BC BIDEN
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BREAK: Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States.

The Trump administration is over.

 Technically another 9 mins to go for the official handover. But it’s a formality.
Biden: "This is America's day. This is democracy's day. A day of history and hope....Today we triumph not of a candidate but of a cause. The cause of democracy. The people, the will of the people has been heard. And the will of the people has been heeded."
"At this hour my friends, democracy has prevailed."

Biden thanks his predecessors from both parties "from the bottom of my heart."

With, perhaps, the exception of one.
Biden addresses the pandemic and its economic consequences: "Few people in our nation's history have found themselves in a moment as challenging as the one we're in now...but the dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer."
Biden says the country must confront and defeat the problems of domestic terrorism in America.

15 or 10 years ago American presidents would have been using that term to refer to Islamist terrorism. Post Trump administration, it's about the far right. Transformation.
Biden: "I know speaking of unity might seems a foolish fantasy these days...but our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we're all created equal and the harsh ugly reality of racism, nativism, fear, demonisation...the battle is perennial."
Biden: "Let's start afresh, all of us, let's begin to listen to one another agin. Hear one another, show respect to one another. Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire, destroying all in its path. And we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manufactured."
Biden believes in this unity theme. The danger for him is that (a little like Obama) he believes it can actually be achieved. And that is setting himself up for one alrighty fall.
Biden, referring to America's first female Vice President @KamalaHarris says "don't tell me things can't change."
Biden's best passage yet: "These last weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies. Lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a responsibility, especially leaders...to defend the truth and defeat the lies."
And that's going to be the difference. A president who didn't like or care about fundamental democratic principles, conventions, institutions and norms (including the value of truth) has been replaced with one who does. Not necessarily more than another politician but Biden is.
Biden: "We'll lead not only by the example of our power but by the power of our example."
Biden: "I give you my word- I will always level with you. I will defend the constitution. I will defend our democracy. I'll defend America...together we shall write an American story of hope not fear, of unity not division, of light and not darkness."
It's hardly a unique insight but it is hard to overestimate how different the last two inauguration speeches have been. America's capacity for renewal (and rapid transformation) is breathtaking.

More from Lewis Goodall

Lewis Goodall
Lewis Goodall
@lewis_goodall
More study aids and generous grade boundaries for 2021's exams will be welcomed by many teachers and students. But doesn't address a fundamental problem of the next exam season: equity. Because there's great variation in how different schools have been affected by self-isolation.

Let's take the most recent attendance stats which I still don't think have really registered.

Most recent data- attendance rate across England of 83%

In secondary schools it's 78% (!)

So more than 1 in 5 secondary pupils are off school, largely for Covid related reasons.

But that’s just an average. Some schools’ attendance are at levels where they can’t really function, or certainly provide the quality of education they normally do.

Teachers’ are split between trying to run online lessons and those in schools.

Whole year groups are off.

Some students are in isolation, return to school and within days are in isolation again.

As I’ve reported before, IT provision is still patchy. Lots of reports of kids not doing work at home either because they get of the swing of it or they don’t have the IT resources.

And that’s before we get on to staff isolation, which is also proving a nightmare in many places.

In other words, you have to have everything go right for your education not to be impacted by Covid right now. And that’s affecting some places more than others.
EDUCATION
Lewis Goodall
Lewis Goodall
@lewis_goodall
Hancock: "It's your actions now which can make a difference."

Plays down prospect of immediate introduction of new restrictions.

Few doubt the public must play its part. But legitimate questions about whether the govt has made/is making public's task harder in two key respects:

1) For some there's still a major economic disincentive apropos self isolation. Sick pay still poor. Savings for many exhausted.

Imminent prospect of Universal Credit cut would make this worse. Some people have fallen through the gaps of government support throughout. Though government support for (effectively) laid off people, a full economic bargain to universally support self isolation still...

...does not exist. Rishi Sunak just made a statement to the House which offered nothing new on any of these fronts.

And 2) The job for individuals is now made harder as a result of prevalence as a result of the delay in full lockdown in most of the country between the...

...point ministers were informed that the new variant had greater transmissibility (December 18th) and full lockdown (early January). We can't interrogate the micro decisions of the public alone, we must look at the macro decisions of ministers too.
ECONOMY
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Lewis Goodall
Lewis Goodall
@lewis_goodall
Charles Walker, Vice Chair of the 1922 Tory backbench committee in the Commons tells TWTW that he thinks the government knew it intended to “cancel” Christmas on Wednesday or Thursday but waited for Parliament to rise to do it. Says many of his colleagues find this “egregious.”

When put to Walker that Matt Hancock said this morning that wasn’t the case, it was the briefing on Friday which prompted the decision, Walker says: “Hmm yeah...well I’d have to disagree with the SoS on that.” So he’s either saying Hancock isn’t being truthful or is misinformed.

Walker: “Surely at some stage a senior government minister has say I’ve offered my resignation to the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister has to say- very early I’ve had to accept this.”

Reminder- Charles Walker is Vice Chair of the Tory backbench committee.

Walker heavily implies it’s Matt Hancock he wants to see resign: “I’m not asking for the government to collapse. I’m asking for a Secretary of State to take some responsibility.”

The Charles Walker interview is extraordinary in what he is inferring. A senior Conservative MP is essentially accusing his govt and ministers of deceit about what they knew about the new strain and when and by implication the timing of the new lockdown.
GOVERNMENT
Lewis Goodall
Lewis Goodall
@lewis_goodall
Weird feeling. After 10.5 years and roughly £21,000 of debt- I finally paid off the last instalment of my student loan today.

Next month, for the first time- I’ll receive my full post tax salary, for the first time since I graduated.

Sharing as an example of how the system works in practice. In truth I only seriously started paying off the capital in the last few years, when I started to earn a good salary, paying roughly £400 a month off. I suspect many will never significantly eat into the capital.

That’s especially the case for those those under the new regime, who have over £50k of debt. I was lucky in a) lower fees (3k not 9k) and maintenance grant (not loan) still existed.

Indeed IFS forecasts that 83% of students from PST 2012 reforms won’t fully pay back their loan.

Of course those who don’t pay off their fees, the cost will eventually have to be absorbed by the Treasury. Having 17% pay back all and the rest some will still be cheaper for HMT than no loans at all. But we should recognise the a) odd conceit that we have a system of loans...

...which the vast maj will never pay back and that instead b) that graduates are paying in effect a topped up rate of income tax for many, many years.
FINANCE
Lewis Goodall
Lewis Goodall
@lewis_goodall
Overheard in a Newcastle cafe, two very despondent students, clearly not long arrived in the city: “I might as well just go home. What is the point in being here? I told my Mum last night, I just feel so lonely. Wish I’d taken a gap year.” The other nodded, in sad agreement.

More cafe conversations-a woman who has recently gone back to work and is now facing down the barrel of imminent unemployment again with the hospitality shutdown which is prob coming here: “I was so buzzing to get back to work. I can’t believe it’s back. Don’t know what I’ll do.”

A local bar owner who has popped in for a coffee: “up to now we’ve just about been making enough money on Saturday to survive and make it through the rest of the week. Depends what the government does. But we’re on the edge.”

And the cafe owner, been here 19 years: “things had been a bit better but this week trade has fallen off a cliff. I came in yesterday and the day before and I just closed because there was no point. Whatever they announce I’m praying it isn’t for long or they extend furlough.”

This cafe btw is a cracker, when I lived in Newcastle came all the time. If you’re ever in the area (restrictions permitting) @QuayIngredient is where you need to go.
SOCIETY

More from Biden

Dr. Jeffrey Guterman
Dr. Jeffrey Guterman
@JeffreyGuterman
This is the start of my second thread of the front pages of newspapers on this date January 21, 2021. Click below for the first thread. #inaguration2021


Front page of the Independent Record on this date January 21, 2021. #OTD #Inauguration2021


Front page of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on this date January 21, 2021. #OTD #Inauguration2021


Front page of the Daily News on this date January 21, 2021. #OTD #Inauguration2021


Front page of the Tallahassee Democrat on this date January 21, 2021. #OTD #Inauguration2021
BIDEN
Julie Hughes
Julie Hughes
@recycleeasy
so ... I saw this and comment @GhostEzra made underneath
BIDEN
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@TheWiseOwl_AZ
1. Thurs. 21 Jan. Simon Parkes: https://t.co/YX93CYE0Km

Some of B*iden’s inauguration was live, while other parts were pre-recorded.
BIDEN
Dr. Alexander Hamilton | Alter Ego: AHAM
Dr. Alexander Hamilton...
@DrAlexHamilton
Clock ticking. 2 years until Republicans can take back both houses of Congress. The most important branch of government is not Congress or the presidency. It's the judiciary for they have life appointment. Mitch McConnell understood this

which is why he snatched that Supreme Court appointment from Obama & used Trump to pack the courts w/conservatives. Now Biden & Democrats must respond in kind & make good on a threat FDR made decades ago. PACK THE SUPREME COURT NOW while you have the chance. I say go to 19-

justices & then start term limits of 8 years after all 19 die. No 1 deserves a life appointment for anything. There is no accountability for people w/life appointments. They can do whateva the fuck they want & there is nothing U can do about it. Notice I said after all 19 die.

This would guarantee Biden is able 2 make a serious stamp on the country's future & possible make a complete judiciary break from white supremacy or the judiciary coddling of white supremacy. Never 4get Obama appointed judges who acquitted or let off cops who killed black people.

Congressmen 2 yrs, Presidents 4yrs, Senators 6 yrs & Supreme Court Justices 8 yrs would be a better formula for good government. Supreme Court justices & other federal judges are the true royalty in this country as they serve for life & the ability to remove them by impeachment-
BIDEN
Jeffrey Pugh
Jeffrey Pugh
@JeffreyCPugh
@simonbarrow @Ekklesia_co_uk Some thoughts on Fintan's piece.

Can Joe Biden make America great again?

Since the day Trump was elected America as we thought we knew it was over, there was no way back, there would only be a way forward. This was not necessarily bad, bc the old imperial America did much harm in the world. 1/

The fissures O'Toole points to have always been there. White supremacy has structured our society far more than ppl realize bc it's been internalized as a communal assumption about who should wield political and eoconomic power. 2/

The task facing Biden is enormous, perhaps the most challenging any president has ever faced and O'Toole captures the complexity of someone who knows suffering being able to lead/offer us vision in this moment. I have consistently underestimated him . . .3/

but perhaps he is the bridge to what comes next. I think it is undeniable that we are now sliding toward open civil war, being held hostage to the guns we allowed to proliferate, but Biden, if he sees clearly, could help. Public facing rhetoric of healing is fine, 4/
BIDEN

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GHATI SUBRAMANYA, DODDABALLAPURA (KAR)
#bharatmandir

One of the most important place for snake worship.
The murtis of Kartikeya and Narasimha are self-manifested.
There is an anthill which is opposite the shrine. Bhaktas pour milk on it as part of rituals.


Here Subramanya performed penance in the form of snake. He sought protection from Narsimha for Nagas from Sri Vishnu’s vehicle Garuda, known for his dislike towards serpents.
The Pushya Suddha Shasti is one of the biggest festivals here believed to be appearance day of Subramanya


It was in this region where Subramanya vanquished Ghatikasura, the demon. Hence called Ghati Subramanya.
Childless couples visit here to seek blessings for getting a child.
The installation of snake murtis near the shrine is believed to be an auspicious act.


The murti of Karthikeya with a seven headed cobra faces eastwards while Narasimha faces westwards.
To ensure that both are visible to bhaktas at the same time, a huge mirror is placed in the rear in the sanctum sanctorum.
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WHO ARE VALAKHILYAS?

Valakhilyas are 60000 Rishis who are thumb-sized. They were born to Kratu and Kriya. Rig Veda says that they sprang from the hairs of Brahma.
They move in front of Surya dev’s chariot as Sun moves daily and
shine like brilliant lights due to severe tapasya.


Tamil literature says that the main task of Valakhilyas is to prevent human beings from being scorched. They absorb the excess heat from the sun by travelling in front of him. They, in turn, get energy from Skanda and Ma Durga. The food of Valakhilyas is only wind.
@SriRamya21


Once, Rishi Kashyap performed a yagna and invited all the Devas and Rishis to help him. Indra brought a whole mountain of trees for firewood. The Valakhilyas were hardly able to lift anything but leaves. Even when they were moving leaves, they fell into rain water puddles.


Indra made fun of them. So they cursed Indra saying that his slayer would be born as the son of Kashyapa. When Indra apologized, they modified the curse that the son shall be initially an enemy of Indra, but later will become his friend.


This son born later to Kashyapa was Garuda. He flew to Indraloka to get Amrita and defeated Indra.
Later, he restored amrit vessel to Indra and was honoured as the King of birds and as the mount of Sri Vishnu.
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