Inauguration Day Swearing-In Ceremony

Bernard Lilly, 40, of Chicago's Austin neighborhood, poses with one of his favorite cousins James Williams, 15, of Atlanta, Ga. during today's event in the National Mall. Williams, an honors student at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Atlanta, made the trek to D.C. with his parents (Chicago natives), two sisters, and aunt. "We had to come to the Inauguration," Lilly said.

Flags were waved throughout the Mall during the ceremony. Here's three of them from spectators in the non-ticket area between the Capitol Building and Washington Monument, just moments before Barack Obama was officially sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America.

A few observations about today's event:

• Security concerns: Unlike the intense screenings and checkpoints at Grant Park on Nov. 4, members of the general public were allowed to pour onto the National Mall without a ticket without going through any metal detectors or check-points. Kind of scary if you think about it.
• Audio echo effect: Crowd noise echoed off the buildings that surround the National Mall, providing a rumbling thunder every now and then for those in attendance (much like NFL stadiums, for example). But the coolest part of this was when Barack Obama gave his speech - his voice resonated in a way that could only give you shivers.
• Look up above: About eight helicopters could be seen circling above the scene, and snipers could be spotted atop roofs. Planes and plenty of birds could also be seen in the distance, providing an interesting contrast amidst the bright blue sky.
• Obama's speech: Many said it was longer than expected and I agree, but he hit up a ton of major policy points, including those that could please both political parties. If one thing could be said about his address, few people use the English language better than him. He's masterful with the language and incredibly inspirational in the process, both as an orator and motivational speaker.
• Booing Bush: People may not like him or his decisions, but the loud boos heard when George W. Bush was shown on the Jumbotron and subsequently introduced were absolutely uncalled for. This was NOT the place for that sort of behavior, and the Canadians to the right of me agreed. Show some respect.