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Wrapup...Pajamas Media bloggerfest in DC
Hi all. I'm still a little giddy after meeting the galaxy of blogging stars at the National Press Club last night. I arrived a little past cocktail hour (though the open bar remained in operation all evening), took one of the last available chairs for the overflow crowd, and settled in for the presentation. The hatless Roger Simon was at the podium to open the event and announce PJMedia's newest editors (Richard Miniter and Nidra Poller), and also their new web poll to choose a name for America's "midpartisans" (ie folks who don't really identify with either party but still care about being part of the political process). Then he introduced the panel and stepped aside for Glenn Reynolds to moderate the discussion. The panel's topic was partisanship and whether we have too much of it right now. The panelists began on their prepared remarks and my attention drifted as I looked around the room and started reading nametags... Hey! There in the second row with the camera, I think thats Michael Totten! I thought he was in Tel Aviv or Beirut, but no hes here in DC! And over there! With a nice Florida groove working, its Val Prieto of Babalu Blog. And hmmm...Scott Koenig...I know that name...OMG its LT Smash. And theres Townhall's Mary Katherine Ham and Pamela from Atlas Shrugs, and over there is Eric Scheie with Baron Bodissey, and here is a very handsome TigerHawk, and Yehudit from Kesher Talk, and Colonel Austin Bay is here and so is Kevin Zowie. Ive been reading their words, and internalizing, refining, and refuting their arguments, for most of the last five years. I know some of their kids, and some of their pets, all from links on the internets. Its almost too much to take in. But not quite too much cos now its time to mingle, and maybe, just maybe grab dinner. One group heads out, another slightly trailing group wants to know where they went, I dont know for sure but I do know where the best view in DC is, so we head for the rooftop bar at Hotel Washington. Along the way we are subsumed by group #1, and after a coin toss between Old Ebbitt Grill and Hotel Washington, the rooftop bar wins and twenty or so bloggers settle in for the view, the drinks, and the company. My end of the table has Richard Miniter, Gerard Van der Leun, Judith Weiss, Fausta, TigerHawk, and Claudia Rossett. The other end of the table has Glenn Reynolds, Michael Totten, Colonel Bay, Pamela, Baron Bodissey, Michael Barone and Roger Simon. The banter, as you may imagine, was sublime, and I bid everyone farewell at about 11:30. Plenty pix were taken, though few of me, available at many of the fine links herein. PS No Hawaiian shirts were in evidence. Posted by: Seafarious 2006-09-27 |
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