Pictures from inauguration '09

A few snapshots from travels to Inauguration '09.

Man flying Kenya flag near where we were standing and shot of press.


A common Obama trinket sold - Obama flag, and a shot of the jumbo screen near where we were standing. I was extremely thankful to be tall so I could see.


Peaceful masses shut down all streets surrounding the Mall. This crowd was just blocks away from Pennsylvania Ave at 9 am walking to the Mall. Second picture - Mike and I bundled up to brave the cold temperatures. For most of the festivities we were in the National Monument's shadow, thus making it easier for fingers and toes to numb up through multiple layers.


Our Capital a few hours after the celebration. Teleprompters at left included messages about Metro closings - not too convenient for pedestrians several blocks away trying to push through crowds to get to closed stations. Second picture - my best friends from college, Nerissa and Erin, with Mike and I out near Adam's Morgan the night before. The whole bar starting dancing around midnight chanting 'O-ba-ma'. Good times!


My favorite item I saw the whole day, an Obama puppet that ordered a victory beer at a pub in Columbia Heights. Second picture - a balcony just a few blocks away from the Mall in the morning. I think the patriotic donkey has a gold tooth?


There were tons of guerilla marketing campaigns on the mall ranging from Guantanamo Bay protests, PETA, to Jesus people. Shots above were taken behind the National Monument. People were provided with 'Hope' posters where they wrote in things they hope for. Also saw some t-shirts sold in DC where you could write in what your hoped for in '09.


This shot was taken with my back to the Lincoln Memorial facing the National Monument. Note the wave of people taking up every square inch of ground on the Mall. The ground was dusty and cold, and I love the clouds that were stirred up by foot traffic.


MSNBC was one of many stations set up on the mall, most of which outside of the Natural History Museum. We stood outside the 'fish tank' and waved to Rachel Maddow - I hope she saw us. We love you!


Last but not least, Mike took this shot of the 'Wonder Ball' at a bar called Wonder Room in Columbia Heights. It was just one of many posters of Obama we saw the weekend. We were tempted to try to tear this poster down, but were unsuccessful.

Inauguration '09: Part II - Planes, Trains, & Homecoming

Buzzing cell phone alarm. Drive to airport in darkness. Quiznos for breakfast. Making our flight on time. The trip is off to a good start.

We flew from Albuquerque into Midway (Chicago). Our flight had a short delay before departing from Midway to Philly. Luckily we beat ice storms that were looming overhead. Young female who looks like my first college roommate sits next to us, hopefully it isn't my old college roommate - we didn't get along very well to say the least.

Lindsey is from Phoenix, about 22 and works in local government. She took a hiatus from work to join the Obama campaign for approximately two months - turns out she was assigned to Las Cruces, NM during that time period. Fastest way to make friends - share some free drink tickets. Trip is off to a good start.

Lindsey became our partner in travel crime for the next few hours. Shared stories about her campaign experience as a volunteer recruiter, managing the status of grants in her office, and her passion for wine (she's a bartender / manager at a wine bar in Phoenix). She shared that her next trip after Inauguration is to take a one-week cheese course so she can become a master cheese monger, a cheese connoisseur of sorts.

Smooth arrival into Philly. Typical East Coast skies - grey, cloudy, with lots of chill in the air. Three of us split a cab ride to the 30th street train station, just a few hours earlier this was where Obama kicked off his train ride into DC.

Delays were experienced, but not half as bad as we anticipated. We kill time hanging out in a pub enjoying vanilla stout beer, hummus and bruchetta. Pieces of confetti and wrist bands on the floor of the station from grandeur earlier in the day.

Train ride from Philly to New Carrolton, MD. Sit next to a woman from town (Bloomington - Normal) next to Mike's hometown (Chapaign, IL). Her daughter worked on the Obama campaign and has tickets for them to attend a ball. She also scored a hotel reservation within walking distance of the Mall.

Arrive in New Carrolton, just ten minutes from my parents' house in Glenn Dale, MD. Familiar spot. Many childhood train rides on field trips to museums commenced at this location. In high school I celebrated new found independence taking the train to loud concerts. This is also the station I'd navigate to from College Park, MD for food and laundry visits with my folks. Full circle. It feels good to be home.

Pre-Trip: Inauguration '09, Washington, D.C.

'Jen, they're putting up thousands of port-a-potties, thousands... are you sure you want to go?' Since early November, my family has forwarded Nostradamus-esque emails to me predicting the crowds and chaos that will be Inauguration '09. Most recent reports include an estimated 4-5 million people descending upon DC and closures of all bridges into the city (even the Woodrow Wilson Bridge).

Our trip will start next weekend on Saturday the 17th. Due to exorbitant flight costs going into BWI or DCA, we're flying into Philly. For the past few weeks I've been going back and forth weighing whether to rent a car or take Amtrak from the 30th street station. I caved last night and purchased two round trip tickets only to find out this morning that Obama is taking the train that day too!

Obama is taking Amtrak from Philly on the 17th and traveling to Wilmington, Delaware to pick up Senator Biden. From there, they are riding into DC - a nod to Lincoln's route to DC for his inauguration. See Washington Post article here.

Once in Maryland, our current plans are to visit with friends and family, and go into DC Monday night. We're staying in Adam's Morgan with my college roommate, Erin, and then walking to the Mall the next day.

More anecdotes from our adventure to come!

Community and Local Politics: A Week Immersed in the Obama Campaign

As a newly proclaimed political junkie, this has been one heck of a year. I've gone from nail biting, disgruntle blogging, and have personally dented the local supply of two buck chuck. It has been more manic than my family reunions, and that's saying something!

The past week specifically has prompted a higher level of involvement for me. Mike and I became more interested in connecting with other politically minded people and venting / crying / laughing / cheering together. If we stayed in isolation with our NY Times with recorded episodes of Real Time w/ Bill Maher while following FakeSarahPalin on Twitter, I think our heads would have exploded.

The week was kicked off with an Obama campaign party held at Kelly's in Nob Hill. Although it was difficult to count all individuals who turned out (Obama-sticker-folks) versus those just dining, looked like several hundred were in attendance when we stopped by.

On Friday we followed up with same group at One Up downtown for a debate party. The place was absolutely packed with wide array of faces all eager to hear Obama 'one up' McCain. Even a smal group at the event played political bingo and cheered when key terms like 'recession' or 'Bin Laden' emerged in speeches.

Then on Saturday, we met in the morning at the NE Heights Obama campaign office. Although opposing political sides could argue who 'won' the debate, one thing was sure - Obama campaign won with a surge of volunteers pouring into local offices the next morning. Our team, organized by campaign representative, Peter, was provided with route sheets of registered democrats who requestsed vote-by-mail information. We went in teams of two to visit with this audience and confirm receipt of the information and collect the requests on site.

While walking the neighborhoods around Menaul / Phoenix in NE Heighs, we met a wide array of great people - a couple registered as independents voting Obama. A registered republican furious with her own party for the first time voting democrat. Even a resident in the United States (non-citizen) who through a neighbor that spoke Engligh & Spanish wanted to share how excited she is about Obama as the next President.

Connecting with others and getting out there and sharing thoughts and energy was a great way to reconnect with what is so powerful about this election and the potential of what our country can be. It helped restore hope that the Obama surge is yet to happen and his base of supporteres are out there, eager to vote and smash to pieces the polls.


This post can also be found on Duke City Fix.

Politics & American Idol - Shame on you 'Reality' Culture

Are there certain roles in society that the individual in charge shouldn't be 'one of us'?

One could suggest the way Palin is being marketed or just put simply, who she is, appeals to an unfortunate majority of America that are anti-choice, pro guns, 'drill baby drill', bible beating, hockey moms. Her appeal (with some) runs deep and resonates. 'She is one of US'.

Should an individual in a public office a heartbeat away from the presidency (literally in this case) be so local yokel? Haven't we learned our lesson about voting in governors who are pro-drilling, pro-Jesus, pro-guns already, ahem, 'W'?

I blame the dire situation that the United States has been, and currently is in, on American Idol. The show has brainwashed mass America into a lazy man's American Dream. 'If I wish hard enough and am in the right place at the right time, I can end up being famous and a millionaire!' It is the lottery culture - blind hope with low probability of 'success' and no merits equates 'well why not? Why can't I have MY dream?'

The unobtainable has become too obtainable in the eyes of the masses. Certain roles should be aspired towards and exude the original American Dream message - 'if I work hard enough, I can achieve whatever I set my mind to.' Work ethic. Dedication. Focus. That's the America I wished existed - and the America I feel Obama embodies as a leader for this country.

Twitter: Fake Sarah Palin

The past few weeks have been such a political blur. I feel such a loss with both the DNC and RNC wrapped up. For now I can look forward to a Palin interview later this week, but it will be with Charlie Gibson so I'm not expecting many racy questions to say the least.

Speaking of media - I am waiting for the media to get real with adequately covering Palin as the Republican VP candidate. It utterly baffles me that McCain's camp has the audacity to threaten the media for being sexist when it is evident that McCain chose Palin for her gender. I can't get over accounts of Palin as a member of the PTA (AKA a 'community organizer') trying to ban books in her children's school library because they didn't align with her personal religious beliefs. That Republicans are 'nation first' yet they choose a candidate that is associated with Alaska separating from the union. She denies mankind's role in global warming, is anti-choice and pro-abstinence (something that apparently didn't work well within her own family), and her son's deployment to Iraq on 9-11 wreaks of public relations. Her stance on the environment as a whole is questionable (although great decorations in her office of carcases - picture at right) and the spin re: natural gas pipeline is off the charts. Oh, and the 6 colleges in 6 years to receive an undergrad degree? I guess this VP candidate choice will appease the masses - 'She is one of US'. Nascar, Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, NRA, bible beating nation unite!

'Fake Sarah Palin' not only has presented personal entertainment within my fellow liberal friend group, but it has received coverage recently in Media Shift's blog. The Twitter profile popped up the day of Palin's nomination and is worth a peek if you aren't following it already.

A couple of recent gems from Fake Sarah Palin on Twitter:

• Liberals, I changed colleges 5 times in 6yrs BCZ CONSERVATIVES BELIEVE IN SCHOOL CHOICE. I'm so smart HA! http://bit.ly/1p5LdI
• Why do people keep calling me antagonistic? I BELIEVE IN GOD THERE IS NO QUESTION
• John and I will work tirelessly to stop the alabamans from attacking Georgia again. NEVER AGAIN!!
• And I've gutted a moose with my pinky, I'll tell you what
• You wanna step to SARAH PALIN, Code Pink?!! You can't handle a hockey mom, I'll tell you what

Illinois - Best Year Ever - 2008

Although in complete copyright violation, I wish I could make this image into a t-shirt, because I know I could sell several million in Illinois / across the states. Also, as someone who used to live a few blocks from Wrigley and an avid Obama-groupie, I would wear this shirt as much as possible - makes a more poignant statement than having 'Juicy' across one's caboose or 'fear' on a truckers hat. This year could mark the 'Best Year Ever' for two groups I hold near and dear - democrats and those who grew up watching WGN / from Illinois.

For both the Cubs and Obama, this season has been strong thus far. Cubs having an amazing record of wins coming out of the gate - Obama filling up stadiums with eager voters and reaching Kennedy-esque status.

The past few weeks have resulted in some low points, but not anything that will deter ultimate success. A few cubs losses have tarnished their record and the good old boy Republican National Convention resulted in 'distractions' to say the least.

Overall, for both sides, I can't wait for November. Just to think, within a few weeks of each other, we could have a monumental point in Illinois pride and national history for Cubs and Obama. I'm convinced Illinois Dems would smile for all of '09 and years to come...

Obama's Nuts, URLs, and Blog Shout out

Check out David Berkowitz's most recent blog post on advertisement targeting on Facebook. There is a shoutout in the first paragraph to QuirkyABQ (Jennifer Marshall) for an example I provided from Facebook.

See full article here.
See example I found here.

If you find any odd examples of 'too close to home' or inappropriate advertisement targeting, contact me.

Who is going to market 'Obama's nuts'?

Mr. Jackson - what were you THINKING? As if Fox News wasn't bad enough, we have to have a liberal civil rights activist slamming Obama with less than eloquent rhetoric. Awesome. If you haven't seen the video yet, go here to check it out. Oy.

The real question is, what marketer can act fast enough to sell cans of nuts marked, 'Obama's Nuts - Made by J. Jackson'. Let me even help, I've made a prototype.

I wonder if Obama is somewhere, drinking a good cocktail, just laughing very hard... or maybe he is making a prototype of a nutcracker with Jackson's head on it.

Big Announcement, Important URLs Purchased Last Night

Two important URLs were purchased last night.

URL #1
I am now the proud owner of www.quirkyabq.com. This address reroutes to the blog (temporarily housed on my imajenart.com domain). Down the road I hope to move all blog files over to this site.

URL #2
For those not in the 'know', pictured at right is my recently adopted pug, Douglas. Douglas is a glitzy boy who doesn't mind rocking a blonde wig, bling, perhaps he wishes he was drinking a martini or two at times. He's a ham in front of the camera, and my creative wheels have been spinning about ways to let Douglas be in the spotlight that an ab fab pug only deserves.

Over the next year, in addition to the art site and Quirky ABQ blog, I will be launching www.dragqueenpug.com starring the one and only, Douglas. A little odd - of course. Perhaps on verge of beauty pageantry mom? Quite likely. For now though, the project is just a big idea for a lazy-eyed little pug with a perfect URL purchase.