(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Top Comments: the Netroots Nation 2024 edition [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-27 A look at the upcoming Netroots Nation 2024 confab, after the jump ... But first: Top Comments appears nightly, as a round-up of the best comments on Daily Kos. Surely ... you come across comments daily that are perceptive, apropos and .. well, perhaps even humorous. But they are more meaningful if they're well-known ... which is where you come in (especially in diaries/stories receiving little attention). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Send your nominations to TopComments at gmail dot com by 9:30 PM Eastern Time nightly, or by our KosMail message board. Please indicate (a) why you liked the comment, and (b) your Dkos user name (to properly credit you) as well as a link to the comment itself. In two weeks, Netroots Nation begins in Baltimore, Maryland. As someone who has attended about 2/3 of these, I can promise an experience for you … especially if you live in a red state/town, where expressing your viewpoints is quite risky. When you wear your orange lanyard around the area, you know that others you run into may not agree with you on everything .. but will be friendly. Indeed, when the inaugural Yearly Kos was held in 2006, right-wingers like Bill O’Reilly were quick to announce (in advance) that it would be a “hate-fest”. To the chagrin of someone at Michelle Malkin’s website who dared attend: they were disappointed to see “middle-aged normies” (or the like). Actually, in recent years there are many more twenty-somethings than had been true years ago. While you can attend remotely, each year I suggest attending in person. And even if you do not have the time/financial resources to attend the entire 3-day event, some other suggestions. → Even though it is never advertised: each day, you can purchase a day-pass. This is particularly good for those in the Philly-to-D.C. region who must work on, say, Thursday-Friday … but are able to attend on Saturday. → Likewise, there are attendees who combine Netroots within an overall vacation. Thus, there will be attendees who may spend only part of their time at Netroots — and part visiting (as the saying goes), “Our nation’s capital” (with the White House, Smithsonian and other museums/sites) or Philadelphia (and its museums, Liberty Bell, et al). → For transportation: Baltimore is on the main Northeast Corridor for Amtrak (with numerous trains each day stopping at Baltimore Penn Station). In addition, Baltimore-Washington International airport (BWI) is a hub for Southwest Airlines (and their two-checked-bags-free policy) plus other domestic/international carriers. And both Greyhound as well as Peter Pan Bus Lines stop at the Baltimore Downtown Station (built in 2016) a mile from the convention center. → In the city itself: there is a Light Rail system that can bring you from the airport to the convention center (and nearby hotels), plus Amtrak. → Also in the city: are a series of free bus lines (the Charm City Circulator) — the orange line goes east-to-west near the convention center, the purple north-south. → The Baltimore Convention Center has its own Light Rail stop. → Two art museums (thanks to generous grants) have free admission: the Walters Art Museum as well as the Baltimore Museum of Art. → Nearby is a Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad Museum — with a current exhibit of The Underground Railroad: Freedom Seekers on the B&O Railroad → Use this link for hotel information — some space is still available. Hotel lobbies are often a good place to meet-up … why, in 2008 we even had a hootenanny. Pittsburgh, 2008 → For you baseball fans: the Baltimore Orioles are at home during the convention. They host the Chicago Cubs (Tues, Wed, Thurs eve) and the NY Yankees (Fri, Sat, Sun) with an early 11:35 start on Sunday. → Also for you baseball fans: nearby is the Babe Ruth Birthplace/Museum. → The Inner Harbor not only has several museums (including the National Aquarium) but also a water taxi. I’m certain that I have left-out many features …. feel free to add yours in the comments. If you have a chance to attend, I hope we have a chance to meet. Note : feel free to add any debate comments (I’m avoiding; can’t stand his voice). Finally, a story that I never tire of telling. At the 2011 gathering in Minneapolis, I went to the baseball game on the Thursday (starting at noon) that ended in only 2:09 (pre-pitch clock) and when I went to my room at 3:00 PM, it was being cleaned. So I went down to the hotel bar, whose front was completely open (so that one could see the entire lobby). I was the only one there, and the woman behind the bar asked me if I was with “this group”. When I nodded yes, she memorably said: “We get a lot of conventions here … but I have never seen one where someone walks into the lobby with their luggage, yet before they can get to the registration desk: someone calls out their name, walks over … and gives them a hug”. Now, on to Top Comments : Highlighted by renren: In the diary by DrLocrian about the lack of bookings for the GOP convention in Milwaukee — an lambros. all time hall of fame top comment from And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........ In the diary by averagemec advocating government support of museums — which (as noted above) has found a partial foothold in Baltimore — centsmaker notes both the wide varieties of museums deserving of this, as well as the need to provide resources for their underpaid staff. Next: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion. While we are hopeful that the Picture Quilt can be resuscitated, a suggestion last night from elenacarlena (to search for the top highly rated images) is worth a try. Here are a few: [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/27/2248465/-Top-Comments-the-Netroots-Nation-2024-edition?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/