I spent most of the day watching television; more than I've watched in many years. I can listen to this President in a way I haven't been able to do for many years. This time I wanted to witness everything myself, not just hear about it later.

This was also Charna's eighteenth birthday, a great day for a wonderful young woman who supported and worked for Barack Obama, who works for ending the genocide in Darfur, who is committed to environmental causes and who embodies all of the qualities, the hard work, responsibility, creativity and "smarts" President Obama believes we have. Happy Birthday, Charna.

I skipped my class yesterday; today the Osher program begins with two lectures about current affairs. I will brave the cold and get out of here.