Change is usually difficult to accept, especially when it is imposed on you. When the market precipitously fell in late September, all who were observing the flowing sea of red ink realized this was no ordinary downturn. During the following weeks, we saw the words “extraordinary circumstances” told, printed and deplored ad nauseam; indeed, the same nausea most felt, weeks later when opening IRA monthly reports that set most recipients’… Continue reading

Tags: Economy

Admittedly, honesty and politics can be considered mutually exclusive; however, there are limits to the dishonesty flaunted, once more, by the republican members of the House of Representatives in their monolithic partisan refusal to support the economic stimulus plan put before them by the new Obama administration.

The vast majority of economists, backed up with historical data, all support the immediate huge cash injection as a sorely needed investment… Continue reading

Tags: House of Representatives, Stimulus

Today was very different, and by that I mean more interesting, from yesterday. We started off from Muskogee, Oklahoma. When we woke, my brother was very dizzy, and slightly nauseous. He had to lie down for a while in the car, which means that he needed the front seat. After a while, he felt better, and then we started driving faster. An hour after his recovery, we came across a… Continue reading

Tags: Inaugural Road Trip

We started off extremely late today, around 10:10. We ate breakfast in the hotel’s main room, then left. At about 12 o’clock to eat lunch. Then we hit the road, into Arkansas. We kept driving, and driving, and driving. It took us 8 hours to reach Oklahoma, where we became quite tired. As we continued, we found that there were no hotels near us… Continue reading

Tags: Inaugural Trip

Only the first day of his term as president Obama has already started the much hoped for and expected change. To think we were in Washington for his inauguration and now we are on our way home and he has already begun work. We now have the trouble of the return journey to our warm and sunny California. This has been incredible, not just seeing Obama finally achieve the highest office in our nation, but getting to see the changes in the landscapes and people as we moved east and now we see it again as we move west. I am personally feeling a little homesick. I miss the warmth of the valley instead of the below freezing temperatures of Baltimore and Washington D.C… Continue reading

Tags: Inaugural Trip, Obama

On Tuesday, January 20, 2009 I finally felt, in a tangible way, a part of “We The People” as my family and 2 million other souls made our way to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to witness a historic inauguration of the 44th president of the United States, a man of great character and intelligence who is truly a product of this diverse nation and the answer to one of Dr. King’s most fervent prayers made so long ago that laid to rest at last racial barriers that have long oppressed our nation’s full potential… Continue reading

Tags: Humanity, Inauguration trip, National Mall, Obama

We wanted to spend more time in the East, but we knew that we needed to return home. As you should remember, yesterday was the inauguration of president Obama. We left at 10 o’clock the morning after the event. We were well rested and prepared to set off. We waved goodbye to our relatives, and began the trip home. I became carsick within the first hour of our return… Continue reading

Tags: Inauguration trip

Yes, Obama did it, he broke the racial barrier, and even more than just that he gave the people of our nation hope that no matter their ethnicity, their religion, their family’s background they can reach for something greater than before. This land is one of equality as it should have been since long before its creation. Even though it was not so Martin Luther King Jr.’s hard work… Continue reading

Tags: Inauguration trip

Yesterday was a lot to absorb for the millions of people who were in Washington DC, the millions more who watched the inauguration proceed on their TV screens and for the rest of the World. Many feared it would never happen even after the ballots had all been counted, even after the Electoral College had completed its archaic ceremonial vote last month. It just could not be a fully accepted… Continue reading

Tags: History

When the train arrived at Union Station in Washington DC, we joined the huge human wave of enthused supporters of President-Elect Obama and started to walk down towards the Mall. The areas close to the actual event were only accessible to ticketed visitors who had received their passes from various official sources, including senators, congress people and lotteries. We were told that we could enter the Mall from 2nd street… Continue reading

Tags: Inauguration trip, Obama, Obama Administration, Politics, Presidential Elections

It was the Big Day, Obama’s Inauguration. We awoke with light heads, in disbelief that the climax of our journey had come. We worked slowly, but we had awoken early, so that we would have plenty of time. As we all dressed up in layers upon layers of thick, warm clothing, and eventually set off to get to D.C. When we arrived at the Amtrak station, we made quick… Continue reading

Tags: Inauguration trip

After crossing the Tennessee border and the Blue Ridge Mountains of western Virginia under light snow flurries, we arrived in Baltimore, MD, at 5:00pm yesterday, at my sister’s doorstep, and were greeted with smiles, warm hugs and a wonderful dinner of a Navarrin d’Agneau, a delectable lamb dish lovingly prepared for the family reunion, paired with a… Continue reading

Tags: Inauguration trip