Is it just me or are the bags this year fabulous? And so are the festive floral centerpieces made by hand (over 400) by an origami-expert band of generous volunteers.

As people arrived from across the country and around the world, as fascinated media lovingly, yes lovingly, descended, and caucuses of every race, sexual orientation and U.S. geographical areas met, the main questions I answered at the braced-for-1500 registration desk (okay, so I lie--I am severely directionally challenged) related to sussing out the Convention Center and other orienting and orienteering, attendees not realizing that these bright-eyed core organizers around me had been up all night stuffing and collating said faaaabulously fashionable totes.

No sleep till after the Presidential Leadership Forum!!

As Howard Dean inspires as I write this right now! of the Democracy Bonds party, the pre-party to his keynote tonight, and at least two other happy hours that I know of buzz in different locations (Drinking Liberally bien sur). The hot summer sun is slowly setting, and most of the ground-breaking Screening Series films have finished up for the day. The air conditioning is on full blast, and I’m struck by what a different conference this year is from last.

We all are.

Compared to an airport, called the Bloggers Fitness Conference by Elizabeth from New Mexico, this historic second gathering of the Netroots dazzles at the vast McCormick Conference Center, the self-same city, I am told, where anti-war riots broke out at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. We'll talk more about that Convention in a minute.

From the time Wednesday night when Mona Brooks (who will be uploading the official YKC 07 photos daily at monabrooks.photoreflect.com) snapped a photo of the very first two to register at our Conference, it was on.

“This is not nice people we’re running against, and I’m not sure democracy is part of their core values.”

Applause for Dean.

Aren’t you here? Well then have you twittered today? Or tweeted, Mark tells me is the proper conjugation. You can thank him for all this mind-boggling technology that lets YOU keep up with us. Wifitti, Twitter, Flickr postings and more! For that helpful list of the many ways to virtually attend, visit www.yearlykosconvention.org/follow-online.

Besides the energy around the Leadership Forum featuring Democratic 2008 presidential hopefuls, and the tragedy surrounding that shocking bridge collapse in Minnesota, the obvious next step for many of us rabid Dem fans is that there ‘other’ Convention, the Democratic National Convention in Denver next year. The offices just opened. Check out their website at www.demconvention.com.

I attended a gorgeous DNC session dedicated to teaching us how to become delegates. The exciting thing for us bloggers is that the Convention, thanks to Dean, has learned since last time that bloggers need and deserve press credentials! So stay tuned to their website to learn how to credential thyself.

Oh, and the presenter, Praga Mehta, was phenomenal!

Finally, the Netroots is proud to flex yet another muscle in our body of expertise, innovation and passion—enter JONI, the Journal of Netroots Ideas, whose website is about to go live at www.netrootsjournal.com and is currently living at joni.advomatic.com.

Look out academia and traditional media! We can write short and searing, but the blogosphere can also write long, thoughtfully and powerfully. I will be blogging more fully about this very soon right here.

A big trivia kudos goes out to George Lakoff--who but him would know why there are twenty less votes than delegates at the DNC? Do you know? Do you know? Okay, hint: Puerto Rico...I hope he's on my Pub Quiz team tonight!

I would loooove to chat more, but I have to run to our evening's big keynote with Dean and Durban. And then read my brand new signed copy of Marty Klein's, America's War on Sex. (First drugs and now this???)

This and many other book signings are celebrated all weekend in the Exhibit Hall. Aren't we proud of our blogospheric authors? Tonight there's a big Readers and Writers Dessert party. Chocolate mousse with your dittoheads and feminists?

You can ALSO pick up a copy of unConventional AT THE CONVENTION ONLY! We have a special batch here just for you. Ahhh...memories of 2006. Visit the Exhibit Hall to learn more.

Thank you for coming, keeping up with us, thinking of us, and taking all media coverage of us, your friends, with a grain of margarita salt.

 YKC 2007