Where Were You 6 Months Ago? - Netroots Nation Day 3 [VIDEO]

Yep. Six months ago was the last day of Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh. At this point, it was Saturday and I was running on maybe five hours of sleep since Wednesday. But we managed to stay awake long enough for another smattering of the day...

--Cutting-edge Evidence-based Best Practices:

-Regina Schwartz on Best Practices: Testing the 2008 Primary GOTV Calls



-Mary McClelland on Best Practices: Testing the Youth Vote




-Regina Schwartz on Color Campaign Lit



--Academic Studies of the Netroots:

-Chris Bowers: Misinformation on the Interet vs Television



-Dave Karpf: Hubs in Social Networking



-Dave Karpf: Who is winning YouTube?



-Matthew Kerbel & Dave Karpf: Who is ahead in the Blogosphere?



--Advocating for Reproductive Rights in the Age of Obama:

-Aimee Thorne-Thomsen on Reproductive Justice in the Age of Obama



-Jodi Jacobson on Discussing Reproductive Rights



-James Wagoner: How Our Health Statistics Stack Up



-James Wagoner: Lack of Science and Evidence in Reproductive Rights Debate



-Jodi Jacobson: Compromise Ignores the Real Issues



-Joreg Dreweke: Reproducive Issues Aren't Covered Properly



--How Technology can be Utilized to Enhance Democracy in Pittsburgh and beyond:

-Priya Narasimhan of YinzCam



-Paul Fireman of Vivo



-Brad Winney of Penopto



--Closing Keynote With Darcy Burner and Richard Trumka:

-Richard Trumka Gives Speech on Final Night of Netroots Nation '09







-Darcy Burner Gives Final Keynote at Netroots Nation '09, Intro from Markos





And then it was over.

We will be catching next summer's Netroots Nation in Vegas. We are more than doubling our efforts for it, bringing more people, more cameras, and more resources. And we could use your help. David Hart, the founder of Grow the Hope, is hosting a house meeting fundraiser for us next weekend. Join us in person if you are in the Bethesda area, or join us live online Sunday, February 21st at 2:00pm (EST).

Where Were You 6 Months Ago? - Netroots Nation Day 2 [VIDEO]

6 months ago today, after a long day 1, Sum of Change arose at 7am (after going to sleep at 5am) to drive under a mountain and over a river to day 2 of Netroots Nation 2009 in Pittsburgh. Here is a smathering of what we saw throughout the day in chronological order:

--Pennsylvania Leadership Forum (aka: Senatorial showdown of Sestak and Specter answering the same questions, although not at the same time)

-Congressman Joe Sestak on Single Payer Health Care



-Senator Specter on Progressive Issues He Can Support



-Congressman Sestak on Owing the Grassroots for Their Election Contributions



-Congressman Sestak on Fighting For Healthcare Reform



-Senator Specter on Fighting For Healthcare Reform



-Senator Specter Addressing Nate Silver and The 'Spectrometer'



-Congressman Sestak on the Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy and Marriage Equality



--Stepping It Up: Creating Powerful Multiracial Alliances With Progressive Bloggers

-Cheryl Contee and Will Coley: We Are A Nation Of Immigrants



-Cheryl Contee How White People Can Help



-Jacki Esposito: Immigration Issues and Statistics Go Unnoticed



-Jacki Esposito: Detention Isn't Just For Illegal Border Crossers



-Kyle de Beausset: Combatting 'Nativism' Online



-Kyle de Beausset: Disconnect Between Progressive & Pro Migrant Bloggers



-Rinku Sen: Comprehensive Immigration Reform Might Not Be Ideal



-Rinku Sen on Opposite Racial Images and Lasting Criminal Punishment



--Science Denial and Science Policy

-Joshua Rosenau, discussing science's "rightful place" in our country



-Michael Stebbins on How Science and Policy is Changing Under This New Administration



-Susan Wood Talking About Combating the Anti-Science Crowd



-Mark Sumner and Joshua Rosenau Discussing the Public's Stance on Science, Believing vs. Accepting



--Four Perspectives From the Social Change Blogosphere

Kety Esquivel National Council of La Raza's Online Activities



-Edmundo Rocha on Why the Immigration Issue is Important and Why Bloggers Should be Involved



-Edmundo Rocha and Prerna Lal on Debating Immigration Reform Online



-Prerna Lal Shares Her Personal Experience With the Struggle of Immigration



-David Bennion on Fighting for Immigration Reform



-David Bennion on the Immigration Battle on Capitol Hill Over the Last Five Years



--Organizing in Second Life

-Connecting Second Life With Real World Small Organizations



-Second LIfe as an Immersive Educational Opportunity



-Second Life an Opportunity for Satyrical Commentary



-Building Communities with Interactive Experiences



Day 2 was an awesome experience and we captured many diverse discussions on important progressive issues. But we were only able to make it to 4 of the 23 amazing panels all day and we want to capture many more of then of day two of Netroots Nation 2010 from Las Vegas. But to do so we are going to need your help.

Please join us, in person or online, on Sunday, February 21st, as we are begin fundraising our efforts to cover Netroots Nation 2010. Chris Hayes of The Nation, Nolan Treadway of Netroots Nation, and local grassroots organizers from inside and around the beltway will join us at a house party in Bethesda, MD. You can get more information about the event here. You can also join us live to view the event online at Sum Live Change beginning at 2:00pm on the 21st.

To see more videos from Netroots Nation 2009, please go to www.SumofChange.com/NetrootsNation

Where Were You 6 Months Ago? [VIDEO]

I know where we were. Six months ago today, we showed up in Pittsburgh for Netroots Nation '09.

We were here, @FDR Is There A New Deal?:











And here, From Prop 8 to Full Equality in All 50 States: Fighting for Marriage Equality and LGBT Rights Across America:











And we were here, The Myth of Post-Racial America:







Oh, and we were here, also, too, How to Get The Most Out Of The Polling Data You Read About:







And here, Bloggers and Blue-Collar Workers Unite: You have Nothing to Lose but Wall Street Domination:









We also plotted, The Secret Plan to Defeat the Right Forever:







It was an exciting first day. Hopefully you will join us next summer at Netroots Nation in Las Vegas! And check back tomorrow when we will relive Netroots Nation '09 Day 2.

Next Sunday, February 21st, we are beginning our fundraising for our efforts to cover Netroots Nation 2010. Chris Hayes, Nolan Treadway, and local grassroots organizers from inside and around the beltway will join us at a house party in Bethesda, MD. You can also join us online at Sum Live Change (we'll be running a live camera feed of the event), at 2:00pm on the 21st.

Netroots Nation '09: This Video Will Save Your Campaign Lots of Money

(Reposted as part of our staff picks from 2009, originally written by Will Urquhart on 8/18/2009)

This is not spam. This is not a commercial. This will seriously save your campaign money, and make it more effective at the same time.



There is a lot more to show from the "Cutting-Edge Evidence-Based Best Practices" panel. We are going to release a long version (almost the entire 1.5 hour panel), sometime over the next week or two at our Netroots Nation page.

This test, done by the Analyst Institute, reminds me of one specific mail piece. I had just come home, from door to door canvassing. I was working on a City Council race at the time, but there was a heated Mayoral race as well. There were three typical lit pieces in my mail box. Big, glossy, nice color work. All typical. Then there was one letter from one of the candidates office. It was in a normal envelope, just a black and white, typed out letter. A dear neighbor letter. At the bottom were signatures, seven of them to be exact. Each signature was from one of my neighbors, someone that lived no more than a mile from me. The letter read off a few of the reasons that these neighbors were supporting this candidate for Mayor. I cannot name a single specific detail about any of the other lit pieces. Clearly, one piece drove itself into my memory, and the others simply did not.

For more video of Netroots Nation, visit the Sum of Change NN'09 page.

Four Perspectives from the Social Change Blogosphere

(Reposted as part of our staff picks from 2009, originally written by Will Urquhart on 8/30/2009)

Recently, we posted some videos from the Netroots Nation panel 'Four Perspectives from the Social Change Blogosphere'. Today we would like to present a few more videos from this panel. So, without further ado, we present round 2...

We'll start with Edmundo Rocha, speaking briefly, yet passionately, on why the immigration issue is important and why bloggers should be involved:


Next up is David Bennion talking about the immigration battle on capitol hill over the last five years:


Last, but certainly not least, Prerna Lal shares her personal experience with the struggle of immigration:


I hope you enjoy these videos. We will release a round 3 shortly. Check back at our Netroots Nation page for new videos.

The Online Immigration Debate - Netroots Nation '09

(Reposted as part of our staff picks from 2009, originally written by Mitch Malasky on August 19th 2009)

Three of today's video's come from 'Four Perspectives from the Social Change Blogosphere: Case Studies from Civil Rights/ Pro-Migrant Bloggers' a panel at Netroots Nation 2009 in Pittsburgh hosted by Kety Equivel, the New Media Manager for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), with David Bennion, a non-profit immigration attorney, Prerna Lal, a blogger, youth organizer, and new media consultant, Edmundo Rocha, the Publisher and Content Producer of Para Justica Y Libertad, a latino centered political blog, and Dee Perez-Scott, who runs the blog 'Immigration Talk with a Mexican American'. They all shared stories about their efforts to fight a struggling battle. They were not very optimistic, they all shared depressing stories and sentiments about numerous immigration inequities, but were hopeful and dedicated to getting comprehensive immigration reform passed. While the immigration reform bill in congress has taken a back seat to other issues, such as healthcare, there are millions of people whose lives and well being are being held hostage by the unjust execution of antiquated laws. While positive news on the national scene is hard to come by, these panelists are working to facilitate as many small scale successes as possible. Check back for more stories and thoughts from the panel over the next couple weeks.







We will be releasing lots, and lots, of videos from Netroots Nation over the coming weeks, including some panels in entirety. For more videos, and a list of every event we filmed, please visit the Sum of Change NN'09 page.

Four Perspectives from the Social Change Blogosphere

Recently, we posted some videos from the Netroots Nation panel 'Four Perspectives from the Social Change Blogosphere'. Today we would like to present a few more videos from this panel. So, without further ado, we present round 2...

-Edmundo Rocha on Why the Immigration Issue is Important and Why Bloggers Should be Involved



-David Bennion on the Immigration Battle on Capitol Hill Over the Last Five Years



-Prerna Lal Shares Her Personal Experience With the Struggle of Immigration



I hope you enjoy these videos. We will release a round 3 shortly. Check back at our Netroots Nation page for new videos.

(VIDEO) The Online Immigration Debate - Netroots Nation '09

Three of today's video's come from 'Four Perspectives from the Social Change Blogosphere: Case Studies from Civil Rights/ Pro-Migrant Bloggers' a panel at Netroots Nation 2009 in Pittsburgh hosted by Kety Equivel, the New Media Manager for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), with David Bennion, a non-profit immigration attorney, Prerna Lal, a blogger, youth organizer, and new media consultant, Edmundo Rocha, the Publisher and Content Producer of Para Justica Y Libertad, a latino centered political blog, and Dee Perez-Scott, who runs the blog 'Immigration Talk with a Mexican American'.  They all shared stories about their efforts to fight a struggling battle.  They were not very optimistic, they all shared depressing stories and sentiments about numerous immigration inequities, but were hopeful and dedicated to getting comprehensive immigration reform passed.  While the immigration reform bill in congress has taken a back seat to other issues, such as healthcare, there are millions of people whose lives and well being are being held hostage by the unjust execution of antiquated laws.  While positive news on the national scene is hard to come by, these panelists are working to facilitate as many small scale successes as possible. Check back for more stories and thoughts from the panel over the next couple weeks.

The last video is the opening statement from Chris Hayes, Washington Editor of 'The Nation' Magazine, for the panel '@FDR Is There A New Deal?'  It is a really astute analogy of how we can more efficiently be pushing to enact the reform that America desperately needs.









We will be releasing lots, and lots, of videos from Netroots Nation over the coming weeks, including some panels in entirety. For more videos, and a list of every event we filmed, please visit the Sum of Change NN'09 page.

(VIDEO) Netroots Nation - This Video Will Save Your Campaign Lots of Money

This is not spam. This is not a commercial. This will seriously save your campaign money, and make it more effective at the same time.



There is a lot more to show from the "Cutting-Edge Evidence-Based Best Practices" panel. We are going to release a long version (almost the entire 1.5 hour panel), sometime over the next week or two at our Netroots Nation page.

This test, done by the Analyst Institute, reminds me of one specific mail piece. I had just come home, from door to door canvassing. I was working on a City Council race at the time, but there was a heated Mayoral race as well. There were three typical lit pieces in my mail box. Big, glossy, nice color work. All typical. Then there was one letter from one of the candidates office. It was in a normal envelope, just a black and white, typed out letter. A dear neighbor letter. At the bottom were signatures, seven of them to be exact. Each signature was from one of my neighbors, someone that lived no more than a mile from me. The letter read off a few of the reasons that these neighbors were supporting this candidate for Mayor. I cannot name a single specific detail about any of the other lit pieces. Clearly, one piece drove itself into my memory, and the others simply did not.

For more video of Netroots Nation, visit the Sum of Change NN'09 page.

(VIDEO) Netroots Nation '09: How Technology can be Utilized to Enhance Democracy in Pittsburgh and beyond

One of the last events of the weekend, was a panel on the fun and interesting things going on with technology, and what effect that will have on our democracy. Technology inevitably comes into conflict and cooperation with our democracy. Technology has made it easier than ever for our government to drop spying nets, to monitor us. Yet technology has also brought us the dashboard cop camera, causing many bad officers to be caught red handed. The speakers in these videos are going to talk about the latter kind of relationship between government and the citizenry, how we can use new technologies to further empower, educate, and change the world...









I hope you enjoyed these. We will be releasing plenty more videos over the coming weeks, including almost entire coverage of certain panels. You can find the list of events that we filmed and see all our current videos at our Netroots Nation page.

(VIDEO) Netroots Nation Day 3: It Comes to an End

Netroots Nation '09 is over. Of course, we are still up until 5:30am (again) working on footage. Today we filmed Valerie Jarrett's conversation with Netroots Nation attendees, a keynote panel with Governor Jon Corzine, Anna Burger, Kevin Drumm, and Dean Baker, the closing keynote with Senator Jim Ferlo, Richard Tumka of the AFL-CIO, and Darcy Burner of the American Proggressive Caucus PolicyFoundation, and four more panels.



In total, two of us filmed 16 panels, and had two cameras running for every major event throughout the weekend. We filmed all day, every day, and edited all night, every night. I'm still running on about 7 hours of sleep since Wednesday. Throughout the weekend we have been posting some highlights. Over the coming weeks we will release more extensive coverage, including the entirety of several panels.

Here is a list of the panels and events that we filmed so you can get a sense of what to expect:

Thursday, August 13th
-The Myth of Post Racial America
-From Prop 8 to Full Equality in all 50 States
-Bloggers and Blue Collar Workers Unite
-How to Get the Most Out of Polling Data
-@FDR is there a New Deal?
-How to Work with Unions in Your District
-The Secret Plan to Defeat the Conserva-tives Forever
-Getting Noticed: Grassroots Media & Film Distribution Caucus
-President Bill Clinton, Welcome Keynote

Friday, August 14th
-Governor Howard Dean Healthcare Townhall
-Pennsylvannia Leadership Forum with Senator Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak
-Congressman Joe Sestak, media availability
-Stepping it up: Creating Multiracial Alliances with Bloggers
-Science Denial and Science Policy
-Four Perspectives from the Soc. Change Blogosphere
-Organizing in Second Life and other Virtual Environment

Saturday, August 15th
-Valerie Jarret in Conversation with Baratunde Thurston
-Building a 21st Century Economy Keynote Panel with Governor Jon Corzine, Anna Burger, Kevin Drum, and Dean Baker
-Academic Studies of the Netroots
-Advocating for Reproductive Rights in the Age of Obama
-Cutting-Edge Evidence-Based Best Practices
-How Technology can Enhance Democracy in PBH and Beyond
-Closing Keynote with Darcy Burner, Richard Trumka, and Senator Jim Ferlo