Now what?

I note that finals are over and papers are done, so maybe it's time I create a blog. A nod to the fine folks who put me on this path, especially p-static. (nods) This blog will be different, seeing as how my interests revolve not around computers or anime, but more like politics or classical music. I plan for my posts to be pretty diverse, though. Anyway, I guess a bit of explanation is in order? Y'all know Frank Church, of course. He's not a pun, he's a senator. He's important, but I'll get into that another day. Allegro assai, sehr trotzig - it means very fast, very stubborn. It's the tempo mark for Mahler's 9th symphony 3rd movement, which seems to represent well the world as I see it today. Although tonal, it is more motivic than melodic and very vagrant tonally. Youtube, that purveyor of Sarah Palin and Foghorn Leghorn, can help you out in this department.

One topic I plan to write about a lot is the Obama transition. I notice the outrage du jour isn't over a Cabinet pick or policy proposal, but professional Chuck Todd lookalike Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Church in California and the guy who's going to be giving the invocation at the Obama inauguration. In the recesses of your mind you might recall the Saddleback faith forum from back in...August? It was a while ago. Obama and McCain went there to talk religion and stuff because it's a Christian nation and all of you non-Christians can just go to hell. Anyway. Rick Warren's one of the new types of Christian leaders - evangelical, but not an asshole about it, and prioritizes social justice over abortion. Don't mistake him for a social liberal, though, he was a supporter of Prop 8.

So that's Warren. You go look at Daily Kos and every other diary is on Rick Warren, and most of the rest are on Caroline Kennedy. (I'll probably talk about her another day.) Controversy: I'm just not too fussed about Rick Warren giving the invocation. Hell, the inauguration address is quite a bit more important than the invocation. What matters much more to me is what Obama's going to do in office. The cabinet appointments also are important, although y'all should remember that Obama's setting policy. He ain't weak-willed like Bush and won't be walked all over by Biden or Gates or whoever. Also, something that I think people forget is: what if McCain were elected? Can you imagine who he would choose for the invocation? Probably someone like John Hagee or Pat Robertson or who knows. (Actually, now that I think about it, he very might well choose Rick Warren too, because of the faith forum.) But McCain would be substantially different in terms of cabinet posts. Also he would probably die (look at that cheek) and then you'd get President Palin. (Ah, I was rewatching some of Tina Fey on SNL earlier tonight. I'll be writing much more about her. She's not going away quietly, just you watch.)