I'm here in the automotive lab at Hudson Valley Community College. Reporter Paul Post and I got here around 8:30 this morning, along with Asst. Managing Editor Betsy Demars and photog Erica Miller. Erica and Betsy left to patrol the campus, in search of any protesters that might be on hand, or any other related stories.

Paul and I went to the lab, where we waited outside for a bit, and were then ushered into the building. We went through two security checks to get to the press parking area, and then Paul and I went through a metal detector to get into the lab.

The lab itself is an "intimate" venue. There are about 150 folding chairs set up in the front of the room, closest to the stage. The press are sitting in bleachers around the periphery. Other than the furniture they brought in, most of the space looks like what you'd expect in an automotive shop. There are lifts around, and diagrams of tools on the wall. Other touches hint at a higher-tech work that goes on here, like a few photovoltaic arrays, and the turbine pictured right now on the front page of the web site.

I was hoping to post photos from inside the lab, but my camera picked a truly terrible day to kick the bucket.

That's all for this post, check back soon!