Hawaiian Obama-themed tours much lamer than the Kenyan safari

by Mike Barish on

Last month I told you about a safari provider that was offering a Barack Obama-themed safari in Kenya. Well, it took a little longer to trickle into the news, but now word is out of tours in the President-Elect’s old stomping grounds in Hawaii.

Whereas the Kenyan tours feature a safari and a trip to a National Park and Mt. Kenya, the current Hawaiian experience features “a 90-minute stroll through the middle-class neighborhood where Obama spent most of his preteen and teenage years.” A stroll! Through a suburb! Where the President-Elect probably had acne and self-esteem issues! Where do I sign up? That particular tour is run by “Uncle Jack” Christenson and all he asks for in return is a donation. So, you know, you get what you pay for.

At least two other for-profit providers plan to exploit the time Obama spent in the 50th state by offering tours. Not that Hawaii needs help in the tourism department. Last time I checked, more people vacation in Honolulu than in Plains, GA (home of Jimmy Carter) or Hope, Arkansas (home of Bill Clinton). Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. But staring at a school building where a politician learned arithmetic just doesn’t sound that exciting to me. If I’m in Hawaii, I’d rather be at a pig roast, failing miserably at surfing or applying to work for Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Well, at least we have options now. Be it in Kenya or Hawaii, you, too, can experience the life and times of our 44th president. Just wake me up when the Joe Biden Amtrak tour of the Mid-Atlantic opens.

Got an extra hundred grand lying around? Then this inauguration package is for you

by Jeffrey White on

The Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington has gone public with what has to be easily the most expensive inauguration travel package to date.

It’s called the Commander-In-Chief Package, and it goes for $440,000 — that’s for four people to share the hotel’s two-room Presidential suite for four nights around inauguration weekend.

What do you get for this money?

How about:

  • A private jet for arrival and departure
  • A private dinner with its own entertainment
  • Chauffeur 24/7
  • Entrance to all inaugural events
  • A shopping spree worth $44,000
  • Free makeovers at Elizabeth Arden
  • A puppy

Yeah, that last one’s a nice detail. Guests get to pick their own “Presidential Puppy.”

So, if you have some extra cash to burn, this inaugural package just might be the ticket. You won’t be able to end the Iraq War, but for a few days you’ll nevertheless be treated like a president.

There’s no one as Irish as Barack Obama

by Jerry Guo on

President-elect Barack Obama is truly multicultural. His heritage list has added up during this year’s electoral race: Kenyan, Indonesian, Hawaiian, and Kansas’ian? Now it turns out that, like any good American mutt, Obama is Irish, too.

According to a search undertaken by Ancestry.co.uk, Obama’s maternal roots can be traced to the village of Monegal in Ireland’s County Offaly. Apparently the future President’s great-grandfather was a shoemaker from the village who eventually emigrated to New York.

A musical group from the village, Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys, has even written a song for the occasion.



The chorus of the song says: O’Leary, O’Reilly, O’Hare and O’Hara / There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama…
and the lyrics go on to suggest that Obama is as Irish bacon and cabbage and call for the President-elect to get his jig on doing Riverdance.

During the recent election hubbub, the villagers of Monegal have claimed Obama as their own and invited him to come and visit the village, with hopes that the President-elect’s search for his Irish roots will also boost tourism to the quiet town.

British Airways CEO Sees Little To Be Excited about in the US

by Josh Lew on

After the election of Barack Obama and a Democratic Party majority in the house and senate, British Airways CEO Willie Walsh sees little to be optimistic about as far as stateside operations go. Many European carriers would like to see additions to the Open Skies Agreement, which provided greater rights for foreign-owned airlines to operate within the US. Walsh is worried about Obama’s support of US labor groups. “I think it’s very clear Obama has taken a strong line in relation to any change in the ownership and control regulations. So at this point I would not be expecting any major progress to be made.”

Right now, foreign companies can have no more than a 25% share in US-based airlines. That is not likely to change, especially considering the weak state many airlines are currently in. With a rumored merger with American Airlines now seemingly out of the question, BA is focusing on partnering with AA to offer better trans-Atlantic service. Before going ahead with that, though, they must receive approval from US antitrust investigators.

[Via Airwise]

Photo of the Day (11.08.09)

by Anna Brones on

No matter what your political leanings are, we’re all going to remember where we were on November 4, 2008. The momentous election of an African American as US President was watched around the world. This photo by pirano of various foreign newspapers all featuring President-Elect Barack Obama gives us an idea of just how “global” the American election was. Where were you?

Want your shot considered for Photo of the Day? Submit it to Gadling’s Flickr pool.