Staying Home to watch the Inaguration?

I believe in the collective consciousness. Having someone lead us towards hope and love is much better than one that promotes fear and hate.

I agree with the last few posts...i have never in my lifetime been as excited about the words ive heard coming from a presidential candidate. ive never been able to vote for someone i didnt consider the lesser of two evils until now. i expect things to be quite rocky because we reap what we sow and we have all part of this burden to bear since we are all a part of the political machine. but im happy to see someone become president who was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth or who never had a real job in the real world, and one who does represent diversity in our country every time he stands up as our president.

its time we stopped being so negative and help each other in our own neighborhoods get this country on the right track. obama called for a day of service today...how many people actually took up that challenge to help locally instead of standing back with their fingers pointing at somone else to make the necessary changes. instead of criticizing a heavy political system and the folks who are calling for the changes we ALL have been asking for, maybe it would be more productive to actually get up off our collective asses and get into the fray....and DO something instead of just whine about how bad someone else is with a victim mentality coming through the whining.

There really is no THEY, there is only WE....until WE all get that...yep, its gonna be a mess.

What you said.

I know this event is a Big Deal for you guys over the other side of the Pond, but I can't help thinking back to the 1997 election here, when I sat up all night to see the results coming in live and one T. Blair become PM in waiting. Next morning I wandered outside in the Brave New Dawn and thought we really did have a chance of a new start. Lots of people genuinely believed that things could only get better - but what a disappointment *he* turned out to be.

Your new Pres has so much expectation riding on his shoulders, it'll be nigh impossible to live up to a fraction of it. Let's hope he's different from all other politicians and actually believes and means some of what he says. I won't be holding my breath though.

--
Aes

I am getting off work in less than 2 hours to get home to watch it firsthand. I already have my inaugural "spirits" in the fridge.

Only way to harm that guy you must at LEAST be in a hummer.

Yes, you must one of those who work hard to make a decent living for yourself who has been classified as "rich" by the Fools on the Hill. Welcome to the cell, comrade.

I'm watching it at work now. It's good to be able to do that.

This morning I wrote a little bit to someone close to me that expresses how I feel:



I don't have to like the candidate, nor agree with that candidate's platform, to feel proud in our system of government, and to feel proud to be American today.

Oh..and Damien, and Brenda...thanks bunches for paying my bills at my former career.

I'm in England and shall be watching on the BBC

I am at work but taking an extra long lunch break to watch it from home.
I’m also curious if they will be showing it at the schools for the kids to watch. I remember gathering into the school cafeteria to watch the moon landings as a kid. Maybe not quite as historic as a moon landing but still with TVs in most every classroom, why wouldn’t they?

Watching the festivities right now -- what an extremely fantastic day for this country. Can't wait to see our president-elect sworn in -- then I'll finally be able to sigh of relief that Bush is gone -- finally gone -- forever, amen.

Watching in the UK from the BBC's live online news stream:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7459669.stm

Watching the events from the UK,Looks bright and sunny but cold.

Goodbye to George Walker Bush and Dick Wheelchair Cheney.

oiooo I made it home just in time to see them announce Obama. Thank goodness they were running behind.

It's just a ride and we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money, a choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one.

On MSNBC they just panned to former President Bush and he looked like, man... I can't wait to get to that Bud in the helicopter fridge. If it was me, i would be a double shot of bourbon.

i played hooky today

I played 1/2 day hooky.

It's depressing to have to listen to the government religious propaganda at work, I'm glad inaugurations aren't more common.

Oh crap the national anthem, I hate that.

if you really break it down they both want that where everyone has to depend on the government..
never heard it called love before cause i sure have never felt love from them with either side in there..
i would rather it be like it is suppose to be and let the states unite when they have to and deal with state problems when they have to..
otherwise you end up living in Tennessee and paying for California problems and they end up paying on ours..
there is a time to share and there is a time not to share..
we just need new parties or one that can work with both..
there is no love coming from either side..just a lot of fear..

I think Bush is going, "It's yours! All yours! Wish you loads of luck and I'm gonna go hit the booze now that I'm no longer in the spotlight!"

I don't see any of them asleep..

If it was me sitting up there, I'd have had an IPod going or reading a book. The other option would be to go streaking from the platform... >.<

At least Obama did mention 'non-believers'.

I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but this needs to be said.

I've heard it said that Obama has made history by being elected as the first African-American President in the history of the United States. I do know what they mean, and it is a valid point. However...... I'd like to propose something else:

Barak Obama is not the first African-American President of the United States.

Before you get angry about that, read on and see why.

For many many years we have heard about African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Italian-Americans, Jewish-Americans, etc., ad nauseum. While it is true that all these terms have American as the root, they still emphasize differences. "I am an African-American. You are not." I am an American. Period. This is not a country of people who are united by blood, religious beliefs, race, or any of that. This is a country where we are united by a shared belief that we are all equal, and deserve to live in freedom. We are Americans, and nothing but Americans.

If you choose to celebrate your heritage, great, I'm all for it. But you are not a part of any hyphenated group in this country, you are an American. I am an American. We are all together.

These hyphenated terms need to be dumped on the trash-pile of history and we all need to move forward as Americans, united by our one common cause, not divided by our differences that brought these hyphenated terms into play in the first place!

Would ya grant him first Hawaiian elected? At least give him that.

Look...I know what you're trying to say. But there are large parts of the US that do judge a book by it's cover so to speak.

Besides...hyphenations show what a huge melting pot the US is. We're like a thick, hearty stew. Each piece retaining it's own flavor, but adding to the whole.

I agree with you: the terms often DO emphasize and even celebrate separatism and differences.

But at the same time I can understand how meaningful this must be to those who had felt excluded by reason of their ethnic/cultural heritage.