Happy Day, Happy Day, Happy Day!

27 Replies
Joe Inauguration

A little something I saw on my TV just before noon today.

Wasn’t it, though?

Tonight, I particularly enjoyed listening to my NPR One app while belatedly trying to get in my 10,000 steps. On story after story, they kept saying “President Biden!” Bless them.

You can see what I had to say during the inauguration earlier today on my Twitter feed. I didn’t have time to write a blog post, but I wrote a few items in real time, such as:

Then, before Joe et al. had even left the Capitol steps, I had to run out to the Publix on Broad River Road (before yesterday, I hadn’t even known there was a Publix on Broad River Road) to take my parents to get their COVID vaccine shots. This took awhile, since their appointments were an hour and 36 minutes apart. (I tried to get them closer, but it took about 15 minutes to sign up for each appointment. I did my Mom’s first, and by the time I got back to the appointments on my Dad’s, there were no close appointment times left.)

Aside from that, it went well. Both claim it didn’t hurt a bit. Which is surprising, since that needle looked pretty long to me.

Anyway, I’m glad we got that done. Second shot is in four weeks — same bat-time, same bat-channel.

So things are good today. You saw the part about President Biden, right?

27 thoughts on “Happy Day, Happy Day, Happy Day!”

  1. Brad Warthen Post author

    See, here’s one of the great things about having a real president, especially Joe Biden.

    You don’t have to keep an eye on him. You can trust him to just go ahead and do the job, and do it right. You can get on with your life.

    Here’s some of what he’s done since being read in today as commander of this barky we all love:

    White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters President Biden has signed 15 executive actions, part of a flurry of steps he plans to take in the coming days to address his top policy priorities — and to roll back some of former President Donald Trump’s initiatives.

    White House officials had originally told reporters there would be 17 actions signed, focused on addressing the COVID-19 crisis, the economy, racial justice and climate change.

    The signed actions include a mandate for masks on federal property, an action to rejoin the Paris climate agreement, a removal of Trump’s travel ban affecting Muslim-majority nations, a proclamation halting further funding or construction to the wall along the U.S. Southern border, and an order reversing Trump’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization….

    I suspect he’s still busy…

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  3. Barry

    A friend told me he was playing the inauguration ceremony for some of his students today and when Biden spoke they were all chiming in with comments like

    “That’s right”
    “Preach it”

    And on and on.

    He said they really got into it. He was just enjoying how they were enthusiastic about watching history unfold.

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    1. Randle

      He fired the head of Voice of America who was turning that into a Trump propaganda machine.

      He fired the head of the Consumer Protection Agency, who likes predatory lending among other anti-consumer things.

      He fired the head of NLRB, who likes union-busting. Workers not so much.

      It’s a good start.

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  5. Barry

    Also saw this

    Joe Biden swearing-in some of his appointees, tells them: “If you’re ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect – talk down to someone – I promise you I will fire you on the spot. On the spot.”

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  6. Randle

    I watched the Inauguration (great speech! great poem! great coats!) and then did other things besides check my phone every 15 minutes to see if the Republic was still standing. It is nice to get one’s life back. Biden did more work this afternoon than the other guy did in the last 6 months. And the stuff Biden did was good. Which is the best difference.
    I feel joy!

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    1. Bob Amundson

      To both Randle and Barry, yes! I feel joy, especially when I read that children were, in a very positive way, “talking back” to our new POTUS. My experience is when things go “sideways” I just survive, and really don’t understand how sideways things were until it’s over. WE WON! Thank God It’s Over …

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  7. Bob Amundson

    To both Randle and Barry, yes! I feel joy, especially when I read that children were, in a very positive way, “talking back” to our new POTUS. My experience is when things go “sideways” I just survive, and really don’t understand how sideways things were until it’s over. WE WON! Thank God It’s Over …

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    2. Brad Warthen Post author

      Yes, I heard that from a lot of people (and I looked at the video over breakfast this morning). I wasn’t watching that. I think that was when I was sitting here working, trying to catch up from the day…

      Or maybe it was still going on when I got worn out and stopped. Anyway, I sat down about 9:30 or so to watch TV, and as usual went straight to the streaming services on my Apple TV, not even glancing at the live stuff…

      But I’m glad people were still enjoying the wonderful day…

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      1. Brad Warthen Post author

        I’m not sure what I think about her becoming a platinum blonde, though.

        I like natural. I’m old school. I came of age in the early ’70s, when natural was the thing. Jeans, T-shirts. Let your hair grow, and don’t do much with it. Natural food. Natural childbirth. Old school…

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        1. Brad Warthen Post author

          Becoming an adult at that particular time causes me to think that everything that came before — all those guys with grease in their hair, all the women with heavy makeup and hairspray and those weirdly-shaped bras — and after — all the spikiness and jello-colored hair and piercings and tattoos — is kind of off-putting.

          Natural is best.

          But of course Katy was quite lovely, as usual…

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        2. Brad Warthen Post author

          Of course, about midway through the 70s things went as insane and artificial as fashion can go.

          But by then, I was grown and married and having kids and ignoring that stuff.

          Earlier, we were cool…

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    1. Brad Warthen Post author

      Yes, yes, YES! I’m so looking forward to it.

      I’ll be like, “What’s going on in Washington?”

      “Oh, just normal stuff…”

      “OK, great! Keep up the good work! I’ll check back with you later…”

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        1. Randle

          I sure hope the various factions also calm down and quit expecting Biden to accomplish in 24 hours or 100 days what hasn’t been accomplished in decades or ever, or be considered a failure. Every day I read of another group demanding this or that be addressed immediately because they are responsible for Biden’s win. “Biden must deliver quickly or risk backlash”, today’s State, for example.
          Shut up.

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            1. Brad Warthen Post author

              But while there’s plenty of that garbage out there, that story isn’t as bad as the headline. It contains rational stuff such as this:

              “Keep it simple is my message,” said Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, an early supporter of Biden’s presidential bid. “People out there are desperate to see their elected lawmakers work together and pass something that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, doesn’t tear down the system, it just makes things a little easier on them in a moment of crisis.”

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              1. Randle

                Yes, I read the story, and it was more sensible. I also think Biden will follow that path anyway. But it seems this is the latest narrative the media is going to beat into the ground. I’m irritated with The State’s coverage of this and Covid. Trump’s second impeachment wasn’t even the front page headline the next day. Seemed like a big story to me.

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  10. Doug T

    I volunteered for Joe this time around and back in 2008 though he didn’t make it to SC. I’ve been waiting 12 years for Wednesday to happen.

    So… early Wednesday afternoon a tree fell down up the block and knocked out power for 4 hours and cable until this morning. Well heck. I did get to watch Amanda Gorman (OMG!!), but missed the evening festivities. I hope Brayden Harrington is on YouTube. What a story.

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