I spent hours of my childhood crouched down and hunched over the backyard bugs — so much so that the adults would joke that one day I would be an entomologist.

Eventually, I chose other professions ending in -ist, but still, the hours I’d spent in a New Jersey suburb, watching the insects, shaped me.

I would pick up an ant from the red colony and march him to another part of our yard and drop him into the black colony. And he would, inevitably, run away quickly. I’d try to stuff him down the hole — the entry to the ant hill. Usually when I did this, the alien ant would run out a few seconds later. Sometimes, he never made it out.

My aim was to see if ants from different colonies would assimilate. They would not.

Many times, I saw rival ant colonies at war. The ants would lock heads with each other and pull back and forth. Eventually, the losing colony soldiers would be outnumbered, fighting one-to-three against the victors. There were dead ants all over the place. A littering of specks amid the grass.

Death and destruction, right there in my backyard. It was ridiculous and pointless and seemed, to me, a waste of time. Those ants had no idea how small  and insignificant they were.

Every time I read about the latest warring among our own species, I think of the ants and wonder, “How much wiser are we?”

Obama drew a crowd of 17,000 who stood in the heat for more than two hours to see him speak. His supporters turned out in full force on just a few days notice, sacrificing one of the last few sunny Saturdays left before the Minnesota winter blows in. The Target Center was filled near capacity, despite the fact that Obama’s visit competed for attention with a Twins game at the Metrodome and the University of Minnesota Gophers first game in their new stadium.

The rally was set up to mimic Obama’s 2008 campaign, surrounding the president with thousands of adoring supporters.

What surprised me most, especially after a summer of passionate town hall meetings, was that virtually no protestors entered the arena, preferring to tout their opinions with signs outside.  I did notice one scuffle where someone stood up to protest, but people around him booed him, and he left pretty quietly.

So, while the probamas seemed to arrive in droves, most of the nobamas stayed home (or maybe they were at the 9/12 march on our capital?)

Here are photos followed by a recapture of my live tweets.

I apologize for my low-quality photos. I intend to get a better camera one of these days.

Better photos can be found at Minnesota Independent.

Following are my tweets, which I posted live over the course of five hours. They are in reverse order of when I tweeted them. Think of this as a bullet-point list of observations. (Thanks to those of you who followed along online!)

Everyone outside stadium chanting ‘fired up ready to go!’ nonstop.
39 minutes ago

Guy just got kicked out. Caused a stir in side section.
about 1 hour ago

Obama: mentions starbucks, says take discussion to water cooler, Sbux.
about 1 hour ago

Lady in crowd yells we gotta do something. Obama points at her…repeats it.
about 1 hour ago

Biggest obama fan in the world…he’s so tall!!
about 2 hours ago

Obama speaking…giving love to minn senators.
about 2 hours ago

crowd is chanting ‘yes we can’
about 2 hours ago

Hhs sec kath sebelius is speaking. Warm welcome for her.
about 2 hours ago

Pledge of allegience and anthem. Mics not working!!!!!!!!
about 2 hours ago

A female pastor opens w prayer to god, ”however u imagine him or her to be.”
about 2 hours ago

Someone called it patriotism on a stick. Minnesotans know lot bout stuff on stick.
about 2 hours ago

Got my free american flag and im waving it!
about 2 hours ago

Girl next to me is crying, she’s so excited to see him, she says.
about 2 hours ago

Showing on jumbotrons, president arrives in minneapolis. Crowd going nuts.
about 2 hours ago

I am in section behind podium! People chanting o-ba-ma!
about 2 hours ago

Everyone did the wave like 10 times around the stadium.
about 3 hours ago

Sitting next 2 @si_damonhack at rally. Covers nfl and pga tour for sports illus.
about 3 hours ago

I am in this popstand!!!
about 4 hours ago

Minneapolis police also keeping an eye on things. Love the mounted police!
about 4 hours ago

Looks like the local chapt of the Teamsters are volunteering on full force!
about 4 hours ago

Number of protestors v.Small, under 100 id say. Also some ppl broght books to read in line.
about 4 hours ago

Scene: thousands in line and in arena. Protestors w,signs,horns. Peaceful. Overcast. About 70F humid.
about 4 hours ago

Some socialists promoting single payer, right next to ’stop obamacare.’
about 4 hours ago

Some of the probamas forgot deodorant, i must say.
about 4 hours ago

Was really easy to forget over the summer obamas ability to draw a crowd. Reminded now.
about 4 hours ago

Reminds me of two-hour mob ‘line’ to get into inaugural parade.
about 4 hours ago

Now i’m in huge mass of ppl waiting to go thru security.
about 4 hours ago

Im two blocks away now! Line moving fast!
about 4 hours ago

Ok my lingo’s gonna be: probamas versus nobamas.
about 5 hours ago

Guy saying ‘obama doubled debt!’ probama yells back hey lets start another war!
about 5 hours ago

One lady yells, i want health care for everybody. Protestor yells, dont want 2 pay for urs!
about 5 hours ago

This line is crrrrrrazy!!! I’m so far from entrance!
about 5 hours ago

Wow both sides have come out. Some ppl yelling at each other, but not too meanly.
about 5 hours ago

Line is already five blocks long to get into Target Center! …People started lining up last night at 8 p.m. Wow!
about 5 hours ago from web

Heading out to Obama health care rally in Minneapolis! I’ll Tweet what’s going on, but I can’t see your tweets from my (cheap) cellphone.
about 5 hours ago from web