ACTION PHOTO #1 - yes, we rate! The Big Dawg gave the opening keynote on Thursday night.
Friday saw our 'ol pal Governor Dean give an excellent morning keynote on health care. From time-to-time he would preface his remarks by saying, "I know you may not agree with this, but ..." - when it would have been easier to throw some chum to an eager audience. While I was never a Deaniac, I think his I represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic party statement may some day be seen as a turning point.
Friday night saw a free reception for attendees at the Andy Warhol museum (his being a native Pittsburgher) with free wine and cheese.
ACTION PHOTO #s - Blogger Kevin Drum (one of the originators of "Friday Cat Blogging") hosted a panel with economists Anna Burger, Dean Baker and New Jersey governor Jon Corzine.
On Saturday, there was a field trip to PNC Park - the Pittsburgh Pirates were away, but a tour (complete with a few baseball bat swings on the field) were a nice treat.
Actually, one of the themes was how nice a town Pittsburgh seemed to many people. A city with a big league infrastructure but now a smaller population makes it a comfortable place, with wilderness just 20 minutes out of town and "inclines" - almost like mini-ski gondolas - to bring passengers up from the Three Rivers valley to the surrounding towns on the hills.
ACTION PHOTO #3 - our circle of friends put on our traditional Sunday interfaith service - since "Pastor Dan" Schultz could not be there to officiate, we did it ourselves .... "We'll do it live!", come to think of it.
Excellent Saturday seminars - including the California S-of-S Debra Bowen, who has helped enact on-line voter registration and is seeking same-day registration. When I told her where I'm from, she said she visited to see how NH handles same-day registration and was impressed.
ACTION PHOTO #4 - My friends virgomusic - our interfaith service choir director - and New Hampshire blogger/professor PoliSigh were great to be with.
We also were treated to a Saturday morning Q&A with President Obama's adviser Valerie Jarrett. If Rod Blagojevic hadn't been scrounging for money ("All I would get from them is gratitude?!?") - he could have appointed her to take Obama's Senate seat.
ACTION PHOTO #5 - a genuine Saturday night hootenanny. Complete with guitar, banjo, washboard .... even washtub bass. Many Pete Seeger, Dylan and other folk and bluegrass songs were sang. Hotel management were happy with us playing past midnight in the lobby, rather than raise a ruckus in hotel rooms, and with the adjacent hotel bar ... well, hotel liquor sales weren't too shabby, let's just say.
In short: particularly if you are not a party official, try to attend this event some year; you may not get a chance to rub elbows with so many party officials, authors, etc. at one time. Next year it will be in Las Vegas: at this link you can read more about it. I refer to this as a Liberalpalooza; others may have a different term. But whichever: even if you don't know a soul when you arrive: you soon will know several.
P.S. - former Washington State congressional candidate Darcy Burner spoke at the final keynote session (along with AFL-CIO treasurer Rich Trumka). All of a sudden yours truly (a/k/a Mr. Separated at Birth on certain blogs) wondered ...
OLDER-YOUNGER SISTERS? - former candidate and NN'09 keynote speaker Darcy Burner and Laura Clawson - co-founder of Blue Hampshire. Whaddya think?
 
P.P.S. - returning to work today: the payroll manager said to me, "Ed, go see Ellen" - her assistant. Ellen proceeded to tell me that on Friday C-SPAN was replaying Bill Clinton's address and then swore she saw my ugly mug face in a close-up on TV. When she came in on Monday, she asked my boss where I was - "Ed's on vacation; I don't know where" was his reply. And so I confirmed my attendance - which probably speaks well of the camera person; to have captured me without my even being aware of it. I was prepared (as a DHMC employee) to explain my presence to a conservative that I was there for the health care panels - sort of an "I only read Playboy for the articles" response - but Ellen said that she liked Clinton's address. So my apolitical reputation in the office is safe with her. I think.
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