Well. Here I am at Netroots Nation. The brain to body mass ratio here is absurdly slanted in favor of the brains, and I feel like I'm throwing off the curve.
I'm going to list a few highlights of what I've learned so far, but first, some ambiance and general frivolity:
Behind me is a transparent, blue inflatable couch, a neon orange carpet with neon orange beanbags. All the furniture you might have wanted in college but in a shade that sears itself on the retinas. I have not yet tried lounging on it. I may try it just to increase my hipness for a few minutes. I'm also surrounded by brilliant and energetic people and faces actually attached to user names. Very cool. I even saw Markos a few times and imagined walking up to him and thanking him for making such a cool community, and in my mind he was a warm and disarming and then he takes me out for a beer and praises my insight.
But mostly I just pass by and imagine.
I've attended three panel discussions so far:
The Myth of a Post Racial America: I dithered for a long time over what panel I'd go to and landed on this one because I figured I'm here to learn about stuff i know almost nothing about. It wasn't particularly well attended and I started to have second thoughts about attending after I sat down. But I was too embarrassed to stand up and leave, so I stayed and it turned out to be a fantastic and insightful panel.
One fellow named Rich Benjamin who wrote a book called Whitopia offered an interesting perspective on racial relations that I had never really considered. He drew a distinction between Interpersonal Ratial Relations and Institutional Segregation or Racism. He said there is a tendency to reduce racism issues to interpersonal dynamics. For example, when Obama commented about the racial profiling of the black professor (Gates) arrested in his own home, he eventually resorted to having Gates and the officer Crowley over to the White House for beer to smooth over the tensions. In doing so he was more or less applying to an insututional racism isssue, Racial Profiling, as an interpersonal racism issue; if they have a beer together and understand one another, the larger issue will be addressed. Rich Benjamin, it seems, suggests that this sort of solution won't help, claiming that overall interpersonal racism is actually mellowing in the United States, but Institional Racism is as entrenched and intractable as ever.
So...we tend to resort to addressing the interpersonal racism in an attempt to address institutional racism, and while good, isn't going to get us to racial equality. So goes my understanding of what this fellow said. Interesting stuff.
Leveraging Strength: Online & Offline Collaboration:
This seemed to be more of a strategy type of discussion. Talked about how online actions and offline actions can mesh. One of the folks was from the ColorOfChange.com, the organization currently stripping advertisers from Glenn Beck. Lot of info here, but a lot of it focused on Stories. Finding the stories that speak to the audience you want to sway. And once you find that story, use it to motivate people to take a specific action: writing a letter, showing up at a protest, sign a petition, etc.
and
From Jargon to Message: Blogging the Econ. Battles
This one was sort of pearls before swine to me. Well attended, but I didn't really Feel this one. To be fair I got int about 15 minutes late. The talk and questions swirled around how to battle the hordes of rightwing lies. The answer...blog and blog and blog. Write blogs that respond to these lies.
I also learned that cole slaw is an EXCELLENT sandwich topping.
Meeting a bunch of great folks here. I wish you were here.
Hello to my Insomniac Venthole homies and the folks back home.
PS -- I have no way to get my pics online, so no pics for now. Maybe pics later.