Obama inauguration - Oh happy day

There is palpable joy around my office today as people talk about Obama's inauguration. For us, it happened at 1:00 AM, but many people stayed up to watch the historical event.

In one swoop, the average IQ (and EQ) of the White House has gone up several notches.

The rest of the world really need to have a USA that is morally strong and intellectually sound. The folly of the last 8 years put a huge dent in the USA's standing in the world and we look forward to having the place run by someone who at least has lived outside America and has a broader understanding of people issues — and who clearly has some competence and empathy.

Some of my favorite parts of his speech:

...our schools fail too many...

I'm looking forward to seeing what he does about Bush's No Chld Left behind policies. There are huge challenges in this.

... each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet...We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. All this we will do...

...With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

No talk yet of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol (which Kevin Rudd did in the first hours after taking office as Prime Minister in Australia in late 2007). But at least we have glimmers of hope that the effects of the unsustainable energy policies that were in play in the States during the entire 20th century may be mitigated.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its costs.

Yay - a move away from the anti-science policies of the previous administration (eg Intelligent Design; and putting obstacles in the way of those trying to release research on climate change).

There is hope for improvement in mathematics education as a result!

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

A big buzz for me is that Obama is multi-cultural. He can operate effectively in the worlds of white and black. He lived in Indonesia and Hawai'i, which also gives him insights that few former presidents have enjoyed.

I hope he lives up to his immense promise.

(Speech excerpts: source)

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