Got your plane tickets, hotel rooms, and tickets to Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh, right? Everyone ready?
I'm not -- I'm in the middle of information overload at my grad school teaching orientation, which supersedes any and all activities in my life for the next two weeks. That is, except for one -- attending Netroots Nation in Second Life! And, for all of you who, like me, could just not get to NN in PA, here is your chance to still attend NetRoots Nation in Second Life and meet with many progressives and fellow Kossacks.
Follow me beneath the fold for more on how you can attend NetRoots Nation in Second Life.
Attending NetRoots Nation in Second Life is a great way to see the same streamed videos you would watch on the NN website, but with the added benefit of real-time dialogue with people from around the world and around the country, people who share the same values for a better America.
First, you need a free Second Life account. It's fast and easy to sign up, download the program, and get started. When you start up the program, you'll be sent to an orientation area -- which is fine, if you have time to follow the orientation. What you would probably want to do, however, is click on this link to Netroots Nation in Second Life Island; you'll go to a web page with an orange box saying "Teleport Now." Click on that box and it will take you directly to the official landing point for NNSL.
From there you can go to NNinSL's very own orientation area, where you can learn all the basics you'll need to navigate the island -- mostly things like walking, sitting, and text chatting.
Here is the list of events in Second Life for Thursday, August 13 (PST). You can access the complete listing of events at the Netroots Nation in Second Life official blog. Please note that all the times with an * are events that will only be happening Second Life:
9:15AM*:Exclusive screening of Silent Partners, a documentary about the same-sex partners of soldiers forced to live in complete silence under the cloud of Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell. Following the screening will be a discussion and Q&A with the filmmker, Richard Ray Perez.
10:45AM*: "First They Ignore You." NNSL Programming Director Zathras Afarensis in a conversation with SL/RL peace activists Siri Vita, millay Freschi and Cotton Thorne about the challenges and rewards of online and in-world activism in support of human rights on a nonviolent resistance model, particularly in the context of events in Iran since this year’s presidential election there.
3:00PM: Opening keynote address by President Bill Clinton, streamed live from Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh.
6:45PM: Jay Ackroyd of Virtually Speaking sits down with Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas for a discussion of his book Taking On the System. Held at Virtually Speaking’s InWorld Amphitheatre.
I'm really looking forward to the exclusive inworld interview with Markos Moulitsas, and my husband and I are going to watch the live stream of Bill Clinton's keynote address. So exciting!
While I was walking around NetRoots Nation Island, I saw that NetRoots for the Troops has a booth.
You'll see many different organizations and candidates running for office, as well as just some really funny stuff. As I was leaving the orientation area, I happened upon the Jesus'General/Cafe Wellstone booth and saw the "Ask Sarah Palin" obelisk. You have to stand really, really close to it, but it was worth the close proximity. I saved the chat log:
[17:26] Sarah Palin: You betcha. ask me anything, starting with "Sarah, "
[17:27] Mala Fegte: Sarah, how are you?
[17:27] Sarah Palin: I have a better question. Why did Jesus allow people to invent numbers?, Mala Fegte
[17:27] Mala Fegte: Sarah, so you have to stand really close, huh?
[17:27] Sarah Palin: You betcha, but the fucking moose deserved it, Mala Fegte
[17:27] Mala Fegte: Sarah, this is creepy
[17:27] Sarah Palin: That's nonimportant, I'm going to be the best President since Elvis, Mala Fegte
One more pic for the road -- There will be many, many very helpful staff on hand to answer all your questions, like Moody -- BORGS!
Before I return to my regularly scheduled freak-out about grad school, let me say that I will definitely be at NetRoots Nation in Second Life, and when you get inworld you can look up my avatar, Mala Fegte. See you there!