Live Blogging continues with Inaugural Balls & Parties
Hi again, friends -
After an historic day, it's time to grab your beverage of choice and settle in for the night for a little bit lighter take on the Inaugural Action. Of course, once again, I failed to score (or being a tightwad, buy) tickets to any of the Balls or Parties, so I am watching them from the comfort of my couch.
This blog will be focused on fashion choices (ala Joan Rivers), entertainment (of all stripes - or NOT!), and mild critique of the critique-ers. So, ya'll come and enjoy!
8:19 starting on ABC - who has, I believe, exclusive rights to the Neighborhood Ball from 8 - 10 p.m.
Right now, Maroon Five is singing This Love - I'll go channel surf in a minute when they're done
They look pretty good in all black with trim-fit jackets, by the way
Still Undecided on Robin Roberts' purple gown - although she is in amazing shape and wears it well.
Here comes Mariah Carey - looking rather tasteful for herself in a black gown
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UPDATE: Apparently, we're all ABC until 10 p.m., then other networks will have coverage of the 10 official Inaugural Balls, including live-streaming & TV. I will try to follow what I can & add pics & video if I can find any to share with you. I will also be checking local coverage for the unofficial parties. - lps
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8:30 p.m. Denzel Washington to introduce the Obamas
Hail to the Chief
hmmm...President Obama looks gorgeous in a black tux with white tie and cumberbund. Michelle looks stunning, although she looks a bit like, dare I say, WEDDING CAKE
Her dress is long, white with a ruffled/scrunched bodice and little floral appliques. The one-shoulder look fits her, but the dress is a little fluffy and fussy for her usual style.
BO - first of all, how good looking is my wife?
Beyonce' serenades the President and First Lady (how cool was it to type that) for their first dance. Gosh, they look like they are having fun!
Found this photo on Gothamist click for more photos, originating from ABC Coverage
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8:42 Stevie Wonder - & Beyonce, Mariah, Mary J. Blige, & my girl, Shakira & a bunch of others rockin' out on Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours
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re: pics - I can't find any live pics yet...but for your entertainment pleasure while Ray Romano wastes our time, here's some file footage of the entertainers
Shakira - from ABC News; tonight she is wearing a black bodice with multiple zippers & a black tulle or taffeta skirt. Tasteful in a Shakira sort of way - & wearing the hair straight, like yesterday.
& here's Mrs. Obama from earlier today, in her stunning Gold Sheath dress - which we liked much better than the white meringue
from Newsday.com, may be an AP/Getty Images photo
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8:55 - ok, now here is Jay-Z, with the Urkel glasses
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9:00 CNN covering the Home States Ball. Obama's expected to arrive soon.
A friend is attending the Peace Ball - where Joan Baez just sang Imagine
9:05 - President & Mrs. Obama arrive at the Home States Ball (which is apparently just down the hall from the other one, but does not look like nearly as much fun)
BO getting all serious again in front of the Color Guard...he's talking about making change yes, we can
I do like Michelle's earrings though. Very shiny & sparkly! & she has a very large rock on her left hand - not her regular wedding ring!
Either Michelle or Barack are stepping on her dress.
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Ana Marie Cox comparing their dancing to high school dancing - behaving like teenagers in love. In a good way, not like teenagers with nuclear weapons
Question of day - is Rod Blogoyevich there? He got 2 tickets, but he said he wasn't going to use them. Perhaps Burris gave him his tickets?
& Obama is a better dancer than Bush. Surprise.
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9:17 p.m. Swapped for a moment to Fox News for fair and balanced - I hate Chris Wallace - this African-American couple, clearly in love, with all the right values
9:19 get to ABC for Shakira live
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9:28 p.m. - Fox News is interviewing Dana Delaney from Desperate Housewives. She bought Obama flip-flops today. The Fox Blonde-bot is particularly scary - Jill? -
Megan Kelly reporting from the Commander-in-Chief's Ball. She actually looks quite stunning in a deep green grown. They had Josh Groban, Jordan Sparks earlier & Jon Bon Jovi is coming.
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9:34 pm - VP Biden is "hushing up" in 22 seconds. The reason I wanna keep talkin, is b/c I can't dance....but I sure like holding her
VP Joe & wife Jill, striking in red, strapless gown, dancing to Have I Told You Lately That I Love You? for a very brief few minutes
Here's the AP take on both Mrs. Obama's & Mrs. Biden's gowns & photo of the Bidens
photo by Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP
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9:40 pm - on CNN - Obamas expected to arrive at CINC Ball - Color Guard is getting ready.
David Axelrod's bright red tie is a bit loud. And he's wearing a round, green button.
AC appears to be talking over President Obama, WTF?
Pres. Obama acknowledges 300 wounded warriors from Walter Reed Army Hospital & families of the fallen. He thanks all the enlisted men & women & junior officers here tonight. Huge roar when he said, "I will have no greater honor or responsibility than serving as your Commander in Chief"
moderate cheer for Bob Gates. Huge cheer for Gen. Shinseki.
Video feed from Kabul - weird technology issues.
BTW - the CINC Ball is being held at the National Building Museum, which is an absolutely gorgeous place for a party
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9:55 President & Mrs. Obama on their third official dance of the night, by my count
Michelle needs to bustle that dress!
The Obamas are dancing with a respective enlisted woman and man.
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10:00 back to MSNBC - Keith O looks & sounds stoned...
10:10 now onto Youth Ball - Kanye West is performing; Obamas expected there next
Super serious strobe lights at the Youth Ball. Supposed to be for 18-35 year olds.
Fox News is interviewing Evander Holyfield at the Southern Inaugural Ball. My how the mighty have fallen in just a few hours.
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10:31 pm - VP Biden addresses the Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball at DC Convention Center
Obamas arrive to Youth Ball 4/10 - more or less on time - at Washington Hilton
Amazing number of digital cameras & camera phones at the Youth Ball
ABC's Cynthia McFadden is wearing one of the ugliest dresses I've seen tonight. Maroon velvet with braidy things on the arms - looks like a RenFest dress.
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CNN analysis of Michelle Obama's dress - experts Robert Verdi and Mary Alice Stephenson discuss.
It's been a long time since someone has been sexy in the White House
Jason Wu has only been in fashion business for 3 years. Dress was designed specifically for her. Robert thinks it has a bit of a "prom quality;" Mary Alice likes the "fairy-tale quality."
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10:49 pm DC Mayor Adrian Fenty is on Fox News at Creative Coalition Ball. No sightings of former mayor Barry.
Who is the fat dude in the purple stripes? It's not Bill Bennett, I think, but bears a strange resemblance.
10:57 pm Fox News interviewing Kid Rock. Kid Rock to President Obama: Save Detroit!
Fall Out Boy is plaing now at Youth Ball
James Taylor is about to play the Eastern States Ball at Union Station. NOLA Mayor Ray Nagin has been spotted. President Obama is scheduled to get there around 2:50 a.m.
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11:03 p.m. I was hoping to keep up with the Obamas through at least half the official Inaugural dances, but it seems the only network keeping up is Fox News & I can't watch too much of that. MSNBC & CNN are doing lots of analysis & replays of what we already saw earlier. So, I'm going to try to follow a couple more and then I'll be signing off in a bit.
11:04 now on CNN - Obama addresses the Biden Home States Ball.
deja vu' - Obamas dance to "At Last" again. They do the weird spinny thing again. I think she may be too tall for that.
11:09 MSNBC's crew has the sillies; they are now analyzing how to dance without stepping on feet.
Fox is interviewing Ron Howard at The Creative Coalition Ball.
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11:20 CNN confirmation & analysis that Chief Justice Roberts messed up the Oath. He had one job - to deliver one line
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11:20 Obamas are at the Mid-Atlantic Ball. Video but no audio from CNN.
The Grateful Dead, minus J. Garcia, are playing at this ball.
11:22 Obamas dancing to...what else...At Last
KO thinks we will hearing this in our dreams
Best line of the night -
Rachel - I am so rarely the arbiter of what all women want
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well, good folks, AC is planning to stay up until 4 a.m. or whatever time the Obamas manage to make the rounds. Campbell Brown says she is not. Alas, neither am I.
It's been fun...I only wonder if there is CAKE at any of these events...
so, I will say good night & leave you with...
the immortal words of dame Ella Fitzgerald (& lovely Beyonce')
At Last
At last my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
At last the skies above are blue
Thanks for reading & commenting. It has been a truly remarkable day - I'm glad I could share it with my OS friends.
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Comments
I've been listening to music since the womb, and I tell you what, neither of these guys are good rappers. It's all about image. Jay Z is a fantastic producer and entrepreneur, singer and glasses chooser, not so much...
hyblean - oh, yes, she almost could make me change my orientation. Also, check her out in Underneath Your Clothes
ds - well, that was terrible
Me, in LA, watching the neighbor ball on the sling box
go Stevie on the harmonica
No, Sting liked to be called Sting when Franka had baby hair.
I love Michelle's dress but she does need something to pull up the train. That or she could simply drape a piece and go. I'm not getting the same coverage on the networks as everyone else, I'm sad to say.
The Youth Ball slayed me. It annoys me that I couldn't go. Damn aging.
I liked Michelle's day outfit much more: I thought she looked dignified, sophisticated and subtle. She drew eyes to wherever she was standing. It was an unusual color that looked good on her. She definitely gives us something to talk about, and enough to disagree about to keep things interesting.
I think bright red is a good color for a coat for Jill Biden, but maybe the hem could have been about three inches lower. In an inaugural gown I thought a softer shade of red might have been better. But she looked good, and the color of the gown is a quibble. I just hope she won't dress in traffic light colors all the time.
I thought Michelle Obama's choices were lacking. No one wears rhinestones - or whatever they were - at noon time to a ceremonial event. While I applaud the style, the outfit looked out of place, especially in church earlier in the a.m.
As for the Inaugural gown. Again, she looked like she was ready for the 9th grade prom - all frilly, nondescript, and little puffs of something that was hard to distinguish on the TV. I expected something more mature, sleek, and glamourous - not frou-frou, frilly and immature. The fact that she kept stomping all over it didnt' make it look any better either. Didn't someone take into consideration that she would actually have to walk and dance in it?
Then, the next a.m. at the National Church service, she shows up looking like she's ready to picnic ala 1960's. Obama, the Bidens, the Clintons, everyone sitting behind her, etc. all seem to choose sensible clothes that one would expect to see in church.
I've never seen such an immature selection of clothes on a First Lady. And with this, I know hope that the unreasonable and undeserved comparisons with Jacqueline Kennedy STOPS! Jackie Kennedy wouldn't be caught dead in that dress in church!
Did the fashion advisers get her stuff confused with their little girls? And another observation: She doesnt walk like she has any confidence; she's kind of gangley and all over the place. No poise - no confidence - no sense of purpose in that gait.
"Jason Wu has only been in fashion business for 3 years." And it shows!
Rose - please...tell us what you really think. :-) I didn't see what she wore Wed. a.m., so I can't comment.
I am going to respectfully disagree on the Citron dress for the Swearing-in Ceremony. I did not find it inappropriate - I thought it was stunning and she wore it well.
I think sexy must be in the eyes of the beholder - I tend to think she seems confident and comfortable with her body, particularly for a tall, muscular woman - and she isn't trying to cover it up in boxy styles. This may be what seems "immature" to you.
I don't mean to be argumentative - I appreciate your point of view - this post was about fashion choices, after all, and I like hearing the range of opinions.
One thing I might say - one could possibly argue that Mrs. Kennedy's choices in the 60s were somewhat out-there - I don't know, I'd heard she got grief for wearing - gasp - trousers once, but in looking back now are classic.
I think the comparison is that she, like her husband, is young and elegant like the Kennedys were. Obviously, you disagree, at least on Mrs. Obama. That's okay - there will be plenty of occasion for people to disagree on her fashion choices (among other decisions she might make).
And omigosh, fanning myself, doesn't HE look great in a tux?