…was on tv at the dem convention six years ago like everyone else.

but in late february 2007, a few weeks after he announced his bid, barack obama made his first appearance in LA as a presidential candidate.

he spoke in a park in south central. there werent any security personel at the gates. there werent any metal detectors, in fact afterwards there werent many bumper stickers or things to sign up for.

but the logo and the people and the hope was all there

as was the press

obama spoke and he was fine and clear and friendly enough. but he didnt move me the way i was hoping he would.

but what was contagious was the spirit coming from the crowd. they were clearly moved. they were ready to rock. they didnt need any bumper stickers.

i stood there and i thought is america really ready for someone so different than the guy they just voted twice for?

and i looked at the kids and i said maybe those kids would vote for some like obama

something tells me that the next four years will definitely be more exciting than when (then-) senator obama visited adams park in 2007.

and unlike the attention seeker on the radio, i hope bro does a good job. because this country deserves could be pretty amazing if it can come out of this turmoil with its head on straight.

=

our Tech blog editor Chris Gaither posted this video a few minutes ago and had a lot to say. an excerpt:

You know how giddy people get when they meet celebrities? Yeah, that’s how giddy celebrities like Queen Latifah get when they meet Barack Obama. We know that because of cellphone video footage that John Legend, the R&B singer who performed at Sunday’s inauguration concert, posted on his website today.

Obama was making his way down a receiving line at the National Mall after the performance. One of Legend’s staffers, using a Nokia N95 camera phone and a mobile streaming service called Kyte, captured some of the big shots of music and film waiting in the cold to hug and smooch the president-elect.

friend of the busblog, karisa, was just saying how good Kyte is and how i should be using it. after seeing this im sold. read Chris’s whole post here.

and wanna ignore the rock show that happened yesterday for free on hbo and for free at the reflecting pool in front of honest abe

cuz they totally missed some blog fodder, notably the fact that their boy Garth Brooks totally got the crowd going better than even Stevie Wonder. Garth did a three-song medly starting with “American Pie” (?!) which went into that wedding reception chestnut “Shout” (!1!?1!). the strangest/creepiest/weirdest moment was around (2:19) when they cut to the prez-elect who sings “and this will be the day that i die”.

chills city.

and yes, the right has been slow to mention Bono giving Palestine a shout-out saying that they have dreams too.

blog better, righties!

my head goes nuts, my nose starts running. i got a cramp in my quad a few weeks ago going up it.

i want to put a couch on the top of it because when you get up there you should be allowed to stretch out and catch your breath.

karisa is a slave driver though. she wont even let you sit down. because of Biggest Loser she has started getting a little mean, even. do i get mean when you kids dont blog? and i sure as hell dont get mean after you climb and climb on a sunny day, a day where rock bands are playing on the steps of the lincoln memorial and theres two playoff games, etc.

its true im a fat slob and i eat wrong and i make out with the wrong girls and i pretty much do almost everything the opposite of what will garner success.

but that doesnt mean there shouldnt be a couch at the top of the mountains of our lives.

messed up and had some mimosas before the hike, then had some saki at lunch. so after i went up the four-five steep inclines karisa said she wanted to run a little. we agreed on a place to meet and i thought i knew the way.

turned out i didnt know nothin and i ended up climbing an even taller peak. it just went higher and higher, then it went down the back side of the canyon.

it was there i saw four guys. three pushing strollers. it was me if i had taken a different path in the game of life. all four guys were talking about their wives and baby talking their babies. people would pass by and say “Stroller Gang”.

one guy said “ok i gotta spin around at the halfway point cuz my wife wants me back at five.” none of the other guys were all “say what? cant she see youre strollering the kid?”

keep in mind there was playoff football happening at the time. keep in mind i was completely judging them along with every step on the lords day but even the lord was all dude im judging them too.

keep in mind i felt so good a few hours later in the long hot endless shower. with hard rock echoing, drowning out the phone ringing of the cheerleader who was all where the hell are you tony?

its been in the 80s here for six days straight, she said, we never do anything outside.