A Great Day!

We started this great day at 6, making coffee for watching the inauguration. Now we're in the Fireside Lounge watching the pregame show on CNN. We'd started with CNBC but its commentators were annoying; CNN is much more straightforward.

Feinstein's Speech

"We come here every 4 years to bestow the power of the Presidency"

"The nonviolent struggle for justice & equality"

"The turning point ... this was the moment when the dream that once echoed from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial finally reached the White House"

Feinstein knew the 1st rule of public speaking: don't go on too long. When it's not about you, it's really not about you.

Rick Warren

"Hingepoint in history"

"Bless and protect him"

"We are Americans, united"

"humility and civility even when we differ"

I found Rick Warren deeply humorous, although not in a way that would please him.

• Does God *really* need to be told how big he is? I mean, doesn't God know that already?
• Who really CARES if God changed Rick Warren? It's not like WARREN is supposed to be the center of attention today.
• Rick, please ask Feinstein about the1st rule of public speaking.
• Please, could someone give this guy the hook?

Aretha Franklin

"My Country Tis of Thee"
Aw, that's great!

I really think "My Country Tis of Thee" would be a better national anthem than The Star Spangled Banner; it's much more loving of our nation & far easier to sing.

Biden!

Joe's a great guy.

Good backup, and he'll give good advice.

Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma etc.

Very nice!

Who's the guy on clarinet? I'll look it up.

Noon: Obama is president NOW!

Per constitution, at noon today, he became president. The Oath is just a ceremony

The Oath and the Speech

Very gracious beginning!

Lordy, I'll just link to the text. It's pretty good!

The Poem

"What if the mightiest word is Love?"

I'm sorry, but the poem left me unimpressed. The best poets of our era are songwriters: Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Dolly Parton,Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, Bernie Taupin, Carly Simon, even Madonna.

Benediction

The poem leading off the benediction is pretty good. I gotta get the text for this one. It's pretty good.

The National Anthem

Our flag's still there!

America's Happy Again!

It looks like a huge majority of Americans are happy about Tuesday's Inauguration, including a lot of people who voted against Obama. According to CNN

"...Eighty-four percent of those surveyed say they approve of how Obama is handling the presidential transition. That's up 2 points from the middle of December and up 5 points from the beginning of December.
..
CNN polling director Keating Holland said. "You know the country is in the middle of a honeymoon when six in 10 Republicans have a positive view of Obama."

The poll also indicates that six in 10 Americans think Obama's inauguration will be a celebration in democracy. Only four in 10 felt that way when George W. Bush was inaugurated as president eight years ago.

The poll also suggests that those surveyed see Obama's inauguration as a chance for the country to come together, rather than a political celebration, Holland said.

Thirty-nine percent of those questioned feel that Obama's Inauguration is a celebration by supporters of the winning candidate, 33 percentage points lower than those who felt the same way about Bush's 2001 inauguration.

"The public saw both of Bush's inaugurations as celebrations just for his supporters," Holland said.

The poll also suggests that 68 percent of those questioned are personally "thrilled or happy" that Obama will soon be inaugurated as president, 18 points higher than the way people felt in the days before President Bush's second inauguration four years ago..."
--- "Poll: Obama's popularity grows as inauguration nears", CNN, January 18, 2009

This is good!
There's a lot of work to be done, and a lot to be dissatisfied about. But for today, let's be happy together!

Why not?

Work, Then Party, Then Work, Then Party ... Etc.

How many Americans are taking time off to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as President?

I don't know, but in addition to the millions going to DC, there are reports of HUGE numbers of private and civic celebrations. I have not seen ANYTHING like that in over 48 years of seeing presidents come into office.

In my apartment building, a few of us thought we were being innovative in suggesting a little potluck in the common room ("The Fireside Lounge"). We like potlucks, it's got a big TV, and we might meet some new people. We're rigorously nonpartian in our parties, all are welcome - so building management jumped on the idea, now there's signs all over the building and it's going to be a PARTY!

It's still a potluck. We'll be passing around voter registration forms, since politics have not come to a halt; we're having a special election in a few weeks so everyone needs to be sure their voter registration is o.k. Nonpartisan partying and civic responsibility are peanut butter and chocolate.

But that's in the evening. In the morning, to watch the inauguration realtime, a few of us are meeting for brunch (potluck again). So just in our own building, there are TWO parties. Meanwhile, I've gotten invitations to several OTHER private parties, not even counting the public parties all over Seattle - a partial list is here.

HOW MANY Americans are watching this inauguration? Who knows, but it's an historic opportunity we're not gonna miss!

And ON TOP OF THAT, you'll notice in that list that there is a large number of civic-service opportunities being pitched for Monday, the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday. Previously, I have always held that MLK Day is the best civic holiday, because it has no expectations: no mandatory meals, no required rituals or obligatory gift shopping. We're just free that day, free to be free, thank God almighty!

But it may be changing, and improving, to a day of civic service.
Wowser! What a genius concept! A holiday where we work together. As the motto goes: "Not a day off, but a day of service!"

Me, I'll be putting in my normal 3 hours of stocking books at the Mercer Island Thrift Store. It raises money for youth and family services, and it's fun to work together with a great group of people who, over the years, have become friends. And afterwards, my lovely wife & I just might hit a pub.

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"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." ( John 13:34-35)

"Whatever you want others to do for you, do so for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." ( Matthew 7:12)

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward in heaven will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men." ( Luke 6:35)

"Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many." ( Mark 10:43-45)

"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you." ( John 13:14-15)

What is the Monkeysphere?

Want to know the answer to all the world's problems? Look inside a monkey.From the wonderful people of "Cracked" magazine ... which in print was an inferior competitor to "Mad", but on the internet-tubes has blossomed into a humorous competitor to "Popular Science" and "Wired" ... maybe even better.You doubt? Read the article, then judge.

read more | digg story

Wear the White Knot: Support Marriage!

The White Knot is the symbol for marriage equality.It takes two traditional symbols of marriage—white and tying the knot—and combines them in a simple way to show support for the right of gays and lesbians to marry. Whether you are gay or straight, please show your support by tieing a Knot, wearing the Knot and telling people why!

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read more | digg story

Eustace Tilley to star in "Watchmen" ???

Well, probably not, but if you're a fan of both you'll enjoy (as explained by the artist) it, and many other great entries, the actual New Yorker Magazine Eustace Tilley contest.

The actual Watchman movie seems mired in legal troubles; it seems someone might not have cleared all the licensing to the title before filming. And now the (likely) owner of the title wants ... can you believe it ... money?

If you haven't read the original Watchman graphic novel, do yourself a favor and read the Watchman graphic novel. It set a new standard for superhero.

LIFE Photo Archive Free on the Web?

Now THIS is interesting:
Photos from more than a century of LIFE magazine are now ready for the viewing (thanks to google for hosing) here: http://images.google.com/hosted/life

To the extent that we reason visually, we have just as a species become much smarter. Check it out, it's fun!

Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan (CLE)

Friends interested in peace, law and/or Japan may be interested in our next class:

Professor Mark Chinen of the Seattle University School of Law will give a presentation on Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, from noon – 1 p.m., at the WSBA Offices, 1325 4th Ave., Ste. 600, Seattle, 98101.

Article 9 has stirred controversy since the Constitution came into effect 60 years ago. The provision, which with the rest of the Constitution emerged out of the Allied Occupation of Japan, can be interpreted as prohibiting Japan from using armed force even in self-defense.

Over time, however, Japan has developed a significant military force that has grown in both strength and scope, and Japan is increasingly being asked to expand its participation in international peacekeeping missions and collective security activities, particularly after 9/11. This expansion has sparked intense debate about whether or not Japan is in violation of Article 9, which in turn has raised questions about the meaning and vitality of constitutionalism in Japan, and whether it is possible for a modern nation state to eschew military force.

Professor Chinen will give a brief presentation and lead a discussion on the history and interpretation of Article 9, as well as more recent calls to amend it. The presentation and discussion will focus on how Article 9 provides a unique window into Japan, its self-identity, its views on national security and its relationship with the United States, and more broadly, the relationship between law and peace and security, on both the national and international levels. Section members Ken Ellingwood and Jay Hastings will provide brief comments based upon their personal experiences with Japan.

Cost: WPTL Section members: Free, Non-WPTL Section members: $25, Law students: $10 (includes section membership). Guests ok on space-available basis.

Preregistration will soon be at http://www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/worldpeace/

1 general Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit applied for. We hope to see you there!

Female Faces of War Needs You!

"Female Faces of War" (FFOW) is a documentary showing the impact of war today on our women troops, their families and on civilians. Stories shared by the women in this film are compelling and complex, including a mother who lost her son in battle, an advocate for women soldiers affected by Military Sexual Trauma, a female American soldier, and Iraqi women. You can learn more here: http://www.wildirismedia.com/5101.html

The next step is to show FFOW at the Seattle Human Rights Film Festival. It's scheduled for February 7th, 2009 - 5 pm.

The Problem

For the full version of the documentary, we need to purchase stock footage and music. Most of the material has been donated, but music and b-roll has to be paid for.

You can help.

FFOW needs 18 donors to give $50 each (total $900).

Most of the work on FFOW has been by volunteers, giving time, labor and materials. And of course the greatest volunteering has been by the brave women who tell their story to the camera.

Will you help them present their work to the world?

You can donate as easily as buying a book on Amazon.
The donations go throught the 501c3 "Shunpike" for security & accountability: http://www.shunpike.org/about-us/

To donate, go to https://co.clickandpledge.com/advanced/default.aspx?wid=20706 scroll down to "Female Faces of War (Wild Iris Media)", and enter the amount you wish to donate to your shopping cart. It's just like any other online purpose. Please contact me if you would prefer to pay by other means or would like any other information.

I promise you: you will be proud of helping bring this wonderful documentary to the screen.

POSTSCRIPT FROM THE PRODUCER

"About 95% of our visuals have been donated. We need the $900 minimum for licensing rights to footage from Journeyman Pictures. Urban Hammid is an independent videographer who, bravely and at great danger, has been going in and out of Iraq bringing back images of life in the war zone. It includes intimate scenes of daily life such as flooded streets, looking for survivors amidst the rubble of a bombing, teachers with children reading books, women soldiers talking with civilians, and girls in a ballet class (to go with a poignant story about a music teacher and local militias targeting women who work for NGOs). Other footage is from BBC and other broadcast companies.

There is more we'd like to use, but that is the bare bones of what we need to screen on Feb 7. We need to purchase this within the next week two weeks at the very latest, sooner is better."
--- Kiya Bodding