An incoming U.S. president takes the following oath or affirmation: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. When Chief Justice John Roberts read the second clause of the statement, he omitted the word “faithfully” from its rightful place, and stuck it at the end of the clause. WSJ Law Blog January 20, 2009

After an Inauguration Day flub, Chief Justice John Roberts got a second chance on Wednesday night. Roberts re-administered the oath of office to President Obama in the White House. http://www.necn.com/Boston/Politics/2009/01/22/Mulligan-Roberts-Obama-redo/1232624836.html


Presidential Memo Halts All Bush Midnight Rules and Regs
Following previous postings on Bush Administration Midnight regs, this report by ABC News: "This afternoon, White House Chief of Staff and Assistant to the president, Rahm Emanuel issued a memorandum ordering all U.S. government agencies to stop implementing any pending rules and regulations issued by the Bush administration until the Obama administration has an opportunity to review and sign off on them."
From the text of the memo: "...no proposed or final regulation should be sent to the Office of the Federal Register (the "OFR") unless and until it has been reviewed or approved by a department or agency head designated by the President after noon on January 20, 2009..."

"Welcome to the new WhiteHouse.gov. A short time ago, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and his new administration officially came to life. One of the first changes is the White House's new website, which will serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world. Our initial new media efforts will center around three priorities:
Communication...This site will feature timely and in-depth content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated. Check out the briefing room, keep tabs on the blog (RSS feed) and take a moment to sign up for e-mail updates from the President and his administration so you can be sure to know about major announcements and decisions.
Transparency...The President's executive orders and proclamations will be published for everyone to review, and that’s just the beginning of our efforts to provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government. You can also learn about some of the senior leadership in the new administration and about the President’s policy priorities.
Participation...One significant addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it."

Fast Facts: Pocket Guide to Transportation 2009 January 17th, 2009
Source: BTS
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), has published the Pocket Guide to Transportation 2009– a 50-page quick reference guide to informative transportation data.
Direct to Pocket Guide

They also serve who only stand and wait is the last line of the poem “On His Blindness,” by John Milton. The poet reflects that he has a place in God’s world despite his disability. http://www.bartleby.com/59/6/theyalsoserv.html

Shovel-ready, a buzzword
Art Hamlin, the electric utility National Grid’s Upstate New York economic development director says his company started throwing around the term back in the late 1990s. At the time, they were looking for ways to stimulate development of "brownfields," the abandoned and frequently contaminated industrial sites that were being cleaned up and made available for development. Executives at the company, then called Niagara-Mohawk Power, figured entrepreneurs would be more likely to develop the brownfields if they knew in advance that the sites already had electrical service and gas and sewer lines, as well as preliminary environmental permits. But they needed a catchy way of saying that. They came up with shovel-ready. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/07/AR2009010703662.html

Hoboken library denies child library card
http://hoboken411.com/archives/16081

An Omaha woman who lost her library card said its disappearance nearly wound up costing her hundreds of dollars. Michelle Anderson said she last remembered using her library card in September. "I think I used that self-checkout and, being me, I left my card on the self-checkout," she said. "It's the only thing I can think of. A couple of months later, notices from the library started arriving in the mail. Anderson said she threw them away, thinking they were for a $5 fine she owes. It wasn't until another letter arrived from a collection agency that she realized someone had checked out more than $584 worth of materials in her name and the library was holding her accountable.
Full story here.

In 1838, a year after Toledo was incorporated, a drought temporarily dried up swampy pools covering most of downtown west of Summit. Frogs migrated to the Maumee River, and residents could hardly take a step without squashing one. Toledo soon became known far and wide as “Frogtown.”
“In 1888 Dr. Allen DeVilbiss invented the atomizer that facilitated application of medicine to patients’ throats. Soon after, he formed the DeVilbiss Manufacturing Company to produce spray equipment. His son, Allen, Jr., invented a springless automatic scale in 1897. He established the De Vilbiss Scale Company which eventually became the world famous Toledo Scale Company…The doctor’s other son, Thomas, contributed to the development of the spray gun and perfumizers.”
You Will Do Better in Toledo: From Frogtown to Glass City, a Toledo Retrospective in Postcards, 1893-1929

January 22 is the birthday of poet Howard Moss, (books by this author) born in New York City (1922). A quiet, unassuming man, he served as poetry editor of The New Yorker magazine for almost four decades. When he was asked his definition of a good poem, Howard Moss said: "One I like." The Writer’s Almanac