Hissyspit's Buttload of Inaugural Celebration PHOTOS Thread (DIAL-UP WARNING)

[Hissyspit]

I'm watching the rerun on HBO of the concert at the Lincoln Memorial right now and it is a very different experience visually from that I had this afternoon, because no matter where you stood around the Reflecting Pool, you could not see the stage! Nonetheless, the music and commentary were easily shared and it was great to be there, despite the cold, surrounded by tens of thousands of Americans there for more than just a conert. Following is my photographic essay of that experience, in more or less chronological order, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day and the inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th President of the United States. Demgurl was there, too, and got a photo of David Shuster at the MSNBC booth. Maybe she will post some of hers later. Please stay tuned for more inaugural photos and thoughts from me in the next day or so:


Shirts for sale...




More for sale outside the Smithsonian...




Cadet band marching near the Washington Monument...




Kid journalism...




Secret Service, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the vietnam Women's Memorial...




Someone stepped on her foot...




The early crowd around the Reflecting Pool...




Geese gather around a break in the ice...




The video presentations begin...







The frozen Reflecting Pool...




Keeping warm...




The Obama's arrive...




Dreadlock Uncle Sam...




Secret Service on the job...




Checking out the ice...




Marine helicopters flying overhead giving VIPs view of the celebration...




Draping himself in the flag...




The overflow crowd, those who couldn't get through security early enough...




"Special Police" and the National Anthem...




Bruce Springsteen opens the concert with "The Rising," a song about 9/11...




The omnipresent obligatory Obama cut-out...




Obama bunnyheads keeping warm...




You could have heard a pin drop when Tom Hanks quoted and spoke of Lincoln...




Biden speaks...




John Mellencamp and the Lincoln statue...




More quiet from the audience...




The tribute to the military. A man next to me yelled "Bring Them Home!..."




Young audience member held by her mother near the memorial...




Air traffic occasionally passed over...




Usher's appearance was popular...




Time's Man Of The Year...




Naval midshipmen watch Stevie Wonder reaching higher ground...




U2 finishes it off...




...with "City of Blinding Lights"

The more you know the less you feel/
Some pray for, others steal/
Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel... luckily

[Captain Hilts]

1. Great photographs!

It's 'naval' not 'navel' and they're usually called 'midshipmen'.

I had a grand time!

[Hissyspit]

9. Oops, thanks.

I hate typing the captions. :-)

[Captain Hilts]

10. Yeah, like making signs....nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. Well I like typing captions

So send me a plane ticket, I will fly to DC and you can take pictures while I help you with the captions. :)

[hootinholler]

37. LOL you say that ike you could find a flight.

I suspect inbound is booked solid until tomorrow evening.

-Hoot

[Aviation Pro]

2. Excellent.....

...watching the rebroadcast now.

[glowing]

3. Thanks for posting the pics. I loved seeing the photos fromt the ground.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. Thank you Hissyspit

As always your photo reporting rocks.

[Muttocracy]

5. Thank you!! nt

[marchellojones]

6. Great pics!

[Adsos Letter]

7. Wonderful pictures! Thankyou...it must be very exciting to be there.

[Hissyspit]

8. It's fantastic. I can't wait to be on the Capitol Lawn and see Obama hold his hand up.

Bit chilly, though.

[JeffR]

11. Sweet! You have some great photos here.

:applause:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

12. Wonderful, just wonderful!!!!

Thank you so much!

:toast:

[lapfog_1]

13. Someone answer a question for me...

When Usher, Stevie Wonder, and Shakira were singing together...

The camera flashed briefly to the drummer. And it looked to me like Mic Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame, except I know Mic is now bald... and this guy had his old hair. Was it Mic in a wig? Or someone else...

[Hissyspit]

14. Someone else. I just saw him on TV.

[lapfog_1]

16. He looked just like Mic did in his/my old stoner days...

only with grey hair. Pretty funny!

[jillan]

15. Thank you so much for sharing these with us.

:hug:

[BigBearJohn]

17. Great job! K/R

[TahitiNut]

18. Just out of curiosity, how did you know these were Naval Academy midshipmen?

You're correct ... but how can you tell they're not Coast Guard Academy cadets, or officers in the Coast Gauard or Navy, or Merchant Marine?? (Yes, You can tell from the photo ... but how?)

[demgurl]

24. Demgurl for Hissyspit........

He doesn't know for sure, he was just guessing.

[Harry Monroe]

28. They could be from the USMMA

An old Mariner here, from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy class of 1984!! The caps look familiar. As a matter of fact, I had the "honor(?)" of marching in Ronnie Raygun's first Inauguration in 1981 as a plebe at the Academy. I remember having our dummy M-1 rifles being inspected by Secret Service and the admonition to not "move a muscle" with the rifle while were marching as security was "extra tight". I also remember having to stay in step while marching behind a mounted horse unit. Symbolic of the new Administration?? Draw your own conclusions!!

[TahitiNut]

30. Well, judging from the cap insignia, they are Annapolis, not Kings Point

It's clear they aren't active duty (gold braid too thin) and it's clear they aren't Coast Guard Academy cadets (no star at top of fouled anchor) and that leaves Merchant Marine or Naval Academy as the reasonable choices -- and their cap emblems (fouled anchor) are very close in appearance. IIRC, the Merchant Marine anchor emblem is slightly heftier on the kedge than the Naval Academy anchor.

Perhaps I'm in error and they are Merchant Marine -- they ARE marching in the inaugural parade -- but it seems to me they are Naval Academy midshipmen. Too bad we can't see the shoulderboards -- that'd make it obvious.

Forty-five years ago, I'd be able to cite chapter and verse about the distinctions, but it's been a long, long time and the memory is the second thing to go.

[Harry Monroe]

34. You may be right

It's been a long time and I didn't save any of my uniforms from my USMMA college days, so I have nothing to compare it to.

On edit: Those "high pressure" caps sure do look damned familiar though!!

[TahitiNut]

38. Cap covers, Brasso'd insignia, nose-greased brim ... yes, many hours in all.

Much of my recollection of Academy days is spit-shining, Brasso, and spot-removal. The mundane "spit and polish" obsession sure was a time-sink. Then there was drill, preparing quarters for inspection, and the enormous Mickey Mouse of military life. I doubt many could imagine how a day could be so packed with activities ... from reveille to taps.

[Harry Monroe]

44. Were you Naval Academy or were you a Kings Pointer??

[TahitiNut]

45. Coast Guard Academy ... 1961-1963 ... found I wasn't "military" enough.

I made it through Swab Year -- took the hazing and kept grades up -- but found I wasn't cut out to inflict hazing. I never found hazing to be a 'leadership skill' and saw no role models to emulate. It was a suit that just didn't fit. While I respect the military, it's just not a life that fits me - ever. So, when I was drafted in 1968 and spent the year in Viet Nam in 1969, it was no surprise to anyone that I failed to earn a Good Conduct Medal, even though I was nominated for a Bronze Star (which, for some reason, didn't get through).

Fascinating years ... from working out on the trampoline with (Cdr.) Otto Graham, the football coach to being a sideboy for JFK to meeting Prince Phillip when he reviewed the Eagle in Edinburgh to so many experiences. Two years so jam-packed with new experiences it still amazes me.

[Harry Monroe]

47. You're before my time TahitiNut, but thanks for sharing

I was born when you were at USCGA (1962). I was at USMMA from 1980-1984 and currently am a Chief Officer in the Merchant Marine (currently working for a company out of New York that operates 7 bulk carriers - I also am a proud Union member (Marine Engineer's Beneficial Association). The USCG is responsible for licensing us mariners. We also continue our long rivalry with you guys in sports. The USMMA/USCGA football game winner is granted the Transportation Cup (though the Dept. of Transportation is now under Homeland Security (God, I hate that name!!), so I don't know what they call the cup now.

I sail about 6-7 months of the year and I'm in and out of DU. I miss this place while I am out at sea as we have no Internet connection aboard ship, only satellite e-mail.

Thanks again for sharing TahitiNut. Good to know there are kindred maritime types on this board. I'm looking forward to settling in tomorrow and watching dawn to dusk coverage of the Inauguration, and plan to TiVo the whole thing for my son.

[Stinky The Clown]

53. The hats

Narrow braid and an insignia like a Chief's, not an officer's.

Middies have a different insignia (not sure what) but the same narrow braid.

Plus ..... they're children.

[Shardik]

19. K&R Thanks for sharing these with those of us who couldn't be there.

:thumbsup:

[Tindalos]

20. Thank you.

It must have been amazing being there. Thank you for sharing your photos.

[Mnemosyne]

21. Great pics! Thank you for sharing, Hissyspit! Wish I could be there.

:woohoo:

[FrenchieCat]

22. Excellent photos......Felt like I was there from those pics!

I'm borrowing one, if you don't mind!
The one with Marian Anderson.

[democracy1st]

23. K & R I love unscripted pics good job

[lonestarnot]

25. Thanks H.S. Happy MLK day!

:applause:

[malaise]

26. Lovely pix

Thanks

[Le Taz Hot]

27. K & R

Thanks so much!

[mr1956]

29. Gives me chickenskin...

seeing so many people braving the cold to be there. I don't have HBO so I really appreciate you sharing the event. One more day!!

[BrklynLiberal]

31. Wow! Just Wow!

I am torn between being jealous that you were there, and the feeling that I might have frozen to death if I were there.. :D

[Hissyspit]

33. As long as you come prepared, it's not too bad. There was only one time when my fingers were

getting a little numb.

Today is warmer, so it's even better.

[Swamp Rat]

35. Thanks a lot!!!

:applause:

[ColbertWatcher]

36. Amazing photographs! k+r, n/t

[davidswanson]

39. great shots

got any of shoes?

[AnotherMother4Peace]

40. Thanks for the pics - Beautiful!!! nt

[Phentex]

41. a brazilian thanks!!!

:hi:

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

42. Great Pics. Thx!

[surrealAmerican]

43. Thanks for the photos.

Minor point: those "geese" are ducks and seagulls.

[file83]

46. I didn't realize how much was going on there ALREADY!!!!

What a pinnacle event to be at. I envy you from Oregon (while at work!) ;-)

[SalmonChantedEvening]

48. Oh Hissy

Just Oh Hissy Thank You :hug: :loveya:

This is a keepsake. Truly.

Hope this is a Time Of Your Life.

:patriot:

[Brucie Kibbutz]

49. Thanks for sharing the pics. They're excellent.

:kick:

[Kajsa]

50. Great photos, Hissyspit!

You captured the moments very well.

Thanks so much and please,

to you and all who are there,

STAY WARM!

:)

[csziggy]

51. The "Special Police" were Iowa National Guardsmen

Soledad O'Brien interviewed them this morning. They were brought in to supplement the regular police forces - and they are enjoying the duty after serving eighteen months in Iraq.

Terrific pictures! Thank you so much for sharing.

[proud patriot]

52. very cool , thanks for sharing

I watched the stream yesterday ... I thought Garth Brooks
was great , I don't have any of his music .

[ThatsMyBarack]

54. Why's that one guy wrapped in the flag?

:shrug:

[livvy]

55. Nice! Keep'em coming and thanks!

Wish I was there, too!

[Cha]

56. Uncle Sam's Dreads cracked me

up! It was an amazingly awesome concert from my vantage point on my computer with HBO's optimizing streaming.

Thanks for the pics and the captions, Hissy.

[MadMaddie]

57. Fantastic Pictures!

Thank you for sharing.

[liberal N proud]

58. So COOL - - Wish I was there

[Just-plain-Kathy]

59. Thanks for posting these great pictures Hissyspit. K&R

[MrMickeysMom]

60. Thank you so very much, indeed.

I've stood there where these pictures were snapped 5 years ago, protesting this God awful war. It feels so good to see what's now taking place in that same setting.

:-)