Happy Thanksgiving

This is Courage the turkey, being pardoned last year by President Obama. As a long-time vegetarian, I can only encourage you all to do your own pardoning. Whether or not you do, may I wish all who celebrate a very happy Thanksgiving. I am off to Wisconsin and therefore off the grid for a week or so.

People Can Be So Rude!

A mash-up of two notable interruptions that took place in the US this week - Joe Wilson heckling the President and Kanye West spoiling Taylor Swift's special moment at the VMA awards.

All About the President's Trousers

Meredith Vieira discusses the comfy jeans President O wore to throw out the first pitch at the All-Star Game last week. Why were they not more fashionable? A new high in obfuscation, as real news might prove too distressing for the poor audience, or maybe the poor anchors. Where is Walter Cronkite when you need him? O yes ...

(Auf) Wiedersehen Winston

The Telegraph reports:

"A bust of the former prime minister once voted the greatest Briton in history, which was loaned to George W Bush from the Government's art collection after the September 11 attacks, has now been formally handed back. The bronze by Sir Jacob Epstein, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds if it were ever sold on the open market, enjoyed pride of place in the Oval Office during President Bush's tenure. But when British officials offered to let Mr Obama to hang onto the bust for a further four years, the White House said: "Thanks, but no thanks.""

Apparently, President Obama has replaced the bust of Winston Churchill that used to sit in the Oval Office with one of Abraham Lincoln. And what is wrong with that, might I ask?

Nu, a brief ravaj story: many many moons ago the ravaj had to take some examinations called the GEDs in order to enter graduate school. These exams included a maths paper. As the ravaj had not done any maths since she was 16, she was somewhat rusty, and extremely anxious. She was so anxious that there was little room in her brain for anything else. So it was that as she entered the National Liberal Club in Whitehall (London), and climbed the stairs to the exam room, she caught sight of a painting on the wall. The subject looked familiar, but she could not recall his name. All through the exam she wondered ... was it a member of the synagogue? Was it a friend of her parents? Was it the father of someone she knew? She could not get this out of her mind. At last the test was over, and enough use of her brain returned to suggest that there might be a label by the painting from which she could get the information she desired. She went down the stairs, and read the label. She was looking at a painting of Winston Churchill.

Yes, I cried

It is official - we have a grown-up in the White House. Now we shall wait and see what he is able to do.

It was almost as cold in our living-room this morning as it was in DC. I wrapped myself in a duvet and waited for my feet and the inauguration to warm up. Rick Warren, apart from his regular work, was actually not offensive if I listened to what he said filtered through my belief system rather than his (and I liked that he began with the Shema - Hear O Israel). Aretha was stunning, as was her hat. Until the swearing-in, though, all I could think of was that I wish my father had been here to see this day come to pass. He was one of the foot-soldiers in the fight for civil rights, and I cried the tears of joy he would have cried had he been here.

All the speeches and prayers were too long - Obama could have cut two minutes by simply quoting JFK's 'ask not what your country can do for you'. The old preacher at the end was brilliant - as he staggered up to the mike asking for blessing on those of weary years I was amused but with trepidation. He then wittered on for a while before ending on a high, though, with his colourful flower power note.

The main thing is that the party is now over and it is time to get some work done. Happy Inauguration Day!

President Obama's Inauguration speech here, courtesy of the BBC online.