Welcome to The Big Tent

Not the most exciting video ever made (a bunch of people sitting at computers?) but a little taste of the chaos that is The Big Tent. For those that don't know, The Big Tent is where 400 or so bloggers are calling home during the convention. Pictured is just the lower level in the main tent - there is a second story for event, and the building next door houses the food and electricity.

One of the first surprises for "the most technologically advanced convention in history" - porta potties. Yeah... a bit of the rustic, just so nobody forgets their roots...

All in all, a energetic place where a lot of people who have conversed forever are finally meeting. There's probably a thousand other posts from all the people on the computers here, but just a snippet of the environment I will be in some of the time.

Media covering media covering media

Okay, in a wierd, "media covering media covering media," an interesting article from PC World about the bloggers at the convention.

I haven't seen the blogger areas yet - either at the Pepsi Center or the Big Tent. Here's hoping my batteries hold out!

I got the golden ticket...

I was sent this article from Media Shift about the Big Tent - the bloggers home away from home. I didn't realize 3,000 people had applied to be in the Tent - and only 300 got in. I feel like I've got a golden ticket now! Much more so because Celtic Diva is sharing her Pepsi Center blogging credential with me. The article discusses whether or not blogging from the Big Tent will make a difference (as opposed to just watching from home.)

Another convention note - although I try not to just shamelessly plug someone else's product, this is still a pretty cool idea: Rock the Vote and Xbox are teaming up to register voters via Xbox Live. As some from the generation that is occasionally called the "Nintendo Generation" (I would like to file my official protest on that one,) this is a pretty great idea.

"Xbox is a natural partner to help us reach out to youth voters," said Heather
Smith, executive director, Rock the Vote. "To realize our goal of registering 2
million young Americans by this fall, we need to go where young Americans are,
and there's no doubt in our minds that many are on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE."

This is especially good for Obama. Although McCain has a some of these "young voters" the "Millenial Generation" (this is my vote for a name) has gone overwhelmingly over to Obama's side.

Maybe they could create the game "Showdown 2008: Obama vs. McCain." They could verbally duke it out (whoever hits the most talking points wins a battle) with their sidekicks, Dinko the Donkey and Elton the Elephant. You win votes by kissing babies and shaking hands (a speed game, really,) but lose votes if you are caught "mispeaking" about your history (the memory game aspect.) Then, in an epic last battle, the candidates have to face Alex Trebek in the Ultimate Jeopardy Showdown - the true litmus test for any good President.

Okay. I'm going to bed.