The blog formerly about a daily dose of mostly Minnesota sports rants and raves with a sprinkling of general sports commentary and a pinch of jaded-malaise regarding the world around us

January 20, 2009

FTLOSBW Recongizes History

It's January 20, 2008 and normally we would be celebrating KISS frontman Paul Stanley 's birthday but today . . .

Rejoice


posted by Jan at 7:12 AM

3 Comments:

Blogger MCA said...

I saw an ad during the campaign season, from the Democratic Party or DSCC or something like that, and it epitomized my feelings. Pictures of foreclosure signs, sad and confused looking people, broken roads and crying families. What really struck me, though, was the music. It was a lesser known Paul Simon song, "American Tune" that happens to be one of my favorite songs and has been a major part of my mental soundtrack throughout the Bush Era. I played it on my iPod on the way to the polling station:

"I don't know a soul that's not been battered.
I don't have a friend who feels at ease.
I don't know a dream that's not been shattered,
Or driven to its knees.
Oh, but it's all right,
It's alright,
For we lived so well so long.
Still, when I think of the road we're traveling on,
I wonder what went wrong.
I can't help it, I wonder,
What went wrong.

And I dreamed I was dying.
I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly,
Staring back down at me,
Smiling so easily.
And I dreamed I was flying.
From high up above my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty,
Sailing away to sea.
And I dreamed I was flying."

We've pissed a lot away in the last few years. Here's to hoping we get back on the Mayflower and start standing for our ideals again.

My hope is for something along the lines of Lincoln's second inaugural today, and I think in tone, at least, the expectation is that it will follow that lead. No moral highground to be staked, but blame squarely placed on all of us for losing our collective compass. A call to reconnect with our higher ideals and better angels.

Regardless of what Obama says, however, I still feel some weight off my shoulders today. Hopefully we can all feel at ease without so many shattered dreams again soon.

January 20, 2009 at 9:59 AM

 
Blogger LH said...

Big day indeed.. pretty incredible scene in front of the capitol today. Just has that feeling that this is one of those "where where you when..." events.

I wish President Obama all the luck, good wishes, good fortune and anything else I can think of, because has such a tremendously difficult task in front of him. The challenges that he will be facing seem incredibly daunting, yet of the remarkably crappy choices that we had at the beginning of last year- going into the heart of the campaign season, I think we selected the best person for the job.

So to you Mr. Obama, good luck and godspeed to you- in starting to right this seriously listing ship

January 20, 2009 at 11:21 AM

 
Blogger BG said...

I thought the speech was good, but not his best. I give it a B or a B+. He did a nice job of respectfully distancing himself from the Bush administration and of calling all Americans to service. The whole speech was good, but felt a little conservative. It was sort of like he started running the ball to milk the clock a little too early in the game (a la Brad Childress).

Liked the way he reached out to Muslims around the world: "we are ready and willing, as long as you un-clench your fists" (or something like that) and how he emphasized that there doesn't need to be a zero-sum trade-off between security and civil liberty.

I'm sure we'll get analysis ad nauseum over the next few days, but those are my gut reactions after streaming it at work.

P.S. How funny is it that Cheney threw his back out "moving into his new house." Does he know that he could hire someone to move those boxes...

January 20, 2009 at 11:49 AM

 

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