Friday, July 30, 2004

Oh, Ben
Posted by tzannos@bostonworks.com">Svetlana Husseini at 3:34 PM - 0 comments

continued from previous posting

We approached the check-in table and kept walking. No one challenged us and I immediately felt better for having just found a party, any party.

The party we crashed was the Congressional Black Caucus party. Former San Francisco Mayor, Willie Brown ( by the way, I referred to him as Rick Brown all evening), was speaking about his past political experience and also recognized former Governor Gray Davis and his wife.

When the music began, the room went wild for the dance floor, apparently looking to let loose after a long week's worth of work. I have a feeling many of these people won't be resting until they elect a democratic president, house of representatives, and a senate on November 2.

My friend approached Governor Davis for a photo opt - thank goodness for camera phones. He told the former Governor that he had just moved from California to Boston. The governor's response, "Bummer".

What is that suppose to mean?

Ok, so the night ended with some hip hop, more famous politicos from the West Coast, and dessert. Good times. No Ben. No P. Diddy. No Boston.com posting. Bummer.

...

"God bless New Jersey!"
Posted by ekdurand@yahoo.com">Emily K. Durand at 2:53 PM - 0 comments

Now that the balloons have dropped and the last campaign button has been snapped up, I'm slowly recuperating from DNC Week. It's funny how quickly you can get into a routine of sleeping 5 or 6 hours a night and running around the city at all hours...of course, that probably wouldn't last forever, I'm not a college freshman anymore. I have to hand it to the NJ delegates, they managed to look pretty bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the Thursday morning breakfast, which started just 6 hours after the *end* of the gala Governor's Reception. The only person who slept through it was Gov. McGreevey's little 2 year old daughter, who had a stuffed bunny and pacifier to soothe her too, not just black coffee like everybody else.

Thursday's breakfast featured a mini-cavalcade of surprise guests, starting with Howard Dean, who casually strolled in while most people were still fumbling for danishes and orange juice. He had a couple of staffers with him, but no security entourage, and we almost didn't notice him at the registration table. Oops! Another volunteer, Lauren, called out, "Oh! Governor Dean!" and he affably shook our hands and chatted a little. Nice! He had several breakfasts to get to, and while he was at the podium (in classic Dean fashion he got louder and louder and more vehement, but no yowling this time) we had several people stop by and ask us if Cate Edwards, as in John Edwards' daughter, was expected to attend. I hadn't heard anything about this, and I was saying so to a particularly persistent (and heavily made-up) reporter from Channel 7 when she asked, "Well, who's in there speaking now, then?" Uh, how many journalists would mistake the rousing shouts of Howard Dean (you could hear him clearly through the open doors) for a college-age candidate's daughter? This one did. I told her it was Howard Dean, and she scurried off to get her cameraman to shoot some footage, and she nabbed a short interview with Dean later.

As the breakfast went on and the delegates started rooting through the latest morning goodie bag (highlight: a Lucent Technologies neoprene CD-case), somewhere between former N.J. Gov. Jim Florio and Sen. Jon Corzine's rambling remarks, a buzz started out in the lobby that *Ben Affleck* was on his way up. Now, I like spotting celebs as much as the next person, and Ben has been spotted everywhere from front row seats at Fenway to late night burgers with Bill Clinton this week (check out Boston.com's chart of "Where's Ben Been?" here). But I had to ask, what does he have to do with Jersey -- other than portraying a Jersey boy in several Kevin Smith movies? Not a moment later, Ben came through the service door from the kitchen and took the podium to thunderous applause and flashbulbs blinking wildly. In a plain grey suit, he *did* look sort of political -- or at least, like the wardrobe department had dressed him to look like a politician, anyway. He made a couple Red Sox - Yankees jokes, and then explained that his grandfather had lived his whole life in Jersey and was active in local Democratic politics. In fact, when he passed away several months ago, he was buried with a "Kerry For President" button!

Just as I was starting to warm to the idea, though, Ben started babbling about John Kerry and how "great he's been to Massachusetts" and so forth, and then he seemed to rip a page from the Dean playbook and raised his voice, and started pounding on the podium with his fist. He seemed sincere in his belief that Bush must go, but he played it like a kid trying out for a part in a school play -- I for one like my celebrity political endorsements a little more subtle, a la Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, or Art Alexakis, Everclear frontman and Oregon delegate, who managed to sound far more informed than Wolf Blitzer when I caught him on CNN.

So I'm skeptically watching the Affleck rant, and everyone's clapping and taking pictures, and he winds it up with, "Thank you very much! God bless you! And God bless New Jersey!" Sheesh. And this was before I learned that Ben is going on the Kerry campaign bus for a few weeks...I guess he was trying to practice his stump speech skills. When the movie career stalls, there's always public office -- as the GOP knows all too well. Ben then fled back through the kitchen, but it didn't ward off the horde of (mostly female) autograph seekers, who nabbed him at the stairs. Lauren reported being happy he'd just brushed by her ("our shirtsleeves touched!"), and Cheron became the envy of all by getting him to snap a photo with her. What a day -- 14 hours before Kerry's speech, he was already in danger of being upstaged by a constituent.

...

Where are all the famous people?
Posted by tzannos@bostonworks.com">Svetlana Husseini at 12:19 PM - 0 comments

That was a question that my friend and I were asking after the "watch party" Thursday night.  My eagle eyes have been working double time looking to get a quick peek at some of my favorite celebrities, other than the elected officials,  like Ben Affleck, P. Diddy, Justin Timberlake, and Alyssa Milano (I kept a watch out for her at the request of a friend.  Personally, I think her career jumped the shark after Who's the Boss?.) 

I have to say that I had boston.com photo gallery envy.  I wanted to be able to submit a photo or post a sighting.  The chances of that were growing slim as it was now Thursday night at 11:30. 

We had to devise a plan of action.  Whiskey Park is always full of celebrities like Tom Brady, Nomar, A-Rod, and owner, Randy Gerber.  So, we started there and quickly came to the conclusion that it wasn't anything notable happening.  Our next move had to count. 

Well, the MA delegation was staying at the nearby Copley Plaza.  Ted is a party guy and our most recent favorite son, John Kerry, is now the Democratic Presidential Nominee.  There has to be something going on there.  Excellent choice.  Nope.

Onto City Bar in the Lenox Hotel.  It's one of my favorite places to hang out in Boston.  There were friends behind the bar and others in front of it but no famous faces.  In fact, I was the only one with credentials around my neck.  Next!

We spotted balloons at the Copley Westin.  By now, I felt totally out of the "know".  Feeling totally dejected, I half heartedly agreed to go in.  My friend scolded me into wearing my credentials that really hadn't done much for me so far that night.  Intimidating security personnel directed us to the third floor.  We approached the check in table.  I was sure our night was going to end there.  We didn't have an invitation or convention floor credentials.  Where we going to get thrown out?  Would the night end without seeing Ben?

...

Thursday's Watch Party
Posted by tzannos@bostonworks.com">Svetlana Husseini at 11:32 AM - 0 comments

Ok, so I didn't get credentials for the convention floor.  How was I going to spend the last night of the convention?  Well, the Kerry Campaign took pity on the guests of the New York delegation and provided us with a "watch party" at the Park Plaza. 

It was a wonderful spread and the room was packed.  We watched C-Span's coverage of the convention with cheers, pumped fists, and anticipation.  I know that political conventions are anti-climatic which is why the major networks offered only 3 hours total coverage but the excitement in the room was real and infectious. 

The highlight of the evening was Jimmy.  Jimmy is a 73 year old citizen of Red Sox Nation, a Korean War veteran, a Kerry supporter, and DNC Volunteer.  Because of a broken foot, he was getting around in a motorized wheelchair that had some serious torque and a better turn radius than my Jeep.  He was full of energy, good cheer, and even danced a little when Willie Nelson and Carol King performed. 

We hung out all evening and chatted about politics and the current state of living.  He lives in a Senior Center in Beacon Hill.  He just got an ATM card and local organization helps him manage his income which is very modest.  He seems to be doing ok but just getting by.   This sweet old man with a great attitude just wants to elect a President that he can be proud of.  A President who will provide better benefits and healthcare for the seniors and veterans that have worked hard all their lives. 

Experiences inform what matters to us.  Some people care about a candidate's position on foreign policy, stem cell research, or education.  Jimmy simply wants to live a higher quality of life that, in Korea, he fought to keep.

 

...

And the crowd goes wild
Posted by tzannos@bostonworks.com">Svetlana Husseini at 9:27 AM - 0 comments

I spent Thursday afternoon at the Park Plaza answering questions of "honored guests of the New York Delegation" ( I am not being sarcastic.  Our pins actually say that. )  I mostly gave out directions - directions to the hospitality suite, directions to the restroom, directions to other ballrooms. 

What I am saying is that there wasn't much for a beantown buddy to do on the last day of the convention.  I chatted with the State Committee staff to see how their week went and was sad to hear that they hadn't been able to see any of the city. They worked non-stop to manage the delegate parties, bussing, credentials, etc.  They were all exhausted and very excited to be packing it up.  There was, however, one last piece of business.

Every afternoon at 4:00 there is a lottery held to give out any remaining DNC credentials for that evening.  Yesterday, there were 15 credentials to give out and 153 names on the lottery list.  You had to be present to win.  Names were called once, twice, gone.  Names were called and people cheered for the lucky democrat that was there to pick up the coveted credential. 

Apparently, things were a little more heated at Wednesday's lottery.  People were doing anything to get a credential.  Names were called once, twice and "Oh, wait a minute, that's me!"  Sure.  Let me get this right, miss.  Your name is Jonathan?  Since the extra credentials were given away on the honor system, you could claim to be almost anyone.  I heard that it wasn't a pretty scene.   People were jeering and driving the credential caper out of the room.  I am sure in the end, they didn't care what we all of thought of their underhandedness, they were on the convention floor.

...

 

Thursday, July 29, 2004

Care for a potato-tini?
Posted by ekdurand@yahoo.com">Emily K. Durand at 6:33 PM - 0 comments

The last 22 hours have been so action-packed, I think I'll have to break it up into more than one post...and the DNC high point is still to come tonight (I mean the balloon drop, of course). So let me rewind to last night's Governor's Reception high above Boston -- the big blowout event for the NJ delegation, and an opportunity to see some hard-core political socializing in action.

After catching some afternoon ZZZZ's, I headed back into town around 8:30 to meet the other volunteers at 60 State Street, an office building next to Faneuil Hall, to set up. Once again, there was zero traffic: I made it from Watertown to a spot in the Boston Common parking garage in less than 20 minutes, listening to Al Sharpton's fiery Convention speech on the radio. I drove past the Louis Boston store and saw a pack of paparazzi waiting for celebs to arrive for the Creative Coalition party and Red Hot Chili Peppers show, the night's hot ticket. As I walked over Beacon Hill, I passed a few of the open but empty pubs and restaurants that Mayor Menino's probably going to have to answer for in the coming weeks. As you can probably tell from my blog entries thus far, there is no shortage of free food, treats, and booze at a convention like this, for the delegates and all the staff, guests, and assorted hangers-on who can wangle a pass. Who would go out to dinner when they can bounce from one corporate-sponsored shindig to another all night long?Sigh.

Of course, that's just what I did last night -- well, just the one shindig. The State Room, on the 33rd floor, has a breathtaking view of Boston Harbor and the Custom House Tower, and against this backdrop the NJ delegation feted Governor McGreevey (who didn't get up to speak until nearly 1am, after I left but long before the party ended) and several hundred of his closest friends. Everyone was in their party clothes, and unfortunately there was no TV to watch John Edwards speak, so there was some restlessness in the ranks. We volunteers sat in the lobby, somewhat lackadaisically checking people in and taking turns going up to check out the scene.  I say "lackadaisically" because at a certain point there were several busloads of delegates pulling up outside in the rain, some straight from the Fleet Center, and some from the hotel -- a mere 2 blocks away, but why walk when you can ride? The delegation staff started waving through the VIPs, as in members of the state assembly or the Congress, but of course once that starts everyone wants the VIP treatment, right?

For the record, our 1800-person "guest list" included the likes of Bill and Hillary Clinton (no shows), members of Congress like Barbara Mikulski, Mary Landrieu, Joe Biden, and Nancy Pelosi (ditto), and one "Joseph Buttafuoco." Draw your own conclusions there. The "regular" delegates were very energized from the Convention, and it was nice to start to recognize them by face as they filed past. With only one day left to go, they were ready for a deluxe party.

Upstairs, the lights were low, a jazz combo was playing, and a random but delicious assortment of hors d'oeuvres was offered to the throng. Brie in pastry, shrimp salad on celery, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, a towering array of sushi on ice, a whole smoked salmon that went mostly untouched, beef, shrimp, and...drumroll...a mashed potato bar. Step up, fill a small glass with straight carbs, and top with sour cream, bacon bits, chives, cheese, etc.  I thought it was great, but then I'm not on Atkins -- and for those poor souls, they provided a big bowl of salad. Mmmmm, salad.

There were two fully stocked bars, and things got a little silly right from the start.  Three slightly shady gentlemen came to the registration table unable to sign their names in a straight line, but they had tickets and so we let them up, after receiving their business cards, from the postal worker's union of NJ. That certainly didn't fill me with confidence about the mail.  Things were in full swing when I left after midnight -- the thought of the 7:30 breakfast drove me home to bed, but not before the giveaway prizes were unveiled. Each guest (well, the reasonably sober ones, anyway) got a black fleece jacket with "Boston 2004 -- Gov. James McGreevey" printed on it, plus an outline of New Jersey, of course.  They went like hotcakes...which is just what people want after a night of barhopping, right?

...

Heels + Grates = Embarassment
Posted by tzannos@bostonworks.com">Svetlana Husseini at 12:35 PM - 0 comments

I know, I know.  Its my own fault but still, if it wasn't for the convention being here, the level of embarassment would be have been low.  I had to meet a fellow beantown buddy this morning at the Omni Parker House where she and NJ delegation are staying.

The sidewalks on School Street are narrow as most of you know but they also have high heel unfriendly grates that are the width of the sidewalk.  So, there is no where to go but to walk over them.  I thought the city was doing all they could to make this a friendly experience? What about all the high heel wearers? Who is going to fight for our right to wear skinny-heeled, fashionable footwear and still be able to walk this great, world class, walkable city?

Apparently, there was extra security at the hotel this morning because Kate Edwards was expected to speak at the delegation breakfast.  I approached the front door where armed security was standing shoulder to shoulder waiting to check my credentials.  In order to get to them, I had to step on a grate about 7 feet in front of them. 

Oh, you know what happens next.  The foot keeps going but the shoe doesn't.  I had to use both hands to pry it out.  A Boston Police officer, a blue angel, helped me manipulate the heel out of the grate.  She says, " Let me help you.  Honey, this happens to me all the time."

For those of you concerned, there was no damage to the shoe. 

...

Breakfast of Champions
Posted by tzannos@bostonworks.com">Svetlana Husseini at 10:58 AM - 0 comments

Every morning, the delegations have a breakfast meeting in their hotels where they use the prior evening's momentum to energize the sleepy crowd, review the schedule for today, and listen to speakers. 

The NY Delegation, the second largest delegation, is staying in the Park Plaza.  On Wednesday morning, wearing my 'guest of the NY delegation pin',  I thought I was so cool as I entered the ballroom.  However, to be 'cool' was to have gone to last night's Creative Coalition party. 

The breakfast, as far as political breakfasts go, was a great experience.  I sat with delegates and other guests and we listened to James Carville, Sheldon Silver, Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, and other democratic party stars shine in the morning with no cameras to play to.  Just similar messages of party unity, swing state support, and democratic party domination come November were touted.

I think it was James Carville said that the line up of speakers at breakfast was a line up that challenged the Yankee ball club.  I think there is a nation out there, a Red Sox Nation, that would have like to debated that comment with CNN's Crossfire host.

 

...

 

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Oh boy, Obama
Posted by ekdurand@yahoo.com">Emily K. Durand at 1:34 PM - 0 comments

Unless you're living under a rock today, you've heard (or you saw for yourself) that last night's speech by Barack Obama, Illinois state senator and candidate for the U.S. Senate, was a real barn-burner.  The buzz was building yesterday afternoon -- I heard more people mentioning they were looking forward to Obama than were looking forward to Howard Dean, and in a town full of Deaniacs that's a feat.  And as I watched the convention speeches, I saw the blue-and-white "OBAMA" signs being handed out to the crowd, during Dean's remarks -- which weren't bad, but were actually shorter and less-inspired than the extended standing ovation he received when he came onstage as "the man who energized our party."  In any case, the stage was set, and Obama delivered with one of the most personal, compelling, and memorable addresses I've ever heard.

And I had breakfast with him this morning!  Well, not just me -- he was the surprise guest at the daily NJ delegate breakfast, and it was standing ovation time again.  When I arrived at 7:30 (oy...), there was a rumor of his arrival going around the staff, as we pitched in to place the day's goodie bags in the banquet room.  For those keeping score at home, these were the tote bags emblazoned "C-SPAN" and filled with random chip clips and a New Jersey frisbee, ooh aah.  The breakfast was slower to fill up than the last two days -- apparently the late night party for the Bergen County Democrats ran quite late.  We were served vegetable quiche and -- I am not making this up -- a slice of watermelon cut out in the shape of a donkey.  Get it?  Hmmmmmm.

After speeches by Governor McGreevey (whose adorable toddler daughter has been stealing the show all week) and Senator Jon Corzine, the hapless Congressman Frank Pallone took the podium, and was immediately interrupted by Obama's arrival.  To thunderous applause, Obama said a few words about the Dems regaining control of the Senate (which he could swing with a win) and self-deprecatingly said he'd "used up all the best lines last night."  More applause...and I have to say, even in a few minutes he put the rhetorical skills of the NJ politicos in the dark.  But he departed as swiftly as he came, trailed by a line of well-wishers and photo-seekers.  He looked as though he hadn't slept much last night, but he's clearly been vaulted into the national spotlight and is making the most of it.

Word on the street is there'll be another high-profile guest tomorrow...which will also be the day we deluge the delegates with all remaining freebies and generally go all out.  Let it be noted that today we received several boxes of foam beer-bottle cozies from the Camden River Sharks minor league baseball team to give away, so anything can happen.  Tonight is the deluxe Governor's reception at 10pm in the Bay Tower Room -- I'll be there, handing out programs and such.

...

 

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Stars of the Show
Posted by behradmahdi@yahoo.com">Behrad Mahdi at 7:56 PM - 0 comments

Things are in full gear here at the Convention and I'll be the first to just say it: being here is incredible. Walking around the streets seeing delegates, party officials, and others who are all here to take part in the Convention is both exciting and interesting. My curiosity is always wrangling to figure out the who, what, and why about these enigmatic people. The answer seems to always be dangling from their necks in the form of credentials and identification that are emblematic of a convention.

Here at Volunteer headquarters things have taken a grinding pace. As general questions have been resolved, people are becoming comfortable with the flow of the convention, and with everyone attached to the television in the evenings to see the various speakers and different presentations at the podium of the convention, our evenings have become a bit less hectic. With that being said, we never fail to find out about a last minute change or addition that jolts us from our comfortable stride.

I think the volunteers here at Boston 2004 have really stolen the show. With media warnings about security and traffic, weather challenges, and a tough but victorious 3-game series between the Sox and Yankees, the unfailing enthusiasm of the volunteers has made the convention work. Here at the Call Center in the headquarters we've already received compliments from delegates, officials, and Bostonians alike. They're all so appreciative of the kindness and support they've received from people who genuinely want them to have a wonderful time in Boston. More than anything, it's taught me that when people are given the ability and opportunity to help others, they will step up to the plate and hit it out of the park.

In the next two days, I think the intensity will continue rising here and around the city. Everyone has been fully ignited by the presentations from speakers discussing the past and present. Now, I think the stage has been set for the future. And everyone here in Boston working to make this a great event knows that whatever the course of our next elections holds, they've at least had a small part to play in it.

...

The Battle of the Lanyards
Posted by ekdurand@yahoo.com">Emily K. Durand at 5:57 PM - 0 comments

Well, the jars of salsa from New Mexico were a hit -- and lucky for me, they were delivered to the delegates' hotel rooms late last night while they were at the Fleet Center.  The jars are actually "Governor Bill Richardson" *brand* salsa, somehow, complete with a picture of him.  And that's just the beginning of the high-end swag -- forget campaign buttons and those crispy white boater hats, there is lots of junk to get for free at the DNC.  And I do mean "junk" -- the salsa and the "Smush Bush" stress ball from the National Abortion Rights Action League were the only two remotely useful items I saw today.  But who turns down a totebag full of pens, chip clips, vitamin C tablets, Post-Its, and a Verizon golf towel? 

Nobody, that's who -- not just your average delegates, but actual U.S. Congressional representatives were hounding me today, asking, "When are we getting more goodie bags?" and "Can I get two more for my kids?"  Sheesh -- you'd think the welcome gift of New Jersey wine (no, seriously) would've been enough.  Lesson #1 of the day: people will pick up absolutely *anything* if it's free.  We could've put out "Satan for President" buttons on the table, and little old ladies would've grabbed them by the handful.  The trick, we learned, is straight from Economics 101: "Create the Illusion of Scarcity."  If you put 100 buttons on the table, people will take 3 or 4 without a blink.  If you only put out 6 at a time, they'll ask politely for one button.  Which reminds me: Best Button of the Day was "Bush is from Mars, Cheney is from Uranus."  Juvenile, yet satisfying.

So while we were spared the task of handing out gubernatorial salsa, and we enjoyed handing out the freebies, today brought some of the most thankless tasks of a volunteer: unseen, backbreaking labor and dealing with touchy customer service problems.  First, the labor: after the delegate breakfast, which went off very smoothly, the NJ coordinators learned from the hotel that the room they'd been using to store a mountain of forthcoming free junk to give out to the delegates had to be vacated for an event.  Conveniently. the strapping Young Aides were nowhere to be found (something about dancing with cable news anchorwomen until 3 am...) and so it fell to myself, fellow Buddy Aline, and NJ helper Christina to help Dave the Logistics Guy lug about 100 boxes down the hall.  Ugh -- do you have any idea how much a box of 250 Verizon golf towels weighs?

After a well-earned break in the Hospitality Suite (paid for by Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and God help me I drank a few bottles of Novartis-labeled spring water in there), Aline and I headed back to the front desk.  Now, for two days it had been constantly busy, with people picking up credentials, press passes, briefing books, schedules, etc.  New business like that settled down quite a bit today, but the customer service battle was only beginning.  Lesson #2 for the day: teach a man to fish, feed him for a day; give a man a free fish, and tomorrow he'll ask for another.  We started to run low on the plastic credential sleeves and lanyard cords, since it was assumed each person would only need one.  So naive!  People came by who lost theirs, left theirs in their room, who wanted a "fresh one" (?!), who were from another state delegation that was handing out inferior gear (stick-on name labels, the horror!), and who wanted, once again, "two more for my kids."  Sigh.  Luckily, we started to get armloads of materials, buttons, and shiny new lanyards from various political groups hoping to reach out to the delegates, so we directed people to take the precious lanyards along with them.  Unfortunately, this led to a misunderstanding over some very nifty items called LidRocks, a combination lanyard-CD-CDROM-soft drink lid-ticket to the Black Eyed Peas show at Avalon tonight...oooops, they weren't supposed to be given out like Halloween candy.  Again, OOOOPS.  It's kind of a long story.  This led to some customer service woes of the, "Yes, I regret to inform you that the really cool lanyard thingie I gave you ten minutes ago, well, I need it back."  Ouch.

But overall, the Buddies conducted ourselves well and helpfully.  Tomorrow will be our marathon day, from the delegate breakfast to the late night Governor's Reception, so we wanted to take it a little easy.  When things quieted down in the afternoon, Aline and Carolyn and I headed over to the Sonesta in Cambridge in the hopes of hearing Michael Moore, Howard Dean, Robert Reich and Barbara Ehrenreich speak -- and found many, many hundreds of people lining up all the way around the block, in front of us.  Ooops again.  But we did get a nice walk around the empty city -- empty but for a police helicopter hovering over the Charles.  We also had our bags searched on the Orange Line, in a very quick and professional manner -- they even gave us a little card explaining our "right" to refuse (and be ejected from the T and possibly arrested, but I digress).  But nobody objected -- not even the bearded guy with the t-shirt reading "Homeland Security: Protecting America Since 1492."  I love this town.

...

 

Monday, July 26, 2004

"It's upstairs on the Mezzanine Level."
Posted by ekdurand@yahoo.com">Emily K. Durand at 9:30 PM - 0 comments

I must have spoken that phrase about 100 times today...no, make that 300.  Starting at 8am, I directed about a zillion delegates and guests from the lobby of the Parker House to the only concievable place in the hotel where a large group could gather for a breakfast meeting, the function rooms on the Mezzanine Level.  Despite the loud, repeated directives for everyone to go up there, people just had to stop by the table and double-check: "I'm sorry, did you just say the breakfast is on the Mezzanine Level?"  "Yes, sir."  "So I need to go up to the Mezzanine Level to get breakfast?"  Long pause.  "Yes."  Sigh.

But such is the life of the early morning volunteer in the face of sleepy delegates who were out partying til the wee hours...well, until midnight, anyway, which in this town is pretty darn late.  There will be a delegate breakfast each morning, and if they continue in the same vein as today's, they will involve mountains of scrambled eggs, many rounds of applause and standing ovations (croissants in hand) for the NJ democratic faithful, and some special "surprise" guests.  This morning Maryland Senator Joe Biden appeared not quite on cue, amidst an entourage of "advance men" and various assistants. 

I'm beginning to recognize the Youthful Aide as a distinct political sub-type: they look just like the office workers on "The West Wing," with trim clothes, large leather portfolios, and battered cellphones, usually sipping from an enormous coffee and twiddling with a handheld PDA.  There seems to be a distinct lack of glamour in these jobs, although they make the most of saying things like, "I'm traveling with the Congressman this week" or "I helped (insert first name of boss here) draft her position paper on just that issue."  It seems a bit like playing dress-up, to wear a suit to run errands all day, but I think many of them have their eyes on a bigger prize, whether that's running for office themselves, or (more likely) becoming a bigwig chief-of-staff-type.  As I'm not in this for political gain, the whole Drama of the Interns provided some much-needed entertainment in the hairier moments at the front desk (like when a small-town NJ mayor and delegate "lost" his credential in the men's room).

Tonight the delegates had to make their first foray to the Fleet Center, and let it just be said that Boston might want to re-think having buildings named "Fleet Center," "Hynes Convention Center," "Boston Convention Center," and so on in the same city and in use for the same sprawling event.  I narrowly caught at least two delegates who were planning to "stroll" to what they thought was the Fleet Center, somewhere in Cambridge from where they pointed on their fuzzy little T map.  Whew.  On the downside, I think I neglected to mention to a fellow volunteer that whole get-off-the-T-and-onto-a-bus deal going on at Lechemere these days...oops.  I'm eager to hear what the delegates thought of the security checks at the Fleet -- I'm watching on TV right now, and it seems somewhat more sedate and serious than past conventions, like they've all been cowed into submission by having their water bottles seized.  I'll ask them about it at breakfast tomorrow.

PS -- Oddest request of the day: a staffer from New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's office came by our table asking where he should deliver 200 jars of salsa, a gift to the delegation from the Gov.  I'll be passing those out at 7:30 tomorrow morning, mmmmmmmmm.

...

Southie did good!
Posted by tzannos@bostonworks.com">Svetlana Husseini at 4:00 PM - 0 comments

Emily, I feel your pain.  I worked the Media Party on Saturday night in 4 inch heels. Its Monday and my feet are still burning.  I felt my arches fall around midnight.  Not good.  It will be flip-flops for me for the rest of the week.

Like Emily, our delegation welcoming party was phenomenal.  Southie did it right.  They showed NY that we are a party town and can take a theme to all levels.

Our mermaid wasn't actually swimming in a fish tank like the ones at Coral Room in Manhatten's Chelsea area but Haley Paster of Swampscott flapped her tail, waved and smiled unwaveringly for hours.  Michael Peluso was perched atop his lifeguard post waiting to save any New Yorker - Yankee fan or not.  And all the servers were wearing "I Love NY" t-shirts.  They smiled, welcomed all the delegates, and were the best examples of Boston's great spirit ( other than the Beantown Buddies, of course).

Besides the great food, good music, and excellent vibe, the Southie residents were sure to let the delegates know they were welcome.  They lined the streets and draped flags to welcome the delegates that at one point didn't have many nice things to say about the history of their neighborhood.   It didn't matter.  People cheered, held up signs, and were sincerely excited to have NY see their neighborhood.

When we arrived, a warm welcome awaited the delegates as they entered the hallowed Bathhouse, a Boston landmark.  My Grandmother told me stories of how she and her 10 brothers and sisters would spend their summer days on that beach.  It was one of the few areas that their mother could take them and let them be kids without getting into too much trouble.  Not having much money growing up, the sand and surf also gave them hours of fun at low cost. 

I was sure to tell everyone about all the islands, the JFK Library, my grandmother's stories, and Sully's.  Those seem like little things but if you love your city and you tell people all the cool little things that make it special, then they too will love it.  Enthusiasm is infectious.  The goal of the party was to set the tone for the week. Southie residents showed New Yorkers, that Bostonians are fun, friendly, and full of charm.

 

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Sunday, July 25, 2004

Risotto for 250
Posted by ekdurand@yahoo.com">Emily K. Durand at 10:10 PM - 0 comments

The first full day of the DNC, and my dogs are barkin.'  Note to self: nobody's looking at your shoes, tomorrow go comfy.  Now that I have another semi-official credential on a lanyard, I could probably turn up in my pajamas and they'd let me into a cocktail reception or two...but I don't think "business casual" has sunk to that level yet.

The lobby of the Omni Parker House Hotel on Tremont Street was buzzing all day, because when dozens of delegates mix with scores of eager volunteers and a few recognizable politicos, everyone starts scoping out everyone else, and whispering to their neighbor, "Do you know who that is?"  No mega-celebs yet, but as a native Jersey Girl it was nice to meet former NJ governor Brendan Byrne (as in the former Brendan Byrne Arena at the Meadowlands, for you hockey fans), Senator John Corzine, and assorted representatives.  I also learned quickly that, as with most large-scale events, the DNC is a Darwinian affair -- if you act like you're in the know, people start treating you like you're in charge, and follow your lead.  As a mundane example, once I discovered the location of the Ladies' Room, I was like a mountain-top guru, people seemed to sense that I would know where to send them.  It helps to be sitting behind a table heaped high with unclaimed delegate credentials to project this sense of authority.

My co-Buddy Aline and I were the only volunteers set to go with the expected 4 busloads of delegates to our Welcome Reception, at the USS Constitution in the Charlestown Navy Yard.  Due to circumstances (traffic on the Mass Pike, the delegation's official stance on Mayor Menino's labor woes) we took a mere 37 folks over there, to a catered reception in a tent right on the water overlooking the Boston skyline.  Compliments of AT&T and Prudential Financial, we feasted on hot hors d'oeuvres, salmon and asparagus, insanely good mushroom risotto, and white peach shortcakes for dessert.  We mingled with the delegates (from NJ as well as Nevada and South Dakota, whose neighboring party allegedly had only coffee and dessert, despite also having Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in attendance), the college-age staffers from Senator Corzine's office (who looked very psyched about a week of catered meals), and the dozen Events volunteers from the Boston 2004 Host Committee, who after realizing they weren't going to hand out all 250 welcome booklets from the Mayor were also enjoying the open bar and feast.  Hey, who said volunteer work doesn't have its rewards?

Senator Corzine gave a *very* brief speech of the "Go Kerry!" variety, and then we headed over to take a tour of the Constitution itself.  As everywhere in Boston today, there was a palpable security presence -- aside from the regular personnel, there were fatigues-clad soldiers, police, polo-shirted security guards with walkie-talkies, you name it.  Afterwards, on our way back to City Hall plaza, we drove near the security perimeter around the Fleet Center, and saw more of the same -- a dozen SWAT-type guys in khaki cargo pants and tactical vests went by, and while I felt secure, it didn't feel too much like everyday Boston.  There were actually very few cars on the roads or people on the T, that I could see, anywhere, as if the locals had all fled for the week.  I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow morning as the Monday commute fires up...

Besides a traffic apocalypse, slated for tomorrow we also have an 8am breakfast meeting (ouch!) with Senator Joe Biden, a cocktail reception at the Bell in Hand Tavern, and of course the first round of speeches at the Convention itself in the evening...and maybe more risotto, who knows?

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Welcome to Boston, New York Democrats
Posted by tzannos@bostonworks.com">Svetlana Husseini at 9:26 AM - 0 comments

The delegation parties begin today.  Today!  The day when A-Rod's facial bruises will show their colors.  Today! The day when the final game in the 3 game series in the greatest baseball rivalry ever will be played.  This game will decide who wins the series. 

I am a Beantown Buddy for NY and after a game like last night's, I am not sure how its going to go this afternoon at the L Street Bathhouse.  First of all, there was an issue with the venue.  Oh you remember, the NY delegation had a problem with partying in Southie because of its bussing history 30 years ago.  Then it was fine.  Now, the Yankees and The Sox had another bench clearing fight yesterday afternoon. 

Will the bruises and the bussing history be forgotten?  Will the NY delegation just enjoy the beach, the beautiful views, and the Bostonian hospitality in one of our most beautiful neighborhoods?  Welcome to Boston, New York Democrats.  The past is the past - even yesterday's game is in the past.  You are here to enjoy yourself and our great city and I hope you do.

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Saturday, July 24, 2004

A gleaming stack of cell phones
Posted by ekdurand@yahoo.com">Emily K. Durand at 9:49 PM - 0 comments

First post from Emily, Beantown Buddy for the New Jersey delegation, and crazy enough to have planned to move from Somerville to Watertown today, the day before the Convention starts.  Not recommended, especially in the pouring rain!  But I made it, and I'm resting up for tomorrow and the week ahead.  Hey, if the Red Sox could win that marathon game today, I can put on a smile for the 146 delegates I'll be shaking hands with tomorrow afternoon.

Yesterday, I stopped by the Boston 2004 volunteer headquarters to pick up my Beantown Buddy accoutrements.  Now that, after endless months of planning, the Convention is about to start, I admit I was hoping for a bit more fanfare to kick it off.  But I caught the office in a rare quiet moment -- just a few people working the phones, in a large conference room overlooking the Prudential Mall and Boylston Street.  There were all the signs of a large event, or even a political campaign, in progress: a random assortment of chairs and desks; stacks of Diet Coke in cans and packets of M&Ms; scores of cheerful college students huddled together around clipboards.  I asked for my credential and my cellphone, and a somewhat frazzled coordinator handed me the top phone from a stack of shiny Motorolas (just on loan for the week, of course).  Hmmm, I guess I really *will* be available 24/7 for this gig...

The volunteer credential is cute, red white and blue, and will get me absolutely nowhere near the Fleet Center or any of the zillion "delegate-only" receptions this week.  But that's fine with me -- I went to the DNC in 1992 at Madison Square Garden in New York, and I did enough celebrity spotting to last a decade.  I'm hoping to bump into Janeane Garofalo, Hillary Clinton (not too likely, I know), or maybe Michael Moore around town.  Or even John Kerry, what a concept!  In the meantime, I'll be giving the NJ group (several hundred strong) my recommendations on where to eat, shop, and hang out around Boston during the day -- when they're not attending those swanky receptions, that is.  The mayor of my hometown is one of the delegates -- maybe I'll get to take him out for coffee.  More updates as events warrant...tomorrow night it's off to the U.S.S. Constitution Museum for the welcome party.   

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A Day in the Life....
Posted by a.irving@neu.edu"> at 6:49 PM - 0 comments

Saturday, July 24, 2004 -- I arrived at Northeastern University (NU) around 1:30 p.m. not truly realizing the full responsibility of a Team Captain. However, there were several things that I did know: I knew that I had 16 team volunteers scheduled to work this week in West Village A (WV-A) (I had previously e-mailed or called each volunteer member to verify their schedules), that the Montana delegation was staying at NU, and that there would be a Boston 2004 table with handouts. I also knew that I had a number of open shifts that needed volunteers. The night before I stopped by WV-A to see the reception area layout and to be sure that I knew where to go.

When I arrived on Saturday my first volunteer, due to start at 2:00 p.m., was there. She was familiarizing herself with the materials and getting acquainted with the other volunteers. However, sitting at the table were two Boston 2004 volunteers, individuals that were not on my list. They had been here since 10:00 a.m. This is when I learned that there were three Team Leaders at NU (who each had 16 volunteers), and 4 host sites (West Village A, West Village H, Davenport A, and Davenport B.) The Davenport sites are located on Columbus Avenue, which is on the other side of campus.

Adjacent to our table was the NU Residential Life Summer staff's table. Their table was the equivalent to a hotel's Reception Desk, Housekeeping, and Concierge booth -- all in one. They gave guests their towels, blankets, pillows too.

Guests staying at NU included not only the Montana delegation but also media staff, students from other schools, security staff, and delegation staff. The Montana delegation stayed primarily at the WV-A site.

The common denominator among Team Leaders was that we were affiliated with the University. Two of us are staff and one is a graduate student in the law school. This arrangement made sense as we had access and knowledge of NU in a way that a non-NU affiliate would not have, i.e, knowledge of local stores and eateries, short-cuts across campus, and alternative meeting spaces. The two Team Leaders and I met for an hour this afternoon to trouble-shoot and to devise a master schedule. This proved quite useful as it gave us a chance to get to know each other, share our schedules which helped us fill in the empty shifts.

Our new master schedule covered all four NU sites. We also devised a plan for replacing no-show volunteers by using current volunteers or by calling headquarters for on-call volunteers.

Today we experienced our first no-shows of volunteers who I guess dropped out without notice to us. We quickly had put our replacement plan into action. I wished the on-call center's plan were as coordinated as our new master schedule. We had our first no-shows from the call center as well.

So as you can see, my first day was a learning and troubleshooting experience. I am thankful for the NU Res life staff as they too are very knowledgeable about the campus and the surrounding area. Their presence made the Boston 2004 volunteers' job much easier.

The volunteers are great and enthusiastic. By the time I left at 7:30 p.m. the 6:00 volunteers were in place and ready to greet.

Angela Irving

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Seaships and servers
Posted by behradmahdi@yahoo.com"> at 12:37 PM - 0 comments

Whew! What a morning. With technology glitches, swarms of volunteers, and lots of coffee, I must say we're doing a pretty good job.

Today is the first day the Convention's operations around the city got underway, and we've been working in the Call Center doing the best job we can getting information out about the events, logistics, and general questions about what's going on. It always amazes me to see volunteers taking leadership roles and training other volunteers. At the risk of sounding sentimental, it's touching, really.

My most interesting encounter came from an exchange from a volunteer. I'll call him Bob, who showed up early this morning. Being observant of the many technology glitches we were encountering, he quickly offered his technology services to help out. After a few questions and a couple tripped wires, it became evident that his idea of technology services may not have been what we were thinking. Turns out Bob's experience came from his 22 years as an electrical technician aboard a navy ship. Not exactly servers and satellites, but he certainly had some entertaining stories. Needless to say, he wasn't much help with our technology, but assured us he could get TV reception aboard a Navy ship in the middle of an ocean. While we were all in the middle of all sorts of problems, I knew everyone was thinking, "Bob rocks."

Either way, it's clear that we're under way. So far every problem has eventually found a solution. I can only imagine how exciting it will get as the week progresses and things start really heating up.

-- Behrad Mahdi

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Friday, July 23, 2004

A nervous smirk
Posted by behradmahdi@yahoo.com"> at 9:55 PM - 0 comments

It's about 10 o'clock here in Volunteer Headquarters and I've finally got a few seconds to sit and take a breather.  Walking down the hallways, running into volunteers, staff, and others, everyone has a nervous smirk on their faces.  We're all thinking about one thing:  we're all about to play a role, in whatever capacity we can, in a historic event.

After finishing school this past spring, I knew I wanted to be a part of this event.  Born and raised in Ohio, I thought coming out to Boston was going to be a daunting and difficult task.  In fact it's been the opposite.  Volunteering here has introduced me to some wonderful people, all of whom want to make this event memorable and exciting. 

I've been working in the Volunteer department here at Boston 2004, the host committee for the Democratic Convention for the past month.  Scheduling, registering, and training 8,000 volunteers has certainly been challenging to say the least.  But what has really made everything work here has been the patience and understanding of the volunteers.  And while I am certainly excited for the events, the speakers, and the nomination, I think I'm more eager for the hundreds of volunteers I'll be meeting from all over the world. 

All in all, I'm psyched and happy to be sharing my experiences with all of you. Hopefully, I'll get to tell you all about the people I'll be meeting.

-- Behrad Mahdi

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So it begins....
Posted by tzannos@bostonworks.com">Svetlana Husseini at 3:37 PM - 0 comments

The DNC is finally here and here is my first blog.  It hasn't really started yet.  So I can't tell you about my experiences.  All I can tell you is that everyone is pretty excited that its finally here.  Alot of hard work and preparation has gone into it.

For me the festivities begin this weekend with media events, delegation parties, and the big kick-off on City Hall Plaza on Sunday evening.  The delegation party on Sunday should be interesting considering New York had some reservations about partying at the Curley Center.  Stay tuned to see how that goes.  Also, I am really excited about my plan to get on The Today Show.  Can't share it with you yet though.  You are going to have to check back in to see how it went. 

 

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