My Experiences in Boston

[SuzeQuze]

This may seem naive but how did you get into the convention? For anyone interested in catching what they may have missed there is video of everything on http://www.dems2004.org, definitely watch Al Sharpton, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Bill Clinton, and of course John Edwards and John Kerry's videos. I found all of the speeches very moving. I loved when AS said government doesn't belong in people's bedrooms minding what they do but they should be mindful of people's kitchens, something to that effect. It was awesome. He also said when slavery ended African Americans were promised 40 acres and a mule which they never got (from republicans). So he said something like "we decided we would ride this donkey (dems) as far as it will take us". And also that "our vote cannot be bought".

The construction around the Fleet Center has been going on for a loooong time, Boston is a very convoluted city! It is "charming" ;-) I love the city but it is very hard to find your way around it.

I live in the North End and I saw the Pants on Fire "float" go by. It is a statue of Bush on a trailer, with many of his facial expressions on 4 sides of his "head", his pants on fire, and a ticker of all of the lies he has told the American people. This float was founded by Ben of Ben and Jerry's ice cream and you can read more about it at http://www.pantsonfire.net/. I wish I'd had my camera on me when it went by!

Michael Moore stayed in the hotel that I walk by every day to get to work but I never did see him. The convention was so self-contained I never saw anyone. In hindsight I wish that I had planned in advance to attend one of the open to the public forums but I am completely green and had no idea how this stuff is run.

Dissention, thanks for sharing your experience. I could see the energy that was in the Fleet Center and I can only imagine how amazing that must have felt. If we want a government by the people and for the people we need to get these guys into office and kick out the current jackasses, so let's all get out there and vote! :-)

~Susan

[gldstwmn]

Ben also has a great grass roots organization called True Majority. Anyone who's interested can visit http://action.truemajority.org/register/

[dissention]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

This may seem naive but how did you get into the convention?

I did a lot of campaign work and got lucky because of it.

FYI, if you're interested, Susan, next Saturday (August 7) the Kerry camp is campaigning in New Hampshire. If you want to join us, there's more info at the website.

[sparky]

A good friend of mine worked the convention - did the set - and gets back Monday. If I hear any good backstage scuttlebutt, I will be sure to spread the news.

[estranged4life]

the amount of balloons used were overkill. But even worse was EDITING the guitar solo from the Van Halen track "Dreams", tsk...tsk...tsk...

Hey Diss, What were yer thoughts when "Don't Stop" played before "Slick Willy"? Even on TV I laughed then hit the mute..."Willy" & the one Mac song I hate was too much

[dissention]

Originally Posted by estranged4life

the amount of balloons used were overkill. But even worse was EDITING the guitar solo from the Van Halen track "Dreams", tsk...tsk...tsk...

Hey Diss, What were yer thoughts when "Don't Stop" played?

I wasn't there the first night.

And it must've seemed like a lot more balloons than there really was because the balloons didn't come down properly at first, then came down way too fast.

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by dissention

And it must've seemed like a lot more balloons than there really was because the balloons didn't come down properly at first, then came down way too fast.

is that 500,000 balloons were dropped!!! Definite overkill

[dissention]

Originally Posted by estranged4life

is that 500,000 balloons were dropped!!! Definite overkill

Yeah, but you have to understand that half of those balloons were popped before they even had a chance to hit the floor.

I always felt bad for the Secret Service at conventions, a balloon popping sounds like a shot.