Unorganized thoughts from today.
I’m desperately glad that this is effectively a half-day of legislation. We all needed a chance to catch our breath. I got the chance to sleep in a bit this morning and then spend some time meeting with old friends as I passed them in the halls.
The Network of Anglican Dioceses and Parishes folk are wearing a lapel pin that looks unfortunately like a ninja throwing star. It’s supposed to be navy blue but the color is so dark that it looks “black”. I keep being reminded of the Death Star when I see it. They really needed some warm and welcoming colors – not the stark black and white – if they’re trying to invite others into conversation. Grin.
Hooray for the Crowne Plaza Hotel here in downtown Columbus. We’ve all figured out that they have the strongest free wireless internet signal. There’s a whole crowd of us crowded around the windows on the south-side of the Convention Center where you can pick up the signal inside the Convention Hall. If it wasn’t for them, we’d all be paying $15/day for access here in the halls in addition to the $10/day we spend for access in our hotel rooms.
Jenifer has mentioned the decorations that are appearing on top of the diocesan deputation signs in the House of Deputies. There is a downside to the rampant creativity on display. As speakers go to the microphones to speak, because of the camera angle, it looks like they are speaking to us from a hall filled with pink and red plush-toys. It’s especially so when people speak from microphone 7 – which is the one that Kendall Harmon has been using. Somehow Kendall’s face and the pink flamingo/bunny rabbit stuff is just too ironic. Grin.
We just finished the joint nominating session with the bishops for the next Presiding Bishops. At the end the session, the PB told the bishop’s to “return to their house.” As the bishop streamed out to the exits, one wag noted it looks like someone had emptied a whole spray can of “Bishop-Be-Gone”.
The building is absolutely teeming with visitors today. I think lots of folks have come up to spend the weekend to see what General Convention is all about and to witness the election of the Presiding Bishop. Maybe they’ll come back as deputies themselves someday. That was how I caught the “bug” back in 1997. The crowds make it especially difficult to move around at the moment. But it also means that no matter where you stand you are going to run into someone that you know. Foot traffic is managing maneuver around all the conversations clusters that are chaotically and randomly springing up in the passageways.
Canon Teeter has observed that, as we have are still having trouble figuring out to make the voting machines work, she’s thinking of writing a manual for their use called “Doohickies for Dummies.” The deputation from the Diocese of Bethlehem believes that the volume will be run-away bestseller.
-Nick
