Yeah, we held the Republican convention that year, and Bush got elected, but we got some things right that year. Our police department did some very smart things (and yes, along with some very questionable things).

Protesters fail, either purposely or by naivety, to understand that people really do live and work in Denver, and by and large the residents just really want them all to go away as quickly as possible. Not because they disagree with their politics. They just hate it kids chain themselves together to block them from living their lives and getting to work and back.

In the case of Philadelphia in 2000 police in riot gear were rarely, if ever, seen. Our chief of police had his officers in bike uniforms. Not motorbikes, but on bicycles in shorts. They appeared more approachable, and less likely to want to fight. But if protesters got out of hand they would simply line up, lift their bikes up, and use them as barricades. Where they got it wrong is detaining large amounts of people until the convention was over and then saying, 'oops, our bad for keeping you locked up without charges for so long. But now you can protest all you want on your way out of our city'.

Sans the unconstitutional lockup technique, I'm surprised more cities don't adopt a similar, less threatening police image.

I haven't seen Tropic Thunder yet, but I understand the argument made by disability advocates against Ben Stiller's depiction of a mentally challenged man. I don't agree with the controversy, but I understand their argument. On the surface it's a character making fun of people who aren't capable of understanding the intended satire and defending themselves. However, Ben Stiller is really depicting one of many well meaning, but self-absorbed Hollywood actors who think a couple of wild ticks and overly exaggerated emoting equals a dignified portrayal of a person with a mental disability.

Mitt comes 2/3 of the way across the country just to crash the opposing party's convention and complain about its candidate?! Well, duh. I think just about everyone in the country was on to his political persuasion before he boarded that plane.

Can we finally call Republicans the honest to god party of doom and gloom politics? The real party without any new ideas? Their candidate clearly doesn't have a plan to undo the damage his party has done to our country, unless he plans on sending Mitt and Rudy to setup shop next door to the unemployment office so they can complain about people not finding jobs yet. Or fly them to Iraq and they can nag the Iraqi council to death. The GOP, officially the party of angry old failed nags...the Statler & Waldorf of the convention.

These guys need to learn how to better hydrate themselves out in that thin dry air!

Perhaps a bunch of hot dry sun backed pundits having an on air meltdown is well deserved punishment. Shame it's not happening to each of the 24 hour cable news channel.

2012...Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC pundits meet for the first time to flex their acid tongues, exaggerating all the tiniest, silliest, and most insignificant of issues that don't matter to anyone but the least knowledgeable people on the planet--you know, 'values voters'--to the death! 2012 it's time for Thunderdome!

This VP pick is only heartbeat away from a 72 year-old ticker. Yet, her resume undercuts every arguement McCain has been making about Obama's experience.

She may be a terrific person, but with only a year as Governer in a state with fewer residents than Delaware, one time Miss Wasilla beauty pageant winner, one time Miss Alaska beauty pageant runner-up, journalism major, brief sports beat writer, former city council member turned mayor of a whopping 5400 citizens in Wasilla Alaska, um...wait this is a put-on, right?

This is like the Chewbacca Defense. Why would a war hero who's own celebrity propelled him to the US Senate, pick an absolutely green candidate for VP when he's spent weeks, days and months pounding us with negative ads declaring experience counts for everything? It just does not make any sense!

For me there is only one aspect of this story that should be part of the public debate and it's her ability to use her kids for political gain. When introduced to the country on Friday her newborn son, Trig, was a prop used to illustrate her social conservatism. Remember how she and her husband received news that Trig would be born with Down Syndrome, but she made it a point that they never considered an abortion? That's great, but if I recall, no one asked you if you considered aborting your child.

Her oldest son is going to deploy for Iraq.

Her oldest daughter is pregnant, but keeping her baby.

Why has she been using her children as living, breathing, talking points?

Now lets change the focus to her membership in a movement in Alaska called the AIP whose goals include breaking away from the USA and reverting back into it's own country; or her earmark requests; or her story about opposing that bridge to nowhere that she actually wanted to get built, and ran on that issue.

What!? How can you doubt the word of a maverick reformer like John McCain?

Heck, I've been watching the RNC for like an hour and everyone being interviewed is completely unbiased and without prior instructions and speaking of their own free will saying that he vetted her...you know, like the 'maverick' that he is...a real reforming reformer...mother...executive...maverick. Maverick, hockey mom! Reformer maverick reformer, hockey mom executive mother maverick POW reformer PTA executive....bzzzz

It's much better than Cats! I'm going to see her again and again and again.... Oops, wrong comedy show.