Our New President!!!

President Barack Obama is our first African-American President! I cried tears of joy during the Inauguration ceremony. This man, whose parents' interracial marriage was illegal in 16 States, became the President of the United States of America. About 170 Tuskeegee Airmen, the all-black WWII combat unit whose surviving members are now in their 80's and 90's, were there to see him take the Oath of Office. Aretha Franklin, who even in the early 60's would never have been allowed to walk through the front door of the venues in which she was sang or to eat with her fellow, white, performers, sang at his Inauguration! I am sooooooooooo excited and thankful that our country has advanced this far in such a short period of time!

President Obama led a chess-like campaign. I gave my support and vote to Senator Obama when the candidate for whom I campaigned and served as a delegate, Hillary Clinton, lost. Now that he is our president, I am so very proud of my country and hope that we can all come together to help each other and to return the United States of America to its place of honor and respect among the nations of the international community.

While he was last in Hawaii, President Obama personally brought in one of his deceased Grandmother Toot's dresses to a local seamstress. Tonight, President Obama is attending TEN of the Inaugural Balls, and is supposed to at some point, wear a bow tie and cummerbund fashioned from the fabric of this dress, in honor of his Grandmother Toot. This shows the true character of this man, who has become our 44th President.






















Please enjoy this American folk song written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 using the melody of a Carter Family song (June Carter, that is). I found this Inaugural weekend performance of This Land Is Your Land on YouTube.

Green... Lip Service

Okay, I totally get being rich and/or famous and wanting to be at President-Elect Barack Obama's Inauguration. However, a runway will have to be closed to air traffic, causing delays to the average traveler, to give over 500 private jets a place to park. How much fuel will be wasted to carry so few in so many private jets? Why can't these rich people save parking spaces and fuel by jet-pooling? Remember global warming, national security, and our addiction to oil, anyone? How about common courtesy to others less fortunate, by not hogging a runway so your jet has a parking space? Privilege shouldn't mean selfishness or irresponsibility!

Years ago, many of the rich traveled first class, on the same planes as the rest of us or got together to charter a plane. I remember once seeing Paul Newman heading off to his flight as I was heading towards baggage claim... and, no, I didn't bother him by saying hello, as I was too busy doing my own thing.

Now, the rich and famous make soooo much money that they each own their own private jets, wasting an inordinate amount of fuel, so that these few people can travel set apart from the rest of the world. No wonder why the ultra-rich are often so out of touch with reality. I certainly hope that the same people traveling by private jet aren't into the green movement, because if they are, their participation is only green lip service!