...and there you have it: we are at table C9, all the way in the back. Honestly I don't mind that much. The tables stuck in the corners are a whole lot worse.

We just wish we'd been in the same isle as our friends Joe Quinones and Maris Wicks. Then again, those two put a lot more effort into their comics. So perhaps it's for the best that we'll be safe from a side by side comparison...

Check out the http://www.spxpo.com/ website for more info and news as it develops.

The rain is coming down, and the site of the race is starting to remind me of that MASH camp in Apolcalypse Now. Very warm, wet, and chaotic. Less than fifteen minutes into the race, a golf cart zoomed up the track with an injured spectator, and there's a long pause in between each racer taking the hill so police can give the all-clear safety wise. As of 2 PM, the winds are picking up, and they're coming from the northwest, pretty much perpendicular to the course, meaning ever racer from here on will be fighting the sidewinding winds far more than the 11% grade.

Despite the rain, the race has begun, and about a half-dozen soapboxers took the wall in the first hour, including the Mystery Machine (above), driven by Team "Meddling Kids." The first racer (I forget the name) did have very good brakes, but did manage to flip over at the finish.

Some other racers (top to bottom, left to right): Mario's NES; some kind of Jane Eyre racer; Big Bertha (driver stuck in the..ahem...canal); the Ecto-racer, The Delorean (hmm...there was one of those at Artscape too...); a more classic interpretation, of the soapbox racer; a Philly Cheesesteak racer; and a Married with Children couch-based racer, complete with characters in drag.
The pauses between races are quite long, again, due to the weather and other logistical problems, and with each racer there's a two-minute skit, so this will take a while; but it looks like the race is off to a good start.

Good Morning, I'm coming to you from Manayunk in NE Philadelphia. The skies are threatening with Hanna creeping up north, but we're only about a half-hour away from the pits opening and the race will go on, rain or shine. Who knows, maybe the clouds will break at that magical moment, when the first group of soapbox racers start...the race...well, I'm getting ahead of myself.

The intersection in front of my house, and both streets have been temporarily annexed by an Energy Drink. Such is the power of capitalism. It's about 10:23 AM Manayunk Time, which means probably around 10:28 EST. Time goes a bit slower in this little chunk of Americana in a quiet corner of Philly.

Today is a challenging day for Manayunk. Can they prove to the world that all of the human rights violations and authoritarian tactics and whatnot are behind them? That they have learned from the tragedy of Pretzel Park? Only time will tell. For now, Manayunk takes center stage, as does its Great Wall, known as...the "wall."

The Guns & Roses and AC/DC are blaring, there's likely a Carrie Underwood-soundalike gearing up for the National Anthem, and the General Secretary of the People's Harmonious Party Committee (in other words, the boss) will official open the ceremonies soon as I'm typing this. I feel like covering this race in any meaningful journalistic way is impossible (kind of like the Mint 50 motorbike race in Vegas, or Rainbow Six Vegas), especially someone with my attention span in this heat.

Will Hanna make this momentous event just another brick in the wall, or will we need no education? Mind Control? See, the music is already affecting my ability to effectively cover this event. Still, stay tuned. Because the soapbox racers should be flying out of here today...due mostly to sustained 45 mph gusts expected later on. We'll see. Weathermen are, contrary to common belief, often wrong.

This coverage is brought to you by Brahma Bull IPA. Brewed in India. Get Enlightened.

The day started around 4:00 am in Baltimore (in Boston for Wolf) and comes to a close here in Seattle around 7:00 pm. I can't believe how tired I am, considering I've mostly slept on airplanes all day...
We've found the convention center and have a lay of the land. the Expo is still being set up at the moment, though you can already see the PAX'ies invading the city. There were even several on my flight.
Sleep for tonight, excitement in the morning. Our blessings for free wireless internet!
Gavin & Wolf du PAX