Famed German poet Novalis once said of poetry, "Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason." Today, with a deeply personal yet universally-minded work read at President Obama's second inauguration, Cuban-born gay poet Richard Blanco attempted to apply salve to some of our nation's sorest wounds with language. Just his presence was historic and somewhat healing in and of itself: Blanco is the first Latino and first openly gay inaugural poet in America's centuries-long history. (Read the full text here.) The nation's collective response? "LOL, what is this dumb-ass shit? Bring on Beyonce!"

Ta-Nehisi Coates has a blog post up about Lupe Fiasco's anti-Obama rant with the headline, "My President is Whack." Though we hold Ta-Nehisi Coates in high esteem, we must interject here: no, My President Is Wack.

Over 2,000 words and not a single mention of her? Snooze City. "Poor sasha will be hearing about that yawn for the rest of her life," says Huff Post editor Peter Goodman.

For the second time in as many inaugurations, the president screwed up the oath of office. This time — unlike in 2009 — it wasn't even Chief Justice John Roberts' fault: Obama just stumbled over "the office of the President of the United States," settling for an embarrassed grin instead of finishing the sentence.

In case you missed it, the full text of President Obama's second inaugural speech is available here.

SPIN has the complete history of Obama's hip-hop moments. Note Barry and Michelle's first date, Do The Right Thing.

"Four years ago today I began tweeting," Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill wrote this morning. "One of my first tweets was a comment on Scalia's weird hat." Indeed, it was:

As President Obama begins his second term in office, it's important to take a look back at just how much he's aged during his first one.

"WHO WAS THAT BOY?!" Twitter yelled, in a panic.

The Dutch TV show hosts who made international headlines in 2011 after they allegedly consumed each other's flesh are back in the news for something a bit more family-friendly, but not by much.

Hungry turtles, angry jellyfish, explosions, drowning, and other hazards of life as a professional deep sea diver.

All of our 2013 Inauguration/Squirrel Appreciation Day coverage, in one place.

The last time Barack Obama stepped up to an inaugural podium, the notion that we would spend four years with the Senate minority leader pledging not to pass a single item of legislation to help the president, the GOP House holding the American debt rating hostage, and countless party members whispering birther conspiracies and publicly sucking Donald Trump's feathered, blowdried asshole would have sounded like lunacy. Now it sounds like a Thursday.

This morning, January 21, 2013, is the "most depressing day of the year" says Steve Doocey of Fox and Friends. Why? Because of "drab weather, holiday bills, and resolutions we have not met."

Mikel Ruffinelli is nothing to look at above the waist — but below the waist she turns heads on a regular basis.

Two more Americans are reported to have died in last week's Algerian hostage standoff, making the U.S. death toll three.

Did you know that today is not one, but two different federal holidays?

The Washington Post has a long and proud journalistic tradition of owning the DC Hipness beat—continuously breaking news on the young, hip vibe of our nation's capital, where conservative and liberal nerds alike can come together to act, apallingly, like children. This eagle-eyed coverage of The Hip is something of which DC—and its hip residents—can be proud. Along with the city's great selection of tapas.

It's been a hard four years for liberals. There's the radicalized and intractable opposition, the weak response to our sluggish economy, the widening inequality, and the ever-lengthening "Kill List" of extrajudicial, extralegal assassinations.

Justin Bieber managed to rack up nearly 100,000 likes on Instagram after uploading a photo of his butt crack this past Saturday.