Preface. Preamble. Disclaimer. I am not a photographer. So here’s some blurry photos, and some notes, and the full schedule and such can be readhere.

Quick hits: The crack van got huge applause. Scout got a round of applause when I talked about her on the journalism panel, about citizen reporting and how we’re all our own presses now and it scares the shit out of the insecure among us. Spocko got a standing ovation that went on for about three minutes, whichfuck yeah and also the least he is due.

My full presentation to the media panel will be typed up (I wrote it on the plane) sometime Sunday, most likely. I talked about what we talk about here, about not ascribing to bias what stupidity can adequately explain.

Digby, Jane Hamsher, Ntodd and Atrios.

I’m gonna give you quick quotes here, and save my analysis for when I can do it properly, like tonight after about eight beers, or in the shower tomorrow, or on the plane home.

Panel 1: Having An Impact

Atrios: You can start getting through to the media by trying to cause them pain. It makes me sad because they really only respond to pain. What works is to create this tremendous shitstorm. Make as much noise as you possibly can.

Digby: Blogging was inspired by the absolutely miserable coverage of politics. From impeachment to the stolen election to the war, the press has failed in their duty to our democracy over the last decade and a half.

Ntodd: [We’ve been successful in raising money for candidates but] We haven’t been doing it very long. We haven’t been able to pull it away yet. We haven’t made it a real threat.

Funny funny people: Watertiger on the humor panel, along with TRex, Rude Pundit, Ted Rall and Thers.

Humor Panel

TRex: Right wing humor fails because part of being funny requires you to step outside your own circumstances. If they were capable of that, they wouldn’t be Republicans.

Rude Pundit: It’s funny to attack the powerful. Not funny to attack the powerless. The right wing attacks people who have no way of fighting back.

Watertiger: Right wing uses the “I was just kidding” defense to excuse their behavior.

Ted Rall: They innoculate themselves by speaking hyperbolically, so that everybody just shrugs it off after a while.

Congressional Accountability Panel

Eric Johnson, my brand-new crush, is chief of staff for Rep. Robert Wexler. He talked about how since Mukasey won’t enforce subpeonas for Bush aides to testify, how he’s basically told them he’s breaking the law, Congress can in fact issue warrants its own self and make congressional arrests, basically. He put forth the tantalizing image of Wexler and Conyers bringing in Harriet Meiers in handcuffs. Very loud applause.

Economics Panel

Paul Krugman: Condoflip.com is now YouWalkAway.com.

Atrios: Lending standards just went completely to hell. Plenty of people were pushed into loans they didn’t understand and plenty of people were given loans no responsible bank should have given them.

Echidne: I’m going to tell you why both candidates’ health care plans are about the same, and are actually both really bad.

I will have more, likely, later. Off to dinner and then Rude Pundit, Filkertom and Whiskey Ina and Hamell on Trial show, emceed by Sinfonian.

A.