Holy Inauguration!:

So, despite the fact I live in DC, like most people I'm watching the inauguration on TV. The most interesting thing so far (at least for me) is how religious it has been. It's true, of course, that religious references during inaugurations date back to 1789, but what's remarkable today is just how explicitly Christian they have been.

I also noticed that the minister offering the main prayers closed off along these lines: "...with full respect for people of all faiths, we humbly offer this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ...." That probably won't satisfy the nation's number one village atheist, Michael Newdow, but at least it's a small gesture to the nation's Jews, Moslems, and other nonChristians.

Meanwhile, the boyfriend -- who works near the White House for one of the few employers in the city that has not shut down for the day -- tells me there's a big protest on 16th St. He said it was "insane," with people filling up the entire street and passing by for 20 minutes (and it could still be going on). Many of them were holding pro-gay signs, he says. Another friend reports that there was a snowball fight between protestors and republicans. Needless to say, none of this has been reported on NBC.

UPDATE: NBC has since reported on the protests, pepper spraying incidents, etc.