I took a look at my traffic as I do several times a day, and noticed an uptick in searches for "presidential inaugural tickets" which means I've got a page devoted to that but only on the matter of Ticketmaster. But I'd thought I'd make it easier to find, so if you are looking for "Presidential Inaugural Tickets" tickets click there on the link that is the term.
They're going for between $800 and $2,000 at present. But don't pay for them; they're suppose to be free. I got this note just a moment ago:
Tickets are obtained through the office of your Senator or Congressman/woman. They are FREE... and very difficult to get.
As posted the following site (and many other sites):
“Any website or ticket broker claiming that they have inaugural tickets is simply not telling the truth,” Howard Gantman, staff director for the (inaugural) committee, said in a release. “Tickets for the swearing-in of President-elect are all provided through members of Congress, and the President-elect and Vice President-elect through the Presidential Inaugural Committee. We urge the public to view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism.”
Giants Handle Cowboys-almost have clear shot at division title By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Managing Partner Football Reporters Online
The New York Giants could have had the collapse of the decade. They could have fell apart. They could have played down to their competition as they did against the Browns, Bengals, and countless other teams over the years. Instead they came out and played “their game” against Dallas yesterday in the meadowlands. They established the run early, and although they had a few turnovers, and a few penalties more then normal, but in the end they finished the game up on the Cowboys by 21 points. They also moved to a 7-1 record, a half game ahead of all other challengers thus far in the NFC.
The Giants formula for success thus far has been a continuation of what they did late last season. Play solid defense, and establish the running game to open up the passing lanes. It doesn’t hurt that the kicking game has been so good over the last few years, with Jeff Feagles as the Punter and first Lawrence Tynes, and now John Carney placekicking. The Offense hasn’t been this good since the 60’s when Y.A. Tittle had Gifford, Shofner, Rote, and Morrison to throw to. While there are plenty of Current Giants to throw to, it’s the Earth (Brandon Jacobs) Wind ,(Derrick Ward), and Fire (Amahd Bradshaw) to run the ball that is the difference in this team since late last season.
But who is this 2008 Giants team really? Do they have what it takes to win the division, conference, and get back to the Super Bowl let alone win it for the second year in a row? Lots of obstacles stand in their way. First, there is the Eagles, who just refuse to die at 5-3, even though they are 0-2 in the division. Then, trailing close behind the Giants is Washington, who is 6-2, the only difference is the opening night loss to the Giants. Even Dallas, who just lost to NY yesterday, is still only 5-4 and coming up on their bye week. Carolina & Tampa in the South (6-2 & 6-3 respectively), Chicago in the North (at 5-3), and Arizona in the west,(also 5-3) are all competitive as well. Even Atlanta is 5-3, but like Dallas is 0-2 in their division.
If the Giants fall into a late season slump like they did in 2005’s playoffs or in the second half of the 2006 regular season, then you will hear the cry for Couglin’s head again. People are starting to claim that the Giants are the team to beat. I say I’m glad they aren’t letting the press clippings get to them. They almost blew it big time against The Bengals, and had a meltdown against the Browns. Now comes the big Sunday night match up with the Eagles. They will have to prove that they are the team to beat again.
This shocking news. Author and screenwriter Michael Crichton died yesterday , Election Day, after what was described as a "private battle with cancer". He was 66 years old.
For me, Crichton was an introduction to the pop-culture possibilities of science. From the quasi-possible book and movie "The Andromeda Strain" to my favorite "Jurrasic Park" , to his take on Japan / American economic and corporate relations "Rising Sun" and of course the popular television show "ER", Crichton's work never failed to entertain and inform.
This video shows some of his books that were made into movies:
Well, whatever respect I had for Ralph Nader, and it was still considerable at a factor of 6 out of 10, was just reduced to 4 out of 10. This is because the Independent candidate for President, who got trounced by Senator Barack Obama last night, got on a Houston radio station and referred to Ralph Nader as an "Uncle Tom", which is a historically insulting term claiming that a Black person is White in some way and is intended to say that person's "not Black." Then Nader repeated the racist action on "Studio B with Shepard Smith". Here's the video:
I don't know why Nader's decided to be so racist so late in life, but such statements as that one and his earlier assertion that Obama "talks White " point to a major stereotype Nader holds about African Americans and would seem to "color" any good deed he wants to do in the future.
On NFL Chat , I asked NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to share his thoughts on the election of Senator Barack Obama as President of The United States. This is what he said:
"National elections are always exciting for me. I am glad we have elected a new president. It's time for us all to come together. President-elect Obama is inspirational and I look forward to supporting him as he begins his new term."
Crooks and Liars Nicole Ball's post shows how Americans were celebrating Barack Obama's election as President of The United States all over the country, in Boston , Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Seattle, just to name some of the cities. But she forgot about Oakland and San Francisco. That's OK. Because I have video from a wild time in San Francisco coming up shortly.
This is historic, and not just because Obama is African American, but because of the sheer reach of this campaign and the number of people involved in it.
FULL TEXT of SPEECH:
PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
Its the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and hes fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nations next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy thats coming with us to the White House. And while shes no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what youve sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didnt start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didnt do this just to win an election and I know you didnt do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how theyll make the mortgage, or pay their doctors bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one thats on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. Shes a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldnt vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that shes seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we cant, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when womens voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
I've openly supported Obama since March. But I didn't vote for him today.
I wanted to vote for Ronald Woods. He was my algebra teacher at Clark Junior High in East St. Louis, IL. He died 15 years ago when his truck skidded head-first into a utility pole. He spent many a day teaching us many things besides the Pythagorean Theorem. He taught us about Medgar Evers, Ralph Abernathy, John Lewis and many other civil rights figures who get lost in the shadow cast by Martin Luther King, Jr.
But I didn't vote for Mr. Woods.
I wanted to vote for Willie Mae Cross. She owned and operated Crossroads Preparatory Academy for almost 30 years, educating and empowering thousands of kids before her death in 2003. I was her first student. She gave me my first job, teaching chess and math concepts to kids in grades K-4 in her summer program. She was always there for advice, cheer and consolation. Ms. Cross, in her own way, taught me more about walking in faith than anyone else I ever knew.
But I didn't vote for Ms. Cross.
I wanted to vote for Arthur Mells Jackson, Sr. and Jr. Jackson Senior was a Latin professor. He has a gifted school named for him in my hometown. Jackson Junior was the pre-eminent physician in my hometown for over 30 years. He has a heliport named for him at a hospital in my hometown. They were my great-grandfather and great-uncle, respectively.
But I didn't vote for Prof. Jackson or Dr. Jackson.
I wanted to vote for A.B. Palmer. She was a leading civil rights figure in Shreveport, Louisiana, where my mother grew up and where I still have dozens of family members. She was a strong-willed woman who earned the grudging respect of the town's leaders because she never, ever backed down from anyone and always gave better than she got. She lived to the ripe old age of 99, and has a community center named for her in Shreveport.
But I didn't vote for Mrs. Palmer.
I wanted to vote for these people, who did not live to see a day where a Black man would appear on their ballots on a crisp November morning.
In the end, though, I realized that I could not vote for them any more than I could vote for Obama himself.
So who did I vote for?
No one.
I didn't vote. Not for President, anyway.
Oh, I went to the voting booth. I signed, was given my stub, and was walked over to a voting machine. I cast votes for statewide races and a state referendum on water and sewer improvements.
I stood there, and I thought about all of these people, who influenced my life so greatly. But I didn't vote for who would be the 44th President of the United States.
When my ballot was complete, except for the top line, I finally decided who I was going to vote for - and then decided to let him vote for me. I reached down, picked him up, and told him to find Obama's name on the screen and touch it.
And so it came to pass that Alexander Reed, age 5, read the voting screen, found the right candidate, touched his name, and actually cast a vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Oh, the vote will be recorded as mine. But I didn't cast it.
Then again, the person who actually pressed the Obama box and the red "vote" button was the person I was really voting for all along.
It made the months of donating, phonebanking, canvassing, door hanger distributing, sign posting, blogging, arguing and persuading so much sweeter.
So, no, I didn't vote for Barack Obama. I voted for a boy who now has every reason to believe he, too, can grow up to be anything he wants...even President.
In what has been a historic and memory-filled evening, U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D) Illinois became the 44th President of The United States and the nation's first African American President.
San Francisco and Oakland have been in a state of "party" in a way that I've never seen in my entire life. People clapping, yelling, singing, and whatever else to celebrate the change of power that signaled to many that regular Americans, regardless of color, mattered
To come are exciting videos of the events of this evening.
