Magic moments

Well, obviously all of yesterday was pretty bloody magical because we got to say this.

And like pretty much everyone else, I was completely blown away by this extraordinary young woman.

As if this alone wasn’t enough to completely blow your socks off, I learnt after she delivered her poem that Gorman has struggled for most of her life (like the man who was inaugurated yesterday) with a speech impediment.

But there were other moments, too.

I’m not normally a fashionista, but you have to admit some of those coats were pretty damned impressive.

First Michelle Obama rolled up looking, as a friend commented on Facebook, like the most powerful woman on the planet.

Then we got to see the coats being worn by the soon-to-be vice-president and first lady.

Yeah, there were a couple of guys in this photo, but I’ve cropped them out. I didn’t realise until a commentator explained it to me that Kamala Harris (and a number of other leading Democratic women) deliberately wore purple to represent both blue and red states. Never mind that. Check out Dr Biden. I’ve said before that this woman knows how to rock mask wearing and she did not disappoint yesterday. Of course, if you’re about to become the first lady of the United States, I guess it’s easy to tell the young, up and coming designer you’ve chosen to make your inauguration outfit to throw in a matching mask.

One of my other favourite moments of the day came just after Harris’s triple first (woman, black, south Asian) swearing in as vice-president when Biden’s unmistakable voice could be heard saying, “All right.”

Another magic moment?

Biden signing a stack of executive orders with a real pen. (When I commented on this on Facebook, a friend responded to tell me #notasharpie was already trending on Twitter.) With a few strokes of this real pen, the US was once again part of the Paris climate accord and the World Health Organisation, the wearing of masks in all federal buildings was mandated, the Wankmaggot’s Muslim travel ban was gone, as was the permit for the Keystone pipeline (suck it, Alberta), along with a slew of other measures. Pretty good first day at the office, Mr President.

The least he deserved was a good (virtual) celebration concert kicked off by Bruce Springsteen. (I don’t know how deliberate this was, but it was a delightful reminder that the Wankmaggot couldn’t even get a Springsteen cover band to play at his inaugural concert.) And hosted by America’s sweetheart, Tom Hanks. All those A-list celebrities who so thoroughly snubbed the Wankmaggot coming out in droves for his capable successor.

Much as I have loved the Boss for years, this was my magic moment from the concert.

Jon Bon Jovi singing Here Comes the Sun just seemed to sum up the feelings of most of the world. As I said when I was watching this performance, it has indeed been a long, cold, lonely winter.

Let’s hope the sun really is coming, Jack. No malarkey.