The 17 President

UPDATE: Here Comes the Sun!

UPDATE: The New York Times gets in on the act with a 17 picture gallery
on their front page. This is picture number 17.

UPDATE 1/21: Et tu, LA Times?
Their 17 of 17 is of the snazzy new Rising Sun rug in the Oval Office.

At 1700 GMT, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. His inaugural speech, like his victory speech, was 17 minutes long. Cost of the inaugural festivities? $170 Million. I'll leave it to my eagle-eyed readers to discover any further 17 symbolism.

After writing my post on Obama and Gus Grissom, it struck me that our new president might make reference to the Masonic martyr, but only in his usual oblique fashion. Perhaps this is it:

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

Gus Grissom is buried at Arlington.

And Told Through the Ages is the title of an old Masonic text. Interesting conjunction there. It was also very interesting to hear Obama use the term "New Age."

UPDATE II: Interesting to see so many commentators referring to Obama as "following in Lincoln's footsteps," since Lincoln was the 16th President.

UPDATE III: Thuthie points out that the swearing in began at 12:05. 12+0+5= oh, you know. Also, I forgot this Washington Times article about the inauguration: "Masonic Rituals Live On."

UPDTE IV: iAdminie reminds us that the inaugural parade route is 1.7 miles long.

UPDATE V: The Times added another picture to the gallery for a grand total of 18. Hmm, did they do so at 1700 hours?

UPDATE VI: Here's an interesting headline for a mainstream newspaper: "Magical Spell that will open a new American era."

UPDATE VII: I can't find any mention of the Bible verse that Obama picked...

Up update: I've been told it's I Corinthians 13:11. 13 and 11. Bill Cooper rolls in his grave.

UPDATE VIII: BBC: "How Green Will Obama Be?"

UPDATE IX: 33 seconds. Interesting time-code there.

UPDATE X: HuffPost strikes again (see here and here for past examples.)
UPDATE XI: Indras Net has an interesting overview of the Astrology of the inauguration.

UPDATE XII: Seen from Space: The Inauguration Edition. Check out the big day from a satellite-eye view. Software courtesy of Seadragon (!)

UPDATE XIII: It seems that the old eagle-perched-on-globe icon made an appearance at the Inaugural Luncheon. We looked at this in the context of the Phoenix during the election. If you get a chance, watch John and Cindy McCain at the shindig. Not what I would call happy campers. But important in the Phoenix narrative. Screenie courtesy of Reuters, whose logo has undergone a Solar revision recently.

UPDATE XIV: Ahh, how could I forget- the Presidential inauguration in the United States has taken place on the first day of Aquarius since 1937. That would have been the second inauguration of Freemason FDR.