So with a bunch of black artists performing on Abraham Lincoln's memorial, Jon Stewart on the Late Night Show says, "Abraham Lincoln must have freed the blacks so that 150 years later they could entertain him in front of his memorial" or something like that. Made me laugh, and also made me realize Inauguration is really tomorrow/today/yesterday.

Anyone here going? I know a teacher and a guy who had already left for DC days ago. Even Tiger Woods is going.

Pretty much I don't give a ****. Something that used to be important and traditional and very ceremonious has turned into the Superbowl halftime show.

I'm thinking it has to do with Obama being black. <sarcas>

and Yeah I agree.

I'm black, so what?

Mexicans aren't black, Hombre...

I'm not Mexican you damn pig

[I'm a Belizean Kriol - nearly half of all Belizeans speak Spanish at home as well as English, and many speak Creole (myself not included).]

Oh okay. I think there's nothing wrong with being Mexican anyway. I think it's great when a person is confident with their Mexicanity.

WTF is a Belizean Kriol?:huh:

What a joke. I wonder who paid for all of that crap? It really made me unexcited for Obama's first day. "HEY BLACK PRESIDENT!"

Two of my classes aren't meeting today because of the inauguration. Obama is already improving my life on a personal level!

Hey, did you guys know our President is Black?

I think it's okay to rub this fact in prejudiced people's faces. I'm sure it pisses them off, and that makes me feel good inside.

A Creole from Belize, of course.

Well he has to do SOMETHING while he's waiting for his knee to rebuild itself.

DC is footing a sizable chunk of the bill. The Feds do give some $$ but it's gonna put DC in some serious financial hurt so I hear.

The inauguration has gone all religious

ok, now some lady is singing some soul music to the tune of the british national anthem.

I'm still flipping through sites trying to find a half-decent video stream of it that doesn't crap out every 10 seconds

Seriously, it's 2009, and we haven't even figured out how to get rid of the infamous realplayer-era "Buffering..."?

bbc has a good stream

you could watch it on tv.

also, the web streams would kinda be overloaded at this time.

HE CHOKED

I'm at work; I don't really have much of a choice.

This whole thing is cheesier than Saturday night on ITV.

What better time to have a huge 45 million dollar party than an economic crisis in which I am constantly reminded by Obama and others we are going through hard times.

Seriously, if that man had any decency (along with most other presidents) whatsoever with him always saying "this isn't about me, i'm just like you", he would've said "**** You" to all of these acts and just done it on the cheap. It's just it rings about truer with Obama because yes, this was all done because he is black, along with CHANGE

45 million dollars being fed straight back into the economy though

Not to mention the huge amount of unofficial Obama-related merchandise.

He gave a good speech.

Also Colin Powell is giving a good interview right now.

Oh my god today was stupid. Everyone at my school was glued to a goddamned limo crossing a parkinglot. What a joke.

The latter I agree with, but that would happen regardless of huge awesome Springsteen/Bono party.

What do you mean 45 million dollars being fed straight into the economy? This "party" lasts 3 days. It's over with, it doesn't sustain any growth whatsoever once it's over. Why don't we just pay everyone millions and billions of dollars to create a "widget" then throw it in the ocean afterwards?

Justice John Roberts screwed it up. Conspiracy!
I think you're just jealous. Democrats got Springsteen... Republicans got Hillary Duff.

I TEARED UP

YEAH

**** YOU

Don't worry. Maybe some day when you grow up you'll get a big party as well

I have to agree with Buck here. That money was a sinkhole. Waste of time and money. A lot of nothing about nothing. Only 3 people needed to be there: The guy who signs the paper, the guy who swears him in, and the guy who hands him a pen and takes the paper to the office when he's done. Seriously, this is a bunch of bull**** sun worship, and it disturbs the ever living hell out of me. This is how superstar leaders without oversight or expectations do whatever they please because the people worship them. Obama hasn't done a God damned thing, and they're already celebrating. Awesome, dude's in: Let's stop the campaigning and get back to work, not taking work off or ignoring your job (like at my ridiculous school) so you can watch a limo pull up, idiots walk around congratulating themselves on electing a black dude, and then listen to a bunch of promises. I'm tired of this. I thought business would begin on day one, not partying. Wasn't that part of the acceptance speech?

Just think how lame it would be to be the president though. You'd have to put up with that BS all day and pretend to be interested.

I don't have a serious problem with Inauguration to-do, but I would have been mighty impressed if Obama had insisted on a modest, low-expenditure thingy dingy. That said, I wouldn't really expect such a thing from either Republicans or Democrats because it's just not the nature of the beast.

Whether or not you agree with the shin-dig, this is an historic election and gives many people all over a cause to rejoice. It is a monumental step.

Put it this way: people are taking out mortgages to buy cars, and they're showing off the new President's Limo. People are getting foreclosed on 22,000 dollar homes while Bush flies home on 40,000 dollar helicopter fuel. People are being shot at in Iraq driving inadequate military vehicles with low security while they boast about the high security plating installed at the podium for his speech. I don't know why things need to have flair and grandiosity to be historical. The most historical moments I can think of were had in congress floors and in council chambers, not in promise speeches and showy effects. This is dumb and ridiculous, and I don't understand why more people don't see their tax money being burned up. I mean, people complain about SSI being a sinkhole. The money spent on the inauguration could help reform the SSI program. Hell, the gold plates Barb just had put in the White House to sit on the mantel cost 200 soup houses and a 100 new playgrounds. I'm tired of legacy and tradition in America.

I just don't get the whole screaming like little school girls over it all. I've been watching some of it on TV, and people are freaking the hell out.

Maybe living through the civil rights movement would make us appreciate the moment a little more.

I'm not too concerned about the festivities. As the lady MC said, it was a celebration of our system of government working so well for so long.

I now look forward to seeing just how he manages to live up to all of this hype.

Hopefully no jewels will go missing tonight.

Why don't you go write some poetry about it?