See an audio slide show of President Barack Obama taking the oath of office and delivering his inaugural speech.

Much had been made about the pressure on Barack Obama to deliver an address as awe-inspiring as his campaign and election. Did he deliver? Here are some snippets I picked up. I'm not using quote marks because I might not have jotted them down correctly. What will you remember from the speech?

 * We are consumed by a nagging fear that our decline is inevitable, our challenges are real, serious and many ... but know this, America, they will be met.

* But we've chosen hope over fear and a unity of purpose over discord

* The time has come to set aside childish things ... and to recognize a God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness

* Greatness is never a given; it must be earned.

* Men and women obscure in their labor carried us up the ladder of prosperity.

*Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin the work of remaking America.

* There are some who question the scale of our ambition ... but their memories are short ... the ground has shifted beneath them.

* The question today is not whether government is too big or too small, but whether it works.  ... Where (the answer is) yes, we move forward. Where no, programs will end.

* A nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

* As for our common defense, we reject as false a choice between our safety and our ideals.

* To all other peoples, know that America is a friend to each nation. ... We are ready to lead once more.

* We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver it its defense.

* We know that our patchwork heritage is a strength ... we've been shaped by every language and culture. ... As our world grows smaller, our mutual humanity must reveal itself.

* To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

* Let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we've traveled.

Elizabeth Alexander delivered the official Inaugural Poem today, but with all due respect, this one is still our favorite (from Chocolate News). We've posted it before, but for the sake of comic relief, it's worth another look - here at Comedy Central. So, on this historic day... "Hosanna Obama!"

See more photos from later in the morning from inaugural festivities.

If America is back, then so is Bruce Springsteen. Sure seems like it, anyway, thanks to a remarkable confluence of events. He was one of the star attractions at Sunday's massive inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C; he just won a Golden Globe; he has a new album dropping next week (which is streaming at NPR.com, if you want to take a listen); and he's playing the Super Bowl halftime show the week after that. Gotta give Jon Landau credit -- the man does not miss a trick in the buzz-building department.

But regarding that Super Bowl gig, there's a chance that could backfire rather badly. Not in a wardrobe-malfunctioning sort of way, more along the lines of this potentially prescient prediction from ESPN columnist Bill Simmons:

As a lifelong Bruce Springsteen fan, the Super Bowl ads for his performance next month never stop flooring me. Don't they know how the man is wired? He can't bang out three songs without sprinkling one autobiographical story in there, and he certainly can't just go away without returning for an encore, right? (Note to the NFL: After Bruce finishes his set, hog-tie him to one of the uprights or else he's coming back out for three more songs. Just trust me. You don't want Bruce wandering back onto the field with his guitar like Shooter in "Hoosiers" and getting bowled over by a safety.) Look, Bruce might be telling the NFL, "Don't worry, I won't tell a story. I'll just sing my three songs and get out of there." But he won't be able to do it. You watch. We're gonna get a moment like this after the second song.

"Tampa Baaaaaaaay! (Crowd cheers.) Is anyone alive tonight??? (Crowd goes crazy.) Super Bowl Forty-Threeeeeee!!! (Crowd goes crazy as Bruce turns somber.) You know, when I was growing up, the only thing my dad hated more than me was my guitar. (Crowd hushes.) He was always saying, 'Bruce, I wish you never got that danged guitar.' So one day I was playing it in my room, my dad was watching Super Bowl Three between the Jets and... uh... uh... I think it was the Colts. Big man, was it the Colts? (Clarence says, 'Yeah, boss. The Colts.') Well, turns out my dad had a ton of money on the Colts... and they lost. But I didn't care. I was just up in my room strummin' my guitar. Then Dad came upstairs, and I remember asking, "Hey, Pop, who won the game? And Dad got mad and broke my guitar over my head. He busted me up pretty bad, I needed 589 stitches to close the wound. From then on, I knew I needed to start watching football. And so I did. (Dramatic pause.) This is 'Darlington County.'"

(Found via Backstreets.)

ADDENDA (1/22/09): Surprisingly, however, Springsteen's current PR bounty won't include an Oscar nomination. But there's this.

SECOND ADDENDA (2/2/09): A Super Bowl review, of sorts. Plus Bruce's backstage Super Bowl diary.

See early-morning photos from the inaugural scene in Washington, D.C..

See photos from a day of service for the Obamas and scenes from Washington, D.C..

See photos of Triangle residents traveling by bus to the Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C..
Staff photos by News & Observer ... more

With little kids in the White House now for the first time in years, this one seems like a no-brainer: The Disney Channel will air a special concert, The Kids' Inaugural: We Are the Future, tonight at 8pm.

The concert, which is a tribute to military families, is hosted by Michelle Obama and Joe Biden (kids love him!) and will feature big favorites of Malia and Sasha -- The Jonas Brothers. The brothers know that the girls like their song "Burnin' Up," so they said will probably be singing that one for sure.

Also performing are Miley Cyrus, Demi Lavato, and Bow Wow. Expect special appearances by Billy Ray Cyrus (I think it's in Miley's contract that he gets to be on any show she's on), Keke Palmer, and Usher. 

All the major networks will carry the Inaugural ceremony live on Tuesday, starting at 11am.

ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS begin their programming at 7am and continue throughout most of the day. Same goes for CNN (beginning at 5am), MSNBC (6am) and Fox News (8:30am). For commercial-free coverage, check out CSPAN.
Nickelodeon will have coverage from their teen ...