President BHO Spoofs Single Ladies & Whatever I Like

Hilarious spoofs of President Barack Obama done to two recent pop tunes. Be sure you are someplace you can laugh freely when watching.

Enjoy

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Beyoncé - Single Ladies SPOOF (Barack Obama)



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T.I.- Whatever You Like SPOOF! (OBAMA- Whatever I Like)




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I can't wait to see what this AlphaCat dude comes up with during the next 4 - 8 years.

Photos: Inauguration of President Barack Obama

clipped from www.boston.com The Inauguration of President Barack Obama Yesterday was a historic day. On January 20th, 2009, Barack H. Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America - the first African-American ever to hold the office of U.S. Commander-in-Chief. The event was witnessed by well over one million attendees in chilly Washington D.C., and by many millions more through coverage on television and the Internet. Collected here are photographs of the event, the participants, and some of the witnesses around the world. (48 photos total) 33 40 years after their silent protest at the 1968 Olympics, Gold Medalist Tommie Smith hugs Bronze Medalist John Carlos, and their wives Delois Smith and Charlene Carlos after Barack Obama is officially sworn in as the President of the United States. Photo taken in the Smith room at the Sheraton Boston in Boston, MA. (Boston Globe/Stan Grossfeld) #

Great photo essay of Presidential Inauguration day. A summary of everything that happened that day, including reactions from people around the world.

Air and Simple Gifts for US Presidential Inauguration

For some reason, I really enjoy this piece of classical music composed for the Barack Obama and Joe Biden Presidential and Vice Presidential Inauguration.

clipped from thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com A New Williams Work for a Momentous Occasion By Anthony Tommasini clipped from graphics8.nytimes.com Air and Simple Gifts Itzhak Perlman on violin, Yo Yo Ma on cello, Garbriela Montero on piano and Anthony McGill on clarinet. clipped from thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com The cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who was asked by the inauguration committee to organize the performance, invited three illustrious colleagues to join him: the renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman; the superb young clarinetist Anthony McGill, a principal player in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (and among the few black artists to hold a principal chair in a major orchestra); and the fiery Venezuelan-American pianist Gabriele Montero. The intrepid performers had to cope with performing outdoors in temperatures hovering in the mid-20s. Ms. Montero, especially, looked to be freezing and wore woolen gloves with the fingers removed. But they all managed remarkably well. He got the mood right, I thought, in this contemplative occasional piece.

Link to video of song on New York Times. Introduction by Dianne Feinstein the senior U.S. Senator from California.

United States of America President Barack Obama & Vice President Joseph Obama

So long President Elect. Hello United States of America President Barack Obama & Vice President Joseph Biden. Today the Obamas and Bidens were rock stars and that's OK. Tomorrow, their noses will be to the grindstone, digging America out of the hole we seem to have fallen into under the less than steller leadership of the presidential administration that ended at noon ET today.

I love the pomp, ritual and ceremony surrounding the Presidential Inauguration. It gives us humans, social creatures that we are, a way to participate and affirm our beliefs in the symbols and concepts that make up American Democracy.

There were so many goosebumpy moments during the day. Including Aretha Franklin's My Country Tis of Thee to seeing the masses of humanity from all around the globe is managed to get themselves to the mall to witness the inauguration in person. I head that access to the mall was even cut off because capacity had been reached. So everyone who wanted to come didn't even make it.

I got up super early so I wouldn't miss any of the action. Since I started watching soon after 4 am PST, I even got to see the Obamas leave the house to go to church service at St. John's Episcopal Church. It seemed like there were crowds of people cheering them everytime they left their vehicle, The Beast. Sometimes even when the Presidential Couple were inside, riding along.

I followed the events with a combination of old media and Web 2.0 social networking technology. I switched back and forth between C-SPAN and C-SPAN 2 satelite subscription on TV. I fluv C-SPAN because they'll just let the camera roll without endless commentary, switching away to stuff I don't care about and commercials. A thinking person can only take so many talking heads and people telling you what to think or feel when certain things come on screen. It's like TV without training wheels.

Online, I had a combination of the CNN/Facebook integration, Twitter, Yahoo Instant Messenger and the web browser going on. There was a lag on CNN, so if I liked a scene on C-SPAN, I could just flip over to the CNN window and watch it again. It was also fun and funny to read the scrolling comments beside the live video feed. A lot of people were watching the inauguration on the down-low at work. Also, you could respond to your Facebook friends as they made comments about the inauguration in real time.

Twitter was good for finding links to cool stuff. I put in the word "Obama" and got to see everyone's comments with the word, not just people you are connected to. I learned about this feature during the election. The web browser was good for getting information such as the name of the designer of Mrs. Obama's inauguration ensemble, how to avoid getting trampled in the crowds, examples of wacky art inspired by Obama or word clouds of various Presidential Inaugural speeches.

President Barack Obama Inaugural Speech Word Tag Cloud

Needless to say, most of the speeches and musical presentations were very moving and inspirational. Including the ones given at the Inaugural Luncheon. By the way, I hope Senator Ted Kennedy is OK and will recover from his siezure. Luckily Senator Robert Byrd didn't have a medical emergency after all. I'm sure both senior life long Democrats would hate to kick the bucket on the new guy's first day on the job.

Besides President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address, I really enjoyed Reverend Joseph Lowery, a civil rights hero and Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) co-founder . Especially the call and response part at the end.

The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery gives the benediction at the end of the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

Text of Rev. Lowery's Inauguration Benediction

By The Associated Press

Text of the benediction by Rev. Joseph Lowery during President Barack Obama's inauguration, as transcribed by Congressional Quarterly Inc. (CQ) Transcriptions:

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God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou, who has brought us thus far along the way, thou, who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee.

Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand true to thee, oh God, and true to our native land.

We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day.

We pray now, oh Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration.

He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national, and indeed the global, fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hands, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations.

Our faith does not shrink though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.

For we know that, Lord, you are able and you're willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds, and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor, of the least of these, and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.

We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that yes we can work together to achieve a more perfect union.

And while we have sown the seeds of greed — the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

And as we leave this mountain top, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.

Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little angelic Sasha and Malia.

We go now to walk together as children, pledging that we won't get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone.

With your hands of power and your heart of love, help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nations shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid, when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ...

(LAUGHTER)

... when yellow will be mellow...

(LAUGHTER)

LOWERY: ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.

AUDIENCE: Amen.

LOWERY: Say Amen.

AUDIENCE: Amen.

LOWERY: And Amen.

AUDIENCE: Amen.

(APPLAUSE)

Just watching the Obama's and Biden's walk part of the Inaugural Parade makes me that more impressed with First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden (by the way, I love see their names). Both wore heels and skirts with bare legs showing while walking a couple blocks down the street. Warriors, I tell you.

Obama and Biden Invited Me to Presidential Inauguration

Embossed Metallic Engraved Seal

Earlier this week, I got a very official looking invitation to the Presidential Inauguration coming up in 11 days (YaY!). It includes a fancy embossed metallic seal on cardstock. You can tell it's the real deal because the back is pressed in.

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Back of Embossed Metallic Engraved Seal

I wish I could be there, but no way could I hang in a crowd of an estimated 1 million to 5 million people with only a few port-a-potties sprinkled around. In the snowy cold no less. True, watching the first African American being sworn in person is a once in a lifetime, never to be repeated again event, is worth the hassles to plenty of people, but I'm not one of them. Although some of the goings on look really good and I hope they show the events on TV.

Envelope for Presidential Inauguration Invitation

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Embossed Cardstock Presidential Inauguration Invitation

Monday and Tuesday Events related to the Inauguration.

Inaugural Schedule from the Presidential Inaugural Committee 2009 website.

The following events will take place in the nation’s capital between Sunday, January 18th and Wednesday, January 21st:

Sunday, January 18th President-elect Barack Obama will kick off the schedule of official inaugural activities in Washington, D.C., with a welcome event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday afternoon. The event will be free and open to the public.

Monday, January 19th - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In 1994, to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service. To honor Dr. King’s legacy, the President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families, joined by Americans in communities all across the country, will participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the Washington, D.C. area. That night, on the eve of the Inauguration, there will be a youth concert at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, January 20th - Inauguration Day

The President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families will participate in the traditional inaugural ceremonies and events. For the first time ever, the length of the National Mall will be open
to those wishing to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Festivities will commence at 10 a.m. on the west front of the U.S. Capitol and will include:

• Musical Selections: The United States Marine Band, followed by The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus
  
• Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
  
• Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
  
• Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin
  
• Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens
  
• Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet)
  
• President-elect Barack H. Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
  
• Inaugural Address
  
• Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
  
• Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
  
• The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”

After President Obama gives his Inaugural Address, he will escort outgoing President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. The 56th Inaugural Parade will then make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House with groups traveling from all over the country to participate. Later that day, the Presidential Inaugural Committee will host ten official Inaugural Balls.

Wednesday, January 21st The newly-inaugurated President and Vice President of the United States will participate in a prayer service.

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Edited 1-10-9 to Add

Wow, the $25 tickets sold out in 1 minute.

Gone in 60 seconds _ inaugural parade tickets

By NAFEESA SYEED – 01/09/09

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tickets for the inaugural parade? Gone in 60 seconds.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee put 5,000 tickets on sale Friday at 1 p.m. and they sold out in less than a minute, with 94 percent purchased online and the rest by phone, said Albert Lopez, a Ticketmaster spokesman.

"It was a blazingly fast on-sale," Lopez said of the tickets, priced at $25 apiece for bleacher seats.

Unfortunately a lot of tickets were bought by scalpers which majorly sucks. According to some Huffington Post commenters, some people are framing their invitation. I thought I was over the top by scanning in my invitation.

Big change from when George W. Bush had to cower in his limousine to avoid the rotten vegetables, eggs and snowballs thrown at him during his inauguration parade.

I found out more information about the engraving on the invitation. Very cool.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee Requests the Honor of Your Presence… by Way of Copper and Steel

December 31st, 2008

Reported in the New York Times, New York-based printing firm Precise Continental was awarded to make the million invitations for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. Engraving was the type of printing by which the invitation’s design was incised into the surface of a hard plate, traditionally copper, by a hardened steel chisel called a burin. To make a print, the engraved plate was then fully covered with ink which was afterwards wiped off the surface, leaving only ink in the engraved lines. Sheets of paper picked up the ink within the engraved lines, resulting in a printed design. As you can tell, engraving takes steady hands. Engraver Augusto Lovato is Precise Continental’s “steady-handed man,” with a magnifying glass, scrutinized the copper plate and “expertly cleaned the serifs and curls” of the invites’s lettering. Each sheet of paper was individually fed with clean hands during the printmaking process. With metal playing a key supporting part from the start, the inaugural ceremony’s invites were handled with both precision and care.

–Nate Burgos

Hazen designed artwork inspired by Barack Obama’s presidential campaign for the
Manifest Change competition and exhibit.

Lance Wyman designed art piece inspired by Barack Obama’s campaign.

"I volunteered my time because I believe in Barack Obama. One of his special qualities is his ability to listen as he inspires change. My image is an expression of this important dialogue with the American people. "OBAMA'08" is formed by outer energy, the red, white and blue of America. "OBAMA'08" is also the center that inspires the energy of an American environment of change."

- Lance Wyman