NN11 - after the first day
there were a LOT of parties. It wasn't necessary to spend money - there was enough free food between what AFSCME offered before the keynote sessions and at the various parties. Because most of us were in the main convention space for 3 hours, perhaps one bought one or two drinks at the VERY EXPENSIVE bars there, but at the parties that was not necessary.
By now I have caught up with many of the people I wanted to see, but not all. Saw a former student (Lee Fang) who is now a rising writer on progressive issues. Got invited to cross- post my work on education at another site. Spoke with Robert Borosage of the Campaign for America's Future. Time to chat with some old friends, with more of that scheduled for today, including I hope some private conversation with Meteor Blades.
There are still people I want to see. There are, we were told, around 2,400 of us. I think back to Vegas in 2006, when we had perhaps 1,300-1,400.
Today our hotel also is hosting the right-wing people who now seem to have a convention on the Right that follows us around. Next year we will have an exclusivity clause in the contract to limit that. There were sightings of Andrew Breitbart, and there was a happy hour with people from both groups - I saw no reason to attend that.
I decided to pack it in around midnight local time. After all, I am 65, and have not fully recovered from Monday night when I got perhaps 3 hours of sleep because I was reading all the final essay exams of my students.
Below the fold, a few general impressions so far, and to what I look forward today.
