Huffpost Inauguration Ball on The Huffington Post

Matt Petersen: Healthier, Wealthier and Wiser: The Case for Creating Green Schools Now

2009-02-05T17:20:02Z

Today, millions of children and teachers go to school every day in unhealthy, inefficient schools that waste money, make kids sick and provide poor environments for learning. The state of aging school infrastructure is truly a national travesty. When I first visited New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina to see how my environmental organization Global Green could help rebuild the city green, I toured a local high school and was overwhelmed to discover such decay and disrepair. I later learned this didn't result from the storm, but from years of neglect. Sadly this is not an isolated school or city.

Fortunately, we do have the solutions to help rebuild our schools to be healthy, efficient and productive centers of learning. California is leading the way with $100 million dollars in bond money to support building green schools and Los Angeles Unified is building all of its new schools to healthy green standards. New Orleans is considering doing the same and now Congress has approved $40 billion in the stimulus package to build green schools.

To help drive national awareness about the need to build green schools, Global Green is hosting its Sixth Annual Pre-Oscar® party in Hollywood, CA on February 19th. Sheryl Crow, who recently performed at the Huffington Post Pre-Inaugural party co-sponsored by Global Green, will perform along with Gavin Rossdale (lead singer from Bush). For ticket information visit www.globalgreen.org/oscars.

For the past six years, I've been proud to collaborate with Global Green Board members Leonardo DiCaprio, Edward Norton, photographer and climate activist Sebastian Copeland and supporters including Salma Hayek, Orlando Bloom and Penelope Cruz among others to help raise global awareness of smart solutions to global warming -- from plug-in hybrid cars that get 100+ mpg to green affordable homes that can save hundreds of dollars on annual electric bills to the importance of voting green.

Its exciting to finally be able to promote climate policy solutions like green schools that are not only good ideas for our health, economy, national security and environment, but are finally being embraced by our political leaders in Congress and the White House. The current Congressional stimulus package includes a $40 billion dollar investment in green schools -- a good start on reinvesting in our future from those who we are borrowing so much from to get out of our financial meltdown.

Global Green USA has been pioneering smart climate solutions for schools, homes and communities for more than a decade and has helped more than 40,000 students by greening hundreds of millions of dollars of green school construction in California and New Orleans. Building Green Schools is one of the most effective ways to improve academic performance, improve health and lower costs of operating schools.

With the support of the Annenberg Foundation, Global Green has already partnered with the LA Unified School District to build more than 34 new green schools resulting in:

• 25,000 students and staff benefit from reduced exposure to air pollutants
such as formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds, many of which are
asthma triggers
• 23,600 children provided with improved learning environments through the
provision of natural daylight and improved acoustics
• 38,779 tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided - equivalent to planting
116,338 trees annually, or removing 6,463 cars from the road each year

These statistics are impressive, but more importantly, Green Schools protect and improve student and teacher health, improve student performance (by as much as 25%), lower operating costs (20-40%) and provide a unique educational opportunity to have the classroom and school serve as a teaching opportunity.

In New Orleans, where we've put forward a vision of building a sustainable, green city, Global Green received a grant from the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund to similarly help rebuild green schools and return students and teachers to healthier, more productive classrooms than they had even pre-Katrina. For an investment of just $75,000 in energy improvements, we've been able to save schools on average $25,000 per year in electricity costs (a three year payback).

As the Congress deliberates the largest stimulus package in history, there is no single better investment that we can make than to help maximize the potential learning and productivity of our children.

For more information on Global Green, Green Schools or the Pre-Oscar® party visit www.globalgreen.org. To purchase tickets to see Sheryl Crow and Gavin Rossdale visit www.globalgreen.org/oscars.

Vince Beiser: Purple Ticket Holder: A Mom's Story of Heartbreak and Hope

2009-01-25T19:41:46Z

I'm handing this one over to my wife, whose story represents the heartbreak and hope of many:

While I grew up in Washington, DC, my husband and I currently live in Los Angeles. We decided we had to come for the inauguration, and booked our flight. We lucked into tickets for the swearing-in at the last minute. We stand for two hours to pick up the tickets, my two and a half year old daughter and I, looking for things purple -- gloves, hats, scarves -- to keep her occupied. Fortunately, everyone is bubbling and excited, every obstacle a point of pride, so it is a well spirited and good humored line.

Tuesday morning, we arise with great anticipation. I head out to stake out our place in line, my husband and daughter will join later so as to minimize her time outside. Once I arrive at the gated area, it is a mess. The Yellow line is so long it eventually runs into the Purple line. I get directed to the line, past the gate, and around a corner. We inch along. I'm leaving messages on my husband's cell when I can stand to take my fingers out of my gloves for a few seconds. About 10:30/11am, I realize we're in trouble. The line is not moving nearly fast enough, and the text I get from my husband is talking about being next to port-a-potties. No one can see anything. There are no cops, no one directing or informing the crowd.

Eventually, I get close enough to the perimeter fence to realize that the potties are INSIDE the gates. I promptly and urgently wiggle my way forward until I get stuck in the middle of people with literally barely room to breathe and no way to move in any direction. People are shouting "Let us in" and waving tickets in the air, to no avail. Finally, about 11:30, we surge forward. I'm within five feet when the cops shut it literally in our faces. The crowd was frustrated, mad, disappointed, but shockingly, calm. No one even cussed out the cops.

Fingers clutching the gate, no jumbotron, no audio, no nothing, we all jumped when we heard the first canon go off. It was just the other side of the gate, and it was a big BOOM followed by smoke. When the second one went off, we realized that it was just the canons, marking the fact that we now had a new president. It was over. We had missed it. With thousands of others, who had traveled thousands of miles, we were all deeply disappointed.

My one consolation was that my little girl had gotten in.

As I watched the crowds stream out, tears streaming down my face, I tried to hold back the memory of twelve hours of travel, including two flights, an hours-long layover in Atlanta, a midnight arrival followed by one hour waiting for bags and the rental car, and a two hour drive before falling into bed, hours in line waiting to pick up tickets, walking back in the cold -- all with a two and a half year old in tow -- waking up early and standing for hours waiting to get in to a place where I knew I would still be unable to actually see anything, but just wanting to be there and have it happen live in front of me, and say I actually laid my eyes on it.

Instead, I clung to the fact that whether she remembered it or not, my daughter will always be able to say she had witnessed history. It would have to be enough.

Eventually, my husband and I connected via cell, and met up. Turns out our little girl had been screaming since the moment they got through the gate and crying for her mommy. They had come up the same way we had, but by then, the doors were open and the crowds moving, so when he hit the confusing mess, the apparently only cop around directed him to the gate, instead of the line, and he got through reasonably quickly in the general press of things. A baby on his back probably helped, too. In spite of her crying, she apparently perked up as soon as she heard Obama's speech, and started shouting excitedly that "Obama was talking!" After he was finished, she joyously chanted his name and waved her flag, charming those around her. She noted, as she loves to do, that in addition to being president, he is also "the daddy of the girls."

For eight minutes, she saw, and registered what she was seeing.

It will have to be enough.

Tired and cranky and cold, we hopped a pedi-cab back to our friends' house, where we watched the replay of the speech online and saw the reports circulating that there were thousands of purple and blue ticket holders who got similarly denied access. We were, I guess, part of a smaller select group who Almost Saw History.

Exhausted by the hours outside and the incredibly disappointment, we almost backed out of the ball. With our friends going, though, we all bucked up, put on our finery, and figured we'd go, cut out after an hour, and head to a bar. And yet somehow, walking the final blocks to the Convention Center, the four of us started laughing. We'd given up hope of the day being salvaged in any way, and like that, it changed. We changed.

My husband and I danced to the fun cover band, wandered through the huge ballroom at the Convention Center, noted the tacky merch that is endlessly for sale, and eventually landed near a stage on the opposite end of the room. Almost everyone we spoke to had been a purple or blue ticket holder, and denied access. It became a badge of pride. Eventually, a military band started filing on stage. Somehow that single fact, more than anything else in the news, or the slides projected on the screens throughout the night announcing "Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States" made it seem undeniably real. Then came the color guard.

And then, there they were. Barack and Michelle. Not thirty feet from us. He spoke, he smiled, they danced, she grinned, they leaned on each other, seeming to share a secret the way newlyweds do.

And there it was. Like a wedding, where at some point in the course of the evening you realize that in spite of knowing what's coming, something changes. It doesn't happen at the same moment for everyone -- some feel it in the ceremony, some not until the first dance, some not until you hear "my husband" or "my wife" for the fifth time and it stops sounding strange -- but at some point you realize that they are married, and everything is different than before. So too, when the Obamas left the stage, it finally sunk in for me that things were somehow, tangibly and intangibly, different than before. We, as a country, did this. We elected someone smart, and rational, and good. And now, as of today, he is our President.

It was a mixed bag, in the end. Am I glad we went -- yes. Would I ever go to another -- no. Just as I can never get back the morning of that day, so no one can ever take away that evening.

David Stark: OMG! It Looks Just Like the Rendering : Huffington Post Pre-Inaugural Ball

2009-01-23T19:06:00Z

My pals and I ushered in the start of a "New Day," Obama-Style at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. this past Monday and WOW, what a wild ride it was!

This is the first time we ever produced and designed an inaugural ball and it certainly was exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure. The sheer quantity of people teeming in the streets of D.C. was overwhelming (sometimes maddening), but the energy was always jubilant and the excitement from young to old was truly palpable. Same at our party. The numbers clocked through the door were rather incredible! Our photos show just how well attended our ball was, but it is important to note that of the 3,500 guests (!), all were celebrities, top government officials, writers and A-Listers from all walks of life who shared the same joy and excitement as the average guy on the street: OBAMA FEVER.

Obama's win is often attributed to his trailblazing use of technology. Thus, it is fitting that Arianna Huffington (one of the smartest people I have ever met!) and the Huffington Post, the trailblazing media leader on the web, owned the night before inauguration day ushering in this new age. We did it New Year's Eve-Style with a countdown at midnight, hats, noise-makers and hoopla as well as amazing performances by Sheryl Crow, Sting, Will.i.am, and an innovative décor that brought the connectivity of the web to our party, creating the first internet inaugural ball.

As our rendering shows, we created jumbo laptops in which live twitter feeds, live blogging, thousands of photos and video clips all lived on both the Huffington Post website AND live at the Newseum. Thus, the internet served as a window into the party for those that could not attend, and those partying with us at the museum were in direct dialogue with the world at large. My buddy, Keira Alexandra of Employee Number One, is the genius behind the graphics, video, and internet connectivity. The essence of "surfing the web" and community interaction was brought to life with fabulous style.

I am really proud of the sculptural object-ness of these grand laptops which is really a trick because they are essentially flat. Note that the hands typing away are video (also shot by Keira) and the keyboards are an enlarged photo we took of an actual laptop. But I am enthralled, too, with the conceptual breadth that these flat objects have because they embody the landscape of real communication and interaction reflected in the content on the screens. That tightrope walk looks effortless, but those of us behind the scenes know just how much invention went into that.

I did not leave D.C. with any Obama souvenirs. I regret not purchasing an Obama air freshener for my car, actually, but I am really proud of what we accomplished artistically and, for me, that's the best souvenir of all.

GOBAMA!

p.s. Hats off to my buddy Mario Ruiz, Vice President of Media Relations for the Huffington Post. He was there side by side with us, creating this evening every step of the way. Bravo, Mario.

Shahed Amanullah: A New Era for Muslims in America

2009-01-23T16:35:32Z

Only a year ago, some Muslim Americans seriously wondered if they were considered a part of the American fabric. Presidential candidates (mainly on the Republican side) regularly alluded to Islam and/or Muslims as an existential threat to America. Muslims felt unwelcome in (or worse, under attack by) Republican circles, and had the distinct impression of being a liability among some Democrats. Those of us working to help elect Barack Obama kept ourselves focused on the larger goal, despite the humiliating position some felt we were being placed in.

But as one of many Muslims participating in the inaugural ceremonies this week, I felt what I can only describe as a healing embrace. We heard the name "Hussein" -- a name Muslims have worn with pride for centuries -- go from being a near-slur to being engraved in American history. We heard words of reconciliation and inclusion offered by President Obama in his inaugural address to the Muslim world and Muslim Americans respectively. And last night at the Midwest Inaugural Ball, Sheryl Crow warmed up Inaugural Ball attendees waiting for the First Couple to arrive by offering to sing a Yusuf Islam song (adding, "though you might know him better as Cat Stevens"). I felt a sense of belonging, of feeling not only that your presence was merely tolerated but valued as an integral part of our larger society.

I and many of my friends do not believe that these gestures are simply lip service. Many of us who have been seeking a role in helping to rebuild America through the new administration are finding receptive ears. After the swearing-in, I had lunch with many of my Muslim Democrat friends who worked tirelessly in getting out the vote for Obama, and assessing our chances at being able to pass on our campaign energy into meaningful involvement in federal civic service. It's safe to say that the hope that filled the National Mall a few hours early filled that room as well.

As a founding board member of the Muslim Public Service Network, I've worked for over a decade to encourage Muslim Americans to seek careers in public service, seeing it as the best way to further our inclusion into American society. While we have had many successes along the way -- talented Muslim Americans can now be found in public service positions at all levels -- reports of how difficult the ladder has been to climb have given us pause. But the events of the last few months have energized this growing base.

My cynicism hasn't completely gone away, but for now I'm letting the optimistic tone of the inaugural celebrations this week take over. Our desire for full participation in rebuilding America is limited only by our will to do so. Yes we can, indeed.
Cross-posted from Beliefnet's Progressive Revival blog

Pete Wentz: No Longer the Underdog

2009-01-23T14:27:13Z

"Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it's important." - Eugene McCarthy, Minnesota Senator

"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!" - Al Franken (as fictional character Stuart Smalley), Minnesota Senator

There's a fine line between Hollywood and Washington, DC. My parents met campaigning for Joe Biden and I met my wife at "Top of the Pops," so I know that line all too well. While it must have been strange when the dude from the chimp movies became president for my folks, between governors "Terminator" and Jesse "The Body" Ventura and a mayor with no name, it's business as usual to me. In fact, it still surprises me that I have only seen Warren Beatty and Martin Sheen play politicians on television or in the movies.

I made the trek from Hollywood to Washington, DC this week for the inauguration where my band Fall Out Boy played the Youth Ball. I've been a fan of Barack Obama's for a while and, like everyone else, was elated when he won, and even more so when I had the privilege to meet him at the event. He's an underdog, which is something I can relate to (and he uses a Blackberry as much as I do -- although I don't think we'll be getting any Twitter updates from our new President).

As he begins to translate campaign promises into actual leadership and the business of governing, Obama now has an interesting challenge. Much like an indie filmmaker or an underground rock band, he was an underdog and he had the people's support because of it. Everyone was rooting for him as they would David in his battle against Goliath. America loves an underdog. The Cubs are living proof of that.

But a funny thing happens when the underdog wins (trust me on this one, I have scratched and won one of the biggest lottery tickets that a goofy little Midwestern guy like me can get away with). The elation is high, but so are the expectations. Now there is a rapt audience. There is a microphone hissing, and feedback. When that happened before it was quaint and authentic. Now it's annoying and unprofessional. Now the challenges that our nation faced in November have been compounded. There is a recession, there is war, there is a mounting unemployment rate. And there is history to be made. Now he's no longer the underdog. He's the leader of the free world with big ideas and big responsibilities. Now everyone expects results.

You could choose to move fast, which would alienate the fan base and distances you from those who brought you here, but you potentially reach a wider audience. Alternately, you could choose to stand still, which discredits the innovative, independent spirit which got you here in the first place. In the end the choice may not be President Obama's on how fast he moves: our bureaucracy may be the only area of our culture that is run in a more unconventional way than the entertainment industry.

At the risk of extending the metaphor, President Obama faces a challenge like Lauryn Hill after her album "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" won five Grammys or the Coen Brothers after Blood Simple won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Will it take a while for his own Fargo or No Country for Old Men? Or will success come early and often? Either way I, for one, am glad the underdog got a shot. Underdogs are the ones who are hungry, who will transcend convention and will break barriers. Just when it's at its worst... it gets better. As long as he just keeps up the pace he has so far, I have a feeling we will keep rooting for him. And heck, you never know about the Cubs!

Sting, Sheryl Crow, And Will.i.am Perform At The HuffPost Ball (VIDEO)

2009-01-23T12:29:29Z

The below video was taken on Inauguration Eve inside the Huffington Post Ball.

See photos of the ball's red carpet and from inside that party

will.i.am -- "It's A New Day"

Sheryl Crow -- "Everyday Is A Winding Road"

Sting and will.i.am -- "Brand New Day"

Lance Simmens: Our Long Winter of Discontent

2009-01-23T11:08:59Z

I have been involved in various aspects of eight different Inaugurations, including the spectacular event that concluded yesterday, or to be more exact sometime early this morning. Inaugural events have many movements. Essentially, you have the actual swearing in ceremony and parade, the premier daytime event, bracketed in by innumerable social events leading up to and extending beyond the more or less businesslike transaction signifying a peaceful transfer of power in the world's most powerful nation.

The sheer magnitude of the number of participants witnessing the Obama Swearing-In Event most assuredly distinguishes it from any other I have witnessed in my experiences dating back to 1976. However, the real distinguishing feature of the Event was the palpable emotions exhibited by individuals who had traveled to the Capitol simply to be a part of history, to be part of, to bear witness to an historical event that can never again be achieved: namely, the ascendancy of the first African-American to hold the power and title of commander-in-chief.

The social aspects of an Inauguration extend largely into the nighttime hours and are confined to limited numbers of individuals with the money, power, and connections to warrant special invitations. I have and did participate in a number of these events. But the true measure of the import and significance of the Inauguration is not found in these activities, but rather in the Event itself.

One simply could not escape the electricity, the excitement, the exhilaration on the faces of those walking the streets in anticipation of the Event. Large numbers of African-Americans, often with families in tow, bundled up, willing to forego simple pleasures like staying warm, busily rushed headstrong into inevitable bottlenecks at Metro stations, patiently waited to secure a spot of ground up to two miles from the Capitol, many waited for hours simply to witness the Event unfurl onto large screens strategically placed on the National Mall.

And after the Event, the logistical nightmare of dispersing nearly 2 million spectators once again forced individuals to bunch together like cattle as they waited to emerge from the attendant bottlenecks the large gathering necessitated. All this in freezing temperatures, with brutal winds driving the chill index down even further, with muscles tired from hours of standing and miles traveled around fenced off streets that defied the careful planning of Pierre L'Enfant centuries ago, yet all without incident.

There clearly was joy in the air, there were tears and hugs and embraces of total strangers. And as the crowds were moving back to the warmth of either hotels or buses, or elsewhere, all eyes were focused on the helicopter carrying No. 43 away. The chopper made a long sweep of the District and hearty chants of good-bye accompanied waves directed upward. Like the final official stamp closing an important deal, as the helicopter alighted and slowly disappeared into the cold gray sky the dream that indeed a new order, a new day would soon arrive became a reality.

A few blocks from the Mall, in the Southwest quadrant of the city, row upon row of idling buses filled streets that had been cordoned off to traffic. The streets were clogged with thousands of buses carrying tens or hundreds of thousands of people back to their respective communities. Many of these buses had arrived under cover of darkness that morning and would depart under cover of darkness that evening. The sheer desire to just be there, at this propitious moment in time, so overwhelmed individuals that they felt they just needed to see for themselves what to many had until only recently been unthinkable. And by this morning the streets had cleared, the barricades were coming down; traffic was returning to the arteries, the Metro was crowded with people going to work instead of tourists. And today we begin a new chapter in our history.

It will take an enormous amount of skill, perseverance, diplomacy, and jawboning, and just a dash of good luck thrown in for good measure to lift the country out of our winter of discontent. As President Obama cautioned it will neither be easy or quick. But if it were possible to capture and bottle the hope that was evident on the Mall yesterday there can be no doubt that together we will confront and conquer the difficulties that lie before us. Indeed, we shall overcome.

Matthew Harwood: Classism at Union Station?

2009-01-22T15:19:20Z

Early Wednesday morning, President Barack Obama's storied night ended inside Union Station at the Eastern States Inaugural Ball, accompanied by the First Lady, Michelle Obama.

But the efforts to secure the venue, one of the busiest transportation hubs in the District, left many people out in the cold -- literally.

Around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Cliff Black, director of media relations for Amtrak, the Secret Service closed down the picturesque Grand Hall of Union Station to secure the site for the evening's event as well as the food court and many of station's retail shops. According to Amtrak's Web site, Amtrak, Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC), and Virginia Rainway Express (VRE) passengers would be allowed access to the station.

But during the afternoon, things went awry as ticketed passengers were held outside in freezing temperatures after some already spent countless hours battling the cold on the Mall or at the Capitol or along the parade route.

A New York businessman bound for home who did not want to be named waited outside Union Station for hours. He also had the misfortune of holding tickets for the infamous purple section of the inauguration. He was not a happy man.

On a day when President Obama's inaugural address heralded the work of the average American and lambasted those who "seek only the pleasures of riches and fame," his impression was the contrary of Obama's rhetoric.

"There were two kinds of people: the VVIPs, and everyone else was treated like rabble," he said.

Over and over again, he called the whole day a "disgrace," wondering why Amtrak would sell tickets for trains passengers couldn't get to.

Self-described baby boomers, Francine Freedman and Bob Schnapp from Reston, Viriginia, also told of a ridiculous scene outside Union Station just before 5 p.m. Arriving ten minutes before their VRE train's departure home, the couple found hundreds of people waiting to get inside the station and board their trains. Rumors circulating through the crowd said that Union Station had been closed. But a police officer in earshot, according to Friedman and Schnapp, said that the fire marshal had stopped letting people into the station due to overcrowding.

In a scene out of Monty Python's Flying Circus, officials tried to tell people to line up to either the left or right depending on their train carrier. When the officials would tell people to gather to the left or right depending on train, the crowd would yell back "which left, your left or our left," said Friedman and Schnapp. The one good piece of information they did hear was that each every ticket would be guaranteed and that everyone would eventually make it home. But during their wait, the couple said they watched someone throw up as many others became claustrophobic in the swelling crowd.

After an hour of waiting outside the station in a throng of people trying to get out of the District, Friedman and Schnapp decided to visit some friends and grab a bite before they boarded the Metro, not the VRE, home that evening. They said they were sick of waiting after their morning waiting four and a half hours to gain access to the parade route at the intersection of 10th and E St. Schnapp said the security checkpoint had four tables and four metal detectors, resulting in two people getting through security in a minute.

"Do the math," he said sarcastically.

"It was like pouring a thousand people into a funnel," said Friedman.

Black guessed the two corridors left open at Union Station for passengers became too crowded with a mixture of ticketed passengers, frozen inaugural visitors, and people looking for a meal at the few eateries still open on the ground floor. Even though the station was supposed to only allow in ticket passengers according to its Web site, the station did not deny entry to anyone because of the cold, Black said.

But there seems to be a mixture of confusion and denial about what exactly happened between Amtrak, the Secret Service, and District's Fire Department (DCFD). Officials at Union Station could not be reached for comment, according to woman answering the station's public line, because they had worked two straight days.

Amtrak confirmed people were indeed left waiting in the cold. Asked if people waited outside for hours, Black said it was "possible."

But here's where the confusion creeps in. Black said he believes it was the fire department that held passengers outside in the cold, where many missed their ticketed trains home. But the fire department denies that. "Let me reiterate, we did not close down Union Station," said Kenneth Crosswhite, deputy fire chief of DCFD.

But the most surprising disconnect occurred with the Secret Service. "I'm not aware of any issues at Union Station," said Special Agent Malcolm Wiley. "Nothing like the situation you are describing was reported to our Joint Information Center."

In two e-mails to Wiley, however, he never answered the central question posed: Why would the Secret Service, the lead agency securing the Inauguration, allow an inaugural ball in one of the District's most critical transportation hubs during an day anticipated to bring record crowds flooding into the District? On a day when the nation's first African-American president would be sworn in and as an unspecified threat was posed to the Inauguration from a Somali-based terrorist network, didn't they know the effort to secure the public venue would inconvenience the average Americans coming to celebrate the Inauguration or simply going home after a long day at work amid the hysteria?

In the end, average rail travelers using Union Station got the same treatment they always do when their interests cross those of our nation's elite: They were told to be patient and calm and to wait in line.

"And for what," asked the New York businessman, "so someone could have champagne tonight?"

If you were lucky enough to get into the Eastern States Inaugural Ball, according to the Boston Herald, you could see a few Kennedys, Congressman Barney Frank, and the Senator John Kerry's brother and sister, before the Obamas made their entrance.

Enthusiasts and critics of Obama are right: maybe this is the new Camelot.

Matthew Harwood is a journalist in Washington, DC, and a frequent contributor to the Guardian's Comment is Free. His writing has appeared in The Washington Monthly and Progress Magazine (U.K.) as well as online at CommonDreams and Alternet.

Christina Erickson: Substance is the New Sexy in Our Nation's Capital: Echoes from Inaugural Parties

2009-01-22T13:08:59Z

We've all heard the old adage that Washington, DC is Hollywood for ugly people. As
someone who once belonged to the ranks of those geeky law grads who descend on Washington each spring after graduation, I am comfortable saying that DC just got a whole lot sexier over the past few days. And it wasn't because the Tinseltown A-list was well-represented among those of us who trekked East to witness this historic moment firsthand.

People's imaginations have been captured by the possibilities that this new administration presents. There is a distinct twinkle in the eye and a lift in the step of everyone you pass on the street. This giddiness you could feel in the crowds was something President Obama sought to temper with his inaugural address. Yes, before we drink too much of the Kool-Aid, he seemed to say, let's get ready to think through the hard choices required to shore up our democracy.

The raucous energy brought by the million people that descended on the National Mall Tuesday was complimented by the quiet exuberance of those who make their living in the federal buildings that stretch from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. The career civil servants who managed to hang in there over the past eight years describe silent cheers and surreptitious high-fives as they watch their politically-appointed colleagues - who often had no expertise in the work of the departments they were overseeing - pack up and slink home.

And among those pushing for a more sustainable future, an administration that is ready to have Larry Summers and Carol Browner lead the conversation on the relationship between energy independence, economic prosperity and the stewardship of our environment is well, frankly, pretty titillating.

Meritocracy is back in fashion and Washington may even have its own version of The Big Bang Theory coming soon. On Inauguration night, our new Energy Secretary Stephen Chu- a guy who trapped atoms for a living before he came to Washington - was mobbed by a crowd trying to get a photo with him. I know he won a Nobel Prize, but that is not what had guests trailing him out the door as he left the evening's festivities. This fan club was filled with policy wonks and folks whose company valuations will rise and fall with the direction he sets at DOE.

Bearing witness to this new phenomenon of physicist-cum-celebrity, I had to ask Secretary Chu what he thought of his new rock star status. In modest fashion, he proclaimed he didn't know what I was talking about. I arched my brow and gave him my most skeptical frown. As the throng pressed forward, he grinned and remarked that the frenzy surrounding us was "not consistent with his training as a scientist". Well, maybe it should be. I then asked Secretary Chu if he was ready to push the envelope. Here, he did not demur or hesitate. "Yes, absolutely", he replied.

Lisa Jackson, Obama's nominee for the top EPA post, was able to move a little more quietly through the same ball at which Secretary Chu welcomed his new fan club. Similarly, both she and Nancy Sutley - Obama's pick to become Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality - were left mainly to themselves by fellow partygoers in the VIP section of Green Ball 2009 on Inauguration Eve. Perhaps partygoers did not yet recognize these two green sirens as they mingled through a crowd that included Senator-in-waiting Al Franken and environmental activist Bobby Kennedy, Jr. When queried on why he chose to attend Al Gore's festivities that night over other events, he indicated that it was because of the critical place that the environment held on his state and our national agenda.

As for the celebs themselves, they seemed to be enjoying their relative anonymity. I came across Jon Bon Jovi at the Green Ball 2009 absorbed in the now ubiquitous Shephard Fairey poster of Obama hanging in the National Portrait Gallery. He had worked hard for Obama and I thanked him for coming to play our Angelenos Go Green for Obama event last October (www.angelenosgogreenforobama.org). I was rewarded with a fist bump from the author when I pointed out to John Cusack that his HuffPo Two Questions blog had begun to play out in reality - first with Holder's confirmation hearings on the Hill and later with a signal sent by Nancy Pelosi on her Inauguration Eve press conference. In a Georgetown hotel, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore and their small posse waited quietly in line with all the rest of us for a post-inauguration bite while Oprah, Steve Spielberg, the Governator and the Shriver siblings quietly absorbed the morning's events at tables nearby.

And while the attorney in me feels like there should be some conflict-of-interest policy about any HuffPo blogger saying this, I want to give a shout out to Arianna Huffington for doing more than her fair share to put some glam back into the District of Columbia this week. As the hostess with the most-ess, Arianna and her co-hosts at the HuffPo pre-inauguration ball showed that being an informed and informing citizen has now become one of the really hot tickets in town.

Ariston Anderson: Obama's Inauguration: What You Didn't See On TV!

2009-01-21T22:48:13Z

Millions turned up to Washington to witness history. HBO exclusively broadcast the inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial with acts like U2 and Mary J. Blige. And record numbers tuned in on inauguration day to CNN for exclusive coverage like, "Obama wipes his nose" on the parade viewing stand. And millions more watched the live feed. We can't remember Washington ever being so cool. What follows are our most unforgettable moments from the inauguration festivities in honor of the 44th President Barack Hussein Obama.

Wyclef Jean doing backflips on the stage of the Green Ball and playing his guitar Jimi Hendrix style. Despite the event name, there were no hippies in sight. It was the future of environmentalism, from press kits on USB drive to an appearance by Treehugger founder Graham Hill.

Attending all the same balls as Hayden Panettiere. She was accompanied by Whaleman Foundation founder Jeff Pantukhoff, and D.C.'s Senator Paul Strauss. If given a spot in Obama's cabinet, Hayden told us, "I would probably choose a position that dealt with environmental causes."

But the Heroes star won't complain if our new Prez doesn't get to it tomorrow: "I hope that people also take into consideration how much he has on his plate."

D.C. Fashion. We never tired of seeing variations of the same flammable tiered gown worn by at least 18 women at each ball. We asked one woman where she got hers: Macy's.

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Sarah Silverman telling us backstage at the Declare Yourself party that she'd like to be Obama's barber. "Because his hair is easy, and it's always a good time to talk. And shockingly, because I have bad hair, I enjoy doing others."

Norman Lear, shushing all the chatterboxes in the crowd so he could speak. The world premiere of Keith Carradine's song, "I am a born again American." The original Declare Yourself spoken word poets following Jamie Foxx's beat-boxing. John Legend playing "Redemption Song."

Congratulating Senator Al Franken! N.B.S. telling us they wanted to redecorate the Whitehouse with Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

Cash Warren telling someone backstage, "You should meet my wife." Watching the Maroon 5 set from stage left. A crowd surrounding the DJ booth to take photos of Samantha Ronson, instead of dancing. A pouty Lindsay Lohan sipping a Red Bull in a corner. Giftbags full of sponsorship opportunities.

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Every man in the room using the line, "I don't want to brag, but I've met Obama," to hit on chicks. A man claiming he was the one who introduced Ben & Jerry to Obama . . . although he had no idea about "Yes, Pecan!"

Carrie Fisher dipping her hand in the white chocolate fountain at the Pajama Party, licking it off, then going back for more. Throwing glitter in everyone's faces. Dancing with Mo Rocca, who was wearing ducky pajamas with matching slippers.

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OBAMA HEADQUARTERS on every streetcorner! Makeshift shops selling official(?) inaugural swag.

Witnessing a hundred young people who decided to attend Do Something's social action bootcamp instead of sleeping in on the MLK National Day of Service. Tobin Van Ostern's, founder of Students for Obama, keynote speech, revealing the secrets behind the Obama Facebook launch.

Chasing the Jonas Brothers around the Huffington Post ball at the Newseum. Meeting the amazing Michael J. Fox and his son Sam (they have matching glasses!). Sting rocking out with will.i.am, and Marisa Tomei leaning over the balcony and singing along. The fact that nobody appeared to be liveblogging in a room full of bloggers. Arianna making sure to say hello to everyone. A New Years countdown to the new era complete with party hats and noisemakers.

Seeing protesters throw their shoes at a giant inflatable effigy, complete with Pinocchio nose, of George W. Bush in Dupont Circle.

Drinking limited edition Hennessy 44 at the Hip Hop Ball. Griff Jenkins wearing a paisley tuxedo. Bouncers throwing out two kids onto the street who snuck in to take pictures of T.I.

Being picked up by a taxicab with a cardboard cutout of Obama riding shotgun.

Realizing that because we failed to get up at 4:30 AM on swearing-in day, our tickets to the Inauguration were worthless . . . or maybe not? A cop who failed to let us into the stands advised us to sell our tickets on Craigslist: "They're going for four grand, at least."

The camaraderie in the crowd on Capitol Hill. The crowd joking that Dick Cheney threw out his back while destroying boxes of files.

The Google Bash lit by fluorescent lights. Sergey Brin hiding in the VIP section. Partygoers liveblogging and twittering and facebooking all night long. YouTube founder Chad Hurley posing with fans.

Rihanna congratulating Shakira on "playing that thing," at the Feeding America concert. That thing would be a harmonica.

After shelling out for tickets to the official balls, having to buy your own drinks. . . and even worse, having to stand on line to buy tickets before queuing up a second time to buy said drinks. Carnival prices: one ticket for a coke...four for a champagne. Couldn't they get a sponsorship?

The obligatory prom glamor shots in front of an Inaugural background. You could get yours framed for $120.

Hawaiian Jack Johnson proclaiming this to be the first concert he's performed in a suit, and the third concert he's played wearing shoes.

Millions waited in the cold for a glimpse of our new Presidential couple, and yet when they came out on stage, they watched the whole speech behind their camcorders.

Michelle whispering to Barack at their Home States Ball, "You're a great dancer." His response? "You're better." Michelle smiling when we screamed, "You're a lucky man, Obama!"

Joe Biden thanking Hawaii and Illinois for "producing Barack Obama."

Toasts from Chris Matthews, John Cusack, Michael J. Fox, and More at the Huffington Post Inaugural Ball

2009-01-20T21:45:27Z

Hollywood and D.C.'s brightest stars partied at Huffington Post's Pre-Inaugural Ball Monday night, and were eager to share their thoughts on HuffPost and the party.

Well wishers included Chris Matthews, David Shuster, John Cusack, A.J. Calloway, Ross (The Intern) Mathews, Beth Broderick, Robert DeNiro, David Gregory, Josh Groban, D.L. Hughley, Michael J. Fox, and Don King.

WATCH:

Alexander Trowbridge: The Inauguration: Greetings from the Mob

2009-01-20T18:54:15Z

The Approach

Before the sun comes up, the crowds move through the streets of downtown D.C., past the offers for handwarmers and the humvees and army fatigues, guided by the glowing obelisk in the dark purple sky.

When people get closer to the Capitol, it becomes pandemonium. People with tickets look for their gates. Volunteers in red hats offer good morning and push past the barricades. The worry on the faces, the confusion mixed with the police lights and mounted officers, the garbage blowing across the street makes Jefferson Dr. and 9th look more like there's been an accident than the early hours of an inauguration.

At Third and Independence, people with tickets wait in line for the silver gate -- the section between the Washington Monument and the Capitol Reflecting Pool. The line is long and people cut in. A man jumps up on a bench and yells "No Cutting in Line!" He's caught in the moment, and he's caught the attention of all around him. He runs with it. "I represent Barack Obama." Laughter. "We must take responsibility for our own actions." He finishes it up with a wave and hugs an imaginary Michelle Obama. "You wish you had Michelle," a girl says nearby.

The Mob

The fence, green plastic netting -- nothing substantial -- breaks under the weight of the crowd. They push through and a woman goes down in the stampede. She is screaming in pain. Her husband is cursing the throng. Still people push. "Stop" A man yells. "Stop moving!" A wall of people form around her, a human levy. She's in so much pain, lying on her side; it's in her eyes, opening and then shutting hard, it's in her hand that clutches the corduroy pantleg of her husband. This day, one she must have woken so early for, and she with a silver ticket; this moment, so joyous, the nomination of Barack Obama, it wasn't supposed to be like this. And now she was just lying there. Someone said it looked like a broken leg. Officers came. A cold-hearted soul snapped a picture. Others brought her blankets and doctors from the crowd.

Another barrier falls. People trickle past and move around the frozen Capitol Reflecting pool where the gulls perch. They move to the memorial of Ulyses S. Grant and mount the faded green lions. Their seat has suddenly gotten so much better.

Finding the Right Spot

In this inauguration, the kind of historic moment dorm room posters are made of, seating is so much on the mind. It's why these people woke up so early, some arriving at the gates just as the last of the guests at the pre-inaugural balls stumbled back in the opposite direction. It's so when they point to the map years from now they can say "I was here" rather than "back there" though the jumbo trons are all the same. It's the reason they tapped their political connections, anyone, from a family friend in the Senate to a friend of a friend who's second-cousin worked for a member of the House. They shook them to see if any tickets would fall out, just for a closer spot. In this inauguration, determination is king.

Vibe in the Crowd

Heat rises off the mall. Dust clouds form when a million people shift their footing. Flags flicker like fish feeding.

Amidst the joy and anticipation a free-floating anxiety permeates the crowd. It is an unspoken fear that something will happen. That even a little thing would turn the crowd deadly. It flickers to the surface for a moment in the eyes of those who don't know about the tradition of firing cannons when a new president is sworn in. The blasts sound like buildings blocks away losing their basements. The sirens in the distance don't help. But the crowd stays calm, those who can see the source of the noise on the jumbo trons keep their cool, and the one's without the visual aid follow by example. The new president is sworn in.

With a makeshift pole, a man named Sergio Zarate waves the Texas flag in the air. His pole, something he surely wouldn't have gotten past the frisk-and-fondle security check is a piece of the demolished fence. He found it in the rubble of the morning's lawlessness.

"I wanted to make sure Texas was represented here," he says. "We're here and accounted for." He waves his creation proudly in the wind, visible to all across the pool. People approach and ask him for pictures.

The crowd is positive, mostly. The introduction of Newt Gingrich is met with boos, as is George H.W. Bush, Lynn Cheney and Laura Bush. People know it will be much worse for W.

"Boooooo!"

I turn to a woman next to me. "Sounds like Unity."

She laughs. "That part starts at 12:30."

President Obama

Obama takes his oath at around that time and his words echo back accross the mall. The crowd responds to every peak in his speech. When he assures us that no matter how bad things are, we'll fix them, the people believe him and cheer. When he indirectly signals that the practices of the Bush administration are over, there are cheers. And when he warns America's enemies that we will not be defeated, the crowd explodes.

When he is done the morning's mass confusion resumes in the opposite direction. People take to the Capitol Reflecting Pool, crossing the ice despite cracks. People call out the names of lost loved one's as they push through the streets.

They wave to Bush's helicopter as it passes over head, singing "Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye."

One man cups his hands over his mouth and yells to the sky: "The Nightmare is OVA!"

HuffPost's Pre-Inaugural Ball Makes Headlines (VIDEO)

2009-01-20T16:44:08Z

Scroll down for video

Last night, The Huffington Post's pre-inaugural ball was the hot ticket for the evening (as seen in photos from the red carpet and the event itself) and ended up making headlines at other media outlets as well as on the site.

MTV covered the event , which was "make that can't-move-without-spilling-your-drink, can't-talk-without-shouting, sardines-in-a-tin-can packed," in their words. The Politico's Michael Calderone managed to get a few choice quotes out of Ben Affleck at the party when the actor slammed the TARP, Henry Paulson and Newsweek.

Entertainment Tonight covered the star-studded event, catching Teri Hatcher on the red carpet. The DC Examiner took a different angle, covering Val Kilmer's amusing liveblogs:

The live blogging of other celebs was displayed on big screens. Like Val Kilmer, who offered wisdom such as "I am so proud." He also pointed out that when he's in Paris, he gets asked about playing Jim Morrison more than any other role, but when he's pulled over by the police, they want to talk to him about his role in "Heat."

The Washington Post's Sleuth, Mary Ann Akers, devoted an entire column to the event, chronicling her celebrity encounters.

[Dustin] Hoffman seemed in awe that we were reporting on the party from the palm of our hand (the Sleuth live tweeted last night's event from her Blackberry). He said he didn't know what Twitter was. (And why would he?)

...

Hoffman said he knew the word twitter, but it used to mean "what you feel when a girl likes you." He touched his stomach and said, "You get a little twitter."

Even Gawker named the event the "big party" of the evening, and posted variety of Twitter posts from the event.

And finally the Associated Press has filed this video report of the event.

WATCH:

HuffPost Party Pictures From Inside The Ball (PHOTOS)

2009-01-20T13:22:40Z

HuffPost counted down to the inauguration Monday night with a big party at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Sting, Will.i.am, Sheryl Crow joined Arianna on stage to give a rousing welcome to the new era.

See red carpet pictures here

PHOTOS FROM INSIDE:

Celebrities At The Huffington Post Party (PHOTOS)

2009-01-20T10:11:38Z

Thousands of revelers celebrated the inauguration at Huffington Post's Pre-Inaugural Ball Monday night.

Below are just some of the photos taken by Getty on the red carpet.

Click here for an interview with Robert De Niro from the party and here for Sharon Stone.

Photos from INSIDE the party here.

SLIDESHOW:

HuffPost Pre-Inaugural Ball On Larry King Live (VIDEO)

2009-01-19T21:03:45Z

Larry King opened tonight's show with a report from D.L. Hughley at the HuffPost's pre-inaugural ball at the Newseum in Washington D.C. Hughley detailed the many celebrities on the guest list saying "everybody's going to be here." King ended the segment by mentioning that he planned to stop by the party himself.

WATCH:

Huffington Post: Live from the Huffington Post's Inaugural Ball

2009-01-19T21:00:38Z

Huffington Post Pre-Inaugural Ball Photos (SLIDESHOW)

2009-01-19T17:40:44Z

Check back for updates

HuffPost's inaugural ball in Washington D.C. is the hot ticket of the evening and we'll be updating the site as more photos of the event (and members of its star-studded guest list) trickle in.

Huffington Post Pre-Inaugural Ball: Liveblog

2009-01-19T17:12:07Z

The Huffington Post's pre-inaugural ball is the hot ticket tonight in D.C. and we want you to be involved. HuffPost bloggers are liveblogging the event as it happens so be sure to check back with all the latest party updates.

HUFFPOST BALL LIVEBLOG, TO START AT 9PM:

Huffington Post Pre-Inaugural Ball Twitter Feed

2009-01-19T16:58:50Z

The Huffington Post's pre-inaugural ball is the hot ticket tonight in D.C. and we want you to be involved. The party's Twitter feed is one of many interactive elements from the party and can be found below.

PARTY TWITTER FEED:

Huffington Post Pre-Inaugural Ball: Video Highlights And Live Feeds (VIDEO)

2009-01-19T16:09:26Z

Check back for updates

UPDATE 1/19, 9:30 PM

Larry King opened tonight's show with a report from D.L. Hughley at the HuffPost's pre-inaugural ball at the Newseum in Washington D.C. Hughley detailed the many celebrities on the guest list saying "everybody's going to be here." King ended the segment by mentioning that he planned to stop by the party himself.

WATCH:

After a commercial break, King returned to the Newseum where Hughley briefly interviewed Arianna about the party.

WATCH:

Arianna had her hands full greeting as many of the 2,800 guests as she could. Here's a few moments from the exciting night.

Arianna, Sheryl Crow, Sting, and will.i.am counted down to midnight.

***

HuffPost's pre-inaugural ball is the hot ticket in Washington D.C. and we want you to join us as we count down to a new era of American history.

We'll be covering the ball with live video updates and highlights from the event, so be sure to follow the ball as it happens tonight from 9 p.m. to 1 .a.m. EST.

LIVE VIDEO PLAYERS:

Kyte Player 1:

Kyte Player 2:

Kyte Player 3:

Kyte Player 4:

Arianna Huffington: HuffPost Video: "Our Inauguration"

2009-01-19T00:01:27Z

As part of the Pre-Inaugural Ball HuffPost threw Monday night at the Newseum in Washington, we held a New Year's-style Countdown to a New Era. It's a new era not just because the Bush Years will officially be over today, and not just because Barack Obama will be president, but because taking on the challenges America is facing will require a new era of citizen responsibility and engagement.

To illustrate this we have put together a video produced by Philip de Vellis, creator of the Think Different/Hillary 1984 ad, and now a media strategist at Murphy Putnam Media, that delivers this message: we are all stakeholders, and we are all being inaugurated tomorrow.

Check it out -- and check the rest of the site for pictures, video, and other coverage of the HuffPost Ball, a celebration of a new era in America.

Scott Heiferman and Jeremy Heimans: Hello, My Fellow American, My Name Is....

2009-01-18T22:36:38Z

In 21st century America, starting a conversation with a stranger is downright suspect. Making eye contact is awkward. It's best to look busy by engaging with the little screens we carry.

President Obama wants to launch a new spirit of service and community. But how is that possible when making the simplest human connection has become so hard for us? We're more connected, but less connected. It's easier than ever to go through life avoiding actual contact with strangers and neighbors - the very people we need to engage if we're going to rebuild a sense of community.

In an unprecedented blitz against social awkwardness, Meetup.com and The Huffington Post have decided to hand out half a million name tags to the crowd at Inauguration. The name tags read "Hello, My Fellow American, My Name Is..." and attendees are to write-in their name, where they're from, slap it on their coat in the cold, and have some conversations with Fellow Americans.

In doing so, we want to turn a crowd into a community. We all need a little reminder that we're not just spectators and that Inauguration isn't just for celebrities. We can look at each other, and not just at the Jumbotrons. As Obama says, "We're the ones we've been waiting for."

There's magic in the Hello, and the humble name tag functions as a kind of permission to connect in a suspicious world. We've seen that magic in over a million Meetups. People use the internet (Meetup.com) to get off the internet and organize community around something important to them - whether that's getting advice in running a small business or fighting for gay rights or supporting each other through health struggles.

To show up at a Meetup and meet a group of strangers is much more awkward than joining the online version of that community on Facebook. But it opens up possibilities for deeper connection and more powerful community that are not possible online.

There are rare moments, like in the days after 9/11, or perhaps this Inauguration, when we get a glimpse of real community and shared purpose. We look to each other. At Inauguration, we're hoping the name tags spark thousands of new conversations and connections.

But what about building real community and a spirit of service that endures? How can tens of millions of Americans answer Obama's call?

Too much of the talk we're hearing about service and community at this time is narrowly defined, bland or simply not far-reaching or visionary enough to bring about the real cultural change so many of us sense is possible at this remarkable historical moment.

We need to think of service as more than just working a soup kitchen or volunteering, as wonderful and rewarding as those activities can be. We need to think of service as anything that builds community and connections.

Starting a support group around personal finances in difficult times is service. (Example: this )

Participating in a babysitting collective is service.

Self-organizing with strangers to improve your school or town is service.

Imagine millions of these little beacons of community and how they might change our culture. Now that we've elected a Community Organizer In Chief, we can become a nation of community organizers.

It all starts by saying "Hello."

Download a name tag here to use at your own Inauguration celebration.

Kenneth Cole: Today Is Not a Dress Rehearsal

2009-01-18T22:00:02Z

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, and there is a new voice in Washington... Ours. On Tuesday we will all be given the chance to take the oath.

As we enter this unprecedented inauguration and embark on a new chapter in America's history, there is a reborn sense of what it means to be American; that everyone can make a difference, and that "TODAY IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL."

In November, we received a call to action when President Elect, Barack Obama, said, "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."

It is one of those rare moments in history when we are being called upon to serve - a time when we are encouraged to: actually get involved to effect meaningful and sustainable social change; be part of the solution; and not just change our outfit, but also outfit change.

We recently created a T-shirt that is being worn by the volunteers at the pre-inaugural event at the Neuseum on Monday evening. It states "OUR INAUGURATION" with "WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER" shown in a symbolic "O" representing our new President, Mr. O himself, and his message of outreach and inclusion. 100% of the net proceeds from the T-shirt sales will be donated to the AWEARNESS Fund - a non-profit entity that supports, encourages and empowers acts of service, volunteerism and social change. The T-shirt is available now at AWEARNESS.com

It's hard to ignore the current economic climate or the fact that it's not likely to get better any time soon. The worst part of it all is that the sector that's being hit the hardest is the one that can afford it least: the world of the non-profit.

This past November, under the notion that, "NO GOOD DEED SHOULD GO UNPUBLISHED." I launched a new initiative called, AWEARNESS. This expansive campaign aims to encourage, promote and empower any individuals who are inspired by acts of giving back. At AWEARNESS.com anyone can sign up to join the AWEARNESS Alliance, whose purpose is to create a community of dedicated volunteers who strive to make a difference through service and volunteerism.

AWEARNESS.com utilizes social and volunteering networking capabilities so you can enter your zip code and get a list of volunteer opportunities in your community. You can also participate in the AWEARNESS blog, read inspiring stories of those who have volunteered, purchase AWEARNESS products, such as socially-relevant T-Shirts and the AWEARNESS book, "AWEARNESS: Inspiring Stories About How to Make a Difference." Again, 100% of the net proceeds will be donated to the AWEARNESS Fund.

Jamie Lee Curtis: Is My Inaugural Check List Complete..... Well That Depends!

2009-01-18T21:17:11Z

Get mad as hell and decide not to take it anymore, check.

Feel like I can't make a difference, check.

Get assaulted (in the best sense of the word) on my neighborhood street by an Obama supporter/fundraiser/champion/and now friend and make a commitment to get involved, check.

Get a t-shirt and small sticker for my Blackberry, check.

Get involved, check.

Go to Michigan, check.

See an Oscar de la Renta dress in a magazine and buy it thinking IF he is elected that I would try to go to the inaugural and wear the dress, check.

Give $, check.

Go to BIG fundraising event in Beverly Hills, check.

Find out, while everyone milled about with no direction to ask a young man with an earpiece and find out that the flag and stanchions over by the side of the building were for the photo-op with the Senator, check.

Be VERY close to the front of the line, check.

Thank the Senator, shake his hand, smile and get our picture taken with him, check.

Regret not wearing the purple suit, check.

Vote for Obama/Biden, check.

Weep on the phone with my daughter in college in Ohio as he was announced the winner, check.

Blackberry all my friends around the world and collectively cry, scream and rejoice, check.

Call the California fundraising committee, find out that the man I am speaking to is the same young man with the earpiece and the good intel and ask him about buying tickets to the Inaugural, check.

Get the call that he needs donors, and that my husband and I can buy tickets also known as a package, check.

Call wonderful friends to ask if they wanted to split the package, check.

Call our travel agent, check.

Pay (gouging) priced airline tickets, check.

Call the Willard Hotel, the reservation clerk laughs when I say I wanted to get a room, check.

Leave my name for any cancellations, check.

Call my local D.C. friends for cars, rooms and basic intel, check.

Find a beauty salon, check.

Get the call that a small room opened up at the Willard and did we want it, check.

Get map of Downtown D.C. and start planning, check.

Start hearing conflicting reports of road closures and start training for what I think might be more walking than I've done since I was preparing for the movie Perfect, check.

Hear about the Reverend Rick Warren invocation, check.

Write letter of protest, check.

Get first invitation to the Huffington Post Party, check.

Start hearing rumors about NO port-a-potties anywhere on the 20th (security threats), check.

Do the math, at least six or seven hours without a bathroom, check.

Buy Depends, check.

Start spreadsheet on timed potty needs for last four weeks, check.

Stop eating Activia yogurt, check.

Start talking to other friends who will be there, check.

Start hearing about parties I am not invited to, check.

Listen to NPR and hear two African American teachers read the poems from their new book; Go Tell Michelle: African American Women Write to the New First Lady, check.

Weep, check.

Remember what this is all about, check.

Check my ego, check.

Buy hand, feet and ass warmers, rain poncho (no umbrellas), long underwear, snow boots, check.

Bring a small bar of chocolate, an old friend of mine told me to always have a little chocolate when you are walking or on your feet for a prolonged time, check.

Hear that there WILL be port-a-potties, check.

Take Depends out of suitcase and put back in the French press for a nice cup of morning coffee, check.

Start eating Activia again, check.

Pack alarm clock to wake up REALLY early on the 20th, check.

Make a list of people I want to bring back souvenirs for, check.

Pack, check.

Pray, check.

Hope, check.

Pledge, check.

Inhale, check.

Exhale, check.

Check.

Go.

Witness history, pending.