Things you cannot carry through security, part two: last week we learned you cannot bring an apple into the event, because you could throw it at someone. Or you could disrupt health-care meetings with its magical doctor-keeping-away power. Today I had an umbrella confiscated, which means they have advance word that the Penguin is up to his dastardly tricks. I considered protesting, because it’s not a long umbrella; it’s not as if it contained poison gas or a ricin ball I planned to inject into someone’s shin. It’s a small collapsible umbrella. You couldn’t knock out Estelle Getty with this thing, let alone cause mischief. But the rule was simple: no umbrellas; could be used as a weapon. Meanwhile, guys with heavy metal camera tripods sail right in. So I’m out one apple and one umbrella. We’ll be starting a fundraiser after Gustav is over.

Just got back from the protest assembling on the State Capitol Grounds. Most of the folks, I’d say 93%, are waving generic mainstream anti-war slogans. It’s the seven-percent lunatics that make it interesting, of course. The obligatory Truthers were walking around with a giant banner that said “9-11 was an inside job,” and I interviewed a fellow who gave them a thumbs up. He was pretty sure a plane didn’t hit the Pentagon, but was uncertain what they did with the people who were originally on the plane. “We just don’t know,” was the quote, I think. Well, you just don’t know, friend.

Off to investigate the impact on downtown – so far so good; St. Paul hasn’t seen this much pedestrian activity since 1953. It’s as if the old city came back to life. Ah, so this is what it was like before the malls and the burbs? Sweet.

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