Day 2 in Denver... update and pictures! (beware the bird porn supporters!)

Today it's hot and sunny in Denver, and although I felt like we'd be more efficient today now that we know our way around a little bit, this is the first chance I've had to stop and edit the pictures and write a post. Tygrbright is currently hanging out at the Pepsi Center, seeing what she can see, and I'm sure will be posting updates soon. Hissyspit is on his way to see if he can find some protesters, and I think I may do the same thing later. I'm curious what the protests are like, and if the MSM accounts are accurate.

Today we got downtown around 11:30 or noonish, and Tygrbright and Hissyspit posted updates while I trekked across town to pick up the daily credentials. I don't know why they make us come back each day (probably security reasons I suppose) to pick up new credentials, but it's kind of a hassle, since they're distributing them a ways from where we're headquartered.

On our way to the Big Tent, I took a picture of some of the official SUVs that are escorting VIPs around the city. They're all hybrids, it seems, and they went out of their way to advertise this fact.



Also going with the green theme of the convention, there are several bike stations set up where you can rent a bike for free! Very cool, I took a couple pictures of those guys:





Anyway, the upshot of the credentials being across downtown is that I got to walk all along the 16th street mall in downtown Denver, which was fun and entertaining. :)

This is a picture of some of the cool buildings and architecture off Broadway in downtown.



And here is the bustling and very cool 16th street mall. I'm not usually a fan of malls of any type, but I have to say, I like this one. Malls were originally supposed to be a place of community, where people can hang out together and get to know each other and have fun, before they were corporatized. But I feel like this mall, although it is lined on every square inch with retail stores, achieves a little bit of that communal spirit with the open areas in the middle and such. They even have a free shuttle bus that runs up and down the mall. I tried to ride it but without air conditioning it was 10x as hot and stuffy in the bus as on the street.



By far the funniest people I ran into on 16th street were these guys, who were handing out flyers and shouting slogans into the megaphone, such as "We urge all Democrats to stop supporting bird porn!" I took one of the flyers, pics of the guys and the front/back of the flyer below:







I have no idea what the stuff on the back means. :)

Other sightings on 16th street included a guy with an anti-gov't-spying sign and a shirt that said "I (heart) Big Brother," and a whole buncha cops lounging in the shade, waiting for something to happen.





Here's a cool shot of the Pepsi Center in the foreground, Invesco Field in the middleground, and the rockies in the background.



A couple odd but interesting things spotted inside the security perimeter no less... the port-o-potties are apparently "regal," and Trojan Condoms has a tent setup outside the Pepsi Center and gave me some free condoms! Apparently they want to make sure all the drunken delegates practice safe sex while partying in Denver. :)







So that's the update for now! Soon I will head out again to see if I can get some info on the protests.

:rofl:

People are weird

Did you go to any of the parties last night? Those are the pictures I'm interestined in seeing :D

whores drunk and disorderly. That would make our day.

That's just so frakking bizarre!

;)

Great pix.

Holy crap... :rofl:

:rofl:

Hawkeye-X

:yoiks:

Looks like you are enjoying some beautiful weather for the Convention.

You never can tell these days. Whether they're joking or not they managed to get at least three people passionate enough about the issue to come here and protest. :shrug:

which doesn't help much ...

Or what?? :shrug:

a shared love of perverted spying.

to Golden, a few miles away from Denver. Yeah, I know it's the town Adolf Coors built but it's a really cute town with the usual tourist trap antique shops and bistro restaurants. My DH and I found a bar down in a basement there that was a biker hangout, but they were the nicest and friendliest bikers we ever met in the dives my husband, an Irishman, used to like to go into to smooze with the locals. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the place. We never took the Coors brewery tour but I understand that they dole out free beer on the tour. Also further up the road is Boulder, which is a nice pretty liberal city. Oh what the heck I love every one of those places along the Rockies in Colorado and in them.

But form your own conclusions here - yes, I looked. No bird porn. Damn!

'Anaida Krok'...I am thinking its parody...
Great pics kids!

I'm sure the Depends® party wagon will be set up at that . . . other . . . convention.


Q: what does John McCain wear, boxers or briefs?

A: Depends . . .

:thumbsup:

He may not have had too much going for him as a candidate, starting with the fact that he was a Republican, but he did have a good sense of humor. He told the joke on himself, when asked "Boxers or briefs?"

Or at least the "Larry Craig Memorial Restroom".

I saw him on Sunday during the protests, around 4pm-ish. Then I saw him again last night around 9:30pm. Now you saw him this morning. It's nice to see such devotion to his cause, but geesh! Doesn't he know anyone else who can help him get the word out on his very important message?

Could lower the rate of the unintended pigeon and crow population...:shrug:

And the woodpecker's, naturally.

Did anyone check out the comments on that site-my labmates and I are cracking up...
:rofl:
This is hilarious :rofl:. That CANNOT be serious!

Comments from that site:

Robert Porter Says:

August 4, 2008 at 8:17 am
It’s about time that someone brought this problem to the attention of the public. In my area, the bird-watching perverts are truly disgusting. They congregate in large numbers and enjoy their “hobby” on weekends. On more than one occasion, I’ve had to lead my children away from the area, lest they witness this perversion.

Just because these people are old, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t freaks. Getting your “jollies” by watching birds have sex is just SICK! Something needs to be done about this. Our politicians don’t seem to care. Everyone should write a letter to the editor of their local newspaper about this perversity.


Endicott Says:

August 5, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I couldn’t agree more! It’s about time someone dealt with this. Every parent knows that when there’s a nature show on television, the two things that kids always “pause and replay” are the scenes where there’s a “kill” and the mating scenes. How many times have I had to rush to turn off the television when two elephants are getting amorous? Growing up, all the boys knew exactly which National Geographics had the bare-breasted women in them. I’m certain it’s the same with those bird watchers. It’s not about nature. It’s about sex. They know where to get their rocks off.

The FCC seems to be cleaning up the airwaves. It’s a shame the courts threw out the Janet Jackson fine. Now it’s time for the National Park Service to crack down on the perverts in the parks.

stopbirdporn Says:

August 20, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Good Conduct Society has its roots in Russia and is now establishing its awareness program in the USA. Major cities are being targeted, more specifically the Audubon Society’s headquarters in New York City and Washington DC. This insidious group, funded by misguided people and milksop foundations, has brainwashed millions of sheepish citizens into its quicksand of sick behavior. Heaven help us if the next administration succumbs to a squeamish “don’t ask, don’t tell, attatude with Bird Watchers. Our people won’t rest until we see these perverted predators arrested, tried and punished with fines and incarceration for repeat offenders. Finally, as to Anna Dove (could she be the bird imitator seen on “America’s Got Talent?”), our protests at Audubon Society Headquarters are carried out peacefully. No permit is needed. I suggest Ms. Bird read the United States Constitution!

Brian Hansen ought to do a show.

other things like eat, bitch at each other, build nests, take naps, pick around for bugs/worms, etc. apparently not. obviously ALL THE BIRDS DO IS HAVE SEX! OMG!!!

I love it here and you're getting to see some really fun stuff! If you can manage, in the evening after your blogging is done, head to El Chapultepec (19th & Market, by Coors Field) for great ambience, jazz and decent Mexican food. The place is likely to be teeming with all sorts of fun folks!

Enjoy your stay and keep up the great work on your blogs!

:toast:

:rofl: The comments at http://www.stopbirdporn.org/ are hysterical! :rofl:

Racine's called me to confirm our meetup and told them yes, then asked if they have wireless 'Net - they do. We'll try to see if we can get a live pic going, plus blogging from DU.

Hawkeye-X

See the tall building straight ahead in the distance? That's the Daniel and Fisher Tower, which--when I was growing up there back in the 1950s--was the tallest building in Denver. I know--hard to believe someone this old is still around, but DU keeps me young. I swear, it's true! Anyway, I've seen the Denver skyline in more recent times, and like Portland's, I stand in awe at the sight. Still glad my spouse sneaked me across the Oregon border 40-plus years ago, but will always have a soft spot in my heart/head for my old home state of Colorado!

Keep the good reports coming! I'd comment on your last picture, but hey...I'm too old, right? Nice it was free! As Tom Peterson always said, "Free is a very good price." And if you remember him, you're older than you look!

Blessings!

Tired Old Cynic

I like the bird porn...

don't want to be the one who killed this thread, lol.

Bird porn is important.

have way too much time on their hands.

i'm a birdwatcher. i'm sooo bad!
:rofl:

BWAWAHAHAHA!!!!

Maestro is the DU King of BIRD PORN. :applause: :applause: And we ALWAYS beg for more, don't we?

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Maestro/95

Especially when you get to be outside to enjoy it. :) And as a Democrat I will not give up my bird pRon!

:rofl:

thanks for the post and pics.

:dem:

does this indicate that we Dems are more randy? :rofl:


thanks for the pix -next best thing to being there and thanks for all you guys do!

if you hang a right, up a block is a tall building built around a church. that is one of my favorite buildings.

:toast:

Glad you are having fun:)!

Snag me a Biden sign - Okay?! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmYFqYdujMc :rofl:

And bring back Crystal Pepsi, god damn it!!

I must gouge my eyes out and throw away my camera! :banghead:

Bird porn. Guess I will have to stop watching my McCaw...
(which I found out this April, after 9 years, wasn't a male at all, but a female. Laid 7 friggen eggs!!)



Unbelievable. What a Krok...oh, wait...

I'm not even sure how one would go about policing that...

<snip>

"I will resume my coverage of the Democratic convention (current theme: ''Yes, It's Still Going On'') as soon as possible, but first I need to address a disturbing issue that we all need to be more disturbed about: bird porn.

I found out about this issue while hanging out at the convention center with my fellow journalism professional James Lileks. We were doing what journalists do at major news events, namely, whine that there is no news, when James got a text-message tip that there was a bird-porn protest going on in downtown Denver.

"Bird porn?" I said.

"I have no idea," he said.

We immediately hailed a pedicab. Pedicabs are rickshaw-style vehicles pedaled by fit young people who offset your carbon by pedaling you around Denver in exchange for tips. Our pedaler was named Keiren Valentine. She had a nose ring but was otherwise kind of like a regular taxi driver, in the sense that she got annoyed when pedestrians got in her way and forced her to stop.

"Are YOU relying on inertia?" she muttered at them. "Oh no, that's just me."

After we'd gone a few blocks, another pedicab driver, Colette Valery, zoomed up looking excited and said to Keiren, "I'm on my way to pick up Daryl Hannah!"

James and I looked at each other. This was a moment of decision, a moment we had been preparing for, as journalism professionals, all our lives.

"Belay the bird porn," we told Keiren. "Follow that pedicab!"

more

around undressed????

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Everyone appreciates a lover with great concern for their partner's pleasure.