A weird thing happens to your nervous system when a flashbang grenade explodes close enough for you to smell it. The higher vestiges of your consciousness evaporate and you suddenly go into slow-motion autopilot. The rational part of your brain knows, knows, that flashbangs are virtually harmless. That their function is to frighten, not injure. But that part of your brain is gone. Base instinct takes over and you're no longer human-- just a hairless ape trying to avoid things that go bang.

As John McCain spoke to the Xcel Energy Center Thursday night about America's obligation to confront "threats to peace and liberty in our time," armed agents were busy cuffing and detaining nearly 400 people a half-mile away across I-94. Most were protesters who had overstayed their permit. (Their freedom to assemble had expired 5 p.m. that afternoon.) Many were journalists and bystanders.

After two years of strenuously avoiding any and all media, core members of notorious anarchist group the RNC Welcoming Committee held a press conference this morning in their “convergence center” in St. Paul— the very space that was raided by armed agents six days earlier. For the first time, the self-described anarchists disclosed their real names and showed their faces to reporters. Some were teens. Others appeared to be in their 50’s. Most were between 20 and 35.

In honor of the RNC, Chris Mathews is broadcasting Hardball live from outside the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. It's a great way to capture the energy and atmosphere of the event, but it leaves the show open to being hijacked by anybody with a loud voice. That was the case this afternoon, when a parade of CODEPINK protesters arrived. They were so loud that the stage managers had trouble hearing and the chants could be heard on-air. Here's a video I made with my Flip: