My Apologies

Hello everyone. I want to apologize for missing so many days of reporting on the convention, however, my experience is not turning out to be everything that I thought it would be. As part of my fieldwork component of this academic seminar series, I have been assigned to work for CNN. I have been working, on average, 10.5 hour days, and trying to keep up with the coursework at the same time has proven to be nearly impossible. I will tell you this - because I have been given press credentials, I have had access into the Pepsi Center for the past four days. The first day was very exciting and the days to follow, well, not so much. On my first day in the Pepsi Center, five volunteers, including myself, performed microphone checks for the CNN anchors who would be covering the convention live. I got to sit in Anderson Cooper's chair! The days which followed were filled with menial tasks. I must say that the convention floor within the Pepsi Center is breathtaking. I was told that the podium actually moves up and down to accomodate all those who will be speaking throughout the convention. Within the perimeter of all the action, I was able to watch several live broadcasts. Most of the VIP began arriving today, and it was clear that the general public had knowledge of this. Protesters marched through downtown Denver and gathered at the gates of the Pepsi Center. All types of issues were addressed during the march, including abortion rights, immigration rights, gay/lesbian rights, the war in Iraq, the energy crisis and much more. There was certainly no shortage of police or secret service, and they were well equipped with rubber bullet guns and other riot control weaponry designed to keep things in order. I apologize for the lack of exciting firsthand details, however, you must understand that it is very difficult to gain privileged access and information in Denver right now. On a side note, I am sure that many of you have heard that Barack Obama has selected Senator Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate. Recent CNN polls, taken after this decision, indicate that 52% of Hillary supporters will vote for Obama, 21% will vote for John McCain, and the rest have remained undecided. I would love to hear any comments/thoughts on Senator Obama's decision, and I would be more than happy to share my thoughts if anyone is interested.