While in DC it seemed like everywhere I went was the “Official Inauguration Headquarters” (sorta like in NY how every Ray’s Pizza is the “original.”) Granted there was plenty of Obama-inspired advertising but none was as big as Ikea’s Embrace Change or Pepsi’s Refresh Everything campaigns. They were both plastered everywhere.

I’m a bit weary of the cultish attitude but I like both campaigns. I love the idea of building my own oval office and Pepsi’s site has some good content. More importantly both are in support of change and that’s definitely something I can get with.

The enterprenurial spirit of D.C was the best. I could purchase anything remotely Obama related on any corner. The prices weren’t bad either. As one vendor put it, “stimulate the economy right here!”

Two ladies from Alabama came up and signed a 2 week lease at 15th and U Street to open this Everything Obama Store.

You gotta get your commemorative paper.

I think the hand warmers were the best seller for the day. I walked away with this New Car scent air freshener. Wish I had bought the Obama cologne too.

The NYtimes has an informative video on skateboarding in Afghanistan and an Aussie who’s established the first skate school in Kabul. A girl comments, “We skate because we want to lose our fear and to get courage and to be healthy.”

Check it out on NYtimes Video page.

Getting into the designated areas—the mall and parade grounds—was, at times, hopeless. Considering the anticipation of the event I thought D.C could’ve done a better job in planning for and managing the 1.8 million people. There was no signage or announcements to help direct people, which led to rumors amongst the crowd of gates closing, which line this really was, what the correct entrance is for the purple seats and so forth. There weren’t nearly enough metal detector gates to check each and every individual—which is expected and appreciated. And it was cold.

But I would do it all over again. People helped each other out, we sang songs, bought each other Barackwursts—it’s something I’ll remember forever.

The Gates.

Secret Service worked efficiently.

On the other side.

A Jeep on steroids.

Finally at our seats!

Maryland Transit Administration’s 1957 GMC Bus. A decal on the side reads, “It All Started on a Bus; Rosa Parks; 1913-2005; The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.”

The President’s motorcade approaches.

The crowd on the 701 Building looks on.

On the lookout.

Nicholas Trotta, the assistant director for the office of protective operations, comments “although many of the vehicles’ security enhancements cannot be discussed, it is safe to say that this car’s security and coded communications systems make it the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world.” A hybrid between a Cadillac’s STS and DTS luxury sedans, I can only imagine the interior. Read more at Detnews.

Mr. President and the First Lady.

Onward and upward.

I’ve been looking for a bath mat for some time now and I think this might be the one. Designed by Nguyen La Chanh, the steam and water drippings that all bathrooms experience is enough to keep this piece of turf alive.

Soft and cushy when dry, if you can avoid it from getting too soggy I’m sure it would feel pretty good to step out on after a shower. Most likely one of the first forms of plant life to show up on earth, placing it in the modern day bathroom offers an interesting dichotomy.

A living and breathing addition to an otherwise stale room, the moss will also filter air keeping the room a bit more fresh. I’m sure you could use a bit of that.

via Yanko

Taking the candy necklace to the next level is this Gummy Bear Chandelier by YaYa Chou. Part of a series of works, check out his other Gummy Bear pieces on his site.

I hope they are made with the original Haribo Gummy Bears. Nothing matches Haribo’s freshness, taste and chewiness. Yum.

When was the last time you had a s’more? Not a store bought cookie variety but the real-deal thing. According to the back of the graham cracker box, each square should have one marshmallow and one piece of chocolate. I’m sure there are other, more fancy recipes but you can’t go wrong with the original—simple, delicious and ‘tis the season.

First step is to wait for your fire (with a traditional s’more it’s gotta be an open fire) to burn down a bit. A lot of people make the mistake of going in to early. You wanna wait till there are some low flames but mostly burning embers.

When it’s ready, roast your marshmallow according to your preference. I personally like a golden brown color with some touches of black carbon. Make sure to use a straight roasting stick so that getting all sides of the marshmallow isn’t too much of a challenge.

Add one slice of a Hershey’s chocolate bar on top of each marshmallow. I like to squish it down a bit spreading the marshmallow over the whole cracker. It also releases a bit of the heat so you don’t burn your tongue.

Add another graham cracker to finish off the sandwich.

EAT IT ALL.

Launched in 2004, Contagious is a quarterly magazine that explores “the shifting relationship between brands and consumers, to predict the impact of new technologies and to make sense of the fragmenting media landscape.” A subscription comes complete with a DVD showcasing over 100 pieces of creative work per issue. “An intelligence resource for those attempting to stay ahead of change,” they recently released their round up of marketing coverage for 2008.

I highly suggest taking a look. Available for download and more info on subsciption at Contagious.