Well, it’s taken a few days to shake off the glitter dust, and process thoughts and pictures of Netroots Nation.  There was so much going on that I only caught a sliver.  Each of the 2000+ attendees had a completely unique experience, which is part of why it’s such a great place.  Hope you enjoy mine.

Here’s the lobby of The Rio Hotel where we stayed, and which housed the convention.  I’m sure the lobby was the size of a football field. This is only a small segment of it. We were accused of having Stockholm Syndrome about the Rio because we didn’t go out much. But really it was because of the danger of actually cooking while waiting on line outside for a cab.

“What’s with the giant head?” you may be asking yourself.  We don’t know.  Shannyn thought it might be Jesus.  I thought it might be Bacchus.  Then we both thought we might be wrong.  So we combined our guesses and referred to it as The Bejeebus head.  To add to its bizarre creepiness, the giant blue eyes moved back and forth, surveying the gamblers.  Just in case the 5000 closed circuit TV cameras didn’t make you feel observed enough.

Here’s a view from my window – a billboard celebrating greed, and a sign for the Encore Beach Club which appeared from my angle to be a giant vacant lot of baked earth.

This young lady was out with her friends celebrating the upcoming nuptials of the blushing bride to be.  It was very dark, but I managed to capture this blurry picture of one of the revelers and her head gear. They all had them. You know those little bobbly antennae things with the glitter balls on the end that you see kids wear at Halloween when they dress up as bumble bees?  Well, these are not them.  They’re sort of like them only they have glittery pink… um… phalluses on the ends.  You might think this is tacky, but I’ll point out that at least they matched the straws in the blended drinks they were consuming which terminated in a similar form.  Style points for matching accessories.  Nothing says happily ever after like penises on springs.

The ‘drink du vacances’ this time was the extra dirty Effen vodka martini with three olives and a twist.  It just seemed so…. Vegas.  Our fair share of these were consumed in the iBar in the lobby.  Tom was our bartender. He was from Michigan.  I bet he misses us.  The fiber optic drippy thing in the middle of the bar is color coordinated to what’s on the TV screens. So the changing colors match the colors of various viewing pleasures like ESPN, or Fox News, or the gyrating torso marathon… depending on the time of day.

This is the best thing in Las Vegas.  I’m not kidding.  It’s the Microsoft “surface” and has games, and shiny things, and fake water that you can interact with, and little worms you create by dragging your fingers across the surface.  I want one.  Seriously.  I thought about it on the plane.  If I were to have an addictive vice in Las Vegas this would be it.  Actually considering that it won’t kill me and it’s free, that’s not too bad.  This was the night I accidentally waterboarded myself with a chocolate martini.  Aspirating milk, chocolate syrup and vodka into the deep recesses of your lungs takes 30 hours to clear out.  In case you were wondering.

Hey, look!  It’s Nancy Pelosi at 9:00 on Saturday morning!  Did you just get mental whiplash?  So did I.  The whole weekend was kind of like that.  There were many smart, savvy, powerful, engaged women on panels, and in workshops and on stage.  And then as soon as quittin’ time came, you’d get served alcohol by a girl in 2 band-aids, a piece of dental floss and a napkin.  It was hard to know how to file that strangeness away in the ol’ noggin.  I got through it by convincing myself that they were all putting themselves through medical school, or doing some kind of secret project for their doctorate in sociology.

This is “Radio Row” where broadcasts and interviews took place, located in the main hall.  Here’s Nicole Sandler from “Radio or Not” along with Brad Friedman of The Brad Blog, and Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos.  They were having a spirited and lively discussion about the matter of election fraud.  I couldn’t have known at this point that the aforementioned Brad Friedman would eventually lead me down the path of sin and corruption at the Pai Gow table, and the video poker machine.  By the way, if anyone wants to know how to play Pai Gow or Video Poker, I can totally show you how.  It’s awesome.

Brian had his first Oh. My. God. moment when he got to meet Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! She was signing her new book Breaking the Sound Barrier.  He was just tongue tied.

I had met Ed Schultz when he came to speak in Anchorage before the 2008 election, but Shannyn (even though she’d been on his radio show) hadn’t met him until the moment I took this picture.  He was getting ready to address “the locker room” filled with 2000 progressives eager to get pumped up for the second half of the game.

This is the very funny and smart Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show who was also to cross Brad Friedman’s event horizon and get sucked into the magical world of Pai Gow.  You can follow her wit and wonder on Twitter @lizzwinstead.

Majora Carter was one of the best speakers at the convention. I’ve long been an admirer of hers after hearing her address the Bioneers Convention.  You can visit her site here. Quote of the day from Carter – “The US has 5% of the world’s population, and 25% of the incarcerated.”  Wow.

And here’s Ed Schultz again.  Quote of the day from Ed – “If I have the balls to talk about it, you better damn well have the balls to write about it and hold this party accountable!”  Message received loud and clear Coach! The second best thing in the hotel was this curtain filled with little illuminated star bits.  I kept finding myself staring at it….

This is Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana.  He’s a Democrat.  I wanted to kidnap him and take him home, but I’m sure he has some kind of security.  Alaskans would love this guy. He’s down to Earth, smart and tells a great story.  In a debate, he’d make a Swiffer out of Sean Parnell.  Just the thought of it makes me smile.  Here’s a link to his speech.

‘Number wonks’ on the “Big Picture 2010″ panel moderated by Markos Moulitsas answered questions from the audience about the upcoming races in November.  Take away: Everyone needs to vote in 2010. Laziness and apathy are not permitted.  Frustrated? Get over it, and get down ticket Dems in the game.

Indian food at the Gaylord Restaurant in the hotel.  Highly recommended!  Also highly recommended is dining with Amy Goodman, Shannyn Moore, and Nicole Sandler.  There were many others in our group too. Great conversation.

Here’s another picture of the whole crowd from Zach Roberts. That’s him on the right.  All the black & white photos are his. You can check out his entire album on Flickr HERE.

Video poker with Sensei Brad Friedman, Jason Leopold of Truthout, and Nicole Sandler.  Let’s just say it was a very exciting evening. Here’s where I quintupled my money.  OK, I only started with $20, but give me my moment in the sun.

See?

My winnings will go to my Mother in Law because 1) She’s a goddess 2) She watched my kids while I was away (see #1) and  3) When I asked her what she wanted from Vegas she said, “Win me a lot of money.”  So there you go.  See how easy that was?

This advertisement was everywhere.  The tagline was “The Italian You Can’t Resist.”  Everyone I asked agreed that they would be able to resist him easily.  And I asked quite a few people.  And the martinis had nothing to do with it.

I couldn’t decide what panel to go to during one of the time slots.  I thought I’d poke my head in and see who was on the Citizens United v. FEC panel, and then I’d decide if I’d stay or go to the other one.  Let’s see… Hmmm.  Rep. Alan Grayson and Rep. Donna Edwards?  What shall I do? (Yes, I stayed)  Here’s a link to check out.

So, I’m sitting at lunch right after the Citizens United Panel where I was still recovering from the unexpected Alan Grayson encounter, and who is sitting at the next table?  Alan Grayson. I wanted a Brian pic, but didn’t want to interrupt his lunch, considering he was one of the speakers about to address the crowd.  So I got a stealth Brian shot with my favorite congressman.  (Sorry Don Young, I know you’ve been seeking my endorsement, but you’ll have to do a little better… No Mudlove for you.)

Another one of the stellar speakers was Elizabeth Warren. Wow. For an economist, she has star power. She’s bright, articulate, confident, and correct. And she came equipped with charts and graphs, so I loved her right away. (Yes, I did vote for Ross Perot. I was helpless… He had me at the pie charts.)  Her quote of the night to the Netroots – “You are our collective voice of conscience.”  I bet Elizabeth Warren was studying in her dorm room while those other girls were out on the town bedecked in their bobble phallus headbands.

Here is the video of her presentation. I highly recommend it.

I loved the visual aids so much, I took pictures.  Note the flatness of wages, and how they do not reflect the growth in productivity.

Here’s another great one showing comparison of household incomes for the period from 1947 to 1973 (yellow) and from 1973 to 2006 (red).  Houston, we have a problem.  And no, right wing, it isn’t labor unions.

Speaking of labor unions, here’s Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO.  Last year he was in Pittsburgh at Netroots Nation telling us he hoped to be president, and now he is.  His quote of the night - ”We cannot survive as a nation unless we continue to manufacture things.”  Any doubts?  Look at the next image. Here’s a link.

This one is pretty self-explanatory.  So where are the people screaming for a change in tarrifs?  This trend is bad bad bad.

People like to prove their patriotism with bumper stickers.  I’ve seen a bunch in Anchorage that say “Power of Pride” with an image of the American flag.  I was always taught that pride goeth before the fall.  I think if I’m going to look for a flag sticker to make me feel patriotic, it’ll be this one on something I’m buying.

Here’s Alan Grayson in front of the magic curtain.  He made us all laugh with the best deadpan humor ever in an introduction.  He delivered it just like comedian Steven Wright.   ”Greetings angry protesters. Let me see the teabags dangling from your skulls.”  (Yes, I know.  I should have asked him for the Brian shot earlier…)  Here’s the link to his speech.

This one really doesn’t need a caption.

There were many fine presentations in the main hall, and the place was packed.  We usually managed to score seats right by the stage which was great.  I didn’t make it to all the presentations, but you can by clicking HERE to get to the main UStream page for the convention.  Scroll through the pages, and enjoy.  You’ll be a winner no matter what you pick.  All the speakers were excellent.  Bookmark the page and treat yourself to some inspiring viewing whenever you need a shot in the arm.

This panel featured the programming/software geniuses that created amazing tools to help with campaigns large and small.  Necessity may be the mother of invention, but so apparently is working on a campaign and spending all your time with spreadsheets that don’t really get much accomplished.  There are now software programs for use that integrate all types of social media, statistics, and information about voters and volunteers in well-organized simple formats.  What these people are working on will allow the smallest campaigns to operate like large ones and keep a continual presence on the web.  Amazing stuff.

This is a group called Project Gulf Impact.  They debuted the trailer of the film project they are working on.  The Alaska contingent was pleased to see Dr. Ricki Ott featured in the trailer. She said what many of us know. We learned lessons with Exxon Valdez, but apparently we can’t figure out how to apply them. I’ve embedded it here so you can see what we saw.  You can check out their site HERE.

I love Chuck Rocha.  I remember him from last year. He describes himself - “I look like a Mexican and talk like a redneck, and if you stick with me you’ll begin to understand over time.”  Here’s his speech.  Enjoy.

Here’s the most popular woman you’ve probably never heard of.  Her name is Tarryl Clark, and she is the woman who is going to defeat Michele Bachmann.  She’s an awesome candidate, and is ready to take her opponent OUT.  You can check out her webpage and donate HERE.  Imagine the feeling you’ll get in November when Bachmann gets defeated. Then get out your credit card.  That’s worth a couple cups of coffee, or a few lunches, right?

Al Franken.  What can you say?  He was brilliant, funny, and absolutely spot on target with one of the focuses of his speech.  When he uttered the words “Net Neutrality” I was on my feet in a flat second. This is one of the most underreported issues of our time, in my opinion. Imagine what will happen when corporations have a say in how the internet works, in who uses it and at what speed, and in so many other ways.  Corporatization has NEVER worked out well in the media, and Net Neutrality is a huge first amendment issue for anyone who is reading this right now.  You are here and I am here because of a free, unfettered, egalitarian internet and the communication it fosters between people.  The internet is the most powerful tool since the printing press, and it will take a concerted effort to keep it free and open and accessible to everyone.  If you had no idea about any of this, now (and I mean NOW) is the time to learn.  I’m posting Franken’s entire speech which is about 40 minutes.  It will be worth your time, I promise.

The corporate/net neutrality/first amendment section begins at 22:00.

“If Citizens United is allowed to stand, how long do you think it will take for these monoliths to buy enough elections so that they effectively have veto power over anything congress tries to do to regulate them?  If no one stops them, how long do you think it will take before four or five mega-corporations effectively control the flow of information in America not only on television or online.  If we don’t protect Net Neutrality now, how long do you think it will take before Comcast/NBC/Universal or Verizon/CBS/Viacom AT&T/ABC/Direct TV or BP/Haliburton/Walmart/Fox/Domino’s Pizza to start favoring its content over everyone else’s. How long do you think it will take before the Fox News website loads five times faster than Daily Kos? If the internet – the tool that allowed this community to come together and become a potent political force is under the control of corporate elites, then the netroots can’t exist, The progressive movement can’t exist. Democracy as we know it can’t exist. And it’s not just about politics…”

Please listen to the rest.  And then go HERE.

I missed the Brian shot with Markos Moulitsas last year, so I was glad to get the two of them together.  So was Markos apparently.

But no happier than Nicole Sandler of Radio or Not who scored the first cleavage shot with our famous ungulate.  Just for the record, I never tell anyone what to do with Brian.   And, if someone asks, I say “Do whatever you want.”  I’m never disappointed.  Nicole’s broken foot meant that she was easy to spot zipping around the convention in her snazzy red scooter.

Shannyn and I also took the opportunity to talk to anyone who would listen about the looming specter of the Pebble Mine and what it could mean for the rich salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, and a huge chunk of the nation’s seafood.  You can’t use a boom on the toxins that come from gold and copper mines.  You can’t scrub them off rocks.  You can’t dig them out of the sand. We handed out stickers, and had lots of eager takers, like Jason Leopold of Truthout.  Yes, the Jason Leopold who broke that story about Alyeska pipeline that you read on The Mudflats.

Lizz Winstead had a Vegas moment and owned the stage in the iBar.  In my opinion, she was way better than the bandaid/floss/napkin girls, and she looked like she was having way more fun.

I noticed this little pamphlet full of valuable offers in the room but we were too busy to take advantage of anything.  We missed out on all kinds of coupons, including $20 off a peep show.  And despite waiting patiently for the side of us that was destined to be revealed, our hair did not turn into snakes, nor did our butts catch fire.  Maybe next time.

Here’s a sign at the airport I noticed as we were leaving.  But as President Obama said in a taped message to the convention, “What happens in Vegas will be Tweeted and webcast around the globe.”  He was right.

And thus, we bid farewell to the Moon Mars the Nevada desert.  It felt good to get home to cool, wet, green Alaska.  And it felt good to have connected with so many wonderful people.  Netroots was a 20-hour a day sprint for me, and I loved it.  I would encourage anyone reading this to sign up for Netroots 2011 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  I was thrilled with the location, since Minneapolis is a direct flight from Anchorage.  And also because it isn’t 111 degrees at night.

And the overriding message I left with was from Al Franken:

The Comcast/NBC merger is the first domino. If it falls, the rest will soon follow. It’s almost too late to stop this from happening, but not quite. The government has a role to play here.  The government can mitigate the influence of corporate money on our elections.  We have The Disclose Act. The government can pass rules to protect Net Neutrality.  The government can stop mergers like NBC/Comcast or at least put strict, rigorous conditions on them,  but first the government has to be made to act.  And I can tell you first hand that the government, the White House, the FCC,  my fellow members of congress is hearing plenty from the corporations on the other side of these issues and not nearly enough from you. If you want to protect the free flow of information in this country and all that depends on it,  you have to help me fight this.  Help me fight this.

When I bug you about going to MidWestValuesPAC.org and joining me, it’s because the kind of grassroots movement that allows senators like me  to fight on issues like these depends on people like you.  Resisting this trend toward media consolidation, resisting attacks on Net Neutrality – we should throw ourselves behind these causes with the same energy and urgency we showed in 2006 and 2008.

We are at a dangerous moment in our history. We have the worst long term unemployment since they started keeping the statistic, our climate is changing, and we are more vulnerable to total corporate control of our lives than ever before.

I know some of you are tired. I know some of you are frustrated.  But when this movement grows so strong that it could change the trajectory of history, we assume not only power but responsiblity.  If we don’t rise to this challenge, no one else will.

So, buck up my friends.  The 2010 elections loom ahead.  They are close, and progressive candidates need your support.  Choose carefully who has earned your efforts and then give them 100% of what you have.  I don’t care whether they’re on an Assembly that will give your children speed bumps to keep them safe in their neighborhood, or a school board member who’ll defeat someone who wants to rewrite history, or a Mayor who thinks that a rising tide raises all boats and we are our brothers’ keepers. Find congressional candidates who will make you proud.  Find ones who will reflect your values.  Find candidates who’d rather have one glorious term fighting for you, than appease the moneyed interests that will keep them in power.  And if nobody in your area deserves you, then donate to groups like MidWestValuesPAC or candidates like Tarryl Clark, or the HDCC in Alaska.  Find someone who deserves you.  Find them and help them fight this.