Awakened Inauguration Day Elation!
Excitedly attuned in to pre-event chatter
OH-N-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!! TV peculiarly, mercilessly image-free
Shortened story version: Truck struck cable enabling; Internet unresponsive
(Tell self driver’s ok; can’t be distracted by kindness to stranger right now)
Cell phones unreceptive to the augur-well signals
Cable voices’ fungible promise: 4-6 hour weight
Time: 10:30 am
Home radio wires mired in static
Covid precludes coveted options
Solution in driveway: sat-alight radio…siriusly
Pollution in driveway: idling motors our participatory democracy
Time: 11:40 am
Stentorian voice solemnizes events
First of the Firsts: Justice Sotomayor swears in Pioneering Veep
on Thurgood Marshall bible; I weep.
As per Amy Klobuchar, J Lo opens for Chief Justice
Time: 11:49 am
Joe Biden peacefully, decorously sworn in as 46th President of the US
And I, always striving toward lovingkindness, still teary, so grateful,
Fist the air and yell toward the 6th of nobodys:
“You tried to stop Democracy, you trump-emboldened sadist-ionists! BUT YOU FAILED!!”
Annie
annieasksyou... 
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor Trump of night, nor even a busted internet cable, shall stay this deliverance from the swift completion of its appointed hour.
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…Nor my steely determination to keep on truckin’–so to speak–to be part of this pacific wave of Democracy!
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They’re off to a good start. What a relief to have competent, forward-thinking, normal people in charge.
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I’m sure I answered you, Neil, but I don’t see it. It sure is a relief. We were talking about how great it is not to feel compelled to turn on the TV to see what the latest horror the man who was incredibly our president was up to. Competence with a capital C—with lots of brilliance, plus dedication to doing the right thing for the American people.
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We lost power too. My kids told me to turn WiFi off on iPhone and go to YouTube. It worked. We watched on a tiny screen and it was glorious. At 8:30pm optimum recovered and watched the rest. It was a wonderful awesome day. So relieved and happy.
Sent from my iPhone
>
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We failed the turn off WiFi test. But it was still a glorious day. And I’d love to know who was primarily responsible for the evening program because I found it nearly perfect! I think all post-Inauguration celebrations should be modeled after it–much better than all those balls.
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Amen.
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Large exhalation of relief from millions–here and around the world!
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It was a wonderful day with a star-studded concert. Lady Gaga sure has a set of pipes and I was majorly impressed by that young poet too and listened to her 3 times. I watched the Canadian station emceed by Lisa LaFlam for a different commentary. I’m happy the mad man with the orange hair has left the building….
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It sure was, Joni.
The sad part is that I believe the joyous celebration may well have reached some trump voters. But while we were watching this wonderful Americana in the evening, Fox News was serving up its Hunter Biden nonsense.
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That’s ridiculous….but then Fox News is ridiculous.
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My elation is tempered by the continued backing of Trump by a large majority of Republicans in Congress and the Senate (not to mention his many millions of supporters). Will time temper their loyalty? I’d like to believe so, but I don’t (at least, not any time soon, and not for most of them). I hope I’m wrong.
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I share your concerns, mm. But it was such a glorious day that I didn’t—and don’t—want to dwell on all the negatives right now.
I derive considerable comfort from Biden’s calm determination. He knows better than anyone what’s ahead. I believe he will try his best to work with the opposition—and then we’ll see the iron hand emerge from the velvet glove. He knows this is his time to address the big issues we face. He’s got a fabulous team and support from a great diversity of groups from various parts of the political spectrum.
I just wish they could get rid of Hawley and Cruz pronto—and others on the House side.
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It was terrific to hear “Hail to the Chief” being played for someone who actually earned and deserves that distinction.
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It was, indeed, Gail. Gave me chills.
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Joni,
Fox News is ridiculous, but also extremely dangerous. And since there’s big money involved, now that Newsmax and OANN are growing on its right, it’s sure to ramp up the rhetoric and the lies.
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Whew! Glad you were able to eventually connect. My sense of relief has only grown since. Looking back on the last four years is sort of like surviving a shark attack. You’re now out of peril, glad you’re still alive, and want to put it behind you. That said, I’m glad that there are many people devoted to prosecuting our ex-potus until every last stone of his misdeeds has been unturned.
Forget about the majority of Republicans. They are not going to change their stripes unless they think they can hang on to their seats of power by doing so.
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I have little hope for the Republicans, Carol—except perhaps Lisa Murkowski. No profiles in courage there—and I include Romney, who gives slight glimmers, then fades.
Fun fact: while you were here, at one of my shortest posts ever, I was responding—at length—to your very thoughtful post about race. So interesting that you enjoyed reading Baldwin in English more than in French. Was it his writing—or a translation?
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In general, I think most authors are better read in their native language if possible. However, in this case, when I read Baldwin in English, I hear Samuel L Jackson’s wonderful interpretation from the film I Am Not Your Negro. When I read Baldwin in French, I hear me speaking French. Under such conditions, pretty much anyone would prefer the English.
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It was so refreshing to see so many talented people celebrating our President and to have the President speak of real actions he will be taking in so many important areas.
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Agreed! It’s a pleasure to watch him and Kamala. Much to be hopeful about!
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all that & wasn’t Amanda Gorman awesome?
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Fabulous—a remarkable, lovely young talent. Thrilling!
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And their failures, and what they attempted to do, should remain with them.
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Tonight we saw the Democrats forced to remove the committee responsibilities from a hate-filled Republican Representative advocating violence—an unprecedented move that was necessary because the Republican House leadership wouldn’t do it.
The new meme is that any efforts to demand accountability are left-wing “Cancel culture” ploys. Is that phrase appearing in the UK, Matthew?
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I think it’s a phrase used by both the left and the right over here. I do laugh (grimly) when those who claim to have been victims of cancel culture (the Trump family spring to mind here) often have at their disposal the biggest microphones!
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