mtpolitics.net

Bet Your Bottom Dollar You’ll Lose The Blues

Sometimes with this hobby, the damnedest things happen.

A little over 6 months ago, I cobbled together some code to aggregate posts from the Montana Dextra blogs, along with a blogroll utility.

It’s nothing real special. If a spit ‘n duct tape programmer like me can put something together, it can’t be that hard. But, I will say this, it had an impact. Depending on where you sit, it may be good, bad or indifferent, but an impact nonetheless.

That caught someone’s attention, who got in touch with Gregg Smith, who put that person in touch with me. That person knew yet another person who had interest in the code, so I passed it along.

One thing leads to another, and the next thing I know, I get an invite from the Sam Adams Alliance to attend their SamSphere event in Chicago.

I was naturally flattered, but had to decline. A trip to Chicago is pretty much out of our budget. Hell, with gas approaching $3.25, a trip to Townsend would probably stretch our budget. I suggested some other folks here in Montana that might be interested in going, then forgot about it.

Then, a couple of months later, I got an email from them saying that I was confirmed to attend, so I got right back in touch and said, “There’s been a mistake.” Then, I learned that they were graciously picking up the tab. “In that case,” I said, “I can probably make it.”

So this Friday, I’m off to Chicago to spend a couple of days learning the secret handshake of the VRWC, and hopefully getting some orders and talking points from Darth Karl himself.

Actually, this is what will be going on:

Samsphere is a new media forum, hosted by the Sam Adams Alliance, where bloggers and e-activists from across the country can gather together to network and share ideas. Samsphere will be specifically geared toward bloggers and e-activists who focus on local and state-level politics, and who are dedicated to the principles of individual freedom and limited government.

I’m looking forward to making the trip and meeting with the fine folks listed below. No doubt I will have a full report sometime after I get back.

Erick Erickson * RedState
Allen Fuller * Flat Creek Management
John Fund * Wall Street Journal
Brad Jones * Face the State
Jenn Sierra * Fort Hard Knox
Erik Telford * Americans for Prosperity
E.M. Zanotti * American Princess
Bill Smith * ARRA News Service
Ben DeGrow * Mount Virtus
Mark Johnson * ILGOPnet
Doug Welch * Stix
Bob Weeks * Wichita Liberty
Earl Glynn * Kansas Meadowlark
Jeff Blanco * Louisiana Conservative
Lance Dutson * Maine Web Report
Jack McHugh * Mackinac Center
Chet Zarko * Outside Lansing
Jim Hoft * Gateway Pundit
Craig Sprout * Montana Politics
Chuck Muth * Muth’s Truths
Skip Murphy * Granite Grok
Mario Burgos * Mario Burgos
Maggie Thurber * Thurber’s Thoughts
Chris Arps * Oklahoma Political News Service
Trent Siebert * Tennessee Policy Institute
Leslie Carbone * Leslie Carbone
Don Ward * Sound Politics
Fred Dooley * Real Debate Wisconsin
Tristen Cramer * Haemet
Chad Everson * Grizzly Groundswell
Steve Sibson * Sibby Online
Nic Hall * Nicky Cheese
Bob Costello * cozcommunio
John Tsarpalas * Tsarchats
Ken Marrero * Blue Collar Muse
Eric Odom * Eric Odom
Mike Van Winkle * A Chicago Blog
Micheal Tams * American Federalist
Jodi Bridges * Thirty Something
Lennie Jarratt * Open Source Activism
Drew Veeneman * Trenches of Democracy