Obama Inaugural Address- Page 2
Obama Inaugural Address
miss pennywise
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
#26re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 2:42pm
YWIW, did you drink your coffee this morning from your Obama mug? I drank mine from my Obama-Biden mug. 
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
**********
"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
light_thelights
Swing Joined: 10/9/08
#27re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 4:30pmI thought the speech was so beautiful. Though it's cliche to say this, I truly got goosebumps. I am consistently proud of being American - regardless of how I feel about the president - but hearing what Obama had to say in his speech really reminded me yet again of how great it is to be a citizen of this country.
#28re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 5:00pmBeautiful...eloquent....I'm so proud.
#29re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 5:22pm
I've never watched any American theatre of state before and, since this was likely to be amongst the best, I left work early as the BBC were broadcasting live coverage between 4:00pm and 6:00pm UK time.
The speech was impressive in the extreme and it was impossible not to be caught up in the symbolic power of what has happened today. As usual, I make no comment on internal American poltics but that striving, yearning American aspiration and optimism (that I so often hear and find so attractive in the scores of the Broadway musicals that attract me to this site) was there in bucketloads.
Stand this man alongside the empty egos of the current Russian bullies, the unknown and unaccountable "appalling waxworks" in China, and the current crop of non-entities in Europe (does anyone else think that Angela Merkel has begun to look like Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd?) and you should have a winner.
Congratulations USA.
miss pennywise
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
#30re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 5:29pm
Thank you, Scripps! It is so good to have someone "congratulate" us for a change!
I especially like this comment: "That striving, yearning American aspiration and optimism was there in bucketloads." I hope the emotions of this day transform into positive action and change.
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
**********
"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
#31re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 5:33pm
It was amazing to be there...though I must say the acoustics were HORRIBLE! We could hear Aretha, of course...cause you could hear her without a mic :). And we could hear the prayer, and some of Biden's oath, but whoever was introducing everybody was almost impossible to understand. Pretty much, whenever the crowd started screaming, we screamed. LOL. I got to stand by the reflecting pool in front of the Capitol Building. It was frozen so it was SOOOO much colder there. They didn't have nearly the number of big screens that we thought they would. And the one that we could kind of see was behind a tree! But every so often I got a glimpse of him and could understand what he was saying and it was amazing!! Even though the echoes were jumbling most of what he was saying, I could still hear his tone and style of devlivery and even that was impressive.
Now that I'm home...thawing out....and I can read the text and see it, wow...wow...wow. So exciting!
#32re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 5:44pm
Scripps--what a nice post. Thank you for that.
And luscious--your description of physical discomfort and not really being able to hear what's going on reminds me of the lyrics to Sondheim's "Someone in a Tree."
#33re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:14pm
PJ- I guess I can see where you're coming from with that reference. :)
I do want to say, after reading my initial post, that no matter how nutso it was, it was an amazing place to be. And no matter how cold it was, it wasn't miserable, because we had such reason to be there. I was also really impressed that everybody seemed to be jovial and friendly (in DC that's pretty rare sometimes...of course there were a lot of visitors) but nobody was being very rude or complaining too much. There were comments, of course, but people really seemed to be keeping the spirit of the day in mind and they were all just so very excited to be there. It was really the most incredible thing I've ever seen.
What a really cool day!
And can I just say that, even though we didn't stay for the parade, I LOVE how the Obamas (and the Bidens) got out and walked for so much of it and truly seemed to enjoy seeing the people and connecting with them a bit. It almost seemed like today wasn't about them at all. It was about everybody, which is like what he said in the speech. Other Presidents seem to get the "we're honoring you...it's all about you today, Sir" thing, but the Obamas just seemed to be more interested in connecting with everybody. That's just my take on it. Maybe I'm reading too much into things, but I'm excited!
#34re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:17pm
Today we are all someone in a tree:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx6hhy2Dwzw
miss pennywise
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
#35re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:26pm
Lusciouslace, so simply and beautifully stated:
"It almost seemed like today wasn't about them at all. It was about everybody."
So glad you were there! You and Dottie represented BWW. 
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
**********
"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
StockardFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/19/08
#36re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:29pmScripps, your post made me teary-eyed. Thank you, it was lovely.
#37re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:33pmMy favorite part of the day (because it didn't involve crowds) was my 3.5 mile walk to the Capitol. There were lots of people making that same pre-dawn walk, but it was very controlled and very joyous. The madness began waiting to be admitted on the grounds. It was an amazing experience, but as I tend not to like crowds, I'm very happy to be home.
miss pennywise
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
#38re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:36pm
Dottie, I'm happy you went though. See? There are some real benefits to living here. Personally, I'm thrilled. I moved here in 1999, so most of my stay has been" tarnished"!
I am also pretty sure that a very dear friend of mine I haven't seen in a while was there because I saw her on TV. I'm waiting for her to answer my text-message to confirm.
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
**********
"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
#39re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:39pmMiss P, I actually said, "for once I'm happy to be living in DC". I was very teary-eyed as I was leaving early this morning. In my 8+ years living in DC, never have I experienced such joy.
#40re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:40pmYeah, I live pretty much next door to DC, and everything's been about the inauguration lately. It's going to be a little bit sad when I go back to school tomorrow and the inauguration anticipation's died down... but it'll also be a totally different type of eager anticipation now that Obama's in office.
StockardFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/19/08
#41re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:44pm
I didn't realize you two were not native DC'ers! Funny you guys moved there shortly before I moved away.
Today I wish I still lived there for sure.
#42re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:47pmStockardFan, I lived in NYC for 13 year before moving to DC in September of 2000.
WestVillage
Broadway Star Joined: 7/20/05
#43re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:50pmI was at an audition this morning at a rehearsal studio in the city. By 11:45, all auditions stopped, all rehearsals stopped ... and everyone gathered in the lobby to watch the televised inauguration. We cried, we applauded, we cheered, we laughed (at Aretha's hat) ... its amazing that business as usual stopped so everyone could watch this historic moment. Truly an unforgettable day.
#44re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:54pmIt's strange, I'm more emotional now watching the clips on television than I was while I was there.
miss pennywise
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
#45re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 6:55pm
WestVillage, this thread is the serious one. If you want to talk about Aretha's hat, you must post it in the "Shallow Reflections" thread.
(J/K! Your story is really wonderful. The whole world was watching!)
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
**********
"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
#46re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 7:03pmPart of me was tempted to yell out, "empty words, hypocrit" when Rick Warren was speaking.
wexy
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/19/05
#47re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 7:08pm
I was watching with about 100 people in a bar in Fort Greene.
At the end, everyone sang the National Anthem and people were crying, I know that I had a tear or two in my eyes.
StockardFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/19/08
#48re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 7:13pm
This thread is making me cry.
Must.Stop.Drinking.Wine.And. Reading.This.Thread.
#49re: Obama Inaugural Address
Posted: 1/20/09 at 7:27pm
Scripps, thanks for your (characteristically) kind and large-hearted words.
Lucious and Dottie, thank you for your firsthand accounts.
It was a great speech. I think we all have a lot of work to do to live up to it.
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