once around the block

10:30 am finds an already busy madison square garden 7th avenue main entrance, many emergency services personnel, large free standing batteries of lights also labled emergency services. the usual business and bustle of the area adds to an active mix.

turning west on 31st street a large truck looks to be two and a half tons, labled Confidential Record Destruction with a 20 foot wide sheet of paper being put through an equally large shreader. many more emergency services and their lights. about mid block to 8th avenue press crews are chasing down and surounding those who appear in charge, both police and civil authority are in evidence. the block on the south side and traffic are normal. across 8th ave on 31st's south side more news crews, this time interviewing each other. on the north three nypd, emergency services mobile command centers or posts the markings read both. camera towers rise from each vehicle that look to support up to three cameras apiece. these are now aimed in various directions most seemed to be looking at garden and farley building entrances and exits. farther west "non- uniformed" security. not nypd although a few like that can be seen here, looks like feds and we have peaked the interest of one agent smith type.

we'll proceed north on 8th ave. east side of the avenue k-9 units patrol the cab stand that lines the whole block. on the west side trailers line the front of the main post office three deep and six end to end for the length of the block . independent generators by Kohler rental, each 25 feet long and 10 feet tall provide power. on the north west corner of 33d and 8th an emergency services armored car, the flat planes of it's armored plates give it a stealthy look. around it 6 or 7 in black helmets carryimg assault rifles, under the CNN sign.

east on 34th street. building security at one penn plaza tell us their building will remain open throughout the convention. the penn station subway entrance on the south east corner of 34th and 7th sports a police podium and presence not previously noted.

the turn south on 7th brings us back to the main entrance where many painters have appeared since we started once around the block.