A day for all of us to celebrate

Everyone's doing their best today to make sense of the superlatives. Historic. Inspiring. Global. Humbling. Today Barack Obama takes over from the worst Prezidunt in the history of our Nation. As the festivities were unfolding live, I was enjoying my favorite part of the day - getting Maya ready for "school" @ the JCC. We walked this morning through an uncharacteristic Seattle fog bank (our car's in the shop, so to speak). Well, I walked. Maya skipped. I coached her on why this was a big day. She thereafter perfectly pronounced "Barack Obama's Inauguaration". Call me what you will, but if you're a committed liberal that hears that from your child...well, a few loving tears are required. After I got it together as we entered the JCC, we found all of Maya's classmates and many parents gathered in a darkened room watching the festivities in DC that at that moment was the swearing in of Joe Biden. I didn't want to watch just part so I told Maya I was going home to watch there. After we hugged she told me "have fun at the Inauguration". Once again perfectly pronounced. You can imagine that I booked out of there before any of the other parents saw what a soft-shell crab I actually am.

Anyhoo, I'll do a bit of "not-quite-live" blogging now that I'm nestled in front of the TiVo. I'm using MSNBC for my network of record. Seriously.

MSNBC just commentated that former President George H.W. Bush is "walking old". Lay off the dood - he looks great. And, yes, he's at least 100 years young.

They have "The Speech" in the hands of the networks. But it is "embargoed". How many people in "Real America" do you think know what that means?

Hillary and Bill look like they each just swallowed half of a bug.

Chris Matthews just opined that Bill Clinton has such obvious affection for George the Elder because Bubba never had a father. Really? Wow, would I love to be in the room when a therapist floats that theory to the former President.

Cut to the moving vans outside the White House. There's the "change we can believe in".

Back to the Obama girls. They are simply the cutest kids on the planet.

Lynne Cheney appears to be wearing a fur collar. Laura Bush appears to be wearing a smile that would frighten the dead.

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden are the sort of women that everyone can admire.

People are booing Dubya as his image came up on the screens. Not surprising. But sad on some level. Especially because it stepped on Michelle's arrival on the platform.

CHENEY IN A WHEELCHAIR! The official story is that he hurt his back "moving boxes" for their departure. You heard it here first - he shot himself in the foot. Which, oddly enough, is an improvement.

Joe Biden is having more fun than anyone on the planet today. With nearly the least responsibility of anyone on the planet, as well. For the moment.

Barack Obama descending to the Inaugural Platform was the coolest crowd pass I've ever seen. But that guy's nervous.

Rick Warren. Um, this is awkward to criticize. He did an awesome job with limited weirdness. But he's still too evangelical for my taste.

Aretha Franklin showed off one of the greatest hats in the history of hats. But I expect that Re-Re had a bit too much emotion flowing to make this one of her greatest performances. Incredibly good, nonetheless.

John Paul Stevens is the cutest old guy on the planet. Joe Biden I think even called him "Mr. President" at the end of the oath of office. Biden - I'm tellin' ya, that guy's having fun today.

Birds are circling over the classical quartet interlude. Why is Robert Gibbs (Obama's Press Secretary) sitting behind them?

Chief Justice John Roberts I believe purposely messed up the wording of the oath. Maybe he was nervous. But I can't wait to see what the wall-to-wall dooshy-class makes of a few humble stumbles on President Obama's part. After all, Obama voted against Roberts' confirmation.

And now...the speech.

Once he gets speaking, there ain't nothing that can hold this man back.

I'll just enjoy and comment later. I hope y'all also soak up this larger than life day the way it was intended - as a celebration.

Is that a stain in your pants or is it just October?

Certain things just plain hurt to admit. For me, it's that I find Larry the Cable Guy to be truly funny. And that I'm afraid of Alec Baldwin. Yet for the Bushies, there's no pain because there's no admission. Ever. Well, in the case of one Monica "Did I Mention That I Graduated From REGENT University?" Goodling, the pain of admission has been eleviated. Or, more appropriately, she'll be forced to testify about all the greasy machinations she participated in while helping to steer the firings of those eight, no wait...on second thought, nine US Attorneys. A federal judge today made it so. I expect absolutely zero satisfaction from this mess. But if it peels back even just a yogurt foil top worth of exposure into the Bushies and their political machine, it's worth it.

Dick "Where's My Banner?" Cheney threatened Iran today from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Repeat - Dick "In His Own Last Throes" Cheney threatened Iran today from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Even dead blind people could see the utter contempt for public reaction both here and abroad in doing so. There was a time when I believed Dick believed his shtick. Now I know it's just dumb, cornered, fully-exposed, hammer's-comin'-down-and-damn-the-torpedoes hubris.

Best silly Milwaukee Brewers fan site seen thus far - "Pee Your Pants for the Brewers!" I think I'm number 700 or so on the list. And you can bet your tighty-whiteys that I'll be drinking gallons of Hawaiian Punch and Pabst for the ascribed task when the Brew Crew actually completes the quest. Confused? Click through and sign up. Please. Thank you.

Hope your own embarrassing banners merely say "Hang in There - It's Friday!" Rock on.

Dick Cheney - a truly "ridiculous notion"

Dick Cheney on "Face the Nation" yesterday chilled me to the bone. His creepy saccharine "oh, back in the day" glad handing of Bob Shieffer only worsened the tone. For all the minions of conservative dooshbags trolling blogs to flame on...I'm just saying he's an entirely frightening man with far, far too much power. Watch the interview. Tell everyone you know to also do so. The future he envisions for this country is deeply disturbing. Beeyatch.

For those "Sopranos" fans to which I'm sorta associated know what I mean, I must weigh in with a moment of deep appreciation. Little Carmine is for me a favorite. His fancy-pantsy flourishes can smell a bit too much like "ACTING!" But the scene in last night's episode at the golf course with Tony - undeniably wonderful. Ray Abruzzo is hereby cast in my next movie. Babe.

We lost our camera recently. Or rather, I lost our camera. But let's not play the blame game. Nonetheless, dang. So it might be bit before everyone sees how frickin' cute Maya is these days. Aunties Becca and Katie were in town for a family fest this weekend and Maya had ridiculous amounts o' fun. Maya's went to her first concert - "Dan Zanes and Friends" at the Moore Theatre Saturday afternoon. Dinner at Carmelita on Phinney Ridge Saturday - big veggiehead ratings somewhere between a B and an A from everyone. My rating - solid B. Partly undeservedly harsh since the wait we encountered was merely due to the fact that vegetarians are obviously painful table lingerers. Know what I mean? Great people, but MAN can they veg out after a meal.

Hope your own darkest visions for the world are limited to massive amounts of chocolate today. Rock on.