'Emergency' inauguration?

I'm debating whether to go down to cover the inauguration, and this ain't helping:

Barack Obama's inauguration is set to cost more than £100m [$145 million] making it the most expensive swearing-in ceremony in US history.
The President-elect will take less than a minute to recite the oath of office in front of an estimated two million people in the US capital next week.
But by the time the final dance has been held at one of the many inaugural balls the costs for the day will be a staggering £110m.

D.C. has been in Total Security Freakout mode since 9/11. Next Tuesday, it will be in DefCon 1 Armaggedon mode. The massive crowds don't bother me nearly so much as the jackbooted storm-trooper style of security. That stuff just gives me the heeby-jeebies.

UPDATE: ObamaMania!

UPDATE II: "Parade of fools"

UPDATE III: Osama vs. Obama

UPDATE IV: Jules Crittenden "hurl-blogging"