So, my thoughts so far -

1. Despite the supposed huge presence of anarchists, what I have mostly seen is that capitalism is alive and thriving in downtown Denver. Although I did get a good chuckle out of one sign I saw that said, “Two cheeks of the same arse” and then had a picture of Obama on one side and a picture of McCain on the other side. Of course, after chuckling, I just had to shake my head. So what exactly do they think they are going to accomplish? Pretty much nothing. This is our system, folks. Work with it.

2. Most people seem interested in just seeing what is going on. I’ve seen some demonstrators and minor clashes with the police, including a group of police on horseback trying to keep a crowd back from what must have been an arrested protestor. I didn’t want to get too close, but the crowd was chanting, “Let him go, let him go” and the police were yelling for people to stand back. Eventually, the guy was taken off and not much else happened. But again, as I’ve walked around downtown, it mostly seems to be a lot of people just wanting to see what is all happening.

3. And then of course, there seem to be a lot of people just hoping to catch sight of a celebrity. I’ve heard one woman on her cell phone talking about Anne Hathaway - she obviously had met her. And I walked by Earl’s on Tuesday around lunch and a crowd was hovering outside, so I asked one of the 16th Street Mall guides and apparently Susan Sarandon had been spotted on the mall and Spike Lee was in Earl’s. By political standards, neither is very noteworthy. By normal standards of people who like to be star struck, pretty much par for the course.

I may be speaking too soon, but so far, it seems rather exciting for our city of Denver, but relatively tame in comparison to much more turbulent times.

I will have to admit that I did check out the MSNBC tower and while there I caught a glimpse of Jimmy Carter as he was being interviewed on the second floor of this tower, and then I caught a glimpse of him as he came down the stairs afterwards. Since you can’t really see much of anything on the second floor of this tower, it is obviously not built for the benefit of the public. It does give a nice view for the camera of Union Station and maybe?? some extra measure of security for the people being interviewed???? Not really sure…..

And since I plan to head back downtown tomorrow for a short time, it should be interesting to see what happens next. This time I’ll take my camera along, which probably means I won’t see anything noteworthy since I’ll actually be prepared for it this time.

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in a word, meh.

Not for a lack of interesting things going on, I find the convention very interesting and wish I had more time to hit up the cool things going on this week, alas, I do not. I did walk over to the sustainable living roadshow area, over on 16th and central (i think 16th). That was a let down. apparently sustainable living centers mainly on wearing hemp clothing and eating cupcakes. The band at the head of the street didn’t suck, that was good.

I find much of the spectacle a bit over the top. MSNBC has a two freakin’ story news tower thing, over at Union station. They are the news for crying out loud! It looks like a siege engine. Is that really necessary?

The blue mailbox thing is irksome, though I can see the concern.

I haven’t even laid eyes on the armed camp that is the Pepsi Center. I don’t plan to. I’ve been watching some of the goings on live over the intertubes, I’ll probably consume the speeches over the weekend.

I had one funny observation down on 16th last night however. some crazy skatery looking kids are walking in front of my wife and I, and some bible thumper (not one of the regular ones on 16th mind you) tells the skater kid to ‘go home’ after the skater kid makes a snide remark when told how much Jesus loves him. To which, skater kid (kudos to him) said, “I am home, you go home. You’ve come to my home!” Bible thumper was speechless, he kinda sputtered a bit, then turned his attention to the people behind my wife and I as we passed laughing at him.

To all you wingnuts; political and religious, try to remember, you’re visitors here.

I don’t want your bible card, I don’t need an Obama button, umbrella, t-shirt, bobble head, you name it. I just want to go to the bank, an deposit a check, then I want to run to the post office to mail a CD to my friend in the limited window of time available to me.

So that’s my thoughts so far.

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apparently the DNC is the perfect time and place to unveil some rather interesting “wall art”

The empty (I think) warehouse next door is sporting this little number

Then walking to the gym this morning, I spied this little guy on an old loading dock platform.

damn straight! The amount of Juice needed to propel a Delorean through time!

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Well, it had to happen eventually.  The Re-Create 68 crowd can’t trust the police anymore.  And the leader has this non-commital thing to say when asked what “no more truce” means in the big picture,

Pressed for specifics on what the “ending of the truce” would mean on the streets for the final days of the DNC, Spagnuolo shrugged.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Spagnuolo.

Oh good.  Because Denver really needs more of this.  Having read through Littlegreenfootballs coverage (this post has the specifics) with Zombie (he’s a undercover conservative brother) and seen pictures of the urine bags in question…I have no doubt the police have their reasons for bringing a little heat (rhetorical heat mind you) to this situation.  I can only hope these guys wise up and protest peacefully and meaningfully, versus violently and pointlessly.

If any of our fellow authors feel compelled to post about this whole hulaboo and take a counterpoint I’m interested to see what you think.  I’d hate to be the only voice inparting my opinion.  :)

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*update*  8/27/2008 Read this and then see the comments section below for some interesting back and forth*

I think this blog is going to see more political posts in the coming week than it ever has and I’m intrigued to see how my fellow authors in the Mile High City feel about the visitors from around the world. I for one have reached a love and hate point tonight. After Bisset linked us to the Met I looked through the posts and found myself conflicted.

When I see someone wearing a bandanna over most of their face, dark clothes covering their body and shouting words like “FU*K the WAR!” and generally behaving like over sized toddlers in the middle of 16th street mall where kids and families are…I tend to have a feeling similar to bile in the back of my mouth. When people in this modern age think that The Man is out to get them, that the Police have nothing better to do then to push them down and that somehow Anarchy is a better way of life, it troubles me.

I’m all for freedom of speech. Lord knows it’s been a tenant of this country since we all got started way back when. But there are certain things that come into play. Assembling yourself in a manner that is against the law, blocking traffic and generally causing more pain for regular Joes’ and Janes’…that I have a problem with. Maybe I’m getting too old and cranky. Perhaps its the (R) blood shining through.

Perhaps my point is that when I see pictures from The Met with “FU*K a PIG!” sprayed on a wall…I have to wonder. I have to wonder what the point of this aggressively explicit wordplay is exactly. Sure, getting your point out is one thing. Knowing your audience is another.

Perhaps that’s my point. Denver is not Seattle. Maybe Boulder could pass for the Northwest. Here in Denver we’re a little more…intellectual. Mind you as I walked the streets on Sunday I heard plenty of statements about the men and women in Blue that threatened to send me into a tizzy. But maybe, just maybe…adjusting the manner of broadcasting your message might be better suited? I can only imagine how tired people are going to get of this week long protesting and violent action.

I guess what I’m asking for is some discussion. Our comment section has kind of gotten some cobwebs lately. I know there’s plenty of people out there with a unique perspective. So, let’s see if we can have a civil conversation about all this.

Savvy?

Update: Here’s a sample of a protester from today, via BigBagNews (warning, their normal videos are VERY coarse)

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Hey all,

Just giving a shameless plug for the Metropolitan’s blog (since we’re locked out of our offices and can’t do a print version). We’ve been running around town trying to cover as much as possible, so if it’s not in this metroblog, you can get your DNC hit here

Stay safe!

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I am a stranger in a strange land, this is for certain.  Aaron DeLay (distantly related to famous Republican Tom DeLay aka The Hammer) stood in the midst of 16th street mall today…and managed to make it out with the (R) still next to his name.

Considering all the events in question, I was lucky!

All kidding aside, it’s a mad house that is controlled chaos downtown and I would suggest anyone and everyone take a run down to check it out.  Make sure you have someone with you (just in case the useless anarchists get a clue and start doing what they usually do) and enjoy the sights and sounds of Democracy in Denver.  Today I walked from one end of the mall to the other taking video and just observing.

That video is sitting in a pile on my laptop right now.  It’ll get there.

Things of note today.  I ran into Tom Brokaw.  Literally.  Outside Johnny Rockets and on the corner taking video of the cops and all…when suddenly I noticed someone down the street.  It couldn’t be.  Just him and his wife.  Nobody with him.

And it totally was.  He walked by us and did the voice we all know and love.  And continued on down.  9news reported today that most people didn’t even see him.  I think I saw him because I was looking.  And I couldn’t stop shaking after he had walked by.  Only Walter Cronkite would have completed the moment and I just might have had another stroke (jokes about my stroke are a-ok, in case you’re wondering) and go to heaven happy meeting two of my idols.

I observed guys that are probably famous in government that I don’t know about.  Secret Service and all kinds of law enforcement were out in well, force.  It was calm for the most part until some (I really don’t like anarchists…and I can’t apologize for the dislike because I really…just don’t think they have a cause to stand on) dumb arsed anarchists got the lame (and I do mean lame) idea to either occupy or hang out in a parking structure on Stout in between 15th and 16th.

They also were walking down a street that was wide open…and you just really can’t do that with Sunday afternoon DNC traffic.  I was up at Tremont and 16th when I heard on a nearby police radio, “Skirmish line at 15th and Stout…on the double” and the police moved pretty damned quickly.

At the time I had no idea what it was.  And in that moment I forgot all about my safety.  I wanted to be in the middle of that story digital camera, Twitter account and all.  When I got to 15th and Stout the police presence was…intense.  The video that I’ll upload will tell the tale but DPD (and the other jurisdictions in town) wasn’t playing any type of games.  Horses, bikes, cars, SUV’s and the SWAT squad (the guys with the big guns, big plastic masks and intense uniforms with all kinds of Batman-esque tools attached) were lined up creating one helluva terrifying image.

The message was clear.  Get the hell off this street that should be clear for traffic and light rail.  They had a truck with a speaker.  There were calls for them to move off the street and out of the parking garage.  At this point the police presence felt liked it outnumbered us.  And that was probably the intent.  Well, it worked.  And I was glad for it.

They closed off the street down at 16th and Stout and were playing it pretty tough.  I had passed officers pulling gas and mace onto their uniforms.  Now as I walked I realized what I was in the middle of and just where this could be headed.

People with DNC credentials were talking about why they should probably just go back to the hotel. I stood fast, videotaping and watching everyone was much as I could.

It took a little while but the anarchists blinked and played nice…for now.  They had behaved for most of the day, marching around on the mall and doing the smart thing.  Aside from the dark clothing and face masks (again, dumb and lacking serious courage…my bias is showing…dang) they had done the smart thing.

It even made 9news, if you can believe it.

The crowds dispersed a little more and the police moved on to simply watch the protesters and observe that they were indeed being lawful.  That is mostly what DPD did today.  Followed around the marchers of various groups and keeping tabs on what they were doing.

I will applaud DPD and various other agencies for doing a great job so far in keeping the area safe and well protected.  Also, men in uniform are all kinds of attention grabbers for girls, especially the ones tagging along with me today.  A note to the women in uniform today: I saw you.  I crushed on you.  I almost tried to talk to a few of you…even the four foot four cutie pie.  But I knew that since she was short and a women in blue everyone had probably messed with her…so I figured I’d stay safe and stay away.

Looking forward to everyone being smart about the convention this year…please, let’s keep it safe and free.  Leave your opinions and DNC experiences below.  If there’s some good stuff I’ll even move it to a main page post!  Woot!

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As I’m right out of college, I’m a fan of 24 hour places. Late night diners, that kind of thing. But evidently, Denver isn’t the city that never sleeps.

So a couple nights ago, some friends and I wanted to go out around 11:30 pm, but weren’t sure what would be available. A friend who has lived here his whole life took us to a 24 hour Starbucks, next to a Barnes and Noble on Colorado. Now, normally I’m not a fan of Starbucks, but this one was pretty cool. The tables inside and out were packed with all kinds of people, drinking coffee and enjoying the cool night air. The atmosphere is amazing- I’m sure I heard 3 or 4 languages besides English being spoken.

So check it out, if you’re up late and wanting some coffee.

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My wife and I went for a walk last night downtown. Our purpose was two-fold.

1. get some fresh air, and see what 16th st looked like. Talk about a police presence. Man they were everywhere! i wasn’t sure I should feel safe, or trapped.

2. we had to mail a book for my wife’s paperback exchange.

We headed down to where we thought we remembered some Blue boxes being. Nothing.

Then we headed over to the Downtown Post Office, where we KNEW there were blue boxes… nothing.

What? We looked around and sure enough, there were cut bolts in the sidewalk.

Anyone else seen or heard anything about removing the blue mailboxes? I’m guessing it’s a DNC thing, but jeez. They coming back?

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I love it because it’s so crazy and fun. Check out the 5 minute walk through kinda thing. I didn’t put any music to the main part as I wanted people to hear the sounds and experience it as best as I could present it. As a reminder if anyone (fellow metblogs authors or anyone) wants to join me on a weekend adventure one of these days with my video camera, let me know in comments. Or if you have something you want to vlog with and or about, let me know.
There’s 5,278 more reasons to go!

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I gotta say, after posting my little twitter-bit, I got to thinking, someone at the DDP is no dummy.

They didn’t set up an SMS system complete with ‘Charges will be incurred’ warnings.

They didn’t set up a email list, well they might have, I’m not sure.

They didn’t do nothing.

They set up a twitter account. How 2008 of them. How insanely useful of them.

I certainly hope they make use of it, and I may even have this one sent to my phone (yes, I know I’ll be charged per message fees by my carrier).

Good on ya DDP, for being progressive and ‘with it’ enough to see value in new platforms!

Now don’t let me down, update this thing often. I’ll be seriously angry and may have to take it out on a… i dunno, whatever physical representation I can find of the DDP, if you leave this twitter account with exactly two tweets in it.

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And I promise to be a better Metroblogger!

So this will be short and hopefully informative. If you use twitter (who doesn’t?) follow DDPTransport for traffic updates this coming DNC week.

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Downtown Denver

I’ve spent the last several months scouring Google Maps, trying to figure out where I was, where Public Transportation is, etc., but of course it’s easier to figure out when you’re actually there. Now, I’m the kind of person who likes rhyme and reason- I love finding patterns to things.

So I was thrilled to find that N-S streets go in alphabetical order. Not so helpful since it repeats, but it’s still a nice little hint to have picked up.

Two questions remain unanswered, however:

1. What is the order of the state street names?
2. What is going on with LoDo? Why is it on an angle?

Are there any other sweet patterns that will help getting around this city?

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Good lord!  The Dark Knight Midnight showing was more than several weeks ago and I still haven’t had a chance to write it up.  Epic Fepic Fail is what the cool kids on the block call it.  I call it…well, just sad times.  I’ve got a vlog entry in the wings that will cover 16th Street Mall in all it uniqueness.  I just need a moment to sit and edit.  So, you have that to look forward to, if that helps.  :)

The beauty of my city is in the people that occupy our sprawling metropolis.  I don’t think I realized it until that night at the midnight showing.  There are some amazing stories out there in the clothed (I try to keep it family oriented) city.  When I did the interview for the Indiana Jones Midnight showing I found two fantastic stories in the crowd.  One was the guy from Detroit who had found hope many years ago at the first movie about the archaeological hero in the dark dank corners of a Motor City emergency room.  Here he was with his family trying pass along the message and story he had gained.

Whether or not his teenage kids would understand how deep that movie was in his heart was a question I didn’t bother to ask.  The point was he was trying.  Beyond the approximately ten minutes I spent with him I can imagine what kind of a father this guy might be and what his life has been like since that life changing moment at a midnight showing in Detroit.

“I’ve got a story for you”, he had said spotting me off to the side of the line.  And he did.  Same with the homeless guy who first asked me if I was from Westword.  I humbly said, “Riiiight!”, but did give him a listen.  His story was different.  Back in the day when life had been different he too had seen the original movie at midnight.  All the money that he had picked up panhandling was going towards the ticket that night.

Within this city there are stories and people that would shock and awe you.  Each person walking the streets of The Mile High City has a story.  Every corner holds a moment or two where if you stop and watch…a million tales of hope and love can turn into a tapestry.  I know I’m waxing a bit over-poetic, but I this is why I love my city.

The same can be said for “The Boss Girls” from the Indiana Jones screening.  I ran straight into them at the showing of Dark Knight.  Theirs was a story all it’s own.  Robyn, Caitlyn and Kate all held court in line.  Robyn was dressed as the Joker (you’ll see her in the vlog posted here) and Caitlyn was a amalgam of Huntress and Bat Girl.

They proved to be an entertaining interview (of which I’ll post later tonight) and I was even proud to watch them find themselves onto Channel 2 news being interviewed by quite possibly the most bored field anchor evah’.  Their story is unique as their friend Kate is from the original Gotham City, Chicago town.  It had been three days since arriving in Denver.  They had met on Deviant Art and become fast friends through a various roller coaster of events I can’t even try to transcribe from my scattered notes.

She had the chance to watch the filming of Dark Knight in Chi-town (lucky little duck!) and was witness to the crashing of the Batmobile in the streets.  She’s in Denver for school and really excited.  When I ask her for her opinion so far from Denver she answers after thinking for a moment, “The people are a lot nicer in Denver…it’s got mountains and people from the internet.”  She looks to Robyn and Caitlyn and they burst into laughter.

If nothing else, we beat out Chicago in niceness.

I met more than just them in the line (again, complete late writeup coming tonight) but I think I made my wandering point.  Part of what makes Denver “awesome” is not just the buildings and the streets.  It’s the people that call this city (and state) home.  I’m looking forward to finding out more about them.

A note…I’ll be stepping up my writing as there’s been the news that a automatic system will prune authors not writing the required posts.  So, the good news is you’ll have more of me!  Which means more vlogging, food talk and entertaining posts where I try and make some substance look all pretty.  :)

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What are your summer traditions? Everyone camps, BBQs, goes to baseball games, and more. There are all types of activities that are synonymous with summer. For me, summer means concerts at the Botanic Gardens. For the last eight years, I’ve been going to at least three concerts every summer at the Botanic Gardens. Every year, I renew my membership at the Gardens and eagerly await the release of the new summer schedule and the wait to find out the date I can stand in line to buy my tickets.

For me, music, summer nights, wine, and lounging on a blanket under the stars - this is heaven. Regardless of the fact that most of the artists I go to see at the Botanic Gardens are not ones that I even own the music for - this means nothing. Going to a concert at the Denver Botanic Gardens is just as much about the venue as it is about the actual musician or band you are going to see.

I’ve seen Emmylou Harris (who I love and own many of her CDs even though I’m not much of a country fan), John Hiatt, Los Lobos, Indigo Girls, Cowboy Junkies, Linda Ronstadt, and so many more at the Gardens. And all have been great shows. Plus, the Botanic Gardens is probably the last concert venue where you can bring in all of your own food and drink. There are no rules or restrictions so you don’t spend an arm and a leg on eating and drinking.

And tonight was my last concert of this summer, so in a way, for me it signals the beginning of the end of the summer of 2008. Tonight I saw Bruce Hornsby and as always, it was a night where everything was spectacular, because summer nights at a Botanic Gardens concert are always the best.

So, what are your summer traditions?

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