Where were you yesterday?

Today is Barack Obama’s first official full day as the new president. All the celebration and partying is done and now he must get to work.

Still, yesterday’s inauguration was amazing in so many ways. A historical accomplishment as well as a political one. People were again mesmerized just as they were during his campaign. They were feeling that glimmer of hope that maybe we’re on the right track again to reach a better destination. One never knows. Time will tell. At least yesterday, the majority of people were celebrating. And were happy for our new President. Happy for our country. Happy to be Americans again.

The last time I saw and felt that kind of euphoria in the United States was when Bill Clinton became President. Even I felt proud to be in this country back then, even though I wasn’t a citizen. This must have been what it felt like when John F. Kennedy was President. People were proud then and weren’t ashamed of being an American. The world was looking up to a strong and inspiring America.

This is what I felt yesterday. The world is hopeful again. I certainly didn’t feel that way when George W. Bush was sworn in the first time. I already knew back then that the United States was on a very steep and bumpy road going downhill. Little did I know that it was going to get even worse. A whole lot worse.

But the nightmare of the last eight years is over. Finally! All the Republicans, these Christian fanatics and doomsayer can whine and moan all they want. They had their chance and they have lost. Their greedy, warmongering, fear-spreading and fascist way of governing has turned this once great and embracing country into a fortress of hatred, intolerance and inopportune self-aggrandizement. I call the last eight years America’s Dark Ages.

During this time the United States has suppressed progress, reasoned dialogue and any way of new and creative thinking which would have gone against their strategy to control the masses for their own purpose. The manipulation of the press, the rise of the fascist religious right, and the corporations and financial institutions running amok without any regulation all played well into their little scheme. All those gullible conservative knuckleheads who have voted Dubya and his minions into office, thought that in return they would bring back good, Christian family values to the people. Instead, they were taken for a ride. This very administration screwed these good conservatives folks. And all along, they still wouldn’t get it. Or didn’t want to.

This is America, goddamnit! America does whatever the hell it wants in the name of God, while patriotically waving the Made-in-China American flag, and therefore it must be alright.

Right?

Well, alrighty then. God bless all morons and America...blah, blah, blah. While most of the American populace had been turned into mindless drones, never questioning anything and believing only what the propaganda machine called Fox News would tell them, the Bush people were mocking their own constituency while filling up their own pockets with taxpayer’s money. With money that should have been invested to modernize a crumbling infrastructure, improve an inadequate education and health care system and support desperately needed social programs.

Yup, they were laughing all the way to the banks. Oh, wait...they screwed that up too.

Oh well, now they’re gone. And Barack Obama has to clean up that mess. I really hope he enjoyed the whole inauguration hoopla yesterday. Because the party is over, my friend. Today it’s time to find that big broom and clean house.

I’m hopeful though that he will succeed. He must. And all of us must do our own part to help him succeed. But that’s still a bit away. I’m still in an euphoric stasis of happiness and optimism. Even people here in Las Vegas were celebrating this historic moment. In their own typical Las Vegas fashion.

While the inauguration ceremony was happening in Washington D.C. yesterday, photographers of the Las Vegas Sun were taking the following photos on the Las Vegas “Strip,” which can be viewed below. These were one of those “Where were you on that day” moments.

Enjoy the moments.

By the way, I was working all day yesterday. But I had a small livestream video window open in the corner on the computer desktop, peeking at some of the inauguration ceremony every once in a while.

So...where were you yesterday?

The huge video screens along the facade of the Planet Hollywood Resort on the Las Vegas "Strip" were showing history in the making, live from the Capitol.

Even on the casino floors.

However, this is still Las Vegas. Why not promote the upcoming Miss America pageant while Obama is being sworn in as the President of the United States?

Instead of betting on horse racing, football or basketball games, the sports books inside the casinos were showing the live broadcasting of the inauguration on their gigantic video screens.

President Obama

Happy O-Day, world. Barack Obama has just been sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America.

All the best to him, his family and his team. He'll need all the luck and good fortune in the years ahead.

While I'm typing this I can hear people in the background already mocking him and making cynical comments. What bitter people they are. They won't even try to give Obama a chance to proof himself. It amazes me how many people are still very ignorant and one-sided.

This country still has a lot of obstacles to overcome. I hope for the best. Not only for America but for the whole world. Americans may not realize this, but they've not only voted for the President of the United States, but also for the most powerful leader in the world.

Let's celebrate today and let's be hopeful.

Tomorrow...let's go to work and finally make this a better America, a better world.

Change is coming...finally

What an incredible day this election day turned out to be. I would have never thought that Barack Obama would actually win the presidential bid. Of course, George and I were hoping that he would become our next president.

Frankly, we thought that America was just not ready yet. After months and months of watching the opposing side throwing all the nastiness, accusations and threats at Barack and the Democrats, we just gave up on the common sense of the American people.

And then just before 9 p.m. yesterday we happened to check our e-mails and there was that headline starring at us from the computer screen. We couldn’t believe it. We turned on the TV just in time for Obama’s acceptance speech. The first African-American president-elect gave an amazing speech. Although it was uplifting, it was also a very soberly speech.

Come January 20th, 2009, the day Barack Obama will be inaugurated as the President of the United States, he has to start to deliver. He has to succeed in keeping his promises. He must produce results. But he can’t do it all by himself. Each and every one of us has to pitch in. Barack needs our help.

Yes, people, that means you and I have to change our way of thinking and living. It means giving up a little something and giving back for the good of the many. For a better and more humane society, a healthy environment and a more peaceful world.

We have to start sometime. Let’s finally do it. Now!

George and I are disappointed however. Greatly disappointed in California. The majority of voters there did vote for inequality and injustice. While not official as of yet, Proposition 8, a ban on same-sex marriage will likely pass. We thought that California was more progressive than that. What a surprise to find that most Californians are indeed very much backwards in their way of thinking. Not quite as liberal as the world makes them out to be.

But America... Americans learn slowly. Very slowly. How long did it take to free the slaves, give women the right to vote, allow inter-racial marriage? Now the United States has elected its first black president. We seem to be moving in the right direction again.

However small these steps may be and however long it may still take, the day of full equality for every single person, regardless of gender, race, religion...and yes, sexual orientation...will come eventually. It’ll take just a little longer. We should be grateful for what we have achieved yesterday. We are getting the country on the right track again. We are heading in the right direction.

Baby steps. Small little baby steps.