In offices, coffee shops and homes around the world late yesterday morning, people turned on their television sets and their computers to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States.

Afterwards, many of us turned to family members and coworkers to comment on the historic moment, while others went online to share their inauguration stories with the world. Minnesota bloggers were no different. They stormed the web just minutes after the speech to share their takes on the big moment.

Emily at BecauseEmilySaysSo wrote about the scramble  at her office to find a working television or livestream, a scene that was undoubtedly repeated around the country around 11 a.m. CST.

"Crammed into a room that was far too small, about 15 of us sat on chairs, tables, and the floor and watched together," she wrote. "As the speech went on, more people started to gather in the hall to listen. A few were tearing up, but besides that, everyone was completely silent."

Other locals were more concerned with the presidential flubs.

Mark Cohen at MinnLawyer Blog put the blame for the stumbling during the oath on Chief Justice John Roberts while Mike Keliher at The Same Rowdy Crowd found a small factual error in President Obama's speech.

Some found more humorous ways to analyze the day. The Queen Of Subtle chuckled at Obama's reference to Khe Sanh and Shyestviolet at Is That All You've Got noticed that George Bush Sr. was wearing Vikings colors.

While much of the local reaction was complimentary, patriotic and hopeful from both left- and right-leaning blogs, there was plenty of criticism for the new president.

In a scathing blog titled "Best of luck, Obama – P.S. Please Fail," Andy at Residual Forces explains why he refuses to heed the call of some conservative critics to be silent on inauguration day.

"I want you to fail. Not you personally, but your policies are dangerous. Look, I'm being honest. I don't live in D.C. and I live in the real world that has to deal with what decisions you and Congress make," he wrote.

The most interesting perspective on the inauguration came from Minnesota writer Adam Minter, who is currently working in China.

"At precisely the moment Obama was delivering his speech, CCTV (Chinese television) was broadcasting Sunday's NFC Championship game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles," Minter wrote on his blog, Shanghai Scrap. "Which makes me wonder: if Obama's inaugural went head-to-head against the Cards and Eagles at 1 AM in China, which event would draw more viewers?"

Though, the overriding emotion in the Minnesota Blogosphere just moments after Obama rewrote history was sheer awe and excitement to have experienced history. The moment may have been best grasped on the local basketball blog Canis Hoopus.

"I have nothing to add," wrote scribe Stop-n-pop. "The moment speaks for itself. I'm so happy that I could watch this with my daughters."

Minnesota blogosphere highlights, lowlights
• Kathy at 2 Kids...3 Martinis writes out a lengthy description of why she still thinks her husband is sexy as he turns 40.

• The writer at Painted Fish Studio thinks she may have spotted a classic piece of Finnish architecture at a local antique store. Can you help her identify it?

• Chris at Meet Me In St. Paul shares an informative tale about taking his kids to the Minnesota History Center when they were off of school on Monday.
 
• A national blog that focuses on historic national disasters for the benefit of family researchers takes a closer look at the deadly wind storm that ripped through the Twin Cities on June 22, 1908. It goes into surprising amounts of detail, most of which appear to be pulled from newspaper reports.  

Worth reading
For me as a youngster, Plaza 3000 in Maplewood was the strip mall that, for some odd reason, I could not get enough of. (I think it was mainly because there was a Shinder's there, but family dinners at Old Country Buffet were always a treat, too). Apparently, I am not alone in my fascination with sub-par shopping facilities.

The blog Dumpy Strip Malls revels in Minnesota's mall history by chronicling the comings and goings of stores at retail complexes of the past and present.

Up this week, a glance at Silver Lake Village in St. Anthony.

"This commercial complex is not a place where you'd want to blow your whole afternoon, yet people wander the sidewalks here in the summer like it's some sort of unique marketplace."