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I got into bed on Saturday night early after a busy day parenting – a little depressed. I felt like I had missed the month’s coolest party. I didn’t get to the inauguration.
I had plans to go to the Union Buildings with my family and enjoy a day of music and celebration. But the day had its own plans: I had tidying up to do, meals to make, songs to sing, shopping to do. The only consolation was that the thousands I battled my way around at the Cresta Centre were not there either. Oh yes, it rained – would have been miserable picnicking in the rain with my babies.
But I missed this touching moment:
And then from the other side of the ocean, I missed this fabulous weekend entertainment: Obama’s address at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner.
From the Office of the US press secretary:
The President has asked Ambassador Ron Kirk, the U.S. Trade Representative, to represent the United States at the inauguration of the President of South Africa on May 9. The President congratulates the people of on another successful election – the fourth in the post-apartheid period – and looks forward to a close working relationship with the incoming administration in South Africa. Ambassador Kirk will be accompanied by senior members of the President’s administration.
The free-for-all editing process on Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, has often embarrassed the founders of the site.
On Sunday for instance the entry for Bruce Springsteen ‘was defaced repeatedly during his performance at Sunday’s Superbowl’. Why? Is he too old? Did these defacers want Britney Spears to perform instead?
The Telegraph reports that:
Over a five-minute period, the entry on Springsteen was edited by several users, who removed biographical information about the singer and replaced it instead with insulting messages. One edit read: “Bruce Springsteen. This guy kinda sucks,” while another read: “Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949), nicknamed ‘The Boss’ is a FAG!”. The entry also appeared in Japanese before it was restored to its original version by a senior Wikipedia editor.
The editing process is being re visited. Perhaps a bit of editorial control will be introduced. A pity – Wikipedia is a great concept.
Here is a picture of the Boss performing at the Super Bowl. (I spotted him at Obama’s inauguration – he was not far from where I was sitting. He really is a good looking lad.)
Have a look at this beautiful series of drawings by Maira Kalman:
This week, the week of the inauguration of President Obama more people ‘filed for unemployment than at any time in the last twenty-six years’. It’s mind boggling to read how bad the economy is here. Shops in the street I’m staying in have closed down, ‘for rent’ signs are up, and shops are cutting prices on goods radically.
What are Americans going to do?
Below is Obama’s weekly address. In it he lays out an ambitious stimulus package and offers more detail than we’ve heard before. The plan involves huge investment (trillions of dollars!) in American infrastucture. And he asks again that “we act as citizens and not partisans and begin again the work of remaking America”. What does that mean? Do Americans not act as citizens? What must ordinary Americans do that they aren’t already doing?
Obama’s address: Read More…
