New Bumper Administration
The bumper fell off my car yesterday. I pulled out of the driveway, started heading down the street, and heard a puzzling scraping noise. I stopped to see what might be causing it, and there's my bumper, hanging by two little fasteners on the driver's side. I was just around the corner, trying to get the bumper to sit back where it goes or remove the fasteners so I could take the car home, when people started stopping. I'm guessing this is the last straw on a series of tiny bumps to the bumper (mostly involving piles of snow) over the almost 6 years I've had the car, but I'm not sure why it chose yesterday morning to take the plunge, as none of those bumps are recent.

I'd love for this to be simply a lofty metaphor of shedding, but, as it were, my bumper fell off without a good explanation other than that I drive an oversized plastic model of a sardine can. It's likely not a metaphor, but it may be pop art. History will decide. In the meantime, I will waking my front bumper by driving around with it inside my car, with the badge of shame look on the front.

I had the privilege of watching the inauguration today with the whole school, up on the projector in the all-school space. Not unexpectedly, President Obama's inaugural address was nothing short of inspiring. I realize that speeches don't make things happen, but if there is any measure of the good faith, unity, individual humility and collective ability and responsibility that underlied that speech in his administration, we are, at the very least, pointed in the right direction. My current favorite line: "...Our power alone is not enough to protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please."
We'll see what happens as things get down to business.

Full Text of Obama's speech
Reactions from around the world via BBC