Where do you watch the blog?
I’m not telling you, I’m asking you….

Amy Welborn says a lot of good, provocative things, although I disagree on at least two points: 1) Obviously I think Ta-Nehisi Coates is more right about hip-hop culture than Juan Williams (on the one hand, I’ve already heard more than one anecdote about kids essentially pulling up their pants because of Obama; on the other hand, how old and/or obsessive do you have to be to remember the slogan, “Clean for Gene”?), and

2) I really do think America’s “identity crisis” is a huge deal–for us, and for the people we bomb.

Culture11 Confabulum: James Poulos shares my deep dysPepsia. Yes, you can indulge your consumerist whims! (The weirdest, for me, is that the Pepsibama banners replaced the Union Station American-history-by-decades banners. Have you noticed that Washington, DC, is an actual place, and not merely a stage for your rose-petaled commercial Ascension?)

Interestingly, I just read someone talking about how great it felt to be watching the TV all day for an event which wasn’t tragic. All I can say is, I think inaugurations in this our bad age are either tragic or horrific. And after a horrific presidency, I truly hope Barack Obama’s inauguration proves tragic. It’s the very best I can imagine.

More, and with real hope, in the next post.