that being a Christian is a lifestyle choice. You weren’t born that way, and you can change.
Maybe Obama’s religious references were “even-handed”, but since his religious beliefs require him (so he claims) to oppose same-sex *civil* marriage (which has nothing to do with religion), I’m wary of him. You don’t achieve even-handedness by inviting a bigot and a non-bigot to the party. Of course I’m also wary of him on other grounds — his remarks of yesterday on the Middle East were incredibly dishonest, and a harbinger of more trouble to come. Yes, he’s Not Bush, but that in itself isn’t enough to make me worship him. I don’t like personality cults, regardless of their object.
I’m a reporter for a paper owned by a very conservative family. Everyone in our newsroom- teary-eyed and smiling with hope – watched the inauguration on our computers.
Then the boss arrived and threatened to fire us all.
@anon-eponymous… how true, how true. I give it about a year at most before “The Audacity of Hope” is replaced by “The Mendacity of Hope” on the Bunns & Noodles shelves.
We were standing near the Washington Monument. When Obama finished his address, my friend smiled and said, “I think I feel my civil rights coming back!”
thankyou for expressing real life in your strip! First timer, wears a Utilikilt, LOVES YOUR STRIP!Wishes you were still featured in insideOUT magazine. Good Luck!! Will be appreciating!
106 Responses to “1.20.09”
We people who work from home are not going to get much work done today! Alison, the Guardian is doing a series ‘1000 Novels everyone must read’, in daily sections: love, crime, etc. Today’s is ‘Family and Self’ and you’re listed as one of the best five graphic novels!! Go to .
Haha…
Have a great day celebrating!
Greetings from the old Europe!
Lea (Germany)
Alison, as a fellow worker-from-homer with the same problem, a suggestion: Think NPR, not TV.
OK, everybody, here’s your assignment for the day:
Work the phrase “Former President George W Bush” into as many sentences as possible.
I’m not sure what’s worse, not being able to focus on work or not wanting to go to class.. I want to party!
Those of us at work aren’t getting much work done either. Just saw the whole inauguration and now I can’t concentrate.
I’m also having trouble focusing on anything other than the inaguration, but trying to use words from Obama’s speech to inspire me to get to work:
“What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.”
It feels like a holiday. My son wished me a Happy Inaguration Day this morning. I wish the same to you all. Happy Inaguration Day.
Aretha.
Wow.
Watching Bush get on his helicopter!
Go!
Go away now!
Buh bye!
Hello President Obama!
It’s like a wonderful dream…
I know, Robin! Please don’t pinch me.
If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.
OK, gotta get back to making bread. I’m spending the whole day cooking for a very happy party tonight. Happy inauguration day to everyone in the whole world.
How’s Clarice feeling?
I was listening to NPR this morning, where someone compared today to Reagan’s 1981 inauguration. Ha! This is more like 1961, with a young, thin president who is giving America a good name around the world.
Also, interesting that A.B. was watching the event unfold on MSNBC. I watched from my PC, and I deliberately picked Rachel Maddow’s network as my web site choice…
Like in the Warner Bros. cartoon – Bye bye! Bye! Bye now! See ya! Bon Voyage! Adios! : D
I still have to work, but do so at home, so t’was no prob for watching the festivities.
Whoo Hoo! In addition to watching the door hit Dubya’s a** on the way out, I am turning 30 today! I’m gonna party like its 1979!
A.B.-My b’day present from my sister was a signed copy of Essential.
The White House website has ALREADY been updated to include support for the LGBT community. See ya Bush! Change is here!
http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/
Did anybody else pick u
I had a job interview at ten, so I could only stay for a few minutes, but I went down to the Paramount Theatre, which was showing the ABC coverage on a big screen. I had to be in a big crowd. How they booed and hissed the old President, how they cheered the new one! I’m going to go eat breakfast now, then find another party.
I’m sorry, Therry. You were saying?
Did anybody else pick up that Rick Warren used the Muslim name for Jesus in his prayer? Homos are a no no but Muslims are a go go.
It’s a warm, bright, uplifted day here in Boulder. As one commentator said, Today is the true beginning of the new millennium.
I watched the Inauguration with a group of neighbors in our community house. They left after the benediction, but I continued to watch the helicopter take off. (I kept wondering if it would explode for some odd reason.)
I was watching on a complicated large screen projector and I didn’t know how to change channels and C-SPAN was silent as the Obamas and Bushes walked down the steps. There was something eerie about the silence yet it was also fun to make up dialogue and thought bubbles for them.
I loved the music with Yo Yo Ma, Perlman, McGill and Montero. Now I want to download Mr. McGill and his clarinet.
Ah, Anonymous was me.
Also — does anyone else think Rick Warren looks kind of swishy?
I have had a migraine for a few days and really wanted to go to the local Crazy Theater (the Parkway in Oakland) to watch it on the big screen. However, I had to settle for sitting in my own living room in my Vicodin-induced haze watching two smart guys get sworn in for their new jobs. The sun was shining so brightly, I could barely see the TV screen. But it was, in its own way, a perfect moment.
Mine?
Try Yours, Mine and Ours.
hey lea, we never were the “old” europe. we are a self-confident, free and united country thankful – and we never forgot this – due to america. now we can step beside america again, with new hope and faith. Thank you so much and congratulation! have a nice day! we have a lot of work tomorrow… E.
Whats this? Carpe Devil’sfood cake? lol
Congratulations to everyone in the US today 🙂
I grew up in churches that resemble the one Rick Warren pastors. In spite of the egregious things he’s said, I’m inclined to be a little more charitable than most to self-styled evangelicals like him because there are so many of them in my family..
But his invocation was just abysmal. It was like he had no sense for what’s required at such an august occasion. I got the impression that he was pretending that he was convening a service in front of his congregation.
(Leading into the Lord’s Prayer? Seriously? He obviously thought that the tens of thousands of people on the Mall were going to join him in reciting it — and boy was he wrong.)
So it all came off as kind of hollow and forced and self-important. And I’ll admit that I feel a bit of guilty pleasure about that.
The missing link from Falloch’s post about the Guardian is http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jan/20/1000-novels-graphic-comics
I was stuck at work all day and my attempt at getting TV news to stream was thwarted by the college’s net guard dog. So when I got an email from a student saying, Sorry I’m not in today, I’m taking the day off to watch the inauguration, I wrote back saying, you’re sacked.
Now I’m going to see if the party at a local theatre is still happening. This is a majority-black district so it should be memorable.
better already, innit? ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Warren’s prayer also took the Shema, which is the core prayer of Judaism (hear O israel the lord is Ggod the lord is one–he changed it to the lord is _our_ god) and stuck it into a specifically Christian discussion of god and religion. Very, very not okay.
So, does anyone here know why Gene Robinson’s prayer wasn’t broadcast and why the San Francisco Gay men’s chorus wasn’t introduced?
ellen:
With respect to Gene Robinson:
Don’t know (I had to look the invocation up on YouTube).
With respect to the SFGMC:
I listened to the concert on NPR and the group was identified after they sang. OTOH, this seemed to be common practice throughout the concert (i.e. many acts were identified after the fact).
Just clicked the civil rights link mentioned above.
This old straight white male is not ashamed to say that I wept openly while reading it.
At last, this IS what hope feels like.
Feels good.
I like that Roberts used Obama’s whole name — Hussein and all — obviously at Obama’s request (like including “so help me God,” which is optional and the choice of the incoming Prez or VP). Enough of the closeting of the Muslim connection.
PS in case my hissy fit at a student for taking the day off seems unreasonable – the ceremony was on at 5pm UK time.
And the party up the road was over by the time i got home.
Pah.
I’ve just been so happy all day. I still feel as though I’m dreaming sometimes…A distressing chapter in our nation’s history is over.
Cat Pimp, I’m feelin’ for ya. Then again, taking vicodin as we bid adieu to the evil Shrub seems apropos for some reason. (not to belittle your achin’ poor head!) 🙁
Why was Warren so weirdly pronouncing “Sasha!” and “Melia!”? like they were some kind of exotic species? I dunno, I found it all pretty weird and alien as a Jew… (ps I counted 4 religious-type references from Obama — ie “according to scripture…” – who’s scripture? – ewww.) CNN broadcast a lot of people openly moved, some to tears and uttering hallelujah when Rick Warren spoke. I thought, OK, that can’t be all bad.
Alison! You gave JR a cake! I guess they’re all at home today then. Me – I’m off to party.
Obamarama HUGS!
Alison: thanks for the glimpse into how some of the DTWOF family spent the day. Jaio-Raizel, the world is yours!
oop – “whose scripture?”
I do wish the dykes in today’s strip were just a little happy, though, huh? just a little?
That cake + stuff is from an old strip. We still have to wait for AB to surprise us with the one-off snapshot of what’s happening at Dyke Towers.
My T-shirt is better than Stuart’s. In lettering made from the starsnstripes, it says Fuck Bush (but i kept a shirt on over it at work). My GWB toilet-paper roll has been popular too.
I had to work today, but I taped the inauguration. At 11.45 I wanted to shout, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank the Goddess above, Bush is out at last!”
Looking at the White House page has made me a tad misty eyed. I think it’s time for a wild party. Rhubarb wine’s on me tonight!
The Sh’ma is Deuteronomy 6:4, and it *does* say “The Lord is *our* God, the Lord is One”. Or rather, it says “The Lord— our God, the Lord— One”. Or maybe “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” Or maybe….
(Hebrew doesn’t use a present tense form of the verb “to be”. This leads to ambiguity in the text, which has been played on in many different ways by translators and commentators.)
But I do agree that as the central affirmation of Judaism, the Sh’ma needs careful handling by Christians.
I too caught the reference to the central Jewish prayer “Sh’ma” (“Sh’ma Yisroel, Adonai Eloheynu, Adonai Echod”/”Hear O Israel, Adonai is G_d, Adonai is One”), but I missed Warren’s change to “our G_d”. Not sure how to interpret his intent, he was obviously trying to be inclusive with use of the Sh’ma, but I’m not sure he was trying to subvert it to a Christian interpretation.
That said, the scene in Manhattan was intense. I stopped in a diner for lunch and to watch the inauguration. Everyone was riveted to the TVs; people standing by the counter, dead silence during the oath, followed by raucous applause, hugs, and tears. Total strangers hugged, many took pictures of the crowd, of the TV, everyone smiling. No singing of “Kumbaya”, however.
Aretha was absolutely fabulous. That’s all the song I needed for the day.
Now for the sad news… Ted Kennedy collapsed at the inaugural luncheon and was taken to the hospital. Prayers and other higher power supplications to him.
If memory serves,the above strip was done for JR’s birthday last year. Stewart’s shirt reflects the “end of an error” sentiment many leftists have championed over the past year. The adults appear worried because our youngest activist appears to be greedy,rather than cooperative. To quote Raffi in his early years,regarding a large conflict: “they should share.”
Anyway,an excellent re-use of the strip on a very happy day. I think the first and last time I watched an inauguration ceremony on TV was Kennedy’s in 1961! Yes,this was the man I had heard speak in 1960 when I’d just started 4th grade,and my mom had said,”this man may be president.”
This inauguration is history-making in so many ways.
I thought I was going to stay away from the TV and read. That’s not working out.
But I retreat under the bedcovers & utter some unGodly phrases when Mr Saddleback was introduced. Bleah.
But overall, YAHOO!
This is wandering pretty far off-topic (especial on this day or days), but while I have no idea what Warren’s intent was –and as Tamar notes, some flexibility with translation into English is probably reasonable–, just to add a footnote, the opening of the Shema is also quoted in the NT, most notably in Mark 12 when Jesus is asked to named the most important commandment.
Just to clarify– the “our” is not the ambiguous part. It’s unmistakably present in the Hebrew of Deut. 6:4 (I don’t know about Mark 12?).
Let’s see a show of hands:
How many folks here suddenly find that they are…
…”Older Than The President”?
Suz et al,
I was always taught the translation this way,
Hear O Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is One…
not Hear O Israel, the Lord IS G-d, the Lord IS One…
so I would assume it is in writing, the translation,
that way in many places… as I have always seen it written as “our”
in fact, Elohainu,
I believe, is the noun in the plural possessive form,
meaning
the “it” belongs to us…
not simply that “it is”….
but, there may be some Hebrew scholars
who would disagree with what I was taught??
Maybe he just fupped duck, eh? It’s not like the Sh’ma is on his mind every day, I wouldn’t think.
I liked Reverend Joseph Lowery’s benediction which included a prayer for the day when “the red man can get ahead, man.”
Amid all the pomp and history and fabulous stuff, up pops a reminder that we stole this great nation. I was noticing a distinct lack of recognition of Native Americans until that point.
There was far too much praying for me, though, aside from Lowery’s benediction. I watched coverage from about 8 or 9 a.m. until about 2 p.m., and after awhile it seemed like people’s eyes were glazing over. And mine.
All in all, thankful and happy as I might be to see this fine day, there was far too much religion all the way around.
The Obamas started their day in church and essentially prayed their way down up and down the various corridors and avenues of the city, with an occasional stop for sustenance.
I wouldn’t say I felt completely pummeled with the Bible all morning, but every time I started to enjoy the proceedings, I was thwaped on the back of the head with a prayer book. “Now that we’ve named everyone in the room, let us pray. Everyone please rise, let us pray. Before we begin the luncheon, let us pray.” AAAAH!
After all of that churchy kind of stuff, I started having these really scary Episcopalian flashbacks of my mom forcing me into a scratchy dress, pinning a doily to my head, and pushing my hands into white gloves that made my palms sweat.
Man I need to crash. What a day.
I’m not older than the President — but I am older than the new Doctor Who, which is almost as bad.
i’m seriously older than he is. almost half a decade.
and he made no bones about inhaling!
Mixed in with all the amazement of the day, the sense of real, genuine optimism that perhaps this is the final bit of momentum that swings the door shut on the Old Ways, was also the enormous relief of seeing the end of the Bush Administration.
The Supreme Court is safe. Science, facts, evidence, rationality might finally return as the methods by which policy is made. The Democrats might gain a supermajority in two years. Gene Roddenberry explained to one of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation that the Star Trek universe was one in which no one went to bed hungry and all the children could read.
Wouldn’t it be nice to look back, 30 years from now, and remember that this was the day everything started to change? That this was when the pendulum finally started to swing toward Better?
So let’s all take a moment to remember the friends, the family, and the famous, who did not live to see the end of the Bush administration, but would have been delighted to see it.
Hi All,
Woo Hoo! I watched the inauguration on the big screen at the Riverview Theater in MPLS, and when Bush and Cheney were leaving the crowd spontaneously start singing “na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, good bye…” over and over.
I was happy that Obama mentioned “nonbelievers” in his speech. Finally! Yes, way too much praying – though I admit to really liking Lowery’s prayer. Aren’t we supposed to have separation of church and state?
Rick Warren was just gross. Icky diction, indeed, R2A. And he should be ashamed of himself after all that anti-gay bigotry to be up there reveling in equality for everyone.
Obama’s speech was great. Inspiring, hopeful.
Good night everyone,
Jennette
I put up a post containing a video link and commenting on Jesus’ use of the Shema in Mark 12:29-30 (KJV) as the first and greatest commandment, but it appears to have been caught by the spamcatcher. Twice – oops! Not that I ever thought I’d be quoting the New Testament on D2WO4!
I was kind of hoping that the Democrats would be chasing the Bushes down the steps of Congress throwing shoes after him, which would have made the day perfect. My first reaction was to imagine a child, “Has the nasty man finally gone, Mommy? Can I open my eyes again?” Because so many people have used the phrase “nightmare is over”. And I was thinking that the USA will never again have a President with so much international goodwill.
My mother and her boyfriend were one of the quadrillions at the inauguration. (“I’ll be the one in the red coat,” she said.) They had a blast.
Ian, during the interminable wait for the Bushes to exit, I kept thinking of C-3PO trying to scare off the disgusting flying mynocks in The Empire Strikes Back – “SHOO! Shoo! Go away!! BEASTLY things!”
Another movie reference – when I saw Cheney in that wheelchair, I immediately thought of Lionel Barrymore in It’s A Wonderful Life. Did anyone else? Can’t you just see him folding up the money into the newspaper, sneering, and ordering his manservant to whisk him away?
I had the day off, so I spent it glued to my 40″ Hi-Def Sony Blovia. (What can I say? It was a gift!) Matter of fact, the cable person came yesterday to hook up the hi-def part. I gotta say, it’s sweeeeeeeet. My God, I’m turning into Sydney.
Good catch, Ginjoint. Cheney was totally Mr. Potter.
Holly and I had a party and we watched on my 37″ Hi-Def Sony Blovia which I got last summer. It seemed a little excessively large at the time, but last night it was just right. (in my comic strip, Sydney would always get the electronics I coveted years before I could actually afford them myself)
The party was amazing. People were so excited. And when CNN replayed the ceremony around 7:30, everyone listened rapt and silent for half an hour.
Look at all the party boots!
Ginjoint – YES! My dad always refers to Cheney as “Potter.” I tend to prefer “Voldemort,” though. And I like what Jon Stewart said: that they may as well have been playing the Empire theme from Star Wars as Cheney was brought out, and that he should have had a white cat on his lap, a la Dr. No.
Oh, good. If you have one, I don’t feel so guilty. Next up? A PDA. My life needs organizing, and an electronic doodad is just what’s needed.
More pictures from the party, please?
As an Aussie, all I can say is thank you so much for voting this man in! Makes me almost hopeful about the world again…
Am yet to watch our tape of the event as it was in the middle of the night here – but watched his speech first thing this morning on the Guardian website and didn’t care that I was late for work. I hope he can deliver on just half of what he promises – surely the world (and of course the US) will have to be in better shape.
cheers
Cheney isn’t likeable enough to be Potter. I noticed that in the wheelchair he looked somewhat like a malevolent FDR.
Or, to put it in Spy Magazine math:
(Cheney + wheelchair) = FDR – (humanity + decency)
I immediately saw Cheney as Mr. Potter! I mean, the guy’s in a wheelchair and I still just can’t have any sympathy for him. He looked like he was ready to lash out in his usual Potter-ish way and strike someone with his cane.
And on the music front, my partner also started singing when we saw Bush leaving on the helicopter.. so long, farewell, au weidersen, adieu!
(sorry about the spelling)
Ginjoint: Don’t bother with the PDA…just get a really cool smart phone. I have a Motorola Q9c, and it is awesome…the internet with me everywhere I go!! I have a 32″ Sony Bravia, but my house is tiny (I lovingly refer to it as “the bungalo”, so it seems really big 🙂
And I had a great time using my really cool phone to text all my friends and say “and now the world is a better place.”
Although I agree with the comments above, way too much praying for my taste.
All day in my head yesterday, I kept hearing Frodo say, “It’s over. It’s done,” when he’s finally cast the ring into the fire. So, I feel like Aragorn has returned and will lead us to new heights of fairness and decency!
A co-worker and I spontaneously began hugging and jumping around when we saw each other first thing yesterday morning.
As an atheist, I second all the comments about waaaay too much religion. Why should we even have an invocation or benediction at all?
Cheney in a wheelchair, according to one talking head during the coverage, was very “Dr. Strangelove.”
So true about Dr. Strangelove! Was expecting his arm to jerk out at any moment…
My husband and I watched a bit of it–he had to get to the dentist, so we left not too long after Bush arrived in MD.
I did my fair share of cheering and dancing for Obama–I’m not an Obama fangirl, but it’s sooo refreshing to have an intelligent person leading this country who seems to be able to empathize with working class citizens.
I loved the sense of humor at the end of the benediction. 🙂
It felt good to insult Bush at every chance I had. 😉
Did anyone else notice that the helicopter transporting Bush seemed to avoid Arlington Nat’l Cemetery?
I was reading on the BBC this morning that Obama has asked for a stay on the military tribunals in Guantanamo in order to find a solution that at least acknowledges the Geneva conventions. I felt like some sanity was returning to the world just 24 hours in. I don’t know if the action can match the rhetoric, but I have to say, the man is one inspiring, powerful, charismatic speaker. I want to believe in him, which I can’t say for any other politician of the past 25 years.
I wish I could have partied it up, but I sat on the back porch in the weirdly warm weather and just felt safe for the first time since 2001. I’d started to feel better when Joe Biden was sworn in. I hate to say this, but I thought, “Good. Even if an asteroid hits Obama, we still have Joe – its too late for a Republican coup, now.” I was steamed that the judge messed up the oath. I am in the camp that BHO needs to retake it so the tinfoil hat people don’t make a stink.
I am also glad that BHO mentioned the nonbelievers in his speech. We’re only 26% of the population – sheesh.
The rest of it I was not interested in. I’m the same way with the Oscars. Just show me the folks winning the prizes and I am making a sandwich when the chorus girls are out.
The most annoying side effect of all of this is that an old high school chum on facebook is doing the sour grapes routine all over my wall. I am so tired of the McCain/Palin talking points that she is regurgitating.
“As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.”
An end to the world of “24”, at last.
Cat Pimp! My partner monitors the tinfoil hats (a bit obsessviely since the PUMAs emerged) and came up with the most amazing rants about how Prez obama is not the prez and how he’s really a Muslim, not born in the US and , and… WHAT planet have these people migrated from?? And can we send them back?
anyone who says to me ‘Oh well, it’s very nice not to have Bush but who knows what he {Obama] will do’ – I say ‘yes you’re right, we don’t know – maybe we would’ve been better off with Sarah Palin being sworn in a Vice President’ – that shuts people up pretty darn quick.
Cheney = Monty Burns
Loved the party boot photo. Also enjoyed Daily Show and Colbert last night, particularly Colbert’s line which was something like, and today all those 1 20 09 countdown clocks exploded! You fools!
Yeah, Stewart and Colbert were both spot-on last night. My favorite bit was with Jon Stewart and Jason Jones, comparing Bush’s rhetoric vs. Obama’s.
Jones: “Aw, why do you have to do that?!”
Stewart: “I’m sorry! It’s all I know!”
And ksbel – thanks for the advice. I’ll definitely check out the Q9c. (We need a DTWOF-style name for that!)
What, Allison, you guys didn’t ceremonially throw the party boots at Bush’s departure (carefully aimed to fall short of the beautiful television!)? *grin*
Bumper sticker from last year that I saw…
“OMG! Bush has the Ring, and Chenney has released the Flying monkeys!” ROFLMAO!
Notice that one of the first things Obama did today on Capitol Hill was to freeze all salaries! Given the automatic payraises from rich to richer they have all been getting like clock work for eons, irregardless of the rest of America, I am chortling away over here. ‘Bout damn time!
As a gay Christian, and no, it’s not an oxymoron thankyou very much!, the praying didn’t totally throw me…although as a Christian who regularly winces and cringes when some of my faith regularly make offensive asses out of themselves and do harm to the name of what they believe, I was doing my own praying during Warren’s prayer – “Dear God, please don’t let him do anything really stupid or offensive, it’s bad enough that he’s up there as it is!I like being a Christian and I really don’t want to feel like I need to change my name!” Well, despite the justifiable criticisms of Warren’s prayer and presence raised above which I profoundly agree with, folks, it could have been ALOT worse! Really! Unfortunately he wants to be the new Billy Graham and I for one think he is so far short of the mark that I wish he would crawl back under his rock. And despite all the scriptural rhetoric he spouts,his “purpose driven” idealogy is miles from what Christianiy is suppose to be about. Also, I too was relieved to hear “non-believers” mentioned. Finally! What I believe works for me personally. It does not work for everyone and I for one am sick of the wingnuts forcing it down everyones throat. If diversity makes us strong than we need that multiplicity of belief, differing religions and non-belief. The world is a better place for all of us being in it as we are…not as one forced homogenous congealed artificial lump! So, I am going to go get some calomine lotion for the hives that Warrens presence raised, give thanks that he didn’t screw it up as bad as he could have (with his determined platform I was truly, profoundly afraid of a derogatoy antigay slur in that prayer, I really was!) and grimly admit that if I truly honor diversity and equal rights, then he has the right to exist too.(gulp! Ugh!) Even if I detest what he stands for.
So…
Maybe when I am 70, I will stand on the Mall with two million people and rejoice and say that I did not think I would live to see the day, when our openly Lesbian president is sworn in! Who’s with me? Maybe with a Wiccan invocation… Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that is a reality today, a reality for ALL of us, that he proposed for ALL of us…whites and blacks alike.
Let’s dream folks!
Hey Catpimp! You wrote above “I was steamed that the judge messed up the oath. I am in the camp that BHO needs to retake it so the tinfoil hat people don’t make a stink.”
Guess what…HE DID RETAKE IT!!! Check it out…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_oath_do_over
Also, two other previous presidents have repeated the oath because of similar issues, Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur. So, hopefully we have deflected the tinfoil hat people! *grin*
Catpimp: If it makes you feel any better, I heard Sarah Palin on Alaska Public Radio the other day saying something along the lines of–Alaska is fortunate to have Obama as the incoming President. His planned energy policy will be so good for Alaska…it made me do a little happy dance to hear her (of all people) say those words!
A friend commented today that she viewed all the religiosity in the context of the cornerstone role played by the church in the black community from the civil rights era to present — an integral part of the black community. (I know: still…)
>>so the tinfoil hat people don’t make a stink
I get the gist but not the reference. From whence comes that?? (I could look it up but I’m lazy ~ after an exhilarating 2 days.)
GOBAMA – make us proud! Close Gitmo, freeze salaries, lift the ban on stem cell research, fund family planning that includes abortion abroad, pass new leg on lobbying… and overturn DOMA! (a gal can hope, can’t she?)
Speaking of old legislation, did any of you see this:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090121/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_internet_blocking
The old Child Online Protection Act signed by Bill Clinton 10 years ago has apparently finally been given the hoof by the Supreme Court. I remember at least two DTWOF episodes dealing with it in 98 (can’t remember the ep. no’s) and Lois complaining about this “constitutional crock of shit” as well as a ‘cyber-ready’ formatted strip with all the blackout bars.
Ginjoint: I’m not super creative, but how about the Enginerama P6c 🙂
R2A:
Those who believe in mind-control rays or telepathic spies often line their hats with foil to protect themselves. It’s not a specific reference but a real phenomenon, or at least an urban legend.
Why woudl you want a normal work day when that was going on?
They announced that anyone who wanted to could watch on the tv at my town’s library, and we wanted to see it with others. A total of 33 ppl showed up, including 3 members of the gator family and a friend. Way better than seeing it home alone in my opinion.
We invited a neighbor, but she wanted to watch it alone so she could cry all she wanted in private. There were a few happy quiet sniffles in the library, but no on ewent so far as to need the kleenex that they supplied.
rrreally??? omg i had no idea…
I’ve tried posting a comment twice now with some fun links, but have been unsuccessful….so here’s what I wanted to say, and info on the links.
Hannah, I really appreciated your comments on your faith. It’s all too easy to think that all religious people are bigots, since that gets a lot of media play. Thanks for the counter check!
I also tried to provide links to a couple of funny videos. So for some good laughs. Look up on Youtube: “Cheney wheelchair, Benny Hill style” and “Barack and Michelle do WHAT together?” It’s worth it!
Congrats everyone! As Quebec singer Isabelle Pierre sang over 30 years ago, “C’est le début d’un temps nouveau.” Clarice must finally be cured of her depression.
One thing though: what’s with all the praying? This was the only weird part about the inauguration ceremony. Loved Elizabeth Alexander’s reading, the poem itself and the way she read it, almost like contemporary music.
But a benediction, after an already too long invocation? That’s when I turned off the TV. Seriously folks, do the words “separation of church and state” ring a bell?
Oh, and I ended up watching on my local Canadian network, how PC is that?
Hannah, thank you very much for posting that article. It looks like BHO is very mindful of the constant faux controversies that the Limbaugh crowd keeps drumming up.
I woke up this morning and looked out the window at the more January-ish weather outside (rain) and smiled because we have a nerd in the White House, finally.
I don’t know but after being so excited I’m already really disappointed in Obama. From Hilary’s continued support of the Israelis massacring the Palestinians to that inauguration speech that was in favour of America as world cop, focussed on terrorism and talked about Middle Eastern countries as “enemies” (in the context of oil/environment), troubled me. The speech didn’t sound that much different to the kind of rhetoric we’ve been seeing during the Bush years. I hope his actions from now on show true difference from the Bush administration and he didn’t trick us all.
Hang tough, Jenny. I hear ya. Hold him accountable. Push back. And celebrate the victories, too.
Inauguration Day was great, but I was surprised by how mad I got at the incompetence of Chief Justice Roberts (at least, I HOPE his misreading of the oath of office was not an intentional slight to President Obama); I voted for Obama, but I didn’t know how much I had vested in him until that moment. Oh, and I saw the geologic map of Vermont and New Hampshire on the wall in the posted photo of A.B.’s place! Well done, A.B.!
Jenny, as I know you know, Obama signed an order to shut down Guantanamo within the year. He also signed an order to release many records the Bush admin kept secret. He is working hard to figure out how to get out of Iraq. And actually, the threat of terrorism still exists, and we can’t be naive about it. But the way out is engagement, education, etc. I think Obama knows this as well.
I expect the honeymoon will be over about as soon as the marriage is consummated.
Ready2Agitate, I had the great misfortune of meeting Rick Warren at the International AIDS Conference a few years ago. He treated the young Zambian woman I was with as an exotic. It was horrifying, and it all came rushing back to me when he said the Obama girls’ names.
As for Obama’s religious references, I thought they were even-handed, and was impressed that he named America as a nation of many faiths and non-believers.
Actually, judybusy, the way out of Iraq is already laid out in the Status of Forces Agreement that was worked out last fall. All Obama has to do is obey it. But will he? I’m not making any assumptions.
Hannah, I don’t regard gay Christians as an oxymoron. There are rich Christians, there are divorced and remarried Christians, there are Christians who regard their biological “families” instead of the church as their true family, there are military Christians. I do wish gay Christians would stop accusing their antigay opponents of selective reading of the Bible, but since accusing other Christians of selective reading is virtually a foundation of the faith, I guess there’s nothing to be done about it. One thing, though: remember that being a Christian is a lifestyle choice. You weren’t born that way, and you can change.
Maybe Obama’s religious references were “even-handed”, but since his religious beliefs require him (so he claims) to oppose same-sex *civil* marriage (which has nothing to do with religion), I’m wary of him. You don’t achieve even-handedness by inviting a bigot and a non-bigot to the party. Of course I’m also wary of him on other grounds — his remarks of yesterday on the Middle East were incredibly dishonest, and a harbinger of more trouble to come. Yes, he’s Not Bush, but that in itself isn’t enough to make me worship him. I don’t like personality cults, regardless of their object.
I’m a reporter for a paper owned by a very conservative family. Everyone in our newsroom- teary-eyed and smiling with hope – watched the inauguration on our computers.
Then the boss arrived and threatened to fire us all.
Yep- I was extremly focused on watching the shrub get on his ride outta town- the red carpet wouldn’t even stay put for him- Good Riddance!!!!!!
@anon-eponymous… how true, how true. I give it about a year at most before “The Audacity of Hope” is replaced by “The Mendacity of Hope” on the Bunns & Noodles shelves.
Half my kids are older than President Obama.
We were standing near the Washington Monument. When Obama finished his address, my friend smiled and said, “I think I feel my civil rights coming back!”
I told my wife that it was weird to have a president born in the same decade I was.
Weird, but not bad! Not bad at all!
thankyou for expressing real life in your strip! First timer, wears a Utilikilt, LOVES YOUR STRIP!Wishes you were still featured in insideOUT magazine. Good Luck!! Will be appreciating!