48percenter --

[gateley]

What day are YOU and Obama scheduled to be in Berlin? And what time is he scheduled to speak?

I'm hoping it'll be shown live here - and you'll have to give us a heads up on what your hat looks like so we can find you in the crowd. :7

It's pathetic that McCain is PROBABLY going to announce his VP on that day -- desperate to get the camera off Obama.

Sadly, it will work to an extent, but I'm sure those clips of Obama speaking, and the enthusiastic supporter in the balloon hat, will be played over and over.

[Eurobabe]

1. We will be there on Thurs. eve. supposedly BHO speaks at 7pm

he's notoriously late though, so stay tuned. I'll have on my green O'bama shamrock shirt or my navy one. I might try to get a hat, BUT I've seen some things that have said, no signs, no placards, no banners, etc. So I am not really sure what that means. :shrug: And they are limiting backpacks. So I'll have to schlep all my friggin' equipment, unless you want to come along? :D

[gateley]

2. Just saw a post and video where Robert Novak

said he may have been used by the McCain campaign to drop the hint about the "important announcement" just to get some coverage away from Obama. I'm saying that the tidbit Novak reported was solely for the purpose of gaining attention - that they may NOT be an announcement this week, after all. (That's gotta piss off Novak and conservative press).

Anyway, if that's the case, maybe we'll get full coverage without breaking away from Obama's speech and I'll have the time to peer at every single person in attendance looking for you. :7

Honest to God, if I could bet there I would. I'd be happy to be the beast of burden.

So you're 6 hours ahead of East Coast time, right?

That would be 1pm here -- Hmmm.

Will it be dark by then? Would you prefer it was during the day? At least it'll be cooler.

[Eurobabe]

3. It will be 1pm in the US, 7pm in Berlin

From a photography standpoint, late afternoon would be better. The idea of tripod shots in the middle of that shit scares the hell outta me!

Did you hear that ONE reporter showed up when McCain't landed in NH last night. :rofl: :rofl:

[gateley]

4. That is SO FUNNY! nt

[PatSeg]

18. That was SO pathetic

and ONE camera man.

I'm sorry but McCain is flat out boring!

[Muttocracy]

5. bring balloons - you can blow them up once you get there, right? :)

[livvy]

6. You might want to check on the camera and tripod.

When I saw him in Detroit, I don't think they were allowing long lenses. I know they told all of us volunteers that the camera should be "pocket size". It's a security thing.

[gateley]

9. I was kind of thinking that, too --

especially since I just now finished reading The Day of the Jackal, and nasty people use things like that to conceal weapons.

[Eurobabe]

15. Oh shit. I was worried about that.

Wonder if there is any way to find out, if I don't have to lug the mother lens all the better, that sucker weighs 5+ pounds!

[livvy]

19. Some info and a possible contact email address...

You might be able to get specific info through Democrats Abroad. Michael Steltzer is the head of the Berlin division, and though they are not in charge of the event, they are trying to get a large turnout. Here is the contact page.

http://www.democratsabroad.org/contact

Or you might try contacting the Berlin police:

http://www.berlin.de/polizei/english.html#phone


Info:
"For security reasons, do not bring bags. Please limit personal belongings. No signs or banners permitted."

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/berlin_event/

The site for the speech has changed:

"Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will deliver a long-planned speech later this week in Berlin at the Victory Column in the city's huge Tiergarten Park, not the Brandenburg Gate, which had been under consideration."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/21/AR2008072102959.html

article about the choice:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_shlaes&sid=awZ8YTBD0KDU

Great quote from article about preps for the visit:

"Getting here a few days early, I got a sneak peek at how the site will be transformed. These gates will set up a perimeter, and police are already directing traffic away from portions of the site. I asked one officer why -- as some German commuters grumbled about the extra traffic -- they weren't allowing cars around the column and he told me, "because the president from America is coming." Language barrier, probably, but he was the second person I spoke to today who made the mistake.

http://www.washtimes.com/weblogs/bellantoni/2008/Jul/22/1300-journos-want-to-witness-victory-column-speech/

Some more info about security:

"Starting at 4 p.m., Obama fans will be allowed to start converging around the Grosse Stern and the Strasse des 17. Juni, the wide boulevard running east-west between the traffic circle and the Brandenburg Gate. But they won't be allowed to bring much more than the shirts on their backs. "Please limit your possessions to personnel effects," reads the poster, which also warns that people carrying bags will be the first to be denied access for security reasons. Security measures in the area surrounding the stage will be tight. The German Federal Police Office has classified the Obama event as a class-two danger level ("a terrorist attack cannot be ruled out"), and more than 700 officers are planned for the event.

Placards and banners have been banned around the Siegessäule -- Obama's team clearly doesn't want to leave anything to chance. They don't want to see anti-McCain slogans or anti-American statements that wouldn't be well-received back home." (This is interesting, because the anti-Obama folks are spreading the word that the campaign doesn't allow posters, etc. because they don't want Obama protest messages. When I volunteered in Detroit, the staff made it very clear that the reason was what is stated in this article...to prevent Anti-lying weasel, etc. messages. They said any Obama protesters should be tolerated as long as they didn't disrupt the event.)

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,567362,00.html



If I find anything specific, I'll post or PM you.

Enjoy! He gives a marvelous speech! I'll post some pics from the Det event today.

[jillan]

7. That is so amazing that you are going to be there.

You will have to do something to bring attention to yourself so we can all see you!

Maybe hold up a sign that says:

Biden won the MSNBC Veepstakes. :)

[gateley]

8. Where have you been all day?

Doing dishes? :spank:

[jillan]

10. I wish.

I have been sicker than a dog for the last couple of days.

Don't know what hit me, but I slept all day yesterday and most of today.

Now that you mention it - my dirty dishes are sitting in the sink as I type. But hey - I haven't been online for 2 days....what's more important? Dirty dishes or catching up on the Biden news of the last couple of days :P

[gateley]

11. Not being funny - but did you eat any jalapenos?

Apparently jalapenos are the new tomatoes!

Hope you're feeling better! :hug:

[jillan]

12. No Jalapenos - but I did eat a fish sandwich from Applebee's.

I called my husband at work yesterday and asked him what kind of stupid idiot would order a fish sandwich at Applebee's? :crazy:

[gateley]

13. So you do think it was something you ate?

That's almost a relief -- knowing what it is and where it came from, and knowing it'll be over soon.

[Muttocracy]

14. live and learn! hope you're feeling better! nt

[Eurobabe]

17. The same idiot that ordered shrimp satay in the islands

and got Montezuma's revenge the very first evening of our vacation. :grr: I think the world's food supply is completely tainted. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten sick from fish and shrimp in the past 5 years. :puke: :hurts:

[Muttocracy]

20. commercial shrimp farming is scary stuff. nt

[Eurobabe]

16. I can't bring signs

Dammit!! OR I'd bring GOD LOVE YA JOE!! OBAMA/BIDEN 08

[gateley]

21. No signs, no balloon hat, no tripod to wave around --

The only solution is to do your hair and makeup a la Amy Winehouse so you stand out from the crowd. We'll be watching! :hi: