But aren't a delegate? That's a conondrum. But thankfully, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Host Committee is here to solve it. They're looking for 10,000 volunteers to help make the convention run smooth.

Volunteers will work in the areas of transportation, information services, hospitality and special events before, during and after the convention. They will also need to participate in one of two training sessions. One will be in July, the other in August.

If you're interested, go to their web site: www.MSP2008.com.

Click Enter Site in the upper left corner or the lower right corner.

Click Volunteer.  Read the directions and when you're ready click Apply Now.

Organizers ask that you pay particular attention to the instructions, in red text, that explain the rules for chosing a password and security question.

If you're here in the Twin Cities area and want to look into renting your place out for the week/ten days surrounding the Republican National Convention, check out this site. They, along with our friends at GOP Convention Strategies are hooking up renters and rentees.

Actual, interesting convention news has been slow, to me at least, as of late. So sorry for the shortage of posts. But alas, when things are boring, you can always count on the rivalry between Microsoft and Google to make a stir.

In February, the RNCC chose Google as their "official innovation provider" to make this year's convention, the most "tech-savvy in history." I believe that's a direct quote.

Not to be outdone, one of its rivals, Microsoft, signed with the DNCC to be their official software and "HD Web content provider." Via New Digital Computer, Microsoft said the DNCC picked them to "create a technically flawless event and engage more people in the Convention experience using cutting-edge technology."

Hmm. Sounds mighty familiar. We'll see in August/September who's convention really is the most technically savvy/flawless/cutting-edge and, just plain amazing.

The media is all up in arms about Rush Limbaugh's comments a couple days in a row about riots in Denver. He didnt' say he was going to start them, but that he was dreaming of them, as one would say, in other parts of the country, dream of a whie Christmas (we don't do that here, because we always have one).

He explained on-air: "Riots in Denver at the Democrat Convention would see to it we don't elect Democrats," Limbaugh said. "And that's the best damn thing (that) could happen for this country as far as anything I can think."

What's so strange is not that Limbaugh says it'd be humorous to see rioting in Denver, but the fact that people, even groups planning to riot in Denver, are upset about it. As if, by Rush Limbaugh mentioning it, he can will it to happen.

The organizer of a protest group called "Re-create '68" which plans on recreating the 1968 convention in Chicago which saw all kinds of rioting in the streets said:

We don't need another 5,000 illiterate Limbaugh listeners coming to Colorado," he said, mocking a comment this week by State Rep. Douglas Bruce, R-Colorado Springs, calling migrant workers "illiterate peasants" as he debated a bill to accommodate up to 5,000 guest workers in the state.

I think this guy, a local activist and conservative talk show host, John Andrews, has the situation pinned:.

"Look, nobody seriously wants violence and civil disobedience at the Denver convention," he said. "Rush is just saying, 'Make our day'; if, in fact, the Re-create '68 hooligans or the Al Sharpton street toughs or anybody else wants to disrupt the convention, they're going to hurt Democrats' chances in the fall."