Not all standing ovations are created equal. This was abundantly clear at last week’s swearing-in ceremony of members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) at the Library of Congress.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) reached movie-star status as he received the most emphatic standing ovation of the day. Practically whenever he was addressed, CBC lawmakers and audience members would leap off their seats to applaud him. When Obama was mentioned formally, Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) was the first to shoot out of his seat and begin clapping, followed by the entire auditorium of guests.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson wasn’t as lucky. When it was formally announced that the famed civil rights leader was in the audience, CBC members sitting on the stage rose out of their chairs but much of the audience remained seated as he stood and waved. Willie Brown, San Francisco’s popular former mayor, also received a lukewarm standing ovation. Some members of the audience left their seats; some did not.

Of course, Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.), the CBC’s incoming chairman, had no problem receiving a full standing ovation (both by members and the audience) after he delivered a humbling speech in which he admitted that he has wrestled with how he will measure up to past CBC chairs.

Are we in the airport or the Rayburn Building?

Just in case you were confused, when you enter the Rayburn Building you are not about to board an airplane. But it feels that way.

When you enter the main door of Rayburn off Constitution Avenue, you are asked to place your belongings in a shallow gray tub. You must remove your coat. Then a serious-looking Capitol Police officer guides you through the metal detector.

So far, thankfully, we don’t have to remove our shoes or undergo a full-body frisking.

Ritz-Carlton offers guests royal treatment 

The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown is doing its week of inauguration festivities right.

The hotel has bought $44,000 worth of Maine lobster, $30,000 of caviar, $80,000 in prime Texas beef and $20,000 worth of yellow roses to decorate the lobby and other areas of the hotel.

That’s only the beginning.

Doormen will wear Stetsons to accompany the Lone Star State menu in the hotel restaurant — rattlesnake nachos, Texas chili and vodka from Austin. A special “toast jockey” will ensure that thick Texas toast is delivered hot and fresh for breakfast room service.

Two dozen cufflinks, bowties, studs and cummerbunds have been ordered for last-minute requests, and extra seamstresses will be on hand. A “boot butler” will make sure boots are properly shined.

To top it all off, guests will receive inauguration “survival kits,” which, appropriately, will include antacids and aspirin.

When the last guest has checked out, employees will receive an “I survived Inauguration 2005” T-shirt.

Get a massage and help sick children 

For staffers who can’t seem to find the time to pamper themselves, Andre Chreky, a day spa in downtown Washington will host its seventh annual 24-hour “Salon-A-Thon.”

The spa marathon is being put on in conjunction with The Washington Post and raises money for uninsured children in need of medical help at Children’s National Medical Center. Spa services begin Saturday, and you can get everything from a pedicure to a massage to a haircut.

For more information, call (202) 293-2634.

Edited by Betsy Rothstein

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