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January 21st, 2009
 | 10:45 am - Good morning, America! How are you?
Sometimes (not often) the hometown paper is the way to go -- so (unless specified) these links are all from the Washington Post:
Interactive satellite image of the Mall yesterday at 11:19 a.m. -- yes, that's how many people there were.
video and transcription of the inaugural address.
Legal proceedings at Guantanamo have been stayed until May 20 so that Obama can "review the military commissions process, generally, and the cases currently pending before military commissions, specifically." [Oh, it's nice to have a professor of constitutional law as president.] ( more )
The Senate approved seven members of the new Cabinet, excluding Hillary Clinton because of Texas Republican John Cornyn's difficulties with financial details of Bill Clinton's charitable foundation. Those approved: Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter R. Orszag, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Others whose appointments are pending: ( more )
Obama's chafing a bit at the bubble he will be living in now, where he can't go out for a walk when he feels like it -- but isn't it better for the country when the president wants to stretch a bit inside of cowering inside the shell of the White House as we have seen for eight years? (Also at this link are more personal details about his first day.)
And (possibly coincidentally with the new administration) US troops in Afghanistan are being given new routes for supplies from other countries than Pakistan. I'm wondering now if the tourism ad I saw for Kazakhstan that was run (on CBS? ABC?) during the early festivities yesterday was part of that deal. The supply route was previously through Pakistan, which is where the Taliban is running things more and more -- including banning women and girls from being educated. Schools have been blown up, and teachers have been killed. Do you remember the Bushes preening themselves over the bright future they were creating for women in Afghanistan and the region? Not so much. Not at all.
And (BBCNews) Islamist authorities in Kano, Nigeria, have told a group of divorced women to cancel a planned protest because it was un-Islamic and "an embarrassment". Instead they postponed it to Jan. 29. You need to know that these are women who were divorced by their polygamous husbands, who were thrown out of their homes, without custody of their children, and destitute -- who are not, in fact, being given the rights they are due within Islam.
But in Hampshire, England, author Robin McKinley is dancing in the street (accompanied by hellhounds) about the new president. And in London, an artist tests the Obama effect.
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 | 02:17 pm
Confidential to Jan: Thank you so much for the mix CDs!
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 | 05:32 pm
Think good thoughts for a kitty. ( this time it's Simba )
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InsaneJournal |