this is A-Rod's first World Series?

Wow. Alex Rodriguez really surprised me last night when he admitted amid all the showers of champagne, that this will be his first World Series. Has it been that long? It feels like the Yanks have been closer, and that Rodriguez has put us through enough for three or four. Well, good luck Alex. You've been amazing so far this season. It's interesting that a lot of the announcers have been dropping the A-Rod moniker. Guess they are taking him seriously, just as he is, finally. It was also great to see all the dopey sports mouths proved wrong last night as they lamented pre-game about the Yankees choice of a pitcher to face off the Angels. Baseball is a lot about the numbers—after the fact. But it's also about heart and sheer push. Andy Pettite was great. As was Mariano. And of course, Mister Rodriguez.

president Rocko Bama

That's what my daughter calls him.We headed down on the buspast the National Guardand various souvenir shopping opportunitiesjoined the crowd heading towards its destinationon the chilly National Mallwatched history happen on the jumbotronlistened to a great speechdealt with a not-so-great exit strategy (security clenched when Barack and Michelle decided to stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue)on the way home it was the march of the penguins, I mean Obamafansand much, much later Mexican chocolate with the Obama puppet

while you're making your inauguration plans...

January 20 is a national holiday. Really. And it will follow another national holiday, Martin Luther King Day, on January 19. How cool is that? So what should the inauguration theme be for President Obama? (Gee, that has a nice ring to it.) Bill Clinton used Fleetwood Mac for his campaign, and then later had them play at his inaugural ball. Here are some serious and not-so-serious suggestions:

Stevie Wonder - I love Higher Ground and Superstition, but maybe For Once in My Life and You Are the Sunshine of My Lifewould be appropriate? How about Signed Sealed Delivered? It would just be great to see him perform.



Prince's Raspberry Beret would be cool. OK, not a chance, but I love that song. What about Sting's Brand New Day, 'cause it is, you know?

Obama was in his 20s in the 80s. I think most folks really pick their "era" in their 20s and form most of their tastes in that decade of their life. There could be some interesting choices. Here is a small sample of possible tunes (from '81 to '84) that might work:

Celebration - Kool and The Gang
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
Super Freak - Rick James
I'm So Excited - Pointer Sisters
Rock This Town - Stray Cats
The Message - Grandmaster Flash
Wanna Be Starting Something - Michael Jackson
Rock The Casbah - The Clash
Bang The Drum All Day - Todd Rundgren
New Year's Day - U2
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
True - Spandau Ballet
She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Lucky Star - Madonna

Fun, fun, fun...

generation yes

It's a great day. America gets to be America again. You know, the one we read about in schoolbooks, but sounded like a foreign country? Yes we could, we did, and we must keep on doing.

Last night in D.C. felt like New Year's Eve, with people joyfully whooping from their apartment windows, the streets, in front of the White House. Because, you know, it was. A new year, a new century. A new world.

So many of the pundits last night were blah-blah-blahing, as we waited for Obama to appear, about what a victory this was for the Democrats. Ummm, no. You guys still don't get it. This wasn't about Democrats or Republicans or Independents or Libertarians or Socialists or Marxists, etc., etc. It was about EVERBODY. Obama was elected by all of the above and then some. Diversity is an intrinsic feature of this country and it was great to finally see everybody taking part, owning their bit of democracy and making their voices heard.

This sort of thinking also plays into the whole two-party system argument. Lots of people feel that it is a bad system, too narrow. Maybe. But there are more than two parties. There are always other options, and they appear on all the ballots or can be written in. But this is America, where the World Series, no matter how many crazy division titles are battled out, always ends up as a head-to-head contest. To paraphrase Highlander, there can be only two. Get over it.

There has also been talk of "generations" and how the youth vote played a huge part. Definitely, young folks voting, participating, has had an enormous effect. But that doesn't mean that Gen Y won this election (no offense, kids). We need to stop breaking everything down by age, race, lifestyle, whatever. We all, old, young, black, white, male, female, Hispanic, Italian, Chinese, etc., etc., we, Generation Yes, elected Barack Obama. And we are, hopefully, going to continue to pay attention, participate, and bring America back to its roots.