Mr. Obama's first press conference went off without a hitch; my favorite part was his off-hand and relaxed quip about the First Family wanting a "shelter dog," but that they can't get one that is a "mutt, like me." It is easy to see that during Mr. Obama's presidency, the USA press and public may truly begin to shed some of the oversensitivities to the mere mention of people's race(s):

..."We have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is that Malia is allergic so it has to be hypoallergenic. ... But obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household."

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Of course, I want to defend Mr. Obama right now from the firestorm of breathless tale-bearing sure to be unleashed against him when, in response to a question about former presidents, he failed to list all of the living presidents, and in fact could only name one off of the top of his head!

Given the public flaying of Governor Palin over similar lapses of knowledge, I flinch in anticipation of the media outrage... I just want to say, fellahs, "Relax! It was just a slip of the memory! It happens all the time when a normal person is speaking off-the-cuff in public!"

Also, the reported "disrespect" shown to former First Lady Nancy Reagan is, to the impartial eye, nothing of the kind. Mr. Obama lightly implied he'd consulted all of the living presidents, but wouldn't be consulting any of the dead ones, referring to seances and Mrs. Reagan. Lighten up, oh press. Do not blithely discard the traditional "honeymoon" period; I think there's good reason for it.

As we discovered when Mr. Bush was pilloried without relent for year-upon-year without respite. It's bad for the man, but also bad for the country.

It makes some citizens blind to the greatnesses of the USA, which, after all, coexist with the deficiencies of the country, and outnumber them.

"Speaking of which,"

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Someone made the mistake of calling Dr. Maya Angelou up, leading to this little piece of look-at-your-shoes-in-embarrassment audio regarding the election of Mr. Obama:

"... and I realized, almost within a minute, 'I don't have to apologize for my country when I'm abroad!' I can say, I belong to a great country... I've been on the defensive so long [regarding American racism versus European racism], that this time I can say 'I am an American! Look at us! Look at what we've just achieved!' "

Yeah, well. That makes two of you — Michelle Obama, and now Dr. Angelou. No doubt there (truly) are a million or more who feel the same way?

And honestly, as noted elsewhere here: if this is what it took for hundreds of thousands of people to realize (in the literal sense) their knowledge of the USA as the ultimate Land of Opportunity, then it was all worth it. And if we stay on our toes, we can get through the next four years, "making the best of it."

And for America, "making the best of it" is a high mark and a worthy calling indeed.

So we'll cut Doc some slack for emerging out of the Civil Rights years, but she shouldn't abuse the privilege — after all, she's a poet, for gosh sake, not a governor or jurist or what-have-you.

For me, poet/writer ranks not very much higher than actor on the Gainful Employment food chain. Unless you are also a stevedore, waiter, or other full-time employee/employer. And no — "teacher" does NOT count ...

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