Posted on 08/18/2002 5:18:22 PM PDT by Auntie Mame
Dear Freepers:
I just returned from the First Annual Free Republic Network Convention in Las Vegas.
The Free Republic Network Cruise last October was the most fun I've ever had in my whole life. The Free Republic Network Conference I just attended was the most informative and inspiring two days I've ever had in my whole life.
The Free Republic Network is stretching its muscle, not by talk, but by action. The Free Republic forum is liberty's college. The Free Republic Network is liberty's workplace.
If you attended, please use this thread to post your observations, comments and highlights of the conference. I will give mine below. But before I do, I'd like to take this time to thank Bob Johnson and the FRN board for putting on this conference. It's hard for me to find the words to adequately describe how great this experience was--and how much I learned.
That's my thought in a nutshell.
It was great to be able to meet so many that I had corresponded with or just read their posts.
I'm down with that.
Sure you can. However, if your talking is not advancing the cause, and may in fact be harming it, you'll find people on your own side interfering with your right to speak on the subject.
Let's use your analogy for a second. Say you're a German, c1939. Yes, you're against the Holocaust, and you're willing to try and stop it. Do you do your cause any good by attacking the officers who tried to assasinate Hitler because they aren't as philosophically pure as you are about Jews?
That's what happens when good folks allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good.
I am SO glad to have met you two at long last! :-)
That cup o' joe that I described would be your contribution to the "Holocaust problem." A good tactician would have supported the assassination attempt. There would be no need to question the motives of the assassins, which you seem willing to do.
Personally, I have no idea what the officers in question thought about Jews, and why would I care? You seem to have an issue with the officers that is unfounded. You don't know what their motives were.
Uneventful? I should say not, THANK GOD! First, I shared a cab ride with the GORGEOUS, BRIGHT, WITTY, BEAUTIFUL "lurkernomore!" (we had breakfast together at the Terrace Cafe earlier that morning), then when I checked in, they changed my seating and gave me the window seat on the emergency exit, which meant more leg room for me! Why they did that, I have no idea. I did not ask for the change. They just offered it right out of the blue (maybe they heard who I was and wanted the chance to push me out during the flight?). Of course, I took it and checked my bags in. Then I made my way to lurkernomore's airline to spend some time with her before her flight took off. We hung around the gift shops and such, and exchanged small talk, and it was GREAT just being with her. :-). It came time for her flight to leave :-(, I used up the last couple of pics in my camera of her as she waited on line to board, we hugged, and said our goodbyes. I WANT to see her again. I MUST see her again!
I headed straight back for the area of the terminal where my flight was supposed to take off. After sitting around for an hour or so, they announced that the flight was overbooked and asked for passengers to volunteer to give up their seats in return for a first class trip on another flight later that day PLUS a 400 dollar credit voucher, good towards a round trip ticket to anywhere the airline goes. NATURALLY I took their offer! Considering that the usual prices for their tickets are in the 250-300 range, I got a free airline trip (which has to be used within a year)!
So, having a little more time on my hands (my original flight was at 4pm, but my new 1st class flight was at midnight!), I gambled at the video poker and proceeded to to win 17.50. Then I moved on to the gates where my new 1st class flight was supposed to be. And since I still had more time, I gambled again at the video poker machines. I proceeded to win 78 dollars! Which completely wiped out my losses at the treasure island casino!
How good is this? :-)
I get to spend time in the company of one of the most gorgeous women on the face of the planet, I recover my gambling losses, with a little more to spare, I get bumped up twice, first to an emergency exit seat, then to first class, plus I get a 400 dollar voucher which translates into a free round trip flight ticket for me to wherever I want to go in the future. And ALL of this happened at the Vegas airport while on my way home! I'd kiss the hallowed ground of that airport, but I'm too far away now.
It was great to meet you. And your suggestion that we really should have done a group photo has several of us smacking our foreheads. Ow! Oww!!
Same thing happened to us, only it was on the way out of Treasure Island. Video Poker. Great game!
lurkernomore is definitely pretty special. Glad to hear that you two hit it off. I found a nice companion to fly with as well (but you'll need to buy my memoirs to hear more about that) ;)
(cough) strelaisattractedtoredheadslikeamothtoabugzapper ... (cough)
Your story is incredible - talk about divergence of experience! See my Post 172 in this thread. The 8-liner machines we have here in Texas will surely be a poor substitute for the one-armed bandits I had so much luck playing at McCarran. And the best part was ... they were in an area where smoking was permitted, not 100 feet from my gate (D1), on the other side of the "security zone". Guess where I hung out waiting on MY flight?
Of all the comments you posted here, Slip - and there are some really, really good ones from your excellent notes! - and of all those comments posted about you by the admiring Auntie Mame, OPH, and others, this comment from Just Another Joe makes me the most proud of you.
LOLuv, .30.
In my estimation, having finally acheived the time to get to this thread today, that is her contribution to the cause in its entirety.
She proves Muth's point.
... thank you! And may He bless you and yours as well, and all of those who have the blood of patriots flowing in their veins and the hope of liberty and its bedrock foundation in morality stamped on their hearts!
Best Fregards.
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