Hit of the Ball, and random critique

The highlight of the festivities for me was Stevie Wonder. Also that chick Beyonce can sing. The Sting and Stevie thing wasn't bad either. Poor Ray Romano fell flat. This was not a crowd looking to laugh at that kind of humor even though it would have been funny in some circles at a different time. They were still in awe struck and didn't want to take O down from the pedestal so soon. You'd have thought he'd have known that.

The neighborhood Ball did have some pretty good acts like the Anti-Gravity group from NYC. That was rather wild. I had to check out the music. Couldn't help it. A few were lame but Stevie and a few others made up for it.

Where Do They Get These Holy Men?

It was an innaugeration, almost a coronation. It would be the seating of dictator for life if some had their way. That's OK. Mostly it was civil, with a few low class moments and a few very bizarre ones.

The first holy man rambled on with what I assume to have been a prayer. I wondered if someone was going to have to shoot him to shut him up. Where did they get that guy? An embarrassment. If you want to give a holy man that sort of press, please don't pull him out of an animated cartoon.

Then, the guy at the end had his few minutes in the sun. Holy smoke. Racist or what? Come on man, what is your problem? So, amid messages of unity and the usual platitudes, we have this guy separating and pointing fingers. He obviously has a low opinion of white people. That's his right, but it was not the best venue in which to vent. They just seated a president who carried a strong majority of the white vote, and I assume the holy roller wanted Obama to win.

Hysteria ran high so not that many people were as offended as I was. Those who oppose the president may have picked it up, but even when their points have a some validity I think they kill their case in the delivery.

I've never liked the trend toward more and more pomp and circumstance when it comes to presidents. I am not a monarchist. I do not approve of making the office akin to supreme ruler. That is not what this country is supposed to be. Clearly most people disagree with me on that.

We are in the age in which it is assumed that government is there to handle everything. I always wished they'd handle less. Much less. That goes for domestic matters as well as foreign. Big authority is something I do not trust. It gives me the creeps. I'm glad if a lot of people are happy but I fear their zeal is based on a personality rather than on substantive principles.

After today, I can certainly see why many point to religions and their leaders as the root of much of the world's evils throughout history. Those guys were useless. Completely empty bags of wind who have neither reason nor ideals to justify their position in this ceremony. It also brought to mind how easily large numbers of people are swept into movements which ignore true rights and have caused a great deal of pain and suffering throughout the ages. Hopefully this mob's mentality is somehow directed in ways that lead to autonomous thought--thought of any kind.

Meet the Beatles.