So as I am killing myself to get from the Convention Center to the Hampton Inn about eight to ten blocks away in the hot Denver sun,I made the mistake of checking the comments and I found this one from former WAOD reader R.:
Sis, I’m curious… why would you allow your rules to get in the way of what could have been excellent journalism? Journee Smollet is a “daughter” and I would be extremely interested in knowing her thoughts about being at the DNC. Ben Jealous is a history maker in his own right, no story. I appreciate your candor and ranting is a black woman’s birthright, however, you’re in a unique position to tell stories I will not find anywhere else. I’m kind of disappointed. You’ve ignored the stories I’d really like to share with my nieces and goddaughters. And by the way, Gov. Paterson only uses one ‘t’ in his name and his disability is blindness. (He couldn’t see what his gatekeepers were doing.) Oh yeah, Omarosa comes from a political background, and is a former Clinton staffer. Her thoughts would have been interesting to note as well.
Dear R.,
I suggest you head over to ESSENCE.com'
Election Central for the latest in Black celebrity news from the convention.
I am one person. Lugging around about ten pounds of equipment, they are part of the Time Warner empire and have endless resources and support.The irony R. is that I have two video cameras and memory sticks FULL of video interviews of Black women, I just haven't had time to upload them because A) I spend about 3-4 hours a day on trains, shuttles and on foot getting to and fro. You see R., I missed your large donation so that I could cab around this week or take a limo service. I also missed that check you mailed so that I could stay at a $499/night hotel. I have to settle for $200/night and a one hour commute.
As for your disappointment. Lets see. I didn't go to sleep on Monday until about 2AM and had to be back up at 6:00 or so. Why? Because I did a
podcast LIVE from the Pepsi Center(Are any other bloggers letting their readers call in or chat and ask questions live???). THEN I had to write a
column about Michelle Obama for the Guardian. Then I had to do an interview with a radio show in IRELAND at 1:00AM to account for the time difference. THEN I had to be up to do a live interview on
New Dehli TV. AFTER THAT I spent two hours with the reporter for a weekend long form show that she is doing.
Now R., you have to understand that in order to get downtown to do the live remote, I had to wake up, hike up a hill, climb up a three story bridge to cross a highway and wait for a train which then took 45 minutes to get to the Denver Civic Center. THEN I had to catch a cab to the Pepsi Center. GO through security, which is no joke. Walk all the way to the back of the complex to the CBS trailers only to find out that her live remote is going to be from a platform on the convention floor.
AFTER THAT, I had to walk outside the security perimeter. You see R., You just can't come and go as you please at the Pepsi Center, you have to enter and exit at particular spots oh yeah and I JUST discovered where the cabs pick up YESTERDAY evening! So yesterday after I finished with NDTV I walked at least ten blocks carrying about 10 pounds of equipment at HIGH NOON. Racing to get back to the OPPOSITE side of downtown to pick up media credentials for the day. You see R, I have to pick up credentials EVERY DAY and if I missed the 1;00PM timeline, I can't get into ANY event until 10:00 AM the next day. That means no Pepsi Center and none of those celebrity photos and interviews you appear to crave.
To everyone else except former WAOD reader R., it took about two days to get into a rhythm figure out where you are going and develop a style and flow. While you are doing this you still have to figure out how you are going to get very large video files uploaded. I am not on a team blog. It is just me and I am doing the best I can and sweating in altitude while battling an allergy attack in the burning hot sun and reading R's self centered ungrateful idiotic comment ticked me off. I have plenty of stuff, I just haven't had time to upload it.
I've interviewed well over a dozen Black woman and have had conversations with others. Turned in my video to Reuters as part of its Mobile Reporter Program called
Inside the Tent OH LOOK R. Do you see THIS There is a
BLACK WOMAN on the FRONT PAGE OF REUTERS.COm.. In fact, oh look R. she speaks extensively on her convention experience;
What goes on behind the scenes and away from the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention? The following video is from Gina McCauley, a contributor to Reuters Inside the Tent. Reuters.com
HMMM R. I wonder how in the hot blazing red hellish Denver Sun she got there? OH Yeah R.. There are BLACK WOMEN on Reuters because I busted my butt to get them on Reuters!!! I can take some small solice from watching these sistas whoses voices are being heard on a platform much larger that one I could ever provide. Oh yeah R., guess what? That Reuters gig doesn't pay a DIME. I'm doing it for free on TOP OF ALL THE OTHER STUFF I AM DOING!
R., In response to your desire for me to engage in "journalism", I want you to lean in real close and read this twelve times. I AM NOT A JOURNALIST. I AM NOT A JOURNALIST! I. AM. NOT. A. JOURNALIST!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AND HAVE NO DESIRE TO BE ONE!!! I HAVE A PROFESSION WHICH I LOVE DEARLY. I DON'T NEED ANOTHER ONE!
I didn't come to this convention trying to be a journalist. I came as an ordinary American. A sister, a friend who just wanted to share my convention experience with you. MY MISTAKE was in taking any celebrity photographs at all. I am not a gossip blogger. I am not an entertainment blogger. I am just little old me and if my effort isn't good enough for you TOUGH! I don't blog for you. I never have and when I do try to do things that are outside of my comfort zone because I think y'all might enjoy it, I have to deal with crap like this. If you want to see celebrity photos go over to ESSENCE.com.
They have great celebrity convention coverage. I am not wasting my time covering stuff you can see somewhere else.
R. won't get to see this, because she is no longer welcome to read this blog, but for the rest of you, I did "A Day in the Life at the DNC". I started filming it this morning before I read
former What About Our Daughters reader, R's comment. Uploading video takes bandwidth. Wifi is great, but I prefer not to be a bandwidth hog.
After this week I was already leaning towards never blogging something like this again. Its too much and you can't soak anything in because you are constantly on the run going from place to place. I concede that it has taken a couple of days to begin to manage my time wiser, but just when my efforts were b
eginning to bear fruit here comes Satan disguised as
former What About Our Daughters reader R.
Now I am going to go find some place to sit and chill out. R, I mean SATAN, you are not going to rob me of my joy. I rebuke your demon spirit from this blog. Flee and never return. If you do. I will sic my Mama's prayer circle on you faster than you can say
ESSENCE.com. Do not pass this way again. EVER!
I don't know about y'all, but that made me feel much better. Off to go stake out my seats to see Bill Clinton. It is likely to be a zoo.
UPDATE; You can leave as many angry comments as you want to, they're being deleted. This ain't up for debate. You have plenty of ways to spend your time. Avail yourself of them.
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 9:03PM