And this is why I watched the inauguration on the TV!
January 20, 2009, 8:04 PM
As many of you know, I said in this space about a week ago that I was going to watch the inauguration on the TV. And you know what? It was a smart move. Check it out:
Yeah. I think Metro will agree with me when I say it was a zoo out there. Plus the parking lot in my own home station, Glenmont, filled up in the morning. That meant that if I wanted parking, I would have had to go down to Wheaton or Forest Glen to find a space. Plus with the temperature below freezing all day, I think I made the right decision.
So I got a ringside seat for the inauguration, watching on CNN in my warm apartment. And it’s interesting to find out that, since the inauguration ceremony ran about five minutes behind schedule, Barack Obama became president while watching a musical group perform between Joe Biden’s swearing-in and his own. And then Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed the oath slightly, misplacing “faithfully” in the oath of office. Oops. When I saw it, and saw Barack Obama stop short, I thought that Obama was the one who had goofed, figuring that Roberts had given too big a chunk of the oath for Obama to repeat at once. And I admit – Roberts did give a really big chunk of oath at once there. But everyone was a good sport about Roberts’ goof, and the oath otherwise went well. And I figure, everyone makes mistakes, and this was his first oath of office, after all. The last three chief justices did about five swearings-in each, and so Roberts will be able to get it right next time when he swears-in President Obama for his second term in 2013. Still, after goofing that up with the whole world watching, I guarantee he won’t do that again.
Meanwhile, I’d like to let a certain phrase resonate for a moment:
Former president George W. Bush
Music to one’s ears, no? We’ve waited eight very long years to hear those words. Now that Bush has left office, though, I wish him the best in his retirement. He can’t do any more damage now that he’s out of office.
Otherwise, I was surprised to find out that President Obama is not going to redecorate the Oval Office. If he doesn’t redecorate throughout his entire time in office, he will be the first president since Jimmy Carter not to do so. Carter retained Gerald Ford’s Oval Office decor, but swapped in the Resolute desk in place of Ford’s desk. Since the modern Oval Office was built in 1934, only Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with Carter, never redecorated. But Obama says he likes the sunburst design in the rug, and is only changing out some Texas-centric items, swapping out a bust of Winston Churchill, and placing his own family photos behind the desk. According to an aide, “It seems that President Bush has a flair for decorating.” I personally wish Obama would redecorate, because I find the George W. Bush Oval Office that he is retaining to be a little too subdued. Of course, I found Bill Clinton’s Oval Office a tad too “loud” in its colors. I still think that George H.W. Bush had the best Oval Office decor around, keeping it bright, with an underlying light-blue theme.
Song: This isn't a song, but it's just cool to watch: Laptop computer explodes
Quote: Meanwhile, the pest control guy came by today to do the quarterly pest control inspection in my apartment. For the first time, I was actually present for the inspection. We discussed the fact that the memo from the leasing office had asked us to completely unload our kitchen and bathroom cabinets for the inspection, which I find to be unreasonable, and therefore, won't do. And as it turns out, in discussing that with the guy, you only have to move out of your kitchen (i.e. clean out your cabinets) if you actually have evidence of pests. No pests, no problem. The inspection took about two minutes, as the guy looked in my middle two cabinets and shined a flashlight inside them, and saw how neat I keep my kitchen and the cabinets. So now when I ignore the memo saying that pest control is coming and to clean out my cabinets, I can do so with confidence that it's unnecessary - unless, of course, pests invade my kitchen, and we hope that's never the case.
Categories: National politics