This and That

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet visitors during an inaugural open house in the Blue Room of the White House, Jan. 22, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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Tonight:

9:0 ET: The President, Vice President, First Lady and Dr Biden attend the Staff Inaugural Ball

Not sure if there is coverage of this, try the usual links in the sidebar on the right

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President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden and Vice President Biden applaud the choir as they attend a prayer service at Washington National Cathedral on January 22

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President Barack Obama talks with House Speaker John Boehner and his wife Debbie Boehner at the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies tea in the Blue Room of the White House, Jan. 21, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wave to people as they ride in the inaugural parade in Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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Hiya everyone, sorry I wasn’t able to be around much today, which was huuuuugely frustrating because there are a gazillion gorgeous photos and videos I wanted to share. Tomorrow’s a bit nuts too with work, I won’t be able to catch up until later in the day, but we’ll get there in the end. 😕 Come the weekend, I’ll do a proper review of the Inauguration, with the best stuff I can find.

As usual, I owe a bunch of you email replies, will get there in the end. I hope!

Surprise!

The Inauguration: The International Front Pages

The Virgin Islands

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American front pages here

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Poland

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Ireland

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Brazil

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Spain

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Heads Up: The Obamas and Bidens attend National Prayer Service

10:45 am: President Obama, VP Biden, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden attend the National Prayer Service

C-Span * CNN * CBS

Live streaming has started at CBS and CNN, and is due to start at 10:0 at C-Span – although, according to the schedule, the service is not due to start until 10:45.

Rise and Shine: The American Front Pages

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Today:

10:45 am: President Obama, VP Biden, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden attend the National Prayer Service

11:30: Jay Carney briefs the press

9:0: President Obama, VP Biden, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden attend the Staff Inaugural Ball

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Morning everyone! I’ll have some international front pages later today, and a few other bits and pieces.

Links to all Inauguration posts here

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Night Everyone

First time I saw Barack Obama on my TeeVee, I thought “What’s with the ears?”

Honest, that was my initial impression, I reckoned anyone with ears of that pointy-out-ed-ness couldn’t possibly ever be President.

It was further proof of my intellectual heavy-weighted-ness.

Then I read his books, and checked out his history, and I decided: I’m in.

And I’ve never wanted to be anywhere else since.

I won’t go on, even though I’m in a rambling mood after such a beautiful day.

My support has never – honest! – been unconditional, that America is still in Afghanistan, for example, depresses me, even though I think I understand the strategic ‘reasoning’ behind still being there.

And there was lots about today’s ceremony that left me feeling queasy, although I’m certain PBO can’t be blamed for that. I suspect it makes him uncomfortable too. Too much jingoism, too much chest-thumping about America’s ‘might’ – a might that has often inflicted way more harm than good on the world. And that’s just the truth.

But, I love the man, and I love everything he has done and has tried to do, in the face of unrelenting, often vicious, opposition. He is good and decent to the core. As I’ve said a million times, I feel blessed to be alive in his time.

I’m not one to quote poetry, but….. Irish poet Seamus Heaney:

History says, Don’t hope
on this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
the longed for tidal wave
of justice can rise up,
and hope and history rhyme.

For me, Barack Obama is making hope and history rhyme.

Thanks for everything, see you tomorrow. Today was the best of days, just blissful.