My Life on the Road...Part Big Monday Night Riot

I had my video camera on for most of this experience, so the still shots are rather few for this post. We saw many officers headed towards the downtown Sheraton, so what do we do? We follow!

We get as close as we can to the scene.

The officers began putting on their gas masks.

They line up and shout "Move Back! Move Back!" while gesturing back with their billy clubs. They move us back. We cough as our eyes begin to water (the tear gas, you know?)

We finally are pushed back onto the 16th Street Mall as word comes to us observers that some anarchists had planned a big riot (figure out what is wrong with that last passage) as the police thwarted them with tear gas and billy clubs.

Boy, what a day! And the Convention has only just begun! I contemplate the luck I have in my opportunity to experience such things and mark the occasion with my second existential picture of the trip:

We then eat some pizza for $3 a Brooklyn slice and head home to watch Michelle Obama's speech.

See you tomorrow!

Thus spake Megathustra

Coming soon to a riot near you...

Thus spake Megathustra

A Brief Interlude: Melange of DNC Goers

Here are a few shots around town:

Heh.

For Jessica: we missed the show, but we did inquire about ticket prices...

Heh.

I like this guy. I want him to tell me stories. Guys with hats always have the best stories.

Calm in the midst of chaos...

Ooh! Me too! (kinda)

I really don't think right-leaning voters are slow (necessarily), but this guy was so proud of his slogan and his dog, I couldn't resist taking a picture.

Yeah, ladies, I'm thinking "What the Fuck" too.

This is Fran. Fran and I have the same goal: to be in the background of as many strangers' pictures as we possibly can. Even though he isn't in the background of this picture, I'm sure glad I could help Fran out with one of his goals.

I forget this guy's name, but he was super cute and he worked in a specialty food store that had some fantastic-looking olive oil.

The light in Denver is gorgeous.

These are some brownies that the Guy-whose-name-I-forgot made. I wanted to snarf them, but I was full, so I refrained.

I was full because of Jax Fish Shop.

Heh. I like how the vadge totally overpowers the phallic image in this picture.

Yeah, the vadge was this big! (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

I love how the police state this guy is purporting to point out has no police in it. (Although I do realize he means the 12-15 police officers on each corner, the snipers on every building, and the scary legislation that relies solely on a police officer's discretion as to who may be deemed a threat to public safety)

But no matter, I'm bipartisan!

The MSNBC broadcast booth.

Yeah, he's just as douchey in person as he is on TV.

Keith Olberman!

Just wait until I clear enough space on Eugene's harddrive so I can have enough memory to edit my videos together to show you exactly how much the people of Denver and her visitors REALLY like burritos.

Yeah, me too.

Thus spake Megathustra

My Life on the Road...Part Homophobes and One Police Officer in Particular are Douchebags

After leaving the disappointing peace-ish rally at the Federal Courthouse Building, Tony and I thought that things could only get better. Little did we know we were about to come across those of Phelpsian ilk.

Note: The pictures of the demonstrators are not to provide them with free advertisement for their bullshit line of thought, but rather they are to show the utter stupidity of their signs and bullshit line of thought.

Homo-sex is a threat to national security? Seriously? What a douche. (UPDATE: After much thought and discussion with Jessie and Jim, I have been wondering what exactly kind of sex would be a threat to national security. Sex with a Russian spy? A communist? Anything other than missionary? AND honestly, if any sex could be a threat to national security, then I would imagine it would be pretty awesome sex, so count me in!)

A few moments later, the hippie punk cool kids arrived and began yelling louder than the megaphones. 

I loved this shirtless guy (of whom you can only see his shoulder in this picture). I love conviction (and shirtlessness) in a man.

This is a drum of LOVE!!! (wait for the video, this guy was GREAT!)

Can you see why this (Arise Together) is my favorite sign?

The police silently arrive.

Yeah, about 75 uniforms showed up almost immediately. From where? From every freaking street corner in Denver. THEY WERE EVERYWHERE. Watching. Just watching. Until...

"You should never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth" Ibsen.

Underwear guy gets tackled, after not provoking any violence, by a police officer shortly after the above picture was taken.

Keep your eye on the red-head dreads.

I have no idea where the underwear guy went.

But if you think about it in objective terms, I can see why the police, if they were to tackle anyone in this demonstration, they would tackle a guy with his pants down, and subsequently arrest his bean-pole hippie friend. Because seriously, there is nothing scarier than a homophobic misogynist with a beer gut and an NRA card. Not that it is right what happened (I'm still chilled and teary about the whole scene), but in terms of practicality, the homophobes out weighed (literally) everybody.

I just don't understand, however, the view point of these people. Honestly, straight people do some pretty freaky (and more "freakier" in terms than gay sex because gay sex isn't "freaky") shit behind closed doors, and, well in front of open ones too. (Not necessarily from my own experience, of course - I choose not to remember that month of my early 20's). 

If this is a sex thing, then don't think about it. I don't like to think of what my friends (gay or straight) do with their "special times of love." That is their thing, if I wanted to know, I would ask to join in, but then that would create weirdness and crossing lines, and honestly, I don't really want to see any (well, save a few, of course...I have some pretty pretty friends...) of my friends naked. But that's my thing.

If it is a god thing, then stay the fuck out of my spiritual experience, please.

If it is a political thing, then that makes no sense

If it is anything, just shut up. Jesus was gay. You are gay. I am gay. We all are gay gay gay gay gay gay.

Honestly, I have never felt closer to Tony than I did just after this thing. We embraced and kept moving on. Because really, that's all you can do.

Good thing we did, because a block later, we came across the Human Rights Campaign booth, where we purchased tickets to the concert Tuesday night (Thelma Houston - an exact physical representation of my inner drag queen, Rufus Wainwright, Margaret Cho, Jared Polis, Hillary Clinton's speech!, Melissa Etheridge (holy shit can she rock out), and OMFG CYNDI LAUPER!!! That's right, homophobes, we have Cyndi Lauper on our side! Who do you have? Bush, Cheney, McCain, Palin, and Phelps? We win.

Thus spake Megathustra

A Brief Arty Interlude

Sculptures in front of the Denver Art Museum.

TMI alert: At first, when this picture was taken on the 25th of August it looked like the letter "D". Now after my travels, it looks more like my post-Jack-In-The-Box experience. But the latter smelled better. (Thanks to the kids at Camp Bacon and one particular co-worker's child from the Restaurant for shifting my otherwise intellectual perception to a more fecal one).

Thus spake Megathustra