Okay folks, I know that this is a rather short diary entry, but time is short. A friend of mine will be unable to attend tonight's Mid-Atlantic Ball in D.C. and I therefore have an extra ticket available. I am making it available to the Daily Kos community.
As many of you already know, what distinguishes the Mid-Atlantic Ball from the other inaugural balls is that the musical performance will be by The Dead, consisting of the remaining members of the Grateful Dead along with guitarist Warren Haynes of Government Mule fame. Like all of the 'official' balls, President Obama will make an appearance during the course of the evening's festivities. The affair is black tie, i.e. tuxedos for men and evening gowns for women, at starts at 8 (doors open at 6). I will meet the person who wins the opportunity to purchase the ticket at cost ($150 plus $12 in ticketmaster charges for a total of $162, as a donation to UNICEF) outside the Washington Convention Center where it is to be held.
I was a staffer of the Obama Campaign for Change and am a fervent supporter of Senator Obama and his agenda. I am also a diehard fan of The Dead, having seen them many, many times in the last 16 years or so of Jerry Garcia's life. I therefore put up the ticket for availability to the individual who posts a comment which shows the best personal connection to both Barack and the rock of The Dead. Sorry, but no republicans need apply; I still bear grudges over what damage they have wrought over the past 28 years.
UPDATE: We have a winner! I also posted the competition to the Washington DC Craigslist ticket page as there is a healthy interest in inauguration ball tickets there. Our winner (who happens to also be a Kossack) is Chuck Caspari. Here is his story:
I've been a Deadhead since the mid-70's, seeing them over 180 times from '79 (first show: Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis) through '95 (last show: RFK) and in their various incarnations since (most recently seeing Ratdog the day after Obama won the election - that was a very highly-charged show).
I've also been a tireless worker for, and supporter of, President Obama (man, does it feel good to type that for the first time!). The most fun I had during the campaign was when my band, the Road (then known as the Pleasant Mountain Boys), played a fundraiser at the converted firehouse/art studio of Greg Kraft, which was a blast and raised well over $10,000 for the campaign.
Of course, the thing that ties it all together is that our band plays mostly Dead tunes!