Archive for the ‘World’ Category
« Previous EntriesSri Lankan Cricketers Attacked in Pakistan
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
Srilankan Cricket team was today attacked by some unidentified gunmen at Liberty Chowk,Lahore. The open firing injured seven cricket players seriously. Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis,Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavithana are identified as four of the injured cricketers . The bus carrying Sri Lankan cricket team and its police escort was on its way to Gaddafi stadium when the incident took place. Two gunmen opened up up a fire for 3-5 minutes killing Five policemen, and seriously injuring three more. The injured policemen and the players have been rushed to the hospital. The encounter is believed to still being persistent. The attackers who are believed to have come in a white car used Rocket launchers as well. The background on the attack is yet to be received by the authorities.
Many foreign cricket teams have in past refused touring Pakistan and it was for this very reason. Security concerns have hit Pakistan for years and the country seems to still retain its unsafe stature with the incident. It is to be noted that the Sri Lankan team is filling in the void created when India pulled out with security concerns following the militant attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai in November. The incident comes as a salt rubbing on the Lankan players where their countrymen back home are still recovering from the attacks of LTTE.
As per the latest news, Srilanka has called off the Pakistan tour.
Buffalo Plane Crash New York- 49 Dead
Friday, February 13th, 2009A commuter plane crashed right into a home right outside Buffalo, New York, killing all 48 people on board and another person on the ground. It was only 5 miles away from the Buffalo International Airport that the jet crashed. Witnesses could hear the plane sputtering and coming down in a nosedive from the sky.
The plane, Continental Connection Flight 3407 from Newark, N.J., hit the house at approximately 10:20 pm on February 12. The house took a direct hit from the plane, killing one person inside, while two others made it out with only minor injuries. A neighbor said that whole sky was orange and then “All the sudden, there was a big bang, and the house shook.” Although it is devastating for the people who died, it could have been much worse if the plane had hit other houses or had a ripple effect, possibly killing others on the ground. One of the 48 people who were killed on the plane was actually a September 11 widow. Beverly Eckert was on her way to Buffalo to celebrate her deceased husband’s birthday.
This is the first commercial plane crash since back in August 2006 when a plane taking off from Lexington, KY, took off from a too short of runway. That plane crashed also killed 49 people.
Relatives of the passengers on board the plane were taken to a private area and provided with help from counselors and representatives from Continental to help deal with this situation.
Afghan Government Building Attacks – 19 Killed
Wednesday, February 11th, 2009
Attacks on Afghan government buildings kill 19. Taliban gunmen attacked the Justice Ministry building and corrections building in the city of Kabul. The men were wearing suicide vest, and using assault rifles and grenades to storm the buildings. The attackers killed at least 19 people in the attacks while 8 of the attackers died also. Three of them detonated their suicide vest while the others were killed in a shootout with the security forces. The men appeared to have control over the Justice Ministry for short time until security forces were able to get rid of them. One other attacker was killed outside the Education Ministry by security forces before he could get into the building.
Zabiullah Mujaheed, who is a known spokesperson for the Taliban stated these attacks happened because of the mistreating of Taliban prisoners in the Afghan government jails. Mujaheed, who spoke from a undisclosed locations said. ” “We have warned the Afghan government to stop torturing our prisoners. Today we attacked Justice Ministry compounds.”
This attack comes right before a scheduled visit from President Barack Obama’s special envoy. Obama has vowed to increase the United States’ focus onto the Taliban to help get rid of this terrorist group.
Australia Bush Fire
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009Fire in Australia: A tryst with death and destruction
Indonesian forest fire and Australian bush fires provide haunting memories. An Australian bush fire ravaged across South Eastern Australia yesterday annihilating all that came in its path. In the wake, it has brought forward cries for sterner government measures. But then, who can probably fight with nature. Bush fires, Tsunami and earthquakes are prime examples of its powers.
Australian Bush Fire was arguably caused due to North Wind that brought warm dry air from central Australia in, at a high velocity. The heat has been incorrigible and the blistering heat added to the wind speed formed a perfect recipe for disaster. The seeds were sown when a week ago, perhaps, first time in living memory, retractable roofs were put for an Australian Open encounter. Australia has a serious issue with heat this summer and it was well in the coming.
The dead vegetation over the last couple of weeks was a strong pointer. In fact, the fire spread so fast that it did not give an opportunity to flee. A few people in the car were incinerated while attempting to flee. Farmlands and forests have been scorched and so have the homes. Official reports suggest a death toll of 30 but then it seems there are more casualties. Firefighters in the realm of 30,000 are trying to combat the flame. Till now, they haven’t found much success. Piggybacking on 47 degree temperature, the flames have ushered into unfathomable directions.
Here is hoping that nature has some mercy.
Barack Obama Inaugural Speech
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Barack Obama Inaugural Speech Youtube Video
Obama Inaugural Speech Part 1
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEGd75awApM
Obama Inaugural Speech Part 2
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjUTymL1T5s
Barack Obama Inauguration Speech
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 Sanh.
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. 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. 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 … our found 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 the 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 the 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, 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.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
Also check President George Bush Farewell Speech January 15, 2009
Obama’s Cabinet
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
HILLARY CLINTON | SECRETARY OF STATE
Former First Lady and Obama’s rival in the prez race. Hillary, 61, brings star value to foreign policy. Has never headed such a big force, but has few policy differences with Obama
ROBERT GATES | DEFENCE SECRETARY
Is serving defence secy under Bush. Appointment was controversial. But with Obama likely to focus on economy, he needed someone to hit the ground running in managing two wars
TIMOTHY GEITHNER | TREASURY SECRETARY
President of Federal reserve Bank of New York before this job. Geithner, 47, helped Bush in bailing out the financial sector and earned praise for handling the meltdown
TOM DASCHLE | HEALTH SECRETARY
The former Senate majority leader brings in a deep knowledge of Congress. The 61-year-old former air force officer is seen as the right man for pushing health reforms
ERIC HOLDER | ATTORNEY GENERAL | JUSTICE SEC
Key Obama aide who served as deputy attorney general in Clinton administration. Had an indirect role in President Clinton’s controversial pardon of fugitive financier, Marc Rich
JANET NAPOLITANO | HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY
As ex-governor of Arizona which borders Mexico, Napolitano, 51, has a feel for securing the frontiers. Aided Anita Hill in the sexual harassment case against a judge
SUSAN RICE | UN AMBASSADOR
Was Obama’s campaign adviser on foreign policy. Rice, 44, is first Black woman to hold the post. Served in Clinton regime as assistant secretary of state for African affairs
LISA JACKSON | ENVIROMENT SECRETARY
An ex-member of New Jersey governor’s cabinet, the 46-yearold chemical engineer has 20 years’ experience as an environmental regulator and a reputation as a consensus builder
STEVEN CHU | ENERGY SECRETARY
Shared the 1997 physics Nobel and has extensive experience in science management. As a Chinese American, the 60-year-old brings ethnic diversity to the cabinet
SHAUN DONOVAN | HOUSING SECRETARY
A respected housing commissioner of New York, Donovan, 42, was acting federal housing commissioner in Clinton regime. Has experience in all facets of the cheap housing
ARNE DUNCAN | EDUCATION SECRETARY
Spent 7 years as head of Chicago Public Schools, US’s third-largest school district, where he was known as a reformer. Duncan, 44, has been Obama’s basketball buddy
KEN SALAZAR | INTERIOR SECRETARY
Rancher from Colorado who served as state attorney general before winning a US Senate seat in 2004. A moderate, Salazar, 53, has practised water and environmental law
TOM VILSACK | AGRICULTURE SECRETARY
Briefly sought the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2008 race after serving 2 terms as Iowa governor. Vilsack, 58, is a strong proponent of renewable energy
LEON PANETTA | CIA DIRECTOR
Longtime California Congressman, he served as Clinton’s White House chief of Staff. Panetta, 70, is a surprise pick. Seen as competant but has little intelligence experience
SANJAY GUPTA | SURGEON-GENERAL
A neurosurgeon and CNN’s feted chief health correspondent, Gupta, 39, was named one of 2003’s sexiest men. Son of Indian emigrants, he has authored a bestseller, Chasing Life
Courtesy- The Times Of India
Also check out Barack Obama Inaugural Speech
Know Obama
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
The name Obama means “one who is blessed” in Swahili. He loves playing basketball and he even earned the name “O’Bomber” during high-school for his skills. In a first, he plans to build a basketball court in the White House.
He is left handed and he owns a set of red boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali.
He is a Harry Potter fan and has read every single one of them. Besides he also collects Conan the Barbarian comics and Spider-Man comics.
He took drugs as a teenager, including marijuana and cocaine.
As a teenager, he worked at a Baskin-Robbin’s ice cream parlor. Ironically, he hates ice cream now. Instead he loves having chocolate-peanut protein bars. While he was in Indonesia, he ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper.
He promised his wife, Michelle, that he would quit smoking before running for president – he never kept that promise. However, he says his worst habit is his obsession with his his blackberry.
Versace has created an entire line inspired by Obama. Women swoon over him. But while at Harvard, when he applied to appear in a black pin-up calendar, the all-female committee rejected him.
8. He says Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are his favorite movies while he loves listening to Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees.
9. He hates the youth trend of wearing trousers that sag below the butts.
Also check out Barack Obama Inaugural Speech
Barack Obama Inauguration Live Streaming Video Online
Monday, January 19th, 2009January 20 – Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.
Watch Barack Obama Inauguration Live Streaming Online on 20th January as the 44th President of the United States of America. Thank you all for making a simpleton called Barack Hussein Obama the president of your country. America, more than ever before, has its tryst with freedom written like the leitmotif of its existence. We know that we are in depths of an economic slowdown. We know our diplomatic foothold has been weakened by highly forgettable lapses. There is a lot which needs to be redeemed in terms of stabilizing the service sector and mass unrest amidst a Wall Street collapse is at its pinnacle.
But there is just so much we can fight for. There is so much we have to live for, look forward to. I reiterate, all of you have to give a part of your skin for the higher cause of nation. Each one of you has to somehow bring forth your highest house of production.
If the great Lincoln could bring the seeds of liberty from Philadelphia amidst the echoes of civil war some 150 years ago, we can cumulative do a Lincoln and re-germinate that seed. May be its not about political freedom anymore. The script has changed to graver financial concerns
Standing at the epochal Martin Luther king Mall, I feel humbled, pleasantly feeling the unbearable lightness of carrying over a million hopes. I stand graced and at the same time have my eyes moistened by your reception today. Down the years, I would only feel more strongly how all of you stood by me and my pledge.
It’s the time to redeem those pledges. In part, it’s a time for redeeming ourselves. Let emancipation come and take us to light. A beautiful place shall America breathe in again- full of liberty, full of fraternity and so very full of hope.
Watch President Barack Obama’s Inauguration 2009 Online using the Live Stream provided by uStream below;
Watch Barack Obama Inauguration Live Stream Online Video
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Barack Obama Inauguration Schedule
(Courtesy: By The Associated Press )
A schedule of some official and unofficial activities surrounding Barack Obama’s inauguration on Jan. 20;
MONDAY, JAN. 19
- National Day of Community Service event: To honor Dr. King’s legacy, Obama, Biden and their families, joined by Americans across the country, participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the Washington, D.C. area.
- Black Tie & Boots Inaugural Ball, sponsored by the Texas State Society, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.
- Green Inaugural Ball at the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture. Ball hosted by former Vice President Al Gore.
- Huffington Post preinaugural ball at the Newseum.
- Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball at the Harman Center for the Arts. Hosted by the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Russell Simmons, LL Cool J, among others.
- A children’s evening concert at the Verizon Center honoring military families. Event hosted by Michelle Obama, who will attend. Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers are among the entertainers. 7 p.m. EST
- Obama to attend three private dinners to honor former secretary of State Colin Powell, Biden and Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, for their public service. Dinners at the Hilton Washington, National Building Museum and Union Station.
TUESDAY, JAN. 20 (INAUGURATION OBAMA DAY)
Gates to the Inaugural Ceremony open at 8 a.m. EST. 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.
- 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.”
After Obama gives inaugural address, he will escort outgoing 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.
Later that day, the Presidential Inaugural Committee will host 10 official inaugural balls;
- Neighborhood Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center.
- Obama Home States (Illinois and Hawaii) Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center.
- Biden Home States (Pennsylvania and Delaware) Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center.
- Midwest Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center.
- Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center.
- Western Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center.
- Commander in Chief’s Ball at the National Building Museum.
- Southern Inaugural Ball at the National Guard Armory.
- Eastern Inaugural Ball at Union Station.
- Youth Inaugural Ball at the Washington Hilton.
Unofficial balls include:
- Congressional Black Caucus Inaugural Ball at the Capitol Hilton.
- Creative Coalition Inaugural Ball at the Harman Center for the Arts.
- Recording Industry Association of America’s ball for Feeding America.
- BET’s Inaugural Ball at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
- Africa on the Potomac inaugural celebration at Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.
- American Music Inaugural Ball at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.
- Inaugural Purple Ball at the Fairmont Hotel.
- Human Rights Campaign’s Equality Ball at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel.
- Inaugural Peace Ball at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
- Impact Film Fund ball.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21
- The president, vice president and their families will participate in a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral.
Also Check Obama’s Cabinet
and Barack Obama Inaugural Speech
Barack Obama Inauguration January 20
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
Inauguration of US President Barack Obama – January 20
With a hardly desirable legacy of $1.2 trillion deficit, Barack Obama waits to be sworn in as the 44th US president, 3 days from now. On 20th January, democrat-elect, Barack Hussein Obama will become the 44th president of US officially. It might be a little unnerving to know what he is supposed to fathom and eradicate so early in his presidential period, yet the man shows no signs of being fazed. On the contrary, he is showing a strong face (perhaps a little pre-fabricated), while going through the pre-inaugural rounds.
Barack Obama, for the present, is just getting to know Washington better. He is gracing the capital city’s restaurants for hot dogs and taking along family to the Lincoln memorial; the later perhaps for some well-solicited advice from the great leader himself. On 18th, Barack will be taking the train from Philadelphia to Washington to play his due as any of the previous president in the past. The journey is played each time as a president enters president-ship. It commemorates Lincoln’s journey during the coarse civil war period of 1861.
“A New Birth of Freedom’ is the theme or banner of Barack but for him it is going to be sheer baptism by fire as he attempts to bring his county to freedom. Freedom from unemployment, tax excesses, economic recession, maligned international image and wounded democratic endeavors. This then is the task in front of Barrack.
It is for him to fight the road of financial recovery with an unyielding democrat-congress. He has already asked for another $800 billion loan which Congress seems to be hell-bent on opposing. He assumes the money to be the guiding light to renew American battle against the economic slump.
It’s official that the country is being hit by worst financial depression since the Great Depression of 1930’s. Obama has also hit a tough wall in his pre-election pledge for a 90 day moratorium on the mortgage defaulters. (Sub-prime crisis). In fact it’s the sub-prime which has molten into the lava of monetary collapse. An American free fall has led to a European and a subsequent global recession. Lucky ones have survived with a slowdown.
Barack has showed a subtle volte-face in terms of pledged tax cuts. He has had to repeal those taxes he had planned to do away with. Barack has suggested how it is the onus of each individual to do his own, to contribute in order to let the country tide over the crisis. Even diplomatically, his pre-election assertions of closing down Guantanamo prison camp have come off-guard.
He believes that it can’t be done very swiftly despite mounting international pressure. He suggests that instead of the camp, the chief agenda should be to handle the impending nuclear crisis in Iran which can have catastrophic results.
At the Lincoln memorial mall, Beyonce, Sheryl Crow, Bono, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen and Garth Brooks will charm the public on 18th of January. This will be superseded on 19th by the pan-nation service project in the memory of venerable Civil rights leader Martin Luther King. On 20th afternoon, Obama will be sworn in at the same venue.
Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration Party Security Measures
httpv://in.youtube.com/watch?v=ioZ7zoNf9T0
Watch Barack Obama Inauguration Live Stream Online
President George Bush Farewell Speech January 15, 2009
Thursday, January 15th, 2009The Barrack wind has nearly gutted the sail called George Bush. Almost drifted towards
political oblivion (metaphorically), Bush got another 15-20 minutes in the limelight he once held, with the chance to read his farewell speech on 15th of January. The much-slimed republican president knew he was running into a wall of disillusioned countrymen while talking of passing on the baton for brighter days. While this might seem like a reverse metaphor, the country is certainly cheering the introduction of its new President Barrack Obama.
Bush has bestowed the country with two forgettable wars, the Guantanamo prison camp and the human right pothole of abusive treatment to the detainees at the Abu Gharib prison. The last one, splashed and flashed across the global dailies and social videos has been a cause of great shame for the country.
Bush, the former president also has to his dubious credit, the ballooning of sub-prime crisis that has led to the huge financial slowdown that the country is undergoing. The way he has channeled debts has become an object of ridicule in the intelligent circle. The years between Bush’s ascension to the post and his ignominious exit is marked by two wars, financial mayhem and overall instability furthered by job cuts in the later half. The country is already under a $1.2 trillion debt cloud and despite endeavors from Obama, the pressure is going to mount even more.
Bush delivered his farewell speech from the ornate speech room of the White House. With him, there was a motley crowd of people selected for their courage-filled stories. It was his 47th news conference and he has liked to propose it as the “ultimate exit interview”. Bush decided to go the predecessor’s way by talking of future challenges and their harmonious resolution rather than talking much about his journey as president. His speech was marked with undying optimism in these times of deep crises.
Though George conceded that his two tenures were marked by few very rough decisions and certain diplomatic errors, he still believes that the decisions were important when seen in the light of those trying days. All he did then was upholding the integrity of a country challenged madly by bigot forces.
Bush more than made up for any early tension by generously praising his successor; he also warmed Obama to the White house by showing confidence in the successor’s ability and felt hopeful that Obama will maneuver through the pits that present US economy poses to him. In this pursuit, he will be guided by his loving family, Bush believed.
In what is a departure from Bush’s splotchy humor, his statement of watching Obama from the front row has really brought some laughter out in the public… “I consider myself fortunate to have a front-row seat for what is going to be a historic moment,” said Bush, who will hand off the presidency to Obama on Jan. 20. “”President-elect Obama’s election does speak volumes about how far this country has come.
President George W. Bush Farewell Speech Youtube Video – January 15, 2009
Bush Final Farewell Speech: Part 1/2
httpv://in.youtube.com/watch?v=fc79O1ay79M
Bush Final Farewell Speech: Part 2/2
httpv://in.youtube.com/watch?v=-1ijhWgHCkk
President George Bush Farewell Speech Text – FAREWELL ADDRESS TO THE NATION
Fellow citizens: For eight years, it has been my honor to serve as your President. The first decade of this new century has been a period of consequence – a time set apart. Tonight, with a thankful heart, I have asked for a final opportunity to share some thoughts on the journey we have traveled together and the future of our Nation.
