Hope for the next generation

Obama's been in the White House for 4 days and has already closed Guantanamo and re-approved stem-cell research. This picture of my friend Julia's niece, Michelle, pretty much sums up all that is good in the world.

Welcome President Obama!!

Yay!!!! It's official!! My company invited anyone interested to watch the inauguration on projector screens in the cafeteria today. It was really nice to be somewhat in the action even if we couldn't be in D.C. Everyone clapped and laughed and cheered together.

I thought his speech was necessarily somber, for sure, but hopeful and inspiring. It's hard to sum up even my feelings about it, because he addressed so much and my overall awe of the event itself overshadows everything. Bill Clinton, according to the NYTimes' live blog, also had a hard time articulating:

“I thought he had some particularly moving lines in there. It was a really good speech,” Mr. Clinton said, adding that the blend of domestic and global challenges were “encapsulized well.” He used that word -– encapsulized, which cannot be quickly located in a dictionary -– several times.

The music, especially the piece by John Williams, was beautiful. Aretha managed to rock "My Country 'Tis of Thee", not surprisingly. Elizabeth Alexander's poem was all about love. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery's Benediction was awesome, ending with his hopeful outlook towards a new time "when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead man and when white would embrace what is right." Good feelings in the air. I've been listening to NPR all day, and it sounds like President Obama is already busy at work making changes. It sounds amazing to hear "Former President Bush" but even better to hear "President Obama".

It's an historical day, the beginning of a new era. Hail to the new Chief!!

Obama's letter to his daughters

Read it and probably weep a little. Full letter here.

In less than 6 days, not just literacy, but love, hope, deserved pride, and positivity will fill the White House. It's one of those times when you can say a lot of cheesy things because they're true.

Poetry Returns to Presidential Inauguration

For the first time since Maya Angelou was commissioned by Bill Clinton to write and read a poem ("On the Pulse of Morning") at his inauguration, poetry will reappear at a presidential inauguration. Barack Obama has chosen Yale alumna and Professor Elizabeth Alexander to read a new poem at his inauguration next Tuesday.

Bringing literary back. I dig it.