Loon here. Just wanted to let you know that the following post is funnier if you watch “Fargo” first and imagine me reading it in William H. Macy’s voice. You’ve been warned.

Last day of the Republican National Convention, the day the nominee is due to speak, and a march was planned from the Capitol to the convention center. It’s just Minnesota nice to let everybody know what time to show up for the civil disobedience, dontcha know, so we knew it would be at 4:00. We showed up a little early and brought a little hotdish for the protesters. You know, just to be polite. So it’s 4:00 then, and no protesters. 4:30 then 5:00, still no marching going on. We were staked out on 8th and Cedar, and could see people gathering on the Capitol green, but they were just kind of milling around like it was a Lutheran singles party in the church basement. Around 5:30, the riot police blocked off the far end of Cedar and it was apparent that the march would not be headed our way, so we headed over to Wabasha, then St.Peter and still no protesters. The hotdish has gone cold and we’re thinking “What the hey?” 6:00 and we can see the Capitol, and the squad cars, and the riot police, and the horsie cops, and the Synchronized Bicycle Corps, and SWAT and Pigs on Hogs. Nobody looks happy. So it’s long about sundown at 11th and St. Peter, we’re all looking at a line of riot police looking at us. One of them was pointing his percussion grenade rifle at us, and that didn’t seem very friendly, because hey, we just wanted a look at what was going on. All the protesters were still up at the Capitol with no way to get out, and we were on the other side of the bridge with no way to get over. All that planning and no one could get to anyone else. So, fizzle. Right about then we got read the Riot Act and were told to disperse. We weren’t rioting so much right then, it was more like 60 people waiting for a bus but, whatever. So we dispersed, as SuperFreeks will, to a nearby bar. So nothing happened, but it wasn’t a total loss

Technorati Tags: Convention, Loon, Protests, RNC, Superfreaks

This is what it looks like just before you are advised that you are about to get your ass handed too you by people you had nothing against:

Why do they always point the tear gas gun at me? Well to be fair he was aiming it at a lot of people. He moved his sites around so much he likely aimed it at him self at some point when I wasn’t looking. But all good things must come to an end and after they read us the riot act for just standing there wanting to know what was happening on the other side of the bridge we decided it was time to get out. At least we had that option. When they blocked all the exits from the capital those people didn’t have anyplace to disperse to.

We heard from people in contact from those closer to the capital that the tear gas, pepper spray and concussion grenades were in full effect over there. Didn’t hear any reports about rubber bullets but the national guard was there so its possible.

Anyone know of any easy video editing software for linux? I want to put some of the footage I shot together with some music.

Technorati Tags: Convention, FauxPseudo, Protests, RNC

Well I got to listen to McCain’s speech, and like the latest installment of the X-Files Movie; “I want to Believe” truly I do. His speech so far was the closest I think I have heard to a speech that calls upon us, The American People to stand up and fight for our beliefs and capabilities. However even as I listened to his speech, the quiet area of my mind, the one that analyzes and looks into every little nook and cranny says “Don’t You Believe It.”

Senator McCain, like Senator Obama gives a good speech, yes he does. As much as I want to believe him, I cannot help feel that we were sold yet again another bill of goods for something that we the people will have to pay for and it will come up short. This election by far has been a celebrity run of glamour candidates and old school politicians. McCain’s speech on energy renewal is going to cost money. This money has to come from somewhere.

In the end I still heard the same rhetoric: Republicans are good, Democrats are bad. Obama has no experience, I have plenty. Yadda,Yadda,Yadda. Dear Gods in Heaven, folks if you really want to take back your Nation, vote based on your heart, not on the glitz, glamour or the speeches. As for me I am going to vote Libertarian.

Technorati Tags: Convention, McCain, RNC, speech

Technorati Tags: Convention, Pictures, RNC

Pics will be uploaded as bandwidth permits.

There was going to be a show put on by Rage Against the Machine.
I haven’t had a chance to verify the details but my understanding is
that they had taken the stage and were warming up the crowd. And then
the .gov pulled the power on the stage. The rumor goes on further to
say that they then jumped off the stage and started walking and thus
was born the protest march that came down the streets and was directed
in a loop back up to the capital lawn where the whole thing started.

We were busy drinking beer when it started. After we finished our
beers looked up to the sky for the aerial police presence to find out
were I should be positioning myself. I headed up the two blocks and
found cops blocking off two of the four ways at the intersection
between the NPR and Wells Fargo building and got prepped for fun.

The protesters followed the only path they had that didn’t included
running into the cops bedecked in riot gear and gas masks. After they
had passed by I headed over for some more high ground but there were
too many cops in the way to get any pics of the protesters. So I took
a trip around the block to make it to the next intersection they would
have to pass through.

We got kept back and there was no way to go any further. So I stayed
there for a while as the sun went down knowing that the protesters
were going to have to come back through this intersection since in the
direction they were going would bring nothing but a dead end. One of
the people I got to talk with someone who claimed to be a 18 year old
delegate Massachusetts (unverified at this time). He said that inside
the convention no one has any idea that this is going on outside.
When you get past Checkpoint Charlie you enter a different world were
the sound of any protesters is drowned out by speakers. This guy
decided to change things. The one thing he wanted to stress was that
if you are in a caucus state and you want things to change then you
just need to put on a nice shirt and show up. You too can become a
delegate.

Then we got notice that they were on their way back. Then we got
notice that they were going to be dispersing the protesters and they
might come our way. We stayed. I got video of the tear gas and
concussion bombs. I will let that speak for itself.

Technorati Tags: Convention, Police, Protests, RNC, Tear Gas

Technorati Tags: Convention, RNC, Street Musicians

Just got a call from The SuperFreaks, they have inadvertantly become part of the current protest march. Going over to C-Span to see if they’re carrying anything. Loon tells me that they almost got gassed. More as I know it.

Technorati Tags: Convention, Protests, RNC

Dashcast 35

Loon calls in to tell me that the Superfreaks got on MSNBC

Technorati Tags: Convention, MSNBC, RNC

The 60s aren’t dead. The hippies still live. If you take a walk
around the protest area here you will see one peace, love and
understanding booth after another. They are preaching to the
converted though.

The people they would really like to affect are a mile away, protected
behind a 9 foot tall fence. Those people are wondering how they can
keep power because with power they can continue to push their agendas
which they also believe promote peace love and understanding. They
think that the world will be a better place if everyone lived like
them and so do the people here in the protest area. Some place
between a mile from here and here is the middle ground. In my mind I
think that place is the local pub. It is where people from different
viewpoints come together and lower their inhibitions and talk with
others. This is also a lot like founding fathers saw things.
Protest areas don’t promote comming together. They promote like
mindedness. And maybe hippies.

Technorati Tags: Capital, Convention, Hippies, protest, RNC

Here in the protest area in front of the capital is the normal sea of
20 something humanity. Well normal in that it isn’t which is what
normal 20 something humanity is all about.

On stage we see some rappers who haven’t gotten the notice that the N
word isn’t cool with blacks anymore. But since the audience is
overwelmingly white it shouldn’t cause much of a problem.

If any of you have seen any of the anti hippy episodes of South Park
then you have an idea of what it looks like here. Guys with flowers
in their hair, girls with burning sage and men who have longer hair
than I do.

I would like to say that these are attractive youths but the
combination of thrift store shopping and vegan diets has had a bad
effect on them. They are prematurly old. Like little old ladies who
haven’t bought a new article of clothing in years and can’t afford to
pay enough money to eat the 10% meat diet that had worked so well for
40,000 years.

Technorati Tags: Capital, Convention, protest, RNC