Why should you read this diary?

Well, for starters, if you have been to Yearly Kos either last year or the year before, you know how ass kicking they were, and how much more ass kicking this year’s Netroots Nation will be.  

And even if you haven’t been to either prior Yearly Kos and won’t be coming along this year, you can help send some very deserving folks to Austin this summer without even spending a penny.  Folks like Daily Kos members Canacki, Troutfishing and King One Eye, not to mention folks affiliated with state blogs such as Blue Jersey and The Albany Project are hoping and trying to get to Austin, but alas, they just don’t have the funds necessary.

This may hold true for you too.  Yes, you - the reader of this diary.  And tonight may, just may, be the start of a chain of events that can send you to Netroots Nation in Austin with the hotel and registration TOTALLY PAID FOR.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without either kid oakland, whose tireless efforts last year resulted in a number of people donating money, frequent flier miles, registrations that couldn’t be used or whatever else (there were auctions as well, IIRC), or without the good folks at Democracy for America.

This year, DFA is sponsoring 9 (yes - nine!!) "scholarships" which you can apply for yourself or vote for your favorite deserving candidate by clicking here.  If you want to apply for one yourself - go right ahead.  But make sure to do it by June 9, since that is the deadline to apply.

If you want to apply, you can do it by using your "real" name or your screen name, and you will have to tell why you deserve the scholarship (other than that you are really really awesome).  The criteria will include demographics (age, gender, geography, ethnicity, urban/rural, etc.), quality of work done, individual need and of course, the votes of everyone who clicks through to support one of the applicants.

Or, you can vote for one or even two of the now 86 candidates by clicking on the link above.  And although there are currently 9 scholarships being given, you can donate to DFA’s scholarship fund and hopefully there will be more as well.

Over the past two years, I have met many excellent people in this community and also in person at the prior Yearly Kos conventions, local meetups, or other gatherings.  And some of the people that I had the best times with (and got the drunkest with) were at Yearly Kos out of the kindness and generosity of others.  But it isn’t just about getting drunk in a strange and random city - there are some people that I recognize from the scholarship list who are tremendously important members of the netroots - either on the local, national or specialty topic level.

Besides, isn’t helping each other what we progressives are all about anyway?

There are a couple of things that I should point out though - for starters, even if you get a scholarship, you will have to pay for a few things - namely, getting there (either by car or by having your privacy invaded by the always helpful folks at the TSA flying), meals and all of the cool souvenirs you will want to pick up in Austin.  BUT you won’t have to pay for your hotel for the weekend, or for the conference itself, which is a pretty damn fine deal, if you ask me.

Also, there will be a program where people can donate their frequent flyer miles in order to help a few folks out even further.  Land of Enchantment is going to coordinate a supplemental effort, to coordinate frequent flyer miles. Contact her at gmail account, which you can find on her user profile page here.  

Finally, if you want to donate your registration (like if you had a panel approved or you can’t use yours), also reach out to Land of Enchantment.

So......what are you waiting for?  Go vote!!!!