Lisa Ling's Inauguration Blog

2:14 p.m. Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Being alive today is a gift greater than anything I have ever received. I am speechless. President Obama, thank you for being more compassionate, gracious and inclusive than I could ever be.

Thank you for inspiring us to be better people and to be better to people. May your desire to engage those of all backgrounds infect us all. I am so deeply proud of us today.

— Lisa






7:37 a.m. Tuesday, January 20, 2009
I had the intention of stopping by a couple of events last night—D.C. is a buzz with more parties perhaps than any other city on earth. But because of security for the presidential parade today, streets were closed off by about 11 p.m. So I made it only to the Green Ball, hosted by former Vice President Al Gore.

My husband Paul and I wanted to be there because we are trying to build the first carbon-neutral home in our neighborhood. The movement towards energy independence is a good and important one, and the party was filled with people who support this way of thinking. It was an impressive line-up of performers: Maroon 5, John Legend, Will.i.am and Shakira, among others.

But getting into these parties is a ridiculous endeavor. It's definitely not what this week should be about. In fact, if I'm going to be frank, my big complaint with this week has been that the events really seem to be reserved for those with connections or resources. I heard that there's a party where tickets are going for $10,000. Now these are not the official balls—those go for around $150 unless tickets are scalped. Especially in these challenging times, gluttonous behavior is increasingly intolerable (to me). But today is about what is going to happen on the steps of the Capitol: history.

— Lisa