Barack Obama – 44th President of the United States of America
Posted on 20. Jan, 2009 by Goode Fellow in Feature, Politics
History is only history if we remember it!
Picture by: Richard Perry The New York Times
Picture by: Richard Perry The New York Times
Politics as usual? Not today!
Today, Jan. 20, 2009 marks the day that we as Americans swear in our new President. The President that was voted in by the choice of the people. Already the headlines across the global Internet are alive with great expectations as the fevered pitch of this Inauguration shapes the path of our future.
CNN Headlines already read: Washington Awakens With Inauguration Buzz
Washington awoke Tuesday crowded and excited with the inauguration of a new president that’s only a few hours away.As many as 2 million people are expected to crowd into the area between the Capitol, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial as Barack Obama takes the oath of Office at noon.
The New York Times marks this historic event with:
The Nation Awaits its 44th President
The Capitol in Washington early on Tuesday
by Peter Baker – New York Times
One article that we found written in November, already indicated the cost of coming to this inauguration week of festivities. Katharine Q. Seelye writes in her article: Got a Room? Inauguration Is a Windfall; that apartments and houses for rent during that week are ranging from $1000.00 – $60,000 and the five-county metro area has 95,000 hotel rooms.
While most of the stories are about the parties that are taking place, the amount of people who are attending, who is wearing what and the entertainment for the past week – the cast of celebrities reads like a who’s-who of Hollywood – all leading up to today; however, not all of the articles are favorable.
Take the top story in Business Week for example:
A New Era of Regulation
As Obama takes office, new government controls are on the way across a wide swath of industries. Behind the scenes, some execs worry about overrreach…
Is everybody celebrating today?
It may seem that the world is pausing and watching the events of today – or at least people in the United States – but not everyone is stopping their activities for the day just to hear the President’s speech or watch some of the entertainment. A landscaping company in Oklahoma City whom we interviewed said that “the work has to get done and where we work – there are no televisions. It is easier to stay focused and get the job done.”
Unlike PepsiCo (PEP) who is planning to make this inauguration day a memorable experience for their employees and staff. They are planning to offer live broadcasts of the inauguration, give the employees the opportunity to play presidential trivia and receive buttons, bags, hats and scarves.
PepsiCo, isn’t alone in trying to control the way their employees view this inauguration. The Marriott (MAR) is planning special functions; Raytheon (RTN), Microsoft (MSFT), HBO (TWX) are among some of the other companies who are making something special during this inauguration for their employees.
Whether or not you are part of the inauguration, just watching it because you want to feel like you are taking part in the process, or simply trying to get your job done – this is a historic day for the Annuals of the United States and what we call here at CIDA News, an “I Remember When… ” moment.
So, Remember When…
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