It feels good to see a President use the internet to reach out to the people who he represents.  Heck, it feels good to have a President reach out AT ALL!  Now that’s CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN.

And for a good laugh CLICK HERE for a video of an R&B star’s awkward moment at the Youth Inaugural Ball. (This ish is HILARIOUS!!!!!)

Have a good day,

TRAVERS  

So thanks to the people at BET, I got press credentials to attend the Youth Inaugural Ball last Tuesday, which was one of the balls that the President and First Lady attended.  Watch the video above to hear what the President had to say to the young people gathered.

And CLICK HERE to watch a video of the President and First Lady getting their dance on!  (You GOTTA see this!)

Enjoy, 

TRAVERS   

January 20, 2009

Washington, D.C. 

January 20, 2009

Dear Babies,

I don’t know your names, and we are yet to meet, but I just want you to know this one thing—your daddy was there. I was there at the exact moment that the world changed forever. 

By the time you read this, it may be hard for you to imagine me as anything but your “old man,” but as I write to you I am a 22-year-old recent college graduate who lives in New York City, and is currently in Washington , D.C.  I may be young right now, but I’ve already seen a lot in my lifetime.  I have witnessed the horror of the World Trade Center attacks, the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, and the dawn of a new millennium.  I remember the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the funeral of Pope John Paul II, and what the internet was like before YouTube and Facebook .  In my personal life I’ve experienced many triumphs and joys, and have also had my share of failures and sadness.  But I never expected to see what I saw on Tuesday, January 20, 2009—the day that the world changed forever.

You see, that was the day that President-elect Barack Obama became President Barack Obama.  That was the day that he and his beautiful wife Michelle and their lovely daughters Sasha and Malia walked onto that platform on the United States Capitol to accept their victory, the world’s victory.  On this day at 12 noon, the world stood still in amazement, and then erupted in cheers of hope and elation. 

Growing up in my small hometown of Quitman, Texas, people would always say, “Travers, you’re going to be President one day.”  Now, don’t get your hopes up, because I have no desire to hold that position. But it wasn’t until today, the day that the world changed forever, that I truly believed—without any doubts, without any reservations—that I could.

So as I reflect on this exciting day, the image that is the most vivid to me is not that of President Obama with his hand on the Bible, or even the new First Lady standing by his side.   I am thinking of those two beautiful little black girls proudly looking at their father.

And I am visualizing that one day that could be you.

With love, your daddy,

Travers

22 years old

Tuesday, January 20

Washington, D.C. 

Happy Inauguration Day!  Check out the video above for a sneak peek of the BET “Yes We Will Ball” that will be airing tonight at 8:00 p.m. on BET.

 And CLICK HERE for more exclusive photos.

TRAVERS  

Sunday, January 18

Washington, D.C. 

When I got to D.C. on Saturday I stayed with some family members, so I didn’t check-in to my hotel until Sunday.  Let me just tell you, BET h-o-o-k-e-d me UP!!!!!!!!

Check out the video above for a tour of my hotel room at the Fairfax Embassy Row  .

CLICK HERE to see more pics of the room… including some that I can’t show you on this blog. (Don’t tell my mama. Lol!)

Well we’re movin’ on up…to the WHITE HOUSE,

TRAVERS 

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Washington, D.C. 

Road to the Inauguration: Union Station from ThisAMThisPM on Vimeo.

What’s up YOU(th) VOTErs!!  So, I made it to D.C. on the afternoon of Saturday, January 17 around 6:00 p.m.  I was supposed to be getting in town at 2:45, but because my train was behind President Obama’s Whistle-Stop Tour train, it took a LOT longer to get there.  (But hey, since it was Obama who was the cause of the delay I couldn’t even be mad about it! Lol!)

So when my train finally pulled into D.C.’s Union Station, I encountered by what seemed like 1,000 people who were packed into the building with hopes of catching a glimpse of the President-elect and his family as they deboarded from their train.

Check out my video above to see just a few of the people who where there, and fast forward to the 43 second mark to hear what one lady had to say about who’s on the top of her V.I.P. list.  (You better believe I DIED laughing when I heard her say that!)  And even having to wait in line for an hour and a half to get a taxi, didn’t ruin my mood. (Probably because I was too cold to think about how long I’d been out there).  I was content knowing that I was in Washington, D.C., preparing to see history unfold before my eyes.

CLICK HERE to read about my experience with “Obama Chicken.” (And trust, it was a hot a$$ mess! LOL!)

The fun is just getting started,

 TRAVERS

Fans of The Oprah Winfrey Show got more than they bargained for when they tuned in Monday afternoon. Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill joined Oprah in Washington for a special appearance, where Jill let a mammoth of a secret slip.

In a chatty mood, Jill’s words were flowing faster than her rationale when she said, “Joe had the choice of  being secretary of state or vice president.” The vice president-elect promptly shushed his wife. (Check out the video above to see the whole embarrassing incident for yourself.)

Now Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander denies Jill’s account: “To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden one job only- to be his running mate, and the vice president-elect was thrilled to accept the offer,” she said in an e-mail to reporters.

Okay, so they’re denying it. It’s not like we haven’t seen this routine before, but Jill’s slip does bring a few questions to mind. For starters:

Would Joe Biden make a better secretary of state than Hilliary Clinton? Will Clinton supporters resent the fact that she was Obama’s second choice? And what was Jill Biden thinking?! You tell me.

-Ashley

P.S. Couldn’t she have waited until after the inauguration to open her mouth? I would LOVE to know what Joe said when they got home. No doubt the political analysts are going to run wild with this one.

Barack Obama opened up to PARADE magazine this week, when the mag published an open letter from the president-elect to his daughters Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10. (Click here to read the whole letter.)

In the letter Obama acknowledges that he’s been a bit of an absentee dad over the last two years and that he knows the future famous first puppy won’t make up for all the time they’ve spent apart.

But Obama says he has his reasons for embarking the family on this journey. The family man says he wants better schools, the chance for children to attend college no matter what their financial situation, and for all children to get good jobs with benefits that allow them to “retire with dignity.” It’s his vision for American and his own children’s future. Don’t you wish your dad was this cool?
 Hands down, my favorite line of the letter is when he says: “I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours.” How sweet is that?! Obama is going to be a great first father!

What do you think of Obama’s letter to his daughters? How will life in the public eye affect the Obama family? How will having a black family in the White House affect African American society? You tell me.

-Ashley

At Madame Tussauds’ Wax Museum in Amsterdam, President-elect Obama has already moved in…and President Bush has already been kicked to the curb.  The display at the museum shows Barack Obama smiling proudly as he looks out the window at poor George W. who has been thrown out of the Whitehouse on some Beyonce “Irreplaceable” video ish.

THIS IS HILARIOUS!!!

Create a caption for this photo and leave it in the comments section. I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with.

CLICK HERE for more photos of Bush’s early departure from the Whitehouse. 

ONLY 4 DAYS until this is a reality,

TRAVERS

Ladies and Gentlemen, in just 5 DAYS this will be the face of our great country!  Yesterday this OFFICIAL photo of our 44th President was released by the upcoming administration.  And in the forward-thinking manner that characterizes Obama, this is the FIRST digital presidential photo EVER!  It seems like this guy makes history even when he’s not trying to.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what words come to mind when you see this one?

Let me know.

TRAVERS

CLICK HERE and HERE for more photos of the Prez-elect and the future First Lady!