A quick look at the Chicago 2023 Netroots Nation, after-the-jump ….
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It turned out to be a fine Netroots (I’ve been to 2/3 of the in-person events) … but it sure didn’t start-off that way. My non-stop flight to Chicago on Wednesday of last week … was cancelled due to T-storms (and later, possible tornadoes) in the Windy City.
To add insult-to-injury: the flight was cancelled just after I set-out on my one-hour trek to the airport … made much longer by driving through four towns doing paving work (and having to wait for one lane traffic). Lastly, they could only re-book me the following day … for a 5:15 AM departure (and I am not a morning person) with a 4-½ hour layover in Washington National. So when I came in the following day, I was … groggy.
One of the highlights each year is the Wednesday evening Cheers & Jeers kick-off dinner. As grog would say, the InPortlandMaine contingent was unable to attend … and so I finally tried to spearhead arranging a reservation. After striking-out at 2-3 venues, my fellow Drinking Liberally chapter host pal Steve Stearns (an official photographer for the event) recommended an “old school” restaurant … and while others either had their flights cancelled (or were delayed) …. a good time was reported.
Another highlight is the Friday night Pub Quiz, conducted by the intrepid Adam Bonin. This year, some gags included the classified document boxes (or, so I’m told).
It was only in the past few years that I’ve participated … and I found myself teaming with another Drinking Liberally host Gary Brush (of Kansas City). Lo and behold: in Philadelphia in 2019, we (along with norm) were scrambling to find team members … but lucked-out: as several other Drinking Liberally cohorts joined us …. especially Philly host Crystal Cheepudom (center) and other locals … and we were able to land second place (due to an overload of Philly questions).
Amazingly, Gary and I put-together a rag-tag circus … that again took second place this year. We named our group Don’t Boebert that Joint (although Adam Bonin watered-it-down to Deep Boebert) …. such is life.
I didn’t think it possible to top as a speaker Justin Jones— one of the two Tennessee lawmakers expelled by the GOP super-majority … only to have it backfire by being re-instated by their constituents.
Side note: he and Justin Pearson, along with their white female colleague who escaped expulsion by one vote …. were initially dubbed the Tennessee Three— which made me recall Johnny Cash’s back-up band, Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three (who you’d see on Johnny’s late 60’s-early 70’s TV show).
No, it was the surprise visit by Jesse Jackson … in a wheelchair. Though he slurred his words (and I had to look at the transcription on the screens sometimes) due to Parkinson’s Disease) he got a call-and-response “I Am Somebody”, “Keep Hope Alive”. Today he officially stepped away from his duties at his civil rights organization.
Yet (in addition to the seminars and sight-seeing), it’s the people I enjoy seeing. I got to meet my fellow Top Commenteers Chitown Kev and zenbasson (who live in or nearby Chicago) for the first time (somewhere, there’s a photo of us all).
At the 2011 Netroots in Minneapolis, I found my hotel room being cleaned on Thursday at 3:00 PM, so I went to the bar in the lobby (which had an open front, enabling one to see the entire lobby). I was the only one there and the woman behind the bar asked if I was with “this group”. When I said yes, she replied:
“We get a lot of groups and conventions here … but never before do I see people walking in with their luggage, yet before they can reach the registration desk … someone calls-out their name, runs over and hugs them”.
Bad luck on my flight to Chicago … better luck on the return. Because my 10:15 non-stop flight went smoothly …. unlike others in the Northeast, whose (later) flights were cancelled due to T-storms in New York and New England.
Normally, you’d be reading Monday night T/C offerings from brillig… I have swapped with her this week, so you’ll probably hear about her travails Thursday.
Let’s close with a short yet irresistible Stax band instrumental from the 1960’s.
Now, on to Top Comments:
From HeyMikey:
In the AP front-page account of a Democratic challenger to Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) — this comment made by YouHaveToVoteForOneOfUs.
And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
In the front-page story about the cash crunch enveloping Ron DeSantis … Dalbert notes that the impressive early cash haul the Florida governor had … has its flaws.
Next - enjoy jotter's wonderful (and now eternal) *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment featuring that photo.
TOP PHOTOSJuly 16th, 2023
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And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
9) Good morning, Kev, and thank you. … by Onomastic +8013) More R-conery by Denise Oliver Velez +7713) SCOTUS by Denise Oliver Velez +7718) And I wasn’t worried in 2016. … by Ninalyn +6719) Strikes by Denise Oliver Velez +6421) Putin can withdraw, anytime…. by Karl Dubhe V +6221) Thank you Kos. by jqjacobs +6226) Climate by Denise Oliver Velez +57