Straight from the hall

OSLO, Dec. 10, 3:15P local time

So the straight dope is that unless you (a) had a telephoto lens (b) a stepladder or stool or (c) are pretty tall, standing on the balcony for the entirety of President Obama's speech wasn't going to do much for you. Even with the audio-enhanced translator headsets. 'Cause if you're horizontally gifted and vertically challenged -- your friendly neighborhood browngirl included in said description -- there was not much you were going to see. Felt like a kid scrambling and scooting to dip and dive amid the photogs just to snap a few pictures.

Of course, there will be better looking shots on Flickr or the AP wires. But at least I have the satisfaction of knowing these are are memories I captured.