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– The crowd is so damn huge that MSNBC’s cameras can’t give us an overview shot without panning. From the Capitol all the way out now, past the Washington Monument, stretching up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Shots of people in the crowd, smiling, crying.

– They just announced Obama, and he’s come out onto the platform. The million-plus crowd waves small American flags — almost everybody has them, and it looks like a field of flowers. I’m trying to find a word that isn’t “amazing”, and I really can’t.

– Opening remarks from Diane Feinstein. Standard Civics 101 summation of how great the renewal of democracy is, etc. We’re not here to listen to you, Diane. Wrap it up.

– Invocation from Rick Warren. I understand why Obama asked him to do this — and yet again, Obama proves that he’s a better man than I am. No way in hell would I have reached out to the evangelical nut-job community. I’ve had enough of them.

More to come.

Figured that I’ll mark the events as they happen, for my own memory if nothing else.

-Over a million people on The Mall. It’s an amazing sight.

-The Obama kids come out — and Malia’s got her digital camera out.

-OUCH. Bush comes out, and you can clearly hear chants of “No More Bush” and “Na-na-na-na, Hey hey hey, Good-bye.” from the million-plus crowd.

-First shot of Obama in the hallway. The crowd goes completely APESHIT. You can’t hear anything else.

More to come.

1. It is the final day of the worst Presidential administration in the nation’s history. As Ford said at the end of the Nixon era — “our long national nightmare is over.”

2. It is a relaxed day, with home from work, the Minion home from college, and nothing pressing for our attention.

3. I’m optimistic (and even, dare I say it, enthusiastic) about the prospects for my work in the coming year.

4. I’m watching the Merseyside Derby (Liverpool/Everton), live on Setanta.

Contented, all around.