My Day On the Couch

[pshrynk]

So, I'm sitting here, watching MSNBC (don't sputter like that, Red!) and watching history. Although, I may switch to CNN because they have one of their directors miked in inadvertently to the commentary and it's very annoying.

This is a day that the entire world is watching. In my life I can think of few things that have had this impact. The moon landing. 9/11. Kennedy's funeral. The Challenger disaster. Only one of those four is actually something uplifting.

Now, there are an estimated five billion people joining me in watching this moment. 5,000,000,000. That's a lot of zeros. I have this congnitive dissonance of feeling very very small, and very very immense all at the same time.

The United States of America, an white majority nation with a speckled past, has elected the son of an immigrant, who is half black and half white, who four years ago was just a state senator as our leader.

[zelda_pinwheel]

i confirm, we're all watching over here. and we're all very excited to be witnessing this historic day. last night the tailor on the ground floor of my building told me i could come watch the television with them if i wanted to see it. i told him i might stop by (although i'm sure it will be streamed online on every site). i have the radio on right now and the news is just tiny snippets of events in between reports on the inauguration.

[pshrynk]

Obama just arrived at the White House along with Biden. they are going to have tea with President Bush and the First Lady, then car-pool to the Capitol and swap jobs. I realize that this point is made ad nauseum, but the fact that a switch in power from one leader to another, even when they hold diametrically oppose views, in a peaceful fashion is one of those miracles of our system.

[acidzebra]

I swear, if I hear the name "Obama" once more on my local television station I am going to scream. I very much doubt that 5 billion people are watching, but at any rate, count me among the other 1.x billion.

[pshrynk]

Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!


Sorry. Couldn't help myself. I really tried to keep from delving into silliness, but there i am.

Honestly, though, I will be very glad that this election season is coming to an end. It will be nice to let the govenrment go back to governing and stop running for office.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by acidzebra

I swear, if I hear the name "Obama" once more on my local television station I am going to scream. I very much doubt that 5 billion people are watching, but at any rate, count me among the other 1.x billion.

Me too. And even if I were home, I doubt I'd be watching TV. Or if I did, I'd be watching that movie I recorded the other day.

While I'm glad Bush has left, I still have to see how Obama will actually turn out. Were people this crazy with Clinton? What is different now? Is it only because he's a bit darker skinned than the average president?

[pshrynk]

I think that part of what we are experiencing here is that Obama is half black. But also, it is that he is articulate, thoguthful, and non-reactionary. I get the feeling from listening to him that, here is a man who thinks about what is happening and remains in the moment, mindful of what he is experiencing and what he is capable of doing. This is so different from the past sixteen years that I thing we are all breathing a sigh of relief.

[zelda_pinwheel]

i'm definitely relieved. i think i'm also partly so glad to see obama elected because of my disappointment with our current president. the day sarko was elected was a sad day for france.

[lilac_jive]

I can't believe the stock markets dropped this morning. I would have expected them to go up.

But I guess more bad news about banks trumps new presidents.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

I think that part of what we are experiencing here is that Obama is half black. But also, it is that he is articulate, thoguthful, and non-reactionary. I get the feeling from listening to him that, here is a man who thinks about what is happening and remains in the moment, mindful of what he is experiencing and what he is capable of doing. This is so different from the past sixteen years that I thing we are all breathing a sigh of relief.

Yes, he does seem willing to listen to everybody. But, as I said, I wonder how it will all go when he has really started to govern. I think you can say one thing for sure, you couldn't get worse than the last one

(I heard he wrote his own speaches, or at least parts of them, I doubt Bush could even write...)

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Now, there are an estimated five billion people joining me in watching this moment. 5,000,000,000. That's a lot of zeros. I have this congnitive dissonance of feeling very very small, and very very immense all at the same time.

Given that the Obama campaign lied about the number of people who might show up for the inauguration, I don't beleive this one either.

I've repeatedly heard predictions of 5 million people on the Mall during the inauguration. That is flatly impossible. According to the Capitol Police, the largest number possible is 1.5 million, and it would require everyone standing shoulder to shoulder.

[pshrynk]

Well, the five billion number comes from NBC, not the Inaguration Committee. Even if it is off by a factor of five, there are a lot of humans watching this. as the immortal Everett Dirkson said, "A million here, a million there, and pretty soon you're talking about real (numbers)"

They keep showing pictures of the mall and people are packed shoulder to shoulder from the East Face to the back of the Mall. There are a lot of people there.

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

So, I'm sitting here, watching MSNBC (don't sputter like that, Red!) and watching history. Although, I may switch to CNN because they have one of their directors miked in inadvertently to the commentary and it's very annoying.

This is a day that the entire world is watching. In my life I can think of few things that have had this impact. The moon landing. 9/11. Kennedy's funeral. The Challenger disaster. Only one of those four is actually something uplifting.

Now, there are an estimated five billion people joining me in watching this moment. 5,000,000,000. That's a lot of zeros. I have this congnitive dissonance of feeling very very small, and very very immense all at the same time.

The United States of America, an white majority nation with a speckled past, has elected the son of an immigrant, who is half black and half white, who four years ago was just a state senator as our leader.

huh !

[vivaldirules]

Well, I second pshwynk's combined sense of relief and hope, if I do remain skeptical, too. The man has my full and enthusiastic support until I see a sound reason to withdraw it. It was the same eight years ago but I was done with him before January was out.

[pshrynk]

The pomp and circumstances are starting to kick into high gear. The trooping of the colors just took place and all the former Presidents and VPs are coming in. The Car Pool has arrived and Obama is in the Capitol. There are a lot of guys standing around with guns, as well.