Downtown, soaking up the unique Denver atmosphere at a place called “Star-bucks.” They serve coffee. The things you learn when you travel! Wandered down to the convention center, and was surprised to see it was remarkably empty – no protests, no police presence, no throngs of hot, tired reporters with a pound of credentials dangling around their necks. Perhaps this is because the convention is not at the Convention Center. It’s at the Pepsi Center. Just as well; the rest of Team Strib is locked up in the Pepsi Bastille, due to some sort of argy-bargy outside.

I remain without credentials, but hope to connect soon and get the magic badges. The lack of authoritative, hologram-stamped badges did not stop me from interviewing a nice Santa-Buddha fellow with a tiny dog and 473 Obama buttons. It makes things easier if you introduce yourself as a member of the parasitic media. I had to wait for another TV crew to finish, though. Poor man couldn’t drink his coffee; colorful people here are like dead horses in the middle of a field. Flies and buzzards gather in a second.

Ah! A protest just erupted across the street – people wearing T-shirts that say “PDA.” What do they want? Well, their handmade signs that say SINGLE PAYER. When do they want it? I’m presuming NOW, or maybe half-past NOW. Soon, anyway. They bunched together for a little video, chanted a bit, then moved down the street after the camera was turned off. Now Mr. Button is outside talking to a camera crew, which attracted another camera crew; they’re standing nearby, waiting for their shot.

The way into town was interesting – all the convenient roads into downtown have been blocked off, so my driver took many twisty side streets. Didn’t care; it was a flat rate, he was a voluable fellow – a Palestinian Jew (“Yes, we exist,” he grinned) with many tales and theories. Fascinating stuff. Makes you wonder if someone in Jerusalem is taking a cab ride talking about American politics.

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