Missed Connections

We're leaving Denver tomorrow and we've had a great stay. Unfortunately there are a few people we would have liked to talk with who we ended up missing: The Denver Young Democrats, a fine organization which was overwhelmed due to the beginning of the legislative session and thus unable to send anyone to meet with me, and Bikes Belong, who due to an email snafu didn't get my message until it was to late to schedule a meeting. Sorry we couldn't talk, guys. But to anyone reading this, these are both wonderful organizations which you should check out if you are at all interested. Thanks for the memories, Denver!

The Wine Coop

For our last days in Denver, we went to the Wynkoop Brewery in LoDo, a favorite (and former place of employ) of our Denver friends. The ambiance was great and the prices were surprisingly reasonable for a classy brewery. They even had a brew named for their hometown hero and former proprietor, Mayor Hickenlooper. When we asked, our waiter told us that Hick still comes by from time to time, and he's talked with him a bit. The waiter assured us that he's a decent enough guy, though as mayor of Denver he was naturally a bit preoccupied. The food was good and we were glad we went.

We also overheard a conversation at another table, some of the people had been in Laguna Beach in October and were lamenting all the pro-proposition 8 people there. Sorry we let you down Colorado. At least you guys still have an awesome brewery to go to.

THE OBAMATHON GUIDE.™ Part 6: Got Balls?

So, you made it into DC, watched the inauguration and parade, and ate a hearty meal. What's next? Partaaay! On the night of January 20, DC will look something like Marti Gras with good manners. Well, at least all the places where Obama's going to show up will. For those looking to keep things on the lowbrow, you'll have plenty of options as well. Here's a brief guide to getting your groove on, inauguration style.

Balls: There are balls representing every state, region, and interest group. For me to publish a full list of inaugural balls would take way too long, but here's a pretty comprehensive list to check out. Ticket prices vary widely, but can go from $50 to as much as $2000. For If balling is your thing, you probably know all about what to wear. But just in case, here's a quick refresher on dress codes.

Men's Dress Codes - from least formal to most formal:

(No dressing specification)

Wear whatever you like, although it's recommended that you wash it first.

Black tie invited/optional

In this case, it is not mandatory to wear a tuxedo, however you will probably see more tuxedos than dark suits at these affairs. Black tuxedos and white or ivory dinner jackets with black trousers are appropriate. However, dinner jackets are out of season during the inauguration.

Black tie preferred

This means the host of the party prefers to see all guests in formalwear. You could wear a dark suit, but tuxedos are preferred.

Black tie

If the event you are attending is “black tie” and the invitation says the same, you are expected to wear a tuxedo. All guests invited to this function are required and expected to wear formalwear.

White tie

This is the creme de la classy. You must wear black tails with black trousers and a white pique formal shirt, bow tie, and vest. This ensemble is know as the “ultra formal look,” and if your event calls for it, you should not wear anything else. Guests not in adherence to the dress code will be sneered to death.

While similar dress codes don't apply directly to what women should wear, they serve as cues as to the level of formality at the event. Besides, if you're a woman, you probably have a sixth sense for what and what not to wear. And if you're worried about someone wearing the same dress as you, register yours at the Dress Registry.

For those of you not classy enough to attend balls, there's always the bar scene in DC. The latest outlook is that bars will stay open until 4. Check this site for a complete listing of DC bars, or just head to the Adams Morgan or Dupont Circle areas.

Many of you will simply want to head home after the inauguration. But for those looking to party after the inauguration, you have good reason to do so, and plenty of places to cut loose. Rock on, DC.

THE OBAMATHON GUIDE.™
Introduction (history, crowd density)
Part 1: Is It Safe? (safety, prohibited items, law enforcement, crime)
Part 2: Crush Hour(Transportation, Getting to DC, Getting to the Mall, the Metro)
Part 3: When Nature Calls (restrooms, sanitation)
Part 4: Phone Frenzy (Cell phones, texting, finding lost friends)
Part 5: Food for Thought (Food, sack lunches, vendors, restaurants)
Part 6: Got Balls?

Links for 1/9

Note: after today, the Links feature will be on hiatus until Friday, January 16.

Barack Obama now officially president elect, because congress said so. (LA Times)
Trouble in paradise for democrats. Okay, it's not really paradise, but there's still trouble. (NY Times)
The new black: Obama should keep his Blackberry (Popular Science)
Bush has advice for Obama. My advice: don't listen to Bush. (U.S. News and World Report)
Ain't no party like an Obama party: presidential ball itinerary released (LA Times)

Congress Sworn In

While Obama has yet to take office, the 111th Congress has been sworn in, which is the congressional equivalent of being inaugurated. It's unfortunate I couldn't have been in Washington for that too, but I have the feeling it was a bit less exciting than the actual inauguration will be. I wish congress the best of luck, you guys certainly have your work cut out for you.

THE OBAMATHON GUIDE.™ Part 5: Food for Thought

Having already covered one essential bodily function, the Obamathon Guide turns its attention to a less unpleasant and more tasty (I hope) set of bodily functions: eating and drinking. For most inaugural attendees, eating will be a simple matter of course, while for some of the elite it will be a matter of three course meals. Nonetheless, here are a few tips on where to eat, what to eat, and even when to eat - yes, it makes a difference.

For the less epicurean inaugural attendees, the most attractive option is probably bringing in your own food. This will save you cash, and you can be creative about what you bring. For those of you with front row seats or plans to attend the parade, keep in mind a few pertinent restrictions: no coolers, thermoses, or bags larger than 8"x6"x4". For those riding in on the metro, there are no items specifically prohibited for inauguration day other than bicycles, but the WMATA recommends you take as little as possible (sorry WMATA, I'm not giving up my PB&J). Those in possession of semi-reinforced lunch bags should bring them if they want any hope of leaving the metro without squished sandwiches. Also, don't bring anything that spoils easily or can easily spill and make a mess.

For those of you planning to get to DC early and not wanting to buy food, you'll have to pack more food. Obamathon Man plans to eat an energy bar in the morning to stave off hunger for as long as possible; even if they aren't that nutritious, they work for me. Also, it would be best to bring a small water bottle - while you don't want to drink too much, you should have some liquids with your food.

Those wary of brown-baggin' it can always try buying food from vendors. Specific locations have been designated for vendors both North and South of the parade route. It's pretty much assumed that vendor markup will be outrageous; be prepared to pay top dollar for a hot dog, and don't be surprised if ketchup costs extra.

For those of you classy enough to eat at a sit-down restaurant, word on the street is you'd better book a table now. Most restaurants appear to still be open on inauguration day, but call in advance, especially if the restaurant you have in mind is near the parade route. The good news is, so far there aren't any reports about restaurants price-gouging on the 20th, but of course that's subject to change. Also, since getting around is going to be an issue, leave plenty of time to make it to the restaurant by the time you reserved, and avoid making a reservation North of the parade route if you're going to watch the parade on the South side. While I won't be providing a full guide to the restaurants of Washington DC, here's a site that does. There's also DC foodies, as well as my arch nemesis's food guide.

For me, the inauguration isn't really about the food. But on Jan. 20, the taste of hope will be sweet. See you in DC.

THE OBAMATHON GUIDE.™
Introduction (history, crowd density)
Part 1: Is It Safe? (safety, prohibited items, law enforcement, crime)
Part 2: Crush Hour(Transportation, Getting to DC, Getting to the Mall, the Metro)
Part 3: When Nature Calls (restrooms, sanitation)
Part 4: Phone Frenzy (Cell phones, texting, finding lost friends)
Part 5: Food For Thought
Part 6: Got Balls? (Inaugural balls, dress codes, bars)

UPDATE: Inauguration Road Closures

View Larger Map

The biggest news happens when you don't have access to the internet. Today, the secret service has announced the road closures for inauguration day; it looks suspiciously like the closures from the last inauguration. There is also a lengthy list of vehicle restriction guidelines and bridge closures. Road closures take effect at 3 PM January 19, and last until 7 am, January 21. The secret service has also listed entry points to the parade route, which will open at 7 AM, and cautions: "All attendees, including general public and ticketed guests, are subject to a thorough security screening before entering the Inaugural parade route, the White House reviewing stand and the Inaugural balls. Please allow for additional time for this security screening, as it is expected that lines may be long." Thanks, SS! Way to earn your coily earpieces. Here's the complete list of entry points for the parade route:

- 2nd Street NW and C Street NW
- 3rd Street NW and C Street NW
- Indiana Avenue NW between 6th St NW and 7th St NW
- 7th Street NW and D Street NW
- 10th Street NW and E Street NW
- 12th Street NW and E Street NW
- E Street NW just east of 13th Street NW
- 13th Street NW just North of E Street NW
- 14th Street NW just North of E Street NW
- 12th Street NW between Constitution Avenue. and Pennsylvania Avenue
- 10th Street NW between Constitution Avenue. and Pennsylvania Avenue
- 7th Street NW between Constitution Avenue. and Pennsylvania Avenue
- Constitution Avenue between 6th Street NW and 7th Street NW

But the worst part is they refer to the whole thing as "The Inaugural". Grrrrrrr.

Slow Day

Obamathon Man was about to let loose with a brilliant post today when the power cut out, sending him and his associate back to the dark ages, or some other time period when they didn't have internet. Rest assured, I'll be posting later on tonight.

Some updates related to Colorado's pioneering role in renewable energy: we sold a bed today, and the buyer turned out to be a contractor. He told us how he was able to build a house which averaged $8 in monthly utility bills, using photovoltaic cells and solar water heating, which also could be used to heat the house itself - schweet! Onward Colorado, the future is bright with the gleam of solar cells.