DNC CONVENTION- DAY 1
BOSTON-DAY 1
Well- this trip, in keeping with trips past, began with severe digestion problems, ten minutes outside of NYC. I shan't go into details, but suffice it to say that I'm switching to breakfasts that fewer sharp edges.
The trip took every bit as long as I figured it would, although, much to my pleasant surprise, the train wasn't nearly as crowded as some folks warned me it would be. I was able to snag enough space to stretch out, during the four-hour trip from NYC to Boston.
Boston, when I arrived, was a pretty quiet place- indeed, a goodly number of stores in the terminal had signs up saying that they were closed for the duration of the DNC. One wonders- how much this convention is going to disrupt the operation of the city, on so many levels- not because of the convention itself, but because of the insane, paranoid security measures that are being implimented, citywide. (note, just as I typed that last sentence, a woman walked by, saying she just saw five police cars escorting three schoolbuses of uniformed troops.) There are rumors that there will be full-time postings of sharpshooters, at various locations, essentially covering all important points of the city. spot checks, patrols, closed transit stations- these are to be de riguer over the next few days, and those are only the security measures we're aware of- certianly there is a lot more going on underneath the surface, and over our heads (I've seen a few unusually bulky choppers hovering around- but that's peripheral...)
Now- what's happening here is not unique to the democratic party- I'm sure that New York is going to turn into an armed fortress that will rival alcatraz in extremety, when the republicans roll into town, next month.
Time was, cities vied for these conventions, for the increased income they brought through commerce and tourism. In the wake of these two paranoid spectacles, you'll be hard-pressed to find cities that will actually desire having to put up with this sorta crap, for a week. But then again, I wonder:
How much in terms of federal cash are the cities of Boston and New York getting, to beef up their security infrastructures, this time around? I'm not a betting man, but I'd be willing to be that the sum exceeds any commerce and tourism revenue claimed by any past city that has hosted such a convention.
But- I'm getting on a tangent, here- more about that in days to come...
Walking out of south station in Boston upon my arrival, I was surprised at how deserted the city seemed, on a fine saturday afternoon that would otherwise be ideal for strolling and shopping. I've heard that a lot of Bostonians are flying the coop for the week- so it may have had something to do with that.
The subways in Boston are pretty inefficiently designed- especially for someone who is particularly fatigued, and hauling about 75 pounds of equipment. Endless series of staircases, and endless hikes to make connections made the 90-minute treck out to Emanuel college harder that all of the days' travelling. However- on a comforting note, the subways of boston had the same, foul fecal odor that graces the subways of New York, which at least lent a tad of familiarity to the place.
By the time I got to Emanuel college, I was ready for a shower- in fact, I was afraid that if I didn't get one soon, I'd show up as a bioweapon of some sort on some hidden scanner. Fortunately, I was processed pretty quickly, and was able to dump my burden in my room, and retire to the shower- only to find- WHEE- NO HOT WATER! After gingerly sponging myself clean with frigid water, I took a tour of the place, met up with a few associates, and started taking photos and shooting film.
And here comes another "unfortunately"- I soon discovered that the still digicam I had had trouble dealing with indoor light- most of the shots I took today turned out pretty blurry. However- I WILL DELIVER the images I promised to ya'll. Fortunately, I'm "in" with the media crew, and just about everyone here is shooting photos, and they're pretty free with what they take- so I'll be able to mooch indoor shots from the folks who have more tolerant cameras.
The events I've been able to witness today have been rather sedate. I arrived too late to attend the Boston Social Forum, and I've been too dead-dog tired to travel beyond the campus, to find anything. The one event I did attend was an orientation seminar, regarding the convention's activities, for the folks associated with the campaign, and that was a very dry dissertation, with very few photo-ops.
Tomorrow, however, will be a different situation, entirely. I've got a photoshoot, first thing in the morning, and at noon, International Answer will be marching on Boston Commons, and then- the preliminary convention events begin.
I'm typing this at 11:30 PM, and that's after a day in which I've gotten more exercise than I've probably had in the last year. I'm looking forward to at least eight hours in bed, and a full day tomorrow. Unfortunately, this means that I'm just too durned tired to post photos tonight- you're going to have to wait until tomorrow night, for that- and that means DOUBLE THE PHOTOS! (Besides, as previously stated, there's little of consequence going on, right now- the real party has yet to begin...)
Until tomorrow, boys and girls...