Obama flashes irritation in press room visit

President Obama made a surprise visit to the White House press corps Thursday night, but got agitated when he was faced with a substantive question.

Asked how he could reconcile a strict ban on lobbyists in his administration with a Deputy Defense Secretary nominee who lobbied for Raytheon, Obama interrupted with a knowing smile on his face.

"Ahh, see," he said, "I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here."

Pressed further by the Politico reporter about his Pentagon nominee, William J. Lynn III, Obama turned more serious, putting his hand on the reporter's shoulder and staring him in the eye.

"Alright, come on" he said, with obvious irritation in his voice. "We will be having a press conference at which time you can feel free to [ask] questions. Right now, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys - that's all I was trying to do."

The president was quickly saved by a cameraman in the room who called out: “I’d like to say it one more time: ‘Mr. President.’ ”

Obama spent about 10 minutes total, winding his way through a crush of reporters and photographers between the upper and lower floors of the journalists' workspace and asking questions about who worked where and how the booths and desks were assigned.

Reporters had little warning about the impromptu visit by the new president, and those who were in the downstairs portion of the press quarters only came to the briefing room after an unexpected and cryptic announcement on the internal intercom that they do so.

"This is worse than the Middle East," he joked, alluding to the territorial claims staked on the cramped corridor. "Who's sitting where and all that stuff."

He revealed that he had already gotten in two work outs since being sworn in Tuesday.

"Turns out I have a little gym up there," he said with a smile.

Obama said he had watched press secretary Robert Gibbs debut briefing "in anticipation of some flop sweat. ... I just want to thank you for not completely ripping up Gibbs," Obama said.

"I am very proud of him today. He got a fist bump from me."

Google Feedback

Is it possible to publish google bookmarks to my blog?

I think google doesn't have this feature yet.

Is it possible to publish google notebook contents onto my blog?

No its not possible as of now. I want to share a selective section of my personal information which i store on google to the whole world.

Is it possible to upload and share my personal videos onto google privately?

No its not possible.

Do we have a link from Picassa to publish images onto a blog?

No not till now. Hope so in future.

Feedback on Google Blogspot.

Google blogspot looks very outdated and old. Its needs to be re engineered and re invented.

Obama takes oath again, faithfully this time

A day after he and Chief Justice John Roberts stumbled over the words, Obama decides to do it over to remove any doubt about the legitimacy of his presidency.

President Obama took the oath of office Tuesday outside the Capitol, as millions watched in person and on TV. He took it again Wednesday night -- this time in the privacy of the White House, with only a few aides and reporters looking on.

The second time around, they both got it right.

The president's lawyer and constitutional experts agreed that taking the oath a second time was unnecessary. Under the Constitution, Obama became president at noon Tuesday, a few minutes before he placed his hand on a Bible to take the oath.

"Congratulations, again," the chief justice said, smiling.

"Thank you, sir," Obama replied.

At least two presidents, Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur, took the oath a second time after questions were raised

Ethnically Diverse and Multicultural President Obama for a Ethnically Diverse and Multicultural Country

The family that produced Barack and Michelle Obama is black and white and Asian, Christian, Muslim and Jewish. They speak English; Indonesian; French; Cantonese; German; Hebrew; African languages including Swahili, Luo and Igbo; and even a few phrases of Gullah, the Creole dialect of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Very few are wealthy, and some — like Sarah Obama, the stepgrandmother who only recently got electricity and running water in her metal-roofed shack — are quite poor.

Aside from a top-quality education, the new president came to politics with none of his predecessor’s advantages: no famous last name, no deep-pocketed parents to finance early forays into politics and, in fact, not much of a father at all. So Mr. Obama built his political career from scratch, with best-selling books and long-shot runs for office, leaving his relatives astonished at where he has brought them.

It is so mind-boggling that there is a black president in a White House. Some say that The Dreams of Martin Luther King has come true.

Atlast we should be greatful to the People of America for electing such a Multi Cultural and Ethnically Diverse president.

Apple Lets The Numbers Talk

Apple Fourth Quarter results are out. Net income for the quarter rose to $1.78 a share, or $1.61 billion, from $1.16 a share, or $1.05 billion, during the year-ago period. That's 39 cents better than the $1.39 per share analysts had expected. Sales rose to $10.17 billion from $7.5 billion during the year-ago quarter. Analysts had expected sales of $9.7 billion. Adjusted for the effects of the subscription-based accounting scheme used to tally sales of iPhones, however, and Apple's numbers are even more impressive: Earnings of $2.3 billion on sales of $11.8 billion.

Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook described the company's employees as "wicked smart," and said Apple's values are "well entrenched."

http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/21/apple-cook-earns-tech-enter-cx_bc_0121applecook.html

Obama's Poetry

Poem Obama wrote in High School

OLD MAN

I saw an old forgotten man
On an old, forgotten road
staggering and numb
pulls out forgotten dignity from under his flaking coat,
And walks a straight line along the crooked world.

POP
Sitting in his seat, a seat broad and broken

In, sprinkled with ashes,

Pop switches channels, takes another

Shot of Seagrams, neat, and asks

What to do with me, a green young man

Who fails to consider the

Flim and flam of the world, since

Things have been easy for me;

I stare hard at his face, a stare

That deflects off his brow;

I'm sure he's unaware of his

Dark, watery eyes, that

Glance in different directions,

And his slow, unwelcome twitches,

Fail to pass.

I listen, nod,

Listen, open, till I cling to his pale,

Beige T-shirt, yelling,

Yelling in his ears, that hang

With heavy lobes, but he's still telling

His joke, so I ask why

He's so unhappy, to which he replies...

But I don't care anymore, cause

He took too damn long, and from

Under my seat, I pull out the

Mirror I've been saving; I'm laughing,

Laughing loud, the blood rushing from his face

To mine, as he grows small,

A spot in my brain, something

That may be squeezed out, like a

Watermelon seed between

Two fingers.

Pop takes another shot, neat,

Points out the same amber

Stain on his shorts that I've got on mine, and

Makes me smell his smell, coming

From me; he switches channels, recites an old poem

He wrote before his mother died,

Stands, shouts, and asks

For a hug, as I shink,* my

Arms barely reaching around

His thick, oily neck, and his broad back; 'cause

I see my face, framed within

Pop's black-framed glasses

And know he's laughing too.




UNDERGROUND

Under water grottos, caverns

Filled with apes

That eat figs.

Stepping on the figs

That the apes

Eat, they crunch.

The apes howl, bare

Their fangs, dance,

Tumble in the

Rushing water,

Musty, wet pelts

Glistening in the blue.

Rising fame for Obama 'lookalike'

Bush gave his final speech in Texas

After the swearing-in of Barack Obama, George Bush was a little at a loss. He couldn't go home to the White House, and he couldn't stick around and steal any of Obama's thunder. So his people bundled him off in the helicopter and sent him to Andrews Air Force Base, where he met up with a big gang of his friends and flew home on a posh jet. The gang, according to Mark McKinnon at the Daily Beast, included:

Jenna and Barbara, Karl Rove, Karen Hughes, Dan Bartlett, Josh Bolten, Joel Kaplan, Jared Weinstein, Mike Meece, Andy Card, Don and Susie Evans, Blake Gottesman, Clay and Ann Johnson, Ed Gillespie, Barry Jackson, Joe Hagin, Israel Hernandez, Jeanne Johnson Phillips, Margaret Spellings, Alberto Gonzales, Brad Freeman, Jim and Debbie Francis, and Roland and Lois Betts.

A pretty friendly group! And accordingly, Bush was in a great mood. "While I expected the president’s mood to be defiant, bitter, defensive, or vengeful toward his critics, he was anything but," McKinnon wrote. "As he toured the cabin of the airplane throughout the flight, visiting with old friends, family, and staffers, he was filled with equanimity, grace, and a generosity of spirit."

Bush also left with a "a genuine warmth" for Obama, apparently. The former president admires the new president's personality, character, and family loyalty — and what's more, he thinks he has what it takes to be a successful leader.

Then everybody played cards, Karl Rove won, and they all landed in Texas. Bush was greeted by a cheering crowd of 25,000, and gave a little address. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," he said. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while: It is good to be home."

5 Reasons to Worry About Google

From News Source:

http://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2009/01/20/5-reasons-to-worry-about-google.aspx

The search-engine bellwether is now two days away from posting its fourth-quarter results. In the past, this would be a novel time for shareholders to start snickering. Big G would trounce Wall Street expectations, analysts would shake their heads, and the instructions were simple: Rinse and repeat every three months.

Unfortunately for Google, there are several signs of mortality as we head into this week's telltale report. If you haven't noticed the cracks, you're not paying attention.

1. "Search-engine marketing" is just fancy talk for "advertising"
Market watcher Efficient Frontier estimates that the country's search-engine spending fell by 8% during the fourth quarter, according to The Wall Street Journal. That marks the first year-over-year decline that has taken place during Efficient Frontier's watch.

The decline is understandable. If consumers are cutting back, then spending more money on them would be counterproductive. Users need to click on the ads to put some coin into Google's lead-generating coffers, and that doesn't seem to be happening. Consumers are too focused on the self-preservation of capital to go on ad-sniffing expeditions. There's also the possibility that ad blindness has kicked in, and proficient online users are simply bypassing Google's text ads.

2. Sorry, sir, but we're fresh out of pie
One thing worse than dealing with a shrinking pie is commanding a thinner slice of it.

Over the years, Google has been able to expand the market-share gap between itself and the likes of Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT). Now the industry is taking a recessionary dip, and Google is bumping against the market-share ceiling. Efficient Frontier's report from 2007 showed that Google's share of search-engine spending grew by 8.6% to 76.6%. And that's essentially where Google finds itself today.

Is it all downhill form here? Online usage is going mobile, and that means bigger marketing opportunies for smartphone giants Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM), and for rising Web browser stars such as Firefox and Apple's Safari. So forget about whether Google can make better inroads. Let's see whether it can even keep its market share intact.




3. It's a small, small world
The one caveat to the first two points is that Efficient Frontier's data is limited to domestic trends. Google bulls can point to comScore's (Nasdaq: SCOR) grim outlook for Google back in April, when the market watcher pegged the growth in Google's domestic clicks at just 2.7% over the past year. Google blew past those targets, probably in part because of the international exposure that wasn't included in comScore's forecast.

The rest of the world is hurting now, so even if Google gains market share on Baidu.com (Nasdaq: BIDU) in China and achieves healthy growth streaks in percolating markets, the faltering economies around the globe are unlikely to bail the company out this time.

4. The incredible shrinking guesstimates
Like greyhounds chasing a mechanical rabbit around an oval racetrack, analysts have been on a relentless race to catch up to Google. Usually, the Internet star remained way ahead of Wall Street, with the pros left having to beef up their prognostications. Now there are more red flags waving than at a communist rally, and analysts have been going the other way with their bottom-line estimates.

The problem with diminishing profitability is that a falling stock isn't necessarily getting any cheaper on an earnings-multiple basis if both the numerator and the denominator are shrinking. Google's stock has fallen by more than Wall Street's revisions, but the company's near-term growth prospects have also been tempered.

5. Something's missing
Google believers may not mind that analysts are going the other way. The analysts have been wrong about the company for a long time, and besides, hosing down expectations makes it that much easier for the company to deliver an upward surprise.

But you don't want to fall into that trap. If analysts couldn't keep up with Google on the way up when they were jacking up their estimates, maybe they can't keep up with Google on the way down. Google has come in below Wall Street's guesstimates in half of the past six quarters. If you're into patterns, you'll see how Google has followed a miss with a win -- and vice versa -- in that span of time. After coming out ahead during the third quarter, pattern watchers may start getting nervous.

Youtube is Down - Yes From Past 1 Hour, You tube goes down

Leaders welcome Obama

UNITED NATIONS
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

I sincerely hope that President Obama will make as a matter of priority these Middle Eastern policies. As a member of the Quartet, as the leader of the world, the United States has full responsibility to lead this peace process so that this two-state solution, Israel, Palestinians can live in peace and security side by side.

UNITED KINGDOM
Prime Minister Gordon Brown

The whole world is watching the inauguration of President Obama, witnessing a new chapter in both American history and the world's history.

He's not only the first black American president but he sets out with the determination to solve the world's problems.

FRANCE
President Nicolas Sarkozy

We are eager for him to get to work so that with him we can change the world.

RUSSIA
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

We are ready for this. Our president confirmed this in a telephone conversation with Barack Obama straight after he was elected. I think there will be additional telephone - and not only telephone - contacts between our leaders.

GERMANY
Chancellor Angela Merkel

I want to say that I believe today is a very special day not only for the United States of America but also a special day for billions of people all over the world.
The fact that a coloured president is being inaugurated and the fact the we a looking at an intensive transatlantic co-operation is something that not only moves the heads and thoughts but also the hearts. And I want to wish the new American President Barack Obama all the best, much strength and health and God's blessing .
And I want to say that Germany is prepared to liaise with him very intensely and very openly.

SPAIN
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

Obama gives us hope and his words put us on a better path for a smooth and fruitful relationship with the Spanish government. The arrival of Obama gives us an opportunity we won't pass up.

ITALY
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi

Many hopes and expectations have been piled on him, not just by the American people but also the rest of the world. The thing to do is to send him the most affectionate and cordial wishes so that he can fulfil these expectations.

VATICAN
Pope Benedict XVI

I pray that you will be confirmed in your resolve to promote understanding, co-operation and peace among the nations, so that all may share in the banquet of life which God wills to set for the whole human family.

I offer cordial good wishes, together with the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you unfailing wisdom and strength in the exercise of your high responsibilities.

IRAN
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki

We prefer to wait and see what the practical policies of the American government will be.

ISRAEL
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

Obama has mobilised the greatest amount of good will and support in all walks of life. This mobilisation of good will is becoming his strength in its own right. And I think all of us expect to translate this occasion into a real opportunity to pacify, to meet, to have a dialogue and bring a solution of peace to all parties concerned.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad

We wish him well and we look forward to active engagement on the part of his administration, in co-operation with important members of the international community.

GAZA STRIP
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum

He came with a change and he needs to change the foreign policy of the United States towards honouring the freedom rights and democratic rights of nations, he must support the freedom of our Palestinian people and their rights and conventions.

VENEZUELA
President Hugo Chavez

Hopefully the arrival of a new president will mark a real change in relations between the United States and the countries of the Third World, one of respect for sovereignty and the freedom of the people. But nobody here should be under any illusions. This is the North American Empire we are talking about.

JAPAN
Prime Minister Taro Aso

Japan and the United States are allies who share universal values and strategic interests. I am convinced that Japan and the United States, both in a position to lead the world, can build a better future by working together to share knowledge, willingness, passion and strategy.

With this belief, I wish to join hands with President Obama in further strengthening the Japan-US alliance and striving for peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

THAILAND
King Bhumibol Adulyadej

On the occasion of your assumption of the Office of the President of the United States of America, I am pleased to extend to your Excellency my sincere congratulations and best wishes for your success and happiness as well as for the greater progress and prosperity of the United States of America and her people.

AUSTRALIA
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

I look forward very much to working with President Obama, the next president of the United States. Because we have a huge challenge ahead and it begins by working together on the global financial crisis.

President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso

We are living through challenging times. And the challenges we face have no respect for national frontiers. What we need is new global governance and a new basis for prosperity. I sincerely believe that Europe and the United States must work together and with our partners around the world to devise and implement this new agenda for globalisation.

Michelle Obama Dress For Ball

Forget the Golden Globes, the Oscars, even Fashion Week. Michelle Obama’s dress for the inaugural ball was the most anticipated event in recent fashion memory.

After months of breathless speculation and CIA-like secrecy, the new First Lady made her official debut looking radiant and positively regal in an ivory, one-shoulder gown covered with rosettes by Jason Wu. Michelle O accessorized her Cinderella moment dress with long earrings, a dazzling - yet demure - diamond bracelet and ivory peep-toes (and some killer biceps, we might add). And despite predictions, she rose to the occasion in heels. She and Barack, Hollywood handsome in a Hart Schaffner Marx tux, were serenaded by Beyonce who sang Etta James’ timeless classic, “At Last.”

Mrs O, as always was ahead of the trends by picking the colour of the season and working it to the max. Her jewel encrusted coat could have been perceived as too over-the-top, but by keeping the rest of the outfit simple and understated, she looked nothing less than classy.

Fans hug Obama, strangle Bush - pictures

Several hundred American tourists have visited London's Madame Tussauds to get a free view of their 44th US president - or rather his wax double.

Text of President Obama's inaugural speech

OBAMA: My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

VMI in Inaugural Parade

1/20/09 Inaugural Parade OBAMA gets out of Car and Wallks with Michelle- GREAT VIDEO HISTORY

This is a fantastic display of the new President. Shows a human side, rather than just riding in the car the entire way. Something about it just gives me chills of excitement for the next 4 years.

George W Bush's Final Goodbye

1 of 3 Barack Obama sworn in and inaguration speech

2 of 3 Barack Obama sworn in and inaguration speech

Obama Receives 21-Gun Salute

Barack Obama Inauguration Oath and Speech 1

Inauguration 2009 Barack's Speech part 3

Inauguration Day 2009 Barack Obama's Speech part 4

"I am humbled" : BARACK OBAMA Inaugural Address

Barack Obama - Inauguration Speech - 20 January 2009

Barack Obama taking the Oath of Office

Barack Obama George Bush Leave White House Inauguration Day

EXCLUSIVE LIVE From Inauguration of Barack Obama Day_2

Obama arriving at the white house ...

World has 'high hopes' for Obama

There is worldwide optimism that Barack Obama's presidency will improve US relations with the rest of the world, a BBC World Service poll suggests.

19 01 09 Obamapoll.report

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Reports Periodicals & Report obama

George Bush Farewell Before Obama Inauguration

Obama's first appearance to the world on the Presidential Inauguration Day

The Best Black Person going into the White House.

Obama's first appearance to the world on the Presidential Inauguration Day from Blair House. President Obama is being driven to St. Johns Church.

The Obamas were continuing a tradition followed by many incoming presidents before him, at what's been dubbed the "Church of the Presidents."

The next first lady wore a pale, embroidered yellow dress and long coat as she emerged to get into the presidential limo -- dubbed "The Beast" -- for the short ride to the church Tuesday morning.

Inauguration Schedule 2009| Inauguration Timeline (January 20 2009)

This is the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Timeline/ Inauguration Schedule for January 20, 2009 56th Presidential Inauguration- Swearing of Barack Obama as President of United States of America.

9:00 a.m. VIPs begin arriving, including former presidents, governors, members of the House of Representatives, U.S. senators and cabinet designees
9:45 a.m. Platform seating begins
11:03 a.m. Former presidents announced and seated
11:12 a.m. Biden family announced and seated
11:14 a.m. Obama family announced and seated
11:16 a.m. Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Cheney announced and seated
11:18 a.m. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden announced and seated
11:20 a.m. President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney announced and seated
11:22 a.m. Vice President-elect Joe Biden announced and seated
11:25 a.m. President-elect Barack Obama announced and seated
11:30 a.m. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) delivers opening remarks
11:34 a.m. Sen. Feinstein introduces Pastor Rick Warren
11:35 a.m. Invocation by Pastor Rick Warren
11:37 a.m. Sen. Feinstein introduces Aretha Franklin
11:38 a.m. Aretha Franklin sings My Country ’Tis of Thee
11:42 a.m. Sen. Feinstein introduces Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah)
11:44 a.m. Sen. Bennett introduces U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens
11:46 a.m. Vice Presidential Oath administered by Associate Justice Stevens
11:47 a.m. Sen. Feinstein introduces performers
11:48 a.m. Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, Gabriela Montero, Itzhak Perlman, performing “Air and Simple Gifts” by John Williams
11:53 a.m. Sen. Feinstein introduces U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts
11:54 a.m. Chief Justice and President-elect Barack Obama move to podium
11:56 a.m. The Presidential Oath is administered.
11:57 a.m. Herald Trumpets perform and the U.S. Marine Corps Band plays “Hail to the Chief.” A 21-gun salute follows.
11:58 a.m. Sen. Feinstein introduces the president
12:01 p.m. Inaugural address
12:21 p.m. Sen. Feinstein introduces poet Elizabeth Alexander
12:27 p.m. Benediction given by the Rev. Joseph Lowery
12:31 p.m. Presidential party departs from platform
12:32 p.m. Departure ceremony
12:36 p.m. President and Mrs. Bush depart from the east plaza in helicopter
12:52 p.m. President’s Room signing ceremony
1:05 p.m. Statuary Hall luncheon
2:32 p.m. Review of the troops
2:36 p.m. President and Mrs. Obama, and Vice President and Dr. Biden leave with parade

Presidential Inauguration Live Presidential Inaguration Countdown

Watch thePresidential Inauguration Live on the iPhone with Ustream

Watch Obama's Presidential Inauguration Live!

Obama’s presidential inauguration is viewed as historic and one of its kind. Up to 2 million people are predicted to attend the ceremony. By far the largest in the history of Washington. Another milestone for obama and his team. Also, this is the first time we are seeing so many online web video live broadcasting. Since the inauguration starts at 10AM Eastern Time, iam sure most of you folks would be at work. So for folks that won’t be able to watch the inauguration at home, don’t worry, u can watch the entire inauguration via internet enabled web video streaming. Thanks to myriad of applications that are enabling the live web video.

http://www.webtvhub.com/watch-obama-inauguration-acceptance-speech/

You Tube inauguration live

CSPAN via mogulus grid

CNN with facebook shall broadcast the entire event live 

HULU live inauguration

Livestation

CbsNews

Joost

BBC

MSNBC

ABCNEWS

PBS

USATODAY

Mogulus Channel3news

Presidential Inaugural Committee

Justin TV

Joint Congressional Committee

MTV- Be the Change: Live from the Inaugural

Ustream via iPhone

Obama's Presidential Inauguration Schedule

·         Gates to the Inaugural Ceremony open at 8 a.m.

·         The inaugural festivities are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. They will include:

·         Musical selections of The United States Marine Band, followed by the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.

·         Sen. Dianne Feinstein provides call to order and welcoming remarks.

·         Invocation by the Rev. Rick Warren.

·         Musical selection of Aretha Franklin.

·         Biden will be sworn into office by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.

·         Musical selection of John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet).

·         Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln's Inaugural Bible, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts. Scheduled around noon ET.

·         Obama gives the inaugural address.

·         Poem by Elizabeth Alexander.

·         Benediction by Rev. Joseph E. Lowery.

·         The National Anthem by The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters."

·         President Obama escorts former President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol's Statuary Hall.

·         The 56th Inaugural Parade will then make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.

Watch Obama's Presidential Inauguration Live!!!!!

Hudson River Plane Crash Recovery Efforts

Collection of US Airways Plane Crash Videos in Hudson River