Another Obama Victory Party

Last night, a number of us who worked at the San Jose Obama office during the campaign gathered to celebrate our success. Nancy Jennings, who managed the phone bank at San Jose, was in Washington for the inaugural so invited us to her home Jan. 31 to share our stories and thoughts on the inauguration and the victory we helped make happen.
Nancy showed us the digital photographs she took while there, including one taken at the moment Obama put his hand on Lincoln's bible. Another showed the helicopter taking George and Laura Bush out of Washington...for good, we hope. Nancy said people on the ground were waving at the helicopter and singing, "Sha na na na, Sha na na na, Hey-hey, Good-bye!"
Here's a photo of Nancy (r) with another volunteer, Shalini Venkatesh
Pictured here (l-r) are Nancy, Me, Noha Ragab and Kit Reed. Noha and Kit worked the reception desk and I was a phone bank supervisor.
Galen Swain (r) was a big part of the campaign effort, making several trips to Nevada and other states. On the left is Abdel Houssni.
Another shot of Nancy, Noha and Kit, who is also Nancy's neighbor.
Nancy told us that when she and her boyfriend, Kelly, first got to Washington they were walking near 17th & Pennsylvania Ave., heard police motorcycles rev up and escort two black limousines. Seated in the back seat of the second lino was President-elect Obama. How cool is that 30 minutes after coming to Washington? He was going to the concert at the Lincoln Memorial Sunday featuring Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce and Mary J. Blige, among others.
Kelly photoshoped a picture made to look like President Obama is body-surfing in the ocean and put it on buttons given to everyone at the party. The caption: "Barack Obama. Coolest President Ever!"

CIA asked to authenticate Steve Jobs video

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency is working to verify the authenticity of a videotape released Wednesday purporting to show Apple CEO Steve Jobs a day after the company said he would no longer be making appearances at the annual Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
The video, released to YouTube, shows Jobs, wearing his iconic black turtleneck, visiting Apple’s retail store in Palo Alto, Calif., looking through a selection of iPod Nanos on sale.

Although the footage is grainy, owing to obviously not being shot with an iPhone, one Apple expert challenged the notion that the video was shot Wednesday. Jobs, says AppleFanatic.com Editor Josh Newman, appears to be holding a previous generation Nano, not the new line of “nano-chromatic” model media players introduced in September.

“Do they think we’re stupid?” Newman asked, incredulously.

The news that Jobs would no longer make Macworld public appearances raised speculation among a skeptical press corps about Jobs’ health, especially in the wake of his noticeably gaunt appearance at the Apple WWDC in June.

While the CIA studied the video with the same team of experts that study Osama bin Laden’s taped tirades, shareholders petitioned the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to require Apple to produce a photo of Jobs holding a copy of today’s newspaper.

A shareholder rights advocate, Ben Larsen, assured the SEC that some newspapers still print hard copies of their publications which Jobs could hold up in a photo.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, in an obscenity-laced statement, said he could confirm Jobs’s continuing good health, but demanded $350,000 and "a f***ing brand new" 3G iPhone to divulge it. "And with free service from f***ing Verizon, not AT&-f***ing-T," the governor added.

One piece of evidence indicating the video may be of recent origin is a blurry image of what appears to be a shoe flying over Jobs’s head as he leans down to inspect a new MacBook.

Story about me on CNET

Last week I went to a networking event in San Francisco and was introduced to Greg Sandoval, a reporter for CNET and told him I was looking for a fulltime job. The next day Greg called and wanted to interview me for a story about the effect of the recession on people. The result is this article. Faces of the Recession , which was posted on CNET's Web site Monday.

San Francisco Auto Show

As the economy struggles and Congress considers a $25 billion bailout of the Big Three, automakers put on their best face at auto shows like the San Francisco International Auto Show going on this week at the Moscone Center. A few highlights:

I don't want us to pay $25 billion to save this (Hummer H2):

Things have gotten so bad. they're selling used cars at the auto show (1940 Buick)

For those above it all (Bentley):

Escape pod for an Escalade (Smart car):

The carmakers are supposed to come back to Congress next month with a plan on how to spend the $25 billion taxpayers may pony up to save their industry. Here are five conditions I think should be placed on them getting the funds.

5. The gas filler door should go either on the left side or the right side of the car. Pick one!

4. Apologize for the Vega, the Pinto, the Gremlin and the Pacer.

3. Service departments barred from saying, “They all make that noise.”

2. An Escalade Hybrid? Are you f-ing kidding me?

And the number one condition for the $25 billion bailout:

1.Flying car: still waiting.