“I’m David Ferguson and I blog as TRex at Firedoglake.”

And the (huge) audience surprised me by erupting into cheers.

“RAAAAAAAAAHHHHRRR!!” they roared.

“Mr. Allen, Mr. Carney,” I said, “We appreciate your being here, but can you explain to us why your publications repeatedly run to the people who were so wrong about the Iraq War as experts about anything? Charles Krauthammer, Bill Kristol, Micheal Ledeen? How wrong does a person have to be before you guys stop giving them a legitimate platform?”

“YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH!!!” said the audience.

“And now these same people are pulling for a war with Iran. Your “serious, sensible” pal Joe Lieberman is agitating for military strikes against Iran, and that’s unacceptable. Where does it stop?”

It was kind of awesome to feel that kind of support from such a massive room full of people. I got goosebumps.

Ohhhhhh. I’m really REALLY sorry I missed that.

No wonder Mikey and Jay are looking to sink their little teeth into your gargantuan toes ! :D

I’m told outside rain or shine for tomorrow night’s event. I ran into one of the MSNBC guys-not an anchor but a 30 something male with light brown/blonde hair. Can’t remember his name.

People probably want to see Olbermann as much as the candidates!

In many cases, MORE than Olbermann! I hope we can get him for next year’s Netroots Nation convention!

it would not have solved the 9$ smokes issue but I know most convetion centers have jacked up prices.

I know the organizers had trouble getting a space, they were trying for the one near navy pier but they wouldn’t take us, and the other option was way out in the airport area and then would really have been trapped.

my hope is in the future they will do it in a city like philadelphia where the convention center is a PART of downtown. that keeps prices down too as you can always leave the center and go to regular mom and pop shops.

I know Gina and the team will take this all into consideration and I am sure some or all of the issues will be fixed next time around so please please don’t give up yet.

Neither ever had asthma. Why do you suppose that is?

Doesn’t anyone ever THINK anymore? Or is it just the “I am a VICTIM” era?

“oh, i’m so relieved. it’s just my imagination that caused trips to the emergency room for acute asthma attacks when caught unexpectedly by large amounts of cigarette smoke.”
**************
No. 1 — you are damn lucky to be able to go to the E.R. without being bankrupted.

No. 2 — I have no idea whether cigarette smoke caused your “acute asthma.” Maybe it is psychosomatic. Maybe it is real and caused from something else.

But I DO know this: there weren’t the thousands of cases of asthma back in the day when there was much more smoking. Why do you suppose that is? Or do you just prefer to be a victim, rather than find out WHY.

tgrdug

I hate to be mean, but everyone else is yapping, so I will, too.

I am old. (Well, early 50s) and I remember as a teenager, that so many more smoked then. And Americans weren’t as fat. (Oh, and I never heard whining about “2nd hand smoke” which I say is either hysteria on the 2nd-hand-smoker’s part OR something else. Because it sure isn’t because of 2nd hand cig smoke. Use your F-ing head!

Guess what? People were healthier back then, too. Is that because of more smokers? Fewer overweight Americans? More people could visit a physician? The air in general? I don’t know, but I will tell you, I am sick to death of these “2nd hand smoke makes me SICK!” weirdos strolling to the mall, through all the other fumes, be they from automobiles, buses, industrial chimneys, etc. No problem! You see, it’s just the CIGARETTE smoke that makes them sick.

Dummies.

newdealfarmgrrrll @338

oh, i’m so relieved. it’s just my imagination that caused trips to the emergency room for acute asthma attacks when caught unexpectedly by large amounts of cigarette smoke.

My impression is that a lot of factors can trigger asthma attacks. allergens, stress etc. There’s also a psychological element and I’m not saying your attacks are not real, but cigarette smokers are very convenient scapegoats, when in fact we do live in a world filled with all kinds of environmental hazards.
Coming from a “medical family”, it is my humble and cynical opinion that medicine has never been a precise science and it is not immune from politics or society. You only have to watch school scare films and old medical documentaries to see different “causes” of badness, different “bogeyman”, same old same old. So called “breakthroughs” and progress are not necessarily progress, it is just living in a different era.

They called for questions, and I jumped from my chair, which set TeddySanFran to giggling in anticipation. There were a few questions ahead of me, but then I got to the mic.

“I’m David Ferguson and I blog as TRex at Firedoglake.”

And the (huge) audience surprised me by erupting into cheers.

“RAAAAAAAAAHHHHRRR!!” they roared.

“Mr. Allen, Mr. Carney,” I said, “We appreciate your being here, but can you explain to us why your publications repeatedly run to the people who were so wrong about the Iraq War as experts about anything? Charles Krauthammer, Bill Kristol, Micheal Ledeen? How wrong does a person have to be before you guys stop giving them a legitimate platform?”

“YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH!!!” said the audience.

“And now these same people are pulling for a war with Iran. Your “serious, sensible” pal Joe Lieberman is agitating for military strikes against Iran, and that’s unacceptable. Where does it stop?”

It was kind of awesome to feel that kind of support from such a massive room full of people. I got goosebumps.

You were AWESOME TRex. And kindness itself when I introduced myself later.

I was so totally bummed not to make the FDL caucus and meet more Firepups, but I also am physically challenged, and after scrambling from one place to another to make sure I fulfilled my caucus commitment, my knees were screaming at me so loud I had to go up to my room and ice them down.

Finally on Saturday, I broke down and rented a scooter-of which there was exactly one left. I’d never have made the presidential breakouts up in the aerie if not for that.

yellowdog jim @ 348

to add a little complication to our drug talk:
wouldn’t tobacco be a entheogen for some native Americans?

It was/is, but as such was only used sacramentally and not for recreational purposes. Several tribes had two different varieties, one for religious use and one for recreational use.

i have taken the meaning of “entheogens” as implying sacramental usage only,
even if not in a strictly religious sense.

whereas, i see de rastas doing some sacramenting on the greatness of ja steady now.

they named the natural agonist of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor Anandamide: “the bliss drug”.
maybe bliss chemical is better(?)?

Greetings people; is it permisible here at your late night to post a link to something like the following?

I’ve lurked/read tons here during “info snacks” during my lunchtime at work, but am not aware of any rules for night. Today’s FISA crap killed me. My response is here: http://theunconventionalconven…..gspot.com/

A gentle rebuke will suffice if unnacceptable.

thanks

Bookmarked, and many thanks.