Obama Inaugural Celebration on HBO
 

Pretty freaking impressive. I'm getting goosebumps.

I'm such a sucker for old school hope and inspiration. James Taylor, John Legend and Jennifer Nettles doing "Shower the People" just made me cry. It was awesome.

Obama and the democrats are going to tax me so much I can't afford HBO.:lol2:

Fortunately, they're giving this show away for free. :-)

Mellencamp just knocked one out of the park.

So thats the change the y keep raving about.:eek:

I'm as cynical as the next guy about politics and the future of the country, but what I'm watching today feels to me like a pretty honest outpouring of music and sincere speech in acknowledgement of the notion that, despite how fucked things are, we are still the most prosperous nation on Earth. Plus, I can't get overly cynical about people calling for love for one another and recognizing that we have, indeed, come a long way since the days of the ownership of human beings. :-)

Just think of it like Woodstock. Many scoffed at a bunch of muddy stoners, but it DID change the nation, not instantly, but it permeated our culture. ;)

Nice show? I'll have to take your word on it. Obama's transition team sold the right to HBO for $5,000,000. Allowing all other stations including cspan to show only 2 minutes.

Some change. At a cost of $150,000,000 million, this is triple the 2000 show. Hardly free. This really pisses me off. I'll just end my rant here cuz I like a lot of what he has said. But so far the actions have shown otherwise.

HBO allowed their distributing systems to make the program available whether you were a subscriber or not.

I'm not stupid. I know it cost money to put it on. I know Obama's people didn't give it away.

I'll go back to being endlessly cynical now. Apparently I'm the only one who likes to feel good about something in my country once in awhile.

I feel good about many things that have to do with my country, but not many of them have a damm thing to do with Obama.

REALLY?

God, that is enlightening. Glad you contributed.

Actually, if you read what I've written, I didn't really say anything about Obama specifically. What I said was that it was cool seeing a bunch of people speaking and emoting about the greatness of America, about the hope that a free people can muster.

I would have been equally impressed with such a display of hope and joy had McCain won and put on a big show. I'm just not sure that it would have come off quite the same. But who knows?

Sorry 'Spode - wasn't directing my ire at you...

I feel good about things and I'm hopeful for the future. What they did was bullshit and I just wanted it noted. It really is completely unprecedented to sell the rights to what should be available to all Americans. Who gives them the "right" to sell it at all?? Its one of the most newsworthy events in the last . . . however long. It shouldn't have a "for sale" sign on it.

Eh, point taken. But you know as well as I do that if McCain had won the "otherside" would have protests and an uprising. The riot police would have to be out in full force. There would be claims of fraud and other BS. Not to mention we would have 4 years of gridlock with Pelosi in charge of the House.

What time is Obama's inaugural address Tuesday?

Can we afford to find out?

hehehe.. just jokin, folks.

If the event had been paid for with public money, then yes, everyone should have had free access to it. But it *wasn't* public money that produced the event. It was a celebration put on by Obama's team and supporters. Was it significant to everyone in this country? Absolutely. If one of the major free networks was interested in picking up the tab, I hadn't heard about it, but at least HBO gave permission for the event to be shown to anyone who had access to cable/dish.

I would say that it would have been a stroke of genius for Obama's people to have granted the rights to it with the codicil that it be distributed to everyone with a TV, but that might have made it impossible to have the event happen at all in the current economic climate.

I think we can argue that at least two free networks weren't interested...its the AFC/NFC Championships today!

Oh, so there were no taxpayer dollars involved? in that case nevermind. I still find that very difficult to believe, but ok then. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm sure there was much security paid for, yes. However, that would be true no matter *who* got elected or *what* event of such magnitude was being held on The Mall.

I suppose we could all just stay indoors and not do anything. Then we could just shoot anyone seen outside, and we could cut way back on police and such.

C'mon Pat - you know thats not what I'm saying!

I think someone is stirring the shit.

Hey...I'm just trying to make the point that it was nice to see people grooving on America and Her prospects for the future. I don't really give a fig *why* they were in that mood.

I'm sure it will come out later that someone did something illegal in all of this in order to make a buck, and there will be a scandal. I'm further certain that the Other Side is trying to find something right now to taint This Side. Hell, there are probably people whose full time jobs are to find dirt on the Other Side. On Both Sides.

In the words sung by Mr Mellencamp this afternoon, "Ain't that America"?

Right on splode. Right on.

Got ya Pat - I'm sorry that I shit on yer parade. That wasn't my intention. :(

You know classic, I don't have HBO either, but NPR was broadcasting it for free, and you could watch it on HBO's website for free too. I watched it, and have no cable.

Got a big belly shaker outa that one, dude!:)

Now you tell me - I was watching the Eagles game and wanted to record it.

I never thought of Mellencamp's "Pink Houses" to be celebratory about America. I always took it like that dumb song "Little Boxes" (you know, "made of ticky-tacky") which Tom Lehrer described as "the most sanctimonious song ever written".

(sanctimonious definition)

It *isn't* celebrating America. It is a tongue in cheek song about the excesses and day to day humdrum of life. Isn't it amazing that, even in a celebration, we are still asked to look at ourselves as the imperfect human beings we are.

That's why I said that he hit it out of the park. I also thought it interesting that Bono extolled freedom for everyone everywhere, ending with exhortations for freedom for Israel...long pause...and for Palestine.

America has warts, and even in a celebration, we are asked to examine them.

Nothing wrong with that. But I refuse to make a big deal out of an exam of those warts when those telling us to look at ours have tumors growing out of their foreheads that they ignore.

Shoot, wish I knew that. Although I probably would have opted for many hours of football.

[the governator]It's not a tumor[/the governator]

:D

Well, Obama gave a good, leadershippin', businesslike kind of Inaugural Address. Struck a good note with me, particularly the expressed determination to defeat our foes. Not many national-level Democrats have shown anything like such determination. Practically none of them unless you count Joe Lieberman. Some wouldn't.

So, one transfer of power, one address, one lunchtime seizure on Ted Kennedy's part, and one parade. Very well so far.

And an acknowledgment that American "non believers" exist. Whoot!

That's a far cry from the elder Bush, who believes we do not deserve to be citizens.

Wow, they got out of the motorcade and walked part of the parade route. Hard to believe the cheers they got.

I noticed that bit too, Pie.

Very strong coming out the gate. Now let's see how he scores in stamina. I wish him luck. He's damn sure gonna need it.

I didn't get to watch it, but did read it. Wow. I think it sets a good tone.
I was really happy about his acknowledgement of non-believers too Pie.
Also liked "we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals."
Gah-too much to reference it all.

No I don't buy into all the hype, but I can't help but have some good feelings about the change.

Yeah.... definately a historical event. Our very first Kenyan-American president.

FWIW W. referred to non-believers several times.

To be sure, W wasn't as bad as his dad.

Just can't accept, huh?

It's a hard one. An old adage: It's wrong bit it's real.
I might as well accept it. He's the chief and as an American (not irish- american, dutch-american not french- american, etc.) it is my duty to stand behind him.Why can't people just be American? They rant about racism and then segregate themselves with every other word.

Really good point Cap'n.

Sometimes I feel like asking: If just being an American isn't enough, then....

...then maybe being a half American is all they can muster. Bleh. I want to outlaw the term African American, it is so miss used. Just call yourself an American, regardless of where you came from or the color of your skin and it will solve lots of problems.