Denver Diaries: The State Fair has nothing on downtown Denver

If you’re looking for something to do during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul next week, create a fictitious cause and then go out and try to attract attention. You will.

The Miami Herald’s Dave Barry writes about his and Star Tribune’s James Lileks’ encounter with people who were protesting bird porn.

Even though many appear to be playing with less than a full deck, you have to admire the commitment some of these people have to their cause — even if few of us can actually figure out what the cause is, or determine whether it’s a real passion or someone is just having a good time; not that it matters this week.

Walking (that’s right, walking, and not talking on my cellphone or texting like everyone else) back to downtown from Pepsi Center yesterday, I encountered Art, from Heartland, Wisconsin, who was dressed in black with a cow-themed tie. I didn’t take a picture of him because I was afraid he would actually talk to me.

“Who do you write for?” he asked. Curses, my plan didn’t work.

“Holstein Today,” I said, waiting to see if he’d laugh, a sign of some sanity.

He didn’t laugh, but showed an amazing talent to walk and make his pitch at the same time.

He apparently has put together a book of Barack Obama quotes and has come here with two other people with the goal of distributing 50,000 of the books, which require you to download it from the Web site. According to the Web site, 386 people have downloaded it so far.

So close.