Liveblog Ted Kennedy's funeral

I am very, very sad about the passing of Uncle Teddy.  I'm one of those people for whom he seemed a family member.  But as I watch his funeral, I have a lot of irrelevant, irreverant thoughts, which I am capturing here in a liveblog.

I am obsessed with the variety of umbrellas.  I see that they have a bit of an umbrella brigade, remarkably well done.  The spin and lift of the umbrella bearer as he reaches the door and turns to get another escortee.  But the umbrellas don't match: some have vents, some do not; they have different handle lengths; I even see a few logos.  An umbrella brigade without matching umbrellas?  

(Obsession with umbrellas is not new to me.  In my time as an academic, I considered doing a research project on the image of umbrellas in India.

Looks like a fire hazard.

I like how Catilin trailed her hand from the podium, trailed her hand on Ted's casket as she went back to her seat.  

Ruddy red face of the priest behind him.

As they begin the service, the white drape over Teddy's casket is not lying straight.  It is annoying.  I imagine that Vicki is desperate to go straighten it.  Go for it, Vicki.  No one but you would be able to do it.

The camera is not showing the casket from the angle with the irregular cover over it.  That's good.  For those not in the cathedral, it's the TV images we will remember.  Oh, look, someone fixed it!

Is this priest speaking with a Rhode Island accent?  It's the kind where you understand, and then he veers off into some pronunciation that makes no sense.  I can tell RI accents because they never fail to make me laugh.  "Prepared" is the word that veered off.  Just googled his bio.  New Bedford.  It doesn't get much closer.

I guess there is a part of the Catholic mass where everyone starts hugging each other?

Communion time.  I don't actually know what is happening or what I am seeing.  They showed glowing red bricks and the underside of the curtain fringe.  It's probably that it would be disrespectful to broadcast something as holy and personal as communion.  Operationally, though, I'm curious: are they giving communion to 1500 people right now?  Ted Kennedy Junior.  Great job.  And then they clap?  Whoa, Jews don't clap.

Patrick Kennedy: Welcomed his brothers and sisters.  How delightful that the steps count.