Markos, Chris Bowers, Jerome Armstrong, and Matt Stoller, and Duncan Black have all left for Vegas. It’s looks like the firedoglake gals are already en route. Kid Oakland called me. He’s on his way. Someone’s got to keep the lights on in the blogosphere. I won’t be able to get outta here until tomorrow evening. So, I won’t be able to attend some of the cool stuff tomorrow morning or afternoon.
It’s weird that all these different blogging communities are coming together exactly a year after the Pie Fight. The exodus of Kossacks to the frog pond was extraordinary. It was the more astonishing because it was a diary that I wrote called, In Defense of Markos, that spawned the exodus. My basic argument was that we all write stupid things from time to time and that we should be cut some slack when we screw up. But, I believe it was the interaction in the thread, where I was schooled on some of the other underlying issues, that led to the migration over here. I’d have to read the comments again to try to figure out how it all happened.
A lot has changed in a year. Daily Kos is now dominated by female voices, while we have lost our female front-pagers (still scouting around for replacements). But, in spite of that, our community has remained remarkably consistent in tone and culture.
And now, we are all coming together again in Vegas. I’m looking forward to the trip for a lot of reasons. I need a break…a vacation of sorts…I want to spend some quality time with a certain special person…I can’t wait to meet Jerome Guillet and Larry Johnson. And there are dozens of members that I am anxious to meet. Then there all the great speakers and presentations. And the parties, the free roller coaster rides, and the craps tables.
Come on boys and gamble, roll those laughing bones,
Seven come eleven, boys Ill take your money home.
It should be a very fun time. And then I’m off to DC for the Take America Back 2006 conference.
