My Obama Trip

A US Data Plan for Streaming Video from a Cellphone...

I've tried to research cellular providers in the US who offer pay as you go, no contract, data plans. Looks like I'm heading to the nearest T-Mobile store to the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel on monday morning.

More Folks Documenting their Inauguration...

• Dan and his Youtube Channel (looking forward to meeting you in DC, new friend!)
• 6 Wichita Residents who met on Twitter, trying to spend less than 200$ each, driving in a 70's era van to DC (track their driving progress)

The Magnificent and the Just Plain Weird...

DC is starting to inaugirify itself, by the looks of it. People are starting to arrive, portapotties and chairs are starting to be set up. Here are some photos I found in my travels online:

Ken Yum took this great photo of all these chairs set up by the majestic set up at the Capitol Building:

click for a bigger image and see more pics at Ken's blog (he took a great action one of Obama passing in the Presidential Limo)

Then, at the DCist blog, there is this taken by Jason Cragg:

Here is the back story to the photo...about the prostitution free zone created for the inauguration.

The Gear I Hope to Use on the Big Day!

Looks like backpacks and tripods will be prohibited in certain key areas of DC on Inauguration Day. I am really hoping to be able to use a lot of different smaller items to document the whole experience.

So, I think I will leave my camcorder - a Panasonic PV-GS300 - at home.

 

Sorry honey!

I will be taking some pretty neat gear though.

First up, for audio recording:

A Samson Zoom H2 audio recorder:

Very versatile, compact recording device. Takes regular double A batteries and SD cards for storage, so can power and store as much audio as I want pretty easily.

 A couple of iRiver 790t voice recorders

These little wonders are really old school, but still pack a real punch. Great audio quality, very unobtrusive. Are actually sold mainly as MP3 players, but really record well. 256 megs, done right.

Video recording

Flip Ultra

I actually have two of these, one has a broken video screen. Great video quality for size and ease of use. Takes double A batteries, but does not offer removal storage with SD card or the like. Plus side is that little usb arm flips out, plugs into any computer, and can upload to popular video hosting web sites.

Nokia N95

An incredibly versatile cell phone. Has great 5 mb digital camera, video camera, music player, gps. Does almost anything, albeit not as elegantly as an iphone. Has wifi and cell connectivity  - I am really hoping to stream video from the N95 at the inauguration but will depend on availability of pay as you go data plan (going to try t-mobile) and reliability of cell data service with a couple of million people around me.

Pictures

Panasonic Lumix


What can I say, this a trusty little camera, Good picture quality, does video in a pinch. Have to charge battery, takes removal SD card storage.

Other folks tripping to the inauguration...

• Depaul University Student Journos (Hello DannytheDemon!)
• San Jose State University Student Journos

Others tripping to the Inauguration...

Many interesting people from all over are heading to the inauguration. I will try to post links to their blogs and web sites from time to time. Here is my first installment:

• National Post Managing Editor - Ken Yum
• Worcester Academy Student Citizen Journalists (using the very best of social media tech!)

More people can be found by searching on twitter for the #inaug09 and #dctrip09

The anatomy of the genesis of this trip...

On my 39th birthday, I was sitting at home on the computer one evening. I'd toyed with the idea of trying to get to Obama's inauguaration, but thought it would not be possible. One door in my life closed, not getting re-elected to Kamloops city council. Council had a meeting on Jan 20th 2009, but that day now freed up for me.

I checked my airmiles that evening, worried a bit about what to do, then plunged in. Within 30 minutes or so, had booked a flight and paid the taxes and relevant fees.

Accommodation was the next step. I have family about an hour or so out, but I wanted to try to get at least one or two nights in DC itself. Very tough.  Exhorbitant prices, minimum stays that really dont work for me, dodgy web sites, but got a room at L'Enfant Plaza for about $420 or so for the night. That is the night of the 18th. 19th at my family's , 20th probably there as well.