Dr. Evil and Aretha's hat

Am I a horrible person for being unable to resist the impulse to blog about Cheney leaving the inauguration in a wheelchair? There's just something too poetic about the image of him being wheeled away, clutching his cane, while the vigorous, youthful Obama's stood on the Capitol steps to see the Bushes off in their helicopter. I can't say I buy the story about hurting his back while moving boxes, either. Maybe moving boxes of documents to the shredder, but I doubt he was actually hauling around his dishes. Perhaps a more plausible scenario is that the demon that was possessing him for the last eight years has fled back to it's hell dimension, leaving his body weakened and bent. OK, that was definitely out of line....

But what else can I say about yesterday's historic inauguration that hasn't already been said? That hasn't already been said by the New York Times alone, which included a separate section in its print edition today titled "President Obama." I wonder if this will become a permanent part of the paper. "Hon, I'll trade you the Business section for the President Obama section if you're done with it." Still, reading those two words together without an intruding "-elect" in the middle brought a big smile to my face.

My other major highlight of the inauguration (other than the obvious) would have to be Aretha Franklin's hat. The Queen of Soul got style.

Yet another piece of advice for the incoming president

There has been a seemingly endless parade of advice for Barack Obama in the lead-up to his assumption of the presidency. The most recent bit I read was a detailed economic plan from Paul Krugman in Rolling Stone of all places. I heard the funniest (and probably grossest) bit of advice this afternoon on Day to Day. I particularly liked the bit about Johnny Depp, although I never knew he'd slept in the White House. On a related note, I'm going to savor the next half day while Obama's still Obama the idea and not yet Obama the actual president-who-has-to-do-stuff-that-I-won't-agree-with.

Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Just as the afterglow of Obama's convention speech was fading, I greeted the McCain camp's announcement of Sarah Palin as their VP pick with a bit of bemusement. I felt a little badly for the Republicans, having to elbow their way into the media spotlight between the Democratic convention and their own, with the Olympics still a recent memory. I have to say that, while I was desperately hoping for Mitt Romney because he's always good for a laugh, I was kind of surprised by their pick.

The Republicans continuously harp on Obama for his perceived lack of experience. And yet they've chosen a vice president whose political experience is briefer than Obama's. I heard someone on the radio this morning attempting to defend her lack of experience in politics by saying that she's always "been interested in current events." I guess that means reading the newspaper qualifies you for the job that's a hearbeat away from the presidency.

That said, I think experience is a bit overrated. What's more important to me is leadership ability and judgment. I can't say much for governor Palin's leadership ability, although I do have to respect her for taking on the old guard of Alaska Republicans. But I really have to question her judgment after seeing the bewildering names of her children (Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trig). Now, I've got nothing against Willow, as she was one of my favorite characters on Buffy (at least until the sixth season, although I don't think the last two seasons should really count. But I digress....) I find it particularly interesting that two of her children are in fact named after TV witches. Perhaps someone should start a chain email claiming that she's a pagan. I'm not sure if that's better or worse in the American public consciousness than being labeled a Muslim.

One final note: I think the Republicans are making a bit of a mistake if they've picked a younger VP to try to deflect some of the reservations people have about McCain's age. Choosing someone who governs a state that's younger than John McCain may just backfire.