By Joe Klein

It’s been a busy several days for the New Media Creative guys, particularly Brett and myself, since returning from the marathon trip to Southern California, the Bay Area and Las Vegas. We’re still in the process of preparing the post about the four conferences Brett and I attended in Las Vegas. My text has been written, but Brett has been swamped with his very busy new media and personal life and has yet to find the time to compose his own text that will be included in the post. Between the two of us, we shot a lot of photos and I have nearly finished selecting and editing the photos I shot. We only want to post the best and most interesting shots. Brett promises he’ll get to the task of compiling his pictures in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, it’s time for me to take a bold step here on the New Media Creative company blog and comment a bit on the events of the day, which are, in fact, far more important than company news or the trade shows and conferences we attended.

I have never attended for this site or blog to be a personal platform, but, what the heck, there really are no strict rules when it comes to blogging, or new media for that matter. Besides, to this date, I’ve never maintained a personal blog of my own (sniff) so, as Richard Gere sobbed in “An Officer And A Gentleman” so many years ago, “ I got no place else to go!”

I do hope you’ll bear with me as I step away from the company-oriented dialogue that normally appears on this site for just a day or two to comment on the excitement I personally feel about the inauguration of Barack Obama, which is less than ten hours away as I compose this.

Okay, our new president may be just “another politician” when all is said and done, but, just as a few young, vibrant presidents who have preceded him have done, this politician, with his incredibly well organized and executed campaign coupled with a superior intellect, savvy, speaking skills and charisma, has managed to captivate and energize our country in a way that hasn’t occurred in many years. The excitement and hope that Barack Obama has generated, particularly leading up to the climax that was the November election and the months since couldn’t have happened at a time when it was needed more.

As a bona-fide and accomplished mainstream and new media producer who has seen my own personal ups and downs, one thing has always remained constant in media, as it is in life. Timing is everything. And one thing anyone would have a hard time disputing is that Obama’s timing was right on the money.

Love him or hate him (and I certainly hope you don’t hate the guy, for heaven’s sake), IMHO, Barack Obama is just what our country needs right now. Whether you agree or disagree with his politics, policies, proposals or programs, you have to agree that at least he has us talking and thinking. Insight and introspection coupled with rational and productive dialogue is our best hope for moving the country forward in these very difficult and challenging times. Motivation to do so was something that I personally feel was lacking from the outgoing administration. In fact, it’s been my observation that, as the economy began to totally unravel over the last year and our collective spirits plunged, all the branches of our government seemed to withdraw, run for cover and finger point. This lack of leadership and failure to step up to the plate and take definitive action (other than buy-outs and bail-outs) was further aggravating the worsening scenario and doing little, if anything, to raise our deflated spirits.

So. my fellow new media mavens and Americans, I hope you will, at the least, join me in brief celebration of this coming of needed change and the hopes that our new, young president and his highly-educated and experienced team of “fellow politicians” will usher in a new era that history will recount fondly as a time when the United States of America was “saved from the brink” once again. If there’s ever been a better time in the last half century to raise our glasses and join in singing the classic song “High Hopes,” I can’t think of one. In fact, wouldn’t you agree that we have no choice at present but to hope against all hope that there are better days ahead?

My sincere apologies if my “political break” has offended in any way. I promise that we will return to our “regular programming” following the inauguration and its accompanying festivities! Meanwhile, I’m offering up a very special treat I was turned on to via Twitter! It’s a great “amateur” video shot on stage immediately following the memorable “We Are One” event at at the Lincoln Memorial this past weekend (which I had the pleasure of watching in glorious high-definition courtesy of HBO). It was shot by a cameraman accompanying music artist John Legend (who performed along with James Taylor in a great rendition of Taylor’s great old song “Shower The People”). The video was shot on stage as all the performers waited waited to shake hands with the President and Vice-President elect. This video is truly the purest example of the validity and power of new media, and, barely twenty four hours after appearing online, has already earned its place in new media history if you ask me. In it’s own modest way, this very cool raw video is an awesome, yet intimate view of a historic moment in time that is so appropriate to the day that I was compelled to share it here.

What’s left to say, other than God bless New Media, and GOD BLESS AMERICA!  Enjoy…….

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